Instagram experiments with private feed 'Blend'

1/5 YouTube unveils new “jump ahead” feature?

YouTube has announced yet another of its infamous “experiments”, which will be available to Premium users. This new feature,“jump ahead”, will allow Premium users to skip ahead to the best part of a YouTube video rather than having to tap twice to jump manually. This new feature analyses user watch data and uses machine learning to automatically select the most interesting parts of a video, which the user can then jump to. (Via Mashable )

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2/5 Instagram testing new carousel commenting feature?

Instagram is in the midst of testing out its latest feature, which would allow users to comment on specific slides within a Carousel. Users have reported being able to link their reply to a video or photo within Carousels based on its slide number. The new option allows users @mention the slide that they wish to reply to; so, to reply to photo 2, a user would comment “@2”. The comment is then shown beneath the Carousel along with a thumbnail of the mentioned image. (Via Social Media Today )

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3/5 TikTok defends its existence in new ad campaign?

TikTok has released a new ad campaign in opposition to the sell-off bill currently proposed in the United States. The bill would see Chinese owner ByteDance divest from the platform or have TikTok removed from US app stores. The $2.1 million ad campaign seeks to show off the many benefits that TikTok gives its US users, such as growing communities and supporting small businesses. The ad will be aired on television in US states where the bill is gaining particular popularity. (Via Social Media Today )?

4/5 Instagram experiments with 'blend' feed for private engagement?

Instagram is continuing with its bid to create options for private content sharing. The platform is currently testing a new option called 'Blend', which would create a new collaborative Reels feed. After inviting each other to the Blend stream, users would be able to scroll through recommended Reels based on ones they have shared with each other previously. The move taps into user behaviour of sending Reels in DM messages more than posting to their feeds. (Via Tech Edit) ?

5/5 Snapchat rolls out longer video uploads, generative AI lenses and more?

Snapchat is unveiling a range of new features aimed to give users more ways to creatively collaborate and connect in the app. Some updates of interest include the new AI powered Lenses, which will allow users more freedom when editing and taking Snaps. Given that 300 million Snapchat users engage with AR daily, this is a natural next step. The platform is also adding “Templates”, which will make it far simpler to create highlights based on shared Memories. Finally, Snapchat is joining the long-form content train, giving users the opportunity to create videos of up to three minutes and upload videos of up to five. This is a big jump from its previous sixty-second limit. (Via Social Media Today )

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Lloyd Williams, Head of Strategy @ Socially Powerful .

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