Social media evolves at the rapid-fire pace of the internet. Here’s a rundown of some of the most recent and relevant social media news and trends, so you can keep up with new possibilities and changing functionality.
Ever since Facebook launched messenger as a standalone app, it’s been clear they aim to keep users within their own framework for as long as possible. Facebook moves business further in-house by testing new shops, a built-in e-commerce model for Facebook pages. They’re also trying out their own version of Siri, a digital assistant nicknamed Moneypenny.
If you are checking Facebook and Twitter for your daily news fix, you are not alone. A new report cites that 63% of users now turn to social media as a news source. This probably has more to do with filtering algorithms and publishing than it does users’ habits.
Instagram’s website functionality continues to grow, as they introduced search functionality to the web yesterday. Now you can look up locations, hashtags and usernames even if your phone isn’t handy.
Snapchat faces competition from some new apps. Yahoo snuck out a new “video messaging” app for iOS last week, while YouTube star Casey Neistat just launched the purposefully no-frills and no-edits Beme.
YikYak has cautiously rolled out the ability to post photos. Don’t worry, everything’s still anonymous – any selfies won’t make it past the facial-recognition filter.
Amidst plenty of in-house shake-ups, Twitter continues to roll out new features. You may have noticed that article links now expand automatically in the Twitter feed, or played around with the new data dashboard to make sure your account is secure.
Finally, General Electric launches a partnership with livestreaming app Periscope, transforming this week into the high-flying #DRONEWEEK. If that’s not enough of a trip, take a peek into livestreams from around the globe with this new map of Meerkat streams.
