As 2023 moves toward its conclusion and the world prepares to welcome 2024, the festive holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa loom, along with the official beginning of winter.
Social media platforms are looking to ring in the new year with a flurry of features and updates, several of which are aimed at fueling the creator economy.
Social Media Holidays to Mark on Your Calendar
- Dec. 7: Hanukkah begins
- Dec. 21: first day of winter
- Dec. 24: Christmas Eve
- Dec. 25: Christmas
- Dec. 26: Kwanzaa begins
- Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve
Social Media Platform Updates
Helping Creators Earn
Instagram introduced several updates aimed at helping creators on its platform earn more for their efforts.
An invite-only holiday bonus is being tested among creators in Japan, South Korea, and the U.S., rewarding them based on photo views and Reels plays during the bonus period, if their content conforms with the platform’s content monetization policies.
Noting that there are now more than 1 million active subscriptions to creators, Instagram rolled out new tools including surfacing the subscribe button when followers see creators’ content in feed, as well as making it easier for creators to welcome new subscribers via direct messages and Stories.
The gifts option was extended to creators in 33 countries. Requirements for eligibility are a professional account, age 18 and up, a minimum of 5,000 followers, and compliance with Instagram’s partner monetization policies.
Finally, Instagram is making it easier for creators to participate in ads by displaying additional information when they create Stories, if “allow brand partner to boost” is selected.
Helping Creators Create
Several updates were rolled out in November to help creators get the most out of their carousels, photos, Reels, and Stories.
They include:
- A new Undo/Redo tool for videos that lets creators edit individual clips.
- A Media Clip hub so that clips with audio can be added to Reels.
- Improvements to text, such as 10 new text-to-speech voices and six updated fonts and styles.
- The ability to turn any part of a photo or video in Reels and Stories into a custom sticker.
- A streamlined view of saved Reels drafts.
- New photo filters.
- More detailed insights, including replays—plays now include initial plays and replays—and a new retention chart.
Other Instagram News
Instagram users worldwide can now download public Reels, instead of solely being able to save them to the app for viewing later. Downloaded Reels with licensed audio clips will be audio-free.
Testing of tagging posts in standalone application Threads is underway. While the hashtag symbol will activate the tagging feature, it will not be displayed. Each post can only have one tag at launch.
Instagram users can now share feed posts and Reels exclusively with their Close Friends list, joining Stories, which could already be shared in that fashion.
Threads users can now opt out of having their posts suggested on Facebook and/or Instagram.
TikTok
Goodbye Creator Fund, Hello Creativity Program
TikTok’s $1 billion Creator Fund, which debuted in 2020, will be shut down Dec. 16 in France, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S., and participants have the option of shifting to the Creativity Program, which was introduced in February with the focus of higher payouts for videos longer than one minute.
Creators must be at least 18 to be eligible for the Creativity Program, and they must have minimums of 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the past 30 days, with TikTok saying those creators have the potential to earn up to 20 times more than via the Creator Fund.
Can You Hear the Music?
The platform’s new Add to Music App feature will enable users in the U.K. and U.S. to save songs that they discover on TikTok to major music streaming services including Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify.
Users will see an “Add Song” button next to the track name at the bottom of videos in feed.
TikTok also teamed up with Luminate on the Music Impact Report, which examines the impact the platform and its users have on the music industry when it comes to consumption, contribution to industry revenues, and discovery.
Other TikTok News
The platform’s new mobile effect editor lets creators make effects for TikTok directly within the app, without being required to download another app or tool.
TikTok shared details on upcoming global event Live Fest, which will celebrate and recognize top creators from more than 50 countries and regions. Eligible creators can go live during the campaign period and participate in challenges and community rankings, collecting points for their efforts during the event for the chance at rewards and, potentially, invites to a VIP global creator award event in early 2024.
Finally, TikTok will bring six creators from across the globe to the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai Nov. 30 through Dec. 12, where they will share important conversations from the event and join TikTok’s nonprofit partners to discuss and explore best practices of using authentic sustainability content to drive positive impact.
YouTube
AI Policies
YouTube shared some of its plans for dealing with generative artificial intelligence content on its platform.
The Google-owned video site plans to require creators to disclose altered or synthetic content, including content created using AI tools, by adding a label to alert users. The company warned in a blog post, “Creators who consistently choose not to disclose this information may be subject to content removal, suspension from the YouTube Partner Program, or other penalties.”
YouTube also intends to give people the option of requesting removal of AI-generated, altered, or synthetic content that simulates them, their face, or their voice.
And the platform’s music partners will be able to request the removal of AI-generated music content that mimics the rapping or singing voice of an artist.
Blocking the Blockers
YouTube “launched a global effort” to encourage its users to avoid ad blockers and either allow ads or subscribe to YouTube Premium.
