Social Media News / July 2023

Kia ora Mosh whānau!,

Before delving into this month’s epic newsletter, we wanted to give a major shout-out to our July babies as we have officially entered Cancer season – meaning we’re still smack-dab in the middle of the colder months. So, kick off your day shoes, slip into some comfies, and grab a warm tea so we can officially kick start the July Mosh Newsletter. 

We know you’re absolutely dying to read what we will cover this month and we won’t keep ya waiting. Our hot topics are Mosh’s Beauty Report NZ Edition, social media’s latest frenzy – Threads, Instagram now inviting up to now three collaborators on posts/reels and so much more!

The Mosh Social Media Report – NZ Beauty Edition

Freezing in the middle of winter? We’re excited to offer you a HOT piece to read which is the Mosh Social Media Report – NZ Beauty Edition. We’ve created an extensive study of the most influential beauty brands in New Zealand and have shed light on the industry’s digital landscape.

What are you waiting for? Stay ahead of the curve, stay informed, get your copy of the report here, and embrace NZ’s biggest players in the beauty industry.

‘Twitter Killer’ Threads Hits the Market

Now, you may be asking: Do we really need another social media platform? What the heck is Threads? And how do we use it?! 

Meta’s Twitter-stomping new platform, Threads, is now up and running with so much more to learn about how it works and looks every minute. Meta has also given us a preview of some upcoming features for the new platform. 

And by the looks of it, it looks real good. 

An extension to Instagram, Threads is positioned as a platform for real-time, public conversations with one another. Whether you are wanting to update your fellow followers with what you’re making for dinner, share your new favourite song, or ask them a random question – your followers are always there. 

Threads encourages you to engage with others and share your voice in the online community while also adhering to Instagram’s community guidelines. The whole idea is to build an open and friendly space for communities and hey, you might even find your Nana updating her day-to-day on there! 
But hold on, is there really a difference between Threads and Twitter? If you’re really wondering what it is like to use the new app, just close your eyes and picture Twitter but with a lot less of Elon Musk…and that is exactly the point. Although Threads looks almost identical to Twitter, here are some of the features included in Threads that we are not getting from Twitter: 

Meta has confirmed we get a  500-character count limit for Threads, while Twitter users have a 280-character limit. AKA even more space to express yourselves!

Threads does not appear to have a draft post feature at launch. AKA what comes to your mind is what you post immediately!

Threads follows Instagram’s content rules and provides controls for muting and blocking harassing accounts. AKA no keyboard warriors or bullies allowed on the premises. 

Threads allows all users to post five-minute videos, while Twitter limits non-verified users to two minutes and 20 seconds. AKA more time to see your beautiful face or the place you’re at!

While there is an ongoing list of differences between Threads and Twitter, it is no secret that Threads is certainly the new place to be at and let’s be honest, things in the social media world are about to get very interesting.

Instagram Launching Multiple Collaborators for Posts

Instagram this month is seriously on fire. Not only have they launched Threads but have also released a multiple collaborators feature for either feed/reel post – double whammy! 

This may look like a miniscule update in the midst of Instagram’s much bigger new product launch but nevertheless, it will be a handy feature either way. The multiple collaborator tool offers users to now include up to THREE collaborators on any feed post or reel. 

Collaborative Posts, which allow users to share credit for a single post with another account, were first introduced by Instagram in 2021. Up until now, users can work with more than one companion on a single post/or Reel which also enables contributors to have access to organic results such as engagement, reach, etc. 

Although they say ‘Three is a crowd’, for Instagram, three is actually the magic number! Over the past year, Instagram has been looking for ways to incorporate collaborative tools into the platform including Collaborative Collectives in DMS. In a more colloquial sense, it just really means the more the better right? 

The feature really encourages users’ engagement by getting them to interact with each other more and strengthening community networks in the app. Something to flag is that this specific feature cannot be used for paid advertising, but it may be another avenue for friends to promote their creative endeavours. We’re about to witness a major shift in the collaboration space between e-commerce brands and influencers as this will now inspire a new breed of creativity and invite novel creative opportunities that were not possible before. 

It’s wonderful to see IG trying to expand their ways to help users reach more audiences and with that, they have introduced ‘Multiple Collaborators’ – so hurry up and try this feature yourself.

TikTok Looks to Broaden E-commerce Choices with New Distribution Offers

Attention all shopaholics! If you think your shopping addiction is going to get any better, well you’re absolutely wrong. That’s because TikTok is now finding new ways to get users keen on its in-app shopping options by offering retailers free listings, free shipping and zero commission on sales for an initial period. 

With this proposal, TikTok is hoping to lure more businesses which could include a range of affordable and cheap products taking over users’ feeds. 

Bloomberg explained it as: 

“The video service has begun pitching itself as a cost-free marketplace in a series of seminars and meetings with Chinese manufacturers and exporters. It’s dangling free listings, shipping, zero commissions and even warehousing to all comers: a tactic likely to disrupt a market now dominated by fellow Chinese-owned rivals Temu and Shein, and potentially undercut even Amazon.”

As a means of luring bargain hunters onto their websites, Temu and Shein are offering loss-making deals on a range of items in order to expand aggressively into new markets.

And if you are struggling in this economy (like the rest of the world is), the goal is to fulfil its own orders allowing users to save money, and providing streamlined shipping so that TikTok will be able to increase users’ engagement with its in-app shopping. As a result, TikTok will be able to expand its product listings to third parties, therefore kicking off this new element. 

So listen up shoppers, if you’re into cheap offerings, a desirable product and purchase destination and free shipping – then keep an eye out for this potential new feature TikTok may introduce soon!

After years in the social game, we’ve learnt a thing or two along the way, and we’re keen to share our digital wisdom! We’ve created a series of customisable modules. Whether you’re new to the gig and need to learn it all, or have been around these parts a while and have discovered a gap in your knowledge, come along and have a lesson on all things social! Check out all of our options here or get in touch for details. 

And with that, the coldest month of the year slides into the rearview mirror, the days are getting longer, and Matariki is with us for a new year, its exciting times! Thanks for spending a bit of your day with us, we’ll see you in the next one.

The Mosh Crew.