how to get (more) social media attention

September 09, 2022

Hello, geeks!

Welcome to this week’s edition of Geekout.

It’s a bit of a weird week for us all, what with the sad news of Queen Elizabeth’s death. 😔

Being a social media manager for a brand when a high-profile tragedy (which everyone is talking about online) occurs, can be extremely challenging to navigate. Adopting the most appropriate tone of voice and picking the right moment(s) to post are some of the toughest decisions a social team has to make.

Some brands nailed it. Many struggled. A few completely misjudge the moment and it's so cringe it hurts. More on that in a bit.

To kick things off this week:

and

Also…

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🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

  1. Instagram Confirmed It’s Testing a ‘Repost’ Feature [RE-GRAM]

  2. Musk Permitted to Add Whistleblower Claims, Not Delay Twitter Trial [READ MORE]

  3. Instagram Drastically Scales Back Shopping Features [SHOP SHUT]  

  4. Leaked Memo Reveals Snaps Plans to Turn the Company Around [SNAP TO IT]

  5. Facebook Login Button Disappearing From Popular Major Websites [FACE-OFF]

—

Time to save you a few hours of research and reading: here’s everything else worth knowing about this week, curated from over 200+ news articles I’ve read this week:

Instagram hosted its ‘House of Instagram Event’ this week. You didn't miss much, but attendees got early access to download this new guide to creating Instagram Reels Ads… Meta will reveal its next-gen Quest VR headset at its Meta Connect event on October 11… Instagram suspended P**nHub’s account with no explanation. P**nHub says it will be back on IG soon… Instagram got fined €400 million for ‘violating kids' privacy’ (and there may be more fines to come).

Twitter is on a new button-launching frenzy right now. First off, the edit tweet button is rolling out to a small number of Twitter Blue subscribers in New Zealand. Twitter users in India got a new WhatsApp share button…The rest of us got a new LinkedIn share button… Twitter also finally added Instagram Stories + Snapchat sharing to its Android app.

Twitter Spaces got a small update. You can now schedule up to 10 Spaces (previously you could only schedule one Space at a time)... And Twitter expanded access to its community moderation platform ‘Birdwatch’... And Disney's old boss talked about why it decided not to buy Twitter (it wasn’t because of the bots).

🔥 HOT INSIGHTS | INSTAGRAM REELS BOOSTS BRAND ENGAGEMENT BY 40%

  • Brands tapping into Reels get nearly 40% MORE engagement vs. other formats

  • Reels now account for 20% of the time people spend on Instagram

  • LEARN: How brands with an IG Reels strategy are boosting reach + engagement

  • DISCOVER: Latest IG Reels insights + why it pays to publish Instagram Reels

TikTok says it's going to remove ‘invalid Instagram profile links’ on profiles on September 13th (no. I have no clue WTF TikTok is doing here either)... TikTok will now show your followers when you view their posts, and when they view yours (if you like).

YouTube launched a new ad-free player for education, plus new tools and monetisation options creator…

Snap’s CEO says TikTok’s secret to its explosive growth was it spending billions and billions to acquire new users (jealous much?)... Meanwhile, Snapchat has a BIG problem with Stories. Its users are posting and engaging with them less and less.

WORTH A LOOK 👀

💥 EXCLUSIVE: Join the Official Geekout Group On Facebook [28,000+ MEMBERS]

⚡️ TIKTOK: How Microsoft Pulled In 1M Followers on TikTok [TIKTOK TACTICS]

✨ YOUTUBE: YouTube’s New 31-Page Guide to Utilising YouTube Shorts [DOWNLOAD]

❤️ WELLBEING: How to Avoid Burnout as a Creator [REVEAL TIPS]

🏆 CREATORS: The Forbes Top 50 Creators 2022 List [CHECK IT OUT]

✍️ PRO-TIP: Twitter’s Head of Voice Reveals How to Write the Perfect Tweet [TELL ME]

Time to move things along… Let’s slide into the juiciest developments in social media land this week. Analysis of the stories generating the most headlines coming up next 👇

— Matt

P.S. There's no Geekout Twitter Space this week but it'll be back soon.

🚨 Everyone's talking about...

As news that the Queen was very ill came through yesterday, smart social media managers paused their scheduled posts queues and social ad campaigns. After all, no-one wants a bit of really unfortunately timed copy to slip through the net.

But as we all know, big news events are irresistible to brands. As the sad news of Elizabeth II's death broke a few hours later and Twitter struggled to keep up, the brands were ready to speak up.

