Where did February go? We’ve been so busy keeping on top of social media news that it’s gone by in a blur. We hope everyone is seeing increasing success with all their social media strategies and seeing them go from strength to strength heading into 2022. Read on for our latest industry updates.
Twitter Testing ‘Articles’ Option for Long-Form Posts
First, up in our social media news update, Twitter is yet again testing ways for people to share more expansive comments and thoughts in-app, this has been an ongoing endeavour for the company. Back in 2016 then Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted regarding the company exploring options for users to post long-form content, this ended up resulting in the expansion to 280 characters we have today.
Whilst Twitter has been quiet on this front lately it seems that are working on a new feature in the background. This tweet posted by reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong clearly shows a landing page for ‘Twitter Articles’, which implies an area for blog type articles within the Twitter app which we assume to be sharable via tweet. It remains to be seen how exactly this will feature but we are sure Twitter will announce it further down the line.
It will be interesting to see how this change will affect users and brands on the platform, considering a huge number of users that engage on Twitter do so due to their love for the short form medium it has always embraced. Brands and influencers however will probably find that the ability to share longer-form content and potential evergreen articles will only serve to strengthen their presence on the platform. The true value of these ‘Articles’ will be in how it works and that remains to be seen, watch this space for more.
Could Facebook and Instagram be removed from Europe?
In more alarming social media news reports are coming in that Facebook’s parent company Meta may be considering shutting down its services within Europe. These speculative reports are the result of a note included in Meta’s most recent SEC update.
Head through the link for the full note, below we have cut to the chase to save you time and included the relevant snippet from Meta.
“… If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are unable to continue to rely on SCCs or rely upon other alternative means of data transfers from Europe to the United States, we will likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.”
For those out of the loop, back in 2020, an EU privacy regulator sent Meta a preliminary order to suspend data transfers to the US about its EU users. This order was based on rising concerns within the EU regarding surveillance practices by the US Government. This perceived threat was never clarified but followed shortly after the Trump Administration’s push to ban several Chinese originating apps including TikTok concerning data collection from US citizens, a push that never made it out the gate.
If Meta pulled its apps from the EU it would be a big step and is probably more a comment from them on a ‘worst-case scenario’, than something that the company would greenlight. Meta could still come to an agreement with the EU regarding user data transfers or agree to house all data services within the region. Meta already houses data centres in several EU member states so it isn’t a stretch to see them come to an agreeable outcome for all parties concerned.
Overall a full EU shutdown of Facebook and Instagram services seems completely unrealistic with millions of users and businesses that rely on the platforms daily, including us! Would Meta be willing to affect so many livelihoods, businesses, and family connections? Doubtful and would require the company to have exhausted all other options. At the moment a ruling has not been finalised and there is plenty of wiggle room for negotiations.
LinkedIn Launches New Podcast Network
In other social media news, LinkedIn is capitalising on the popularity of podcasts with the launch of a new ‘LinkedIn Podcast Network’ where it will host a range of content from both internal staff and industry experts with a focus on key professional trends.
LinkedIn breaks down the update below:
“Starting today, we’re piloting an exciting new way for you to connect with leading professional voices with the launch of the LinkedIn Podcast Network. With this pilot, you’ll have access on LinkedIn to programming and conversations from industry-leading creators such as Morra Aarons-Mele, Jonathan Fields, Mita Mallick and Dee C. Marshall, as well as shows created in-house by LinkedIn News.”
LinkedIn has pegged a whole range of well-established creators for its podcast network launch, including tech journalist Alex Kantrowitz and author Jonathan Fields. LinkedIn is making all its podcasts available on the platform by following each podcast host, whilst also providing their content on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other streaming audio services.
LinkedIn is hoping to have users connect with hosts via the platform and extend community engagement beyond the passive listening experience. Users will be able to follow podcast hosts and turn on content alerts with a bell icon much like YouTube, to engage with posts, videos, newsletters, LinkedIn Live events and more.
The main lure that LinkedIn’s looking to highlight is that by connecting with these hosts on LinkedIn, you’ll be able to extend the conversation beyond the passive listening experience.
Podcasts have steadily risen in popularity, so now is the perfect time for LinkedIn to launch such a feature and tap into that popularity to bolster its platform and promote top creators. The 800 million-strong community of professionals using LinkedIn will certainly be a captive audience with engaging industry insider content.
It could be worth tuning in to see what the platform has to offer. The LinkedIn staff-hosted podcasts could be of particular interest to social media.
On the subject of podcasts check out the Giraffe Social Media Podcast for a deep dive into all things social media, hosted by our team of industry experts. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Well,that’s all folks, remember to keep it dialled to Giraffe for all your social media news updates. We will see you next month for more industry updates and insights.
