Posted by Hey folks 👋
We are halfway through 2021 and the world is slowly changing again. However, Instagram has completely changed the way it used to be. How? Well, remember when your biggest Instagram growth was via Stories… that’s not the case anymore. Instagram is pushing Reels and how! Reels on Facebook, Reels to increase impressions and gain followers, Reels to reach the target audience. Even the Head of IG, Adam Mosseri has now openly said that Instagram isn’t a photo-sharing app anymore. This makes me wonder, how things have completely changed in a few years.
Anyway, I was just feeling a little chatty today. Now let’s get down to our weekly updates.
What happened on Social Media this week 👇
- Is testing sticker links in stories for all users.
- Added Black-Owned label to Business profile options.
How to Designate Your Business as Black-Owned on Instagram
> Tap on “Edit Profile” > Select “Business Diversity Info” where you can learn more about what it means to designate your business as Black-owned.
> Tap “Get Started” and you will land on the “Diversity Info” page.
> Toggle on the “Show Black-owned business label” setting, which will enable a “Black-owned” label on your business profile and product pages.
- Added new Spaces speaker listings display, highlighting remaining speaker places.
- Is testing new reels and rooms UI, integrated into the Facebook Stories panel.
- Published a new report on the evolution of eCommerce, and strategic considerations.
Download region-specific report here.
- Announced Boost with Facebook Good Ideas festival.
“This summer, we’re helping you navigate this latest state of recovery with the Boost with Facebook Good Ideas Festival — a seven-week virtual experience that offers free training, resources and inspiration, hosted by actress, producer and small business advocate Zoe Saldana.”
- Launched beta test of a newsletter platform ‘bulletin’.
Bulletin will include support focused on content creation, monetization and audience growth.
Robust Publishing Tools
1. Each Bulletin creator will have a standalone website under their own brand, and will be able to customize their publication’s name, logo and colour palette.
2. Creators can customize their articles with multi-media embeds & other styling options.
Sustainable Business Models
1. Bulletin writers will keep all of their subscription revenue for the length of these partnerships, and will have the ability to take their subscriber lists and content with them. Subscription payments will be securely handled by Facebook Pay, allowing subscribers to pay with a credit card, debit card or PayPal account.
2. Writers are able to offer a range of subscription-based features, including content, commenting abilities and Facebook groups accessible only by subscribers.
3. We will also have analytics tools to help writers understand their audience and grow their subscribers over time.
4. And to start, we’re offering a multi-year licensing deal to give these writers time to build a relationship with their readers.
Discovery and Distribution
1. Bulletin content will be eligible for distribution in Facebook News and other discovery surfaces to help audiences easily find it and subscribe.
2. We’ll include tools to distribute podcasts in addition to longform writing, including externally-hosted podcasts and additional audio features coming soon.
3. Bulletin will integrate with Facebook Pages to enable publishing across various multimedia formats.
Building Community
1. They can create Facebook groups, free or subscriber-only, to nurture a community of readers. Within their groups, they’ll also have the ability to create subscriber-only content or host subscriber-only conversations.
2. Writers will have the ability to leverage Facebook’s existing tools like Facebook Live or Live Audio Rooms to continue the discussion with their communities.
3. To help writers keep discussions respectful, we’ll also offer comment moderation tools, like the ability for writers to control who can comment (such as paid subscribers only), and turn off comments.
- Shared insights into gender and racial diversity in the marketing field.
- Pinterest is now TAG brand safety certified.
TikTok
- Is reminding brands “Don’t make ads, make TikToks”.
YouTube
- Launched 4k plus and new features for sports fans on YouTube TV.
Download shows to watch offline: Take your DVR with you and never worry about missing your favourite shows while you’re without data or travelling on the go. With 4K Plus, we’re introducing the ability to save recordings from your library to your phone or tablet to watch offline.
Unlimited streams at home: The YouTube TV base package includes three simultaneous streams, but with 4K Plus, you get unlimited streams on your home wifi. That means everyone in the family can catch up on their latest TV episodes, watch a movie on-demand, watch their home team, and more — all at the same time!
That’s all folks!
Please leave kind comments on anything I might have missed.