What happened toSocial Media in 2015?

79 updates in 3 key areas

1: Search

• Facebook make friends’ posts searchable• Pinterest introduced a visual search tool and

improve search localisation• Instagram revamped search and explore sections• Twitter partnered with Google for tweets to appear in

search results• Google+ improved searchability with their new

Collections feature

2: Video

• Facebook introduced 360 degree video, a dedicated video tab and new page insights for video and live streaming

• Twitter introduced autoplay for videos• Instagram released an app for creating time-shifting

video (Boomerang)

3: Notifications

• LinkedIn announced they’re working on a platform to control notifications

• Facebook released Notify to control phone notifications

Announcements by network

Announcements timeline

Facebook updates• Early focus on commerce

- Improved post types in “for sale” groups, updates when products are sold- Sending money to friends via Messenger- “Shop now” call to action- “Shop” tab testing in US- Tools for non-profits (donate buttons, fundraising pages)

• Preparing for Virtual Reality- Acquisition of Oculus Rift (VR headset)- See different viewing angles / perspectives in video- More immersive than 3D

Facebook updates• Live streaming

- Initially for public figures- Broadening base for live events- Gradual roll out to everyone

• Connecting the unconnected- Facebook “Lite” for people with slow mobile networks or costly data plans- Testing unmanned aircraft to “beam connectivity” and laser communications technology- Potential future of Facebook drones in the sky

Facebook updates• Publishing

- Updated “Notes” feature- “Instant Articles” for brands - Publishers monetise articles with own ads (revenue retained)

• Testing- “Hello” app (who’s calling)- “Reactions” emoticons- Improved mobile profiles

• Artificial Intelligence- “Memory Networks”- Image recognition and predictive learning

Twitter updates• Increasing engagement

- “While you were away” feature- “Highlights”- Event targeting- Twitter for Windows with “Live Tiles”- Direct message character count removal- Twitter polls

• Interaction updates- Removal of share counters on websites- Move from “Favourite” to “Like”- “Twitter Moments” for publishers to curate tweets

Pinterest updates• Focus on search

- Appearance of recent searches- Colourful trending topics (US)- Autocomplete function- Location tagged for improved local searches- Visual search tool

• Buyable pins- Rolled out to US pinners on iOS devices, Android to follow

• Other updates- Improvements in filter sorting, iPhone “3D touch” capabilities and login interfaces with other apps

Instagram updates• 400 million users, more than 75% outside the US!• Advertising improvement

- New carousel ad format- Integrated with Facebook’s advertising ecosystem (with advanced targeting and post call to actions)- Partner program

• Platform updates- Image adjustment tools- Upload square, portrait or landscape images- Threaded messages on Instagram Direct- Boomerang app for quirky use of photos

LinkedIn updates• Publishing

- LinkedIn Elevate, a paid for tool curating employee content - Improved design of “Pulse” and integration with “Newsle”- Broader language support, Portuguese being the first

• Messaging- Reduction in emails with “Air Traffic Controller” platform- New messaging experience, allowing a personal touch

• Other updates- “LinkedIn Lookup” app for colleagues- Slideshare “clipping”- Cortana integration- Entirely rebuilt LinkedIn app for improved design experience

Google+ updates• Redesign

- Redesigned mobile experience, Android facelift and all apps and website

• Collections- Direct clone of Pinterest boards- Searchable collections- Future iterative improvements

2016 onwardsExpect more moves to monetise via social commerce solutions and increased potential for harnessing social connections as a publishing audience. Watch out for:• A push for eCommerce• LinkedIn vs Facebook• Facebook vs Twitter

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