Good Ideas, Bad Ideas, and Everything In Between on Social Media
Ever regret posting something on social media? We’ve all had those moments of realizing an idea wasn’t as great as we thought it was at first. This week, the team at Twitter is having that awful gut-wrenching feeling as they finally admit defeat on Fleets. Meanwhile, Instagram is trying to save you from accidentally posting something that isn’t ready, adding a drafts functionality to their Story posts. And finally, in an idea that we’ll be looking at closely, Messenger is adding ‘soundmojis’, allowing users to reply to one another with audio clips. Let’s dive into these social media updates, starting at the bottom.
Photo by Twitter
Life Is Fleeting, and So Were Fleets
Last week, we reported that Twitter was still trying to make Fleets happen. They weren’t going to happen. Twitter is finally ready to say goodbye to Fleets. The folks at Twitter took quite a few lessons from their flop and we can too. To start, the purpose of Fleets was to reach those people that weren’t already participating on Twitter. Instead, they continued to be used by active Tweeters, often as a way to compliment Tweets.
Being such an established, unique platform, new users weren’t downloading Twitter to see if their story feature was worth creating a profile. New social media features won’t necessarily attract a new or different audience – they’re more likely to engage the existing users. Looking ahead, Twitter says it’ll keep searching for ways to appeal to non-participants and open up the conversation. They’re also looking into more ways to add media and variety to Tweets, to keep what active users loved about Fleets.
What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?
Starting August 3rd, you won’t be able to Fleet anymore – if you ever did. Twitter isn’t backing down from incorporating media, expanding its user base, and making the platform more visual. For now, use your Twitter account to Tweet and listen in on Spaces. There may be new opportunities and improvements coming to the platform soon!
Photo by WFBrother
Stories Just Got A Little Sweeter: Drafts Are Here!
A short-and-sweet new update from Instagram might have a big impact on your engagement! With Instagram’s new Story drafts feature, as shared by social media beta tester WFBrother, you’ll be able to create Stories ahead of time. Once you design your story and go to exit out, you’ll be prompted to save your story as a draft. Within the next seven days, you can access your draft to post it for real.
So why is this simple little feature so great? Social media connoisseurs know the importance of posting times on engagement and views. Now, you can put the time into your Stories and still post right on schedule! Posting at a peak time (like 11:00 am on a Wednesday) can increase engagement with your stories or even drive views to your profile. Set a reminder on your phone and then you’re ready to roll!
What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?
This feature will be good for posting stories you want to be seen. It’ll be even better for stories you want to see interactions with. So anytime you’re adding stickers, posting multiple stories in a row, or even advertising a limited-time event, go ahead and create your draft ahead of time. You can also tell your users when to expect a new story from you – like when you’ll answer their questions or reveal the results of a poll – and design it ahead of time! This makes all the ways you can engage with your audience through Stories all the more practical for the busy business owner.
Photo by Messenger
Your Own Personal Sound Board: Soundmojis
Drumroll, please! Facebook has been taking on the world of audio recently, with live audio rooms, podcast hosting, and more. They’re also incorporating small-scale sounds in a new way on Messenger. These ‘soundmojis’ will let Messenger users respond with an audio reaction to their conversations. You can hit them with a laugh track, a cricket chirping in awkwardness, or even a clip of Rebecca Black’s Friday to end the week.
Soundmojis feel like the first of their kind delivered to a broad audience. But this trend started long ago. Think back to the sound effects we hear throughout YouTube videos and the more recent rise of ‘sounds’ on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Using the same sounds for humor is starting to become a part of our culture and Messenger is the first to make the trend as simple as a tap on your phone.
What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?
So sounds are a trend. What do you do with that information? It’s not likely that you’ll rise to stardom enough to be a soundmoji yourself, and that’s okay. However, learning how to work with sounds to talk about your business is a great way to appeal to the internet-savvy audience. Using a TikTok sound they’ve heard before and adding your own spin on it can be a great way to connect and get some laughs. Even the overly specific becomes a little more approachable with sounds we know and love.
Ok, now what?
Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.
