In 2023 and 2024, social platforms including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok have rolled out multiple updates that change the way brands engage with their audiences. What are the most important social media updates you need to know?
Notable Instagram Updates
Instagram continues to be a very influential social media platform for businesses, content creators, and users alike. In recent years, it’s shifted focus toward video content and interactive features.
Notes on Reels and Posts
Instagram's Reels, introduced as a response to TikTok, have become a key feature for reaching and interacting with users. In 2024, Instagram has doubled down on this format, giving Reels more prominence in users' feeds and Discover tabs.
For your brand, this means prioritizing Reels in content strategies can lead to increased visibility. Instagram has simplified content sharing for creators by allowing them to post the same content across multiple accounts simultaneously. This will come in handy for businesses managing several brand accounts or personal/professional profiles.
Consider using Reels to showcase behind-the-scenes content of your business or highlight key product features! The extra reach and integration across the platform means Reels are a must for any brand wanting to stay relevant on socials.
Update to Primary Metrics
In addition to introducing Reels, in 2024 Instagram has shifted its focus on engagement metrics that reflect deeper interactions. Rather than just tracking likes (the longstanding dominant social metric), Instagram now prioritizes saves, shares, and comments as key performance indicators (KPIs). This update marks a move toward promoting more content that impacts meaningfully with users. For businesses, this shift means focusing on creating content that engages beyond passive scrolling.
Carousels Expand to 20 Slides
In a visual update, Instagram has increased the number of slides allowed in a single carousel post to 20, doubling the previous limit of 10! This is a huge game-changer for brands that heavily rely on visual storytelling or brands that post often about their products and product catalogs.
With extra slides, there is more chance to offer in-depth tutorials, walkthroughs, multi-product showcases, or tell a comprehensive brand story in one post instead of two. Carousels just became a more powerful tool for engaging your audience and driving them toward conversion.
Recent Facebook Updates
Facebook remains the pillar of digital marketing, especially for those businesses that are focused on specifically targeted advertising and customer engagement. The newest updates introduced in 2023 and 2024 on the platform work to enhance the overall user experience while providing new tools for advertisers.
Expanded AI Chatbot Availability
Facebook's AI chatbots are available to more businesses and are being utilized to handle customer inquiries, offer product recommendations, and complete transactions through Facebook Messenger. This unique functionality helps more businesses automate their processes and creates a smoother, faster user experience.
By using these AI-powered chatbots, brands can reduce response times, assist users 24/7, and personalize the customer journey. As Facebook platform updates continue to expand the availability of these tools, companies that adopt this technology early will be well-positioned to reap the benefits of automated, scalable customer interaction.
Ability to Add Offers to Ads
In 2024, Facebook also introduced a new feature allowing advertisers to directly include offers within their ads. E-commerce businesses will find this especially useful to drive sales through personalized promotions. Users can see and redeem these offers (like free shipping or discounts) directly through Facebook ads without needing to go to an external website.
LinkedIn Updates to Be Aware Of
As the go-to platform for professional interactions, LinkedIn continues to evolve in B2B marketing. In recent updates, LinkedIn added features focusing on increasing engagement and providing more value for businesses looking to promote their content.
In-Feed Carousels
The introduction of in-feed carousels on LinkedIn allows brands and users to share multiple pieces of content in a single post (similar to Instagram). This newest update is great for businesses looking to highlight products, case studies, or other services for those scrolling through LinkedIn’s homepage.
Sponsored Newsletters
Sponsored newsletters are another exciting update to LinkedIn’s user experience with brands now able to sponsor newsletters and deliver unique content directly to users’ inboxes. This feature has allowed companies to reach a very specific audience through thought leadership, industry insights, or branded content. These sponsored newsletters are most effective for companies looking to nurture leads and maintain ongoing relationships.
Recent TikTok Updates
TikTok continues to be a prominent force in social media marketing. With its rapid growth, its new updates and integrations make it appealing for brands and creators alike.
New Amazon Integration
By marrying entertainment and e-commerce, TikTok’s latest partnership with Amazon brings shoppable content to a whole new level. This new integration allows users to purchase products featured in TikTok videos without leaving the app.
For brands, this is a huge opportunity to turn their viral TikTok content into sales in real time. By capitalizing on TikTok’s visual and interactive nature, brands can use this integration to create engaging, shoppable content.
Take Advantage of Everything Social Media Has to Offer with Help from an Expert Team
As social media platforms evolve, so must your marketing strategies! The latest social media updates—from new Instagram features and expanded AI chatbots on Facebook to TikTok’s Amazon integration and LinkedIn’s sponsored newsletters—offer plenty of opportunities for businesses to connect with their audiences.
With the right team of experts, you can navigate these updates and ensure that your social media strategy stays ahead of the curve. Reach out to the team at Zero Gravity Marketing today to see how you can make the most of everything social media has to offer.
About the Author
Tiffany Anderson
