Instagram leans fully into Reels

Instagram is taking the fight to TikTok with the development that it is now testing the ability to make every video shared on Instagram automatically a Reel. Some Instagram users have already been notified of the change, which speaks for Meta's willingness to continue leaning into the trend of short-form videos. Earlier in June, Meta had extended Reels functionalities with new tools for creators, as well as more monetisation initiatives to tap into the metaverse and Web 3. Check out more here, here and here.

Instagram adds pinned posts support

Instagram users can now select up to three of their posts or Reels to 'pin' at the top of their profile. In a similar way to TikTok and Twitter, pinned posts act as ‘featured posts’ and sit at the forefront of an Instagram page as if they were just shared. The feature is particularly useful to those looking to highlight some important messaging, an ongoing campaign or team culture. Find out more here.

Horizon Worlds lands in the UK

With brands and users increasingly exploring metaverse experiences, Meta has now released Horizon Worlds in the UK following its launch in North America last year. The new VR social platform enables Oculus users to build, play and create experiences together, from bowling alleys to concert halls, bringing their imagination to life. As part of the launch, Meta also introduced a new safety feature called “Voice Mode”, which allows users to adjust the voice and noise of strangers in Horizon Worlds. Read more here.

Twitter launches long-form 'Notes'

After a long testing process, Twitter has launched its long-form text element ‘Notes’ for selected user profiles. The Notes UI is fairly basic, with inclusion of header images, links within texts, images and an option to embed tweets. The titles of Notes are limited to 100 characters, and the main body of text is limited to 2,500 characters, paving the way for long-form content on the platform. Read more here.

Social platforms expand AR/VR plans

A number of social platforms, including Meta and TikTok, have announced plans to expand on AR and VR technologies. Meta has said that it is developing new spatial audio tools to facilitate a more true-life virtual reality experience for users. Instagram is also looking to expand its technological capabilities, announcing new AR elements and NFT display tools. In light of this push towards AR and VR, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, plans to expand investments in these new technologies. Read more here. 

Facebook revamps groups

Meta is testing a new look for Facebook Groups, which appear to be directly inspired by community social platform Discord, including a left-aligned sidebar hosting a list of group channels and a prominent purple colour throughout. Like with Slack and Discord, users will be able to pin groups and create several channels within, such as text chats, audio rooms and ‘feed rooms’ that will look much like Facebook’s native feed. The changes will be available publicly in the coming months. Read more here.

Snapchat supports Black creators

Snapchat has announced it will provide ongoing financial support, training and more to 25 emerging stars over the next year as part of a new accelerator program for Black creators. Through the program, selected creators will receive $10k in funding for 12 months, along with early access to Snap features, a new Google Pixel phone, and other support measures. The program is part of Snap’s 523 initiative, which provides support for small content companies and creators from underrepresented groups. Read more here.

YouTube Shorts hits 1.5bn MAU

In June, YouTube reported that around 75% of the platform’s monthly users (over 1.5bn) are now engaging with Shorts in some form, which aligns with increases in short-form video content seen on other platforms. According to YouTube, creators that upload Shorts AND long-form content are experiencing better overall watch time and subscriber growth, compared to those who only upload long-form videos. Read more here.

Musk's Twitter deal in the balance

Early in June, Elon Musk threatened to scrap his $44bn Twitter deal. Despite Twitter handing over comprehensive user data, Musk is still concerned by the amount of bots on the platform and hasn't tweeted since June 21. Analysts believe he may be trying to secure a cheaper price per share than his original bid. While the deal can’t proceed until all the issues are resolved, Twitter insists it will keep pushing for the initial sum, and Musk will face a $1bn fee should he walk away from the deal. Read more here, here and here.

LinkedIn says repost and have fun

Linkedin has added a ‘Funny’ reaction to give users a new way to interact with posts on their feeds. This new feature is in response to requests from the LinkedIn community to help the network become a more lighthearted and fun place for professionals to share content. Alongside the new reaction, Linkedin has introduced new comment and reply options on Event pages, as well as a ‘Repost’ option, to help drive engagement to new posts. Read more here and here.

LinkedIn expands B2B features

LinkedIn is updating its platform to help maximise B2B marketing and brand-building efforts. Its new ‘Business Manager Platform’ provides users with a central dashboard to manage different pages, linked accounts and people all from one place. The platform has also introduced a ‘product listing’ tool, built off the back of the products page created in 2020, to help businesses effectively showcase their products on the platform, while also detailing the key features to other businesses and consumers. Read more here and here.

Reddit fights spam, ups voice rooms

Reddit has acquired Spell, a machine learning platform that will enhance the platform’s capacity in various ways, including the ability to ensure that users are shown more relevant posts and updates. Reddit is also making some upgrades to its audio rooms, which will now present rooms from subreddits that users follow, as well as those they may be interested in. It's a good way to promote Reddit Talks sessions to more users. Read more here and here.