September 2021 The social media landscape is constantly evolving and it can be a challenge to stay up to speed with every update and new feature across the various platforms. That’s why each month we make it easy for you by packaging the most important changes and headlines pertaining to social media. So check out what’s new this month in social media. Instagram is Ditching ‘Swipe-Up’ Links in Favor of Stickers: Instagram has retired the “swipe-up” link on its Stories feature and replaced it with the new Link Sticker. Instagram has not yet announced how this change may affect paid Stories ad placements. Instagram Adds New 'Audio' Tab to its Search Options to Boost Reels Engagement: Instagram has added the capacity to search for audio specifically within the search tab in the app. This makes it easier to tap into trends based on music clips, with a focus on Reels creation based on the same. Facebook Tests New Ad Automation Flows to Help Maximize Campaign Performance: Facebook is looking to add a new option to help advertisers automate their Facebook ad campaigns. A process called ‘Ad Strategies’ is now being tested with some users. This process essentially puts more trust into Facebook’s systems to detect the best ways to optimize ad campaigns. Facebook Brings Reels to its Main App as it Seeks to Capitalize on the Short-Form Video Trend: Facebook is planning to expand its video content options by introducing Facebook Reels. These short videos will be similar to Instagram Reels and provide the option to roll them out simultaneously as you would with stories. Facebook Provides More Data Controls with Update to 'Transfer Your Information' Tool: Facebook is making some changes to its Transfer Your Information tool, in order to make it easier for users to download the info that Facebook has stored on them, and transfer it to other platforms if they so desire. Twitter Launches 'Super Follows' Creator Monetization Option: Twitter has officially launched its new ‘Super Follow’ option, with selected creators in the US now able to charge a monthly fee for exclusive, extra tweet content for their biggest fans. Twitter's Testing a Range of New Control Options, Including Auto-Archiving Old Tweets and Hiding Likes: Twitter is considering a range of new features designed to provide more protection and control for users. This includes more capacity to manage the public visibility of your in-app interactions with specific accounts and the ability to archive old (and, for some users, potentially controversial) tweets after a certain period of time. Here's what else is trending: LinkedIn Adds Native Video Meeting Option, Facilitating Enhanced Connection in the App: LinkedIn rolled out a new, native video option within its messaging platform, which provides another way to connect with users, without the need to download a separate video app. TikTok is Testing 'TikTok Stories' as it Looks to Expand Creative Options in the App: A test of TikTok Stories is now underway. TikTok Stories will disappear after 24 hours, and will be displayed in a collapsible left-hand side panel in the main feed of the app. Users would then be able to tap into Stories from people and profiles that they follow, and tap through the Stories frames, indicated by the gray bars along the bottom of the Story display. Manage your Newsletter Subscriptions or Unsubscribe Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, 2201 Second Street, Suite 600, Fort Myers, FL 33901 To view this email in your browser click here.