February Social Media App Updates 2023

Twitter – Timeline Settings, Filter Replies, & Likes Searching

We’re kicking off our social media app updates this month with a slew of Twitter updates. Since Elon Musk took over Twitter in October 2022, the social media app has undergone several changes aimed at enhancing the user experience. One of the most notable modifications is the updated verification procedure and a renewed focus on promoting freedom of expression. Andrea Conway, a designer at Twitter, recently unveiled a series of upcoming changes that are expected to greatly benefit the platform’s users.

The first update gives users the ability to filter replies to their Tweets. The option would allow users to filter replies by “Recommended”, most “Likes”, and “Latest”, which is beneficial for accounts with large followings or one-off viral Tweets.

As many social media apps do, Twitter is also experimenting with timeline settings, which give users more control over their pinned lists, timelines, and even view count.

Finally, Twitter is conducting trials to enable users to search through their Likes, providing a convenient way to see who has favored their Tweets. This feature can prove useful in determining what audience your Tweets resonate with or simply satisfying your curiosity. Is it “cool or creepy?” We believe it’s cool, but we’re also suckers for data.

TikTok – Strike-Based System & Music Restrictions

TikTok is rolling out a new strike-based system for repeat violators of their community guidelines. If a user posts a video that violates TikTok’s guidelines, not only will the video be removed, but the account will also earn a strike. The company reported that repeat offenders use the same feature 90% of the time and violate the same policy category over 75% of the time, meaning problematic users aren’t understanding their violations or refuse to adhere to the app’s rules.

In addition to adding a strike on a user’s accounts, they are testing the ability to allow users to see the standing of their accounts in the name of transparency. Accounts can become “ineligible” for the For You Feed, which can greatly hinder a creator’s ability to grow and be seen.

TikTok is also testing reducing music options for creators as the company continues negotiations over music usage rights. Bloomberg suggests that parent company ByteDance is doing this to prove that music is not an important feature of the app, thus giving them the power to pay record companies less for usage fees. Record companies have been wanting more money from TikTok’s massive profits and are hoping the app will link the company to Resso, a paid-for music streaming platform, in hopes that TikTok could funnel potential customers to the platform.

Currently, the music restriction test is limited to Australia, but what effect will this have on the music industry? Only time will tell.

Meta – Paid Blue Check Mark Verifications for Instagram & Facebook

While this has not been confirmed nor denied by Meta, Mobile Developer and Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi saw in Instagram’s code that the company may be working on a subscription plan which includes blue verification badges. Paluzzi himself has said to consider this a “rumor”, given the lack of visual proof. However, Elon Musk’s Twitter verification plan may be the inspiration Meta needed. After all, social media apps are constantly trying to one-up each other.

LinkedIn – Newsletter Showcase Tools & Updated Analytics

Newsletters on LinkedIn have continued to gain popularity on the app, so it’s exciting to see the different tools they’re now offering to help creators grow their newsletters. Current features include:

Search Displays
One-Click Subscribe URL & Embedded Buttons
Custom SEO options
Scheduling

When searching for a creator’s profile on LinkedIn, LinkedIn will also display their newsletter and a quick subscribe button. Other new tools that will help get more subscribers to your newsletter are the one-click subscribe URLs and embedded buttons.

To help get even more eyes on your newsletter and improve users’ Google Search performance, LinkedIn is now offering options to have customized titles and descriptions to help optimize SEO. To help keep newsletters constituent for subscribers, there will now also be an option for scheduling.

Along with all the great newsletter features, LinkedIn is also updating its analytics display. Data is incredibly important when curating your content strategy, and LinkedIn is no exception. Accessible through a user’s profile page, users will have access to creator tools, audience insights, profile views, and post-performance.

LinkedIn is giving creators and businesses amazing new updates, when used in tandem, can give birth to a data-driven strategy that can drive growth, connection, and sales.

At B3 Media Solutions, we love digging into data to help enterprise-level businesses create content strategies with data-driven actionable insights. For your free assessment, schedule a meeting here.

What we’re reading: