Welcome to another edition of The Matter Social Second – a monthly series keeping you informed on what’s trending in social media. Check out the latest news and insights from our social media pros.
Instagram Expands Shopping Features to IGTV
Instagram announced the global expansion of its Instagram Shopping service across IGTV. The platform is said to begin testing shopping in its newer feature (and TikTok rival): Reels.
“For consumers, Instagram has provided a unique digital shopping experience – using the platform’s shopping services in posts. With the ability to now leverage this feature using longer format videos on IGTV, it presents brands a variety of options for how they present and sell their products on Instagram. Will Instagram become the social media QVC? We’ll see!” – Ashley MacLaughlin, Social Media Specialist
TikTok Announces Partnership with Shopify
The new partnership will allow over one million merchants to create and run campaigns directly catered toward TikTok’s highly engaged community.
“The rapid evolution of TikTok has driven the platform to perform the daunting task of keeping up with Facebook and Instagram – no easy feat, especially when it comes to ad revenue. This partnership with Shopify is a positive step towards in-stream commerce on TikTok, opening a very exciting door for e-commerce marketers.” – Kacie McFadden, Social Media Specialist
Instagram Tests New IG Story Reaction
Instagram has begun testing a new communication option for its users – allowing them to react to an Instagram Story directly in the display, as opposed to sending the creator a Direct Message.
“Instagram is testing out a new way to react to Instagram stories – directly in the frame. As it stands now, when a follower reacts to a story, it presents as a DM. Similar to a Facebook post/status update reaction, the process will be swift and directly in the IG story frame, This will make life easier for people wanting to share some love without sliding into the DMs!” – Alyssa Kenney, Social Media Customer Service Specialist
As Election Anxiety Floods Social Media, so do the Memes
As the United States voting pool continues to skew younger, 2020’s Presidential election showcased an increased amount of memes, with young voters looking for a way to cope with the potential outcomes.
“The 2020 election had many young voters at the edge of their seats nervously awaiting results and anxiously refreshing their social media pages. While many turned to Twitter, Instagram and TikTok for real-time poll updates, many also relied on memes shared across the platforms to make them laugh in a time of uncertainty.” – Emily Barkan, Senior Community Manager/Social Media Specialist
YouTube Tests Product Tags
YouTube is working on a new process that will enable creators to tag products displayed in their video clips, eventually leading to more direct shopping options on the platform.
“Adding this feature would be a game changer for businesses and influencers, with so many turning to YouTube to find the latest products and trends. Convenience is a top consumer expectation, and being able to shop directly from YouTube would solve that for many companies.” – Erin Massey, Social Media Customer Service Specialist
Parler: The “Free Speech” Social Media Platform
Parler, a U.S.-based micro-blogging platform, has recently picked up steam amongst social media users. Parler does not moderate content like Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms do.
“Many individuals feel their voices are being stifled and are seeking a way to express their opinions openly. This prompts a larger question – should social media be responsible for verifying and fact checking shared information or do people have the right to unmonitored free speech?” – Nicole McNeill, Social Media Specialist
The Dark Side of Social Media Influencers
As brands’ social media presences have grown, so have influencers’, effectively using their personal pages to promote products and locations. But at what point do these staged-for-likes photos go too far and cause more harm than good?
“In October 2020, adventure influencer David Lesh drew attention from the U.S. Forest Service and federal magistrate, David Gallagher, with his less-than-sanitary stunts in Colorado’s Maroon Lake, resulting in a fine and ban from all federal lands for the foreseeable future. As we continue to see influencers use questionable stunts for notoriety, it’s safe to bet that there will be more regulation and governance around this brand of advertisement.” – Sara Miller, Social Media Customer Service Specialist
LinkedIn Makes Virtual Events Easier to Find
LinkedIn is rolling out new discovery features for virtual events designed to boost attendance by making them easier to find – and allow organizers to more easily capture leads.
“Event organizers will finally be able to capture leads from event sign-ups, making it easier to download the data and drive attendees further down the funnel with LinkedIn Advertising or other forms of marketing.” – Kalina Neskoska, Social Media Strategist