Giraffe is back with another social media news round up. Bringing you the latest developments from the world of social media and its biggest players. We do the hard work so you don’t have to, read on for your monthly lowdown.
Instagram Provides Handy Navigation Tips to Streamline Your Usage of the App
It’s always worth refreshing your knowledge on the functionality of social media apps and Instagrams CEO Adam Mosseri recently took to Twitter to do just that focusing on Instagrams various navigation shortcuts. A refresher on functionality for some and may be an eye-opener for those not aware of certain functionalities within the app.
Shortcuts that Adam highlights in the video are as follows:
- Tap on the Home icon to go back to the top of your main feed.
- Press and hold on the search icon to begin a keyword search.
- Double-tap on the profile tab to quickly switch between accounts.
- Tap and hold to pause Stories.
- ‘Peeking’ on posts in the Explore tab by pressing and holding on the thumbnail image.
These aren’t new by any stretch but is great to be aware of them. We especially make use of double-taps on profile tabs here at Giraffe whilst managing multiple accounts. Just be careful NOT to post your personal updates on your brand accounts. Make sure to check the profile icon before posting.
These little tips can help streamline your Instagram workflow and potential impress clients and friend alike with your navigation wizardry.
Facebook Looking to Launch a Kids Version of Instagram
A good move? Or a bad one? BuzzFeed has reported on an internal communication within Facebook’s company communications that the social media giant is developing a separate version of Instagram for kids under the age of 13. The company has already launched Messenger Kids which sees some 7 million monthly active users, spread across 70 countries. So from a business perspective, this move would make sense.
Currently, users under the age of 13 are blocked from signing up for an Instagram account, although many tech-savvy youngsters still attempt to join. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri believes building a separate kids version of the app may be the best way to stop them. Potentially stopping youngsters from exposing themselves to more risk online. Mosseri was quoted saying:
“We have to do a lot more here, but part of the solution is to create a version of Instagram for young people or kids where parents have transparency to control. It’s one of the things we’re exploring.”
Facebook doesn’t have a clear strategy in place for the kids’ version yet, but it seems to be something they are exploring. Which will raise many questions regarding safety concerns if it does get an official release plan. On one hand, this could provide a safe environment for kids to explore their creativity whilst safely monitored by their parents. On the other hand, however, there is the potential to increase the risk of online bullying to younger age groups online. Facebook will no doubt have to tread carefully with this one and we will be watching and bringing you any further updates within our social media news updates.
Apple Launches New App Tracking Permissions in iOS 14.5 Update
Apple has officially launched its iOS 14.5 update, which includes new phone unlock options for people wearing face masks and a range of other features including Apple’s controversial new app data tracking prompts.
Apple explains this as:
“App Tracking Transparency requires apps to get the user’s permission before tracking their data across apps or websites owned by other companies for advertising, or sharing their data with data brokers. Apps can prompt users for permission, and in Settings, users will be able to see which apps have requested permission to track so they can make changes to their choice at any time.”
First announced by Apple last June, social media news and various companies have voiced their opposition to this new approach and the impact it could have on digital marketing and in turn the effectiveness of online ads most notably Facebook which launched a full campaign against the changes which can be found here.
Apple’s stance is to give individuals more control and transparency over how their data is used and collected by brands and corporations, which does make a lot of sense. However, the impact on the digital marketing space remains to be seen. The effects are already being felt by Facebook, TikTok among others who have been publishing changes and outlining how ad partners can prepare.
The difficult part is that the impact can’t be estimated at the time and will depend on how many users decide to opt-out of data tracking vs opt-in. Either way, this will change the landscape of digital marketing and social media marketing as a whole. Going forward it will be worth keeping an eye on your own ad performances and be aware of the change to prevent any potential loss.
Giraffe will be back next month for another social media news update, bringing you the latest and greatest nuggets of news so that you can keep your social media content ahead of the curve!
