social media news

New Send Message button on Facebook plus more social media news


Here’s the replay of Monday 4 September’s The #SocialMediaShow which was broadcast live via my Facebook Profile from Cardiff. I’m also doing a more condensed show on LinkedIn. This week we have 25 social media news stories with my insights in italics plus the usual features – Headline, Question Time, Top Tip, Tools Talk, Number of the Week plus a quirky story from the world of social media and of course And Finally.

The #SocialMediaShow is aimed at people who work with or who are interested in social media. If that’s you, and you want to keep up on the latest news throughout the week plus get access to insider tips, then check out Social Media Professionals or keep in touch by joining my newsletter subscribers.

FACEBOOK NEWS

1. Users in the States are starting to see the Facebook Watch tab appear on the left of the their News Feed. Will Facebook dethrone Netflix?
2. Sponsored shows on Facebook Watch are coming soon. Might be more palatable to users than the dreaded mid-roll ads.
3. Publisher branding launched – Logos of publishers are being added to Trending News section and search functionality on both Facebook desktop and mobile, although not on news feed…yet. A great idea to help combat fake news and good for publishers too providing them with brand awareness.
4. New memories features launched. Memories are now bundled by month and seasons, for example. ‘A look back at the Summer’. FB want you to share more personal stuff.
5. New milestones are now being flagged up with encouragement to share them, for example, reaching 100 Facebook Friends or 20 Likes on a post. These could get a bit tedious.
6. I spotted a new Recommended Groups feature at top of existing Groups. A must action for Facebook Group Admins.
7. Another spot….new Send Message button option added beneath posts. Nice bit of convenient functionality.
8. You can now create a 360 degree photo without a 360 degree camera using panoramic mode on your smartphone. You’ll need the latest Facebook app.
9. There’s a new photo tools tab on the ioS Facebook app. Some handy functions here.
10. Facebook are prompting some users to share posts from their linked Page into their Group. Nice idea.

FACEBOOK ADS NEWS

11. To ensure Facebook Ads tie into business objectives certain posts can no longer be boosted, for example, announcement of change of profile picture.
12. In a further clamp down on the problem of fake news (or false news) as Facebook calls it, Pages sharing false news will be banned from purchasing Ads.

FACEBOOK LIVE NEWS

13. A new Top Live feature is now available to some users on the ioS app. Thanks to Matt Navarra of The Next Web for that one.

FACEBOOK MESSENGER NEWS

14. Beware! There’s a virus doing the rounds. If you receive a message with just a link and a surprised-face emoji from a Facebook friend it could be a scam. Clicking on the link will take you to a malicious site.
15. Facebook M, Facebook’s personal assistant, now makes Spotify suggestions when music is mentioned in a conversation.

INSTAGRAM NEWS

16. Instagram is rolling out Stories (but not Stories Ads) to desktop and mobile web for viewing. Further update will allow creation of Stories on desktop. Will users be able to upload photos on desktop for regular posts on Instagram soon?
17. New face filters with weather themes to reflect your mood have been launched, for example, ‘Happy Sun’.
18. Multiple uploads of photos to posts can be now be made in either landscape or portrait. Long awaited and great news!
19. Instagram has been hacked with phone numbers and emails obtained. Initially thought to affect only verified users, it’s now thought that as many as 6 million accounts could have been compromised. More transparency on this please Instagram.

LINKEDIN NEWS

20. I now have LinkedIn’s native video which can be up to 10 mins long. Shoot on your smartphone or tablet then upload or upload an existing file. Over 10 years after Facebook introduced native video, LinkedIn have finally caught up!

TWITTER

21. The 23 August 2017 marked the 10th anniversary of the hashtag. Invented on Twitter to help center interaction around conversations, it is the symbol of the last decade that has spread to other platforms and into popular usage.
22. Twitter is adding college football to its growing live video slate just a day after Facebook made a similar move. This is in addition to MLB and NFL live video on the network.
23. You can read your Twitter timeline alongside videos on the Xbox One.
24. There’s a new ipad app with a new menu on left hand side with access to profiles, settings etc.
25. Twitter appears to be encouraging users to celebrate their Twitter anniversary with a tweet.

AND FINALLY

A  new version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been inspired by social media. Long after Scrooge became a synonym for a miser, a forthcoming adaptation of  by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) will introduce a host of new Dickensian names for 21st-century audiences, including Herr Uber, Mrs Snapchat and Mr Tinder.

Top Tip: Post links to your website in Comments and not original post on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Tools Talk: Google Optimise
Number Of The Week: 46% of consumers say they have used social media to call out or complain to a brand. (Source: New survey by Smart Social).

Upcoming social media workshops at the No1 Business Centre in Gloucester

How To Sell Yourself And Grow Your Business With LinkedIn (Gloucester) – 12 September

Facebook Masterclass – (Gloucester) – 19 September

Advanced Social Media Workshop (Gloucester) – 3 October

Questions? Need help with social media?

For more information about how we can help with your social media efforts including other social media training options please call me, Jonathan, on 029 2078 9139. Alternatively you can email, tweet or message via Facebook. To receive a weekly reminder about The #SocialMediaShow, click the Send to Messenger button below:

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