Social media updates - January 2017

Facebook adds video captions

You may be aware that Facebook videos automatically play without sound. But did you know that Facebook have launched a free captioning tool allowing brand pages to caption their video content? The software has voice recognition that will transcribe the audio, allowing users in a public space who don’t have access to headphones, to play the video.

Facebook Live on desktop

Facebook Pages can now go live from desktop without the use of a tablet, smartphone or camera with this months update. Previously, only Page Owners were able to go live, but now they can grant permission to other users to take over.

Facebook Messenger gets an upgrade

Back in April 2015 Facebook launched a dedicated web interface for Messenger. This month, Facebook integrated this into the desktop version of Facebook to replace the older interface. Thus, streamlining the user experience across desktop and mobile.

Twitter tries to kill Vine

Remember Vine? Twitter announced back in October 2016 that they were going to kill off their beloved platform but instead have created an archive of content. Users will no longer be able to create new videos, but will have access to existing video content. This month they announced that instead of closing the app completely, they are now going to launch a “Vine camera” instead. Do you think that Vine will return from the grave or is this the end of this video sharing platform?

“Explore” to replace Moments on Twitter

Twitter Moments are no longer featured on the platforms mobile app and instead have been replaced by “Explore” which highlights what is currently trending, including live videos. Last month we saw Twitter Live become available directly through the app, without the use of Periscope, so it will be interesting to see if more people start to use this feature as it becomes more known in "Explore". With this, comes a re-order of the tabs along the bottom of the app, shifting "Notifications" to the centre of the screen.

Expect to see ads on your Instagram Stories

Instagram are playing catch up with Snapchat on the advertising front and have now added ads to their Stories. Ads won’t be shown unless a user has watched multiple Stories beforehand and with 70% of users already following brand pages, this has a lot of potential for advertisers.

Snapchat introduces universal search

This month Snapchat launched their universal search bar, which sits at the top of the screen and allows users to navigate the app to find friends and groups. This new functionality allows users to interact with friends and see when they last updated their story. Users can also search for new accounts to follow through existing contacts under "quick add".

Go live on YouTube. And make money doing it.

YouTube announced their new feature this month, “Super Chat”, which that allows users to go live with their fans and make money from doing so. Users can pay money to have their messages stand out in the live stream, allowing both YouTubers and their fans to connect in a new way.

YouTube introduces “on the rise”

YouTube are also highlighting new accounts on a weekly basis to encourage users to discover new content. Each week, YouTube will select two creators and two music artists who are “on the rise” to feature on their trending section of the platform.