New social media features and updates to know this week
In spite of the uncertainty surrounding its future, TikTok is still introducing new updates for U.S. users, including adding a new post scheduling tool to TikTok Studio.
Post scheduling already existed through the app as well as third-party management tools. But this new integration into Studio adds a new level of convenience for social media managers and content creators alike. Now, they can manage all of their TikTok processes – including analytics and monetization monitoring tools – in one place.
Of course, the threat of TikTok going away has also been a flashing red light for video-centric competitors such as Triller, a social network that lets users create and share short videos, often synced to music, using AI. Triller is promoting a click-of-a-button solution for backing up TikTok content on its app via SaveMyTikToks.com.
TikTok isn’t the only social platform in the news, of course. Below are some of the other feature updates you should know about.
YouTube
YouTube now allows content creators to generate Shorts from inside their phone. The change is part of the fourth and final phase of the Shorts rollout that started back in October. With this latest update, users can launch the Shorts camera from the main YouTube app by selecting “Create” and picking “Short” at the bottom of the screen. They’ll have the option to change the timer in the top right-hand corner to either “3m,” which stands for three minutes or 15 seconds (15s).
Recognizing the value of short-form videos, YouTube is also experimenting with a feature that lets creators easily cut out segments from long-form videos to create highlights. Those clips will instantly publish as separate 16:9 videos. Those in the test will see the option to “Create a video highlight” in the video editor tool in YouTube Studio Desktop. This is rolling out to a small number of English-language creators in the testing phase.
X
X will start labeling accounts identified as parodies or satires to allow people to more easily distinguish them from the accounts they’re imitating. The parody/satire label will appear on both accounts and their posts.
The platform noted that if a person believes an account is inauthentic or engaging in impersonation, they can report the account in-app or in X’s Help Center. In the future, these labels will become mandatory.
On the other end of the spectrum for X, the platform has introduced several changes regarding its AI chatbot, Grok. That includes the addition of a not-yet-released “Unhinged Mode.”
Most of the Grok updates focus on its increased integration into the X app, including a new button in the sidebar and another one in the post composer window. X also is working to promote the tool via a variety of promotions, including in-stream ads and an explainer for the tool prompted via an icon in every post.
Perhaps the biggest news, however, has to do with Unhinged Mode, which will provide responses “intended to be objectionable, inappropriate, and offensive much like an amateur stand-up comic who is still learning the craft.”
Meta
Meta is exploring a new eBay integration into its site, an apparent move to reduce scrutiny in the EU.
The partnership would lead to some eBay listings appearing on Facebook Marketplace. The listings will be from a variety of categories, based on factors including shopping trends and listing quality, the Associated Press reported.
Social Media Today noted that Meta will test the option in Germany, France and the U.S.
Most pundits believe this is an effort to water down Marketplace’s dominance to appease regulators who fined the company nearly $800 million for breaching EU antitrust rules.
Reddit has added a new way to track trending topics in the app through Reddit Pro Trends. The tool – part of the Reddit Pro dashboard – enables a user to track the growth of discussions in the app based on the custom keywords and topics.
“(B)usinesses can now track virtually any keyword or phrase – their brand name, product name, category, or even the latest viral trend – and see when, where, and how redditors are discussing it in real time,” Reddit wrote on its platform.
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.
