Social Media News: TikTok Tips for Halloween Content

This spooky season TikTok created new and engaging in-app Halloween features for content creators to utilize, including a variety of new AR effects and spookily visual tools. These make-up-inspired effects range from Halloween-inspired looks to looks inspired by Halloween and horror movies. 

Additionally, on October 12th, TikTok announced a “Spooky Halloween” challenge! Users who utilize the in-app Effects to create the most creative and original spooky effects will be eligible to win up to $2,500. 

TikTok has also planned several hashtags for creators from different communities and niches to utilize when posting Halloween content this year:

• #Halloween

• #TikTokHalloween

• #HalloweenMakeup

• #HalloweenCostume

• #PumpkinSeason

• #SpookyTreats

• #HalloweenDecor

• #BooBasket

• #HorrorBookTok

• #spookybooks

Using these hashtags and AR effects are just two ways to boost engagement for our TikTok creator this Halloween! So if you are looking to step up your TikTok game this spooky season, be sure to utilize TikTok’s tips for Halloween content~

Social Media News: Instagram Introduces New Share Option

Attention Instagram Users – we have an exciting new Instagram feature for you to try out:

In the beginning of October, Instagram rolled out a new way to share Stories: sharing a Story with multiple group lists at once. In addition to the “Close Friends” list, users will be able to create other group lists and share content with all selected groups. 

This new feature will allow users to add up to 250 users to a group, forming new audiences and different communities. 

There has been a general trend across social media platforms towards less public content and more content discovery/discourse within online communities. As such,  Instagram is continuing to find new ways to make the user’s experience more personal, such as this shared Story option that gives users more agency with whom they are sharing content, allowing for more engagement across users. 

For more social media news, be sure to check out our Instagram @peoplefirstcreatorcommunity or stay tuned for the next blog next Friday!

Social Media News: Facebook Introduces Multiple Users Profiles

Attention Facebook users…

Earlier this month, Meta launched a new Facebook feature that allows users to create multiple profiles on one account. Not only will this feature allow users to explore different communities in an easier and more efficient way, it also allows them to share authentic content with a dedicated audience.

Creators will be able to create up to four additional personal profiles on the platform, each with a unique username, friends lists, and feed, which will allow for privacy and separation between each profile. 

For a long time now, Facebook has been searching for ways to motivate users to create their own content in the communities that matter to them. This feature, which took over a year to make, is expected to make creators feel more comfortable posting content for a specific network of users.

So if you have wanted to post for paid partnership opportunities in the past but, for some reason, felt uncomfortable doing so on your personal Facebook, be sure to make the most of the multiple profiles feature!

Social Media News: YouTube Introduces Playables

Last week, YouTube began testing Playables for a selection of users.

Playables will allow users to play games in-app from a “Playables” section. According to YouTube, “Playables are played directly on YouTube on both desktop and mobile devices. If you’re part of this experiment, you’ll see a section on YouTube called “Playables” that will appear alongside other content on the home feed. We’re testing this with a limited number of users to start.”

Additionally, users will be allowed to save their Playables game history. 

Social Media News: X Brings New DM Reply Feature and More

Attention X Users! 

Many changes are coming to the platform! In fact, a new feature was released yesterday, August 31, where users are now able to swipe right on any direct message in chat to send a direct reply. Although users can still reply in chat, this feature will allow creators to reply to messages faster and more efficiently. 

Some other features that should be released on Androids, IOS, and even the web in the near future include video and audio calls on the platform.

These features will likely amount to more users using the DM feature as it will be a great way to find partnerships and collaboration opportunities along with engaging with members of your audience.

Be sure to follow our blog to keep up to date with all of X’s latest features!

Social Media News: Instagram Tests New Collaborative Post Feature

Attention Instagram Users! This month, Instagram began testing a new collaborative post feature that will allow creators to add their images and videos to an existing post, allowing users a new way to collaborate with other creators and share their unique perspectives and content.

Once this feature is enabled, viewers can submit additions to a creator’s original post for consideration. These image and video submissions will need to be approved by the creator who owns the post.

This feature, like Instagram’s new “Add Yours” button on Stories feature, encourages collaboration between users and creates a “curated” group experience on the platform. 

We at People First are excited to see how this feature impacts brand partnerships and accounts as brands can now ask creators to add their content to the brand’s original post!

