New social media features and updates to know this week
Including updates from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and more.
Social media managers and creators focused on short-form video should take note of this week’s updates.
Both YouTube and TikTok offer a new mix of video creation and user experience tools. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating about a potential new Reels-specific app from Instagram.
Let’s dive in.
Instagram is reportedly considering turning Reels into a standalone app, possibly capitalizing on TikTok’s still uncertain future in the United States.
Online publication The Information cited anonymous sources who overheard IG head Adam Mosseri discussing the plans.
This app would be part of a Meta project aimed at helping Instagram compete with TikTok, according to The Verge. The project would include enhanced content recommendations and surfacing more 3-minute-long videos.
IG hasn’t yet commented on the rumor. But this is definitely something to watch.
TikTok
Speaking of TikTok, the short-form video platform has started the transition from its Creator Marketplace to the new “TikTok One” platform, which will serve as the main hub for all the app’s creative tools, from analytics to campaign creation.
The transition will take place in phases. Creator Marketplace no longer supports new campaigns or creator applications. It will be entirely inaccessible April 1.
That’s not all from TikTok. It has a new web-based version that more closely resembles the mobile app. The desktop site has several new features, including a floating player in Google Chrome that keeps TikTok visible above other windows. It’s perfect for multitaskers who need their TikTok fix.
Other updates include:
- “Immersive modular design”: A new layout with a repositioned navigation bar that reduces distractions, making your feed exploration more seamless.
- Live gaming streaming: Stream in portrait or landscape mode, with full-screen horizontal views for desktop users and dynamic mobile views for mobile users.
- New collections feature: Organize your favorite videos into custom categories, making it easier to find and revisit later.
YouTube
YouTube is changing mid-roll ads to improve the viewer experience and potentially boost creator earnings.
Starting May 12, the platform will place ads at more natural breakpoints, such as pauses and transitions, while reducing interruptions in the middle of sentences or action sequences.
The process now includes new features like a feedback tool that enables creators to flag disruptive ad placements, and an option for YouTube to automatically add ad slots to supplement manually added mid-rolls.
YouTube plans to update videos uploaded before Feb. 24 with manually placed mid-rolls to include automatic ad slots at ideal points. Creators can opt out via YouTube Studio.
On another front, YouTube has updated its “Replace Song” feature in YouTube Studio with AI-based recommendations for alternative music tracks to help creators avoid copyright issues.
Now, users can select the same song multiple times and use “Song Erase” in one edit sequence. The AI suggests 10 relevant tracks as replacements for infringing music.
Other updates include the roll out of a Roblox Shorts effect that lets users try on different Roblox heads digitally and expansion of the “Hype” program to Turkey. The pilot allows viewers to give “hype points” to emerging creators’ videos to increase their reach. Viewers can either buy hype points or use three free ones per week. When you hype a video, YouTube adds bonus points based on the creator’s subscriber count – more points are given to creators with fewer subscribers.
LinkedIn has added a comment impression count to show users how many times people viewed their content. The impression count is displayed next to comments in the LinkedIn Feed or Groups, but it’s only visible to you.
It’s important to note that this count is non-unique, meaning that every view counts toward that total. So, if you view your own comment 50 times, the counter will go up by 50.
Another LinkedIn test feature lets users filter their content to include only updates from first-degree connections and followed pages, according to Social Media Today.
The existing “All” feed, showing the regular algorithm-curated content, will remain the default unless changed in the settings.
Pinterest is enhancing its AI-generated content labels to provide clearer context to users. The platform confirmed to Futurism that it is developing ways to identify and mark AI content within the app.
According to the report, users have increasingly reported a surge of AI-generated images in search results for categories like home decor, fashion, beauty and food. Many of these images direct users to content farms focused on ad revenue.
Pinterest hasn’t yet provided a timeline for when these updates will take effect, but anything that adds transparency is a good thing, whenever its available.
If you’re interested in learning about the latest digital trends, plan to attend Ragan’s Social Media Conference at Walt Disney World from March 19-21. You can find more details on the event website.
Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.
