December social media round-up

The end of the year brings with it the final instalment of this monthly summary of the most exciting and relevant social media updates for event organisers for 2023.

You'd be forgiven for having missed some of these amid the festive chaos, but there have been a few new developments from Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp that we think you might find interesting. Read on for more.

You can also check out end-of-year review and 2024 preview pieces directly from Instagram and TikTok, highlighting some of the major trends on their platforms.

Instagram testing photo grid previews for posts

Instagram is testing the ability for users to preview how a post will look in their grid before publishing, which has previously only been possible using third-party apps. This should make it easier for you to curate your profile and ensure new posts fit with the overall aesthetic of the page.

Top Tip: Curating a consistent, recognisable brand online and offline increases your chances of being remembered. Online, you can make your paid ads and organic social media content style similar, so if people click from an ad to your profile, it feels related. Go one step further with a white-label app or website with a FIXR Ticket Shop for a seamless user experience with fast checkout.

WhatsApp lets you pin messages in chats

WhatsApp has introduced a new feature that enables you to pin a message to the top of an individual or group conversation - including text, photos or polls - for either 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days. This is particularly useful for communicating key information like an address, important update, access information, or a poll requiring answers from all group members.

Top Tip: If you're using WhatsApp for communications with brand ambassadors, reps, team members or event attendees, a pinned message could prove an easy way to communicate key information once, and ensure it doesn't get lost in a sea of replies or require constant repeating.

Instagram working on 7-day story feature 'My Week'

As the name suggests, the new feature 'My Week' will allow users to post stories that stay on their profile for seven days instead of the usual 24 hours, with the ability to add and remove any directly during that time.

Top Tip: If you're running an event - especially one like a festival held over several days - this could be a great way to share the whole event journey. You could build hype with BTS (behind-the-scenes) content pre-event, post on the event day and tease the after-movie to keep people engaged post-event.

TikTok testing new desktop tools for creators

TikTok is working on a Creator Center in the desktop version of the app to improve analytics. This could be helpful when it comes to managing the TikTok presence of your brand, with the ability to do so from your laptop rather than on mobile.

Top Tip: When it's launched the new AI-powered Creative Assistant could tell you what's popular, give you ideas and suggest copy for captions or scripts, saving you time and helping you to be more creative.