Everyone is scrambling right now. Facebook is killing featured content contracts with news publishers, Instagram walked back the new Feed layout test because everyone hated it, and Twitter is hiking the price of an already struggling product. What is going on?!
Here’s more social media platform news:
1. Facebook will not renew featured content contracts with news publishers
Back in 2019, Facebook added the News tab. That isn’t going away, but the company has decided to stop paying publisher to place their content there.
From the WSJ:
The decision affects deals worth over $100 million, according to a person familiar with the situation. Meta had signed up a host of publishers in recent years, including deals worth tens of millions of dollars with news organizations such as The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Washington Post.
2. Twitter hikes the price of Twitter Blue by 67%
This seems odd, considering the product isn’t doing so great. No new offerings, just a price hike?
From Social Media Today:
As you can see in this notification, the monthly charge for Twitter Blue access is jumping from $2.99 to $4.99 in the US, with all other regions also seeing the same relative increase.
3. Instagram walks back new Feed changes
Turns out, the feedback on Instagram’s new Feed changes was not so great. The full screen experience did not feel like Instagram, and people lost it. Kylie Jenner even shared a petition to make Instagram Instagram again.
From Platformer’s interview with Adam Mosseri:
Instagram will walk back some recent changes to the product following a week of mounting criticism, the company said today. A test version of the app that opened to full-screen photos and videos will be phased out over the next one to two weeks, and Instagram will also reduce the number of recommended posts in the app as it works to improve its algorithms.
4. Twitter’s status markers are being tested in Australia and the US
Essentially, this is the Facebook “feeling” indicator.. but make it Twitter? Here are your options:
I don't know how twitter managed to release a more embarrassing and unusable feature than cotweets in the same month but here it is. these are all the statuses you can use. no custom statuses allowed pic.twitter.com/2BPwku1qi1
— Takes Of Vesperia (@coolranchzaku) July 27, 2022
And it’s not customizable. This doesn’t feel like a game changer.
5. Facebook may allow users to hold multiple accounts, tied to one master
The idea is to keep users posting by allowing them to segment their audiences. This could be really useful for feed organization and engagement.
From Bloomberg:
As part of a test, certain Facebook members will be able to create as many as four additional profiles, and each one won’t need to include a person’s real name or identity. Users could have one for friends and another for co-workers, for example, each with its own feed. But they will only be able to comment or like another post with one profile.
