Social Media News You Can Use In August
Welcome back to another installment of the social media and influencer marketing news that you need to know in August. This week, we cover the latest news around Instagram’s push for long-form video, how Threads is faring after two months, and how Meta adds a new way to see branded content featuring influencers. Let’s dig in:
Instagram's Testing 10-minute Reels Uploads
Instagram is now internally testing 10-minute Reels uploads to accommodate long-form content such as cooking demos, beauty lessons, educational sessions, and more. This modification would remove the requirement for creators to break a single video into many parts, making it difficult for visitors to discover the next corresponding video when visiting a creator's profile. Instagram is marketing its short-form videos like TikTok by expanding the time limit on Reels, as TikTok expanded video length to 10-minutes in February 2022.
Can Threads Still Capitalize on The Early Excitement?
We talked a little more about Threads improvements last week, and now folks wonder if Threads is still growing. The new Meta app had 100 million members in its first week, which has since dropped significantly. After eight weeks of use, the app had approximately 128 million users. It has climbed by an average of 4 million users every week, a significant decrease from the first boom.
Not all of the 128 million members have active profiles. This figure covers everyone who has created a profile, even if they aren't actively opening and using the app. In comparison, X presently has roughly 250 million daily active users (DAU), with a 25-minute average session length.
The debut of the Thread website, which we discussed last week, has increased activity, but analysts wonder if it's enough to keep the app actively rising. The social team will continue to evaluate Threads' performance and its potential influence on our clients.
Meta Adds Branded Content Campaign to Ads Library
Meta has added a new tool to its Ads Library that allows users to track branded content by influencers. The tool can be used to search for campaigns by influencer or brand, and it shows the date range, platform, and creatives used in each campaign. This information can be helpful for brands and marketers who want to see how their competitors are partnering with influencers, and it can also be used to identify potential new partners.
The new tool is currently limited to the past seven days, but Meta says it plans to expand the coverage in the future. The tool is available in the Ads Library on both Facebook and Instagram.
If you’re looking for more social media related news, be sure to check out some favorite blogs on my site. Like the one covering my favorite social media tools, like GoCharlie.ai. Or keys to gaining success with influencer marketing and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
The Social Media & Influencer News in August You Need to Know
Welcome back to another installment of the social media and influencer marketing news that you need to know in August. There’s been a lot going on in the social media world this summer, and the past week is no different.
This week, we’ll be talking about the release of the desktop version of Threads, TikTok’s attempt to improve its e-commerce efforts, and the story regarding the former social media manager of NBA and its viral post.
Meta Launches The Destkop Version of Threads
Threads' initial release was a big deal for social media users but quickly disappeared. Meta has now announced that Threads is releasing their desktop version of the platform to rekindle the initial buzz. Most Threads users have access to Threads.net, where you can access your main Threads feed and write news posts just like you would on the app. However, functionality could be improved in comparison to the mobile version of Threads. For example, you cannot currently search for or schedule posts on the web version.
Users on social media have been looking for a credible Twitter—er, X—alternative. Threads could have been the ideal solution, but app usage slowed following the app's first debut and rise. Many of the brands that were active at the platform's inception are no longer so. Meta is still striving to improve the desktop version and finish the app in terms of product features.
TikTok Shopping Gets a Boost
A $44 pickle sweatshirt making the rounds on TikTok is the new "I mustache you a question" merchandise for a generation who has only known life with the Internet. But we're not here to talk about merchandise; we're here to talk about TikTok's official launch into e-commerce: TikTok Shop. The new feature, fully rolled out in the US this month, lets TikTok users purchase anything from fashion to life hacks with just a few clicks, right from the comfort of their For You Pages.
TikTok is looking to sell more than $20 billion in products through TikTok Shop by the end of the year, taking on e-commerce giants like Shein, Temu, and even Amazon. How would a company generate nearly $20B in product sales in less than a year? The algorithm, of course, with TikTok being accused of boosting videos that sell products through the new feature, which are marked with an orange shopping cart icon. The pickle sweatshirt, for example, is suddenly all over people's screens despite having been around since January.
