August is heavy on high temperatures but light on major holidays, with last-minute back-to-school shopping and anticipation of Labor Day weekend sales top of mind.
The family pets get some love, with World Cat Day Aug. 8 and National Dog Day Aug. 26, and the human members of the family get their due, as well, with National Sons and Daughters Day Aug. 11 and National Women’s Equality Day Aug. 26.
Social Media Holidays to Mark on Your Calendar
- Aug. 2: International Beer Day
- Aug. 8: World Cat Day
- Aug. 9: National Book Lovers Day
- Aug. 11: National Sons and Daughters Day
- Aug. 13: International Left-Handers Day
- Aug. 14: National Financial Awareness Day
- Aug. 19: World Humanitarian Day
- Aug. 19: World Photo Day
- Aug. 23: Hashtag Day
- Aug. 26: National Women’s Equality Day
- Aug. 26: National Dog Day
Social Media Platform Updates
Stay up-to-date with the latest social media updates and platform changes in the digital landscape. Explore new features and tools that will keep you informed on how to optimize your social media strategies. Whether you’re a marketer, influencer, or social media enthusiast, these insights will help you stay ahead of the curve and make the most of the evolving social media ecosystem.
TikTok
Shades of Shazam
Some TikTok users in select regions gained access to Sound Search, a Shazam-like tool that helps identify a song when the user hums, plays or sings it.
Despite the obvious comparison to Shazam, Sound Search is more like a similar tool offered by YouTube Music, as Shazam only identifies tracks when the actual song is played.
TikTok’s tool takes things one step further, not only identifying the song, but surfacing videos that it is used in.
Users with access can go to the application’s search bar, click the microphone icon and choose “Sound Search.”
An Eventful Partnership
TikTok teamed up with global events marketplace Eventbrite on a new way for event creators on the platform to promote their events and sell tickets across several categories, as well as enabling the global TikTok community to sell tickets to their own events.
Users can see event details and purchase tickets without leaving the TikTok app.
TikTok said benefits of the Eventbrite partnership include:
- Seamless event promotion: Any TikTok user or event creator can add event links to TikTok videos, allowing users to easily explore event details and purchase tickets directly from their For You page.
- Faster ticket sales: Ticket purchases from Eventbrite occur through an in-app browser on TikTok with just a few clicks.
- Promote multiple events simultaneously: People can add multiple event links to videos, and TikTok users will be shown the most relevant event based on their location.
- Reach more attendees: Any TikTok user, whether an event creator or not, can add links to their videos, amplifying event promotion and reach across diverse audiences.
The new feature is available in all countries where Eventbrite and TikTok services are available, and events must be in-person, publicly listed on Eventbrite, have paid tickets and take place within 90 days (180 for music events).
Other TikTok News
- Members of music distribution platform DistroKid can now easily create TikTok Artist Accounts directly via the DistroKid dashboard.
- TikTok marked Muse, the second album from BTS’ Jimin, with in-app experience #Jimin_Who, a hub for users to access exclusive content, interactive experiences and rewards.
A Reel Good Listen
Up to 20 audio tracks can now be added to a single Reel.
Those tracks can be aligned with clips, stickers and text during the editing process, and a unique audio mix is created for followers to reuse and save.
Other Instagram News
- Notes can now be added to feed posts or Reels, and they can only be seen by a user’s friends.
- The platform released a comprehensive guide to Instagram Live.
- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that stand-alone app Threads topped 175 million monthly active users, and more than 50 million topic tags have been created on the app.
- Instagram teamed up with Wakefield Research on a survey to learn how people are using Threads.
YouTube
New YouTube Shorts Tools
YouTube detailed six new tools that will be released soon for short-form video option YouTube Shorts:
- Android users will gain access to auto layout, which automatically tracks the main subject in a video being converted to a Short, automatically and dynamically cropping, panning and zooming.
- Text to Speech will let creators have text on their Shorts narrated or spoken out loud.
