The Latest Social Media and Influencer News in April
TikTok's Potential Sale or Ban Inches Closer
A lot can change in a week, and President Biden recently signed legislation into law, which received bipartisan backing. This legislation, known as the 'TikTok Sale Act ', would require TikTok's owner, ByteDance, to sell the app due to concerns over data privacy and national security. TikTok has already indicated it intends to contest the law in court, so don't expect anything to change immediately.
If TikTok's sale is not finalized within nine months, the app will be prohibited in the United States. This could have significant implications for our clients, brands, and consumers who have built a following on the site. What could this mean for your business? I recently wrote about this new legislation on The Motion Agency’s blog, which delves into the potential ramifications. Tick-tock.
LinkedIn Shares Tips to Help B2B Marketers Maximize Their Content Efforts
LinkedIn has recently shared invaluable tips for marketers to optimize their campaigns, including platform-specific guidance for their outreach efforts. Their latest infographic is a treasure trove of insights on how B2B marketers can effectively connect with their audiences at the right time and context to meet their needs.
The tips are primarily intended to help B2B marketers do more with less as market budgets tighten. For a comprehensive overview of LinkedIn, click here.
Is Threads the Next Platform to Reach 1 Billion Users?
If this new Apptopia data is correct, it suggests that Threads may soon surpass X in terms of daily active users in the United States if it hasn't already. According to Business Insider, Threads had an estimated 28 million daily active users (DAUs) in April, compared to X's average of 22 million.
Is Threads the Next Billion User Platform? According to Apptopia data, it's a possibility. Threads has shown rapid growth since its launch in July 2023. With 130 million total active users, it's still a long way from X's 550 million monthly active users worldwide. However, Threads offers a more engaging user experience and the potential for deeper integration with other Meta platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. In that case, it could be the next big thing, surpassing X.
That’s all for this week’s news you can use, but expect more to come with TikTok’s potential ban less than 9 months away. If you’re looking for more of the latest and greatest in social media, ee sure to check out more of my writing. Such as, my favorite social media tools, like GoCharlie.ai. And you can also get the keys to gaining success with influencer marketing and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
What a Potential TikTok Ban Could Mean For You
Note: This piece was published on April 25, 2024 on The Motion Agency’s blog. We expect the below to change as ByteDance plans to contest this legislation in court.
On Wednesday, President Biden signed legislation banning Chinese-owned TikTok unless it is sold within a year. It is the most serious threat to the social media app’s future in the United States, escalating the country’s technological conflict with China. The legislation was included within a bill that included international aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan and requires ByteDance to sell its ownership in TikTok within 12 months or risk being shut down.
This is the first time the United States government has tried to ban an app on a national scale. However, it has already ordered that all federal employees remove TikTok from government-issued phones, and 34 states have prohibited it from government devices. A Montana law prohibiting everyone in the state from using TikTok was put on hold after a federal judge ruled in November that it “likely violates the First Amendment.”
Why a TikTok Ban?
The FBI has warned that TikTok poses national security dangers due to the Chinese government’s alleged link with ByteDance. This link might allow the Chinese government to “control” software on millions of devices in the U.S. and conduct influence operations through the app by prioritizing specific pieces of content.
Many other countries, including members of the European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, have also banned the app on their employees’ work phones. India and Nepal also made it illegal to use TikTok in their respective countries.
The advocates of the bill, as well as other countries that have banned the app, argue that TikTok is a question of national security and provides the Chinese government with a powerful instrument for spreading propaganda. They cite the Chinese national security legislation, which requires enterprises to comply with the Chinese government’s intelligence collection.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Chinese government plans to prevent ByteDance from forcing the sale of TikTok, potentially leading to its prohibition in the United States.
Critics of this bill argue that if passed, other governments may force American corporations to sell or transfer their local operations to a foreign entity. And based on the new law’s broad phrasing, it may also affect ByteDance’s other apps, such as Lemon8 and the AI-powered homework app Gauth.
Even if TikTok is sold to a new U.S. owner, creating it as a distinct firm with its own shares, ByteDance may diminish the strength of the transaction by not including TikTok’s algorithm in the sale. Without the algorithm, U.S. TikTok would not be as popular as it is now.
What Does a Potential TikTok Ban Mean for Your Brand?
Due to the nature of how the law is structured, TikTok users are unlikely to experience any immediate disruption. The app’s sale will likely be delayed for months as TikTok looks to challenge the legislation in court, and the earliest TikTok could be banned in the United States is January 2025.
