TikTok launches Bulletin Boards for creator and brand messaging
TikTok is testing a new broadcast messaging feature that allows creators and brands to share one way updates such as text, images, and videos with followers directly through their profiles.
Similar to Instagram’s Broadcast Channels, Bulletin Boards support up to 20 posts per day, each capped at 1,000 characters, and offer a message-style feed where fans can react but not reply. This move aligns with the broader trend toward private, direct communication on social platforms and aims to help creators stay connected with their audiences more effectively.
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Instagram now lets you share Spotify songs to Stories with sound
Instagram has introduced a new feature allowing users to share Spotify songs to their Stories with in-app audio previews, making music sharing and discovery more seamless.
Previously, shared songs appeared without sound and only linked out to Spotify. This update, alongside a recent feature enabling Spotify tracks in Instagram Notes, positions the platform more competitively in the music discovery space, potentially increasing user engagement and attempting to rival TikTok’s influence in shaping music trends.
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X to charge for ads based on the size of visuals
X is planning to charge advertisers based on the vertical size of their ads, meaning larger, full-screen ads will cost more than smaller ones.
This update follows the recent move to remove hashtags from ads for similar aesthetic reasons. Elon Musk says the change aims to maintain a ‘clean’ user experience by discouraging oversized, disruptive ads.
While not yet implemented, this update could significantly impact campaign planning, as advertisers currently gain more screen presence with larger visuals. Though the move may help improve aesthetics, it also presents a new revenue stream for X, which continues to seek profitability.
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TikTok gamifies livestreams with new Fan Club feature
TikTok is testing a new ‘Fan Club’ feature to boost livestream engagement by gamifying viewer interaction, mirroring social trends in China.
Viewers will join a creator’s club by sending a virtual gift during a stream, unlocking tasks like watching, commenting, and gifting to earn points and level up. Higher levels grant perks such as exclusive chat access, badges, and special gifts. The update builds on TikTok’s previous ‘Creator’s Team’ model, which showed fans engaging three times more and watching four times longer.
Though currently limited to select regions, particularly in Asia, TikTok is also trialling a ‘LIVE Journey’ programme to encourage creators to stream more, both part of its push to drive livestream activity and commerce.
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Mark Zuckerberg announces his AI ‘superintelligence’ super-group
Meta has created a new ‘Meta Superintelligence Labs’ team to lead its AI work, with former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang as Chief AI Officer and ex-GitHub CEO Nat Friedman helping lead the group.
Meta has hired top talent from Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and OpenAI, and is offering massive salaries to boost its AI efforts. CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company will begin work on new advanced AI models over the next year. Meta has also looked into buying several AI startups, but none of the talks led to formal offers.