August Social Shake
As heatwaves roll in, social channels are hustling to give users the breath of fresh air they need to break through the tide.
Summer is sizzling on with no end in sight and social channels are bringing equal heat to their updates. In an interesting month, we’re seeing the race for user attention intensify. For Instagram, twinning with the golden child – TikTok – caused far more uproar than excitement. Will YouTube’s further attempts to boost Shorts send the platform down the same misguided path? Time will tell. But the tug-of-war pattern is undoubtedly showing, so let’s see what July had to offer.
YouTube sprints for Shorts
It’s no secret that short-form video has social media users by the throat, so everyone and their dog are on a mission to tap into the audience. Now, YouTube has added a new update that enables users to convert segments of their existing long-form content into Shorts. This new option lies in the classic ‘Create’ section, prompting YouTube loyalists to make their content bite-sized if they haven’t already.
What does this mean for you?
This update will make editing Shorts a whole lot easier for YouTube creators, bolstering the near 1.5 billion YouTubers every month that already engage with this type of content. The question remains, however: is this an effort to merge evermore closely into TikTok’s lane or is it simply a sign that YouTube can roll with the times, whatever the climate?
Instagram backtracks big-time
In a world filled with division and polarising opinions, is there anything that we can all agree on? After the past month, we can confirm that the answer is a resounding yes: the Instagram full-screen update prioritising Reels was an utter no-go for everyone.
While Instagram’s algorithmic feed has faced heat before, the flames of posts begging Instagram to ‘be Instagram again’ were fanned by over 2.1 million users. This backlash pushed the Meta-owned company to roll back its changes, axing the full-screen home feed and temporarily reducing recommended posts.
What does this mean for you?
Anything that gets tech moguls, Kim Kardashian and an angry mob of influencers in the same corner should be heeded. Within the narrative surrounding keeping ‘Instagram Instagram’ lies a broader desire to #MakeInstagramCasualAgain, spawning the return of authentic, off-the-cuff posts that were not favoured in the recent update.
TikTok is a haven for videos, but more so a community for authenticity. In Instagram’s recent update, they may have hopped on the wrong side of the bandwagon, misinterpreting Gen Z’s desire for the simplicity of TikTok as a sole rush toward video content. As marketers, our audiences demand from us the same they demand from Instagram – to understand and respond to their desire for a realness on their feeds.
LinkedIn ups engagement
To the joy of any social media manager that fancies a multi-image post, LinkedIn has finally launched a native carousel option. While the platform is still testing the feature, they’re hoping that it will give content creators a chance to share information in a more visual, engaging way.
In a nod toward Meta’s link sticker options, LinkedIn is now gradually offering mobile users the option to add one on any video or image post. For recruiters, advertisers and our favourite LinkedIn influencers, this will double the power of referrals with double the links to click.
What does this mean for you?
LinkedIn has always been a place for businesses, but it’s gradually becoming a platform for more than just companies. With user-friendly updates like these, the channel stands to join the priority ranks of Meta in the eyes of social media marketers everywhere.
TikTok takes gold for Gen Z
TikTok hasn’t made any explicit changes to the platform recently, but somehow, it’s still taking up daily headspace – and we’re not just talking about those catchy song clips. Topping Instagram in Gen Z viewers and constantly creating organic trends, the platform is living and breathing with the soul of social media users watching over it with care. Let’s peek at the trends we think are worth following from recent weeks:
Talking about Regina
Try it for yourself: Audio
What’s one thing you can’t stop talking about? With this trend, creators are telling us theirs – whether it’s their pet, significant other, or favourite product right now.
My Birken, Another Birken
Try it for yourself: (Audio)
This trend uses audio to compare one thing (a Birken) to something very similar (another Birken!), highlighting the fact that the two things are essentially the same but ever so slightly different.
What does this mean for you?
Calling all product marketers! Trends this month are ripe for conversation around product highlights, points of difference and all-around jokes to hit home with Gen Z. These trends may not be for you and your brand – but they are for some. So, never stop keeping an eye out for one that works for you. It may just become your niche.
Twitter steps toward transparency
What do users want? Transparency! When do they want it? Yesterday!
The holy grail of social features is on deck. That’s right, the Twitter ‘edit button’ is almost here. To align with consumer wishes for clarity in social media, Twitter has developed a new explainer note on embedded tweets that have been edited. This label will state “Last edited [date],” and “There’s a new version of this tweet.” The process of creating this feature has been lined with concerns, but options like full edit histories could make editing tweets a feasible option for brands and consumers alike.
What does this mean for you?
Have you ever posted something then realised you wish you would have added a new sentence, different emoji or an oxford comma? So have we – and just about anyone else who creates content for a living. Editing tweets allows marketers to retain engagement while adjusting content to fit their needs, as opposed to deleting and repeating. Needless to say, we’re excited.