Social Media News: May 2021

Each month I recap the biggest changes in social media so you can stay informed and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly. Here are the highlights of what you should know as we head into a new month.

Twitter Launches Professional Profiles: Twitter has officially launched a test of its new Professional Profiles. These professional profiles allow businesses, non-profits, publishers, and creators to display specific information about their business directly on their profile. You can learn more about Professional Profiles on this thread here.

Instagram Adds New Stickers: Instagram is adding more options for engagement on stories! Instagram is developing a new ‘Link’ sticker that will allow users to link to a URL directly in their stories, instead of having viewers swipe up. This could be a better way for companies to direct viewers to their website. Additionally, Instagram appears to be working on a ‘Super Mention’ sticker with a shopping tag. If you haven’t started using Stories, now is the time, as more and more tools are developed to help reach consumers!

YouTube Reports 49% Jump in Ad Revenue: YouTube has reported a 49% jump in ad revenue in the latest Alphabet Q1 2021 report. This signals that media consumption habits are changing, and more people are turning to video platforms such as YouTube for their entertainment and news. You can read Alphabet’s full Q1 Report here.

Facebook and Instagram Allow Businesses to Schedule Posts: Managing a business page just got easier! Facebook Business Suite has announced new features, including the ability to schedule stories across Facebook and Instagram, manage photo albums, and save draft posts. These changes will make it easier to plan and run your social media platforms. Read the official announcement on Facebook to learn more.

Facebook Tests Video Speed-Dating App: Facebook is testing a video speed-dating app called Sparked, which cycles people through video dates that last no more than 4 minutes. Video dating is a recent trend spurred by social distancing, reflecting the shift towards online video interaction. You might not be looking for a date, but Facebook is developing for more opportunities to make short, yet meaningful online interactions for other sectors too.

What do you think of these changes? Which one are you most excited to try out? Let me know in the comments below!