NBA Social Media Manager Calls It Quits Publicly
The NBA was recently the subject of a whistleblower report in which a former social media manager alleged that the NBA's social media team was overworked and underpaid. The marketer, Nick Joannou, said he and his colleagues were often asked to work long hours with little time for breaks or vacation. He also said they needed more training and resources to do their jobs effectively.
Joannou's allegations were made public after he allegedly accidentally posted a message about the team's work conditions on the NBA's official Facebook page. The post was quickly deleted, but it had already been seen by many, including NBA and marketing fans alike. The NBA has since responded to Joannou's allegations, saying it is committed to providing a positive work environment for its employees. The league said it is reviewing its policies and procedures to ensure its social media team is adequately supported.
If you’re looking for more like covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. Or keys to gaining success with influencer marketing, and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
The Social Media News You Can Use in August
Let’s dig into the social media news you can use his week. That includes the city of New York puts an end to TikTok on government devices, YouTube teases new content features for those uploading longer-form videos, and Illinois passing an influencer bill to help protect child influencers.
City of New York Bans TikTok on Government Devices
Remember the coming TikTok ban we mentioned earlier? Another city, though, has attempted. TikTok was prohibited on all government-owned smartphones in New York City this week. According to a New York City Hall spokeswoman, agencies must delete the video-sharing app from all government devices within the next 30 days.
According to the spokesperson, "the city's Cyber Command — the office tasked with protecting NYC's systems against cyber threats — regularly investigates and takes proactive measures to keep New Yorkers' data safe and, as a result, determined that TikTok posed a security threat to the city's technical networks."
In 2020, New York became the first US state to prohibit the use of TikTok on government devices. Montana, like New York, implemented a TikTok ban early this year. The ban in Montana will take effect on January 1, 2024.
New York was the first US state to ban the use of TikTok on government devices in 2020. Along with New York, Montana issued a TikTok ban earlier this year. Montana's ban will go into effect on January 1, 2024.
YouTube Teases New Content Feature for Longer Video Uploads
We brought out YouTube Shorts recommendations and best practices last week, and now we have an exciting new YouTube Shorts update to share! Creators will soon be able to incorporate a YouTube link within their Shorts (through the YouTube Studio), which will be shown alongside a play button in the YouTube Shorts video description. Users will be routed to the associated longer-form YouTube video if they click the play button.
We brought out YouTube Shorts recommendations and best practices last week, and now we have an exciting new YouTube Shorts update to share! Creators will soon be able to incorporate a YouTube link within their Shorts (through the YouTube Studio), which will be shown alongside a play button in the YouTube Shorts video description. Users will be routed to the associated longer-form YouTube video if they click the play button.
Ilinois Passes Child Influencer Bill
According to CNN, amendments to Illinois' Child Labor Law would allow adults to sue if they were not adequately compensated for the content they were featured in as minors.
Parents usually run the show regarding child influencers because children under 13 cannot create social media accounts, open bank accounts, or sign sponsorship contracts.
Qualifying content must earn at least 10 cents per view, and the child must appear in at least 30% of the account's content over 30 days. Parents must contribute 50% of their earnings to a trust fund based on the percentage of time their child appears in the video. For example, if a child occurred in 50% of a video, they would receive 25% of the video's earnings.
California and Washington have also proposed similar legislation, but Illinois is the first to pass it. And some states have legislation to safeguard child actors, such as California's Coogan Law.
If you’re looking for more like covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. Or keys to gaining success with influencer marketing, and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
Tips For Gaining More Engagements On Instagram!
By reading this blog post, unlock the secrets to gaining more engagements on Instagram to get your brand in front of the right people.
Are you looking to gain more likes on Instagram? You're not alone! Everyone is searching for the secret to unlocking the key to gaining more engagements on Instagram. Look no further because today, we'll discuss ways to gain more engagements on Instagram! We'll cover “test and learn” opportunities and more. With the knowledge you’ll gain in this blog post, you'll be on your way to creating content that will garner more likes and engagement on your Instagram account. So, let's get started!
Gaining Likes On Instagram, Experiments Reveal The Secret!
Instagram is a popular social media platform that allows users to share photos and videos with friends and followers. While Instagram is an excellent platform for sharing content, increasing the total engagements on your posts can take time.
