One logo to rule them all: Facebook’s rebrand How does one solve a problem like Facebook? With a new ALL CAPS logo of course! The social media giant last week underwent a ‘rebrand’ to differentiate the parent company, FACEBOOK, from the app, Facebook (and its other products like WhatsApp, Instagram etc). Facebook (sorry, FACEBOOK) said the rebrand will bring greater transparency and cohesion to the company.
Facebook plans to limit the number of ads a Page can run at once
As part of its recent Graph and Marketing API update, Facebook has announced that from mid-2020 it will be limiting the number of ads a Page can run at a time. According to the social network, the more ads a Page runs simultaneously, the lower the overall performance of the ads. However, Facebook says the move will only impact a small number of brands and says more information will be released ahead of the rollout.
Twitter prepares to launch new follow option, Topics
After several months of testing, Twitter has announced that on November 13th it will be launching Topics – a new option that will enable users to follow a curated list of 300 areas of interest, including sports, entertainment and gaming; just as they are currently able to follow individual accounts. Once a user has selected a Topic, tweets from accounts they don’t currently follow – which have credibility in the chosen field – will begin to appear in their timeline.
YouTube brings shopping ads to mobile
Following a test period, Google has announced it is expanding its network of shopping ads to the YouTube mobile app. The move will see the clickable carousel ad format appear on the app’s mobile home screen and search results page, globally. According to YouTube’s director of product management, shopping ads could also be coming to the connected TV space – YouTube’s fastest growing medium – as early as next year.
YouTube rolls out Super Stickers globally
As part of its ongoing efforts to help content creators make money through its platform, YouTube has globally launched a new feature, Super Stickers. Similar to the platform’s Super Chat function, Super Sticker packs will be available for fans to purchase (with prices ranging from 99 cents to $50) and share into chats with their favourite creators.
The eight distinct Super Sticker packs – which span categories including gaming, fashion, beauty, sports, music and food – are currently available in English, French, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese to any eligible creators already using Super Chat across 60 countries.
YouTube launches new update for its desktop and tablet apps
YouTube is rolling out a new update for its desktop and tablet apps which will give users additional control options, as well as an updated presentation style. The updated format will give each preview panel more room, providing longer video titles and larger, richer thumbnails to give users more information at a glance.
Along with the new layout, YouTube is also introducing an ‘Add to Queue’ option, which will make it easier for users to quickly build video playlists and is bringing its ‘Don’t Recommend Channel’ option (available on mobile) to desktop.
TikTok opens up new Developers Program TikTok has announced the launch of its new Developers program which will introduce tools for third-party app developers. The first of these tools is the new Share to TikTok SDK, which will let users edit videos in other apps – most notably, Adobe’s Premiere Rush – then publish them from that app to TikTok.
Along with the sharing feature, apps that integrate with the new SDK tool will gain access to a wider selection of creative tools. The Developers program also includes tools to embed videos on the web and a specified partner hashtag added to any piece of content shared via their platforms.
Tumblr adds group messaging to its platform Tumblr has announced the launch of a new group messaging feature that it says will allow different fandoms to chat more easily, instead of replying on re-blogs. Unlike other platforms such as Facebook Messenger, the new ‘group chats’ are public spaces – searchable and visible to all users – though only approved members can send messages.
Messages sent within Tumblr’s group chats will also disappear after 24 hours and have a maximum occupancy of 100 people per chat. Users globally should now find a new group chat icon in the upper right-hand corner of Tumblr’s app.
