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4 New Social Media Features You May Not Have Heard Of

John Beaton
August 27, 2021
Last Updated On
4 New Social Media Features You May Not Have Heard Of

Social media channels are always changing, and with all of the options available to you in your omni-channel mix, it is challenging to be everywhere all at once. That being said, there is value in having a deeper understanding of what the social channels that you already have a presence on, have to offer. There’s a much lower barrier to entry for using new social media features that are a part of your existing social channels—they act as another avenue for you to redistribute your content in ways that your competition may not be. The following four features are little-known to marketers but have the potential to be highly effective in reaching new audiences.

Instagram Guides

What are Instagram Guides? They are essentially a tool for brands to curate content from three different categories: places, products (from your Instagram Shop), and posts. With Guides, you are able to collect content around a certain theme in one place and provide commentary. It’s almost like a blog post, except it’s discoverable right on your Instagram Feed.

Instagram is a highly visual platform, and Guides are great in terms of social media features that bridge visuals with education, which resonates with Gen Z in particular. If you have content that tells a story, Instagram Guides are an option to tell that story all in one place, without worrying about the chronological order of your Feed.

Image credit: lululemon

YouTube Shorts

YouTube has been a staple of long-form video since the early days of social media, and it has continued to hold a spot in channel strategies as the go-to-place for that type of content—but did you know that it also has an entire section dedicated to the same type of short-form video that you see on TikTok and Instagram? Shorts can be up to 60 seconds long, and the app contains all of the video creation features you need to film a Short on the spot. Additionally, you also have the option to upload existing content from your device and trim it down to 60 seconds or less.

YouTube Shorts are an amazing place for your lo-fi content to reach an even wider audience, and because the content is so different from what you usually see on YouTube, there’s a real opportunity to drive discoverability for your channel.

Image credit: Food52

Twitter Moments

What are Twitter Moments? They are curated groups of Tweets about things that are happening all over the world, and can involve anything from serious news topics to quick updates about your favorite sports team. When you create a Moment on Twitter, you are able to import from Tweets you’ve liked, Tweets by account, and Tweets by Collection ID (if you use TweetDeck). There is also a search functionality as well. Moments are not limited to just your Tweets, either—you can bring in Tweets from multiple sources, including your audience.

Twitter Moments are an innovative way for companies to present Tweets in a simple, coherent, chronological fashion. They are commonly used as a way for brands to curate testimonials or sentiment from real fans’ Tweets. If you release a product, feature, or teaser that fans really like, keep the hype going by turning their reactions into a Moment. They also work really well for curating top-performing UGC all in one place.

Twitter Moments
Image credit: Twitter

TikTok LIVE

TikTok has many opportunities for marketers and influencers to make an impact, and one area that has been growing in popularity is TikTok LIVE. It is essentially TikTok’s answer to the live-streaming functionalities of other channels, and it has all of the perks of a modern live-streaming platform, including audience interaction, community moderation, and even rewards from engaged viewers.

TikTok LIVE can be accessed through the “create” icon for users with over 1000 followers. For influencers, they need to be over the age of 16 to use the feature. Similar to other live-streaming platforms, users are able to add up to 20 moderators, filter certain words, and receive virtual gifts from viewers who buy Coins. Popular creators on TikTok, whether from views or by receiving virtual gifts, earn Diamonds, which can be exchanged for real-life currency.

TikTok LIVE has become a catalyst for many influencers to turn their hobby into a viable career, but it’s just not influencers who are using it. Walmart has been doubling down on its TikTok live streams, the first of which, according to TikTok analytics, earned them a +25% increase in followers, and there’s no sign of this trend stopping now. Expect it to become a greater part of your marketing strategy in the future.

TikTok LIVE
Image credit: TikTok


These new social media features are just a glimpse of what these platforms have to offer.  A best practice to make sure you’re always at the forefront of social media advancement is to follow each company’s blog for new product announcements.

For more insights into how social marketing is evolving, be sure to check out our Social Media Trends report, or subscribe to our newsletter by clicking on the link below!

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