Written by Hoozu Head of Client Services, Analise Trotter.
In this rapidly-evolving industry, staying ahead of the curve with the latest developments across social media is an overwhelming challenge. Fortunately, keeping an eye on all the shifts and changes is an always-on activity for us at Hoozu… so let’s dive into some of the latest news
The Headlines
- Algorithm Secrets Revealed – Shareable Content is THE Key to Reaching Higher on Instagram
- Pinterest Responds to the Rise of ‘MeCore’
- Community Management Chatbots for Meta Influencers?
- TikTok – Something Big & AI-Centric is Coming
- Private Sharing Takes Priority on Instagram
Algorithm Secrets Revealed – Shareable Content is THE Key to Higher Reach on Instagram
It’s not often that Instagram officially confirms the numerous rumours and assumptions around how to pander to its elusive algorithm, so it’s pretty exciting when they do. IG Chief, Adam Mosseri, has confirmed that Sends-per-reach are now a key focus for the algorithm and creators should be producing content that inspires the act of sharing with friends. Instagram’s recent rollout of visible Send counts highlights this focus.
So what does this mean for brands/influencers posting on Instagram? Well, as Mosseri himself says, “Don’t force it as a creator, but if you can, when you’re making content, think about making content that people would want to send to a friend, to someone that they care about, and it will help your reach over time.”
Pinterest Responds to the Rise of ‘Mecore’
Gen Z makes up over 40% of Pinterest’s global monthly users and are their most engaged generation. For them, it’s more than an inspiration source, but a place for self-reflection and expression. Pinterest has noticed its Gen Z users organically sharing screenshots of their Pinterest boards to other platforms like Instagram and TikTok in a trend dubbed, ‘mecore’. They claim, “Searches around “mecore” have increased by 565% year over year on the platform, and boards with the title “mecore” have increased by 255% since last year”.
Noticing this huge trend, Pinterest are adapting to the TikTok era, introducing a new feature where users can create and share videos of their Pinterest boards directly on other social platforms – maintaining the quality and branding otherwise lost in screenshots.
The opportunities for branded influencer content using this feature are huge – especially in project-based videos like DIY, cooking, styling. We’re excited.
Community Management Chatbots for Meta Influencers?
Mark Zuckerberg has announced the U.S. beta-test launch of AI characters on Instagram via Meta “AI Studio”, to enhance creator-community interaction. In other words, a chatbot to handle Influencers’ community management. These AI avatars, created by users to interact with fans, will primarily appear in direct messaging, with the ability to answer questions in the style of that account.
It’s an interesting prospect and one that poses several questions for us. One the pros side, such a feature will allow creators more time to work on their content and less time on admin. For small businesses too, AI can be a great way to interact with potential consumers. The Bots will be marked with disclaimer notes in the chat to indicate that it’s an AI the responder is interacting with. Plus they’ll be custom made to reflect the creator themself. And yet, we can’t help but wonder if the roll-out of such a feature will serve to create more of a gap between the Influencer and their followers. Narrowing a personal proximity that actually gives Influencer Marketing most of its value and success. Time will tell.
TikTok – Something Big & AI-Centric is Coming
A recent US trademark filing suggests that TikTok is advancing its capabilities and gearing up to launch its own AI chatbot named “Genie” to Western users.
Known for its AI-powered algorithm, TikTok has been testing an AI recommendation chatbot called “Tako” in the Philippines since May last year. Tako guides users to other videos in the app. Genie, however, will aim to integrate various AI functionalities into the one stream, including TikTok’s generative AI search function, to enhance discovery within the app.
This trademark indicates TikTok’s efforts to expand its AI capabilities amid growing competition in the AI space, as they face potential divestment or a ban in the US in 2025 due to national security concerns. Read more here.
Private Sharing Takes Priority on Instagram
If the emphasis on sends-per-reach wasn’t evidence enough of Instagram’s current focus on private sharing, their tests of a new ‘Chat Widgets’ feature certainly is. Mosseri recently stated that “friends now post a lot more to stories, and send a lot more DMs, than they post to Feed.” An observation that aligns with the broader trend of shifting to more enclosed social media interactions, with close friends only, as opposed to publicly.
Instagram is testing out “Chat Widgets” as a way to boost more engagement in DMs by adding tools and indicators to chat flows. App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi shared a screenshot of the test, which includes a Countdown widget, a Timezone widget to display the local time of each chat participant, and a Pinned Content widget for quick access. These widgets aim to add context and drive engagement by incorporating informational tools directly into chats. For brands, chat widgets could offer new ways to interact with customers, such as sending time-sensitive offers or displaying local times for better communication and response times.
While there’s no official release date or complete list of widgets, Instagram’s move towards enhancing private engagement with these new features is clear. We’ll keep an eye out for further updates on this development.
There’s no end to the development of today’s social media channels as they each aim to out-evolve the rest. They certainly keep us on our toes and make our industry an exciting one – forever creating new ways for people to express themselves and be heard. And yet, trying to stay on top of everything is pretty much a full time job, so if you’re a brand looking for support in maximising your influencer marketing efforts in the face of constant change, get in touch with us today. We’ve got you covered.
