Social Media Updates You Might Have Missed: September 2018
September is a huge month for tech — with the release of a new iPhone every year, social media companies are pushed to step up their games with fresh new features and updates.
We’ve got a huge roundup of changes happening on your favorite social media apps this month, so check out below what you can expect to see on your feeds!
Clickable @’s and #’s
Gone are the days of having to type handles into the search bar when you see an interesting one in someone’s bio! Instagram rolled out clickable handles and hashtags in bios, so now you can link your business account in your personal bio or the company you work for or even your best friend.
DM Upgrades
Instagram recently gave direct messages a complete upgrade. Users can now use gifs and polls in DMs, and they can also flag conversations in the top right corner to keep their inboxes more organized.
Introducing GIFs in Instagram Direct. Message your friends with the perfect GIF or send a random one if you like surprises. Happy DMing! pic.twitter.com/uKocwLaQ68
— Instagram (@instagram) September 20, 2018
Hidden Hashtags
Instagram is reportedly testing a feature that allows users to hide the hashtags they attach to their posts. This lets you add hashtags in a new section when posting the photo, and those hashtags won’t flood your caption!
Personalized Shopping
Shopping within the Instagram app is getting easier and easier, and now, they are rolling out a personalized shopping category on your explore page. This will give you shoppable posts that are curated just for you!
Instagram is also putting shoppable links in stories, allowing users to click on a product they view in a story and go directly to a place where they can buy it.
Tag People in Videos
Instagram is also testing a feature that allows users to tag accounts in videos. This will help keep content organized and connected to the people who are in the posts! Now, no more guesswork when it comes to finding out who is in that video on your feed.
“About This Account” Button
A new button will soon be available on the profiles of large public profiles that gives followers information on the account. This aims to boost the authenticity of profiles and trust between follower and account owner!
Snapchat
Point and Shop
Snapchat just announced they partnered with Amazon to bring users an in-app shopping tool. Shoppers will be able to point at any product or barcode, press and hold on it, and the app searches Amazon’s catalog for that product.
Curated “Our Stories”
Now, “Our Stories” collections of user-generated content can be curated by new partners like Cosmopolitan and CNN. Just like Snapchat goes through user content to put together “Our Stories”, now these partners can do it themselves!
Bounce
A new feature called “bounce’ will allow Snapchatters to loop videos in the app. This is almost exactly the same as Boomerang on Instagram, however, Snapchat will give users more control over the video by allowing them to choose where they want the video to start to loop.
New Spectacles
Snapchat recently released new styles of their Spectacles glasses. They launched only one style originally but now added two more to appeal to customers who want perhaps more trendy or customizable styles.
Chronological timeline is back!
Our prayers have finally been answered — Twitter is bringing back the chronological timeline! Users will now be able to opt-in to a more chronological timeline. To opt-out of the algorithm, go to “Settings and privacy” and make sure the box marked “show best tweets first” is unchecked.
Collabs Galore
Pinterest is introducing a way for influencers and marketers to find each other more easily. Collabs here we come! Third-party influencer platforms can now access Pinterest marketing, and brands and influencers will have access to analytics that will help them craft their Pinterest content according to what’s performing well.
Shop the Look
A tool that has only been available to big businesses in the past is now an option for all businesses on Pinterest — shop the look. This feature allows users to click on dots that lead to links for the items in the photo, bridging the gap between Pinterest inspo and your real closet. With it open to more businesses, users will have endless shopping opportunities!
General
iPhone XS
The next generation of iPhone dropped, and with the largest display ever on an iPhone, this announcement was a big one. The iPhone XS, the XS Max, and the XR are all new this month.
iOS 12 New Features
A new iPhone means a new software update for Apple users. iOS 12 isn’t too different than iOS 11, but there a couple of fun new features worth mentioning.
Screen time
iOS 12 allows users to monitor their screen time by seeing how much time they spend surfing social media, reading, playing games, and more.
Group FaceTime
iPhone users have been asking for this for years, and it’s finally here! Rolling out in stages, not everyone will have this feature right away. By the time every user has it though, we will be able to group call on FaceTime with up to 32 people in a chat at once!
September was quite a month for social media and tech! Our profiles are getting more and more customizable, and users are having more and more control with every update. Have you been loving these new features? Let us know in the comments below!
Wondering how you can use social media for your business? Contact us at Wela Creative to learn about our social media consulting services.
