June 2024 Social Platform Updates

BeReal was acquired. Instagram added an Inspo tab. And LinkedIn is testing an AI assistant for paid members.

Here's everything you missed from social platforms last month...

BeReal. ⌛

✦ The once buzzy social platform, which pioneered the dual camera format and spontaneous photo prompts, was acquired by French mobile app and games publisher Voodoo for €500M.

Read my full BeReal acquisition analysis here.

Bluesky Social 🦋

✦ BlueSky and Mastodon users can now follow accounts and engage with posts on each other’s networks, in an effort to create an interoperable “fediverse” connecting various decentralized social platforms.

Discord 👾

✦ Introduced new monetization features for developers and halved developer fees to 15%.

Instagram 📷

✦ Testing unstoppable ads.

✦ Added an “Inspiration” tab for trending songs and audio.

✦ Announced updates to its broadcast channel feature, which allows creators to set up group chats for fans, such as the ability to go live exclusively with channel members.

✦ Testing carousels that support photos in both portrait and landscape format.

✦ Enabled creators to broadcast live to Close Friends.

✦ Automatically limiting the amount of political content users see on the app.

✦ Experimenting with a Reels feature to provide creators with feedback from people who don’t follow them.

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LinkedIn 🤝

✦ Testing an AI assistant for premium members.

✦ Released its newsletter feature to all users, not just those with creator mode.

✦ Added new newsletter features, including email and in-app notifications for subscribers.

Pinterest 📍

✦ Enabled users to share their Pinterest boards to other social platforms.

Snap Inc. 👻

✦ Partnered with influencer marketing firm Linqia to provide its clients with data about Snapchat creators’ audiences and content performance.

✦ Expanded its safety tools to include more in-app warnings and simplified location sharing. 

Substack ✍️

✦ Announced a new video feature that allows writers to record and send videos directly to their subscribers.

Threads 🧵

✦ Reportedly considering adding hashtags.

TikTok ♪

✦ Experimenting with Snap-like streaks.

✦ Testing the ability for users to upload or take photos of a product to find similar items on TikTok Shop.

✦ Launched a new content series called Off the Record to help artists promote their music.

✦ Announced a new tool for marketers to use AI-generated avatars to promote products in their ads.

Twitch 🎮

✦ Raising subscription prices in the U.S., Europe, New Zealand, and other markets.

✦ Announced a new program to allow DJs to use copyrighted music in their livestreams for a fee. Twitch will split the costs 50/50 with streamers who monetize and cover 100% of the cost for DJs who aren't yet earning money on the platform.

✦ Updated its Stream Together tool to promote collabs by allowing creators to “knock” on the door of a streamer who’s currently live and ask to join the broadcast.

✦ Launched an Enhanced Broadcasting program to enable vertical live video and offer streamers more video quality controls.

✦ Unveiled new Streamer Achievement Awards.

X 🐦

✦ Updated its policies to allow users to post sexually explicit content as long as it’s "consensually produced and distributed."

✦ Also enabled users to post violent content, provided it’s not "excessively gory or depicting sexual violence.”

✦ Hid public likes in order to “protect privacy.”

✦ Restricted its live streaming feature to paid subscribers.

YouTube 🎥

✦ Testing channel QR codes.

✦ Piloting AI-generated Live Chat Summaries.

✦ Testing Notes from third-party contributors under videos.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on LinkedIn for the latest insights into social media and the creator economy.

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