July was a busy month in the social media world. From Pinterest’s innovative background editor to TikTok finally upping their thumbnail game, we’ve rounded up the top five social media updates you need to know.
Instagram Notes Get More Airtime
Instagram’s Notes feature has taken off with Gen Z, with the app reporting that teens are using it ten times more than non-teens. Riding on this success and the trend towards more private interactions, Instagram recently rolled out a new twist on this sticky-note-inspired feature allowing users to leave Notes on both Reels and feed posts.
You may be wondering why you would choose a Note over a comment. Unlike comments, Notes are temporary, disappearing after three days. Plus, they can only be left and seen by mutual follows. So, whether you’re dropping a hot take or hyping up your bestie, Notes are perfect for quick and more exclusive engagements. We’re excited to see how many of our followers jump on this new feature.
The battle between creatives and AI continues as Pinterest announces its own AI text-to-image generation process. Named Canvas, the tool is designed to give product photos a glow-up, offering generated backgrounds based on existing Pin images without the need to alter the product shot itself.
Many existing AI tools find it tricky to isolate and change backgrounds as most product shots don’t describe the background in the caption. Pinterest’s new tool, however, solves this problem seamlessly through innovative coding.
While this is a win for businesses on a budget, it’s a bit of a curveball for photographers and creators. Nevertheless, it could certainly reduce the need for extensive photoshoots and hours of post-production editing. AI continues its evolution.
TikTok Finally Offers Thumbnail Freedom
If there’s one thing creators prefer about Instagram over TikTok, it’s the ability to use any image as the cover image for a reel.
Well, it looks like TikTok has finally caught up. The latest update now allows users to choose an image from their camera roll as the thumbnail, instead of being limited to a still from the video itself.
This new option will likely bring more cohesive feeds, allow creators to clearly display episodic content and help videos stand out in Search. We just can’t believe it took TikTok this long.
TikTok’s “Genie” Grants Instant Answers
Ever wanted an instant answer to your questions on TikTok? Your wish is about to be granted by TikTok’s new AI chatbot, named Genie.
While this is exciting, it isn’t TikTok’s first AI rodeo; some users in the Philippines got a sneak peek at a chatbot tool back in May 2023. But “Genie” is set to outshine its predecessor, tackling more complex questions and taking TikTok’s AI search to the next level. As “Genie” is still in development, there’s not much information out there. But stay tuned – we’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates in the coming months.
Get the Gist Without the Gossip on Facebook
In yet another AI update (the race is well and truly on), Meta is testing a new AI feature that automatically summarises all comments on Facebook posts, giving users an overview of the discussion without needing to read every comment. The experimental tool is also being tested on YouTube, organising discussions into different topics.
We’re unsure how useful this tool will be because if you’re as nosy as us, you’ll want to read all the comments and get the full picture for yourself. However, it’s an interesting insight into how our attention spans are decreasing and our need for instant answers is increasing.
