Facebook rolls out Canvas for non-sponsored posts For those of you who haven’t been tracking all the hottest new Facebook ad formats, Facebook Canvas is a mobile ad which, once clicked, opens into an interactive, full-screen content page. UNTIL NOW. As of recently, the format can also be used on regular posts without advertising spend. Facebook says Canvas, which launched in February, is already a big success, with users spending an average of 31 seconds on it.
Facebook Live adds new features Beers. Burgers. Binge-worthy TV. Why ever have just one of anything? Leave it to Facebook to outdo themselves this month with three new features for Facebook Live. First off, two people will soon be able to livestream together, which will make for much easier remote interviewing. (Can you tell our agency is global?) Secondly, a new ‘waiting room’ is in the works that will allow users to gather before a livestream begins. Last but not least, Facebook will begin allowing users to livestream from the MSQRD app (which adds a Snapchat style lens) if they’d like to appear a little more…incognito.
Hashtag #INSTAUPDATE! Instagram will almost certainly be seeing life through a sunny filter this week as it announced that it’s surpassed the 500 million monthly user mark after gaining 100 million users in the last nine months alone. The platform claims that video views have jumped 150% in the last six months, and after revamping its Explore tab two months ago to highlight more video, Instagram also added a ‘Picked For You’ section.
Twitter introduces new video features According to Twitter, video tweets have increased by over 50% since the beginning of 2016. To encourage further video tweeting, Twitter increased the maximum video length from from 30 seconds to 140 seconds. Anyone else wonder where they got that number? Now you can also get a full-screen experience by simply tapping on a Vine or video within your timeline. This will also suggest other videos you might like to watch. For creators, they’ve also released a new app to help inform video making with real-time data.
Twitter launches Engage, a safe space for celebrities Are you on Twitter’s A-list? Not if you haven’t been invited to a new app called Engage, created exclusively for the channel’s super-elite. The app consists of three main tabs: ‘Engage’ highlights only the most important interactions you’ve had on Twitter, ‘Understand’ gives high-level analytics, and ‘Posts’ offers more in-depth performance data on individual posts. Great news for influencers who are hounded by low-level trolls, but how will @Cher ever see my daily tweets now?
Introducing #Stickers on Twitter
It’s been a busy week for Twitter. Not only have they enhanced video tweeting and made the celebs’ social lives even easier, they also announced that they will soon introduce #Stickers to the platform.
Drawing inspiration from Snapchat filters, #Stickers will offer users a new way to add creativity to their Twitter photos with a library of hundreds of accessories, emojis, and props to make photos more fun.
Any public tweet containing a sticker will also be easily searchable and discoverable, creating a new visual spin on the hashtag. Simply tapping on a sticker brings up a new timeline of tweets from people around the world using that same sticker. I can’t wait to see who in Argentina also loves bacon!
Tumblr joins live streaming frenzy, with a slight twist Like everyone else, Tumblr knows that livestreaming is the new big *thing*. The platform doesn’t have its own video player (although we imagine you’ll see that in a Tune-Up sometime soon), so in order to get in on the act, they launched a live-video feature that lets creators and brands push their clips to Tumblr instead. Similar to Facebook Live, it’s simple to share a livestream – users just click a button from the video app that then notifies their followers. Get Tumbling, people!
American Express launches Facebook chat bot Amex has become the first financial company to launch a Facebook bot, which will roll out in the next few months. The bot is set to send you receipts, remind you about flight bookings and share restaurant recommendations. The company has said it wants to serve the customer in a more ‘conversational way’. Leave it to those chatty Americans! Just call me when can get a bot that can cook my dinner or pay my taxes. Thanks.
#Brexit aftermath on social media
Well, it appears the #catsagainstbrexit didn’t have the impact they hoped. If you may recall in last week’s Tune-Up, even our office cat, @Veronica, took to Twitter to express her disapproval of Borris Johnson and the ‘Vote Leave’ campaign.
Veronica’s nightmare and the nightmare of cats and liberal Brits everywhere came true on Friday, when the UK voted to leave the EU. This outcome prompted many social media users to take to their own keyboards/smart phones to post (and in most cases, vent) their reaction.
From tweets declaring ‘Independence Day’ to anguished cries of #WhatHaveWeDone, it’s fair to say #Brexit brought out every range of emotion. You can read the full range of reactions here.
