Social media never stands still, and September is already bringing plenty of updates for marketers to keep an eye on. From new LinkedIn tools and TikTok features to Meta’s latest AI developments and Threads’ continued growth, there’s a lot to catch up on.
Here are some of the biggest social media updates from the month so far, and what they could mean for your business.
Meta Launches New Meta One For Business Subscription Packages
Meta has launched Meta One for Business, a collection of paid subscription packages giving businesses access to additional AI-powered tools, audience insights and features across Facebook and Instagram. Features will vary depending on the subscription level, including competitor performance comparisons, extended Instagram insights, custom Facebook audience data and enhanced scheduling tools. One particularly notable addition is the ability to add links to Instagram posts and Reels. This has been a long-requested feature, but it comes with limits depending on the subscription tier.
Meta is also introducing a new AI-powered business agent, which can respond to customer messages on WhatsApp Business and provide guidance around customer engagement and lead generation. They’re continuing to build more business tools directly into its platforms, with a larger focus on AI.
Zuckerberg Says Threads Could Overtake X
Threads reached 500 million monthly active users in June, while X’s monthly active user base was sitting around 550 million in May. The two platforms are much closer together in terms of reported usage than they once were. Mark Zuckerberg has suggested Threads could already be bigger than X, or will be soon. He also highlighted an important point: he still uses both platforms because they attract different communities.
There’s a useful lesson here: audience size isn’t everything. Just because one platform has more users doesn’t automatically make it the right platform for your business. What matters is whether your audience is there, what they use the platform for and whether your content fits the conversations happening there. Audience research should always come first.
TikTok Adds Voice Comments, Polls and Photo Carousels
TikTok is giving users more ways to interact in its comments, introducing voice comments, comment polls and photo-based replies. Voice comments allow users to record audio responses of up to 60 seconds, with the feature being rolled out globally to users aged 18 and over.
Creators can also now add polls to their comment sections, with up to five response options. The platform is also introducing photo comments allowing users to add up to nine photos, creating a scrollable carousel.
TikTok is making its comments section much more interactive, making it easier for engagement to continue after the video ends. For brands and creators, these new tools provide more opportunities to encourage conversations, ask questions and involve audiences.
LinkedIn Tests A New Network Feed
LinkedIn is testing a new Network tab, giving users an alternative feed made up specifically of people they follow and are directly connected with. The test is part of LinkedIn’s wider push towards more meaningful interactions.The platform has been increasingly focused on tackling engagement pods, automated activity and AI-generated content, which can make feeds feel less personal.
The Network feed could give users a simpler way to keep up with the people they actually know or have chosen to follow, rather than relying entirely on LinkedIn’s main algorithmically curated feed. It’s currently a test, so there’s no guarantee the feature will become a permanent part of the platform, but their focus on genuine connections is worth paying attention to. As feeds become increasingly crowded with AI-generated and engagement-focused content, creating posts that feel useful, relevant and genuinely human could become even more important.
Meta Launches Muse As Its Latest AI Digital Assistant
Meta is continuing its push into AI assistants with Muse, a new AI-powered chatbot designed to act more like a personal assistant. Users can name their bot, give it tasks and allow it to work in the background. The idea is to create an AI assistant that can help with everyday tasks and make life more efficient.
It isn’t Meta’s first attempt at this. The company previously launched M, an AI-powered personal assistant for Messenger back in 2015. M was designed to handle tasks such as booking restaurants, arranging travel and buying products, but the service was eventually shut down in 2018 after failing to gain enough traction. Muse is significantly more advanced thanks to developments in AI over the last decade.
AI assistants are clearly becoming a major area of investment for the big tech platforms, but this is also a useful reminder that just because technology can do something doesn’t mean people will want to use it. Understanding how customers actually want to interact with AI will be just as important as keeping up with the technology itself.
Talk To Victress About Social Media
As always, the key isn’t to jump on every new feature or trend. It’s about understanding what’s changing and working out what actually matters for your audience and your business.
Need a little help making sense of your social media strategy? Get in touch with the Victress team, we’d love to help.
