September 2024 Social Media Platform Updates
Thursday 3rd October 2024
by Beth Perrin
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Plenty of new features and updates were released by all of the top social media platforms throughout September, which will not only make it easier for casual users to connect with their friends and family members, but will also help brands and businesses enhance their marketing strategies. Let’s take a look at a selection of them below so you can explore which ones might benefit your online experience as we enter Q4.
Instagram Broadcast Channel Replies
Firstly, an update for Broadcast Channels on Instagram. Up until now, these have been one-way communication channels - but a selection of Channel creators have recently begun seeing the option to switch on replies in their channel, meaning that subscribers can now add their own comments under posts. This will facilitate more interaction and engagement within Broadcast Channels, and could be a good way for channel admins to gain feedback and insights from their most dedicated fans.
Edit DMs on X
X users now have the option to edit their DMs in the app, which brings X’s DM feature more in line with other platforms’ messaging tools, where this ability has been available for a while. To edit a DM you’ve sent, simply click on the three dots menu next to the message you want to edit, select the ‘Edit’ option, make your changes, then click 'Save' to update the message. You can edit your messages any time after they've been sent, but each message can only be edited a maximum of 5 times.
On Android and desktop, the recipient will receive a new message that contains your edits, but it will be prefixed with the word ‘edited’ to let them know that it has been altered since it was originally sent. On iOS, recipients will only receive the edited message if they haven’t yet seen the original.
Edit DMs now available on iOS! Download the latest app to access the feature. Other platforms coming soon. pic.twitter.com/231fkxVI5u
— Mike (@cambridgemike) August 31, 2024
YouTube Shorts Thumbnail Customisation
In order to give Shorts creators more flexibility regarding the appearance of their video clips, YouTube has introduced the option to edit Shorts thumbnails with a variety of different frames, text and filters. You can’t upload custom Shorts thumbnails at the moment, but this update provides more ways to personalise your Shorts presentation and add more branding elements to make them stand out in the feed. In addition to this, Shorts thumbnails can now be edited post-upload, so if you aren’t happy with the way your thumbnail looks after you’ve published your Short, you can alter it to look the way you want it to.
TikTok Thoughts
Following the success of Instagram’s Notes feature, TikTok has launched a new option to share a short, text-based message called a ‘Thought’ in the app, which is then displayed in a speech bubble above your profile picture and on your Stories bubble at the top of your inbox. Notes on Instagram have proven to be very popular with younger audiences, and seeing as TikTok’s user base consists mainly of the same demographic as Instagram’s, it makes sense that the platform would implement a similar tool for users to try out.
NEW! TikTok just added notes similar to Instagram, which you can share with your friends, everyone or privately. pic.twitter.com/BmxY8AtqBz
— Jonah Manzano (@jonah_manzano) September 5, 2024
Website Visits Goal on YouTube
YouTube advertisers who run promotions via the YouTube Studio can now choose ‘Website Visits’ as their target goal (in addition to the more advanced ad options available within Google Ads). This will provide a more direct way to increase traffic to your brand’s website, where you can then measure customer responses and utilise additional promotional and connection opportunities. The new goal will be available for ads shown on Shorts, the main feed, and skippable in-stream ads, and videos with this objective will be labelled as ‘Sponsored’.
YouTube Shorts ‘Add Yours’ Sticker
After testing it out with selected users over the past couple of months, YouTube is now rolling out its ‘Add Yours’ sticker to all users. The sticker is essentially YouTube’s own version of the Add Yours sticker on Instagram, which creators have been utilising for a while now to encourage participatory content from their followers. Once you’ve finished recording your Short, simply tap on the stickers icon, select the ‘Add Yours’ sticker, then enter a prompt. After your Short is published, viewers can respond with a Short of their own, or tap the sticker to check out responses from other users.
New Meta Ad Options for the Holidays
With the holiday season just around the corner, Meta has announced some new ad options for both Instagram and Facebook.
• Firstly, the discount code promo options have been updated, with a more prominent code notification which automatically adds the code at the checkout. This means advertisers will be able to highlight their discount code on overlay ads, and users will be able to action the code more easily.
• Secondly, Reminder Ads have been updated, with advertisers now being able to drive people to a mobile app to make an in-app purchase - plus the frequency of reminder notifications has been increased, meaning brands can send out more alerts to maximise awareness.
• Meta is also updating its site links option, which enables brands to add multiple landing pages to a single image or video ad in the Facebook feed. Customers can now go directly to a specific landing page for a product category with just one click from an ad.
• Lastly, the platform is testing the ability for advertisers to show ads to people most likely to shop in-store and highlight nearby locations so people can easily plan their next visit - and to help businesses reach tourists, shoppers and visitors in their city or region, a new way to show ads to people interested in a location is being introduced.
Share Up to 20 Photos and Videos on Threads
Following in Instagram’s footsteps, Threads has introduced the ability to add up to 20 photos or videos to a single post. The images will be displayed in a side-scrolling carousel format, giving users more ways to share visual updates and get creative with their content on the platform. Plus, now that posts can be cross-shared from Instagram to Threads, the update will allow for more compatibility with 20-slide Instagram carousels.
Post by @threadsView on Threads
Pinterest Collage Remixing
Pinterest is expanding its collage tools, with the release of two new options - collage remixing and collage sharing. The collage option was added last September and was based on the popularity of Pinterest’s separate ‘Shuffles’ app, enabling users to digitally cut objects out of any Pin, then combine them with other cutouts to create interactive and shoppable images.
• The collage remix tool enables users to collaborate and build upon existing collages in the app, leveraging them as templates to help inspire and stretch their creativity. A tag will appear in the lower left corner of a remixed collage pointing to the original collage creator, and users can switch the Remix option for their collages on or off at any time.
• The collage sharing option lets users download their collages, either as a still image or a timelapse video, that can then be shared on other social platforms.
According to Pinterest, “People are using collages to manifest their dreams, plan for their future and ultimately turn their inspiration into action, from planning outfits and building beauty routines, to creating aesthetic mood boards and designing their dream dorms”, with the number of collages on the platform increasing by 418% since the start of the year.
Meta Acquires the ‘Threads.com’ URL
TechCrunch has reported that Meta has secured the rights to the domain name ‘Threads.com’, which was previously owned by a different company of the same name. Up until now, Threads on desktop has been accessible via ‘Threads.net’, because Meta wasn’t able to convince the other Threads to hand over the URL. However, back in June, that company was sold to Shopify, meaning it no longer exists as a separate entity.
This has enabled Meta to step in and claim the URL, with domain registration data confirming that ‘Threads.com’ is now owned by Instagram. This likely suggests that users will soon be able to access Threads via the .com listing, and the .net version may eventually be retired for a more cohesive experience.
Instagram Signature Sound
Instagram has created a new soundbite that it’s describing as a ‘signature sound’, which will play at the end of every Reel that’s downloaded from the app - essentially an audio watermark to show that the video has come from Instagram, much like the ‘bounce’ sound heard at the end of TikToks when they’re shared onto other platforms. Instagram says that the sound is: “The first step of our brand new sonic identity - a whole new world of sound for [us]”.
View this post on Instagram
Summary
Whether you’re an individual social media user, influencer or brand marketer, we’d love to hear which of these updates you’ve tried out and which ones you’ve found advantageous so far. Find us on X @3sixfivepro to let us know which new features you’re excited to use, how they might benefit your upcoming strategy and which platforms are yielding the best results for you at the moment!
