Social media updates and new features to know this week
Including Snapchat, Facebook, Pinterest and more.
Good day, social leaders! It’s a new week with new updates, including numerous ad options in Pinterest. Let’s take a closer look at these changes and see how they can help streamline your social media strategies.
Snapchat
Snapchat is introducing Memories Storage Plans for users whose memories exceed 5 GB. If a user has under 5 GB, nothing changes. But for those over the limit, they’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.
The plans include 100 GB or 250 GB for Snapchat+ users with another option for a 5 TB plan through Snapchat Premium. These may be good options for users who take a lot of Snaps and wish to use those images and videos on other platforms without having to go back and delete saved Memories every time they reach the 5 GB threshold.
The plans range from $1.99 per month to $15.99 per month.
Snapchat additionally launched the new feature, “Say It With A Sticker, Anywhere.” This tool allows users to use Snapchat’s sticker library outside the app via two new tools: an iMessage app and the Snapchat Keyboard on iOS and Android.
Meta has rolled out new protections for teen accounts.
These include limiting who teens can interact with, restricting content shown to them and tighter controls in direct messages.
In addition, Meta also launched the School Partnership Program so that teens can report safety concerns, like online bullying, with Meta committing to respond within 48 hours.
The app makers are also expanding an online safety curriculum for middle schoolers and a peer-led version for high schoolers that teaches topics like spotting online exploitation and safe social media use.
Meta has also enabled a paid, ad-free option for Facebook and Instagram users in the United Kingdom. This means that our friends across the pond who are over 18 can opt in by paying between 3 euros and 4 euros per month to not see ads while using the apps.
TikTok
While it’s not a new feature we finally have some clarity regarding the fate of TikTok in the U.S.
The White House announced in a press release on Sept. 25 that a deal has been reached, with Oracle providing security, to keep TikTok safely operating in the country.
Per the release: “(TikTok U.S.) will be majority-owned by U.S. investors, operated in the U.S. by a board of directors with national security and cybersecurity credentials, and subject to strict rules to protect Americans’ data and our national security.”
So TikTok stays and all worries can be put to bed.
TikTok is also rolling out new charitable-campaign features:
- Donation Amplification: When a creator starts a fundraiser, followers can use the donation sticker (or link in profile) to feature the campaign directly in their own posts or Stories. Those user-amplified posts show up on the original fundraiser page, expanding reach and elevating community participation.
- Existing Fundraisers List: This allows users to browse charitable campaigns more easily and discover causes they might want to support within the app.
Pinterest has introduced an update to its advertising offerings with the launch of “Top of Search” ads, currently in beta across all monetized markets.
These ads appear within the first ten search results and in Related Pins, targeting high-intent shoppers during key discovery moments.
According to Pinterest, internal testing indicates that these placements yield a 29% higher click-through rate compared to standard campaigns, and are 32% more likely to attract new customers. Ninety-six percent of these searches are unbranded, meaning advertisers have a unique opportunity to capture consumer interest early in the buying cycle.
Pinterest has also expanded its advertising toolkit with several new features. The “Local Inventory Ads” provide real-time pricing for in-stock items within a shopper’s nearby store.
The app’s “Media Network Connect” feature allows advertisers to integrate “retailer first-party audiences and conversion data directly” into Pinterest Ads Manager through partnerships with platforms like Kroger Precision Marketing and Instacart Ads.
The new tools can help streamline campaign management and improve targeting precision, allowing advertisers to make more informed decisions backed by data and insights.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].
