February saw a lot of social media updates including those giving impetus to addressing security concerns and paving ways for users to generate more revenue. Some moves by the app management seemed controversial but the reasons they presented seemed justifiable too. So, let’s discuss the February social media updates.
Instagram tests mentioning user location on reels
To help users highlight potential misinformation, and flag it to IG, Instagram is using a new idea of listing the location front. It is also counted as an extra level of important context. It’s also very simple and not an intrusive approach. It plays a key role in helping a viewer interpret the information being presented by highlighting this element.
The attached explanation from Instagram reads:
“Instagram is providing this information because, in rare cases, accounts may be misleading people about where they’re based.”
TikTok launches ‘Creativity Program’ to help creators generate more revenue
TikTok launches a new Creativity Program which aims to reward creators for posting longer videos, taking it as a different approach varying from the Creator Fund already in use. Only content longer than a minute in length will be eligible for funding. This is a shift from TikTok’s short-form approach, and by expanding the length of videos, TikTok aims to find more leeway to better monetize through enhanced engagement.
TikTok’s Creator Fund has been criticised multiple times for its fluctuating payouts and declining funding despite the creator view counts on a surge. Since the static funding model is not working as a reliable and recurring source of revenue, creators are found looking to other platforms.
Pinterest lengthened the idea pin video to 5 minutes
Pinterest, to provide another way to maximise engagement with the content is following the lead of TikTok by adding longer video clips in its Idea Pins format. This step will enhance the capacity to tell a story within your Idea Pins. The longer video option is being rolled out to all users.
Idea Pins, launched in 2021, follows a full-screen presentation format, with how-to guides and explainers performing well as Idea Pin clips. The increased video length will give you more room to narrate your story and expand upon the key elements in a more enhanced and engaging way.
Youtube introduces shorts as new model comment replies
YouTube’s finding new ways to utilise Shorts within its community engagement process simultaneously paving ways to help Shorts creators convert more viewers into subscribers via their video clips.
YouTube’s trying to make Shorts a more responsive engagement option by letting users reply with a Short in the comments feed. Creators through this make their way to utilise Shorts within the engagement process.
This is similar to TikTok’s video reply option and YouTube says that the functionality first rolls out to creators on iOS and then to Android.
LinkedIn Adds New Features on User Profiles- Visual Display Elements and Scheduling Tools for Newsletters
LinkedIn is on its way to making user profiles more visually appealing. This step will generate ample ways to integrate visual elements into your profile presentation, with the activity section now displaying images, videos and articles in a more aesthetic way. It’s a creative update, which aligns with the broader shift towards visual elements across social platforms.
LinkedIn’s also adding a feature to schedule newsletters in the app. This generates ample ways to manage your LinkedIn newsletter delivery. The capacity to schedule articles will also help you to post your content at the optimal engagement times for your connections. SEO titles for newsletters and articles, and improved subscription options to streamline newsletter sign-ups are the other highlights.
Twitter’s Making SMS Two-Factor Authentication available only for Twitter Blue Subscribers
The latest Twitter update is that it is switching off SMS-based two-factor authentication for all non-Twitter Blue subscribers from next month. Twitter’s justification for this step is that to keep accounts safe from hacking, SMS two-factor authentication will now only be available to those who are willing to pay Twitter $8 per month. It also pushes more people to pay for Twitter Blue and brings in more revenue for Twitter.
Twitter’s view is that if it can force more people to pay, that will ensure the security element, and helps to weed out the bots who won’t pay the monthly charges.
There were a lot of social media updates across different platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, and Snapchat addressing the needs and concerns of the users while simultaneously advancing the features for more efficiency and community engagement in addition to creating sources of revenue generation. Trials which failed are removed and alternative features are added keeping in mind the aim to accomplish making the app more user-friendly and secure.
