It’s that time! Every couple of months, we round together some of the most important social media related headlines to keep you updated on what’s up with some of the top platforms. Here’s what’s happened in April 2018.
Instagram Creators Presents: Reframing Creativity with Vertical Video Format
Most people are trained to look at things horizontally. But with the advent of the smartphone, it makes a lot more sense to make visual content vertically. Instagram challenged creators to create a series of visual content in vertical format.
Key Moments in Sports
As Instagram tries to continue to capture attention, it’s introducing a new feature that will allow users to interact with sporting events in a whole new way. Key Moments in Sports will engage fans as they watch sports and scroll their Instagram feeds.
Instagram’s Algorithm Changes
In 2016, Instagram’s feed changed from chronological order to algorithmic to help people see more posts. According to them, more than 70 percent of posts were unseen by users and their fix was to change the feed to show users what they believed they wanted to see based on an algorithm.
Now, after two years of feedback, Instagram is once again making changes to ensure that newer posts are more likely to appear first in newsfeeds. With these changes, Instagram says the feed will feel fresher, and users will not miss out on moments they care about. Over the next few months, more information will be coming about these improvements.
Facebook Watch
Last August, Facebook launched Watch, a streaming service that initially featured original shows from content partners including Attn, Mashable, and Refinery29. The goal was that eventually, any content creator could upload longer form videos to the Watch platform. Now that Facebook Watch has been out for a little while, the platform is making moves to enhance the vetting process to ensure quality content is uploaded.
Two new features to Facebook Messenger
At this point, Facebook Messenger is practically it’s own social media platform! It can just do so much stuff. And now, the messenger app will be getting two new enhancements.
Group chats can now have admins who can approve new members, remove members, and promote or demote other members in the group chat. It will now be easier to add people, as well, with joinable links. Members can easily create a custom invite link and share it with someone they’d like to join the conversation.
The app will also enable you to use real-time voice and video chats in groups with up to 50 people at a time, and now you can add friends and family to your in-progress voice and video chats without having to interrupt the conversation, making sure no one misses out.
Facebook News Feed FYI
It’s no secret that Facebook has faced criticism for the spammy articles and fake news stories prevalent on the newsfeed of users. Facebook has been working on solutions to the issue, trying to ensure links and articles shared are factual. They’ve recently released a new feature that aims to help people better assess the stories they see on their news feed. News Feed FYI will share key information to readers, including the publisher’s Wikipedia entry, related articles on the same topic, information about how many times the article has been shared on Facebook, where it is has been shared, as well as an option to follow the publisher’s page.
Updated Facebook Privacy Settings
At the end of March, Facebook announced they are taking additional steps in the coming weeks to put people more in control of their privacy. These include things like making data settings and tools easier for users to find, a new privacy shortcut menu, and tools to find, download and delete your Facebook data.
YouTube
YouTube Live from your phone and desktop
You can now go live right from YouTube using your phone or desktop. Go to http://www.youtube.com/webcam or click "Go live" in the YouTube menu bar and you'll be able to start your YouTube Live video.
YouTube TV announces a presenting sponsorship deal with the NBA
Google’s YouTube TV will be the first-ever presenting sponsor of the National Basketball Association finals as a part of a multiyear partnership. This deal is part of a larger effort to raise awareness of Google’s streaming service.
Twitter is beating back the bots
Twitter is trying to prevent bots from using third-party apps to spread spam, and announced new rules for developers to accomplish this goal. Twitter’s new API will no longer let users simultaneously post identical or substantially similar content to multiple accounts, simultaneously perform actions such as Likes, Retweets, or follows from multiple accounts, or use of any form of automation (including scheduling) to post identical or substantially similar content, or to perform actions. Developers have one month to make the required changes. Twitter says it's already updated TweetDeck to reflect the new rules.
Twitter brings back verification
After halting any new verifications, Twitter has quietly begun the process again. While the company hasn’t made any announcements or explained any new rules for verification, a few accounts were given the blue checkmark.
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