YouTube Shorts' new features set to compete with TikTok & Reels

Hello again and welcome to this week’s Social Buddy newsletter, where we share the news from the world of social media, insights and tools for creators, and the latest social media marketing trends. 

Some highlights you’ll find this week: 

• 👻 Snapchat has a new partner to provide data insights for advertisers 

• 🎥 YouTube Shorts will have new features to boost social engagement and creativity 

• 🫧 Facebook and Instagram are testing “Clear Mode” on reels for a cleaner viewing experience 

Check out the biggest headlines from this week in social media: 

Instagram and Facebook are testing out “Clear Mode” for viewing Reels, but we’re still waiting on a full release. 

In May, Instagram tested out a “Clear Mode” for viewing Reels that allows users to remove the UI elements like the profile name, caption, and like, comment, and other engagement buttons for a clearer view of the content itself. This past week, Facebook started testing out Clear Mode as well. In both apps, a long press on the screen would remove the description and buttons for a less cluttered viewing experience, but Meta hasn’t released the feature on either platform officially yet. This feature is available on TikTok and would make the Reels watching experience a bit more like its competitor. Read more.

TikTok modifies ad targeting and AI disclosures to improve privacy and control on the app.

TikTok announced last week that they were updating their ad experience for “enhanced transparency and control over data.” One of the main changes is how advertisers target teens in the US – advertisers will not be able to directly target users 13 to 17 in the United States, and can only use broader targeting options like location and language. Users will also be able to have more control over which ads they see based on their interests. For advertisers, TikTok has added an AI disclosure tool to help label AI generated content. Read more.

New features are coming to YouTube Shorts.

YouTube announced some exciting new tools coming to YouTube Shorts this week, some of which seem made to compete with short-form content like TikToks and Instagram Reels. One big addition is the “Add Yours” sticker that creators will be able to add to videos, prompting viewers to respond with their own content. Other new features include auto-generated captions that can be customized with different fonts and colors, as well as different voice-over voices to choose from. Another auto-layout tool coming soon will make is easy for creators to turn their long-form videos into Shorts. Read more.

Instagram’s Adam Mosseri says they’ll be adding the ability to add a collaborator retroactively.

In an Instagram video, Mosseri responded to a question about adding collaborators after publishing and said “that is really an oversight on our part, so we should try to get that fixed.” While there’s no timeline on when this function will be available, but since he posted it publicly, it’s fair to assume that it’s on the way. Adding a collaborator is a great tool for creators, as collaborative posts can reach a larger audience since they’re posted on both users' timelines, and users can share data with one another by posting as collaborators. 

LinkedIn is releasing sponsored newsletters for companies to improve growth and generate leads.

LinkedIn is expanding upon its offerings, with new sponsored newsletters rolling out to company pages. This is in addition to their sponsored articles, a new feature back in January of this year. With sponsored newsletters, companies can create a newsletter in the LinkedIn app, which serves to boost sign-ups and improve lead generation while sharing gated content with their subscribers. Newsletters can also be boosted to further expand their reach. Social Media Today reports that LinkedIn newsletters saw a 47% increase in engagement in the last year, so sponsored newsletters could be a big value add for businesses. Read more. 

Snapchat partners with VideoAmp to provide agency partners with reach planning and measurement tools.

Snap Inc has announced a partnership with VideoAmp, a media measurement and optimization company. The partnership aims to provide Snapchat’s agency partners with more actionable data about their ad campaigns and their audience on Snapchat. With more in-depth data, Snap hopes to provide better information for advertisers and to drive ad spend on the app. Read more.

Also in the news: 

• Spotify allows all podcasters to post videos, expands comments on videos, and more features that make the music app a social media experience.

• Instagram is launching a “pics please” sticker for users to respond to a story with images that can be re-shared.

• X is testing out a broken heart dislike button, similar to Reddit’s downvote.

• Pinterest is launching a gen AI tool “Canvas” to enhance images on their platform.

• Instagram’s “Close Friends Only” Live Podcast episode shares tips on how to grow your Instagram account.

Thanks for reading! If you haven’t subscribed already, click here to sign up for weekly updates about the latest social media tools and trends.

Until next week,

Social Buddy