Social media is constantly changing. Are you keeping up? As you’ve probably noticed, the obvious change with the big three social media giants (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) has been the push to end what is deemed “disinformation” by limiting what can be shared and adding fact checking disclaimers to certain content. In addition to that, there have been recent updates to ad spending, new dashboard tools and account verification changes to all three platforms. Below is a quick summary of changes and updates to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

FACEBOOK
New ad limits on business pages will be rolling out between February and June that will impact how many ads can be active on a page at one time. The new restrictions will limit small to medium pages to 250 ads per page at a time. Small to medium pages are defined as any pages with under $100,000 in ad spending in the highest spending month over the last 12 months. Most small businesses will fall into this category. For larger pages ($1 million to $10 million in the highest ad spending month over previous 12 months), the limit will be 5,000 active ads per page. And for the largest pages (over $10 million in the highest ad spending month over previous 12 months) the limit will be 20,000 active ads.

Facebook recently rolled out the new Facebook Business Suite which is a single dashboard for linked Facebook and Instagram accounts, where you can manage posts, message, advertise and view analytics in one easy place. The dashboard is a big improvement when it comes to managing your account.

Image: The Business Suite is a single dashboard for your linked Facebook and Instagram accounts that allows you to post, message, advertise, and view insights all in one place.

Facebook has also announced a new Data Checkup feature coming later in 2021.

TWITTER
In January, Twitter announced an updated verification policy for blue checkmark accounts. In order to be a verified, blue check account, your account needs to fall into one of these 6 categories: 

1. Government 
2. Companies, Brands, and Organizations
3. News Organizations and Journalists
4. Entertainment
5. Sports and Gaming
6. Activists, Organizers, and Other Influential Individuals

In addition to your account falling into one of the 6 categories above, you also need to meet other parameters around use, account followers, and analytics regarding hashtag usage to qualify for a verified account. Visit here for more information on how to achieve blue check mark status: https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/about-twitter-verified-accounts

If you already have a blue check account, be sure you have completed the new requirements to stay verified and keep your blue check.

Twitter has also made it easier to flag tweets for potential misinformation with its pilot program Birdwatch, which is in its beginning stages and being tested by a group of 1,000 participants. Read more here: https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2021/factually-twitter-your-birdwatch-has-problems/

INSTAGRAM
As mentioned above, the new Facebook Business Suite is a dashboard for linked Facebook and Instagram accounts. It’s a very handy feature for scheduling posts and reviewing insights for your account and posts. If you don’t have a Facebook account linked to Instagram, do not worry because Instagram now has its own Professional Dashboard for Businesses and Creators, which can be accessed from the top of your account profile page. There are multiple options to choose from including sections focused on growing your business and tracking performance. More updates are expected throughout 2021 as indicated by a recent Tweet from Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri who said “We’ll add to it over time, so we can keep helping you turn your passion into a living on Instagram.”

Image: Instagram’s Professional Dashboard for business account users to help business owners and content creators grow their business on the platform.

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