Tag Archives: Social Media Today

Facebook has published a new overview of key topics and trends which it expects to see generate more discussion and interest as we head into the start of the next decade. The listing, which Facebook has compiled into a new, 30-page eBook, is based on examination of on-platform conversation shifts over the last two years – Facebook says that its research team: “…explored the full universe of topics that grew from January 2017 to October 2018 on Facebook to find key topics. Where patterns emerged, we looked to third-party research and credible media sources to both inform and validate our overall findings.” Essentially, the report is an expanded, refined version of […]

It may be hard to believe, but with 2019 coming to a close, hashtags have been fully integrated into LinkedIn for well over a year. But despite the staying power of hashtags on the platform, many businesses still struggle with how to best use them to grow their audiences and generate engagement. In this post, I want to remove that confusion by answering several common questions about using hashtags on LinkedIn. So, if you’ve been wondering what’s up with LinkedIn hashtags, this overview is for you. What’s the value of using LinkedIn hashtags? Much like on Twitter and Instagram, hashtags on LinkedIn are a way to categorize your posts, and differentiate […]

To make relevant predictions for the year ahead, it’s vital to first have an understanding of what’s been going on social media for the past couple of years. This includes the tests that have been carried out, the bans that have been introduced, the regulations that have been changed, etc. At my company, Awario, we’re always watching closely, and for our 2020 trend predictions, we took a deeper look at both the trends that have been evolving for some time, along with more recent shifts. We’ve collected our findings into this infographic, which covers a range of key areas that are likely to see increased focus as we head into a […]

Instagram is rolling out yet another Stories tool, with some users now seeing a new ‘Group Stories’ option which enables users and their friends to collaborate on a private Story. As shown in this tweet from lifestyle blogger @cuteek, the new option is aligned with Instagram group chats, providing another way to engage and interact with group members. The option was initially spotted in testing by reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong back in October. In many ways, it’s similar to Facebook’s Group Stories option which is rolled out to all users in October last year. With the use of both Facebook groups and Stories rising, providing an option for collaborative group […]

With the new California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) coming into effect from January 1st, which will implement more stringent regulations on personal data usage, and tougher penalties for those businesses that fail to comply, Facebook has this week outlined how it’s preparing for the new regulations – while also prompting Facebook advertisers to check their own compliance. As explained by Facebook: “In a few weeks, the CCPA will come into effect and extend new data privacy rights to Californians. We are ready for its arrival in part because we’ve made many long-term investments across our products to help people everywhere easily manage their privacy and understand their choices with respect to their […]

As Facebook continues to grapple with questions about its ad policies, political content, messaging encryption plans, misinformation and more, The Social Network has this week announced the next stage in the development of its independent content oversight board, which, when established, will help Facebook make more informed decisions on what should, and should not, be allowed under its rules. Facebook began its initial steps towards establishing the new board last year, and released its first draft charter in late January 2019. It’s since gone through a public consultation process, and established its plans for appointing board members. And now, Facebook has created an Oversight Board Trust, which will fund the operation, while it’s also mapped […]

Snapchat has added a new option to its ‘Swipe Up’ ad tools, with ‘Swipe Up to Call‘ ads which drive direct phone calls from the ad in-app. Up till now, Snapchat advertisers have been able to drive website visits, extended video views and app installs from ‘Swipe Up’ ad links. The capacity to power phone calls adds to your options – as explained by Snapchat: “Driving a user to call your business can close a purchase quickly, as your sales associates have more control over the user experience by speaking with the consumer directly. More importantly, a user calling showcases a high level of consideration and intent to purchase, which businesses can capitalize […]

As part of its broader efforts to provide increased transparency within political discussion, Twitter has this week announced a new version of its profile labels for election candidates, which will better identify who they are, and where they’re standing in the 2020 US election period. Twitter first launched its candidate labels back in 2018, ahead of the US mid terms, with a more simplified version that highlighted campaign activity. The new labels will include additional info – as explained by Twitter: “Starting this week, we’ll start identifying candidates who qualify for the primary ballot for US House, US Senate, and Gubernatorial races with a verified badge. […] Twitter is partnering […]

Back in July, Instagram began hiding likes in seven countries. Now, Instagram has announced it will begin hiding likes in the United States as well. Account-holders will still be able to see their personal like counts, but visitors will not. As a result, the “popularity contest” that was for so long at the heart of Instagram will cease to exist hopefully creating a more welcoming environment where users feel comfortable expressing themselves. This rather surprising platform change carries with it significant impact as those marketers who were largely reliant on vanity metrics to measure social media success now find their influencer measurement capabilities turned upside down. So, what should marketers […]

With the new Star Wars film ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ set for release next week, Facebook has added a set of Star Wars-themed features in Messenger to help fans celebrate what looks to be the final installment of the epic series. As you can see here, the main element of the update is a new set of AR effects, which you can use in Messenger video calls or post to Messenger Stories. Which also means you can post them to Facebook Stories, though only via Messenger – and you can then re-share them to your Instagram Story (by saving the video and re-posting). The effects are explained by Facebook: “Jump into […]