Buckle up and get ready for a big week of news in the social media world! Twitter updated their native camera and has launched testing on a variety of new features. Facebook and Instagram also introduced big updates. Learn all about it here and start putting these useful new features to use.
Let’s jump in ⬇️.
Facebook Updates Creator Studio Mobile App
In a recent update, Facebook added video editing and scheduling capabilities on their mobile creator studio app. While these functions were previously available on the desktop version of the platform, creators will now be able to utilize these functions on the go.
Users will be able to add titles and descriptions to their videos, access the creator library to curate new posts, and add thumbnails. Additionally, posts can be scheduled from the mobile app. Still, the desktop version features more robust capabilities, such as trimming and editing of live videos after streaming.
Twitter Updates Native Camera
This week, Twitter rolled out an update of the platform’s native, in-app camera feature. The new update is an expansion of additions to the feature made in March, where users gained the ability to add banners to pictures and could display images in a larger format.
The new update allows users to attach up to four pictures from the native camera in a tweet, and they’ll appear to the feed in a grid format where your audience can click to enlarge each individual photo. Up to four photos or videos from the native camera can now also be included in retweets or replies.
These updates come as Twitter tests their version of a Stories platform, for which they’ve coined the name ‘Fleets.’ The new updates, alongside the testing Fleets, enhance the ability for users to share things in real time.
Twitter Experiments with Scheduling Tool, Comment Moderation, Warnings on Tweets
Alongside the updates to the camera tool, Twitter began testing a variety of new functions this week. From an in-app scheduling tool, to a new way to moderate comments, to a ‘rethink reply’ warning, a lot could change if the platform deems them worthy of formal release.
While tweet-scheduling has previously been available via third-party apps, Twitter is now testing their own native scheduling tool. Currently, the capability is available to a select group of users on the desktop version of Twitter. While Twitter hasn’t officially made any announcement regarding this feature, some users have reported being able to schedule tweets up to 30 days in advance for any time of the day.
Twitter has also debuted a new way to moderate comments on tweets. Select users have the ability to decide, on a tweet by tweet basis, who can respond – from anyone, to just their followers, to just those mentioned in the tweet. The comment control tools are currently available to a select few worldwide on IOS, Android, and desktop versions of Twitter.
Finally, on a limited number of IOS users, Twitter is testing a “rethink reply” function. The warning is machine driven, drawing from a database of previously flagged tweets to warn users before they post something potentially harmful. The potential feature is geared toward reducing bullying and harassment on the app.
Instagram Testing Badges on Live Videos and IGTV Ads
Instagram is also debuting some new features that are currently being tested. This week, some creators were able to start experimenting with badges on live streams and the creation of ads for IGTV. Both will allow creators to engage more with their audience and generate greater profit from the platform.
The badges are a way for viewers to show support monetarily to creators, and for creators to see who is engaging most with their content, similar to what you will find on YouTube. During a livestream, users have the option to purchase either one, two, or three badges. The badges will appear next to their name when they click the like button or comment a message, making it easier for the streamer to identify them. The streamer will also be able to view a list of badge-buyers after the stream ends
IGTV advertisements are also being rolled out to certain creators in the United States, where they’ll have the ability to create 15 second units of ads. With recent increases in Instagram live views, this could prove useful to many creators – especially since Instagram will give creators 55% of ad profits.
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