There are some exciting new updates being tested for Twitter and Instagram! Twitter and Meta have been testing these features for some time now and are finally offering more details on what to expect.

Twitter updates to watch:

• Tweet editing capability
• Setting a status for your Tweet

The Instagram update to watch:

• Adding multiple links in bios

Let’s dive in!

1. Tweet Editing Capability

Offering the public Tweet editing capabilities has been a long and controversial conversation. Concerns have centered around keeping misinformation in check and issues with embedded and shared Tweets.

This first round of the editing testing addresses those concerns in two ways:

• Showing an “edited” icon at the top of the Tweet to let the reader know that the original Tweet has changed.
• Allowing readers to view the full editing history if there have been multiple edits to the original Tweet.

The hope is that, even if an edited Tweet gets misquoted or generates larger conversations (i.e. celebrity and brand reputations), readers will be able to click through the edit history and see each update and get more understanding.

For the general public, the editing feature has long been asked for and does carry opportunity for more precise and thoughtfully worded content.

Here’s how it’s working now in the testing phase:

• For now, Twitter Blue users in New Zealand, Australia and Canada are able to make up to five edits to a Tweet within the first half hour of posting.
• Once a Tweet has been edited, an “edited” icon will appear near the top of the Tweet.
• Readers will also be able to click through a full edit history if multiple edits have been made.

Twitter has reported positive results in the test markets so far!

2. Setting a Status for Your Tweet

Twitter has experimented with status updates attached to Tweets in the past. However, they found that the statuses were functioning similar to hashtags and location tagging which users were taking advantage of more.  

With this round of tests, the hope is that the status will offer helpful context to the Tweet and help free up character space. For example, instead of using characters to write “Hot take,”  Twitter will offer a status indicator of “Hot take.”  

At this time in testing, users aren’t able to create their own status indicators; they will only be able to choose from a selected list created by Twitter.

These statuses also serve as a way to categorize and organize Tweets. If users want to see Tweets related to “best vacations on a budget,” they could sort Tweets by “On vacation” statuses or “Budget friendly” statuses. It remains yet to be seen how these searchable status indicators will interact with hashtags and how the public will adopt them.

Overall, the status indicators could be another effort by Twitter to continue serving relevant and helpful content to its users. Historically, their algorithm has been behind Meta’s so Twitter has implemented features like “Topic follows” and groups to remedy inconsistent content while they update their algorithm tech.

Users will tell if the new status indicators are a hit or a miss!

3. Adding Multiple Links to Your Instagram Bio

Businesses and individual content creators on Instagram have found third party solutions to Instagram’s “one link in bio” rule. Companies like Linktree could be in trouble when Instagram offers the multiple link option.  

There’s no clear release date or test market for the feature, so periodically check your bio for the capability. Instagram has also not released how many links will now be available to connect to Instagram profiles.

Adding multiple links is Instagram’s effort to keep clicks and user attention native to the platform instead of clicking off of Instagram onto a third party link host. This move could be useful for content creators who only have two to three links, but it might not prove useful to businesses or influencers with five or more links. Third party link hosts allow you to update links and create an aesthetic around what each link offers, which is an important part of branding for many Instagrammers. However, keeping the links native moves Instagram into a better position to be a “brand homebase” for many businesses and content creators.  

It remains to be seen if this new feature will be adopted!

Final thoughts…

Each of these ongoing tests could potentially offer exciting new opportunities for users and for businesses! Staying on top of ever-changing social media trends is just one part of running a successful digital marketing strategy.

RevLocal can handle all things digital marketing for your small business or multi-location brand. To learn more, check out our resources or contact us for a free consultation.