A new week brings new updates in the world of TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. Hear all about TikTok’s tutorial site, which is available now for limited use, Facebook’s removal of targeting options, and more in this week’s Friday Four!
Let’s jump in ⬇️.
TikTok Releases Tutorial Site
This week, TikTok released a tutorial site for use in specific regions. The news broke on Twitter, where a U.K. based user shared word of the website’s existence.
Sign-ups for the site are currently limited, and those who do not qualify for immediate sign-up have been told to contact TikTok directly. The website aims to help creators tell their brand’s story, understand how others are finding success on the platform, and measure success with specific insights.
Those who qualify have access to sessions created by TikTok employees, where they’ll be given an overview of specific tools and functions on the app. Completion of sessions will grant creators a badge that labels them as a “TikTok Pro.”
Facebook Removes Ad Targeting Options
In a unique move this week, Facebook removed over 1000 targeting options from the platform. They explained the removal by stating that the options were either unpopular or replicated other features that were already available.
Unlike previous occasions of targeting removal, such as the 2018 removal of nearly 5000 options, there has been no mention of these targeting options being linked back to discriminatory or exclusive behavior. However, some speculate that Facebook is removing targeting options this time around to avoid future concerns over their usage.
No new targeting capabilities were released alongside this removal, and as of now there are no releases slated for the near future.
Facebook Unveils Educator Hub
As kids head back to school amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook is attempting to make life a little easier for students, parents, and teachers with the release of the ‘Educator Hub.’ The new tool, according to Facebook, will have resources for everyone regarding how to stay connected, stay motivated, and take care of one another.
With sections about continuing the discussion around racial equity, digital literacy, and more, Facebook has created a comprehensive collection of resources that span a variety of topics.
The hub puts Facebook’s own tools at the forefront of its proposed strategies in dealing with the ‘new normal.’ The Educator Hub homepage advertises the option to create groups to stay connected, and even promotes the use of Instagram by suggesting accounts to follow.
Instagram Introduces New Space for Ads
Instagram has just announced a new space ads will begin appearing for users: after their “You’re All Caught Up” icon. The message, introduced to the app in 2018 to limit user overuse of the app, will now be followed by a series of suggested posts for users.
Suggested posts will be customized from user to user, providing a new way for creators to organically reach an audience with whom they may resonate. While the new ad space may actually undermine the initial reason for implementing the “You’re All Caught Up” strategy, Instagram is fully pushing forward with the ad type.
According to Robby Stein, Instagram’s director of product, users will still be able to decide how to best use their time after seeing that they’ve caught up with their feed. Additionally, it's common for users who follow a large number of accounts to never catch up with their feed, and thus will never interact with these new ads.
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