4 new social media features you need to know about this week
Updates from LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
Social media never stands still. Every week there are new features — and it’s hard for the busy comms pro to stay up-to-date on it all.
We’ve got you covered.
Here’s what you need to know about this week.
Social media sleuth Matt Navarra reported on Twitter that LinkedIn will soon make the newsletters you subscribe to through the site visible to other users.
LinkedIn will make your newsletter subscriptions visible to others from February 11, 2023. pic.twitter.com/iMK2C3TLPE
— Matt Navarra (I quit X. Follow me on Threads) (@MattNavarra) January 23, 2023
This should aid newsletter discovery by adding in an element of social proof: if it’s good enough for this person I like and respect, it’s good enough for me. It also might be anopportunity to get your toe in the water with LinkedIn’s newsletter features.
After admitting they went a little crazy on Reels and ignored their bread and butter of photographs, Instagram continues to refine its platform and algorithm. Although there were big changes over the last few weeks, these newer changes are subtler but still significant.
First, the animated avatars will be more prominent on profiles. Users can now choose to flip between the cartoony, waving avatar and their more traditional profile picture, rather than picking one or the other, TechCrunch reported, seemingly part of a push to incorporate metaverse-esque elements into the app.
Instagram also appears to have added an option to include a lead form on business profiles. We say “appears” because, as Social Media Today reports, the feature is not yet listed as an official feature, though it has rolled out broadly.
The feature will allow businesses to use standard forms or customize their own, including multiple choice questions or short answer.
In the chaotic world of Twitter updates, this week is fairly staid — with a useful feature for advertisers.
Millions of people on Twitter search for what's happening every day.
Now advertisers can bid to insert Promoted Tweets solely among specific search results, reaching people with high real-time intent & improving ad relevance.
— Business (@XBusiness) January 25, 2023
The platform will roll out the ability to promote tweets among search results. As Twitter’s announcement points out, someone actively searching for a term could signal stronger intent than someone merely passively scrolling a feed.
Which of these new features are you most interested in? That LinkedIn newsletter tool could be great for spreading the word — and for discovering new reads.
Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.