- Creators will be able to include an Add Yours sticker on their Shorts, encouraging their followers to respond with their own related content.
- YouTube is marking the 15th anniversary of iconic gaming title Minecraft with two new Shorts effects. Minecraft Spring brings users right into the world of Minecraft, and Minecraft Rush is a new mini game that can be played right in the Shorts player.
- Creators will be able to add auto-generated captions directly on their Shorts content.
- YouTube users will gain the ability to remix a remix.
That’s Not Me … That’s AI
YouTube now allows people to request that artificial-intelligence-generated or other synthetic content that simulates their face or voice be removed from the platform.
The company said that rather than reporting such content as misleading, people should request removal of the content as a privacy violation.
YouTube also noted that not all requests for takedowns will be granted, and they will be examined on a case-by-case basis.
Other YouTube News
- The platform rolled out an updated eraser tool that enables creators to remove copyrighted music from their videos without affecting other audio, such as dialog or sound effects.
Meta
AI Studio
Meta began rolling out AI Studio in the U.S. with the aim of making it easier for users of its family of apps to create, discover and share AIs to chat with.
AI Studio also enables people to create their own AIs and make AIs an extension of themselves to answer common questions in direct messages and respond to comments in Stories.
People can create AI characters via the AI Studio website or the Instagram app, either starting from scratch or working off several prompt templates that help them specify their interests.
These characters can be private, shared only with friends/followers or publicly accessible via Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and the web.
Instagram creators can also use AI Studio to set up an AI as an extension of themselves to assist with tasks such as answering common DM questions and responding to Story replies, and those AIs can share facts about the creator, along with links to their favorite brands and past videos.
Those AIs can be customized, such as by specifying topics to avoid and links that should be shared. Auto replies can be turned on or off, and creators can determine who the AI replies to.
Revamped Labels
Meta’s Made With AI labels will be changed to AI Info labels across its family of apps.
The company said its Made With AI labels did not provide enough context, sharing the example that some content that received the Made With AI label included only minor modifications using AI, such as retouching tools.
Enhanced Profiles for Meta Verified
Meta Verified subscribers gained access to an Enhanced Profile option that helps them strengthen their profiles on Facebook and Instagram.
They can now enhance the links in their bios by adding images to each one and designating a primary link to appear as a banner across the top of their links preview.
Creators with business profiles can also add their business addresses and feature other profiles alongside the links to their business.
Other Meta News
- The ban on former President Donald Trump that Meta put into effect shortly after the insurrection at the Capitol Jan. 6, 2021, has been lifted, restoring Trump’s access to Facebook and Instagram.
- Meta introduced a new AI model, the Segment Anything Model 2 (SAM 2), which can identify which pixels belong to a target object in an image or video, segmenting any object in a video and consistently following it across all frames in real-time.
- The company said it teamed up with people with disabilities and disability advocates to integrate accessibility into its mixed reality technology.
- Zuckerberg shared a long essay detailing why he believes that open-sourcing AI is the best way to proceed.
Snapchat
VideoAmp Measurement Partnership
Snapchat announced a partnership with media measurement and optimization company VideoAmp that will give its agency partners access to reach planning and measurement tools.
The partnership will allow agencies to scenario plan with Snapchat in mind and understand how their campaign drives key metrics such as incremental reach to TV buys and TV tune-in.
VideoAmp is the first planning tool where Snap is integrating all available inventory, including video and augmented reality.
Profile Customization Features
Snapchat announced a host of new features enabling users to further personalize their accounts on the platform.
For users who subscribe to Snapchat+:
- Snapchat+ subscribers can design a personalized house on Snap Map, visible to the user and friends whom they share their location with. There are “infinite ways” to customize these houses.
- Custom pets will appear alongside Bitmoji in chats (this was already available for Snap Map).
- Taking temporary to a new extreme, new expiration options for Snaps or Story posts were released: 0.1 seconds, 0.25 seconds and 0.5 seconds.
