Keeping up with the algorithm: social media updates to have on your radar

20/12/2022

Social media is ever-changing. And whether you have a business with an online presence or work in social media, falling behind on trends will cost you.

You need to stay at the forefront, be ahead of the game.

But to do this you need to keep on top of new features, updates, and trends, which isn’t the easiest thing to balance with a full-time job.

Let’s save you some of that time. With thanks to HubSpot, we’ve collated some of the most noteworthy features creeping up on socials to keep you up to speed in just 9 minutes.

On top of that, we’ve done a summary of the top social media trends of the year and what we predict for the new year. You’re welcome!

Your social strategy with fancier features

Let’s start with the new features, shall we? There are lots of exciting additions making their way to pretty much every platform. From helpful features like scheduling in the Instagram app itself to more editing features on Facebook Reels, socials just got a whole lot easier.

Instagram

Instagram has been busy testing a variety of brand-new features. Although none of them are available to us yet, they’re something to keep in mind for the future. Here are some of our favourites…

  • The ability to add multiple links to a bio has been in the testing process for some time, but more users are being given the option (go check, you could be one of them). However, there’s no official release date for when this will become available to all users.
  • This one’s for the social media managers… scheduling within the app is coming! It’s something we’ve all been wanting for a WHILE. And although there’s no release date yet, it’s an update that will make planning content much easier.
  • It’s been revealed recently that Instagram is working on adding songs to your profile. The spokesperson for Instagram said that it’s only a prototype at the moment, but it’s coming. Myspace called; they want their idea back.
  • Another feature in the pipeline is the ability to repost on to your profile, sort of like retweeting on Twitter. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri recently did a livestream and spoke to viewers about the possibility of reposting and asked for opinions. So it’s just an idea at the moment, but something to keep in mind for the future.
  • A new feature named ‘Notes’ will be coming to Instagram soon. This allows you to add a short message, no longer than 60 characters, that will last for 24 hours. You’ll find this in the ‘DM’ section, where you’ll be able to share ‘what’s on your mind?’ This could be a great way for businesses to make announcements in a quick, easy way.

TikTok

So, what’s new in the world of TikTok?

  • Photo mode is coming. This allows users to add carousel-style images with an optional soundtrack can also be added to the images. You can either swipe through the photos or it will scroll automatically like a slideshow.
  • TikTok Now – the new BeReal? There’s a new dual camera feature that many have said is a clone of the app BeReal, but you can either post a 10-second video or an image with 3 minutes to share the post.
  • You can now downvote comments on TikTok pages.

Twitter

Twitter is going through some big changes right now, with Elon Musk buying the platform. With that said, there are some other new features to be aware of.

  • Elon Musk buys Twitter. But what does this mean for the app? So far, Musk has said he plans to unban users, remove lifetime bans, adapt the algorithm to improve freedom of speech, remove fake accounts and make staff changes. He also said that he aims to make Twitter “the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise.” So if you’re a business owner without a Twitter account, might it be time to get one?
  • Multimedia tweets have arrived to Twitter. This means that you can now share videos, images and gifs in the same tweet, with a great deal of memes already being shared in this new style.
  • Do you have a Shopify account? Well, you can now connect your Twitter account to your Shopify store where around 50 of your products will show as a carousel on your profile.

Facebook reels

Facebook reels first launched in 2021 shortly after Instagram in 2020, and they’re still playing catch-up. But these new features may improve the popularity of video on the platform.

  • More editing options are coming – you can remix your reel with other public reels, make a reel 60 seconds long, save reels in drafts and video clipping tools.
  • Reels will now be shown in multiple places, including stories, watch, feed, and suggested reels in the feed.

2022 trends and what’s to come

Short-form videos continue to thrive

Instagram and YouTube have continued to follow the path of TikTok with short, easy-to-digest video content. The global launch of YouTube Shorts and the push of Reels on Instagram and Facebook make it clear that snappy video content will continue to be a focus in the new year.

Shopping through socials

TikTok Shop is following Meta’s digital footprints. This feature means brands and creators can feature and sell products through their videos, live broadcasts, and the showcase tab. Additional paid social campaigns will be available through this new feature, and we predict more to come in the next year.

Micro-influencers bringing in macro-profits

Celebrities and high-profile influencers have been using their personal brand and status to sell products for decades now. Think Molly-Mae Hague, Mrs Hinch, Joe Wicks, the Kardashians.

But the public has become conscious of it, they know they’re being sold to. It’s less effective than it used to be.

In comes micro-influencers with loyal followers who trust their opinion… they can offer smaller brands with smaller budgets cost-effective content which drives genuine interest from their audiences. And that’s exactly what they’ve been doing.

It gives smaller brands the chance to collaborate with micro-influencers who have an engaged following, creating high-quality, usable content on top of sharing your brand with their audience. We don’t see this popular advertising technique going anywhere, anytime soon.

Brand building through community engagement

With the rise of subscription content in recent years, we’ve seen influencers capitalise on their personal brand by creating a community paywall behind platforms such as Patreon, Fanvue, Tribe and Kickstarter.

On top of this, we’ve seen the gaming-centric platform Discord become an avenue for community engagement for content creators. It gives their audience a space for a one-to-one engagement and allows followers to engage with other fans. Discord has also started to work with musicians by giving them a platform to share new releases, unreleased tracks, and content updates with their fans.

Do your socials need saving? We can help.