So, if TikTok adds value to your business through organic content or paid advertising, the newly signed bill should not affect any aspect of your present TikTok strategy. Don’t get rid of an efficient media channel that can still have a positive impact on your business for nearly nine months. If you’ve developed an audience on TikTok, and you’ve fostered that community’s growth, there’s no need to abandon that audience just yet.
However, if your brand is primarily focusing its content efforts on TikTok and nowhere else, it may be time to align your content approach on TikTok to other social media platforms that have similar post formats Many view Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts as potential alternatives for brands looking to reallocate their TikTok resources to another platform. The TikTok ban might result in billions of dollars in additional ad revenue for Meta and Google, the owners of Instagram and YouTube, respectively, according to recent eMarketer research.
Because Motion encourages clients not to invest too heavily in any one platform, we believe our clients will be well insulated from any significant changes stemming from a TikTok ban. Being more agnostic when it comes to your content strategy and the channels you’re active on means there is less risk to your brand long-term, and you can weather turbulent changes like this.
If you were planning to launch your brand’s TikTok channel in 2024, don’t let this news dissuade you from doing so. Even if the ban takes place, you have nine months to help your brand garner greater reach, grow your online community and potentially create new sales opportunities.
While many advertisers continue to invest in more established marketing channels, TikTok has untapped potential for reaching new audiences that aren’t on other social media platforms. In January 2023, Sprout Social data showed TikTok had 850 million global users, with 40% of them not on Facebook, and 63% of them not on Twitter.
What Happens Next?
Currently, it appears more likely that TikTok will be sold off in some fashion, or the bill could be nullified after the election, as Donald Trump has reversed his position, saying that he is opposed to a ban.
Depending who you talk to, this legislation is either the culmination of months of work on Capitol Hill or a complete shock. Motion has been tracking the latest TikTok news in our monthly social media roundup, Social Commotion, for months. We’ll continue to provide updates as news progresses.
Don’t forget to follow Motion on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest.
More Social Media News You Can Use In April
Let’s dive right into the social media news you can use in April. This week, we’ll look at how Pinterest is giving advertisers a peek behind the curtain, TikTok is leaning into virtual influencers, and learn from LinkedIn Premium’s Head of Engineering to drive more engagements.
Pinterest Shares Insights into Optimizing Social Platform Algorithms
Pinterest has taken a novel approach to algorithm refinement, sharing insights into the use of 'non-engagement signals' to enhance user experiences. This innovative strategy moves beyond the traditional reliance on likes and comments, which can sometimes lead to negative outcomes, and instead focuses on a broader range of indicators.
This is a significant challenge for social platforms, as the incentives of straight engagement, which increase overall usage, can frequently lead to platforms prioritizing the wrong content or inadvertently encouraging more people to post borderline rule-breaking content designed to entice clicks. It's why there has been a considerable push to disincentivize creating "click-bait" content that doesn't add anything of value.
To address this, Pinterest has partnered with UC Berkeley and the Integrity Institute to create a new 'Field Guide to Non-Engagement Signals.' This guide provides an overview of how social media companies can make algorithmic changes based on more than the number of direct engagements alone. It offers practical advice and strategies for identifying and leveraging non-engagement signals to improve user experiences and increase positive engagement on social platforms.
How To Garner Engagements on LinkedIn, from LinkedIn Premium's Head of Engineering
Prashanthi Padmanabhan, a seasoned professional and the Head of Engineering for LinkedIn Premium, has shared valuable insights on developing engaging content. Her expertise and experience lay the groundwork for advertisers and brands to create high-quality, audience-centric content.
Creating truly audience-first content will help our clients achieve their advertising goals. The Motion Content department often talks about making 'audience-first' content, which means we create content that addresses what interests our audience rather than precisely what our clients want to communicate. This could involve conducting audience research, analyzing trends, and tailoring content to meet the specific needs and interests of our target audience.
Aligning one's content strategy with one's overall brand goals and mission. We ask our clients, "What are your objectives for your online presence on LinkedIn?" Or "How can you use your LinkedIn content to achieve these objectives?" A good rule of thumb is always considering your target audience when creating and publishing content. What are their needs and desires, and how can our clients help them?
Are you looking for more of the latest and greatest in social media? Then, be sure to check out more of my writing, which covers my favorite social media tools, like GoCharlie.ai. You can also get the keys to gaining success with influencer marketing and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
TikTok May Enable Brands to Generate AI Bots to Pitch Products
TikTok is developing a new feature that will allow brands to use virtual influencers in their branded video content and live streams within the app. The feature would create a script for a video ad based on a prompt provided by the advertiser and include an AI-generated influencer to read the script in the video.
