Social Media Musings from a Millennial
We’re here to help you keep your finger on the pulse of the ever-changing world of social media. Start off your week on the right foot by catching up on the latest changes and updates to your favorite social media platforms.
Facebook Apologizes And Backtracks on Real-Name Policy. After weeks of public scrutiny, Facebook apologized for restrictions that forced users to register for an account with a legal name only. In late September, Facebook locked or deleted hundreds of accounts belonging to members of the drag community due to violation of this real-name policy. Now with these loosened restrictions, users may sign up with a preferred, authentic name rather than a legal one. Chris Cox, Facebook’s chief product officer, apologized and made the announcement via a Facebook post.
Meet the new Atlas. Timed with New York Advertising Week, Facebook announced the relaunch of Atlas, an ad platform acquired from Microsoft in 2013. The new and improved Atlas is redesigned to reach people using multiple devices and to bridge the gap between online impressions and offline purchases. As digital advertising and marketing budgets continue to grow, tying tangible results back to social campaigns is becoming more and more of a necessity.
LinkedIn Pushes Mobile With SlideShare for iOS. The company rolled out an iPhone version of SlideShare, the presentation-sharing platform acquired in 2012. The app is easy to use, allowing users to swipe through SlideShare presentations from those they follow or presentations from a wide variety of categories. Here is a screenshot of a presentation in the new iOS app. While only available on the iPhone, there are plans to roll the SlideShare app out to iPads in the near future.
Facebook is entering the healthcare playing field. Facebook is plotting its entry into the healthcare arena with features such as online support communities and preventative care apps. With Apple’s new HealthKit on the way and a slew of health and wellness apps available on iOS and Android, it comes as no surprise that Facebook is interested in tracking users’ lifestyle data.
What do you think about the updates? Let us know by leaving a comment or by reaching out to me on Twitter, @carolaskyn.