📢 What’s New in Social Media This Week? From algorithm updates to viral cultural moments, we break down the latest content trends, platform changes, and marketing strategies. Every Thursday with #TBT!
đź“Ś March 13, 2025
👉 TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain
Investors are competing to acquire TikTok, with its valuation estimated at $60 billion. The People’s Bid, led by Frank McCourt, includes Alexis Ohanian (Reddit co-founder) and Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the World Wide Web), focusing on privacy and data control. Another major bidder, Jesse Tinsley, has made a $30 billion all cash offer, backed by David Baszucki (Roblox co-founder), YouTube star MrBeast, and other investors. Other interested parties include Steven Mnuchin and companies like Oracle, Walmart, Microsoft, Rumble, and Perplexity AI. While no deal has been finalized, ongoing negotiations could soon decide TikTok’s fate.
👉 Tired of your Reddit posts getting removed?
The platform has introduced new tools to help users contribute more effectively and engage with communities. These updates include Post Check, which prevents accidental rule violations; Post Recovery, allowing users to repost removed content; and Community Suggestions, which helps users find the right subreddit for their posts. It’s great to see features implemented that enhance engagement and make it easier to connect with the right audience.
👉 Snap Map now has over 350 million monthly users
With the launch of Promotional Places, businesses now have a new way to enhance their presence through paid exposure. Understanding how Snap Map content is moderated can help maximize your listing’s visibility. Snapchat uses human reviewers and automated tools to ensure content aligns with guidelines and excludes sensitive locations like schools and hospitals. Ranking factors include related Snaps from nearby locations, recency, and user activity, making customer generated content valuable. While ranking is largely out of a business’s control, encouraging customers to engage with your Place Story or tag your location can help boost visibility.
đź“Ś March 6, 2025
👉 Meet Instagram alternative: Flashes
Flashes, a new photo-sharing app built on the Bluesky platform, officially launched to the public last week. With 30k downloads since it launched, the growth reflects an interest for a decentralized social media platform that prioritizes user agency and data ownership. The app leverages Bluesky’s AT Protocol and aims to provide a fresh experience for those seeking more autonomy over their social media interactions. Have you joined?
👉 Big news: Gen Z LOVES X… or at least, that’s according to X
A recent study from the platform states, “Gen Z users continue to come to X, with an 8% increase YoY and a 12% increase in the US since 2022. With 31% of X’s users now belonging to Gen Z, we’re not only capturing their attention, we’re setting the pace for trends and culture, evidenced by daily emerging memes and viral moments. Gen Z is increasingly turning to X as the go-to platform for viral trends and cultural moments.” But take this with a grain of salt. While Gen Z is active on X, that doesn’t mean they prefer it. As Social Media Today notes, “all the external data that we have suggests that other platforms are significantly more popular with younger audiences.” đź‘€
👉 Have you noticed AI-generated Pins taking over your feed?
Pinterest has announced plans to enhance transparency by labeling AI-generated content on its platform. This initiative aims to help users distinguish between human-created and AI-produced posts, aligning Pinterest with other social media platforms like Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok that have implemented similar measures to promote authenticity and trust among users. This is a win for Pinterest users who’ve been frustrated, saying the AI onslaught is making the platform less useful and harder to navigate.
