[via Radu Oncescu, Threads] I just got back from Duel Tech’s Social Commerce Summit in New York where I shared my evaluation framework for new apps and platform features: The Teen Girl Hierarchy of Needs. Scroll down for the formula! Plus, the social apps continue to morph into dupes of each other as they borrow successful features and formats. ⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY The dots are gone! Instagram carousels look just like Threads  Meta Verified for Business has new tiers of support from $50 to $350 per month Instagram told creators to keep videos less than 90 seconds TikTok is testi ..read more

This week is a PACKED with updates from all the major platforms so let’s get right into it. ⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY Dua Lipa dropped a new Stories music sticker — this is your cue to pay attention to Instagram’s marketing strategy Instagram changed Reels recommendation rankings to make it easier for smaller creators to break through TikTok Carousels just got a big visibility boost with a new photo tab A new licensing agreement means UMG tracks will soon be back on TikTok LinkedIn launched Games this week — are you feeling it? Your Summer 2024 plans brought to you by Skittles and Air ..read more

Welcome to April’s ICYMI: You Need to Know It Edition! Instagram just squeaked in a major update at the last minute so I’m dedicating the first part of this newsletter to their new focus on smaller creators.  The rest of this newsletter is a monthly round-up of major platform updates that I provide for paid subscribers. Let’s get into it!  ? ? Instagram Ranking Update for Creators Instagram just announced that they want to help smaller creators find new audiences for their Reels. Previously, recommended Reels were ranked primarily based on how an account’s followers engaged with t ..read more

Scroll all the way down to get some suggestions of tools, social-first brands and your next marketing book mentioned at Social Media Week. ⏩️ Carousel Posts Are Taking Over I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Carousels are one of the hottest formats on social right now.  We know TikTok is encouraging users to post more photo carousels (they claim photos can get 2.9x more comments than videos) and Instagram’s launched several carousel tests and updates in the last few months.  It seems more creators and brands are jumping on carousels while they’re hot — which I’m here for ..read more

[Adam Rose on stage at the Creator Economy Summit via The Information] ⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY Top takeaways from this week’s Creator Economy Summit How to make emojis glow in your Instagram Stories and more tips Instagram launched a Notify sticker for creators, like YouTube’s notification bell YouTube’s new AI feature lets you skip to the good parts of the video TikTok’s launching a dedicated feed for STEM content in Europe I’ll be in NYC next week for Social Media Week with Dash Hudson, co-hosting a meetup for marketers and creators. See you there? ? ROADMAP ? Meta Updates The ..read more

Welcome to March’s ICYMI: You Need to Know It Edition, recapping the major platform updates you might have missed this month. Your feeds may have been full of speculation about the potential TikTok ban this month but I am here to remind you that other platforms exist — and they’ve been busy! Let’s get into it. Here are the highlights of what happened in March: ? LinkedIn Updates LinkedIn is testing a dedicated video tab that launches a vertical video feed, similar to TikTok’s FYP experience.  LinkedIn is broadening the scope of its Thought Leader ads, allowing advertisers to sponso ..read more

Greetings from Washington, DC! I was in town this week to meet with the White House Digital Strategy team — Marion Dimaano, Morgan MacNaughton and Patrick Steven — and diplomatic influencer and Public Affairs Officer at the Italian Embassy, Andreas Sandre (aka @WeAreDigitalDiplomacy). I don’t usually feature myself in the newsletter but this was a pinch me moment, to be in the nation’s capital talking about creators, social platforms and communication strategies as if it were any other day. I’ll try to share some of the conversations in the following weeks. Just know that everyone is going ..read more

⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY An interview with the social team at PBS and PBS KIDS about their newest creator partnership with TikTok librarian Mychal Threets Instagram is testing 3-minute Reels Teens are resurrecting Facebook’s Poke feature YouTube rolled out a tool to label content made with Gen AI TikTok is all in on search with its Creator Search Insights tool and now the platform is rewarding creators for the search value of their content Squarespace just made their link-in-bio tool — plus fancy layouts and upgrades — free for everyone* ? ROADMAP ? Meta Updates Instagram is tes ..read more

It’s time we talk about brand influencer trips. Influencer trips are a great opportunity to drive brand awareness, generate a ton of content, and strengthen brand relationships with key tastemakers in the industry. And they generate a lot of buzz — good, bad, and funny.  Whether it’s Tarte taking 30 influencers to Bora Bora or influencers pranking their loved ones with offers of an ExxonMobil brand trip, it seems as if everyone’s talking about influencer trips.  The internet has extreme feelings about these trips. Some say they’re out of touch and some consumers imply they’ll neve ..read more

Thanks for reading this week! A special shout-out to Rebecca Gann for helping with additional research and to everyone who shared their POV on Meta Verified. ⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY A potential TikTok ban is winding its way through the court system; will America miss it if the app is banned? Instagram is testing up to 20 photos and videos per Carousel post Twitter has declared itself a video-first platform — just like Instagram’s leaning into video; TikTok’s exploring a photo app; and Snapchat’s rejecting its “social media” label It’s the one year anniversary of Meta Verified: Is paying ..read more