Being present on social networks is now a must for any digital strategy… but it has to be relevant, regular, and up-to-date.
The big groups behind these social networks regularly make changes and improvements to their platforms, which requires digital professionals to constantly keep up with the latest updates.
Lately, the news has been rich in the digital world. Let’s take a look at the most significant innovations in the social network world.
Facebook Feeds: personalization without overshadowing the algorithm
The social network Facebook has launched a new tab called Feeds. It allows you to access the latest publications posted by your friends, Pages, or Groups in chronological order.
This new feature is not offered by default, and you will have to click on the tab to be granted access, as the platform prefers to open the latest publications directly on the News Feed controlled by the algorithm.
This effort to personalize the platform meets a demand made by users. They wanted easy and quick access to the content their friends or groups posted on the main page rather than letting the algorithm do it. Indeed, the algorithm tended to highlight the publications of friends who were not necessarily the most intimate and content that was not always targeted.
However, Facebook is not ready to fully delegate content control to its users and continues to offer mainly the News Feed based on the algorithm. Thus, it leaves it up to the user to program the tab manually.
This need for user customization has increased with the growing success of social networks such as TikTok and Snapchat, which offer greater freedom. With TikTok overtaking Facebook as the most downloaded app in the world among social networks since 2020, Marc Zuckerberg’s giant had to react, especially after recording a drop in revenue for the first time in its history this summer.
In summary, this new feature will impact the visibility of publications by offering more control to users and could become widespread if successful. The algorithms will have to adapt to these changes, and so will the digital communication plan on this social network.
Digital marketing agencies specialized in social networks will be able to advise you and propose strategies so that your publications continue to be featured in the feeds.
Instagram Reels or the “Tiktokization” of social networks
TikTok, which has 1 billion monthly active users, has become the main source of inspiration for the social networks Facebook and Instagram.
In this context, the video format is at the heart of the Meta group’s strategy to stay up to date and seduce Gen Z.
Instagram has therefore launched a News Feed whose similarity to the social network TikTok is striking. Reels, short videos to which music and filters can be added, were introduced in 2020 and have been the biggest source of growth for Instagram with a 280% increase in engagements. To support this staggering growth, Instagram has brought in additional options:
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* Instagram Reels that last up to 90 seconds
Digital marketers tend to consider that the ideal length of a video on social media should be 7 to 15 seconds. However, they also recommend occasionally producing longer videos with more immersive content. This extension of the duration of Reels is an asset to make digital campaigns more impactful on social networks.
Note that despite this extension of the duration of Instagram Reels to 90 seconds, the social network still lags behind TikTok, which allows to create videos of up to 10 minutes in length since March 2022.
* Posts pinned to one’s profile
One of the most interesting elements of this news about Reels is the new option “Pin to your profile” available via the menu located on the messages. Up to three posts can be pinned to the top of your profile grid.
In addition to allowing more flexibility in presenting the user’s profile, these tend to generate higher engagement since this content is the most visible on the account. This is a great option for digital marketing campaigns.
* Interactive stickers for Stories available on Reels
Already present in the Stories, interactive stickers will be added to the Reels and represent a formidable tool to hold subscribers’ attention. The three options available for the moment (Emoji Slider, Poll, and Quiz) allow a better engagement with the community of subscribers.
According to social media experts, producing about five stories a day gets an average retention rate of 70%.
* More original audio effects
Audio features will be better leveraged in Reels with sound effects and the ability to import commentary or background noise on videos of at least 5 seconds.
This is good news from a business perspective since sponsored ads with audio have a click-through rate of up to 16%.
Trends to watch closely…
Instagram is reportedly developing a new option called Candid Challenges. The idea is to allow users to take on challenges by receiving a daily notification at a random time. Once received, the subscriber has two minutes to take a photo using the dual camera (front and rear), resuming the Dual mode of Reels, and then post it in Story.
As currently presented, this option seems very close to the social network BeReal, a newcomer on the digital scene that is particularly appreciated by Gen Z and has over 10 million active users.
We’ll definitely keep you updated on the progress of this option and how Instagram will stand out with Candid Challenges.
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TikTok prepares new opportunities for advertisers
The social network TikTok announced that it is developing a feed called Nearby that will allow users to access content published near their location. The goal of Nearby is to offer customized content to advertisers, which is a key element in optimizing a digital campaign.
At Eminence, we believe this new feature has significant commercial potential in your digital strategy targeting Gen Z, and we will follow it closely.
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→ How to implement a winning digital marketing strategy on TikTok
Snapchat launches a paid version
The social network Snapchat gives birth to a little brother, Snapchat+.
Snapchat+ offers its users to subscribe to a monthly fee giving access to exclusive features. For example, Snapchat+ subscribers will be offered to use Snapchat’s web version before it is opened to all users.
This business model seems to be inspired by the streaming platforms that have disrupted film production.
Time will tell if social network users will be willing to take the plunge. Our social network specialists will follow this closely and keep you informed.
To conclude…
With so much news in such a short period, it’s easy to overlook the evolution of social networking platforms.
Eminence is an official partner of Meta, so we can anticipate your needs and propose effective solutions that will help you increase your ROI.
Our passion for all aspects of the digital world means that we always stay abreast of all the latest digital news.
Whether you want to integrate a Reels strategy on Instagram or optimize your performance on TikTok, our social media specialists will implement the latest trends.
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high-performance digital strategy to achieve your business objectives?