Social Media Updates You Need to Know – January Edition

The world of social media is constantly evolving, and staying on top of the latest changes can be a game-changer for your business. Whether you’re navigating new features, adapting your strategy, or simply staying informed, here’s what’s happening across the major platforms this month.


Facebook

Of Interest

Meta has sparked concern by introducing AI profiles to “boost engagement.” These AI-generated accounts are so convincing that marketers risk wasting time building relationships with bots. Read more here.

In a controversial move, Meta plans to replace fact-checking with Community Notes, a system used by X (formerly Twitter). This could mean more political content appearing in Threads and Instagram feeds without the option to opt out.

What’s New

  • Enhanced Reels Captions: Hashtags and @mentions are now highlighted in classic blue, improving visibility.
  • Monetisation for Creators: Creators can now include more prominent affiliate links in Reels, videos, and posts, offering new opportunities for influencer partnerships.
  • New Stories Features: A “Thoughts” sticker is reportedly in testing.

Facebook screen


Instagram

What’s New

  • Reels Improvements: A “View Full-Screen” option cleans up the UI for better viewing, public Save metrics are rolling out alongside likes and comments and Reels can now be as long as 3 minutes.
  • New Grid Preview: It’s all changed on the grid, image size is now 3:4 which is 1012 x 1350 BUT you can still post single image posts and Carousels with the standard 4:5 size or 1080 x 1350 but watch the margins if you are adding text.
  • Cross-App Engagement: Testing has begun to let users see Facebook content (like Reels) on Instagram, which could be a win for those with unique Facebook strategies.
  • Music Filtering: Organise music by “For You,” “Trending,” “Original Sound,” or “Saved,” and use the new fade-in/out feature for seamless audio transitions.
  • Business Inbox AI: New AI tools can detect leads or sales within customer chats and feed this data into workflows. Scheduled DMs are also being tested, perfect for managing inquiries outside office hours. (yipppeeeeee, a game changer for us!) 
  • Stories Updates: Add Memories stickers, media in replies, and even share multiple carousels directly to Stories.
  • Note functionality: you can now invite others to collaborate on your Note. This is a fantastic feature for brand partnerships, joint events, or creator accounts working together. Simply click the Collaborate icon (on the far right), and it appears the Note will be visible on both collaborators’ profile icons in the Inbox. 
  • Reels Performance: the platform is now providing insights on why a specific Reel performed well. Includes feedback like, “Strong hook kept people watching,” paired with data such as, “most viewers watched longer than 10 seconds.” This kind of feedback is invaluable for understanding what’s resonating with your audience and replicating that success in future content.

TikTok

Of Interest

TikTok is introducing a referral program allowing signed creators to earn by recruiting new creators. Plus, TikTok Shop is expanding to the UK, starting in Spain. And as of today (20th Jan Donald Trump has reversed the US ruling) 

What’s New

  • TikTok Studio Updates: You can now schedule posts and access creators’ analytics for better campaign planning.
  • Content Export Options: Save videos without watermarks, streamlining your Reels or Stories creation.

TikTok Content Export Option

  • Enhanced Contact Management: Business accounts can now track customer requests and save data directly to Contact Cards, enhancing social commerce.

Contact Card LinkedIn


X (formerly Twitter)

Of Interest

  • Hashtags are officially out, according to Elon Musk. 
  • The platform prioritises positivity (ironic hey!) and entertainment over news and politics, likely inspired by TikTok and Meta’s successes. X Premium is also now 37.5% more expensive.

What’s New

  • A TikTok-style video feed is in the works, including a dedicated button for easier access.
  • File attachments in DMs are being tested, which could be useful for sharing resources like lead magnets.

LinkedIn

Of Interest

LinkedIn’s new Companies Hub in Campaign Manager (relevent to those of you who run ads) provides real-time insights into how businesses engage with your content. This helps you track warm leads and optimise ad spending. 

What’s New

  • Public Video Views: Videos now show view counts, boosting engagement with “social proof.”
  • Save Button: Encourage users to save your posts with prompts, as LinkedIn emphasises saving as a key engagement metric.

Bluesky

Of Interest

With 25 million users, Bluesky is still growing but things have slowed since the mass X exodus. Find out more here

Trending topics and mentions tabs are now available, making engagement and content ideas easier to manage.


Threads

Of Interest

Threads is growing rapidly, hitting 300 million monthly active users, with projections suggesting it could overtake X in 2025. (🥳)

What’s New

  • Testing Scheduled Posts: Finally, plan and post ahead.
  • Testing Trending Topics: See what’s popular and tailor your content accordingly.
  • Reshare with Credit: Easily share others’ content while giving proper attribution.
  • Notes Style Feature: coming soon.

Final Thoughts

These updates highlight key opportunities and challenges for businesses managing their own social media. 

Whether you’re experimenting with AI-driven tools, monetisation features, or platform-specific strategies, staying informed is essential. This is why joining The Social Media Game Changers is a no brainer. You will have access to the latest platform updates, advice on how to save time posting content that truly resonates with your audience and that little extra push to “jolly well post it”

For more information sign up via www.socialhoneycomb.co.uk and we will be in touch soon. 

 

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