Social media sites are taking some big swings this week, introducing new features that let you play trivia, promote cannabis products, and send via messenger.
Let’s dive into these new features and what they can mean for your social media efforts.
tick tock
TikTok continues to introduce new features to maintain its status as the dominant social media app today. If you’ve opened TikTok recently, you might have been bombarded with pop-overs for TikTok Trivia, a new feature currently sponsored by Lion’s Gate and John Wick Chapter 4.
The first iteration runs February 22-27 and includes trivia with actor and TikTok creator James Henry. It also features a $500,000 prize pool.
The overall vibe reminds us of HQ Trivia, the hugely popular live game from circa 2017. It’s an interesting opportunity for partnerships and a new way for brands to get involved.
TechCrunch also reports that TikTok is testing topic-specific feeds like sports, food, and gaming. Think of it as a more focused “For You” page that eliminates the need for searching. It’s an interesting move, and one that makes TikTok feel even more like flipping through the channels on TV – this time with just a little more focus.
Meta
Meta this week announced a new broadcast channel feature that allows developers to send short updates, polls, and other interaction methods to followers directly through Messenger. It will be available on both Facebook and Instagram.
“Creators can use broadcast channels to update followers,” Meta said in the announcement. “They can use text, photo, video and voice notes to share their latest updates and behind-the-scenes moments, and even create polls to collect fan feedback. Only creators can send messages, while followers can react to content and vote in polls.”
This feature is still rolling out, but it offers an intriguing direct messaging option for brands and creators.
Twitter is relaxing its rules for advertising cannabis products on the platform, the company said – in some U.S. states.
“Going forward, Twitter will enable advertisers to promote brand preferences and informative cannabis-related content for CBD, THC and cannabis-related products and services,” the announcement reads.
The full rules clarify that “advertisers may only target jurisdictions where they are licensed to advertise those products or services online,” so availability is limited due to local laws.
youtube
YouTube continues to focus on its shorts feature by announcing that creators can now reply to a comment with a short that directly mimics a TikTok feature. So instead of replying with a text reply or deleting a link, you can easily create an inline video to keep the context chain intact.
The video app also introduces data stories—short, easily digestible analysis suggestions—in its community posts and provides deeper analysis of those offerings.
Which item are you looking forward to the most? And are you nostalgic for HQ Trivia?
Allison Carter is the Editor-in-Chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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