The platform expanded an experiment it kicked off this past summer to disable videos for users with ad blockers, saying that ad blockers violate its terms of service.
Other YouTube News
Creators can now monetize more adult content on YouTube, including videos that display nudity while breastfeeding and non-sexually graphic dancing. The company said breastfeeding content where a child is not present will continue to be restricted, as will dance videos with deliberate and recurring shots on breasts, butt or genitalia, extreme minimal clothing, or sensual moves that mimic sexual acts.
YouTube took steps to protect teen users, including limiting repeated recommendations of videos that compare physical features and idealize some types over others, idealize specific fitness levels or body weights, or display social aggression in the form of non-contact fights and intimidation. The app’s Take a Break and Bedtime reminders were updated and will appear as a full-screen takeover across long-form videos and YouTube Shorts, with a default setting of 60 minutes for Take a Break reminders. And users who search for queries related to topics such as eating disorders, self-harm, or suicide will be taken to a full-page experience with resources including suggested prompts for making their searches more positive and information on third-party crisis hotlines.
YouTube Premium members will get early access to experimental features, including:
- A new conversational AI tool.
- Comment topics summarized via AI.
- Promotional deals and offers from partners including Calm, Discord, Genshin Impact, PC Game Pass, and Walmart+.
- 1080p HD video quality for Android, smart TVs, and the web (it had been iOS-only).
- Resuming content consumption on different devices.
Holiday Gifts for Creators
Facebook users now have more ways to subscribe to creators, such as via Reels and Stories, and those creators can offer their fans 30-day trial subscriptions. Creators also gained more control over subscription pricing.
Creators on Facebook can access limited-time fall- and holiday-themed virtual gifts through year-end, and fans can purchase those gifts to show their appreciation for the content.
A new Reels A/B testing tool lets creators test different captions and thumbnails on their mobile devices to see which perform better. Up to four different captions or thumbnails can be tested.
Reels can now be created from existing livestreams and video posts.
A content management tool was added to Facebook’s professional dashboard, and creators can see all posts, Reels, and videos in one place and take actions on that content.
Insights now include account highlights for the week, giving creators information on their audience, content performance, and posting habits. Data for the past 90 days is accessible, up from 28 days.
New available metrics include Reels-specific reach broken down by followers and non-followers, a distribution score telling creators how a Reel did compared with their other Reels, an audience retention graph showing how long a creator’s audience watched a Reel and when they stopped, and the inclusion of replays.
Finally, new shortcuts in the Creator Support Hub will let creators check monetization eligibility, see payout information, and learn more about products from parent company Meta.
Facebook Stories API
The Facebook Stories API (application-programming interface) was released so that brands, creators, and developers can use desktop or web-based apps to create and publish Stories for pages.
One-button sharing will be enabled directly from those third-party platforms.
Meta
Checking Those Amazon Boxes
Meta teamed up with Amazon to let Amazon customers link their Facebook and Instagram accounts to their Amazon account, after which they can shop through the Meta apps and check out using their saved Amazon payment information, without leaving Facebook or Instagram.
Other Meta News
The company introduced several tools for businesses, including:
- Adding the lead objective to Facebook and Instagram ads that click to start a chat on WhatsApp.
- Advertisers engaging users via Instagram DMs can offer them discount coupons for completing the question-and-answer flow.
- An instant form ad format is being tested, and it would let people consider, discover, and select multiple businesses to submit information to simultaneously.
- The ability for businesses to call users via Facebook and showcase information such as logo and name is being tested.
- Automated lead-generation campaigns powered by Meta Advantage are also being tested.
- Meta is testing a way to generate instant forms on Facebook using existing content on a company’s website.
- Hubspot is Meta’s newest customer-relationship-management integration partner, and its CRM integration with Zapier has been simplified.
Finally, Meta is requiring advertisers to disclose when an election, political, or social issue ad has been digitally altered or created, including via AI.
Premium AI
LinkedIn Premium subscribers gained access to a new AI-powered experience that brings personalization to their travels through the professional network.
The experience will analyze the posts on a subscriber’s feed—including articles, commentary, and conversation—and unearth opportunities and ideas on how the content can be helpful.
Bing, the search engine owned by parent company Microsoft, was also tapped to provide members with comprehensive and timely information about current events.
Finally, AI will help job-seeking LinkedIn Premium subscribers focus their efforts by analyzing the fit of particular positions, steering them toward their dream jobs by researching companies, industries, and roles.
The new experience is being tested with a select group of LinkedIn Premium subscribers.
Advertiser Audience Capabilities
LinkedIn’s new Conversions API lets business-to-business marketers choose between direct API integration and partner integration, connecting online and offline data to the professional network to learn how campaigns influenced actions taken on their website, sales completed via the phone, or leads collected in-person at events.
The platform’s Website Actions tool enables B2B marketers to measure and retarget button clicks on their websites.
