The biggest updates in social media | September 2023
Summary/Overview
Social media is an industry that is tough to keep up with. While your favorite platforms are continually developing and releasing new features, the social media marketers of the world are constantly primed to leap on new trends and improve upon their strategy.
To help you stay in the loop, we've rounded up the top headlines from the month of September so you can see everything you need to know from one concise and straight-forward source.
Social media news
Meta
New AI chatbot
Live soon
Meta has announced its intentions to release a new AI chatbot that will be similar to ChatGPT in all of Meta’s apps. This chatbot will be available in a variety of different personalities, all based on celebrity voices.
Meta expands its paid verification program to Business Accounts
Live soon
Originally available for Creators, Meta’s verification program is soon to be available for Business Accounts, allowing businesses to purchase a blue verification badge for their profiles.
Meta announces new advertising Tools
Live soon
Just in time for the holiday push, Meta has announced their plans to release new ad tools to help entice purchase actions, provide variable campaign budget options, and engage direct linkage to buy products from ad displays.
Facebook will allow users to create multiple profiles
Live now
Meta has recently launched a new multi-profile option which allows users to explore different interests from different profiles. Creating multiple profiles will allow users to, for example, keep professional and personal lives separate, or keep separate profiles for different types of content and communities. Each user will be able to add up to four different personal profiles.
Instagram adds “Following” filter in Reels tab
Live now
This minor update has Instagram Reels aligning more closely with TikTok than ever, with the addition of a new “Following” tab that only shows Reels from accounts you follow.
Instagram tests option to hide your activity
Live soon
Instagram is in the process of testing new functionality which would allow users to hide their likes from other users. Users may choose to hide likes from everyone, everyone outside of close friends, or everyone outside of those you follow. This increase in privacy could result in an increase in engagement for creators and businesses on their content.
Instagram tests Location Tags in Notes
Live soon
Instagram is testing the ability to add a location tag to your Notes status within the app. This will allow users to share their whereabouts using a location marker, which, when clicked, will send other users to the corresponding location page.
X (Twitter)
X experiments with pinning for Communities, search queries, profiles, and more
Live soon
X has been experimenting with the ability to pin almost anything, whether it be a Community, a search query, a profile, or a list. This update could help to speed up navigation in the app.
X tests bookmark button
Live soon
The bookmark button could soon be moved to appear directly on posts within the feed, as opposed to being accessed through the share button. This will make it easier for users to bookmark posts to save and read later. This could lead to an increase in engagement with more users becoming aware of the previously hidden bookmark option.
X look to add “Verified Only” reply option
Live soon
To continue pushing its subscription package, X is in the process of developing a new feature that will allow you to limit your post replies to coming from verified users only.
Lower-priced tiers for X Premium are on the way
Live soon
Since X has released the option to pay for use of the app via X Premium (previously known as Twitter Blue), uptake by users has been both slow and minimal. However, X may have plans to release lower-tiered payment options and make app usage for everyone a requirement. Time will only tell if users move to other apps or pay to keep their presence on the platform.
Audio and video-calling options may be exclusive to subscribers
Live soon
Not surprisingly, as X continues to push its premium package, their reported incoming audio and video-calling options will most likely be available to premium subscribers only.
X brings new features to Communities
Live soon
With the removal of Circles, X is looking to put some more focus into Communities, with upcoming features that will include private Communities, improved reporting, and improved spam controls.
X tests expanded profile bio section
Live soon
Soon users will get access to an extended bio allowing them more room to explain themselves or their business. A small snippet of your bio will remain visible on your profile with a “View more” option for those who want to see extra information.
Job listings launch for verified organizations
Live soon
X has officially launched its job listings element in beta, allowing verified organizations within the app to add job listings to their profile. X has also confirmed that it’s working on a “job matchmaking” feature to help job seekers find relevant opportunities, although not much information is currently available on how this may work.
New option to send email address to creators
Live soon
X is currently testing a new option that would allow users to share their email address with any creators they are subscribed to via the app.
LinkedIn adds new text accessibility options for LinkedIn Publisher
Live now
In an effort to improve accessibility on LinkedIn, any articles published on LinkedIn will now be automatically processed through Microsoft’s “Immersive Reader” system, allowing users to use text-to-speech and translation features, isolate elements of language, and more to better understand an array of content.
LinkedIn adds new Generative AI search tools to Sales Navigator
Live now
New Generative AI search tools will allow those using LinkedIn Sales Navigator to more easily search for and connect with leads. One update is the new “Filter with AI” table option with Sales Navigator that will provide users with more options to hone their searches using more conversational requests such as “Find me marketing decision makers at LinkedIn on the U.S. East Coast with whom I have a second-degree connection.” A new “Account IQ” option will also be able to provide users with summaries of key information about potential contacts, helping to more easily customize job-related pitches when it’s time to reach out, as well as understand which contacts are most worth the effort.
LinkedIn adds new Branded Content Library listing influencer campaigns
Live now
LinkedIn has added a new search functionality to the app allowing users to see all affiliate marketing campaigns who have utilized the newly introduced branded content tag. You’ll be able to search using keywords and dates for competitive insight.
TikTok
TikTok launches “Creative Assistant” for Ad creation guidance
Live now
TikTok’s new AI-powered “Creative Assistant” tool will provide guidance for marketers throughout the ad creation process by showing them relevant examples, tools, and sample ad scripts.
TikTok adds centralized Wallet
Live soon
TikTok is currently testing a new in-app wallet which will provide centralized payment tracking, including TikTok’s own currency, the TikTok Coin. With the wallet, users will be able to see their “Balance,” which will decrease as they make in-app purchases, boost their TikToks, or be used to buy virtual items that can be awarded to creators within the app.
Further reading: How to make money on TikTok
TikTok explores partnership with Google
Live soon
Reports indicate that TikTok and Google are exploring a partnership that would integrate Google search prompts, and even potentially Google search results, into the TikTok app.
TikTok launches in-stream labels for AI-generated content
Live now
All AI-generated content within the TikTok app must now be tagged as such by creators to increase transparency around AI-generated content. Any creators who fail to tag their AI-generated content may risk having the content removed.
TikTok provides more ad metrics
Live soon
TikTok intends to provide increased ad metrics to give more insight into the performance of TikTok ads, with new tracking and display options to show how your campaigns are driving engagement, response, and conversion. A series of features is intended to launch for their new “Attribution Analytics” within the TikTok Ad Manager platform, the first of which is “Performance Comparison,” which allows you to visualize conversions across different time windows.
TikTok launches in-stream Shops to all US retailers
Live now
All US businesses are now able to activate TikTok Shops on their profiles.
TikTok’s AR Studio, Effect House, comes out of Beta
Live now
After more than a year of development, “Effect House,” TikTok’s AR studio, is finally out of beta mode. Effect House allows creators to build their own AR effects to use within the TikTok app.
Your key takeaways
- Social media channels are becoming increasingly subscription based.
- There continues to be an increased focus on privacy and micro-communities.
- TikTok morphs more and more into a search engine and shopping platform.
- X continues on its way to becoming “the everything app,” with new features for job listings — potentially just the beginning of X’s competition with LinkedIn.