Another month, another batch of social media updates….here are a few of the key changes that we feel you should be aware of!
GDPR & SOCIAL MEDIA
You’ve probably been inundated with emails referring to the new privacy law, GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) that came into force on 25th May 2018. This law applies to any organisation that collects data of EU citizens, even if the company is in another country—so really, all organisations need to be aware of GDPR.
If you want to read a great run-down of how GDPR is effecting social channels and why it will probably be a good thing for most citizens, check out Buffer’s blog post on the subject here. As a marketing and social media agency, we must emphasise that speaking to a legal advisor is the best route for figuring out what your business needs to do to achieve compliance.
For specific information about GDPR compliance on each platform, check out the links below:
LinkedIn profiles have seen a profile design change, including changes to:
- Larger, left-aligned profile image
- Larger Summary preview has increased from 220 to 300 characters.
- Experience, education, contact info, and connections are all highlighted to the right of your name
- Company logo now appears at the top of your profile and links down the page to your experience.
- The cover photo no longer takes the full width of the browser screen, but is constricted to your profile’s “card”
- You can “fine-tune what you showcase” such as hiding your education if you don’t want it featured
Once again Instagram has seen an abundance of new features introduced over the past month or so, here are a couple of the stand-out features that we feel you need to be aware of…
The New Instagram Algorithm Explained
Instagram explains its new algorithm – users were missing 70% of all posts and 50% of their friends’ posts before the app changed its algorithm back in March. With the update, there are now three main factors that impact your feed: interest, recency, and relationships. The algorithm change is intended to stabilise users’ feeds, avoid spamming ads, and allow people to reach their intended audiences and engage with the right content.
Mute
Instagram has also introduced the “mute” feature allowing to basically “unfollow” an account without actually unfollowing…similar to Facebook. By “muting” someone you will still be listed as a follower, but none of their posts will appear within your feed!
Emoji Slider
Similar to the Poll function, the emoji slider is another new, interactive sticker you can use on Instagram Story posts.
After users slide and release the emoji to leave a response, they will see the average score from the question so far.
According to Instagram:
“By choosing an emoji for your question, you also add a layer of emotional context that helps those answering understand your tone and answer accordingly.”
Reshare Content
Another new feature from Instagram allows users (and brands) to reshare content within Instagram—plus it’s a new option for populating content on your story.
Simply tap the paper airplane share button on a post you want to share and choose the new “Create a story with this post” option. You can then customize the background and size of the photo, as well as adding stickers and captions. The share will include the original author’s screen name. (Please note: This will only work if the account is public.)
We’ll be back next month with more changes we’re sure, but in the meantime if you need support with Social Media or marketing your business, get in touch with the team at Pick & Mix Marketing on – info@pickandmixms.co.uk