Sometimes with social media updates, there is no “heads up!” given. This week users on Instagram and Twitter experienced this, while LinkedIn revealed the result of a shift they also made right under their user’s noses. Here is what’s changed in social media this week.
Instagram Hides Likes in Several Large Countries for Testing
After a few months of talking about it, Instagram users in several countries logged in to find that their like count feature had been removed, revealing their likes on a photo they posted only to themselves. “We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love,” said Mia Garlick, Facebook’s Australia and New Zealand director of policy.
“We want your friends to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get. You can still see your own likes by tapping on the list of people who’ve liked it, but your friends will not be able to see how many likes your post has received. We’re looking forward to learning more about how this change might benefit everyone’s experience on Instagram.” Instagram announced in a Tweet.
Will it stick? Only time will tell. If this strategy proves to benefit Instagram’s user experience, Instagram plans to roll it out worldwide.
Twitter Gets a New Look on Desktop
A very long overdue redesign of Twitter on desktop has finally rolled out – and users everywhere are rejoicing after seven years of waiting for a new look. For years, users have complained that there is a significant difference in the user-facing functionality between the mobile and desktop versions of the platform. The new, sleek look reflects many of the beloved features from the mobile app, and it rolled out to every Twitter user – with no option to go back to the legacy view. Twitter wants to prove it is still listening to what its users want… however, there has still been no mention of an “edit” button. To see our team’s thoughts on this update, click here.
LinkedIn Explains Why Engagement is at a Record High
If you’re on LinkedIn, you may have noticed that this year there were record numbers for engagement. Why? The algorithm.
Last week LinkedIn revealed their algorithm to users, which comes after their announcement in October of 2018 where they stated that they had not distributed rewarded posts effectively. Now, LinkedIn will reward the content creators that engage the most with other users, instead of those who continuously push out content.
LinkedIn and Social Media Today suggest you remember these tips whenever you choose to post to LinkedIn – and remember that quality is always better than quantity.
- Post things that encourage a response
- Think about using the best type of post for the topic
- Use @mentions to pull other people you know into a conversation
- Engage in the conversation
Did you know every one in three professionals on the planet are on LinkedIn?
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