media update’s Nakedi Phala plays social media app investigator to discover all the new things that these platforms are working on.

If you were starting to question the benefits of having a brand presence on a platform such as TikTok, stop right there! They’ve developed some great features. 

On the other hand, Twitter is working around the clock to keep users monogamous in their user/Twitter relationship. On the competitor’s side, Instagram is putting users’ safety first … 

Let’s get to it. Here are the top new developments you should look out for: 

TikTok gets down to business 

When TikTok first arrived, it was really about capturing fun videos and showcasing them for followers. Who would have ever thought there would be room for business on this app?

If you’re eager for any business tips to use in your brand strategy — and want to add a bit of a creative mix to your marketing — why not use TikTok For Business? There are already a bunch of videos about this development: 



So are you ready to put your business tips in motion? If you are, open an account on TikTok For Business and follow the platform’s new profile page for all the latest business and marketing tips and tricks!


That’s not all though. TikTok is throwing in everything it’s got. The app is now also available on Google TV, Samsung TV and Android TV. What this means is that your home-viewing experience will feature a new platform where people can be entertained together. Additionally, it means your brand’s offerings will be showcased on the big screen. Exciting, no?

However, it seems this feature is currently only available in the United Kingdom, Germany and France. Will it be available in South Africa? We’ll have to wait and see … 

Facebook

Good news for the young ones out there: Facebook is developing a version of Instagram for kids under the age of 13! 

This is great news for ‘kidfluencers’, who have just had their dreams answered. According to Facebook, the purpose of this new development is to get its products into the hands of the next generation.
Hold up: Are you wondering what on earth kidfluencers are? Don’t worry, we’ve got the latest on this.
If this new update concerns you, don’t worry. The Facebook team says that they’re working around the clock to bring a parental-controlled experience to their under-13 Instagram platform, just like they did with their Messenger Kids.

Instagram

It seems like Instagram is putting the safety of its users first. The platform released a blog announcing that it’s working on a new security measure to “help keep the younger generation protected from inappropriate content and above age 18 interaction overall”.

How will this work? Well, simply put, this feature will block adults from sending messages to users below the age of 18. According to Instagram, this feature works with machine learning algorithms to predict users’ ages and the age used to sign up with the app. 

Furthermore, Instagram will send out safety notices to alert teens to be cautious if and when engaging with a stranger or someone above the age of 18. A definite step in the right direction!

Twitter 

Twitter really wants to keep users nowhere else but on Twitter! This is especially clear as the platform announced testing for users to watch YouTube videos straight from the newsfeed.
 
This is unlike before, where you had to click to watch a YouTube video and would be redirected to the app where only there you could play the content.

But wait, that’s not the only thing new with Twitter ...

After bringing back the blue badge, you might think ‘Oh, Twitter is running low on ideas’ but, surprise, surprise! The platform is also working on another project that will launch soon to everyone called Spaces chatroom — something similar to App Clubhouse. 

Twitter’s Spaces is currently available on iOS Beta and iOS exclusive. 

Social platforms are always developing to offer the ultimate user experience. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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