Each month, our team of social experts dig through the trenches of the internet to find the biggest, best and most important news coming out of the social platforms we and our clients use daily.
More Integration for Facebook-Owned PlatformsFacebook continues to integrate services and features between its apps: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. The latest coupling? Instagram and Messenger. This update will allow users to search for accounts across both Instagram and Messenger (even for those who do not have an Instagram account). According to Facebook’s post introducing the change, this “cross-app communication is an easier way to stay connected with the people you care about.”
What it means for brands: This update means brands will be able to streamline communications between the two platforms, rather than responding to customer inquiries through either the Instagram or Facebook apps.
Facebook is testing a new Groups feature called Neighborhoods, and it’s live now in Calgary, Canada. The feature is a direct competitor of Nextdoor, the hyper-local social networking service that digitally connects neighbors to one another. For Facebook, the move will capitalize on the growing popularity of Facebook Groups, where people can connect with those outside their immediate “social graph.”
What it means for brands: Those consumers who choose to participate in Neighborhoods will need to confirm their location for Facebook, providing more specific data on individual consumer locations and behaviors, creating a more robust profile for advertising and marketing purposes.
The Instagram-style Stories format mimics other platforms in terms of feature and functionality—offering companies and individuals the ability to share 20-second photos or videos that are viewable for 24 hours.
What it means for brands: Much like with other social platforms, LinkedIn Stories will allow brands to showcase a more authentic side of their personality and invite them to connect with job seekers, employees, and their professional communities in a more light-hearted, intimate manner.
Snapchat’s newest feature allows you to scan food and wine with its in-app camera for nutritional information and tasting notes. Partnering with the nutrition app Yuka and the wine pricing and rating app Vivino, Snapchat can provide information for consumers through this AR technology.
What it means for brands: While these might not seem like the most necessary features, we can expect more augmented reality from the company as they continue to make their camera more useful and build out their AR platform.
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