This Month In Social | April 2023 Edition

April has proven to be the month of Twitter... again! Elon has brands, celebs, media outlets + more in a kerfuffle over these checkmarks and verification (more on that below).

Last month I shared his announcement to get rid of all checkmarks for profiles that weren't paying as of April 1st, but that proved to be an April Fool's joke with him making good on his promise days later on 4/20 (Elon has jokes). This just in, he now is letting those with 1M+ followers have the verified checkmark for free.

I want to welcome all of my new readers this month. I've gained over 130 new subscribers since the March and I hope you enjoy this April edition.

Let's Go!

>> The Latest From  Instagram  | Facebook  |  Meta >>

Instagram Lets You Increase Your Links In Bio

• You can now add up to 5 links in your bio, directing followers to what you/your brand is most passionate about.
• There is always the "link in bio" free alternative, Linktree that lets you create a single link with a customizable landing page for better branding

Meta May Be Moving Forward With A Twitter Alternative - Show Me Where to Sign Up

• Top tech creators have shared an early look at Meta's, Barcelona app in development
• Barcelona is expected to be a separate app that will use your Instagram credentials to log in
• It will share your Instagram ID as your username in the new app
• Current maximum length for Barcelona posts will be 500 characters

Would you try Barcelona? Vote in my LinkedIn poll HERE

Facebook's Testing AI Generated Stories Based on Your Shared Images

• Facebook aims to find ways to get people to post more in their stories. At this time many allow for IG story posts to also be shared on their Facebook Stories
• If launched, this would allow for an automated Stories generator, using image recognition AI to create new Stories from your already shared content

Meta Planning For Increased AI Recommendations on Facebook and Instagram

• Currently, more than 20% of the content on Facebook has been recommended by its AI system and 40% on Instagram
• This could mean an advantage for brands with people viewing more on Facebook, but also posting fewer of their own updates

>> The Latest From Twitter >>

Twitter Gets Rid of Its Name and Becomes X Corp - Slate.com

• The new company is being rolled into a corporate entity under Elon Musk’s ownership
• This ties into Musk’s vision for an ‘everything app’, previously referred to as X. Elon owns the X.com URL so the future of the "X" app could be coming sooner than expected

Twitter Wants All Advertisers To Pay For Verification In Order To Run Ads - Social Media Today

• Brands will have to start paying $8 per month/$96 per year for a blue checkmark, or $1,000 per month for its verification
• There are increasing concerns around the negative stigma of paying for verification, as we see celebs trying to get it removed, and it no longer has the same level of authority or trust it once did.

>> The Latest From YouTube >>

New Features Added to YouTube Premium - YouTube Blog

• Premium users can create a queue of content they want to watch in sequence for a more streamlined viewing experience
• YouTube’s Watch Together options will now enable Premium subscribers to create watch parties
• Premium users will be able to continue watching YouTube clips wherever they left off, even between devices.

YouTube Will Allow Product Drops In Live Streams - YouTube Creator Insider

• Retailers and creators can now maximize the element of surprise and expectation around certain products
• Previously, products showcased in a live stream had to be uploaded prior to the stream going live.  

>> The Latest From TikTok >>

TikTok's Testing New AI Profile Images - Social Media Insider Matt Navarra

• TikTok is working on a new process allowing you to create your own custom AI-generated profile image in-stream
• Early looks showed a reference to "Plus" which may hint at a potential subscription offer from TikTok

TikTok's New Way To Refresh Your "For You" Feed - TikTok Newsroom

• TikTok's new feature enables people to refresh their "For You" feed if current recommendations no longer feel relevant
• Their goal is to help guard against repetitive recommendations while enabling self-expression and an enjoyable viewing experience 

Australia Joins The Growing List of Governments Banning TikTok - Bloomberg News

• Australia implemented a government staff ban for all federal public employees to remove the app
• They join a dozen countries around the world who have introduced full, partial or public sector bans. Brands world wide are still standing by to see what impact these bans will have or could have on future channel strategies.

3 Fun TikTok Trends The Miami HEAT Used To Engage Their Audience

• The Miami Heat are using trends on TikTok, showing off their players and team culture that's true to them and their fans.
• Trends included 1) A day in the life narrated by other team members, 2) Reaction videos in Duet style, 3) Reply to comment leveraging players voice over

New York City Tourism Uses Social Media to Get Visitors Back

• NY's new social campaign, #WHATSGOODNYC, aims to get travelers interested in coming to New Yorker via current New Yorkers recommendations.
• New Yorkers can use the hashtag on social media to recommend destinations in the city to tourists.
• Content creators will be sent to top areas recommended and create social content showcasing the destinations.

15th Annual Shorty Award Finalists Announced

See how multiple brands are using social media to get their fans to engage and purchase.

Engagement Rate: The total engagements a post received divided by the total number of impressions on that post (usually expressed as a percentage).

Your social engagement rates tell you how favorably social algorithms are weighing your content.

Many of the hidden features that social platforms are testing out show up on Matt Navarra's feed. He's an insider that a lot of the websites covering social media updates reference and use his tweets to show what could be coming.

You can follow him on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter

• What Brands Can Do If the TikTok Bans Continue - Marketing Drive
• TikTok Shares a New Guide With Key Creator Collab Tips For Brands -TikTok For Business
• 7 Best Social Media Platforms For Real Estate Marketing - Hootsuite Blog
• 16 Ways To Build A Better Social Media Presence - Sprout Social, Inc.

You read all the way through. You're my kind of people!

If you learned something new and enjoyed this edition of This Month in Social Media, I would greatly appreciate you sharing with your network on any of your social channels.

Want to see what you missed last month, check out the March Edition.

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