Social media updates and new features to know this week

Welcome to a new week of updates. Nikita Bier is stepping down as X’s head of product after just over a year in the role, though he’ll remain with the company as an advisor.

In his announcement last week, Bier said it was time to “pass the torch and demote myself to my natural state: a poster.” He added that “running this app is a 24/7 job and it’s now time for me to take a breather.”

During his tenure, X rebuilt or overhauled major parts of the platform, including the timeline, Android app, onboarding and chat, while also making changes to video and efforts to reduce copied content and engagement bait.

So far, the platform has not named a replacement.

Here’s what else is new.

How has X’s creator program changed?

X is replacing its existing Creator Revenue Sharing program with a new Original Content Rewards Program that puts more emphasis on original material and content.

Last week, X stopped accepting new sign-ups for the old program, which will fully end Sept. 7. The replacement program will pay eligible creators based on “qualified impressions” on original posts, including writing, videos and images.

X says commentary, analysis and firsthand reporting can also qualify, but copied posts, lightly edited reposts, content compilations and cross-platform reposts generally will not.

What is LinkedIn changing about comments?

LinkedIn will now personalize the order of comments based on a user’s professional interests, connections and past engagement.

Social researcher Lindsay Gamble says the platform is testing ways to surface more timely, relevant comments directly in the main feed so that users can discover a discussion and jump right into it without having to open the original post.

LinkedIn said during its second quarter earnings call that time spent reading comments is up 18% year over year, which helps explain the increased focus.

What is Meta testing in Edits?

Meta is adding several experimental tools to its beta tab in Edits.

Social Media Today reports that tests include:

• Customizable speed for more precise slow-motion or speeding up effects.
• A one-tap color correction that automatically adjusts exposure, contrast and tone.
• Folders for organizing multiple video projects.

The beta tab itself launched in June and lets creators turn upcoming features on or off and send feedback before Meta rolls them out more broadly.

The outlet also reports that Meta is adding more perks for people who pay for Meta One, with tools aimed specifically at helping creators and businesses grow their audiences.

Subscribers will be offered a larger follow button on Facebook Reels, expanded AI-powered response tools in Messenger, enhanced profiles that can feature more off-platform links and profiles, and the ability to add up to three business locations.

The platform is additionally promoting automatic invitations, which can invite people who interact with a post to follow the account, as a way to “grow followers automatically.”

How is YouTube’s Live Practice Mode helping creators?

YouTube launched its new Live Practice Mode feature that lets creators rehearse a livestream before anyone else can see it.

Social researcher and creator Rene Ritchie explained that creators can enter a private practice session to test their setup, get comfortable managing the stream and work through what they want to say without a real audience watching.

When they’re ready, they can switch directly from practice mode into a public livestream. The feature is rolling out to all creators using mobile live streaming.

Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].