Stay Social: The Latest and Greatest in Social Media this April

It’s April! So, without further ado, here are the latest news stories on social media marketing from the last month!

Facebook privacy troubles bring big changes

The last month has been tough-going for Facebook. Between the Cambridge Analytica scandal (you can read our summary of it here) and the subsequent Congressional Hearing, the pressure has been on the social platform to improve and clarify its privacy policies.

The Congressional Hearing did result in an abundance of memes and an apology from Mark Zuckerberg as well as a commitment to working with policy-makers on regulation. A slew of changes to the platform have since been announced.

What’s your favourite meme to result from the Congressional Hearing?

The biggest of these changes include sweeping reforms to the platform’s API. Previously, other apps had access to a whole heap of information from Events, Groups, and Pages on Facebook. Now, they will no longer be able to gather data on what people post in Events or on Pages, and they can no longer gain access to any data and information from Groups without Facebook’s direct approval. They can also no longer access the member lists from Events and Groups, which means they’ll only see data from the people who have explicitly agreed to share it.

Beyond the API changes, Facebook is also implementing controls within its own App that will allow users to see how their information is shared and with who. If they aren’t happy with what they see, the users can now also change their privacy settings (or delete their data altogether) from a much easier to find and use interface.

A comparison of the old settings menu (left) and the new settings menu (right). Image source: TechCrunch

Meanwhile, on the platform’s sister site, the Instagram API for follower lists, relationships and public comments for apps has been disabled, which means outside Apps will be unable to track that data through the image-sharing platform.

With all of these changes, it’s clear that Facebook isn’t just taking PR-friendly half-measures in response to the scandal. The company seems earnest in its goal to make the platform a more secure place for its users’ information.

Snapchat takes on Group Chat

Snapchat recently introduced Group Video Chat to its platform. Users can now chat with up to 16 friends at the same time, all while still using Lenses to give themselves dog ears.

While not monetisable by advertisers, this feature aims to keep users returning to the platform after Facebook’s Instagram and Messenger Apps proved to be stiff competition.  The addition will hopefully prove to be a strong addition to the App’s features, making sure that users and brands can continue using the platform well into the future.

What do you think about Snapchat’s new Group Video Feature? Image source: Fortune

YouTube wants you to reach your audience

In a smaller, but still important update, YouTube is updating how advertisers can share their content on the video platform.

With its new TrueView for Reach, brands can promote 6-30 second skippable videos on the platform, all while these are targeted to reach as many unique users on the platform as possible. All this to help brands reach as many people in their target audience as possible.

Youtube’s newest TrueView feature explained. 

And that’s it for April. Here’s hoping May brings with it much more social media goodness to report on.