Instagram Update Revolutionises Reels and Presents New Analytic Options
As a result of Instagram’s new updates for Reels, creators can maximise their audience engagement and build communities around their content by tapping into the latest trends and shifts. The new update is said to be “highly valuable for marketers looking to make the most of their IG content.”
Reels have been redesigned to include an audio and hashtag discovery element that enables creators to find the latest trending audio. With ‘Reels Trends’, users will be able to see what audio is driving the most interest at any given time, as well as hashtag trends and usage statistics. Alongside this, the platform will also now provide insights into total and average watch time for Reels, giving creators more data to analyse the performance of their content with.
In addition, Instagram is apparently merging its creative tools into the video composer screen, so it will be easier for users to create more standout Reels content. Using Reels’ new editing flow, users will now be able to edit video, stickers, text, and audio tracks on the same screen.
Find out more here.
Twitter Blue Subscribers Able To Post 10,000 Character Tweets
Adding to Twitter’s Blue subscription package, Blue members can now write tweets of up to 10,000 characters, as well as use text formatting options, such as bold and italics, to express themselves more creatively. This feature comes in an update to the subscription which has also seen subscribers given the ability to post videos up to 60 minutes long.
There was already an option for Twitter Blue subscribers to post tweets up to 4k characters long, providing a more comprehensive way to share more in-depth content. The only issue with this feature is that tweets cut off after the first 280 characters in-stream, therefore it would require a user to click the ‘see more’ option to view the majority of the tweet.
According to Twitter chief Elon Musk, the existing length restrictions are a major barrier to people posting longer content on the app, and by eliminating them, users will be more likely to share their original content directly with Twitter instead of linking to other platforms.
Find out more here
TikTok bans All Climate Change Denial Content
As part of its goal to fight climate change misinformation, TikTok is banning any content that contradicts scientific consensus regarding global warming and its impacts from the platform. Fighting the misinformation around climate change has also recently become a key focus on both Twitter and Pinterest, which has seen them raise awareness in an attempt to prevent users from being misled.
A spokesperson from TikTok claims that “On April 21, we will begin to ramp up enforcement of a new climate change misinformation policy which removes climate change misinformation that undermines well-established scientific consensus, such as content denying the existence of climate change or the factors that contribute to it.”
Online climate change denial is still prevalent, with some major publications promoting the idea that the threat has been overblown for political reasons. Furthermore, Facebook has not banned climate-denying content and still facilitates its distribution, which increases queries – despite, as TikTok notes, the scientific consensus that climate change is real, and that action is needed soon.
Find out more here.
Facebook Test AI-Generated Stories Based on Users’ Previously Shared Images
Using artificial intelligence, Facebook is using image recognition to generate new Stories based on content shared by users. The platform has started to prompt users to use the new ‘Advanced Stories’ feature on their account, asking users to “allow Facebook to suggest high-quality, ready-made stories for you using advanced photo and video data”.
Using thematic matching, the app will create Stories based on the images that users upload to the app, providing templated frames that they can then share with their audience. This makes the feature a handy tool for brands to help create batches of content, alongside highlighting specific products or themes in a reminder post.
This comes as the next instalment of Facebook’s push towards aligning the platform with the behavioural shifts of their users. It is clear that users continue to consume content in the main feed, and Meta’s AI recommendations help keep them scrolling longer, but Meta must also ensure they are getting real value from in-app experiences too.
Find out more here.