Luckily, some of us finally managed to chill by the beach a bit last week, so instead of usual Top 5, our weekly overview counts 7 brand new updates from the social media and influencer marketing worlds this time. :)
Learn more on how Facebook brings Official Music Videos feature, LinkedIn rolls out new analytics, TikTok launches its first TV App, Instagram Reels aim to take the world by the storm and other!
LinkedIn rolls out new analytics
LinkedIn remains the number one place for business professionals to network. In the past couple of weeks, some new updates have arrived, making the whole experience more exciting.
The first update concerns follower analytics and is specific to company pages. It allows you to identify company page followers by individual profile. This feature alone is useful to see how your reach is behaving over longer period of time. Having the opportunity to track followers as individuals, with the deep level of data gained from individual accounts is a rewarding update for company pages admins.
Another change is the limit on invites from company page admins. In the past, company page admins could invite up to 50 connections a day to follow a company page. This did create some problems for LinkedIn, as it soon became apparent that less scrupulous admins were able to send out ‘spam’ invites without any real consequence. New update allows 100 invites per day in the form of monthly credits (one per invite), with every unaccepted invite costing admin one credit. Spamming is therefore controlled, not only discouraged.
All in all, these two tweaks provide more value for users of LinkedIn.
TikTok launches its first TV App
TikTok is launching its first TV app. The new app, “More on TikTok”, allows content longer than the usual one minute limit and will be available on Amazon Fire TV devices. It features curated video playlists and compilations from the mobile app, as well as interviews with creators. TikTok’s TV app is a completely free, no ads, view-only channel. No login nor account registration is required to watch it.
“We’ve been thinking through what the adoption of streaming devices like Fire TV means for connecting with our users and how we can offer them more dynamic experiences, and we feel bringing our content to the TV to some extent is a natural next step.”
- Nick Tran, head of global marketing for TikTok
Amazon has seen a drastic increase in usage for mobile-first Fire TV apps like Facebook Watch, Peloton, MasterClass, and Audible during the first six months of the year. The proof that social media apps are growing outside of the traditional mobile devices.
The hype is real - Instagram Reels are finally here
After a year of testing in Brazil and a rapid launch in France and Germany, Instagram Reels is now rolling out across 50 countries.
The feature lets users create and publish 15-second videos using a new set of editing tools that include options like AR effects, a countdown timer, a new align tool to line up different takes and music. Thanks to Instagram’s deals with major record label users won’t have to wonder if their sound will later be removed due to a rights issue.
Using Reels is fairly easy because it’s built into the Instagram Camera that people already know how to use. To create a new Reel, you’ll select the option at the bottom of the Instagram Camera, next to Story. The editing tools then pop up on the left side of the screen, which is where you’ll find the AR effects and other options, like the timer, speed and align features.
Facebook brings Official Music Videos feature
After securing deals with major labels and music publishers over the last few years, in efforts to take over YouTube as the destination for music videos and give artists more ways to promote themselves and interact with fans, Facebook brings a new Official Music Videos feature to its platform in the US.
Users can now easily discover, watch, and share music videos from top artists and up-and-coming bands across all music genres on Facebook.
According to the announcement blog post, platform hopes that this new addition will help people come together around music and provide new social experiences, more engaging than ever.
WhatsApp gets Messenger Rooms
Since Facebook announced Messenger Rooms, the feature has already been rolled out on Facebook, Instagram and Portal device. Now, as part of its integration plan, WhatsApp is also added to the list.
While Messenger Rooms is currently only limited to WhatsApp Web, addition made for the mobile app shouldn’t be far off.
The process of creating Rooms is quite straight-forward, but what's most important is to note that they are not created on WhatsApp itself, but in Facebook Messenger, meaning that your video chat will not be end-to-end-encrypted.
Snapchat is working on a new Music Feature
Snapchat is working with top music publishers to roll out a new feature allowing users to add music to their Snaps, copying a key feature of TikTok.
The feature is launching with “a robust and curated catalogue of music” from Warner Music Group, Universal Music Publishing Group, Merlin, and more.
The platform is designing this feature in a way that labels might prefer: when you swipe up on a video, you’ll get the song’s title and artist, plus a link to listen to the track on your streaming platform of choice.
Why you should invest in influencer marketing today
Influencer marketing is one of the most powerful ways to get leads, make sales and increase brand awareness, even for business-to-business (B2B) companies. Industry surveys say that 80% of marketers use influencer marketing today, and spending is estimated to reach $8 billion this year.
Forbes council has published five reasons to invest in influencer marketing today and we could not agree more. If the benefits like extremely high ROI, overall marketing costs reduction, longer lasting influencer-generated content, audience engagement boost and deeper storytelling opportunities don't get you on board – we don't know what will!
