Welcome back to our weekly social media news recap where we give you a quick rundown of all that gone down this week.
First up, Instagram recently unveiled its 2024 Trend Talk which shed light on the shifts in user behavior. Gen Z, in particular, is steering towards more meaningful connections to foster relationships with friends and family. Social media usage is also undergoing a transformation, with a pivot towards more private, enclosed group interactions.
Meanwhile, Meta's Threads has surged ahead in app store downloads, outpacing X (formerly Twitter). According to Apptopia's analysis, Threads experienced a remarkable uptick in daily downloads, soaring from 350,000 in early November to an impressive 620,000 by late November. This unexpected resurgence is undoubtedly due to X’s current drama.
Threads is also introducing a major update that includes the global rollout of tags, a feature previously tested in Australia. Users can now tag one topic per post, avoiding the common pitfalls of tag spam. Unlike conventional hashtags, this new approach allows the inclusion of spaces and special characters in phrases, providing users with a more versatile tagging experience.
On the front of corporate rebranding, Elon Musk's vision for X as an “everything app” gains momentum. Recent developments include the acquisition of additional money transmitter licenses in multiple U.S. states, signaling X's entry into the payments sector.
But with the recent drama, X also opted to adjust its focus from big advertisers to smaller brands in a bid to meet revenue goals. With the top 50 advertisers spending nearly $1 billion annually on in-app promotions, X aims to bridge the revenue gap by targeting niche businesses. The introduction of a more affordable tier, the “Basic” version of the Verification for Organizations package, is designed to attract small and medium-sized businesses by offering a gold checkmark, priority support, Premium memberships, and ad credits.
As 2023 draws to a close, Google makes a significant announcement regarding its podcast strategy. The standalone Google Podcasts app is set to shut down next year, and in preparation for this transition, Google launches a migration tool. U.S. users can seamlessly shift their existing podcast subscriptions over to YouTube Music, which emerges as Google's new hub for podcasts.
However, not all technological unveilings receive unanimous praise. Google introduces Gemini, its most powerful suite of AI models yet, facing accusations of exaggerating its performance. Critics argue for a more transparent approach and overall better AI that actually does what it says it does on the tin.
This is it for this week! If you have missed anything, let’s know in the comments. And, don’t forget to follow for weekly updates! 🚀 #SocialMediaInsights
You can now catch up on social media news and the latest marketing strategies weekly with the Nuelink team.
Read Our Blog Posts for This Week 📚
Create Content 🤳
Holidays 🎉
Dec 11
National App Day.
UNICEF Day for Change.
Dec 12
Green Monday.
Universal Health Coverage Day.
Dec 13
Ice Cream Day.
National Cocoa Day.
Dec 14
Free Shipping Day.
More Good Today Day.
Dec 15
International Tea Day.
Ugly Sweater Day.
Dec 16
Day of Reconciliation.
Underdog Day.
Dec 17
National Device Appreciation Day.
Wright Brother's Day.
Trends 📈
The “Breaking in at 3AM” Trend: People on TikTok are using this trend to talk about their skills and hobbies. Just add this sound and a text overlay to describe what you will be doing if someone broke into your house at 3AM.
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The “I Can’t Do Nights” Trend: Content creators are using this sound to explain why they can't make plans at night. This trend is a great one for the workaholic business owners and social media marketers whose working hours extend far more than the usual 9 to 5.
The “Empire State of Mind” trend: Use the trend's sound to post about your brand or products. Whether you're displaying products, sharing behind-the-scenes stuff, or joining the trend in a fun way, this is a great way to help you generate traffic.
Christmas Content: Christmas content is all the rage right now. Use one of the trending Christmas sounds, you can head to our Instagram to find out the best ones to use, add a few Christmas hashtags, and voila.
Memes 🤣
The “GTA Trailer” Memes: Just 15 hours shy of its release, the GTA 6 trailer was leaked on YouTube. After the leak, the game trended on X and the memes followed.
https://x.com/NikTekOfficial/status/1731095653302886447?s=20
Read about Social Media News 📰
TikTok 🎤🎧
TikTok Owner Bytedance Is Launching Custom AI Chatbot Creation Tools.
TikTok Shares Key Tips for Advertisers in ‘What’s Next’ Trend Report.
Instagram 📷
Instagram Provides Future Trend Predictions in ‘2024 Trend Talk’.
Instagram Tests New ‘Hype’ Option to Encourage Engagement with Stories.
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X is now licensed for payment processing in a dozen US states.
X Considers New Initiatives to Attract More SMBs to the App.
X now lets users broadcast community posts to all followers.
Google 🔎
YouTube 🎥
YouTube Highlights its Top Trends, Topics and Creators of 2023.
YouTubers can now pause comments after Google moderation tweaks.
Facebook 📘
Meta Faces $600M Fine in Europe Over Possible Data Protection Laws Violations.
Meta will let you ‘reimagine’ your friends’ AI-generated images.
LinkedIn 🧑💼
LinkedIn Launches “Guide to Creating” to Provide More Tips for Members.
LinkedIn Rolls Out New Updates for Newsletters, Including Improved Creation and Customization Tools.
Pinterest 📌
Snapchat 👻
Bluesky ☁️💙
Bluesky rolls out automated moderation tools, plus user and moderation lists.
Bluesky says it will allow users to opt out of the public web interface after backlash.
Threads 📝
Instagram Chief Offers More Insight into Content Ranking in Threads.
Adam Mosseri says Threads won't be getting chronological search results.
Threads downloads return to growth as X adds Walmart to its advertiser exodus.
Threads is rolling out its hashtags without the hash symbol globally.
Hot SaaS Tools on the Market 🔨🧰
Nuelink: Plans, automates, schedules, cross-posts, and manages your social media platforms and content for you.
Crisp Chat: A live chat software that goes beyond simple chat support. It offers automation, chatbots, and a unified inbox for all customer communication channels.
Quuu: Helps you discover and share high-quality content relevant to your industry or niche. It can save time on content creation and boost your social media presence.
Awario: Provides real-time social listening and sentiment analysis. It's great for tracking brand mentions and staying on top of online conversations.
Our Two Cents on Social Media Marketing 🧙♂️
Update your social media profiles with festive branding elements such as Christmas-themed cover photos, profile pictures, and post templates. This helps create a cohesive and festive brand image.
Develop engaging and shareable content related to Christmas. This could include holiday-themed videos, images, polls, and interactive content that encourages audience participation.
Incorporate popular and relevant holiday hashtags into your posts. This can help your content reach a broader audience and increase visibility during the festive season.
As usual, use Nuelink to keep your social media marketing plan running without investing much time and resources with its automation and scheduling features.
I hope you enjoyed this week's Nuesletter by Nuelink. Stay tuned for the latest news, tips, and more!
See you next week!