Platform 5: This week’s most important social media changes
This week’s most important social media changes including floating videos from Facebook
What’s changed in the last seven days? What does it mean?
This week Facebook has made two big moves testing floating video and changing the way cost per click advertising is measured. Twitter adds birthday information to users’ profiles, and Instagram supports higher resolution imagery.
1. Facebook tests floating videos
Facebook is testing a floating video feature which allows video to be popped out from the News Feed to allow users to continue watching as they scroll. Users click the square at the bottom right of a video which will continue it to play and can be dragged anywhere on a screen. The feature is currently available for a select number of users.
Read more about Facebook floating video.
2. Facebook changes CPC measurement
Facebook is changing how cost-per-click will be measured to help support link clicks. As part of their new ads application programming interface version 2.4, CPC will only refer to link clicks as; clicks to other websites, clicks to other websites through call to actions including ‘shop now’, clicks to install apps, clicks to Facebook canvas apps, and clicks to video views on other websites.
Read more about Facebook changing CPC measurement.
3. Twitter adds birthdays to profiles
Twitter has added birthday information to profiles in order to serve more relevant ads. Adding birthday information can be shared publically or privately. A user can update their birthday information through ‘Edit Settings’.
Read more about Twitter adding birthdays.
4. Instagram to support bigger images
Instagram will soon support images that are 1,080 pixels by 1,080 pixels, an upgrade from the current 640 pixels x 640 pixels. The app gradually began rolling out support for larger sized images on iOS and Android last week. This means higher quality images across the platform will be supported.
Read more about Instagram supporting bigger images.
5. Google Maps allows Facebook location shares
A new iOS Google maps update 4.8.0 now allows users to share locations via pins to Facebook and Facebook Messenger. The update also features improved transit directions and a new image gallery for places.
Read more about the new Google maps update.
We’ll be back again next week with another top five social media changes. For more, you can head on over to our Thinking page.