Instagram launches ‘Collaborators’ in broadcast channels
Instagram has launched a feature on broadcast channels called ‘Collaborators’, allowing those with a broadcast channel to invite other users to converse with them. Launched earlier this year, Broadcast channels are a public, one-to-many messaging tool for creators to directly engage with their followers at scale. Users can subscribe to channels and get notifications when something is posted on there. Channels have been used by the likes of Mark Zuckerberg to announce app updates, and Adam Mosseri (Head of Instagram) announced recently that the app will now support GIFs in comments.
Leaked content reveals more about Instagram’s text based app
We’ve been hearing rumours of Instagram’s new text based app for the last few months, but now we have some idea of what it might look like, thanks to a leak reported in the Verge. It appears as though users will be able to sign in with their Instagram username and password, and followers, handle, bio, and verification will transfer over from the main app. The app will apparently look somewhat similar to Twitter, with a feed and the ability to make text posts up to 500 characters long with attached links, photos, and videos.
TikTok launches Effect Creator Rewards
TikTok is launching a new Effect Creator Rewards fund that will reward creators for the effects they make through the app’s AR development platform, Effect House. The fund of $6 million will pay creators based on the engagement with their effects. For every effect that’s used in 500,000 unique videos within 90 days of being published, a creator will collect $700. For every 100,000 videos published thereafter within the same 90 days, creators will collect an additional $140. At the moment, the fund is available in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
Twitter now allows paid users to upload two-hour videos
Twitter is updating its paid plan to allow subscribers to upload 2 hour videos, an extension of the current 60 minute video. Users will also be able to upload longer-form content from the IOS app as well as the web, now that the video file size limit has now increased from 2GB to 8GB. Twitter CEO Elon Musk has expressed a desire to compete with the likes of YouTube, and has also raised the character count on tweets for paid users, perhaps indicating a wider focus on long form content.
TikTok adds a new mental health awareness hub
TikTok is introducing a new mental health awareness hub – a #MentalHealthAwareness hashtag page that will include access to resources and content about well-being topics. In an effort to raise awareness of mental health problems, TikTok is also donating $2 million in ad credits to organisations that support a range of mental health issues, and hosting a series of training sessions to equip its partners with tools that they can share with their communities.
In other news
Meta has launched its paid verification program in the UK, Meta Verified, priced at £9.99 per month each for Instagram and Facebook. TikTok now allows users to set a default audience for their posts 🗣️Twitter has removed verified followers tab, and Facebook Reels has added a new section called “Location,” where you can search for any location just before publishing your reels 📍
