Friday 5 – Social News That May Have Been Lost On Your Timeline
We’ve all got one too many social media apps on our phones these days. It’s gotten to the point where new features, app integrations, and promotional campaigns are appearing on a weekly basis. As such, news about the social media platforms themselves can often get lost on our timelines, buried beneath the seemingly endless stream of viral videos, relatable tweets and your mates’ side-hustle promotions. That’s why this week, we wanted to share with you five goings-on with social media that you may have missed.
TikTok Is Now The Most Downloaded Social Media App
Earlier this month TikTok overtook Facebook to become the most popular social media platform in the world, surpassing a staggering three billion downloads. The only apps that rival this figure are all under the Facebook umbrella, with Instagram, Whatsapp, Messenger and Facebook itself being the only other apps to break the three billion threshold. Implementations of things like Instagram Reels and the eCommerce capabilities that have recently been added to WhatsApp indicate that Facebook clearly feels like it’s playing catchup with it’s Eastern counterpart – having to pile on the functionality to stay on top.
That being said, TikTok’s active users still sit well below that of Facebook, with a mere 732 million monthly users for the Chinese platform versus the 2.85 billion using Zuckerberg’s pride and joy. Perhaps the astonishing difference is the reason why the CEO seems so unphased by TikTok. It certainly explains why he’s got time to develop the metaverse.
Facebook Removes Anti-Vax Campaign
Staying on the topic of Facebook for a moment, the platform this month has removed over three hundred accounts that have been tied to a widespread and sophisticated disinformation campaign. The campaign aimed to spread anti-vaccination memes, petitions and bogus information – including that the AstraZeneca vaccine had the potential to turn people into chimps, one-upping Jair Bolsonaro in the process.
All of these accounts were tied to a Russian influencer marketing agency names Fazze, and whilst it may be depressing to think that people are wanting to spread (and that individuals may believe) such information, there is a silver lining. Facebook’s rapid action meant that only a few hundred people were exposed to these posts, and despite the breadth of methods used, the campaign was a resounding failure.
In the same way we’ve been able to use our Gmail and Facebook accounts to log in to websites for years, TikTok is now pushing for that level of integration. Its brand new Login Kit will mean that developers can now add an option to their sites, apps, and programmes to allow users to log in using their TikTok account and interact with the app in a brand new way.
TikTok’s integration possibilities are endless, with Snack, Medal and Burrple all using the app in unique ways. It’s apparent that the platform is no longer just a destination for sharing videos, it’s now becoming a more deeply entrenched part of internet culture. Bytedance is pushing for TikTok to become a worldwide phone staple, and it has proven itself to be far more than just an app for learning new dance routines.
Twitter to pilot direct shopping feature on brand pages
Following a slew of bad news for Twitter, including their headache-inducing new font, they have recently announced that they will be trialing direct shopping through Twitter profiles. This will allow consumers to purchase a select number of products directly from the Twitter app, seamlessly switching the app from social media feed to online store in just a number of taps.
This new ‘shop module’ is Twitter’s answer to the aforementioned push into eCommerce by WhatsApp, and presents an immense opportunity for brands. They’ll be able to show off their latest products at the top of their profile, potentially driving sales through the platform with relative ease. This also opens doors to brand new campaign ideas, such as having Twitter exclusive products, or limited run items being promoted heavily on Twitter pages. Food for thought, marketers.
LinkedIn Partnering With Singapore
In an unlikely collaboration, LinkedIn has partnered with Singapore to promote a brand new platform called ‘Skills Path’. The platform intends to alter the hiring process and put more emphasis on demonstrable skills rather than official qualifications and education. It also allows users to demonstrate their skills and take LinkedIn Learning courses to make them better suited to the roles they’re applying for, making it the one-stop-shop for all things professional.
This all comes in response to the pandemic, and Skills Path fully intends to stick around post-COVID and continue to help Singaporean workers and employers make the most out of the economic bounceback. It’s an interesting take on the hiring process and one that LinkedIn intends to roll out worldwide if it proves to be successful.