August 2019 Edition: The Social Media Updates You Need to Know
Another month, another round of updates!
This month we’re covering:
A major Twitter redesign on Desktop
Shorter preview text on Newsfeed for Facebook ads
New video tools and a Video Tab on Pinterest
Wellbeing tools rolling out Pinterest
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How to post to Instagram from desktop
This is a prettyyyy big one for social media managers! Now, by connecting your Instagram Business account to the Facebook Creator Studio tool, you can manage your most of your IG account from your desktop web browser—including publishing and scheduling(!) posts.
Note: Stories cannot be managed from Creator Studio (yet?!).
Note: If you don’t see this notification in your Creator Studio dashboard, be patient. According to FB: “This functionality is currently limited and may not yet be available to all Instagram accounts.”
Here’s a preview of the post composition window, as seen on Social Media Today:
To try it out for yourself, just go to facebook.com/creatorstudio, log in with your Facebook account, then follow the prompts to connect your Instagram account. Then, in the Instagam tab, click the "Create Post" button. You’ll be able to upload your photos/videos and edit the caption and location before publishing.
In addition to posting, you can check your insights, DMs, and explore/manage old posts, too.
Read Our Free 2019 Trends Guide »
Major Twitter.com redesign is now live
ICYMI, Twitter recently announced and rolled out a refreshed design on Desktop.
Woah, what’s this? A shiny new https://t.co/q4wnE46fGs for desktop? Yup. IT’S HERE. pic.twitter.com/8y4TMzqBGa
— Twitter (@Twitter) July 15, 2019
While the new design isn’t a total overhaul, there have definitely some noticeable and important changes:
New customization options for font size and color
2 “Dark Mode” options: Dim and Lights Out
Explore tab (previously only available in mobile apps)
Sidebar nav emphasizes/re-organizes Bookmarks, Lists, Profile, and Messages
Account switcher (this could be really helpful depending on your team’s Twitter management style)
It seems like people are generally okay with these new changes. But, if you really miss the old experience, there are already hacks available to get the old Twitter back.
Facebook ads displaying fewer lines of text in Newsfeed
Facebook recently announced two important changes coming to Facebook’s Newsfeed Ads of which marketers should take note:
Shorter text preview — ”Now only 3 lines of primary text will show on Facebook mobile News Feed, after which people will be prompted to click to view additional text.”
Reduced image height — ”The tallest supported aspect ratio for images without links and for videos is now vertical (4:5). Media taller than 4:5 will be masked on Facebook mobile News Feed.”
Facebook notes that these changes are meant to simplify formats and improve ad effectiveness.
It will be important for advertisers to adjust their content strategy to ensure that important information fits within these new text and visual constraints.
Pinterest introducing suite of video tools for businesses
It looks like Pinterest is making a stronger push in the video content game. Recent changes emphasize this strategy, including a new Videos tab on Pinterest business profiles and new tools to help businesses produce and manage video content.
New video-focused features include an improved video uploader, the video tab to highlight content, video analytics (including lifetime views), and video post scheduling via the Pin Scheduler tool.
It’s a good time to ask yourself: what types of videos might engage my Pinterest audience?
Emotional wellbeing activities now available in the Pinterest app
Here’s one more update worth noting from Pinterest: the network recently introduced tools focused on improving the “compassion” in Pinterest search experience. The new suite of Wellness-focused features and tools was created in partnership with emotional health experts and focuses on relaxation, self-compassion, and more.
Why is Pinterest doing this?
People will see a prompt to explore these resources when they search for things like “stress quotes,” “work anxiety” or other terms that indicate they might be feeling down. The experience is not meant to replace professional care, but it may help someone if they need support.
This experience is one of the new things we’re trying in our ongoing efforts to make Pinterest an inspiring and welcoming place for everyone.
More Links to Check Out
Twitter Is Testing a Snooze Feature for Push Notifications (AdWeek)
Snapchat’s Holiday Gift Guide (PDF) for marketing to the “active holiday shoppers” on the platform
9 stats social media marketers need to show their bosses ASAP (Sprout Social blog)
Combating Tweeter’s block: How to break out of a creative rut (Twitter business blog)
10 Tips for Picking the Right LinkedIn Profile Picture (LinkedIn business blog)
A guide to Venmo etiquette (Venmo blog)
Facebook plans to add ‘news’ tab in upcoming months (Mashable)
Looking for More Social Media Help?
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