Social media updates and new features to know this week
Including Threads, Snapchat, Instagram and more.
Hello, social friends! This week, there are several updates to your go-to social platforms that could help shape your comms or PR strategy. These include carousel ads on Threads, more user control over chats on Snapchat and new options for audio language translations offered on YouTube. Let’s dive in and see where these new features can inform your social approach.
Snapchat
Snapchat is rolling out two new features that give users more control and ways to stay connected with friends over time. The updates, called Infinite Retention and Group Streaks, are meant to let people customize their chats more deeply and engage more in group activity, according to the app makers.
Here’s a breakdown of each new feature:
- Infinite Retention: You can now choose to keep any individual conversation forever, rather than losing messages after a short period. Each chat has its own setting and you decide which one gets infinite retention. When someone turns this setting on for a chat, everyone in that chat is clearly notified.
- Group Streaks: Previously, streaks were mostly between two people. With Group Streaks, Snapchat lets whole groups build a streak together. Every Snap sent to the group counts toward continuing the streak as long as most people in the group stay active. If the streak ends, there’s still a grace period. In other words, you can restore it within a week. Like other features, it’s optional and private, so you can opt in.
Threads
Threads has introduced new ad formats, including carousel ads and simplified campaign setup. This enables brands to build a more authentic presence on the platform. Meta says the platform is also testing Advantage+ catalog and application ads on Threads, providing more avenues for brands to connect with users.
Meta also announced an update to Instagram’s Reels, which includes Trending Ads. This is now available to all advertisers, per Meta. This feature allows brands to place ads alongside the most trending and culturally relevant Reels content, with early testing showing a 20% increase in unaided brand awareness.
Instagram has also expanded its Shots feature to more regions, allowing users to share one-time-view photos with followers who follow them back, per Social Media Today.
This “no-edit, no-filter” option aims to encourage spontaneous interactions and authentic engagement, similar to BeReal and Snapchat’s ephemeral content. Once viewed, the photo disappears, and while the sender can access it in their archive, the recipient cannot see who else received the shot. This move aligns with Instagram’s broader strategy to foster more intimate and direct connections within the app, the outlet reports.
Reddit has launched new Pro Tools to help publishers share and track content more effectively. The suite includes article insights to monitor views and engagement, auto-importing of RSS feeds for instant sharing and AI-powered community recommendations to reach the right subreddits, according to Reddit.
Currently in beta, these tools are being tested with publishers like The Atlantic and NBC News. Reddit is also improving in-app article viewing, letting users read stories and swipe up to join discussions without leaving the platform.
Reddit has additionally introduced new ways for users to track community activity more easily. The updates include a redesigned community activity feed that highlights trending posts, popular discussions and key engagement metrics, giving members a clearer view of what’s happening in their favorite subreddits.
These changes aim to make it easier for users to stay connected, discover content, and participate in active conversations across the platform.
Facebook will soon be rid of community chats. Group admins have recently been notified that community chats will no longer be an option, per social researcher CM Calgary, who shared a screenshot on Threads. An official date has not been announced.
YouTube
YouTube has expanded its multi-language audio feature, allowing creators to add multiple audio tracks in different languages to their videos.
This enables viewers across the globe to watch content in their preferred language, enhancing accessibility and engagement.
For instance, YouTube gives the example of chef Jamie Oliver’s channel, which experienced a threefold increase in views by offering Spanish, Portuguese and Hindi audio options.
Creators can upload these audio tracks using YouTube’s Subtitles Editor, and viewers can select their desired language from the video settings. This feature aims to help creators reach a global audience and provide a more inclusive viewing experience.
LinkedIn has introduced two new engagement metrics: “Saves” and “Sends.” The “Saves” metric tracks how often users save a post to revisit later, indicating content that resonates and holds long term value, according to LinkedIn creator Sam Corrao Clanon.
The “Sends” metric captures how frequently users share a post with others, reflecting its perceived relevance and potential to spark conversations.
These additions provide creators and brands with deeper insights into audience interest and content impact beyond traditional metrics like likes and comments.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].