One way you can gain engagements on your posts is by leaning into the post formats that are getting the most views on the platform, specifically Reels. While more time intensive, your Reels content will reach a wider audience and in turn, potentially receive more engagement from those who view your content. Additionally, using music from trending memes or other cultural trends can help boost your post's traction.
Pay attention to what content performs well on each social media platform and analyze whether it will resonate with your target audience on Instagram. If you’re posting platform-specific content (which you should be doing), examine your own analytics to see if and how these types of posts work with your target audience. There are numerous content ideas to try out or be inspired by, so don't be scared to get creative.
Engaging and building community with other Instagram users is also essential – especially if you want to reach out to influencers. Influencers can significantly impact the visibility of your brand's content, so it's important to get in touch with them and tell them about your posts. Furthermore, using hashtags in your caption can help people find and follow your account more easily.
Finally, timing is key – make sure that you post content when an exciting trend or dance video is happening so that it has the maximum impact! Knowing when to publish on social media is another important factor in enhancing your overall engagements. Determine when to prioritize upcoming posts by determining the optimum time to post based on your platform and your target audience.
Ways To Drive Engagements With Your Content
Sure, you may be producing fantastic content. However, if no one Likes or comments on it, your account is likely to fall through the cracks, and you will miss out on opportunities to connect with your target audience. The next thing you know, you're having trouble driving conversions via organic and paid social media efforts, and it’s harder to show a return on your investment. So here are some ways to drive engagements with your social media content:
Use images and videos that will capture your audience’s attention. Visual content, such as short-form videos and high-quality images, is more likely to be shared, so consider creating more content that is attention-grabbing.
Optimize the hashtags you use with each post. Selecting relevant hashtags for your post will ensure that other Instagram users find your content through the Explore tab. You’ll want to use a mixture of generic hashtags that are regularly used, and more niche hashtags that will be used by your target audience. Plus, using popular hashtags can help you connect with other influencers and build relationships on the platform. I recommend to my clients and team that they utilize a variety of hashtags across their organic content.
Lean into the algorithm. By posting consistently and engaging with other users, you can increase your chances of being seen by the platform's algorithms (aka the good stuff). And finally, remember to engage with the comments by responding to and liking them! Engaging with your followers in the comments not only helps build relationships and strengthens social media communities, it also increases your overall engagements.
Finally, when possible, look to do collaboration posts between two accounts, like that between an influencer and a brand. By collaborating together on posts, both accounts can see increased engagement and traction for their individual content pieces by introducing their respective audiences to a new page.
In Conclusion
As we have seen, there are various ways to gain more likes on Instagram and other social media platforms. With these strategies, you can increase your brand or organization’s visibility and reach new audiences who may not have discovered your profile before. So, feel free to get creative and try out different approaches - they might pay off!
Now is the time for action - what methods will you use today to get more likes on Instagram? Looking for more social media and influencer marketing news worth using? You can read more of my latest social media updates and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog if you’re new to my website.
More Social Media & Influencer News You Can Use
Happy August! Let’s dig into the social media news you can use his week. Today', we’ll be covering some best practices for YouTube Shorts, TikTok working to address AI-generated content,
But before you get caught up on these updates, be sure to check out more of my writing. If you’re looking for more like covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. Or keys to gaining success with influencer marketing, and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
YouTube Shorts 101
This week one of our team members at The Motion Agency asked one our team members for some information on YouTube Shorts – so I wanted to share some best practices that we shared internally.
Make the initial few seconds of your video intriguing to capture and hold the viewer's attention (also known as the "hook"). You want your YouTube Shorts content is:
Relevant by featuring trending moments, cultural events, and songs
Relatable by using an authentic brand voice (ADD YOUTUBE SHORT) and even showing behind-the-scenes moments.
Rewarding by educating or entertaining viewers and making them feel good.
Consider incorporating text into your asset. Text as an introduction, a way to emphasize points throughout the video, or adding a CTA at the end serves to attract the viewer's attention and spark interest.
YouTube Shorts can be up to 60 seconds long, but they must be concise and easy to understand - they're called Shorts for a reason! Because YouTube Shorts loop, you should pace your work correctly and encourage replayability.
