Every week, social media platforms roll out updates that affect content creation and strategy. From algorithm shifts to new ad formats, keeping up with these changes is vital for brands to stay relevant online.
This month, Facebook rolled out several updates to boost audience reach and functionality. A new ‘Story Highlights’ feature lets you post multiple images and videos on one post, and the app also rolled out an in-app photo editor. A streamlined campaign setup makes it easier for marketers to run Advantage+ Shopping campaigns, and Instagram is testing a new “Videos for you” feed that prioritizes videos that are likely to inspire and inform users.
In addition to a new AI-powered ‘backdrop’ sticker that can automatically replace an image for a Stories video, Instagram is experimenting with carousels within Reels (think horizontally swipable content), and a new “Notify” sticker allows creators to add a post to their feed or Reels that viewers can subscribe to, like a TikTok-style follow button. Instagram is also releasing a new voiceover effect that syncs video sound with its accompanying audio.
Threads is growing into its role as a serious player in the social media space, with new features that make it more functional and marketer-friendly. For example, the platform is testing a feature that enables creators to quickly follow followers of other creators on X (formerly Twitter). The goal is to help reactivate audiences that have left other platforms for Threads. It’s also integrating the text-to-video technology from Hotshot, acquired by Elon Musk’s XAI in March, to offer a more powerful and creative way to create viral video content.