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Social media news: August

Bo Pokštefl
Written by
Bo Pokštefl

The world of social media didn’t take a holiday in August at all. Let’s have a recap of what the social media giants introduced in the past month.

Facebook News

Messenger Stats

Facebook analytics introduced a brilliant new metric allowing brands to monitor customer’s/fan’s conversations in messenger. This will help you to better track leads during your conversion funnel and provide insights about open and closed conversations in your brand’s messenger.

Website Speed vs. Facebook Algorithm

Facebook keeps improving its user experience so users spend more time scrolling down to the Facebook newsfeed. One of the improvements is a new Facebook algorithm which will decrease organic reach of link posts with slowly loading websites. One of the reasons is to encourage marketers to use more Facebook native platforms like Instant articles or canvas. Another reason is to give users a better experience.

Data have shown that 40% users will close the website loading if it takes more than 3 seconds.

Good Bye Global Pages

In 2012 Facebook introduced global pages which would allow global brands to manage regional content from one page. And it’s over:(

Good news is that old Global pages will remain but Facebook discontinued its application process for new global pages.

Facebook offers not so smooth solution as we are used to with Global pages, but you are still able to use post’s audience restrictions. Thank god that this feature is in Kontentino:)

Good Bye Boosting (for 17 post formats)

Did you use to boost Facebook note or new cool Cover photo/video? Well, you can’t do it anymore.

Facebook evaluated that 17 post formats are not effective enough and stop the boosting option. For those which remain, try editing a boosted post.

Post Scheduling for FB Brand’s Groups

Some things in your life just can’t be planned but thanks to the newest update you are able to schedule posts for Facebook groups. (Coming soon to Kontentino).

I am sure that you and your brand wants to encourage the conversation in your groups. This new update will definitely take the stress out and you will be able to plan post ahead without doing it ad hoc or planning it in obsolete excel sheets.

You are able to schedule a post from 30 minutes to 1 month from the moment you create the draft.

Brands in Camera Effect

Camera effects have been here for a while but unfortunately, it got strict advertising rules and the branding was not allowed. Time has changed and brands are now able to use their logos or watermarks in effects for AR studio and Frame.

This will allow brands to get into users awareness through catchy ephemeral content, which is joyful because of its temporality.

Facebook Watch

Youtube watch your ass! Facebook is launching Facebook Watch, to compete against YouTube and keep users even more engaged with their own platforms. Offered videos should be tailored to each user in different categories such as The most discussed or my friends are watching.

They plan to offer also regular content such as live sports events or documentaries made by National Geographic and such. They intend to attract also Youtubers.

Animated Comments

Sometimes even a little silly thing gives you a smile on your face. And Facebook is aware of it. So they introduced Trigger Words. If you type into comment words like congratulations or XOXO. Your screen will be flooded with cute animations after the click. Do you have any creative idea how this can help you with your marketing? Do you think that Facebook has bigger plans with Trigger words? (Write comment below)

New Profile Picture

The round of small esthetics changes continues. The new profile picture in news feed will be cropped to Circle. However, the profile picture under the cover photo/video will remain square.

360 Photos in Facebook App

360 photos are an eye catcher and people tend to play with them simply because of curiosity. Therefore, Facebook allows users to make their own 360 photos which can be published in news feed or even as a cover photo.

Instagram News

Be Careful of Shadow Ban

Instagram is trying to fight new trends of fake flowers and hearts.

Instagram’s gaining popularity has made them create strict rules and any shady practices or software making your Instagram profile looks like popular one(even when is not) will have unpleasant consequences.

Instagram can block the appearance of your posts to everyone except your followers.

So be careful and do not use the same #s in the same order. Obviously, no fake followers or shady software is allowed.

Instagram Slideshow Boosting

Yep, you can now boost your slideshows right from your mobile app.

Important: Facebook will most likely reorder images in the slideshow based on their performance. So if you plan to a narrative slideshow, don’t boost it because you can’t even optimize it in Ads manager.

Instagram Stories at your Desktop

Instagram tests out that users will be able to watch stories on a desktop. It is the first step before launching new updated web version where professional Instagrammers and brands will have more comfortable option to create content for Instagram. Before that, we gotta use good old Kontentino Instagram publisher.

News about others

Sponsored GIFs

In the world of digital emotions, the GIFs are gaining its popularity rapidly. Thus, the biggest GIF search engine Giphy is trying to get on this wave and monetize from it. They want to start testing sponsored GIFs. Nonetheless, we know that GIFs depend on other social media platforms. Therefore we must wait for more information about its usage.

This was the cocktail of the freshest important updates from the month of August.

See you next month:)

P.S. Looking for a fresh update? Check the latest social media trends for 2019!


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