The updates, additions and struggles

Digital Digest: The Updates, Additions and Struggles

Sometimes the changes in the digital world are algorithm based and therefore not always visible to the user. Other times they are more noticeable, especially when it’s the user interface that’s been updated!

We’ve taken a look at some of the recent changes introduced, and those that are being tested…

Twitter has just announced that it is testing a ‘notes’ feature which will have a 2,500 word limit – a far cry from the original 140 characters, or even the current 280 limit. The new feature comes as a ‘response’ to an increase in users posting pictures of longer announcements and driving people to external newsletters. Functionality from Dutch newsletter start-up Revue, which Twitter purchased last year will be folded into the new Notes product, which will initially be tested over a 2 month period using a group of small writers in Canada, Ghana, the UK and the US.

While everyone else is focused on video, perhaps Twitter can own the publishing space when it comes to words. That at least looks to be part of their aim with the testing of notes.

Lear more about Twitter notes here >> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61904522

Although the audio hype has died down (see Clubhouse section below), Twitter is still continuing to promote Spaces (a way to have live audio conversations) as a bigger part of the Twitter experience with the launch of a new ad campaign. The ad showcases the value of audio discussion in the app via Spaces, however as most of the discussions on Spaces are niche, Twitter has had to adapt as they don’t work in its normal algorithm. As the discussions are live they cannot be categorized ahead of time – however Twitter has now added topic tags to try to help this issue. There are many challenges with live-stream content, so will Twitter be able to make it work or eventually shut down like Facebook did with its live map feature?

Learn more about Spaces here >>> https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/spaces

If you’re on Instagram you may have seen a big change to your feed over the past month or so. In an attempt to further capitalise on the growth of full screen video driven by TikTok, Instagram has been testing new a new full-screen interface for photos and videos but not all users are happy about it (See #InstagramUpdate on Twitter) and we can understand why.

Carousel images on the new interface are hard to identify and captions – and therefore often brand messages - tend to get lost. Although full screen works well for videos (particularly reels) we found it difficult to appreciate the static image content being posted by users in the new format. It looks like Instagram may not have settled on the layout change yet though so watch this space.

They also announced that they are testing a new stories User Interface (UI) which could affect marketer’s content strategies. This new UI will essentially hide posts after a certain frame count (three frames) and a tiny “show all” prompt will appear instead, which could be easy to miss. Instagram has commented that “this feature is in early development and testing with a very small percentage of people.”

To find out more about the Stories UI, click here >>> https://later.com/blog/instagram-stories-update/

TikTok has shared the second instalment of its ‘Path-to-Purchase Report’ looking at users’ relationship with brands and purchases. One core finding was that more than half their users (57%) look for details on where to buy products they’ve seen on TikTok – 84% above traditional social platforms.

Read more about the report here >> https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/new-word-of-mouth-marketplace

Having already integrated with Shopify in 2020, TikTok has now added WooCommerce functionality which will enable users to connect their products, create and launch TikTok ads, as well as enabling pixel tracking all from the WooCommerce dashboard. With a rising interest in in-app buying, this new addition offers a huge opportunity for TikTok and for its users – some of which are now generating solid incomes from shopping live-streams.

Life has certainly moved on since 2020, when we were all locked at home with more time to kill then we ever imagined. We spent more time with our devices than we did with our loved ones and so new apps like Clubhouse (an audio chatroom which could host thousands of people) were a hit! But with an 80% decline year-over-year in global installs, it comes as no surprise that clubhouse has gone from the app that everyone was desperate to get an invite to, to the app which is now seeing the top executives departing from. So, is this the end of Clubhouse?

Learn more >> https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/clubhouses-latest-strategic-shift-points-to-concerning-signs-for-the-apps/624999/