This thread collects many of the best and worst brand tweets (Paddington Bear saying goodbye is a nice touch, some of the others maybe not so much).

There's a time for brands to hijack news events, but there's also a time where their input really adds nothing and is far riskier than any reward. As Holly Brockwell put it, "No one wants your brand's take on the death of the Queen."

And if you simply must tweet something, its tone, and how well the message aligns with your brand, are key considerations.

A significant death also brings out tasteless attention-seekers of other kinds. Don't believe those people who claim to have predicted the date of the Queen's death - it's an old, tired trick.

That said, the modern world of social media meant that people discovered the news from some very odd places, like an American Girl Doll meme account or an Instagram gossip site. It's not exactly the BBC's Huw Edwards in a black tie for everyone these days.

We've reached the point when the things they said would never happen are happening. First Twitter created an edit button, and now Instagram is set to test a 'regram' button.

“We’re exploring the ability to reshare posts in Feed — similar to how you can reshare in Stories — so people can share what resonates with them, and so original creators are credited for their work,” a spokesperson from Meta told TechCrunch in an email. “We plan to test this soon with a small number of people.”

Given this was something Instagram had previously said was off the cards, it's a notable shift - especially as traditional Instagram posts haven't had much love from a product perspective for a while

As TechCrunch points out, this could help cut down on content thievery on the platform by providing an official way to provide credit to the original creator.

However, as former Meta employee Michael Sayman suggested on Twitter yesterday, there is a slight smell of desperation around the move. "I was very much against the idea of introducing a 're-share' feature on Instagram way back in the day. A lot of us agreed that it should only be used as a 'last resort' when users officially give up on posting on the platform. Interesting that they're going for it now."

And as journalist-turned-investor Josh Constine put it: "reshares of feed posts that will further drown out your friends? This is why BeReal is blowing up."

A few weeks ago, Instagram was fully committed to becoming a Reels-first platform. It's reassessing that in the face of user resistance, while it's also pulling back from its push into shopping, which isn't working out as it hoped.

In the face of all this, ideas like a repost button feel like Instagram is trying to find its north star again.

'Twitter is a bit of a mess internally' is the current media narrative around the company. That's been perfectly illustrated by the news this week that Twitter almost launched its 'Birdwatch' anti-disinformation initiative with a believer in the far-right Trumpist fanfic version of the world, QAnon, as one of its users.

That near-miss reportedly followed weeks of warnings from experts that Birdwatch (which allows trusted users to annotate tweets to provide context for users) could be hijacked.

Elon Musk's lawyers will no doubt have the episode, part of whistleblower Peiter 'Mudge' Zatko's disclosures, lined up as evidence that the billionaire should be able to back out of buying Twitter.

And all the Musk drama has been taking its toll inside Twitter. A report from The Verge and Platformer showed that plans to fight extremism on the platform were stymied as efforts to fight bots and spam (a Musk obsession) took priority.

Still, Musk's lawyers won't have long to work all this evidence into their argument. The judge in the court case denied his attempt to delay the case - it's still set for next month.

In other developments: Twitter claims Mudge never flagged spam problems in his time at the problem; Musk told his team earlier this year that the deal should be slowed down in case World War III broke out from the war in Ukraine; Twitter asked Elon Musk to hand over all his text messages from the first half of 2022, ...and Elon Musk's friend David Sacks can't dodge a Twitter subpoena.

🤷 It's not just you

Annoying bugs causing headaches for SMMs everywhere:

Given how important Reels is on Instagram nowadays, this bug is... less than ideal.

🔥 Going viral

This week's Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, and Chris Pine drama kept the memes flowing with every twist in the tale...

A couple of choice examples:

❓ Question of the week

I crowdsourced a collection of the best and worst brand reactions to the Queen's death out there. Check the replies some truly awful examples (and some good ones, too). Then add any that are missing 👇

This isn't the worst example I've seen, but...

🤦 Fail of the week

Fail: Tagging the wrong Liz Truss account

Win: The wrong Liz Truss account rolling with it in style

👉 On-point meme

👀 Must-read of the week

Whether you like it or not, podcasts are shifting to video in a big way.

Want a good summary of this article? Try the author's Twitter thread about it.

The format that got us all to listen is becoming visual, and podcasts will never be the same

🔨 Tools of the week

This all-in one video editor is now available on desktop …And it pulls trending audio from TikTok!

Also:

  • ThreadMagic transforms Twitter threads into shareable carousel-style PDFs for LinkedIn in one click.

