Welcome to another edition of The Matter Social Second — keeping you current about what’s trending in social media. This month, our social team shares the most important and impactful social media stories from February.
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Instagram Adds Story Likes
In an effort to increase engagement, Instagram has added the ability to like a story. Previously, story reactions would land in DMs, thus crowding inboxes. The new, streamlined feature will allow users to quickly double-tap the story to give it that thumbs up. Likes will be private and will show next to the user’s name within the story insights.
Facebook Adds Reels Globally
While Reels have been available on Facebook in the U.S. since last year, they’re now available across the globe. Creators everywhere will be able to take advantage of the short-form video feature and increase their potential reach to a global audience.
LinkedIn Tests an Off-Switch for Political Posts
LinkedIn is testing the option to either enable or turn off all political content. LinkedIn will utilize keywords and user signals to identify and hide all political content. The feature will give users more control over the content they’re consuming, which could help boost engagement. Could this be a feature that Facebook will adopt in the future?
Facebook Renames ‘News Feed’
Speaking of Facebook, they’re renaming their newsfeed to just “feed.” The word “news’’ has been misleading, especially as Facebook’s feed tends to be heavy on the (fake and legit) news content. It’s believed that this change is a result of Facebook’s recent decline in daily activity.
Twitter Tests Articles
Twitter, the platform known for short-form copy, is testing a new way to include long-form options. Articles, the feature in testing, will allow users to create shareable blogs. This comes after many attempts of promoting longer copy such as the character increase and threads, which are both very well received by users.
Pinterest Adds AR Furniture Tools
Pinterest’s latest virtual advancement will allow users to virtually place furniture into their own homes, giving shoppers the ability to “try before you buy.” The home decor industry has previously seen success in using augmented reality, and with Pinterest being a major space for home design inspo, this feature will likely be a major hit.
Facebook Removed Profile Videos
Profile videos, which were created in hopes of bringing life and personality to the app, have been removed. The feature wasn’t widely used, so Facebook has made the decision to switch all profile videos back to profile pictures and ax the feature entirely.
Instagram Updates Poll Features
Story poll features have been updated! A popular way to increase engagement and interactions, the poll sticker now allows for up to 4 response options – an addition Insta hopes will help enhance the feature. In addition, users can now choose the color of text on the question to more easily maintain brand consistency.
Need help ironing out more social-media best practices for your brand? Reach out below and our team will be in touch.