Pinterest gets into live shopping with Pinterest TV
It’s time to turn off Netflix and get shopping with Pinterest TV, the platform’s upcoming shoppable live series. Debuting today, November 8th, each episode will feature a creator from the platform, with shows covering topics like fashion, beauty, home and food. On Fridays, episodes turn into a daytime-tv-style shopping show, where viewers can purchase exclusive products from different brands using special discounts. Every episode will be recorded and available to watch via the TV icon in the top-left corner of the Pinterest app. During the show, you’ll be able to ask questions in the chat and interact with hosts. Happy shopping, e-commerce addicts!
Facebook Groups to gain new community-based tools
Community is king when it comes to Facebook Groups. At last week’s Facebook Communities Summit, new tools were unveiled to improve the app’s Groups experience. Among the new features is a suite of tools for Group admins that will help them customise their group. Admins will be able to change the group’s colours, post backgrounds and fonts that appear in the group, as well as the emoji that members use to react to its content. Another addition will be a new greeting message where admins can share the group rules with new members. What’s more, an upcoming feature called ‘Community Awards’ will allow admins to reward members for their participation in the group by anointing select posts with accolades like ‘Insightful’ and ‘Relevant.’
Instagram rolls out ‘Add Yours’ stickers for Stories
Co-creation is getting a glow up on Instagram, with the platform’s new ‘Add Yours’ stickers. Encouraging participation from followers, Add Yours stickers allow creators to add a prompt to their Story. Creators will be notified when someone responds to their prompt, and all responses can be viewed by tapping the sticker. For example, if a creator asks their followers to share their #OOTD, their followers can tap the Add Yours prompt, select related content from their gallery and share their Story, which will then be added to the sticker thread. This will be an exciting new tool for creators on the ‘gram, allowing more interaction between them and their followers.
Twitter is making it easier to search a user’s tweet
Searching is getting simplified on Twitter, with the platform releasing a new feature to iOS users that makes it easier to search a tweeter’s content. Searching is done by keyword, refining tweets based on subject. To use the tool, go to a user’s profile and click on the search icon in the top right corner of the screen, next to the three-dot menu. Another addition to the app is the long awaited return of Instagram link previews. Absent from Twitter for nine long years, all is now well in the world of social. You’ll now be able to see a preview of an Instagram link on Twitter, showing the image instead of the URL text.
Twitter unveils initiatives for COP26
All eyes have been on Glasgow over the past week. The city is hosting COP26, the UN’s Climate Change Conference that has seen environmental experts and world leaders congregate to discuss key issues affecting our planet. Twitter has created an event page for the occasion, featuring commentary and resources from environmental experts and key organisations. The platform has also rolled out hubs of information via the Explore tab, ensuring that there is a location on the app that provides reliable context across key themes covered in the conference. With plenty of commentary bound to pop up on the site, these additions are essential in tackling misinformation and providing accurate reporting of the event.
Need to know: Meta
Facebook recently announced a seismic development in how it views the ways we connect and socialise online, with its new corporate name evolving to ‘Meta’. This is significant because of what Meta represents – Facebook’s ambition to provide people with access to the metaverse. The company has identified the shift from traditional timelines and grids to new, richer 3D worlds. So what’s it all about? Read more about Meta, in our blog.