It’s important to note that this feature is currently still in testing with no official release date confirmed. 

That being said, be sure to keep up with our weekly blogs to gain the latest social media news and updates.

Social Media News: YouTube Rolls Out New Video Linking Feature for Shorts

If you are a creator that creates YouTube Shorts, keep reading…

YouTube recently announced a new feature that allows creators to hyperlink a full-length video directly into their Shorts clip! This new feature, available on YouTube Studio, will display the YouTube link of choice in the Shorts description, allowing both creators and viewers access to the full-length YouTube video.

This feature can benefit creators in numerous ways:

  • Effectively drive traffic from Shorts to YouTube videos
  • Create consistent audience engagement and growth by linking Shorts and YouTube videos

So be sure to keep an eye out for this new feature, which should be available to all creators in the coming month!

If you are interested in learning more about YouTube’s new feature, check out this article.

Coming Soon to the Creator Portal…

We at People First are excited to reveal new features that are coming to the Creator Portal. These features were designed with care by our tech team to support our creators in the application and approval processes for our paid partnership campaigns. 

Below is the list of new features: 

  • Verification checkboxes: The Creator Portal now features verification checkboxes where creators can verify aspects about themselves, their profession, or their identity. 
  • Prompt response: The Creator Portal also features a prompt response where creators have the opportunity to provide our DROs with some context or background on why they are a good fit for the campaign. 
  • Shipping address: The “My Profile” section of the Creator Portal will soon include shipping addresses so creators can input the best address to receive products and campaign materials. 
  • Enhanced communication: One feature we are particularly excited about is the new automated alert feature for unread messages, which will be used to alert creators when there is new feedback regarding their content/submission.

Be sure to check out these features once they are live and let us know if you have any suggestions on how we can improve the Creator Portal!

Creator Portal Updates Coming Soon!

People First is thrilled to announce the release of a new feature in our Creator Portal! Starting June 1st 2023, influencers can easily connect their Instagram and TikTok accounts to our application, making it simpler than ever to partner with brands and campaigns. Read on to learn more about how to make these connections today, as they will soon become a requirement in order to continue navigating campaigns People First. 

Why Social Connection?

As more social platforms are working to ensure both brand and creator safety on their platforms, credentialization services and functionality is becoming more important than ever. By connecting your Instagram and Tiktok accounts to People First, you’ll be helping us give you a wider access to opportunities for partnerships and collaborations with brands and campaigns. Linking your accounts to our platform will give you the ability to showcase your reach, engagement, and creativity to potential partners. 

How Does This Help Me?

The new required social connections are going to support you as a People First Creator in the following three ways:

  1. Access to More Campaign Opportunities → By connecting your Instagram and Tiktok accounts to People First, you’ll be able to access a wider range of opportunities to create with top brands and advocacy groups, like the ability to post stories! 
  2. Increased Accuracy for Campaign Rates → With your social media accounts linked to our platform, we will have more accurate data about your reach, engagement, and overall performance as an influencer. This means that we will be able to set more accurate rates for campaigns, helping you earn what you deserve for your hard work.
  3. More Secure Creator Portal and Community → By requiring social connections, we’re able to maintain a more secure Creator Portal and community. This helps ensure that only authentic, verified influencers are able to access the platform and engage with our brand partners.

Forever Loading

Are you having trouble connecting your Instagram or Tiktok account to People First? If you’re experiencing the dreaded “forever loading” error, don’t worry – there are a few easy steps you can take to fix the issue. First, make sure you’re logged into the correct account on both Instagram and Tiktok. Then, clear your browser’s cache and cookies and try again – here is a link to a quick way to do that on Google Chrome or Safari

Facebook Account Not Tied To Instagram Account

If your Facebook account isn’t tied to your Instagram account, you may run into some issues when trying to connect to People First. In this case, you’ll need to link your Facebook account to your Instagram account before proceeding. To do this, go to your Instagram profile, select “Edit Profile,” and then click “Page.” From there, you can link your Facebook account to your Instagram account and proceed with connecting to People First. For more information please refer to Meta’s documentation on how to do this connection correctly.

Don’t Have A TikTok Account

If you don’t have a Tiktok account yet, no problem! It’s easy to create one and start connecting with brands and campaigns through People First. Simply download the TikTok app and follow the prompts to create an account. Once you’ve done that, you can easily connect your TikTok account to People First through our Creator Portal.

Instagram Account Tied To Facebook Profile Isn’t Creator Account/Business Account

To use your Instagram account for partnerships through People First, it must be a Creator Account or Business Account. If your Instagram account is tied to your Facebook profile but is not a Creator or Business Account, you’ll need to convert it before proceeding. To do this, go to your Instagram profile, select “Edit Profile,” and then click “Account.” From there, you can switch to a Creator or Business Account and begin using your Instagram account for partnerships through People First. For more assistance, please refer to Meta’s documentation on how to turn your FB Profile into a Creator/Business Account

Instagram Account Tied To Facebook Profile Isn’t Going To Be Used For Partnerships:

If your Instagram account tied to your Facebook profile is not going to be used for partnerships through People First, you don’t need to worry about connecting it. You can simply skip this step and continue using People First by connecting your TikTok account. However, keep in mind that connecting your Instagram account can help you access more opportunities for partnerships and growth as an influencer. 

I’m still having trouble connecting my Instagram or TikTok account 

If you’re still having trouble, you can reach out to our support team for assistance. We’re online from 9am – 5pm ET at creators.peoplefirst.cc with the use of our chatbox. If you’re on mobile, you’re welcome to shoot us an email at [email protected] and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible. 

Social Media News: Instagram Increases Link Quantity in Bio

In mid-April of 2023, Instagram released a new feature that allows Instagram users to add up to five unique links to their in-app bio!

According to Instagram, this update is intended to “make it easier for creators and other users to highlight their passions, bring awareness to causes they care about, promote brands they love, showcase their personal business, and more”.

While the links will continue to be displayed in the same location, aka in the last line of the Instagram user’s bio, it will now also include the number of links available. When the first link is clicked, the other links, a maximum of five, will appear at the bottom of the screen. 

So what does this mean for our creators? This can be a great way for microinfluencers and content creators to promote their other social media channels or digital platforms to merge and strengthen their audience bases. Additionally, it can impact brands’/organizations’ campaigns by allowing creators to add links to petitions and other resources in their bio without limiting themselves to one link. 

If you are interested in adding new links to your Instagram profile… click ‘Edit profile’ → ‘Links’ → ‘Add external link’. 

Be sure to organize your links as you want them to appear in the app! 

Social Media News: TikTok Feed Refresh

Have you been refreshing your TikTok fyp waiting for something fun and fresh? Then we have some good news for you: TikTok is releasing a new “Refresh” feature.

This feature will allow users to “refresh” their TIkTok feeds, essentially resetting algorithmic recommendations and starting their account from the beginning. This feature also includes new measures to avoid repetition in-app and limit exposure to sensitive or harmful content. 

This feature has been in the works for the last couple of months and brings many benefits to both creators and users, such as allowing individuals to decide the kind of experience they want. 

So if you’ve ever fallen down a niche TikTok hole and disliked how the algorithm of your For You Page changed, this feature is for you!

Social Media News: Introducing TikTok ‘Series’

As social media platforms scramble to find new, creative ways to pay creators for their content, TikTok has introduced their new feature: ‘Series’

A new way for creators to monetize their content, TikTok Series enables creators to create collections of videos for private audiences at varying rates. According to TikTok representatives, “one Series can include up to 80 videos, each up to 20 minutes long, giving people a new, longer format to watch their favorite creators and content”. 

Similar to Youtube’s Partner Program, TikTok Series provide creators with increased flexibility with regard to the type of content they create. 

So who really benefits from the new feature? High performing creators who are given the freedom to be paid for posting exclusive content from their most dedicated followers. Additionally, iit boosts the revenue potential of TikTok as a whole. 

The TikTok Series feature is currently only available to select creators but will likely be available to all in the coming months – so stay tuned!

Social Media News: Instagram ‘Channels’ Coming Soon…

Attention Instagram Users! 

Instagram will be introducing a new feature—Channels—where users will be able to join group chats to remain updated on specific topics, niches, creators, and more. 

With the purpose of creating more private spaces for users to message, Channels can be accessed through the Instagram Direct chat list. Although users cannot add comments or new messages into the feed, they can read and react to messages that are posted in the chat. This contrasts Instagrams traditional ‘public’ posting such as in-feed or Story posts. Additionally, Channels will support images, text, polls, reactions, and even collaborations.

Channels will be a new way for creators and brands to engage with their users so if you are interested in joining, be sure to request early access to the feature!

Social Media News: Twitter Removes Co-Tweet Functionality

Attention Twitter Users!

Back in July of 2022, Twitter released co-tweets which allowed up to two users to collaborate on shared messages and partner together to promote a product or brand. This feature is similar to TikTok’s popular Duets feature and Meta’s collaborative Instagram feature, where multiple creators can collaborate on the same post. 

Unfortunately, this feature is no longer available as of February 1st, 2023. Additionally, all co-tweets will be reverted to retweets at the beginning of March. This change is likely due to the fact that co-tweets were never fully integrated into the app. 

The brightside is that we can see how Twitter is constantly innovating and expanding its features to meet the needs of the Twitter community. As such, we are excited to see what Twitter has in store for the coming months!

Social Media News: Twitter Re-launches Swipeable Feed Alternatives… Again?

Attention Twitter Users! Many new additions are set to come in 2023 after business mogul Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022. While Musk claims these additions are upgrades that will attract users to the platform, many believe that they are “variations of past Twitter experiments.” 

The latest addition is a swipeable feed alternative that allows users to switch between recommended and followed tweets/trends/topics. This update was implemented last March and quickly abandoned as users made it clear that they preferred the original Twitter feed. 

Although this alternative may have failed before, it has the potential to succeed as the swipeable feed is intended to expand content diversity and tweet discovery. Perhaps this time around, Twitter users will find the AI-based tweet recommendations in the swipeable feed more engaging and entertaining!

Social Media News: It’s ⚠️Time to BeReal ⚠️ On Instagram

Attention Instagram Users! Have you all heard of the app BeReal

BeReal is considered an “authentic alternative to mainstream social media platforms” due to its signature once-a-day, untouched posts. Although BeReal was launched in 2019, it has blown up in recent years! As a result, Meta has recently implemented “Candid Stories” on Instagram—a feature that can only be used once a day and captures two simultaneous images using the front and rear cameras—similar to BeReal. 

This is just one of the many updates that Meta plans to implement on Instagram in the coming months! Expect changes such as a new Note feature and “Group Profiles” as well. So what do these changes mean for our creators?

It simply means that there are new ways to engage with audiences on Instagram, with an emphasis on interacting in smaller groups. To read more about Candid Stories and future Instagram updates, check out the full article by clicking here.

Social Media News: TikTok tests “nearby” feature

TikTok is the app of the moment, with projections that it’ll reach 1.5 billion users before the year ends. To keep up with demand, the app has been testing new features for its users. After being spotted by users, TikTok has confirmed that it has been testing a new content feed that would show content posted by users in your current location. This has the potential to put more of the spotlight on local content creators and could help boost exposure! A dedicated local feed could also give users access to nearby user communities.

This new nearby content feed could also be a good opportunity for brands and businesses to advertise themselves. For example, if your For You page always shows restaurant recommendations, your nearby page would show you local restaurants. 

Details about the new nearby content feed are fairly limited, with the test only being conducted with a small group of users in Southeast Asia. TikTok also recently added a location tagging option for posts, and it’s not yet certain if posts displayed in the nearby feed will be automatically added based on where a users’ profile is located, or if location tags need to be included.

Social Media News

Hey there creators! 

We have some exciting new updates from the social media world, for all creators and influencers that we are thrilled to share!

Youtube is adding a new feature to it’s studio editing trim. This feature is designed to allow users to cut segments from longer video uploads into shorter clips. This will enable finer grain time editing, as well as making it easier to edit in the youtube studio app itself. This update will be available for all youtube studio editing users, by the end of the first week of August!

Our Tip or Trick of the week: 

As of lately, all Instagram users are noticing a shortage of likes and engagements, on still media posts. Any static feed image posts are not being shown in feed as much anymore. This is because Instagram is continuing to push out their reels feature, and wanting more users to create video content in reels. The best thing to do is use this new algorithm, to your advantage, and start posting more reels! The more Reels you post, the Instagram algorithm will push out to more users on its platform. While posting reels you also have the option to not share it in feed, so it won’t be shared to all your followers, but it will be pushed throughout all of Instagram, which will increase your account engagement, and bring in new viewers to see your account. It is best to start posting reels now, and take advantage of the new algorithm, so you can boost your account as much as possible!