Although the month may have been shorter, February is following the momentum that started the new year strong with plenty of interesting updates and affairs occurring in the industry. We want your brand to have the information it needs to be able to take charge of the decisions that matter most, so we have compiled some of the latest social media and marketing happenings that you might not be aware of. Continue reading to learn about some of the most exciting highlights of the month!
Social Media Updates
Meta Launches Facebook Reels to All Users, Expanding its Short-Form Video Push
To compete with TikTok’s massive popularity with bite-size video content, Meta is unleashing Facebook Reels to be available in over 150 regions. Creators will be able to create videos up to 60 seconds long, post them to Stories, and save them as drafts. Meta is also testing out the option of allowing creators to add sponsored content to their video clips along with other tools that can bring forth monetization.
Instagram Stories are getting likes so you can respond without sending a DM
Instagram has released a new feature called Private Story Likes, which enables users to like a Story post without sending a direct message. Between the send and paper airplane icons lays a heart which will show up in the author’s Story view sheet if tapped by a user. Different from an in-feed post, stories will not have public-like counts. And in contrast to reacting to a Story with an emoji or message, likes will not be present in the DM inbox.
LinkedIn Tests New Option to Switch Off Political Posts in Your Feed
To improve the personal experience of users who do not like to view politics while on social media, LinkedIn is testing a way to opt out of seeing any politically related content. The app will eliminate these posts from automatic detection of certain keywords and input from the platform’s editorial team. Coming soon, users will be able to block topics they choose not to want to see in their feed.
Twitter begins a global test of a new feature: a downvote button
After receiving a positive response from an initial test last July, Twitter is currently exploring adding a downvote feature intended to better the quality of conversations on the app. Not much is known about the current testing stage, but a global audience is included in the test. For now, Twitter has said that downvotes are private and upvotes will be shown as likes.
Industry News
TikTok Announces New, Exclusive Content Deals with the NHL and Other Media Entities
TikTok has forged an exclusive partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) to push out unique content and bring forth exciting experiences. In this deal, the NHL will focus on tapping into TikTok trends to add another dimension to how we view athletes and sports. Both will also join in collaborating through music and entertainment at events.
Google launches revamped Search Ads 360
Search Ads 360, Google’s search management platform, has been upgraded with new features. Performance Max and Discovery campaigns, Google Ads functionalities, will now be supported as Search 360 has undergone a redesign of its technology. The platform also has been updated with over ten Microsoft Advertising features and Google is currently making changes to existing features. Lastly, a new interface that combines aspects from Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising is in place to facilitate user navigation.