Social media platforms thrive on change.
Social media platforms must also adapt to their audiences’ changing needs and preferences to keep the latter engaged. In fact, it is practically impossible for any given social media platform to remain static. Changes are – and will always be – a part of their growth.
That being said, there are certain changes that all digital marketers and online businesses must pay attention to, which we’ll cover today.
We’ll look at some of the biggest social media updates dropped this year and the opportunities they offer for business owners who want to get ahead of the curve.
So let’s dive right into it.
1. Facebook removed thousands of ad targeting options
Since the launch of its ad targeting system, Facebook has seen massive success with its ability to connect with users on an individual level. However, this year Facebook decided to put a stop to certain interest targeting options.
For example, the company removed the ability to target people based on sensitive topics and content they engage in. While that may not sound much, in reality, thousands of targeting options are now gone.
But hope is not lost. As a business owner, you can take advantage of this by creating custom audience lists using other data points like age, gender, location, interests, etc. The faster you can implement this in your marketing strategy, the quicker you’ll be able to get ahead of the competition that relies on potentially “sensitive” audience targeting options.
2. Instagram Partnership Messages
With the new Partnership Messages functionality, brands and creators can quickly find and manage their communications with each other. Messages in this folder get priority placement, making it easier than ever to keep track of essential partnerships.
So what does this mean for your business?
Influencers are busy people and barely have the time to sort through their inbox, much less read every message. If you’re looking to build brand awareness or increase engagement with the help of influencers, then this feature is perfect for you as it allows your offers to stand out instead of blending in with everyone else’s messages.
3. Instagram Story Links
In the past, only those who had at least 10,000 followers could post links in Stories. This was changed earlier this year when Instagram rolled out the new Story Links update allowing anyone to share links in their Instagram Stories.
So, whether you have a considerable number of followers or not, make sure you start sharing more links in your Stories. It’s one of the best ways to drive traffic back to your website.
Conclusion
As you can see, Facebook and Instagram have already dropped some significant updates this year. And while these changes aren’t the last (and certainly not the least!), they give us a glimpse of what’s coming next.
After all, we know that both companies (and several others) are working hard to improve their products and services. So if you haven’t started yet, don’t wait until the last minute. Revisit your strategies to align with the latest trends so you can stay ahead of your social media game!
What are some of the most significant social platform updates you’ve noticed so far? Let us know in the comments below!
