New year new you, amirite? Instagram is feeling the need to refresh for 2023, with the app revealing that it will be overhauling its design next month. The ‘gram’s new look will involve returning the Compose button to the front and center of the navigation bar at the bottom of the app and it will remove the Shop tab. The Reels button will now move over to the right of Compose. For those concerned about the removal of Shop, the platform as assured users that there will still be plenty of ways to monetize the app: “You will still be able to set up and run your shop on Instagram as we continue to invest in shopping experiences that provide the most value for people and businesses across Feed, Stories, Reels, ads, and more,” a spokesperson said.
Twitter opens Verification for Organisations waitlist
“There’s lots going on at Twitter” could be the understatement of the year; once again it’s been a busy week at the app. Firstly, it’s announced ‘Verification for Organizations’, formerly known as Blue for Business. Businesses eager for that blue tick can join a waitlist now and those with access will gain affiliation badges through Twitter’s self-serve administrative portal. It’s also making the algorithmic timeline, named “For You” the default feed on iOS, allowing users to switch between this and a chronological feed by swiping the phone screen. Finally, subscription service Twitter Blue is now available in Japan, joining Australia, Canada, US, UK and New Zealand.
TikTok makes managing talent easier
TikTok has updated its Creator Marketplace so that talent managers have more control and oversight over the brand opportunities offered to their clients. Talent managers – who are authorised to act on a creator’s behalf – will be able to negotiate contracts for their talent, handle the creative feedback, view metrics and more, all in platform. TikTok has more than 800,000 qualified creators, so this kind of professionalism around talent management will be a welcome addition to the platform.
Could Roblox be coming to Meta Quest?
It’s been rumoured that Roblox could be coming to Meta’s virtual reality headset, Quest. The move, if true, would be a significant boost for both companies, with Roblox racking up an estimated 50 million daily active users across the world. Watch this space…
