July was a substantial month if not only for the emergence of cult-favorite virtual-reality phenomenon, Pokémon Go.
There are many ways to market your business using the app and many are already embracing it (link is to a blog post on my site that shows real examples) and tying it into social media strategies.
Additionally, sharing content via social media management platform HootSuite got easier with their new content source integration options.
Facebook and Twitter also had a variety of updates, and Snapchat introduced Memories and search functionalities.
Without further ado, here are some additional major social media updates from July 2016:
Big changes are coming to Facebook Live. The social network will let broadcasts run for up to four hours – or even continuously in some cases. Plus, you can now hide reactions and comments, view livestreams in full-screen, and restrict who sees your broadcast.
Learn More: 5 Big Facebook Live Updates Marketers Need To Know
Facebook has unveiled a new mobile ad format that lets you target people who have downloaded your app and are more likely to become loyal customers and make purchases.
Learn More: Facebook Unveils New Intent-Based Mobile App Ads
Facebook’s advertising revenue skyrocketed to $6.2 billion, an amazing 63 percent increase compared to the same quarter last year. Facebook’s total Q2 2016 revenue hit $6.44 billion.
Learn More: Facebook Now Has 1.7 Billion Monthly Active Users
Snapchat
Snapchat has introduced a new feature called Memories, which lets users save, search for, and reuse their Snaps and Stories.
Learn More: Snapchat Memories Lets Users Save & Search Snaps
Twitter’s ad revenue grew 18 percent year-over-year to $535 million in Q2. But Twitter also said they are “seeing a continuation of the trends discussed last quarter with less overall advertiser demand than expected. This is reflected in both our Q2 performance and Q3 outlook.”
Learn More: Advertisers Are Abandoning Twitter
Twitter opened Gnip’s Audience API to provide brands more data about users who see their tweets and visit their website. Essentially, marketers can collect and analyze data about a defined group of Twitter users to gain new audience insights.
Learn More: All Brands Can Now Get Twitter Demographic Data
Twitter now has a form that allows anyone to apply to get their account verified. Previously, it was fairly difficult to get an account verified. Usually, only celebrities had their accounts verified by Twitter automatically, or you had to prove via email or the support desk why you needed your account to be verified.
Learn More: Twitter Announces Form to Verify Account
When are brands and businesses most responsive on Twitter? A new addition to Twitter profiles aims to make this clearer to users.
Learn More: Twitter Displays Most Responsive Times of Brands
Twitter announced a new feature called ‘Stickers’ that are essentially a mash-up of hashtags, emoticons, and Snapchat filters all in one easy-to-use photo features.
Learn More: Twitter Announces Searchable #Stickers: Are They The New Hashtag?
What was your favorite social media update of July 2016?
Image Credit: Snapchat screenshot taken by author of Snapchat’s “Introducing Memories” video.
Image Credit: Twitter image via DepositPhotos and modified with Canva. Screenshot taken July 2016.