This is part of TikTok's larger effort to boost its e-commerce efforts and maximize revenue potential. However, with a potential ban looming in the United States due to data privacy and national security concerns, TikTok appears to be working to become more connected with American consumers by any means necessary, including introducing new features and expanding its e-commerce capabilities.
That’s all for this week’s news you can use, but if you’re looking for more of the latest and greatest in social media, ee sure to check out more of my writing. Such as, my favorite social media tools, like GoCharlie.ai. And you can also get the keys to gaining success with influencer marketing and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
The Latest Social Media News You Can Use In April
Welcome back to my blog where I cover a variety of influencer marketing and social media news for advertisers and marketers. This week, we’ll be covering the latest in advertising capabilities for LinkedIn; many of Taylor Swift’s most popular songs are back on TikTok, and research from TikTok shows the benefits of creating multilingual ads.
Are you looking for more of the latest and greatest in social media? Then, be sure to check out more of my writing, which covers my favorite social media tools, like GoCharlie.ai. You can also get the keys to gaining success with influencer marketing and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
LinkedIn Announces New Content Formats During Marketing Summit
LinkedIn unveiled ad formats at its B2Believe conference in New York City on Thursday, becoming the latest corporation to join the connected TV (CTV) advertising trend. Some of the highlights that Marketing Brew covered from the event include:
CTV ads: Advertisers can launch and distribute CTV campaigns with platforms such as Samsung Ads and Roku.
Live Event Ads: Advertisers can promote their company's live event before, during, and after it happens (and dynamically modify the timing). The company stated that it is actively testing live event ads.
LinkedIn Premiere: LinkedIn has partnered with NBCUniversal to promote CTV campaigns on NBCU content. Using their managed offering, advertisers can target based on interests, company type, and seniority. They can also use the new Brand Lift feature, iSpot, and Kantar to track campaign progress.
As always, reach out with any questions or if our clients want to learn more about anything social or influence-related.
Some of Taylor Swift’s Tracks Return to TikTok
In January, UMG said that it would be pulling its tracks from TikTok after the two parties could not agree on a new license deal. Universal Music Group is a leading music producer featuring notable performers, including Adele, Drake, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift.
With Taylor Swift's new album due next week, some of her songs have returned to the platform, though the deal's specifics are not clear at this moment. Variety also speculates that Swift may have an arrangement with TikTok for her new album, which explains why her songs are back on the social media app. However, the majority of UMG's tracks remain off-limits. UMG claims TikTok used its power as a “hit-maker” to leverage a licensing offer of "far less" than other social apps.
As a result, UMG is moving on from TikTok and focusing on other opportunities. The stand-off between the two is expected to last for some time. However, some UMG artists may still release their tunes on the app under short-term licensing partnerships like this.
TikTok Shares Research on the Benefits of Creating Multilingual Ads
If you're missing out on opportunities if you don't create and display ads in several languages! The latest TikTok Research Report examines how bilingual commercials affect TikTok users and suggests a method for marketers to increase brand affinity across language boundaries.
According to the survey, bilingual audiences are the future of marketing on and off TikTok, considering their significance in driving US population growth. To connect with this rising audience, brands can use the Spanish language in commercials throughout the year and collaborate with creators and influencers in local communities.
"Ads resonate most with bilingual speakers when they make use of both languages - an ad entirely in Spanish doesn't speak to the dual sense of identity these audiences feel. Layering English and Spanish creative elements to create balance ensures that brands can speak to bilingual users in a way that feels true to their identity as well as appeal to a broader audience"
Research shows that engaging multicultural audiences in their original language helps foster long-term consumer relationships, community, and brand engagement. This approach recognizes that multilingual audiences are fully integrated into both cultures. Check out the full report here.
The Latest Social Media News You Can Use in April
As we enter a new quarter, we’ve got the latest social media and influencer marketing news you can use. This week, we’ll be looking at how brands utilize social media for their sustainability efforts, TikTok announces new tools for brands and content creators, and Instagram provides new tips for creating more engaging Stories.
