TikTok in Mercedes and paid profiles on Mete

We’ll Pay More for Meta Profiles, TikTok Gets Better, and YouTube Takes on Streaming Services. 👀 As we bid farewell to another month, we delve into the latest social media developments. 😎

Paying Extra for Verified Profiles on Meta

Following in Twitter’s footsteps, Meta has announced that verified accounts will now come with a fee. While Twitter’s similar move turned out to be a massive misstep, Meta introduces this change as a significant advantage for both brands and creators.

Subscribers will receive the official blue badge, direct support access, and enhanced profile visibility and reach. The pricing allows you to choose between web-only or also iOS and Android subscriptions, costing $11.99 and $14.99, respectively. Thus, if you wish to have your profile verified across both web and iOS platforms, the cost will be $26.98.

Currently being trialed in Australia and New Zealand, it remains to be seen whether this initiative will extend to other regions.

Keyword Searches in Comments

Meta strives to streamline user interaction across its platforms, hence introducing a feature that enables keyword-based comment searches, along with emoji and usernames.

Forget about CMD+F or endlessly scrolling through comments. 🙌 This is in addition to simplifying comment moderation with the introduction of new analytics, potentially making third-party social media profile reporting tools, like Kontentino or Zoomsphere, obsolete.

Location Tags in Reels

When scrolling through Instagram Reels, you might soon catch a new detail. Now, you can know the location of the creator or profile. Instagram aims to enhance transparency and combat misinformation spread by trolls and fake influencers with this simple location tagging. Yet, with VPNs easily accessible, bypassing Instagram’s location settings is trivial.

Channels or Group Chats

Given the popularity of direct messaging on Instagram, Meta is rolling out a new feature – group chats, known as channels.

Channels can be started by personal profiles, creators, or brands. The objective is for these chats to connect like-minded people, facilitate discussions on specific topics, and share the latest updates.

Similar chats for Facebook groups have already been introduced. However, the initial weeks have shown a confusion regarding their purpose, quickly becoming catch-alls for various messages or resembling automated chatbot behavior.

Do you embrace this function, or do you tend to exit every group chat and plan to ignore those on Instagram?

TikTok x Mercedes

TikTok is steadfast in its aim to cater to everyone, everywhere, demonstrated by its partnership with Mercedes-Benz. New E-class vehicles now let users watch TikToks directly on the integrated screen, via the MBUX multimedia system.

The feature is only operable when the car is stationary, allowing users to entertain themselves while refueling or parked. Although this might seem like a niche market strategy, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz begs to differ, pointing out that the average age of S-Class owners in China is about 40 and below, aligning with TikTok’s target demographic.

Direct Shopping on TikTok?

A few months back, we discussed how Instagram discontinued its “shop” feature, only for TikTok to introduce in-stream shopping. Users in China and the US can now make purchases from brands or creators without ever leaving the TikTok app.

Isn’t it a straightforward and efficient way to encourage more app usage?

Resetting the FYP

If your TikTok For You Page has become monotonous, or if you’ve accidentally skewed your algorithm while seeking inspiration or influencers, rejoice at the news of a test feature that allows users to reset their FYP, offering a fresh start with the app.

YouTube Videos with Dubbing

Aiming to keep pace with other social platforms, YouTube introduces a notable improvement. Global creators can now add multiple audio tracks, or dubbing, to a single video. 🤩

Users can select audio languages just as they can choose subtitle languages, provided they’re available.

This feature offers creators, such as Mr. Beast who have separate channels for different languages, the opportunity to consolidate their audience on a single profile regardless of language preference.

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