7 social media updates you might have missed in 2018 so far
Have you ever wanted an easier way to share and collect your favourite tweets? Twitter has the answer with bookmarks. This means that you can build bookmarks of tweets that you want to save, share and come back to later. The update has also added a ‘share’ button, which lets you send friends tweets via direct messages, rather than tag friends publicly.
But how does this differ to just ‘liking’ tweets? Bookmarks are private and can only be viewed by you. ‘Likes’ also display publicly when you interact with them, whereas bookmarks stay strictly between you and the tweet.
You can now display fully interactive 3D objects in the Facebook newsfeed. Facebook isn’t stopping there. The network has big plans and is looking to integrate this with the latest AR technology, to bring users a futuristic experience unrivalled by other social platforms.
Refresh your bio by adding hashtags and links to other profiles, ‘a new way to express yourself and the things you care about’. Until now Instagram bios were somewhat restrictive, but it’s now following in Twitter’s footsteps with hashtags that make profiles more discoverable. Links to other Instagram profiles will only need to start with ‘@’ rather than the whole URL, perfect for those looking to keep things neat and tidy at the top of their profile.
In an unexpected U-turn, Instagram are changing their feed to prioritise new posts. This won’t be a complete overhaul of the feed, with posts ranked by its algorithm still appearing below new ones. After facing much criticism, the app stated in its latest blog
We’re introducing changes to give you more control over your feed and ensure the posts you see are timely.
Businesses on the app can now create a fully shoppable feed with the apps latest brand-focused update. By linking products through your Facebook pages catalogue, brands can tag up to 5 products in organic posts that allow consumers to purchase products seamlessly through the app.
This replaces third-party services such as Shopify and Have2Have by fully integrating the shopping experience within the app. In a statement, Instagram say
We want to be that seamless experience. Whether it’s a local artisan, florist or clothing store, shopping directly on Instagram has never been easier.
The messaging app has announced that users will now have just over an hour (1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds to be precise) to delete messages if you’ve made a mistake. This is a big increase from the original 7 minutes that was first introduced at the end of 2017.
Whilst this isn’t so much a ground-breaking feature, it’s certainly a lifesaver if you’re prone to clumsiness on the keyboard or frequently sending the wrong messages to the wrong group chats. It’s one of the first major changes to the app since the launch of WhatsApp status last year, which hit 300m daily active users at the end of 2017.
Snapchat
Get alerts and updates from your friends directly to your Snap Map with Snapchat Explore. The new feature will show travel updates and locations for all friends who have chosen to share their location. Snapchat says, ‘Explore updates automatically appear when friends take a road trip, fly somewhere new and more – like if they visit a landmark or attend a big festival’. Stalker alert.
