New social media features and updates to know this week
Updates from Instagram and more.
There’s a little bit of something for everyone in this week’s social media update. Fans of Instagram will soon explore new user experience elements, and X is offering a little something for everyone.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Instagram has made new enhancements to its Notes feature, giving users the ability to add short, temporary messages to both Reels and feed posts. Notes, which are accessible through the messaging menu, are available to mutual followers only.
Notes are fun tools meant to promote immediate engagement. The Post-It-like messages last for three days.
Instagram may undergo a small facelift to better emphasis direct messaging. The most notable change is that the current DM tab (upper right-hand corner) may swap spots with the “add content” tab (the plus sign) in the bottom-center of the screen.
The update appears to be only in the testing stage still. However, Social Media Today reported that some accounts already have access to it.
Content creators love to keep it original – and a new song-mix feature will allow them to make their Insta posts one-of-a-kind. Now, creators can use up to 20 tracks on a single Reel.
The goal, according to IG’s Creators account, is to provide a way to tailor audio clips to specific visual elements of a post – text, stickers, clips, images, etc. Once posted, the collection of songs will become a unique mix attributed to the creator.
Google/Android
Google has expanded its Emoji Kitchen platform to Search and plans to add a new interactive version to YouTube Shorts in the near future. First launched in 2020 for Android devices, the Emjoi Kitchen allows users to create their own characters by combining existing emoji designs. The platform has grown to feature more than 100,000 drawings.
To access the tool via Search, type “emoji kitchen” and then tap the “Get cooking” button. In a couple weeks, Google will debut the Emoji Kitchen Effect on YouTube Shorts. “A couple tilts of the head and boom — you’ve got a frog bread sticker,” Google wrote.
Meta
It’ll soon be easier to share and engage with Threads content on third-party websites thanks to Meta’s new “web intents” API tool.
The tool will be familiar to pretty much anyone who’s been on a website in recent years. Essentially, Threads content will appear almost like native content on the outside. Then, when a user tries to engage with it, a new window will open and redirect to Threads. If a user isn’t already logged in or signed up for Threads, they’ll be asked to do so at that time.
X
X’s new Trend Genius product allows brands to place hyper-focused ads on conversation topics of their choosing – anything from the Olympics to an awards show. When the selected topic reaches a certain level of organic reach, X will automatically deploy the preprogrammed ad. When engagement drops, the ad will turn off automatically.
The goal is to help advertisers maximize paid ads while minimizing “waste,” according to X.
Those who frequent the micro-blogging site can now request a Community Note for posts they believe may include false or misleading claims. If there are enough requests, a Community Note contributor will receive an alert and can choose to propose a note.
“This gives people on X who are not contributors a way to help, and lets contributors know where notes might be found helpful,” according to X.
A new “auto advance” feature will allow X users to automatically move on to the next clip in their queue once their current video ends. You’ll be able to turn the feature on and off, according to X News Daily.
The tool is no doubt related to X’s new YouTube-style television app for smart TVs.
The development team at WhatsApp has added a “favorites” tab so people can prioritize conversations with key contacts. Favorites will appear at the top of the call tab and as a filter in the chat function. The function works for both individual contacts and messaging groups.
Is it the most exciting feature in the world? Maybe not. But there’s nothing wrong with a little more function than form in a social media update.
Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
