November is in the books, and it was another busy month for the social media platforms and the creator economy. From Instagram mythbusting the belief that the platform reduces reach of sponsored content, to TikTok taking a page out of Quibi’s book with scripted dramas, to Spotify making moves to be a more legitimate player in the creator economy – there is much to unpack from the month of Thanksgiving. So let’s get into it…
PLATFORM UPDATES:
META
Instagram will let you reset your recommendations
TLDR: Instagram is testing a new feature that will let users completely refresh the content that’s recommended to them on the platform. Recommendations can be cleared in “just a few taps,” according to Meta, and will “start to personalize again over time” based on the accounts and content the user goes on to interact with.
Instagram Moves Stories Highlights to Their Own Tab
TLDR: Instagram is moving their Story highlights into a dedicated profile tab, while they’ll also show in your main grid. Instagram is essentially working to simplify the profile display, but for brand and creators this offers another way to curate the experience people have when they first explore your page after likely clicking from a Reel they saw in their feed. Don’t let them down!
Instagram Says It Does Not Reduce the Reach of Sponsored Content
TLDR: Instagram chief Adam Mosseri debunked another common myth, this time about how Instagram downranks posts tagged as sponsored content, in order to force brands to pay for reach. However some suggest that users engage less with sponsored content, often scrolling past posts with the “Sponsored” tag, which reduces engagement and reach.
Instagram is now highlighting the Top Sources of Views for posts.
TLDR: Creators can see a detailed breakdown of where their views come from, such as Feed, Reshares, Profile, and Recommendations. It gives creators insight into how their content is being discovered and engaged with, whether through followers, direct messages, profile visits, or algorithmic recommendations.
Instagram added a ‘Deactivated Account’ category when a user views their followers.
TLDR: This feature identifies accounts that follow a user but have been deactivated. It’s an easy way for creators or brands to remove these inactive accounts from their follower list, helping maintain an accurate and engaged following that reflects only active users.
TIKTOK
TikTok is going all in on shoppable live streams for the holidays
TLDR: A star-studded slate of TikTok LIVE streams has been taking place from November 14 to December 2, with celebrity hosts like Nicki Minaj and the D’Amelio Family sharing their favorite TikTok Shop finds.
TikTok adds a slew of retailer affiliate partners for organic creator posts
TLDR: Some TikTok creators are now able to add affiliate links to their uploads, and the list of parter retailers includes Target, Amazon, Temu and more which is a huge addition of partners. The feature appear at the top of the comment stream, and when tapped, viewers are taken directly to those product pages, driving direct traffic for these brands.
TikTok is contemplating a move to add scripted dramas with minutes-long episodes
TLDR: Feeling very reminiscent of Quibi, time will tell if TikTok is able to pull it off. If Creators adopt this move, it could either turn into another platform for stars to emerge (think Justin Bieber and YouTube in the early days) and challenge the likes of Netflix for producing original content, or it will be just another failed scripted attempt by a social platform.
TikTok makes its AI ad creation tool available to all advertisers
TLDR: TikTok Symphony Creative Studio is now available for all TikTok for Business users, which means all advertisers can now create AI-generated videos in minutes, with 30+ languages supported and your choice of pre-built or custom avatars.
YOUTUBE
An update to YouTube Studio lets creators reach out to brands
TLDR: YouTube is launching the ability for creators in YPP with more than 4,000 subscribers to send video linking requests for Shorts to advertisers via YouTube Studio. They won’t be paid for it, but it creates major opportunities for future brand partnerships.
YouTube is rolling out Stickers on Shorts ads
TLDR: The platform automatically generates images from retailers’ product feeds and overlays them on Shorts ads. Viewers can tap the sticker, which will display a product carousel and a “Shop Now” button, creating an interactive component that encourages viewers to explore and purchase products.
YouTube is testing a vertical scroll for long form video
TLDR: YouTube is running a user test that shows you a new video when you scroll. This would be a major change to the interface of YouTube and would make the experience much more similar to TikTok.
SPOTIFY
Spotify for Podcasters is now Spotify for Creators.
TLDR: The official home of podcasting on Spotify offers a new monetization program for video podcasters, improved analytics and audience growth tools, and fresh discoverability opportunities. This is another step in Spotify’s goal to become a creator platform.
BRAND INFLUENCER HIGHLIGHTS:
- Gap’s new holiday campaign features musical creators performing an acappella version of Janet Jackson’s “Together Again.”
- The BBC is launching a reality TV show to find a new football commentator in partnership with TikTok
- Pinterest released over 1,000 shoppable gift guides curated by creators, influencers, and publishers
- Why Tide is shifting to social-first marketing for its latest NFL blitz
- Why a cannabis-infused beverage company is putting one creator front and center
- Addison Rae is starring in a series of short-film ads for French fashion brand Saint Laurent
- McDonald’s recruits Kai Cenat to launch its Chicken Big Mac
- Taco Bell Hires Gen Z Content Creator Ashley Xu to Direct Their Latest Commercial
REPORTS WORTH READING:
Gen Z aren’t just watching creators on TikTok—they’re also hunting for work.
TLDR: According to data from Resume Genius, one in five Gen Z’ers say they’ve applied to jobs and/or gotten interviews through the platform. You may think your business is too grown up for TikTok when it comes to recruiting, but the next generation certainly does not.
Pew Research shows people are increasingly getting their news from creators
TLDR: A new study from Pew Research Center surveyed over 10,000 U.S. adults and analyzed 500 individual news influencers across YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They found that 20% of U.S. adults overall and 37% of adults ages 18-29 say they regularly get news from creators on one or more of the aforementioned platforms.
By 2026, worldwide B2B digital ad spend is set to nearly triple its pre-pandemic level.
TLDR: According to EMARKETER, B2B digital ad spend worldwide is expected to reach $48.15 billion by 2026, up from $38.67 this year. You may be seeing more influencer content on platforms like LinkedIn and long form podcasts and newsletters – you can expect that to accelerate even more in the coming year.
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