Instagram is doing its best to compete with TikTok as they continue to fall behind. They’re trying all sorts of new stuff, and doing their best to match the impressive algorithm that TikTok serves. Twitter, on the other hand, has had a rough month and seems to be trying hard to stay in good graces. And finally: LinkedIn is going to enter the 2020s and allow people to schedule posts in app! All around, a big week in social. Here we go:
1. Instagram is upping it’s recommended content game
TikTok’s algorithm has proven close to unbeatable, but Instagram is trying. They’ve added some new controls that give users more say in what they want to see. For example:
- Adding accounts to favorites
- Using the “not interested” option to see less
- Chronological feed option
- Sensitive content controls
- Snoozing suggested posts
Interesting customization options. Will they make a big difference?
2. Instagram is testing a repost option for their feed.
They’ve long said that the feature would not be a good addition to their app, but it looks like they’re willing to give it a shot.
“We’re exploring the ability to reshare posts in Feed — similar to how you can reshare in Stories — so people can share what resonates with them, and so original creators are credited for their work,” a spokesperson from Meta told TechCrunch in an email. “We plan to test this soon with a small number of people.”
3. LinkedIn is finally working on a native scheduling feature
Yes, you can already do this from a lot of 3rd party scheduling apps, including True Anthem. But the platform has not allowed native scheduling yet.
This could make things a lot easier on a lot of people. Glad to see this being tested!
4. Live testing for Tweet editing is happening
There is nothing more irritating than sending a Tweet and finding a typo. Users have begged for an edit solution for years, and it looks like it might finally be a thing.
They’re testing a 30 minute window after you send a Tweet that will make it open for editing. This would eliminate the panic of the second you push a button and see the mistake, and then have to decide if it’s worth deleting and resending or ignoring.
5. Twitter attempts to clarify the role of Tweets in the news ecosystem
Twitter really wants you to know that their reach extends far beyond their monthly annual users.
From Social Media Today:
The hope for Twitter was that explanations like this would help to re-frame the perceived value of the app, and show the market, and potential ad partners, that there is real exposure value in tweets – even if it’s not on the scale of Facebook, which it will always be matched-up against.
Twitter is overrepresented among journalists, reporters, and other news professionals and consumers. This means that even Tweets not consumed on platform make it in to articles, news reports, and other broadcasts.
Long story short, Twitter has a point: Their reach is impossible to quantify because news relies heavily on quick, digestible information and free quotes from high profile figures.
