AKRON — Do you ever feel like social media platforms change too fast for you? Or, out of nowhere, you open up a site and it looks different?
There are always new tools and features being added to social media sites and I wanted to give you a quick guide for catching up and some resources to gain more information.
Facebook:
One of the biggest complaints users have about Facebook is about privacy issues. For a while it seemed that Facebook didn't hear these complaints, but recently, it has picked up the pace.
According to a wired.com article, Facebook is launching new features that will enable users to have email notification protection. This is just one attempt Facebook is making to protect user privacy. The article details some of its other initiatives.
Facebook also is expanding its Facebook Place Tips that can help local businesses connect with customers in the store. Check out this smallbiztrends.com article to get all the details on how this can work for your business.
Twitter:
Twitter has a few new features, but one definitely stands out to me. The direct message — where you can directly speak to someone on Twitter, without it being open to the public — previously had a 140 character limit and you could only message one person at a time. However, Twitter is changing that.
This can open up a great conversation tool for your business with your customers if they have questions about your business.
Twitter also now has a “While You Were Away” feature that will recap some of the top tweets you may have missed. Twitter is a fast-paced site and this feature will help you get pertinent information you may have missed.
The last thing about Twitter I want to touch on is Periscope, which is Twitter's livestreaming app. It was at first available only for iOS users but is now available to Android users as well.
LinkedIn:
LinkedIn is the site for professionals and it's really trying to be a one-stop shop for your business needs. It has Pulse, a news app, and is now bringing back human editors to cater content to your needs.
Be on the lookout for some other new features coming from LinkedIn, including messaging.
Instagram/Pinterest:
I am putting these two sites together because even though they are different, they have both recently rolled out some new actionable button capabilities.
For Pinterest, there will be “Buyable Pins” — where instead of just browsing for ideas, users will actually be able to buy items off Pinterest.
For Instagram, there will be “Learn More,” “Sign Up,” etc. buttons for users to further engage with brands.
Google+:
I think maybe the most interesting part about Google+ is the conversation that is happening now. Google really wanted to play in the social media game and although Google+ is still around, it's not as accessible as it used to be, for those of us who bothered going there in the first place. When trying to click into it, you now have to go to the drop down menu, making it even more time-consuming to get there.
Here are two articles that detail what is going on with Google+ if you want more information:
Google Plus profile links gone
Google Plus isn't dead: It's just gone to a better place
Social media is a medium that's constantly evolving, but for the most part, the basics stay the same. If you ever need any help, just reach out! jkarpus@crain. Or @jenniferkarpus