What's New In Social Media Marketing Right Now? July 2024

TL;DR

Exploring new features and updates in social media platforms.

Transcript

Hello, hello. Welcome back to freelance Friday. Today. We're going to talk about what's new in social. What's new in the world of social media marketing, what these platforms have going on for us this month, we're going to start with Instagram. Instagram is doing something interesting with their close friends feature, which we've talked about befor... Read More

Key Insights

• Instagram's Close Friends feature now supports live broadcasts, offering new opportunities for personal and business interactions.
• Meta introduces automated creative variations for Reels, optimizing performance through AI-driven A/B testing.
• Instagram's political content toggle allows users to limit political posts from non-followed accounts, but there are issues with settings resetting unintentionally.
• Threads enters the Fediverse, enabling cross-platform communication, potentially reshaping social media interactions.
• TikTok challenges a potential ban by arguing it violates the First Amendment, highlighting ongoing legal battles.
• X removes the likes tab for privacy, encouraging users to engage more freely with content.
• Snapchat introduces safety features to protect teens, including warnings and enhanced friending protections.
• The Surgeon General suggests a warning label for social media platforms due to mental health concerns among adolescents.

Questions & Answers

Q: What new feature is Instagram rolling out for Close Friends?

Instagram is rolling out live broadcasts for the Close Friends feature, allowing users to host live sessions exclusively for a curated list of friends. This feature is beneficial for social media managers, entrepreneurs, and content creators who want to maintain personal connections while managing their public presence.

Q: How does Meta's automated creative variations for Reels work?

Meta's automated creative variations for Reels use AI-driven A/B testing to optimize reel performance. This feature tests different versions of reels with various captions and covers, automatically selecting and promoting the top-performing version. It's particularly useful for content creators with large audiences, enabling them to maximize engagement with minimal effort.

Q: What is the political content toggle on Instagram?

The political content toggle on Instagram allows users to limit political content from accounts they don't follow. This feature aims to reduce exposure to unwanted political posts. However, users have reported issues with the settings resetting unintentionally, which Meta claims is an error they are working to fix.

Q: What is the Fediverse and how is Threads involved?

The Fediverse is a global network of interconnected social media servers, allowing cross-platform communication. Threads has entered the Fediverse, enabling users to interact with content across different platforms like Mastodon and WordPress. This move represents a step toward more open and interconnected social media interactions.

Q: What is TikTok's stance on the potential U.S. ban?

TikTok argues that the potential U.S. ban violates the First Amendment, claiming it is an unprecedented move that targets a specific speech platform without justification. They emphasize that the ban sets a dangerous precedent and are challenging it legally, with arguments scheduled for September.

Q: How has X changed its approach to user likes?

X has made the likes tab private to enhance user privacy, meaning users can no longer view the liked posts of others. This change encourages users to engage more freely with content, as liking posts will now improve the personalized feed without public scrutiny.

Q: What safety features has Snapchat introduced?

Snapchat has introduced new safety features aimed at protecting teens, including warnings about users who have been reported, enhanced friending protections, simplified location sharing, and blocking improvements. These features aim to create a safer environment for younger users by preventing unwanted interactions.

Q: What is the Surgeon General's proposal regarding social media?

The Surgeon General proposes a warning label on social media platforms, highlighting the potential mental health harms for adolescents. This proposal stems from concerns about the addictive nature of social media and its association with increased anxiety, depression, and negative body image among young users.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Instagram's Close Friends feature now includes live broadcasts, allowing users to connect more intimately with a select audience, which can be beneficial for personal and business use.

• Meta's automated creative variations for Reels aim to enhance performance through AI-driven A/B testing, potentially benefiting content creators with large audiences.

• TikTok's legal challenge against a potential U.S. ban focuses on First Amendment rights, highlighting the ongoing tension between social media platforms and government regulations.