January 2023 Influencer Roundup

Top News and Stories.

Below are Linqia’s favorite stories shaping our industry.

Instagram Chief Outlines Key Areas of Focus for the App in 2023

TLDR: Instagram chief Adam Mosseri outlined three key priorities for 2023 including 2) Inspiring people to be creative, 2) Helping people discover things they love, and 3) Sparking connections between people. This is getting back to Instagram’s roots after a rocky 2022 where many complained that they were spending too much time and effort chasing TikTok.

TikTok creators will be able to limit shortform videos to adult-only audiences

TLDR: This is huge news for brands that previously were restricted from working with creators in industries like financial services, pharma, and more. Now that creators can age gate their posts they have a wider ability to partner with brands in those more restrictive categories.

TikTok IMDB Partnership Good News for Entertainment Companies

TLDR: TikTok launched a new feature that allows users to tag a movie or TV show in their video, which drives users to a dedicated in-app page with IMDb-provided information about the specific title as well as a collection of related TikTok videos.

Twitter’s rolling out its own TikTok-style For You page

TLDR: Your Twitter feed will now be split into two tabs: “For You” and “Following”, with the For You page being the default when opening the app This means trending topics and recommendations will make up the new Twitter homepage.

YouTube will start sharing ad money with Shorts creators on February 1st

TLDR: YouTube has been sharing revenue for traditional videos for years, and now it’s bringing revenue sharing to Shorts starting February 1st. This has been long coming, ever since they hinted at it last September. But no matter the wait it’s something the company will offer that TikTok doesn’t and that is a big deal.

TikTok launches Talent Manager Portal

TLDR: Talent managers can now oversee, execute and analyze brand opportunities and campaigns being presented to their clients. This will make it much easier for brands to work with “megastar” creators in the Creator Marketplace.

Discord acquires Gas, the popular app for teens to compliment each other

TLDR: Discord has acquired Gas, the poll-based app that has become popular among teens allowing friends to share compliments with each other. Gas will continue as a standalone app, according to Discord.

TikTok’s Secret ‘Heating’ Button Can Make Anyone Go Viral

TLDR: According to current and former TikTok employees, staff at the platform secretly hand-pick specific videos and supercharge their distribution, using a practice known internally as “heating.” This is a big blow to the platform that’s been touted for its sophisticated algorithm in deciding what goes viral, and called into question TikTok practices at a time when they can’t afford more scrutiny.

TikTok expands its DM settings to let users choose who can message them

TLDR: Now users have a choice over who can send them DM’s on TikTok, and the options include everyone, suggested friends, mutual followers, people you’ve sent messages to or no one. This may help creators connect more intimately with users, but will certainly help brands more easily connect with potential creator partners.

Big Twitch Improvements In The Works For 2023

TLDR: In an open letter to creators, Twitch executives made it clear creators are still top priority mapping out their 2023 plans that included more monetization options for creators, better analytics views, and tools for creators to promote their streams off Twitch.

Meta pays Buzzfeed nearly $10 million to generate content for Facebook, Instagram

TLDR: As part of the $10M deal, BuzzFeed agreed to help generate creator content for Meta’s platforms and train creators to grow their presence online by helping them understand what makes content resonate widely.

Instagram is removing the Shop tab

TLDR: Instagram is returning the Compose button to the center of the navigation bar and removing the Shop tab entirely. This shows that users want shopping to be a more embedded experience as they interact with content, vs. a standalone shopping experience.

Instagram Adds Lead Forms as CTA Button Option on Business Profiles

TLDR: The new feature provides an interesting way to generate direct response from your brand profile, especially with more lower funnel pressure mounting for most brands in a looming recession.

Twitter Applies for US Licenses to Facilitate In-App Payments

TLDR: Twitter has taken its next steps towards facilitating payments in the app, which would be another way for Twitter to generate non advertising revenue. Musk has repeatedly flagged his vision for payments as part of his broader push to make Twitter into an ‘everything app’, which would provide more functionality and usage benefits.

Brand Influencer Activity: