Social Mind: Social and AI Insights - September 2024

The latest on Social Media and AI 🗞️

Hello and welcome to the September edition of Social Mind 👋

This month’s newsletter is packed with updates, tips, and insights to keep you ahead in the rapidly changing realms of social media and AI.

Last month, I focused on AI training. The highlight was helping an AI agency integrate Microsoft Copilot into their daily operations. I hope to be working with their clients soon.

On the running front, I achieved a PB in the CDF 10K this morning, part of my training for the Cardiff Half Marathon in October, where I'll be fundraising for Age Connects.

Support Age Connects: https://www.justgiving.com/page/jpcardiffhalf2024

If you have any questions about social media, AI, or the new features or news mentioned below, just reply or get in touch via my website.

Let’s get into it...

Add custom thumbnails to your TikToks 📺

TikTok has introduced the ability to add custom thumbnails to videos. This feature allows users to upload their own custom images as thumbnails.

Thumbnails can be created outside the app using design tools like Canva. By selecting a thumbnail that effectively represents the content of their video, creators can attract more viewers and create a cohesive aesthetic across their profile.

Insight: This new feature is a significant update for creators and brands aiming to enhance their visual branding on the platform. Attractive custom thumbnails can make a strong first impression on potential viewers who browse profiles or search for content, helping to increase views.

Sell and buy using Amazon within TikTok 🛍️

TikTok has formed a significant partnership with Amazon, allowing users to make purchases directly within the TikTok app. This new integration enables TikTok users to buy Amazon products without leaving the platform, streamlining the shopping experience.

Real-time pricing, Prime eligibility, and delivery estimates all appear right within the "For You" feed. By linking their TikTok and Amazon accounts, users can complete transactions seamlessly, turning TikTok into a powerful social commerce platform.

For now, this new integration is available in the US only but will no doubt make it’s way to the UK in due course.

Insight: This move reflects TikTok's strategy to enhance in-app shopping capabilities, aiming to rival other e-commerce giants like Temu and further monetise its massive user base​.

LinkedIn improves search 🔎

LinkedIn has introduced enhanced semantic search capabilities that they say has significantly improve content discovery on the platform.

This new feature goes beyond simple keyword matching by understanding the broader context of search queries, making it easier for users to find relevant content even with complex searches.

The update also reduces the necessity for hashtags, as the algorithm now considers more contextual factors to deliver accurate search results. This enhancement is expected to increase user engagement and improve the overall LinkedIn experience.

Insights: Let’s hope this does improve LinkedIn Search. Whilst extremely useful there is a lot of room for improvement. For example, searching for ‘Laptop Friday’ doesn’t return any Laptop Friday events 🤔 Semantic improvements are good but basic search features like filters, which Events search lacks, would be useful too. Do we still need to use hashtags on LinkedIn? If you’ve already included your keywords in your post, then the answer is ‘no’.

Edit your scheduled posts on LinkedIn ⏱️

LinkedIn has introduced the ability to edit scheduled posts, providing users with more flexibility and control over their content. This update allows you to make changes to posts that have been scheduled in advance on the platform.

For example you might want to make a change to ensure that your content is up-to-date and relevant, and you can now do this even after it's been queued.

Insight: It’s always been possible to edit scheduled posts via third party tools like SocialPilot, but for those that want to schedule on LinkedIn itself this is a handy feature, helping maintain the accuracy and quality of scheduled posts.

LinkedIn teases Videos for You 📺

LinkedIn is testing a new Videos For You section on their mobile app. The new feed is designed to highlight recommended videos tailored to users' interests and professional networks. Those who have the new feature report that you can scroll from left to right to view more content.

Insight: By curating videos that align with users' profiles and activities, LinkedIn hopes to boost engagement and provide a more personalised experience on the platform. LinkedIn report a 34% increase in videos over the past year and this update reflects their continued focus on video content.

Threads introduces Insights on desktop 📊

Meta's social media platform Threads has just launched its new Insights analytics dashboard for desktop users. This tool is a significant upgrade, offering content creators and marketers detailed performance metrics right at their fingertips.

With this new feature, users can now track overall views, interactions, and follower growth, giving them a deeper understanding of how their content resonates both with followers and with those who encounter their posts through the algorithm-driven "For You" feed.

This launch comes as Threads' sees user growth, with the platform's monthly active users jumping from 175 million to 200 million in just a month.

Insight: Regular readers will know that I’m a big fan of Threads - follow me there at threads.net/pollingersocial - so great to see the ability to review the performance of your posts plus follower stats and be able to learn from them. This new tool is another step in Threads' efforts to establish itself as a major player in the social media landscape.

There are 200 million users of ChatGPT ✨

ChatGPT has now surpassed 200 million weekly active users. This milestone highlights the ongoing demand for AI tools that enhance both personal and professional tasks. Since its launch, ChatGPT has quickly become an essential tool for many, doubling its user base in less than a year.

The widespread adoption across various industries, including 92% of Fortune 500 companies, underscores the trust and value that businesses and individuals alike find in this technology.

Insight: As AI continues to integrate into everyday life, ChatGPT's influence is only set to grow further. If you’d like to book training with me, I have lots of options. Simply reply or get in touch via my website.

Google's Gemini AI Enhancements 🧠

Google has rolled out an update to its Gemini AI, which now includes the ability to take notes during Meet video calls. This feature is part of Google's broader push to integrate AI into its productivity tools, enhancing the efficiency of virtual meetings by automatically summarizing key points and action items.

Insights: A welcome development which has been available for some time with Microsoft Teams using Copilot and on Zoom, although the note taking could be more accurate on the latter.

📝Read my latest blog post summarising my interview on the BBC about WhatsApp Chats:

📺Watch my YouTube video for NILC where I demonstrate how to use ChatGPT to work with images:

Back on 1 October…

That's it for this month’s issue. I hope you found it interesting and useful.

If you need any help with social media or AI, you know what to do 😃

Best wishes 🙌

JP

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