Social media is forever changing which makes it easy to miss an update from time to time. Twice a month, we look into three of the latest key updates from the past few weeks from the various social media giants. Here’s what’s been happening recently…

TikTok Announces New Partnership with Linktree

TikTok has announced a new partnership with Linktree which will provide TikTok creators with more referral link options, directly integrated into their TikTok profile, helping to drive more referral traffic from the app.

To be clear, TikTok creators have always been able to add Linktree links into their TikTok bio, but this new integration will further enhance the experience and better facilitate the connection between the two platforms.

The partnership will be built into TikTok’s ’Profile Kit’ element of the TikTok for Developers Program, which enables developers to build tools on top of TikTok’s platform to facilitate better integration and functionality.

So again, while you’ve been able to add Linktree links into your TikTok bio since forever, the newly integrated Linktree offering will provide more options, including the capacity to login to your TikTok accounts via Linktree, and display up to six videos in your Linktree display.

Creators will also be able to display their latest or most popular videos, or hand select the videos they want to display within their link-in-bio.

And according to Linktree, TikTok is already one of the most linked to platforms from its tool, with Linktree profiles driving more than five million TikTok views every day.

You can try out the new TikTok Profile Link for Linktree here, while Linktree has also published a guide to setting up your TikTok links.

Instagram Launches Live Test In App Post Scheduling

Instagram has launched a live test of native scheduling in the app, with a limited group of users for now, but likely to be expanded sometime soon.

As you can see above, Instagram’s in-built post-scheduling option will be added to the advanced options in the post composer flow, with a new element that’ll enable you to set a date and time for the post to go live. Apparently, this will enable you to schedule both regular posts and Reels (no info on Stories yet).

That could be a handy update, providing an easy way to manage your IG posts while on the go.

Instagram released a brief statement this week on the update: “We are testing the ability to schedule content with a percentage of our global community.”

Not hugely in-depth, but some of you may actually have access to the option right now, in your Instagram app. If you don’t have it, it could well be coming soon, with initial testing likely to see good response in the app. Happy social media managers?

WhatsApp Launches New Campaigns to Highlight the Dangers of Unencrypted Messaging

With Meta’s full messaging encryption program still moving ahead, WhatsApp has launched a new push to highlight the dangers of unencrypted messaging, as it seeks to win more support for its controversial plan, and more users to the app.

5.5 billion unencrypted SMS are sent every day. With WhatsApp, your messages won’t be one of them. Step-up to a new era of personal privacy with automatic end-to-end encryption.

Message Privately. No pigeons. WhatsApp pic.twitter.com/YLKIMrkj7y

— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) October 17, 2022

As you can see in this new video from WhatsApp, Meta’s looking to further highlight the dangers of unsecured messaging services, like SMS, as it moves to the next stage with the project.

WhatsApp has also launched a massive new activation in London to underline the same.

This is @WhatsApp‘s wild new ad in Piccadilly Circus, London

watch to the end pic.twitter.com/pGJ4AiLR8K

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) October 10, 2022

As the company works to merge all of its messaging services – Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram Direct – into one, interconnected platform, Meta also needs to make them all encrypted by default, which it argues is more in-line with broader consumer demand for increased data privacy, and control over who’s able to access your communications at any stage.

But various government and industry groups have opposed the plan, with the UK Government pushing especially hard against Meta’s encryption roll-out as they claim it could be harder to police. What do you think?

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