5 Social Media Updates You Need To Know About – May
Whether you use social media for professional or personal reasons, it can often be difficult to keep up with such a rapidly-evolving industry. New updates, features, or even entire platforms can pop up and catch you or your brand by surprise.
But fear not – Uni4m is here to help. Welcome to our Social Media Updates – a monthly bulletin that will announce some of the biggest upcoming changes that you can expect from the platforms that are essential to you.
So, without further ado, here are this month’s 5 updates from across the social media landscape:
1- Twitter launched a new, in-feed, full-image display
In a move that could put an end to the “open for a surprise” trend, after a successful test, Twitter has now launched an update that will display (most) pictures in their entirety once uploaded.
It is an update that may seem relatively insignificant for your average user. But as for creators, they will be excited that this update is part of a wider transition towards supporting 4K imagery.
Twitter’s chief design officer, Dantley Davis, said: “Most Tweets with a single image in standard aspect ratio will appear uncropped when posted. People will see exactly what the image will look like in the composer tool before it’s posted. Very wide or tall images will be center-cropped.”.
So whilst there are a few caveats to the general rule, this is a pretty major update for Twitter displays. It is also one that could lead to further changes in how you digest media in-app.
2- Facebook is testing a ‘Green Screen’ filter for Facebook Stories
Those that like like to get a little more experimental with your stories will be pleased to hear that the ‘Green Screen’ feature that is available on Instagram is being trialed for launch on Facebook.
But it isn’t a direct translation from Instagram. The feature will appear on Facebook Stories as an editing tool, as opposed to a filter or effect. ‘Green Screen’ will allow users to record themselves up against a background that they’ve selected from their camera roll.
It is common knowledge that Facebook’s Stories are a generally-underused element of the domain. Since launching in 2017, they have failed to match the popularity of adversaries on apps such as Snapchat and Instagram. This has seen the Silicon Valley giants roll out a series of upcoming changes that will mirror popular features from rival equivalents. Facebook will be hoping that some of their respective successes will follow.
3- BuzzFeed: Facebook are also building a version of Instagram available only to under-13s
It has certainly been a busy 2021 so far for Facebook. BuzzFeed recently reported that a kids-only Instagram app is also under construction.
According to Buzzfeed, this comes as part of a ploy to make the app safer for younger users.
The post is also announced that the process will be lead by Facebook vice-president Pavni Diwanji, who had spearheaded the launch of YouTube Kids during her time with Google.
The current Instagram policy prevents those under the age of 13 from using the service. But the upcoming launch will build a new pillar in the Facebook group that will “focus on two things: accelerating integrity and privacy work to ensure the safest possible experience for teens and building a version of Instagram that allows people under the age of 13 to safely use Instagram for the first time.”
Whilst there has been no official announcement as of yet, this is certainly something to keep an eye out for.
4- YouTube has begun rolling out ‘Shorts’ in the U.S.A.
It becomes increasingly apparent that TikTok has truly awoken the giants of social media from a comfortable slumber. After Instagram and Snapchat both launched TikTok clones, YouTube recently announced ‘Shorts‘ will be unveiled in America.
It was announced that the short-form platform was under construction last September. But after an initial debut in India, it was confirmed this week that ‘Shorts’ will be launched stateside.
TikTok’s rise to stardom has had most of the social networking pioneers looking nervously over their shoulder. But perhaps none more so than YouTube, who have been dealt a first serious challenger to the video-sharing throne.
As we await the date that ‘Shorts’ comes to the UK, all eyes will be on YouTube’s first retaliation to the TikTok uprising.
5- Snapchat join up with FitAnalytics to introduce virtual try-on options
It becomes increasingly apparent that Snapchat’s future is in eCommerce. They announced recently that they were taking major steps in making their shopping experience as accommodating as possible.
FitAnalytics work with fashion brands such as ASOS, Calvin Klein, and The North Face. The company facilitates more accurate product matches for their client’s customers. CEO Sebastian Schulze explained that the partnership would focus on “executing on next-gen shopping, fashion and style offerings.” – which whilst sounding somewhat ambiguous, could lead to some pretty fun interactions with your Bitmoji.
This is an exciting coupling of two pioneering tech brands. They will continue Snapchat’s developments in body-mapping technology and what it can mean for the world of online shopping.
It promises to be a seismic few months, with plenty of updates coming into effect. We’ll be back with the next installment, in June, as we head into a big summer for social media.
For more information on any of the aforementioned updates, or how you can use social media for your brand or business, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @Uni4mBrand or send a Whatsapp message to +447555892554.