Autumn is here, and as the weather turns we are all getting cozy and spending more time than ever on social media. Every platform has been busy making updates, and these are the ones you need to know about:
This month Facebook made changes to the former Business Manager (now Facebook Business Suite), an app that allows you to manage and schedule posts and respond to comments, messages, and notifications for your Facebook and Instagram business pages. You can also view your post insights and create and manage ads within the Business Suite, which can be accessed by downloading the new app or via desktop.
If your business uses paid Facebook events, you’ll be happy to hear Apple and the App Store will not be taking a cut of any income you earn on virtual events for the next three months. Facebook has been fighting for this decision through the pandemic, and hopes this change will be made permanent.
More text can be used in any ad images posted to Instagram or Facebook moving forward, as restrictions on ads with more than 20% text are being lifted. Before this update, Facebook would limit the reach of an ad with too much text in the image, creating major challenges for some businesses who needed more text to communicate.
Instagram’s biggest change this month goes hand in hand with Facebook—with messaging services between the two apps being merged. Users will now have the option to get rid of their Instagram Direct messages and connect their Facebook Messenger instead, with hopes this will make it easier for us to connect with the people we care about.
Now that Instagram Reels have been around for a while, updates like 30-second videos and trimming and deleting clips through the editing process have been added. There is also now an option as to whether or not to include a reel on an account’s main feed, and many are hoping to see the next round of updates include videos of up to a minute long like on TikTok.
Our final update isn’t actually a real change—it’s a rumour Instagram had to address as false this month. News was circulating that there would be an option to add clickable links to a caption for a fee, which is not something that will be introduced.
Twitter’s updates this month are all about accessibility. After announcing audio tweets back in June, the platform dedicated a team to making sure Twitter and its features are usable for everyone. They are working to add transcriptions to all audio and video, and are also in the process of testing out voice direct messages.
Things have been busy with LinkedIn, and September saw lots of updates rolled out, with a major focus on becoming more friendly and authentic. Despite being considered a professional platform only, LinkedIn has introduced Stories lasting 24 hours to let users share their day-to-day lives. The layout is moving towards more white space and less blue for a modern and open feeling, and there are also improvements being made to messaging services in the app.
Other changes include connecting with Microsoft Teams and Zoom for video calls within the messenger area, and similarly to Twitter’s recent changes, you will also soon be able to decide who is able to comment on your posts, from public, connections only, or no one.
Meanwhile, on the Business Page side, detailed follower analytics and a new method for inviting connections to like your page have been introduced. The new method gives 100 credits a month instead of 50 invites a day, and credits are returned when an invitation is accepted. The platform has also published a guide to making the best use of their ad targeting tools that can help you maximise your campaigns.
Our current favourite social media platform TikTok is continuing to thrive and has introduced new ways to duet with other users. In addition to the current side-by-side and reaction formats, there are now also top and bottom and three-screen layouts, giving even more freedom and creativity. This move comes as Youtube announces 15-second videos called Shorts in an attempt to compete with TikTok and Instagram Reels.
This month’s final update is all about Pinterest. They’ve joined every other major social media platform in introducing Stories, but instead of lasting only 24 hours, Stories on Pinterest can be permanently pinned to your profile. These can be created through uploading content from your phone or the in-app camera, and text overlay and a page of additional information can be added.
From audio tweets and new TikTok duets, to longer Reels and Pinterest Stories, we are so excited to try out the new features introduced in September. Don’t forget to check back for next month’s updates, and in the meantime stay ahead of the curve with us by signing up to our newsletter.
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