Weekly social roundup

Oh, boy! What a week.

Hello! And welcome to Talk Social To Me! We’re back for another round and a slightly different look. We’re switching things up, folks! We’re trying new things! So hopefully you like it. And if not, I’m sure you will tell me!

It’s been a week! Both professionally, personally, and social media-y (yikes, I’ll work on that). Social Sound Report has officially gone live! It’s my new newsletter for all things trending audio and sounds. I give you a detailed (and I mean deTaiLEd!) rundown on what the trend is, who it’s good for, and how to tailor it to your niche.

In other social media-related news, there has been SO much going on. From Meta’s trial finally over (what will the decision be?!) to X slowly (ever so slowly) attempting to be an everything app, it’s been a week of highs and lows for our friends in social.

Let’s get into it.

A guessing game

A Very Meme-orable Week

I don’t know why, but I will forever find it entertaining when someone doesn’t know a very popular thing. I find it sweet. I find it cute. I find it wholesome. And I forever find it kind of funny! 

There is a current trend happening on TikTok where people are showing their friends, partners, parents, co-workers, etc, images of people or objects they don’t think the other person will be able to identify. 

For example: “Female objects I don’t think my male coworkers will be able to name,” or “British celebrities I don’t think my American girlfriend will know.”

Again, it’s light entertainment that I can’t seem to get enough of.

A guide to your LinkedIn influencer journey

LinkedIn Bros! New updates are here! 🎉

If you’re one of the 10 people in my life who are or are trying to become a LinkedIn influencer, you’re going to want to know about these updates. As they are big. And important. And it will seriously help you grow on the platform.

Last year, LinkedIn went in hard on video content (you know, like every other platform in the world), and now it’s giving creators even bigger insight into how their content is doing. 

Back in Feb, LinkedIn released a whole lotta video tools (like creator analytics, video feed updates, and better search around videos!), and now it’s digging in deeper into analytics. 

The new analytics will help users determine more than just the basic metrics on their posts (ie, likes, shares, demographics, etc); LinkedIn will now give creators insight into HOW users engage with their content. 

You’ll now be able to see how certain posts got you new followers, new profile views, clicks on your CTA, and more. 

And honestly? This is pretty huge.

With these insights, you’ll be able to see what kind of content people like from you (did they follow you after a recent video?); what kind of CTA is driving them to your profile or clicking your link; and then you can start making more informed decisions around the content you make in the future. 

These new insights are available to all creators (no matter how big or small you are!). 🫶

Want to get your biz out there?

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Top social media highlights from the week 🗞️

Meta

• A new feature I enjoy from Instagram?! Instagram now supports 3:4 aspect ratio photos.

• Hmm, I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending! Meta is updating its privacy policy again.

• Meta is opening its first retail store for its Smart Glasses. First step to eyewear domination!!!! 

• Think you should go live on Instagram, if you want to grow on the platform? Adam Mosseri says, “Think again!”

• You can now share other people’s Instagram posts to your Threads. 

• Instagram is giving tips on how to make your Reels even better before you post them.

• WhatsApp is getting more and more features that are exactly like Instagram. WHY?!

• New live streaming features have made it to Facebook! 

• You can now pin chats inside Messenger.

• Facebook now allows users to share their notes publicly. Catch me never doing that.

• There are HOW MANY active users for Meta AI? Apparently, one billion. Woof.

• What’s that? More and more features released on Edits? Yup, that, including new video effects and color filters.

• But it’s still not a fan favorite, like Meta was hoping for.

• Want to know how trendy a topic is on Threads? You can now search and see the number of recent posts created under that topic.

• Meta AI is now integrated into Instagram Stories. Yuck.

• Instagram will soon let you rearrange your Instagram grid … HURRAH!

• Edits will be bringing an in-app teleprompter to the app, so you can read your script from the screen.

TikTok

• Finally! You can now like and reply to comments directly from your notifications on TikTok.

• TikTok is stealing from Instagram with its link-sharing sticker for Stories.

• You’ll soon have even more control over who can message you on TikTok.

• Want to live stream on TikTok? You only need 600 followers now.

YouTube

• YouTube has launched split-screen ads, which play side-by-side to the livestream you’re watching.

