In social media news this week, more details about Vine’s replacement emerge, Twitter begins working on video content and Messenger makes improvements for its users.
The Return of Vine
Vine is making a comeback in the form of an app called v2. Vine was a huge success, but it encountered many problems such as lack of funding from Twitter and advertising and had strong competition from social sites such as Instagram. This caused the app to finally shut down in January 2017. Vine’s co-founder Dom Hofmann is determined to make the return happen and is centre stage in the development of the new video app. Vine’s protégé v2 is still in a very limited testing stage but is likely to be rolled out to users early this year. The app cannot officially be called Vine 2 as the original app is still owned by Twitter, therefore the design and colour of the logo are similar, but not the same.
Hofmann has issued a statement that highlights v2’s strict rules on copyright and maintaining a positive environment; bullying, harassment or harsh attitudes will not be tolerated. The timeline will work in a chronological order, but Hofmann has said he has looked into algorithms which will mean users can ‘Explore’, alike to Instagram’s new update, and hide posts from their timeline that they do not want to see. The videos will still be short and on loop, with recording times limited between 2 and 6.5 seconds. Hofmann also plans for the revival to last and is looking at ways users can earn money from the app. Monetising the app may help to secure it outlives its predecessor as money was the biggest issue Vine had before.
Twitter’s Attempt at Video
With so much social competition, Twitter is currently working on a video capture tool that will iron out all the kinks when videos and multimedia content are shared on its platform. Twitter is working on a Snapchat-esque feature that lets users share video clips to their followers. With all the work on getting people to share what’s happening around them, this update would work as another aid in transparency and enticing users onto the social site.
Messenger’s Overhaul
Mark Zuckerberg’s aim for Facebook in 2018 was that its users enjoyed their time spent on the social media site. He vowed that people’s news feeds would include more of their friends’ posts, than content by publishers. The head of Messenger has been working on ways to declutter the app to make the overall experience better. Messenger will emphasise features such as real-time communications that help people to connect quickly and broadcast their location in times of trouble.
For 2018, Facebook is focusing on enhancing relationships with friends and one way they are doing this is through group chats. More features will be added to group chats in an attempt to get people to reach out and communicate more. It’s a step away from the idea that Facebook was causing isolation to individuals, as it entices and pushes users to talk to their friends more.
Messenger is also working on improving customer care between businesses and customers. More people would rather enquire about a company through social media than through the phone. Therefore, Facebook are identifying ways they can use Messenger to build better relationships between brands and users.
