The Social Media News You Can Use In April
As we close out April, let’s get right into the social media news you can use to start the week ahead. Today, we’ll talk about ephemeral content on social media, the latest legislature looking to ban social media for kids in a state, and keeping you up to date on the newest social media platforms fighting for market share.
What is Ephemeral Content?
When Sprout Social talks about "ephemeral content " they're talking about content that doens’t live forever, think Story content. Stories on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are excellent instances of ephemeral content. So, if you're a frequent social media user, you've already been exposed to ephemeral content on a daily basis, and likely are posting some on your own channels.
Sprout Social talks about how social media users are more likely to engage with this type of content because they won't be able to engage with it after it disappears (unless the Stories are added to the user’s highlights), which leverages FOMO, adds a sense of urgency, and builds authenticity because users feel like these Stories were captured in the moment.
When it comes to our clients at The Motion Agency, one of our hospitality clients does a bi-weekly content series that is a wonderful example of ephemeral content. Twice a month, our team will source User Generated Content (UGC) from our client’s audience, primarily Instagram reels (short-form videos), and feature them on the restaurant’s Instagram as Stories (along with our overall highlights). People that tag the businesses they patronize on social media often want to see their content featured. So when their Reels get featured in our client’s content, these users often reshare it to their personal audiences, helping us introduce our client’s brand to more people.
A U.S. Bill Would Ban Kids From Joining Social Media Apps
If you’re a parent, you’ve likely been concerned about what your children may view on social media platforms and how they spend their time. While states across the country have looked to do so and even other countries in the past, a proposed bill was revealed at the federal level. Wired highlights the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act looks to force the major social media platforms to forbid younger children from joining the applications. Children under the age of 13 would be barred from accessing social media online content, but they would still be able to view it if the app they used allows individuals to view content while logged out. The proposed legislation would also require parental authorization before anyone aged 13 to 17 could create a profile.
Now we were all kids at one point, so you’re right to ask, "How can they be sure children don't put in a fake age?" The plan would also introduce a government-run age-verification mechanism, managed by the Department of Commerce, ensuring that individuals underage do not create social media accounts with fake information. Children and their parents would then be required to upload identification to establish their age and identity. While many parents of children support the law, others are skeptical of its effectiveness.
Are There Any New Social Media Apps Worth Knowing About?
We often talk about the leading social media platforms that most brands and consumers know. But let's look ahead and see what social media platforms may be the next big hit.
Lemon8: Think TikTok and Pinterest combined, but this app may change with ByteDance's future in the U.S.
Nocam: Friends swap challenges, except (pause for dramatic effect) that nobody can see how they appear while capturing the content.
Kiwi: Dubbed the "BeReal for Music," it asks users randomly to share their most recently listened to song.
Wavelength: In a world without texting, Reddit, WhatsApp, Discord, and internet message boards, AI powers this group chat app.
Minus: Put your philosopher cap on and ask yourself, "What if there was a finite social media app? And you only have 100 posts for life, what would I post?" Minus is just that, and every time you add a post to your feed, Minus subtracts your total posts remaining.
Thanks as always for spending time reading my writing. If you are looking for more social media and influencer marketing news worth using? You can read more of my writing, covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog.