Finally, even though YouTube Shorts titles can be up to 100 characters long, only 40 will appear on-screen when viewed on the app. If you’re looking for more information, here's a great video outlining Shorts best practices from YouTube Creators for more information!
TikTok Adds New Required Labels for AI-Generated Content
Many social platforms are still figuring out how to coexist with the increasing presence of AI. Artificial intelligence is making it easier for creators to create content. TikTok is the latest app to implement new rules around AI disclosure. The platform has informed its users that AI-generated content must be tagged, or moderators will remove it.
TikTok's policies on this were amended back in March, but it is now enforcing the disclosure more strictly. Users will now notice a dedicated tag for AI material within the uploading steps. TikTok is enforcing this policy to stay ahead of AI-generated phony videos, often known as "deep fakes." The app isn't the first social platform to implement AI rules. Instagram also said earlier this year that it was creating AI-related content classifications.
Influencer Marketing Company Tagger, Acquired by Sprout Social
Some big industry news in the social media and influencer marketing world. As our partner, Sprout Social, a leading social media management platform, acquired Tagger Media, a social intelligence and influencer marketing platform, on August 2, 2023.
The acquisition will allow Sprout Social to offer customers a more comprehensive social media management solution. Tagger Media's influencer marketing and social intelligence capabilities will help Sprout Social customers to find and collaborate with influencers, measure the ROI of influencer campaigns, and track social media trends.
Sprout Social has over 20,000 customers, including brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's. And Tagger Media has over 10,000 customers, including brands such as Pepsi, Unilever, and Sephora. Sprout Social CEO Justyn Howard said the acquisition "will further establish Sprout as the leader in the social media software market with a comprehensive platform that empowers brands to execute a holistic social strategy at scale."
The Latest Social Media News in August
Happy August! Let’s dig into the social media news you can use his week. We’ll cover Meta’s upcoming AI project, the latest user and performance data from Pinterest, and ways you can adapt existing content to social media.
But before you get caught up on these updates, be sure to check out more of my writing. If you’re looking for more like covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. Or keys to gaining success with influencer marketing, and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
Meta's AI 'Personas' Might Launch Next Month
Meta is developing a new line of AI-powered chatbots that mimic human-like conversations. These chatbots, called "personas," can take on different characters, such as Abraham Lincoln or a surfer-like travel adviser.
Meta says these chatbots aim to increase user engagement on Meta platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. Meta hopes these chatbots will provide users with a more personalized and engaging experience, making them more likely to spend time on these platforms.
Surely nothing can go wrong with these chatbots, such as privacy concerns and the potential for addiction. However, Meta believes that the benefits of these chatbots outweigh the risks.
Pinterest Reports Slower User Growth In Q2
Pinterest released its Q2 2023 Performance Update, report, which revealed some issues about the platform's general growth. While the platform is still expanding, it is doing so at its slowest rate yet. Pinterest attracted 2 million new members in the second quarter of this year, bringing the total to 465 million monthly active users. The most alarming aspect for Pinterest is that it is losing ground in its most crucial markets, such as the United States and Europe.
On the plus side, Pinterest's younger readership is rapidly expanding. According to the research, "In Q2, Gen Z were our largest contributor to overall engagement growth and the fastest growing cohort, growing by double digits and accounting for a larger portion of our overall mix."
While Pinterest may not outnumber the other social platforms in terms of active users, it remains a vital platform. Its huge network of people with diverse interests can assist numerous brands in reaching their target audience.
Ways to Adapt Content for Social Media
If you couldn't tell by all the latest changes to the most popular social media platforms, it's clear that these companies view social media as more of an entertainment platform than one for connection. People use social media to watch videos, listen to music, and even play games. This trend will only continue, so brands need to find ways to integrate entertainment into their social media strategies.
Another way is through User-generated content (UGC), a powerful tool to spark entertainment and engagement. UGC is content that is created by everyday users rather than brands. This type of content is often more authentic and engaging because it feels and looks authentic.
And short-form video content continues to be the most engaging post format on social media. People are more likely to watch and share short-form videos than longer videos. This is why platforms like TikTok and post formats like Instagram Reels have succeeded.
