April 2023 Digital News Updates: AI integrates into LinkedIn, Meta makes big updates, and more

Facebook & Meta News Updates

• Meta Shares Focus for 2023 – The focus includes AI, Messaging, Creators and Monetization. Look for non-priority developments to stall or be cut altogether, as we’ve seen this month.
• Meta Launches Paid Verification for Profiles – Users can now pay $12/month to be “verified” and obtain the blue checkmark on their Instagram and Facebook profiles. This is ONLY for profiles and includes not only the checkmark but additional support.
• Facebook Reels Now Included Longer Clips and Memory Integration – As Meta aims to integrate Reels into more content, these updates make Reels more accessible on Facebook.
• Meta Launches New Reels Ads Opportunities – Businesses can now have more options in promoting their Reels via ads on both Facebook and Instagram. This includes more options for “click to Message” ads, including What’s App.
• Click to Message Options Includes What’s App – Businesses can now choose which platforms their “click to Message” ads connect to – Instagram, Facebook or What’s App.
• Meta Shelves Audio Only – This wasn’t announced by Meta, but users reported the removal of audio on the platform. After rapid launches to compete with Clubhouse (remember that LOL) the interest in audio channels has cooled off and Meta is shelving this feature.
• Meta Shuts Down NFT Collections – As the hype has worn off and Meta gets more focused, they are shutting down NFT Collections across platforms.
• Meta Aims to Integrate Messenger Back into the Main App – After being relegated to a separate app, Meta is looking to re-integrate messaging back into the main apps – presumably to make this feature more relevant and heavily used.
• Meta Announced a Top-Level Product Group for AI – Expect to see AI integrated into Meta experiences, including Messenger and content creation. This shows the platform is prioritizing AI. Integrating it into Meta platforms will increase accessibility vs. having to use ChatGPT or similar tools.

Instagram News Updates

• Instagram Launches 2 New Ad Options – These include reminder alerts for events (opt-in only) and ads in search results. These are great ways to get higher exposure opportunities, although the event alerts are opt-in only, so they’ll only work if you have large numbers of people attending the event and opting in.

Twitter News Updates

• Twitter Shares Algorithm – Want to know what leads to more visibility for your Tweets? Twitter shared their ranking elements on GitHub. They didn’t intend to share the weights for each element, but developers uncovered the weight in the code. It still comes down to interactions, but the negatives can be especially interesting to avoid.
• Twitter Removes Archives of Livestreams – Download yours now 😉

LinkedIn News Updates

• Multiple AWESOME LinkedIn Updates – In a big announcement LinkedIn shared that they are launching 1) Scheduled posts for Pages natively in the platform, 2) Live audio-only conversations 3) Automatic sharing of Jobs as a Page Post, and 4) Pages can follow Pages.
• LinkedIn Adds AI – LinkedIn is adding AI into various parts of the platform. They now have AI in the articles section to support writers. They also launched AI into job description writing to make job descriptions even catchier. Finally, there is now AI that matches your style to help you write your profile! We’ll test these features and keep you posted on how effective they are.
• LinkedIn AI in Articles – Details on this announcement are here – see how AI can make your writing process more efficient.
• LinkedIn Adds Suggested Posts – This can increase the visibility of your content by amplifying great content beyond the connected audience. Look to see more of this content in your newsfeed, and if you are a content creator, you could see more views.

TikTok News Updates

• TikTok Highlights Educational Content with STEM Feed – TikTok is looking to become more relevant in users’ lives by prioritizing educational content. This could be an interesting move as the platform aims to be more than entertainment.

Google News Updates

• Google Launches Ad Transparency Center – This is a great resource to see what your competitors are up to – similar to the Facebook Ads library.  You can now see all ads run by an advertiser and the launch date. This is a great tool for competitive research.
• Google Launches AI in Workplaces – This can be a game changer if you use Google for your business. Get writing assistance and even get emails written for you from simple bullet points. Embracing AI will be a game-changer in productivity for those who are smart enough to use it.

Digital Marketing News Updates

• TikTok Most Downloaded App in Q1 2023 – BUT Facebook is still the most used. This shows that TikTok continues to grow globally despite some negative headlines.
• Social Interactions Move to Messaging – This could be an untapped opportunity for marketers. As phone calls are dwindling in how consumers want to connect, Messenger is growing. Look for strategic opportunities.
• Engagement Rates by Network and Trends – Engagement rates are dropping across social networks. This data shows average rates by network and industry and can be a strong source for benchmarking your organization’s results.
• Influencer Cost Benchmarks – Checkout this data on average costs for working with influencers.