In social media news this week, it appears social sites have indulged in new apps and improvements to their services, with Facebook taking on video content, Google aiding hungry users, a simplified Twitter promoting system and Instagram acknowledging the hashtag as a trend to follow.
Facebook’s New Video App
An app from Facebook has been unveiled this week called Facebook creator, which utilises the camera for videos that can be shared among a fan base. It’s the same concept as a direct message, but is sent to a combination of a user’s Instagram and Facebook audiences. It’s aimed at influencers and brands, and promotes an insights feature which lets you gain access to video metrics and page analytics. A user can create a video and see how it’s been received among the community – it’s a big move for companies looking to promote their services.
However, the new app’s aim is to eliminate competitors such as Youtube as original sources for videos and content. Facebook continues to keep users confined in their walls, rather than stray to other social media sites.
No More Waiting In Line
Google have also improved their game among search engines. When searching for restaurants, users can now see the estimated waiting time for the time they wish to visit their chosen place. Information is now provided even more immediately and cuts out a potentially awkward phone call to find out a long waiting time. People will benefit from all the details provided on a place they wish to visit as it becomes a lot more convenient than ringing the venue or arriving and being denied a table. It saves users a lot of time when choosing the quickest place to get a table and continues to fuel our instant need for information…and food.
Automate Your Promo Tweets
Twitter are rolling out a self-serve advertising tool that allows users to pay a monthly subscription fee to automate their promoted tweets. The feature allows people to also choose whether they want their profile promoted and optimised too. The promote tool can be accessed via the mobile Twitter app, which simplifies and makes advertising far more consistent. However, there are certain restrictions on what can be posted, including profanity and tweets that could mislead other users.
Follow the Instagram Hashtag
Instagram are supposedly testing out their new feature this week by letting some users follow hashtags as well as people. This feature will help people connect with posts that interest them and allow a far more higher chance of engagement. Instagram users follow people, but not trends, and this feature opens a bigger community to connect with on a more regular basis. However, when searching for a hashtag, a user is bombarded with thousands of posts from people that have used it from all over the world. Therefore, Instagram have made it so only the top posts and recent stories are visible to an account. Although it is still in testing and only limited people are able to access the feature currently, it would be very beneficial to the relationship between businesses and their consumers.