💬 You can quote me on that

When I'm mentioned in the news, you'll find it here:

I gave my (brutally) honest assessment to Journalism.co.uk.

Also:

💡 New feature spotlight

This feature could help you find the right audience for your Reels videos...

🎚 New hardware for creators

"YoloBox stands out as a standalone device that you can use to run a live production with multiple cameras, without needing a dedicated desktop or laptop to stream."

📈 Charts of the week

The climate emergency could be a problem for online tempers:

Social apps: who hates which apps the most?

🔵 Meta news

It doesn't seem very... responsible... to disband a group "put in place to address potential downsides of the company’s products". Meta says the efforts will continue without a dedicated team.

  • Meta has closed its 'Responsible Innovation' team. [Wall Street Journal $$$]

  • Facebook recently started hiding tracking IDs in its URLs. [Meta Newsroom]

  • Meta's next Connect event will take place on 11 October, focusing on the metaverse. [The Verge]

  • The FTC wants Meta to ask for permission for any acquisitions ahead of its court case over its Within deal. [Bloomberg $$$]

  • Instagram has been fined €405 million for violating children’s privacy, in the second-largest GDPR fine ever levied. [Politico]

  • ...and Meta engineers have no idea how safely user data is handled, according to unsealed court documents. [Motherboard]

  • Instagram has suspended P**nhub's account on the platform, but the adult entertainment company claims it is only temporary. [Motherboard]

  • Facebook login buttons are disappearing from third-party websites as the public becomes more concerned with privacy. [CNBC]

  • Meta has acquired German startup Lofelt to boost its VR haptics capabilities. [Wall Street Journal $$$]

  • Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen isn't keen on the company copying TikTok. [CNet]

  • Meta has introduced a 'Creators of Tomorrow' showcase. [Meta Newsroom]

  • Meta has launched a campaign in Europe to showcase potential impacts of the metaverse. [@alexvoica]

Insights to give you an edge at work:

New features and tests:

Facebook:

  • Facebook has added an 'Updates you missed' feature in Notifications. [@pururajdutta]

Instagram:

  • Instagram is to test an official 'regram' feature. [TechCrunch]

  • Instagram now lets you add a 'Topic' tags to Reels. [@MattNavarra]

  • Instagram is testing a new web UI. [@edizmeta]

  • Instagram now adds a TikTok-style watermark to downloaded Reels. [@MattNavarra]

  • Instagram is testing a 'liked by creator' label on comments. [@hammodoh1]

WhatsApp:

  • WhatsApp is working on chat-based surveys to get your opinion on its latest features. [Android Police]

🐣 Twitter news

Twitter has confirmed more about how the edit button works. Blue subscribers in New Zealand will get it first.

  • Twitter is ramping up its Birdwatch anti-misinformation initiative in the US. [Twitter blog]

  • Fact-checkers are mostly happy with Twitter's edit button. [Poynter]

  • Disney's former boss has spoken out about the company's aborted decision to acquire Twitter in 2016. [CNN Business]

  • Serena Williams is the most tweeted-about female athlete ever, according to Twitter data. [Variety]

Insights to give you an edge at work:

  • Twitter is to offer a new business marketing workshop series to help you improve your strategy on the platform. [Social Media Today]

New features and tests:

  • Twitter for Professionals now has a jazzed-up device contacts syncing feature. [@ahmedghanem]

  • Twitter has rolled out the ability to schedule up to 10 Spaces, up to 30 days in advance, to all users. [@TwitterSpaces]

  • Twitter now lets Android users share tweets to Snapchat. It was already available on iOS. [@TwitterSupport]

  • ...and Twitter is testing a WhatsApp share button in India. [TechCrunch]

  • Twitter has expanded its test of a new Spaces tab design to Android. [@TwitterSpaces]

  • Twitter has created a pop-up warning users that using the edit button may reveal which country you're in, due to its limited availability. [@alex193a]

  • Twitter has been spotted testing a new Replies icon. [@techjalal]

  • Twitter is now letting some UK users apply for Super Follows. [@MattNavarra]

  • Twitter seems close to launching Spaces for Communities. [@alex193a]

  • Twitter is testing a tweaked design on iOS to make it easier to see which version of the timeline you're viewing. [@TwitterSupport]

  • Twitter could soon add a Spaces bar to the web interface. [@alex193a]

🔺 TikTok news

A group claimed to have accessed source code and user data, but TikTok says there's no evidence of a breach.