For all Snapchat users:
- A new live Mirror feature in Bitmoji Builder helps people select options that look most like them.
- New AI-powered lenses include My 5-Year-Old Self.
Other Snapchat News
- Snapchat released a study with National Research Group touting its social commerce prowess, as well as a study with Samba TV detailing how the platform drives existing audiences to watch TV shows and movies and draws in brand new viewers.
- The company revealed its 2024 523 Creator Class of creators and brand partners who will take part in a 12-month program through Snapchat’s creator accelerator program.
Accelerate With AI
LinkedIn is currently testing an AI-powered campaign tool, Accelerate, with plans to roll it out to advertisers before year-end.
The goal of Accelerate is to lower the time it takes to build a LinkedIn campaign from 15 hours to five minutes, doing so by recommending an end-to-end campaign and automatic optimizations to ensure that the business-to-business audience most likely to convert is targeted and reached.
Advertisers can make changes to any aspects of the campaign prior to deploying it.
Once advertisers enter the URL for the product they are promoting, Accelerate uses AI to analyze the company’s website, LinkedIn page and accounts prior to LinkedIn ads in crafting its recommendations.
LinkedIn also integrated Microsoft Designer functionality into Accelerate.
Time Is Money
Writer, editor and social media manager Alexandra Morales shared a post on the professional network detailing the best times to post on LinkedIn.
Factoring in findings from LinkedIn Marketing Partners such as Buffer, Hubspot and Sprinklr, she wrote:
- Hubspot found that the best times to post on the professional network are between 9 a.m. and noon, noon and 3 p.m., and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., in that order, and the best days are Monday, Wednesday and Tuesday.
- Sprinklr found that Tuesday is the most active day on the platform and recommended posting mid-morning (10 a.m. to 11 a.m.) and lunchtime (noon to 1 p.m.) Tuesday through Thursday.
- And Buffer noted a slight uptick in engagement on Thursday and Friday, saying that the most engaging time slots by day of week were 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 2 p.m. Wednesday, 4 p.m. Thursday, 1 p.m. Friday, 10 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday.
X
European Commission Issues
The European Commission informed X that it is in breach of the Digital Services Act in three areas.
- The EC said X’s process for verified accounts and blue checkmarks does not correspond to industry practice and deceives users, since anyone can pay to subscribe and receive verified status. The commission wrote, “There is evidence of motivated malicious actors abusing the ‘verified account’ to deceive users.”
- X does not provide a searchable and reliable repository for ads on its platform, so it does not comply with transparency requirements. The EC explained, “In particular, the design does not allow for the required supervision and research into emerging risks brought about by the distribution of advertising online.”
- X prohibits eligible researchers from independently accessing its public data, such as by scraping, as stated in its terms of service, and the commission elaborated, “X’s process to grant eligible researchers access to its application-programming interface appears to dissuade researchers from carrying out their research projects or leave them with no other choice than to pay disproportionally high fees.”
X faces fines of up to 6% of its annual global revenue.
Other X News
- Owner Elon Musk tweeted that the platform hit an all-time high July 14, with 417 billion user seconds worldwide, and 93 billion in the U.S., up 23% from the previous record of 76 billion.
- The company said 570 million people are using the platform every month, up 6% year over year, and there were approximately 8.2 billion daily video views in the second quarter, up 45%.
- X is apparently developing a dislike button, with code found in its iOS app showing a broken heart icon displayed next to its heart-shaped like button.
- The ability to search for bookmarks went live on iOS and the web.
- Users can now request a Community Note and, if there are enough requests, top contributors will be alerted.
Play Ball, Start Your Engines and Fore!
Reddit announced partnerships with several major sports leagues, aimed at bringing content to the platform’s communities and creating opportunities for advertisers to align with that content via video ads, Ask Me Anything sessions and other formats.
The leagues involved are Major League Baseball, NASCAR, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and the PGA Tour.
