We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #574
You can now respond to an Instagram Story without sending a DM
Nothing is more frustrating than having your inbox clogged up by reactions to your Instagram Story. Well, this nuisance is now a thing of the past, as the platform is rolling out a new feature called Private Story Likes. This allows you to like somebody’s Insta Story without sending them a DM. Instead, when you tap on your story, you’ll see a little heart on your viewer sheet next to the person who is admiring your content. How lovely.
Pinned DMs are available to all Twitter users
Want to keep your favourite conversations within easy reach? Well, now you can thanks to pinned DMs on Twitter. The platform is rolling out the feature to all users; it had previously been only available to Twitter Blue subscribers. The ‘pinned conversations’ section will sit at the top of your Twitter inbox, displaying your chosen chats. However, you can only pin up to six DMs, so you’ll have to pick and choose which you favour over the rest.
Snapchat partners with Ticketmaster
Finding live events in your neighbourhood is about to get a whole lot easier thanks to Snapchat’s new partnership with Ticketmaster. Users can discover entertainment events within the Snap Map, selecting their preferences as to what kind of event they’re looking for. You can see whether other friends are going to an event, invite mates yourself and start a guest list chat. The feature lives in Snap Minis, and is called the ‘Ticketmatcher Mini’. Happy searching!
Twitter extends its Safety Mode test to a larger audience
Safety Mode is making its way to more people, as Twitter has expanded the beta of the feature. Initially rolled out in September, Safety Mode lets you temporarily autoblock accounts that send you harmful or abusive tweets. Fifty percent of Twitter users in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, will now be able to use the feature. Aimed at reducing harassment on the platform, this test expansion may indicate a full rollout in the near future.
Snapchat will start letting you change your username
New username, new me. Snapchat has announced that it is going to let users change their usernames, meaning you’ll be able to leave behind the name you used originally, without having to create a whole new account. This feature will go live on 23rd February and is bound to be good news for those who chose questionable usernames when they first signed up to the platform. Also new in the world of Snapchat is the ability to share your real-time location with friends, so that they can see you arrived home (or to your hot date) safely.
All Tomorrow’s Stories: The future of representation according to Gen Z Storytellers
What does representation mean to you? That’s the question we asked 1,095 Gen Z Wattpad users to form the basis of our latest report: All Tomorrow’s Stories. Featuring the results from these survey respondents, as well as viewpoints and personal experiences of eight Gen Z storytellers, the report explores the current gaps in representation, offering four ways in which brands can better their approach. You can sign up to the webinar here.