Finally, three updates were revealed for Document Ads:
- Retargeting allows engagement with potential customers who previously interacted with Document Ads.
- New objectives include website conversions and website visits.
- Local area network distribution lets B2B marketers boost cost-efficiency and delivery.
X
Say Hi to Grok
X Premium subscribers are the first to gain access to AI assistant Grok.
The company formerly known as Twitter described the “very early beta” Grok as humorous and rebellious, modeled after The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, saying that it answers questions with “a bit of wit,” including “spicy” questions that most other AI assistants would avoid.
Other X News
After being removed from the platform in October, headlines will return to preview cards with URLs.
The platform’s recommendation algorithm was overhauled with the aim of surfacing smaller accounts and posts outside of users’ friend-follows network.
Automatically clickable (on iOS) timestamps can be added to videos.
Twitter Circles, which enabled users to share their tweets with a small audience rather than publicly, are no more.
Users can now bookmark tweets via a single click.
Finally, users can link a list to a community, and all posts from that list will show up in the community’s top tab.
Snapchat
Another Amazon Deal
Snapchatters can buy Amazon products directly through ads on Snapchat under an agreement between the ecommerce giant and Snap Inc.
Users will see information including estimated delivery time, Prime eligibility, and real-time pricing.
Lens Fest
Snap held its sixth annual Lens Fest event for augmented reality developers in November, announcing that some 330,000 developers have created almost 3.5 million lenses on its platform, viewed by users over 3 trillion times.
News from Lens Fest included:
- Lens Studio 5.0 Beta, a new version of Lens Studio built from the ground up, supports more advanced AR development by collaborative teams. Projects load 18 times faster, and Snap teamed up with OpenAI on a new ChatGPT Remote API, enabling developers to leverage ChatGPT in their lenses. A new 3D face mask generator lets viral self-expression lenses be built in seconds. Version control tools such as Git are also supported.
- Digital Goods are now available to all developers, allowing them to offer exclusive AR features within lenses, which can be unlocked by Snapchatters for a fee.
Other Snapchat News
Snap teamed up with NYX Professional Makeup on NYX Beauty Bestie, an experience powered by Snap AR and AI and designed by Snap’s in-house creative studio, Arcadia. NYX Beauty Bestie places makeup artist skills at Snapchatters’ fingertips, letting them create, save, and share looks with friends.
The Rolling Stones are coming to Snapchatters’ living rooms via an AR experience created to celebrate the release of the band’s new album, Hackey Diamonds. Unlocking the Rolling Stones Bitmoji Show Lens brings up an AR concert stage, where 3D avatars of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood perform the band’s “Angry” track.
The platform’s direct links option for advertisers was expanded to more formats and objectives in the run-up to the holiday shopping season.
Direct links shorten the journey for consumers who are interested in brands or products they discover on Pinterest from two clicks to just one, and they can now be used on consideration and conversion campaigns, across image and video formats.
Pinterest also teamed up with PA Consulting on a multimarket survey, which found that the consumers luxury brands care about the most use the platform. The companies said 70% of the Pinterest luxury audience—users worldwide who have searched or saved at least one of 60 luxury brands—is under 35.
Twitch
The videostreaming platform launched a new Privacy Center to educate users about what their personal data is and how it might be collected and used.
Tumblr
Post+, the subscription service for creators that Tumblr unveiled in July 2021, will shut down in January. Twitch said creators on its platform can still earn money through its tipping feature.
The Meta-owned messaging app rolled out voice chat for groups, a Discord-like, less intrusive alternative to group calls.
Moderators can now pin messages to the top of a chat channel, while users can have threads or side conversations within chat channels.
Typing indicators were added to the chat channel experience so that Redditors can see when other Redditors are typing.
Finally, Comment Spotlights debuted on Android and iOS, providing additional context via the overflow menu on a comment, as well as a preview of the comment’s direct parent if it is a reply.
Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity poked fun at social apps like TikTok and X with its launch of Yowza, a social network that only allows its users to post the word “yowza.”
Brands That Stay on Trend
Christmas trees are sprouting up on social feeds everywhere, and here are three brands that featured them prominently.
Samsung
The electronics giant backed its Galaxy Buds with this video of Lana Ato listening to music on them while enjoying a cup of coffee by the tree.
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Town House Crackers
A beautiful spread featuring the snack food appears adjacent to an even lovelier tree in this TikTok video from Laryssa Meira.
@meiralaryssa #ad Kickstarting the holiday celebrations with the help of Town House Crackers! 🥰 We love some festive decor combined with some yummy snacks! 🤤 #holidaydecor #holidayreveal #christmasdecor ♬ Town House Holiday – Town House Crackers
Metro by T-Mobile
The Catalano triplets and their puppy trim their tree with several ribbons in the telecommunications carrier’s trademark pink.
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