January Social Media News Roundup
Whilst January 2024 has felt like the most January January in all of January's, February has finally arrived and we're that little bit closer to those longer sunny days! ☀️
So what has been going on in the world of social media as we tick off the first month of 2024? Here's a few highlights...
LinkedIn Reaches 1 Billion Members 👏🏻
LinkedIn has once again seen “record engagement” in the latest quarter, as it continues its steady growth under parent company Microsoft.
LinkedIn’s latest results, announced as part of Microsoft’s quarterly update, officially confirm that the platform is now up to a billion members, a new milestone for the app, while engagement remains high, with newer elements helping to drive more usage. Bravo LinkedIn 🏆
Universal Music Will Pull Its Tracks From TikTok
An impact on TikTok's music library? 👀
After negotiations between TikTok and Universal Music Group failed to reach a new agreement on usage rights, Universal has announced that it will withdraw its music from the app, as of Feb. 1.
Universal, which is home to some of the biggest music stars on the planet, including Taylor Swift, Adele, Drake, and Billie Eilish, says that TikTok offered less than it had hoped on both compensation for its artists, as well as safeguards about generative AI usage.
Universal’s current rights agreement with TikTok, which it originally signed in 2021, will end on Jan. 31, after which time all Universal-owned content will be removed from the app. Eek!
Instagram Now Lets You Opt-Out of Read Receipts for DMs
Instagram has this month rolled out the capacity for users to switch off read receipts for their DMs, so you can control when “Read” and “Seen” indicators appear (or don’t) for the sender within message streams.The setting is available within each individual chat. To activate the new option, you can tap on the users’ name (or group chat name), then select “Privacy & Safety” and toggle off “Read Receipts”.
It could be a handy way to avoid unwanted angst over your lack of reply! You can also turn off read receipts for all users in your “Messages and Story Replies” settings, so there is a way to avoid having to turn this off for each individual chat.
How Are Social Media Usage Trends Evolving?
YouTube remains the online video leader, while TikTok has seen a significant rise over the last two years.
Which is probably not a major news flash, but it is interesting to note the latest social app usage trends, as reported by Pew Research in its new “Americans’ Social Media Use” update.
The report, based on a survey of over 5,000 social media users in the U.S., found that YouTube is the platform that most people indicate that they’re using regularly, followed by Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
In terms of demographic usage trends, Pew’s data shows that:
- Young users are far more likely to use Instagram, with 78% of 18 to 29 year-olds using the app, versus 15% of those 65 or older.
- 65% of U.S. adults under 30 report using Snapchat, compared with just 4% of those aged 65+
- 62% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they use TikTok, while only 10% of those aged 65 years and older are active in the app
The insights are largely what you would expect, and what’s been reflected in any number of other research reports into social media usage. But there may be some valuable data notes for your planning, as you look to reach your audience where they’re engaging.
You can read Pew’s full “Americans’ Social Media Use” update here.