  • ...and TikTok is throwing parties to charm the US cybersecurity community. [Insider $$$]

  • TikTok is going to remove "invalid" linked Instagram accounts on 13 September 13 for “security reasons”. [@MattNavarra]

  • Details have emerged of ByteDance's next Pico VR headset. [Protocol]

  • ...but ByteDance is reportedly downsizing its gaming division. [South China Morning Post]

New features and tests:

  • TikTok now lets people see you viewed their posts. You can also see which followers viewed your posts. This can be controlled in your privacy settings. [@MattNavarra]

  • TikTok now lets you replace a sound in a video if the original is removed for copyright violation. [@jonah_manzano]

  • TikTok has added video retention rate insights to its in-app analytics. [@MattNavarra]

  • TikTok has added more regional trend insights to its ‘TikTok Insights’ data tool. [Social Media Today]

  • Disney Parks now lets you have TikTok text-to-speech on your videos voiced by Haunted Mansion of Pirates of the Caribbean characters. [AdWeek $$$]

  • Branded content analytics have been spotted live on TikTok. [@YasserM86]

💥 More social media news and updates

Snap is in recovery mode following the recent culling of a fifth of its workforce.

  • ...and Snap has to keep running Zenly until French regulators allow the app to close. [Sifted]

  • Snap's boss says TikTok has only succeeded due to the "billions and billions of dollars" ByteDance put into it. [Forbes $$$]

  • The UK's Online Safety Bill looks set to be watered down under new Prime Minister, Liz Truss. [Financial Times $$$]

  • Doomscrolling has been linked to poor physical and mental health, in a new study. [The Guardian]

  • Truth Social is struggling to attract fresh interest from investors. [The Guardian]

  • The UK’s data protection regulator will ensure adult-only online services are taking steps to prevent children from accessing their services. [Bloomberg $$$]

  • Chinese social media platforms are putting hidden watermarks on screenshots to make 'sensitive data' easier to trace across the internet. [Motherboard]

  • India is cracking down on fake and paid reviews on social media. [Bloomberg $$$]

  • Senior execs from Meta and Pinterest must appear at an inquest into the death of Molly Russell. [The Guardian]

  • Pinterest has shared its approach to tackling political misinformation ahead of the US Midterms. [Social Media Today]

  • ...and Snapchat has announced a push to get its US users to vote in the Midterms. [Social Media Today]

  • BeReal pushed out its daily notification just as the UK's prime minister was announced. Was it a deliberate move? [@MartinSFP]

  • Crypto scammers exploited interest in Apple this week to reel in viewers. [Gizmodo]

  • YouTube and Instagram are in hot competition to fill TikTok's absence in India. [Bloomberg $$$]

  • YouTube could add Shorts to its Kids app. [Insider $$$]

  • YouTube once tried to recommend videos based on quality, not just engagement. [Big Technology]

  • Google has removed several YouTube rippers from its UK search results. [TorrentFreak]

  • Google has let Parler return to the Play Store. [TechCrunch]

  • Google's acquisition of YouTube nearly fell apart after a Googler snooped on the video platform's ad revenue. [Insider $$$]

  • LinkedIn will hold a conference focused on the recruitment industry this October. [Social Media Today]

Insights to give you an edge at work:

  • How Daily Mail's 35-strong Snapchat team connects with 15m subscribers. [Press Gazette]

New features and tests:

  • YouTube has launched an ad-free video player for education. [The Verge]

  • Snap has launched its first ‘Bitmoji Drop’ of exclusive digital merchandise for Bitmoji characters. [Social Media Today]

  • Reddit is simplifying its UI. [Gizmodo]

  • Microsoft Smart Campaigns that lets you run ads on Facebook and Instagram among other locations. [Search Engine Land]

📖 Weekend reading

How “coolhunters” helped make YouTube into an internet sensation before the algorithms took over.

😳 And finally...

Merriam-Webster Adds Internet Slang to the Dictionary

New words added include 'yeet' and 'janky'... they're 'adorkable'. Tap through for the full list 👇

📅 Back next week...

…And that is EVERYTHING you need to know about this week.

You can get your ass outta here!

YEET! (sorry)

Before you go…

I will have some exciting Geekout Newsletter news to share soon.

Keep your eyes locked to my Twitter to find out more.

Goodbye geeks!

– Matt

P.S. I need your help…

What’s the ONE thing I should change about the Geekout Newsletter to make it even better?

Hit REPLY to this email and tell me!

_______

This newsletter is edited by Martin SFP Bryant

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