• YouTube is bringing an engagement leadership board to livestreams.

X

• Psst: Your chats on X aren’t encrypted right now, as it’s updating its messaging app.

• X Originals, a new original content space, is coming to a social media app near you. 

• X is working harder than ever to bring a payment solution into the app.

Others

• LinkedIn’s newest addition? A dedicated video tab called “Today’s Top Trends.”

• Spotify is working on becoming more of a social media app with its newest following feed, comments, and more.

Get the popcorn ready!

Your weekly check-in on the trial of the year! 🤓

OKAY! The judge has heard from both the FTC and Meta on whether or not Meta is running a monopoly. It’s been six whole weeks (wild!) and now … we wait. 

The FTC claims that if Meta hadn’t bought WhatsApp or Instagram, the apps would have thrived on their own and could have been potentially bigger than Facebook. But because Meta stepped in and bought the companies, the competition was wiped out. Thus, a monopoly was born.

Meta argued against that statement, saying the buyout benefited both the apps, allowing them to grow and thrive under the Meta umbrella. 

Did they have a strong enough defense? Unclear. It seems the judge seems to know that the FTC didn’t present the strongest case against Meta, but he also doesn’t seem convinced by Meta’s antics either. 

If he rules in favor of the FTC, we could soon see Meta needing to say bye-bye to Instagram and WhatsApp. 😬

The marketing tool of dreams 💭

I did something a bit out of my comfort zone, and I broke up with Google Analytics. 🫢 As much as I love GA4 for a lot of things, I didn’t feel like I was getting everything I needed when it came to following a customer journey on my clients’ websites. 

And boy, oh boy! Amplitude is THAT GIRL. 

I’m talking about clarity! Next-level data! You get information on absolutely everything: clicks, conversations, bounce rate, and session replays. Yes, all that, but the game-changer for me?

I don’t have to guess what’s actually working. I can see exactly how a user moves through the funnel, where they drop off, what keeps them engaged, and how different segments behave.

You can run experiments, track outcomes, and optimize with actual data (what a concept!). 

If you’re a marketing girlie looking for a tool to help you dig a bit deeper, Amplitude could be just the thing you’re looking for.

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It’s time to update your feed

Instagram updated its image aspect ratio (and you should too) 👀

Does this seem like a massive change to most? No. But, it really, really is. 

Instagram now allows users to post 3:4 photos, which is the default camera image size. 

YAY! 

No more annoying cut-offs of your image. Whatever you capture straight from your phone’s camera will now be able to be seen fully on IG. 

Blessed.

Favorite read of the week

Men are calling their friends to say goodnight. 🥹

Honestly, this is such an important and fascinating read. We read all the time that there is a male loneliness epidemic, and with the new trend of men calling their friends to say goodnight for a “joke,” it seems this might actually be good for them? 

cries

The videos start off as funny, but the more and more I watch them, the more wholesome and lovely I find them. Men getting awkward and a tad uncomfortable, but leaning into the fact that their friend just wants to wish them a restful sleep. 

HOW SWEET?!

According to experts, these check-ins are actually incredibly important to men (and all people, really!), and this cute little trend can be the best thing to happen to men in a long time.

Worth the follow

An account I am loving right now 🫶

The Branding Club. 

Honestly, if you guys are reading this, are you hiring?

Whoever runs their TikTok account always chooses the best sounds, trends, and random video ideas that keep me constantly engaged and scrolling through. Highly recommend if you’re ever feeling in a rut with your content and need a little inspiration!

Listen to this

How YouTube quietly took over TV, with CEO Neal Mohan 🎧

The Town is one of my all-time favorite podcasts (yes, even before The Studio made it popular!!). Matt Belloni recently sat down with the CEO of YouTube to talk about the future of YouTube and content creation, and it was FASCINATING.

They spoke of how much YouTube is kicking everyone’s ass when it comes to streaming, and where YouTube wants to spend its energy in the future. If you want a lesson in PR, this episode and the one with Spotify are two great ones to learn from.

Annnnd, that’s it for this week.

Thanks for reading! If you made it to the end, you’re my new favorite.

We’ve recently launched a new TikTok account, so if you want updates over there as well, give us a follow!

See you next week!

Mackenzie