With 2019 just around the corner we thought we would take a moment to compile our favourite social media updates of 2018.
This list is in no particular order they are just our 10 favourite updates from the past 12 months.
1. Hootsuite – Instagram post scheduling to business accounts
Hootsuite added the ability to post directly to business profiles on its desktop and mobile app. This made managing our own and clients Instagram accounts easier and less time-consuming. You can read more about this here.
2. Twitter Threads
Sometimes it takes more than 280 characters to get your message across. At the beginning of the year, Twitter introduced the ability to create threads of multiple Tweets.
You can read how to create Twitter threads in our blog post.
3. Premiere Videos
Twitter and Facebook both unveiled the ability to schedule pre-recorded videos to go out during a chosen viewing window as a live event. This allows you to build excitement in anticipation of the video being broadcast. We expect other social media channels to add this feature in 2019.
4. ContentCal’s New Look
ContentCal is a great tool to use for scheduling your social media content. They unveiled a new look in the latter part of 2018 which we have been really impressed with. Make sure you read our blog post about these new updates.
5. Hashtags being more prominent on LinkedIn
During the summer LinkedIn started making hashtags more prominent in status updates and started encouraging users to follow specific hashtags.
First, select a hashtag you wish to follow:
You will then be able to select one of the hashtags on the left-hand side of your home page and see related status updates.
You should also use relevant hashtags in your updates.
6. Instagram Story – Countdown Stickers
This feature only appeared in mid-December but is definitely worth a mention. Instagram has added countdown stickers to Stories so that you can use them to generate excitement for a campaign, promotion or event. When selected you can choose an end date and/or time and then it will appear on your Story. When a user views your Story it will encourage them to tap the timer to receive a reminder notification.
7. Twitter – Chronological Timeline
Twitter quietly added the ability to switch your feed from a curated feed of the best Tweets to a chronological timeline.
To do this choose Settings and privacy > account
Turn off ‘ Show the best Tweets first’ option. This will now show Tweets from the people you follow in a reverse chronological order.
8. Facebook 3D Posts
It was only going to be a matter of time until 3D posts were introduced on social media. Facebook unveiled a new way of creating them by utilising modern smartphone’s dual cameras without the need for fancy equipment.
As more people upgrade to newer smartphones, expect to see the use of 3D images increase across Facebook over the next couple of years.
You can read more about 3D Posts on Facebook in this blog post from Social Media Today.
9. Tags for your MailChimp contacts
This is a simple but useful change that MailChimp introduced this year. You can create tags for your contacts in MailChimp – assigning them as customers, VIPs, suppliers etc. You can then segment them by those tags, so you can make your newsletters even more personal.
10. GIFs added to LinkedIn Messages
Back in April, LinkedIn announced that you could add GIFs to messages you send within its platform. It raised a few eyebrows at the time but sometimes GIFs can be appropriate to make a congratulations message stand out. This is what LinkedIn said at the time of the launch.
“The GIFs available through Tenor’s GIF search engine give you countless ways to add some personality to your conversations and express your point of view in an impactful way.”
Do you have any updates that have impressed you which would make your top 10? Do let us know in the comments below.