How Brands Utilize Social For Their Sustainability Efforts
Sustainability is no longer a buzzword; it's a fundamental expectation for consumers. In a recent Brandwatch article, brands across multiple industries have leveraged social media to champion their sustainability efforts. Here are some thought starters around how we can help our clients win by utilizing marketing and PR:
Develop content that tangibly highlights our clients' sustainability efforts. Turn hefty reports into compelling infographics or social media posts that lean into engaging storytelling. We can get creative with social media content that offers proof of their commitment to a greener planet.
Help our clients understand sustainability as an essential component of their business identity rather than as a one-time effort.
Collaborate with them to create long-term plans for incorporating sustainability into their brand DNA, messaging, and product development.
TikTok's New Creator Insights Tool
TikTok has introduced a new search-based feature for data analysis on trends that creators can leverage. This new tool has significant promise for not just content creators but marketers as well. Finding the proper keywords and hashtags to leverage in a social media post is now a quicker, more straightforward process and doesn't require a background in SEO or keyword strategy. TikTok's search data within the platform allows marketers to create a well-thought-out digital marketing strategy that will hopefully result in higher levels of reach and impressions.
Creators can also use the Creator Marketplace in TikTok to integrate AI capabilities based on their own content needs. This function will suggest content subjects based on a creator's audience demographic and niche and what type of content has previously worked effectively for other creators. Using the new functionality is simple. Enter the phrase "Creator Search Insights" into the search bar to view the most recent search results.
Instagram Shares Tips for Creating Standout Stories
Want to improve the results from your client's Instagram Stories and increase engagement? You're in luck as Instagram released a short Tips & Tricks guide this week for incorporating additional elements into your Stories to add creativity, fun, and interactivity. Though it does not introduce any new capabilities, the guide is a helpful reminder of some of the features advertisers may underutilize in their content strategy. Do yourself a favor, read this refresher to improve how you create Instagram Story content.
Are you looking for more of the latest and greatest in social media? Then, be sure to check out more of my writing, which covers my favorite social media tools, like GoCharlie.ai. You can also get the keys to gaining success with influencer marketing and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
The Social Media News You Can Use in March
This week, we’re looking at LinkedIn testing new video formats to lean into vertical video, how women in the creator economy are adjusting to macro-economic changes, and how brands can grow their YouTube presence with a focus on inclusive video content.
Looking for more social media? Be sure to check out more of my writing, covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. Or get the keys to gaining success with influencer marketing, and more deep dives on other social media or influencer marketing topics.
LinkedIn Testing Vertical Video In-Feed
Vertical video is a popular trend on social media that is unlikely to fade. More platforms are looking for methods to include the content style popularized by TikTok.
LinkedIn is now testing dedicated video feeds to make it easier for users to discover and scroll through full-screen, vertical videos. LinkedIn confirmed the beta test to Social Media Today, noting, "Videos are rapidly becoming one of our members' preferred formats to learn from other professionals and experts, so we are testing new methods to
It remains to be seen how content creators and influencers adapt their posting strategy for a more professional audience. Still, given the ongoing success of vertical video features on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and other platforms, the LinkedIn experience appears to evolve into a video-driven platform, not if but when.
Women in the Creator Economy
The creator economy has provided opportunities for many aspiring entrepreneurs, with women playing a leading role. As cultural attitudes toward the traditional 9-to-5 have shifted toward a desire for autonomous and remote work, more creatives are looking for opportunities that make that lifestyle their reality. According to a recent Morning Consult study, over 50% of Gen Z individuals desire a job as an influencer (or content creator) and see it as a respectable career choice,
This space enables individuals to create businesses based on their passions and talents, encouraging a new wave of female leadership. However, despite these advances, gender pay disparities continue. Even with women dominating the area in terms of content generation and influencer marketing, the gender pay gap persists, with men earning more than women in terms of revenue from their freelance/LLC efforts, according to ConvertKit data.
Motion continues to recommend to our clients that partnering with a diverse roster of influencers can help when brands have multiple target audiences they need to reach.
Grow Your YouTube Presence With Inclusive Video Content
In today's modern world, reaching a wider audience is crucial for a brand's YouTube channel to grow. So what can brands learn from YouTube's biggest creators, like Mr. Beast? This HubSpot article highlights the power of inclusivity and emphasizes the importance of creating content that resonates with a diverse audience.
One strategy for more global brands is to cater to a global audience by offering your content in multiple languages. This approach is exemplified by YouTube superstar Mr. Beast, who has created YouTube channels in various languages. Another effective method is to leverage subtitles and closed captions. This ensures your content is accessible to viewers who may be deaf or hard of hearing or speak a different language. Brands should start where they can and make improvements over time.
