This week, YouTube has unveiled a host of new features during its Made on YouTube event, LinkedIn has a new and surprising partnership, X has found a new way to make money, and so much more.
Meanwhile, TSITP has taken over our lives, and the release of the final episode isn’t going to stop that (see you at the movie premiere). Plus, join us for an exclusive LinkedIn Live session as we break down our latest report, Culture In Play. Read on for more social media news.
YouTube launches new AI tools
Image credit: YouTube
YouTube has unveiled new generative AI tools using a version of Google’s text-to-video generative AI model, Veo 3, called Veo 3 Fast. Users will be able to apply motion to an image, apply different styles to videos such as pop art or origami, and add objects with text prompts. The update is rolling out in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand over the next few months. YouTube is also elevating podcast and live stream content.
Instagram has released a new round of updates for Edits. Edits users can now convert clips into overlays, control the speed of fade-ins and fade-outs, save sound effects for future use, and more. Instagram has added a lot of new features since Edits’ launch, and it’s clearly worth it with Meta, reporting that time spent watching video on Instagram has increased by 20% year-over-year.
Today’s unlikely social media pairing comes from LinkedIn and *drum roll please* Duolingo. The social platform has partnered with the language app to enable users to display their Duolingo scores directly on their LinkedIn profiles. So, when you add an alternative language to your LinkedIn profile, you’ll also be able to add your Duolingo fluency score. BRB, time to stop ignoring that Duolingo reminder.
Threads is expanding its DM controls so that you can message anyone in the app. A new pop-up is being displayed to users informing them that they can now activate message requests in the app, which will allow users who they don’t follow to send them DM requests. The feature is being rolled out to all users with DMs enabled.
X is looking at new ways to bring in money, with users now being able to pay to boost their posts in-stream. The new “Boost” button gives a range of options to get more reach on your posts, ranging from $50 – $1,000. It is currently only available to Premium users (who already get a reach boost for replies as part of their package).
YouTube is launching new ways for creators to earn money with brands. Using its YouTube Shopping program, creators are able to tag products in their content and earn money through the link. YouTube is also adding the option to swap out brand sponsorships in long-form videos and introducing auto timestamps for product tags, which auto-tag eligible items in videos. YouTube will begin testing this feature with a small group of creators early next year.
X is launching a new AI-powered algorithm to show users more of the content they are interested in and keep people engaged. By November, the algorithm will be “purely AI”, and by December, users will be able to adjust their feed using Grok. 80% of X users never engage with the app, so it’s clearly a challenge that X are trying to address.
Culture in Play: How brands can win World Cup 2026
Join We Are Social for an exclusive LinkedIn Live session as we break down Culture In Play, our 80+ page deep dive into the fandom, data, and culture shaping the biggest World Cup in history. Our U.S. team will share the must-know insights to help brands connect with fans, navigate cultural nuances, and activate campaigns that resonate across North America and beyond.
