Social media updates in the month of April 2021 have already started trickling in. I’ve created a summary of all of this month’s top social media updates you must know about to keep up with the digital marketing industry and stay on top of your game.
Without further ado:
- Reddit Updates Search tools: Now you can search for user comments. “Comment search is here”.
- Tiktok expanded its caption limits from 100 to 500 characters.
- Pinterest Announces a New Partnership with WooCommerce to Expand Product Listings.
- Google’s launched “multi-search” feature lets you search using text and images at the same time.
- Etsy sellers went on strike after the platform increased transaction fees.
- Reddit launched a $1 million fund to support various projects going on on the platform.
- Instagram is updating its ranking algorithm to put more focus on original content.
- LinkedIn added new tools. In creator mode, there are improved content analytics and updated profile video options.
- Tiktok launched its own gif library, “Effect House.”
- Instagram Updates Reels editing tools, adding a reordering clips feature.
- Google Search got a new label to direct people to original news sources.
- YouTube launches new Profile Rings for Stories and Live.
- Snapchat launched on YouTube Link stickers to make video sharing easier!
- Messenger adds new shortcuts, including a slack-like @everyone feature.
- Pinterest expands its creator fund program to help more underrepresented creators.
- Reddit brings back r/place after five years.
- Google Adds New Seller Performance Badges and New Pricing Insights for eCommerce Brands.
- Instagram social media updates in the month of April 2021 have already started trickling in. I’ve created a summary of all of this month’s top social media updates that you must know about to keep up with the digital marketing industry and stay on top of your game.
- Instagram and Facebook agreed to the new data transfer agreement to keep Instagram and Facebook running in the EU.
- Twitter tests new interactive ad types to boost its promotional appeal.
- Instagram removed in-stream ads from its advertising options.
- Tiktok launched a new program, “CAP,” to help creative agencies reach their audience.
- Twitch Shuts Down its Desktop App.
- Meta launched the ability to add the “share to reels” feature to third-party apps.
- TikTok Adds New ‘Background Player’ Option for Live Streams.
- Twitter rolls out the ALT badge and an improved image description.
- A startup with a $15 billion valuation shuts down after spending all the funds raised in 2021.
- WordPress announced new pricing with more traffic and storage limits after receiving backlash from the community.
- Salesforce upgrades marketing field services and sales tools with AI.
- The Dropbox shop launches in open beta to allow creators to sell digital content.
- Tiktok is the most downloaded app in Quarter 1 of 2022.
- WhatsApp announced the launch of “Communities”-more structured group chats with admin controls.
- Tiktok expands by testing a private dislike button for comments.
- Twitter acquired “Openback,” a notification app to improve the timeline and relevance of push notifications.
- YouTube and Tiktok have added new options for Automated Captions, improving accessibility.
- A new social media app, “Be Real,” is trending across the internet, grabbing Gen-Zs’ attention to try the app.
- WhatsApp got permission to expand payment services to its Indian user base of 100 million.
- YouTube Shorts now allows creators to splice in long-form videos. You can use long-form video audio and clips for YT shorts.
- The new Snapchat feature, “Dynamic Stories,” uses a publisher’s RSS feed to automatically create stories posts.
- Zoom launches AI-powered features aimed at sales teams.
- Tiktok started testing who viewed your profile feature.
- Ogilvy announced they will no longer work with those who edit their bodies and faces for ads. If you don’t know, “Ogilvy” is the most successful advertising agency of the decade.
- YouTube Launches New ‘Search Insights’ for all creators.
- Snapchat added 13 million new users in Q1 2022, more than both Twitter and Facebook.
- Google has introduced new options to reject tracking cookies in Europe after receiving fines for violating EU data laws.
- Sony and Microsoft are planning to integrate ads into their gaming platforms, Xbox and PlayStation.
- YouTube adds a new shorts shelf to the Trending Tab to show the top shorts in an alternative section.
- Instagram started testing a reel template feature that enables creators to copy formats from other reels.
- Google Tests “What People Are Saying” Search Results.
- Twitter Launches A New Test of Promotions for Third-Party Tools Within the App.
- Instagram is changing how hashtags work by experimenting with removing the Recents tab from the hashtags section.
- Google Adds New Publisher Verification Badges to Extension Listings in the Google Web Store
- Amazon AWS launches a $30M accelerator program aimed at minority founders.
- Meta launched more fundraising options for Instagram Reels in 30 countries.
- Due to privacy issues, Brave Search and DuckDuckGo will no longer support Google AMP.
- Instagram is working on a pinned post feature that will officially launch in the next few months.
- You can now add music to your Facebook comments.
- Twitter is testing a new closed caption button to switch on captions in video clips.
- Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion and the company is set to go private.
- Google now lets you request the removal of personal contact information from search results.
- YouTube reveals that ads between YT Shorts are being tested with selective brands.
- LinkedIn is rolling out a new website link feature.
- Google Reduces Visibility Of Business Edits With Color Changes To Profile Updates.
- Instagram expands testing of 90-second reels.
- Microsoft Advertising now offers incentive features like cash-back and adding stock images from your website.
- Facebook and Pinterest are growing again, despite all the hype around the slow growth of both platforms in the last quarter.
- Google added 9 new ad policies to prevent misleading advertisements from taking place.
- Tiktok Introduces Third-Party Cookies to its Pixels. (like Facebook Pixel).
- Twitter reportedly overcounted the number of daily active users for the last 3 years.
- Google launched Media CDN to compete in content delivery.
- YouTube expands its “Thank you monetization tool” to all eligible creators.
- Twitch is looking to expand their cut from streamers’ earnings from 30 to 50% and is also thinking of boosting ads.
- At Snap Summit 2022, Snapchat launches a $230 flying drone camera and new e-commerce integrations.
- YouTube Expands its ‘Pre-Publish Checks’ Tool to the Mobile App
- For a time period, Google Search Console’s URL parameter tool is officially removed.
- Twitter creators can now get paid through cryptocurrency on Twitter with Stripe.
- One of the influencer marketing agencies acquired a YouTube analytics tool.
- Google & Microsoft Ads brought more revenue in the last quarter with 22% gains!
- WhatsApp is working on a paid subscription for multi-phone and tablet chatting.
- Instagram users now spend 20% of their time in the reel section.
- Google tests new colors for clicked search results by you. Now Clicked results are in purple.
- Twitter: Elon plans to remove employees and focus more on influencers for Twitter’s growth. New monetization ideas were shared.
- YouTube’s revenue falls as more users spend time on the shorts tab rather than consuming long-form content.
That’s all folks, if you want to be an active social media user and avoid missing out on new features and updates, it’s essential to remain aware of changes to popular platforms. By keeping up with social media news, you can avoid frustrations while also taking advantage of novel opportunities.