New Features on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
It seems like every time you blink there’s more new features on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If you use use social media for business, each new innovation offers another way to engage your followers. But even if your interest is purely personal, it’s exciting to have new ways to use your favourite platforms.
We asked our social media marketing team to come up with the new features that had caught their attention over the past few months – and here’s what they came up with.
New Features on Facebook
- Dark Mode. This has been on the cards for ages and as of October 2020 it’s available for everyone on desktop. All you have to do is click on top right arrow and select Preference/Dark Mode. Progress is slower when it comes to the FB app on your phone. It’s trialling selected users – check if you’re one by looking in your Privacy & Settings options.
- Dating. If you haven’t already tried this, look for the heart. You can create a separate dating profile (FB assures users their data is safe, secure and private). There’s no swiping and waiting; instead you can create Secret Crush lists, check out the FB groups other Dating users use, set up virtual dates and share FB or Instagram stories.
- Motion Effects. Another feature that’s being trialled on selected users. When you post photos to your feed, Facebook is adding ‘motion’ which offers some ways to create ‘movement’ in the form of a ‘zoom’ or focus. It’s not super sophisticated but its goal is to capture attention.
New Features on Instagram
- Instant Reactions Without DM. This is in the testing phase, so it’s one to keep an eye out for. Basically it allows you to respond to Stories without having to DM. So instead of a dislocated emoji in creators’ DM feed, they’d see instant reactions in the form of emojis in the story frame.
- Age-Gates for Posts. For a while now it’s been possible to age-gate your Instagram accounts. In October 2020 they extended this function to individual posts. So anyone with an account can now choose to set a minimum age for a single post, or limit its distribution to selected countries, or both.
- Audio Added to Reels. There some new things you can do to enhance the audio on your Instagram stories. You’re now able to save your audio, and re-use it in future videos. You can now share reels over Direct Message. And, there’s a new way to find new audio by using ‘Trending’ and ‘For You’ in the audio browser.
New Features on Twitter
- Warning Labels. You’ve probably been aware of the warnings Twitter has been adding to disputed claims around the US Election. In addition to these they are now trying to add extra friction to the sharing of labelled tweets. If you attempt to quote such tweets, you’ll be limited to liking them only.
- Tweet Creation Process. This is a very simple new feature but it’s really useful! You have to be using the Ads Manager to Access it. A panel to the right of the screen allows you to preview what your ad will look like on both mobile and desktop.
- New Privacy Settings. Twitter is demonstrating how important their users’ privacy is to them. So they’ve used more user-friendly language, improved the navigation options and added more icons to explain each function. There also a series of videos offering a security overview.
About Imagefix
Imagefix is a web design and digital marketing agency. For over a decade now we’ve been helping businesses to successfully market their products using social media, pay-per-click, and SEO marketing. Our marketing packages are tailored in response to business needs, and the service you get is individual and personalised. We’ll always answer the phone, and we’ve built long-term professional relationships with many of our clients.
Would you like to know more about building a social media presence for your business? Call us today to find out how Imagefix can help – 01525 715608
