Instagram continues to rise above Snapchat in the fight for Stories fans. Meanwhile, Facebook sets its mind on Mentorship, and YouTube wants to bring you more virtual reality content. Here is what is trending in social media.
YouTube Dives Deeper into VR
Have you caught on to the VR craze? YouTube, the world’s largest video platform, is aiming to provide VR fans with an even better virtual reality experience.
The platform acknowledged, on its blog, how more creators are using the emerging technology to tell stories, share experiences, and provide visibility to things that have never been seen.
In encouraging more VR content, the platform introduced a new feature in the YouTube VR app that lets you watch and discuss videos with others in a communal, virtual space. This new feature, accessible in the YouTube VR app, allows people to “Watch Together.” YouTube says that there are already more than 800,000 experiences in the virtual world, and expect more soon.
Some examples the platform used was tagging along backstage with Portugal. The Man and Hayley Kiyoko as they prepare to go on stage.
Are you considering producing VR content for your fans?
Instagram Continues to Reign Over Snapchat
It’s no secret that since Instagram added its Stories feature, Snapchat’s popularity has started to plummet, and now the numbers are in to prove it. Snapchat’s daily user numbers shrank 1.5% to 188 million in the second quarter of 2018, down from 191 million in the previous quarter. The platform took a hit in its most valuable market, North America. And, according to Business Insider, Instagram is at 300 million monthly active users compared to Snapchat’s 33 million.
Snapchat faced a backlash against an unpopular redesign in November that prompted 1.2 million users to sign a petition urging the company to revert to the previous layout. Snapchat is still ranking high in popularity for teenagers, but failing in all other demographics. How do you think this will impact how brands interact on Instagram and Snapchat?
Facebook Now Offers Mentorship
Facebook has been focused on its Facebook Groups feature with its newest change being a subscription feature to help admins make an even bigger impact on their group communities. Now, the company is tapping into LinkedIn territory with mentorships through its Groups. They started testing out the Mentorship with a couple of non-profits in 2017 and are finally rolling out to the masses.
Each mentee and mentor was matched by a nonprofit partner organization to work through a step-by-step program, according to Fast Company. The programs were developed by the organizations, tailored to fit the mentees, and geared to work directly on the platform through private interactions between the pair. And there won’t be any algorithm interference for connecting. It’s a very manual process that relies on administrators’ expertise within their communities and the qualifications of its members. And the company provides admins with additional tools to help them manage the influx of information and customizes the data to help them ask more specific questions to make prospective pairings.
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