Reddit wrote in a blog post, “Redditors will gain access to video highlights from games and tournaments, player AMAs, behind-the-scenes videos and more special content posted by the leagues throughout their seasons and during major events like the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend.”
The platform said there are more than 1,000 active communities in the sports category, tallying 20.4 billion screen views in the past 12 months, up 26% year over year, and drawing 249 million monthly engagements (comments, posts and votes).
Twitch
Trump Reinstated
Twitch joined Meta in reinstating Trump’s account with the presidential election looming.
The streaming platform was one of several to ban the former president following the riot at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021.
Twitch said Trump’s account will be subject to its community guidelines, adding, “We continue to enforce our community guidelines and take necessary enforcement action when we identify violations of our rules. Twitch doesn’t have a ‘public figure policy,’ meaning that all channels are equally subject to our guidelines, regardless of whether the channel belongs to a public figure.”
AI Updates
With the additions of Argentina, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru, the Meta AI assistant is now available in 22 countries.
New languages were added, as well, including French, German, Hindi, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
New AI feature Imagine Edit lets WhatsApp users change and edit images, including by adding or removing objects. It rolled out in English, with more languages to come.
And the new Imagine Yourself feature lets users type “imagine me” into Meta AI and, following a quick setup, type prompts such as, “Imagine me in a retro pink and green ski outfit,” to generate images of themselves.
Other WhatsApp News
- The Meta-owned messaging app now has 100 million U.S. users.
- Users can now designate Favorites to appear at the top of their calls tab and as a filter on their chats. Favorites will be the same across calls and chat.
Vimeo
Declare Your AI
Vimeo updated its terms of service and community guidelines to require creators to disclose when AI is used to create realistic content.
The video platform said the updates were implemented to prevent videos that are AI-generated, manipulated or synthetically created from being mistaken for real events, people or places.
AI content labels will appear on videos that use Vimeo’s AI tools.
Brands That Stay on Trend
July was a hot month for influencer campaigns from technology brands.
Samsung showed off its Galaxy Z Flip6 from UScellular with help from Cristina Viseu.
@cristinaviseu #ad The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 from UScellular helps you get the dreamy aesthetic you’ve been wanting for your party photos. Use the Photo Assist feature to easily remove objects and clean up your pics. Also the front screen preview makes it easy to see your pose when taking a picture before you snap it! @UScellular @SamsungUS Let me know what party we should host next! Click the link in my bio to get a free Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 (up to $1899.99 off). Terms apply. #GalaxyAI #Samsung #SamsungFlip #dinnerparty #softaesthetic #cozyhome ♬ original sound – cristina 🌸
Lauren Tiby’s flip phone of preference was the Motorola Razr.
@laurentiby #MotorolaPartner No girls weekend is complete without my @Motorola US #razr #FlipTheScript ♬ original sound – Lauren Tiby
And with the 2024 Summer Olympic Games from Paris wrapping up its first week, Nick Jackson talked about streaming the action via Peacock.
@niickjackson #PeacockPartner Every moment. Every medal. The Olympics are streaming exclusively on Peacock! @Peacock #Peacock #news #niickjackson ♬ original sound – Nick Jackson
Open Influence’s team stays on top of the latest social media trends and is here to help you maximize your creator campaigns. As a leading global creator marketing agency, we are dedicated to crafting engaging and impactful campaigns that resonate with your audience. Whether you are an influencer looking to expand your reach or a manager seeking to elevate your talent’s brand presence, Open Influence has the expertise and resources to drive your success.
Our comprehensive approach ensures that every campaign is tailored to meet your specific goals and objectives, leveraging the latest strategies and technologies in the ever-evolving landscape of influencer marketing. We pride ourselves on delivering measurable results and fostering authentic connections between influencers and their audiences.
If you are searching for an experienced creator marketing agency to partner with, look no further. Contact us today at Open Influence to get started on your next campaign or to learn more about how we can help you achieve your marketing goals. Let’s work together to create something extraordinary.
