SOCIAL
Meta Announces New Updates for Reels, Including Interactive Stickers, Sound Sync and Longer Clips

Reels is Meta’s fastest-growing content format, and as it seeks to fend off ever-growing competition from TikTok, the company has today announced a range of new Reels updates, including longer clips, new interactive stickers, audio editing options and more.
Longer clips is probably the biggest update – from today, users will be able to create Reels clips of up to 90 seconds, up from the previous 60-second limit.
Meta’s been testing 90-second Reels with selected users over the last few months, and now, it’s giving everyone a little more time to create their Reels content.
Which, in some ways, goes against the short-form ethos of the offering, a key element of its appeal. But then again, TikTok expanded the length of its videos back in July (3 minutes), then again in February (10 minutes), and given its enduring popularity, it would seem like providing users with more flexibility on this front has had little impact on engagement.
Still, on TikTok, there’s no alternative – you can’t post longer clips, for example, to Facebook Watch, or as a regular video upload, which makes it a little different.
I guess, really, an extra 30 seconds is no big deal in this respect, though it could be significant for creators looking to build a presence via the option.
On another creative front, Meta’s also adding a range of new stickers to Reels clips.
“We’re bringing some of your favorite Instagram Stories stickers to Reels: with poll, quiz and emoji slider stickers, you’ll have new ways to connect with people through your reels.”
New interactive tools will help to improve engagement, with polls, in particular, proving hard to resist for many users.
Meta’s also adding a new audio import option, which will enable creators to upload their own audio directly within the Reels creation process, while Facebook Reels will now support voiceovers for your recordings, so you can narrate your videos.
Meta’s also adding a new ‘Sound Sync’ option, which will enable Reels creators to automatically sync their video clips to the beat of a chosen music track.

That could make it a little easier to make better-looking Reels clips.
Finally, Meta’s also launching Templates, which lets you ‘easily and quickly create your own reel using the same structure as a reel you’ve watched’.
Meta’s been testing this with selected creators over the past few months.

As you can see in this example, now, when you see a Reel that you want to recreate, you’ll be able to select ‘Use as Template’ to pull in the audio and clip sequence. You’ll then be able to customize the format with your own content.
As we noted in our previous report on the option, Templates leans into remixing, which is a key engagement element in TikTok (and is also available in Reels), and so long as you’re not copying an idea frame-for-frame, with no credit to the original, it could be okay. But it does seem like it’s perfectly aligned with doing just that, which could be a problem – especially given that Instagram recently announced a new algorithm update to better promote original content creators in the app.
Remixes, it seems, won’t fall foul of that shift.
In addition to these creative updates, Meta’s also looking to boost Reels discovery, by basically shoving them into more recommendation feeds across its apps.
“On Facebook, we’re rolling out suggested Reels in Feed globally to help you get discovered by people around the world. We’ve also expanded Reels in Watch globally, so people can find Facebook Reels in Feed, Groups and Watch. On Instagram, creators have the option to recommend their reels on Facebook to expand the reach of their content.”
As is Meta’s way, when it thinks it’s onto a winner, it does it to death (see also: Stories), which serves the dual purpose of both ensuring maximum exposure to such content across its various streams, while also making many users sick to death of seeing them. That, ideally, then also makes them sick of seeing them in other apps too – so while flooding you with a certain format may seem like a path to reducing engagement, maybe, it also helps to ween users off the latest trends, which then sees them stop using alternative apps as well.
Maybe that’s a step too far, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Meta has helped to drive people away from competitor apps via over-saturation of rising content formats.
From a technical perspective, Meta’s also looking to provide more Reels creation options, with the capacity to create, edit, publish and schedule Facebook Reels from Creator Studio, as well as the addition of new video clipping tools in Studio, which will make it easier cut Reels highlights from long-form uploads.

That’ll provide another way for brands to get involved in the Reels shift – and with more people engaging with more short-form video content, it’s well worth considering how you can incorporate the format into your content approach.
In addition, Meta’s also rolling out new editing tools to help live-stream creators cut Live clips down to ‘a vertical-friendly, 60-second format’. Which is specifically focused on gaming creators, but could eventually have benefits for all live-stream users.
It’s amazing to consider the influence that TikTok has had over the broader social media industry, and the way in which short-form video has rapidly become the key content format of focus for so many users.
The appeal of short-form video is that it’s quick and non-committal, so if you don’t like what you’re seeing, you can skip onto the next, and continue on through your feed, looking for the best highlights that suit your mood on any given day.
Which, inevitably, is also having a broader impact on user attention spans, and as more people spend more time consuming this type of content, that’s changing their general approach to content, and the expectations around how messages are communicated to them through media inputs.
In other words, more users are getting more used to quick, simple, entertaining clips – which means that your promotions need to follow the same trends if you want to maximize your own brand appeal.
These new Reels updates provide a range of new considerations in this respect.
SOCIAL
TikTok stars are using Fanova to generate income from social media

Image courtesy of Fanova
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
In recent years, Latin American influencers and content creators have witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity. Despite boasting substantial and highly engaged fan bases, these influencers often find themselves in the shadows, overlooked for lucrative brand deals and partnerships. This oversight is especially pronounced, given their substantial influence over a diverse, global audience.
The moment is ripe for these creators to carve out a dedicated space where they can effectively monetize their exceptional talents. Such a platform would empower Latin American influencers and create fresh opportunities for profound collaborations and enhanced engagement with audiences worldwide.
This is where Fanova comes into play, revolutionizing the Latin American creator economy. In an environment where the creator market is still in its nascent stage, and many talented individuals remain underserved, Fanova is pioneering a new era for creators to make real money doing what they love.
Latin America’s creative minds have often found their potential hindered by a lack of opportunities. Fanova is here to break the barriers and provide a platform that allows them to monetize their content and recognize the value of their unique talents. The creator economy in the region is brimming with untapped potential, and Fanova seeks to unleash it. Creators with massive, loyal followings often find themselves unable to monetize their social media presence effectively or are overlooked by brand deals. Fanova aims to change that narrative.
With Fanova, creators have the freedom to set their monthly subscription prices, giving them the ability to provide exclusive content to their most devoted fans while ensuring a steady, reliable income month after month. Additionally, they have the flexibility to establish their own pricing for direct messages, creating a direct avenue for intimate one-on-one interactions with their followers.
By using Fanova, creators can deepen their connection with their audience by sharing a wide range of captivating content, such as behind-the-scenes glimpses, travel adventures, workout routines, insightful blogs, engaging podcasts, exclusive photos, and much more. It’s a dynamic platform that enables creators to monetize their craft and foster a stronger, more personal bond with their fan base.
Fanova is attracting top talent in the Latin American creator economy. Melissa Andress recently joined the platform. Renowned as @melissaandress on Instagram and @melipandaa on TikTok, Melissa boasts a significant and dedicated following of 1.6M and 13.7M followers, respectively. She uses Fanova to share daily behind-the-scenes of her life with her followers, treating it like a private story.
“I was immediately interested in the general concept of this platform: having a place to document behind-the-scenes content and not relying solely on brand deals seemed great to me,” Melissa explained.
Her impressive online presence has contributed to Fanova’s success in a significant way. Her engagement and credibility have introduced countless new creators and users to the platform.
Fanova is already leaving its mark in the Latin American creator economy, having attracted 150 creators. Even more impressive, Fanova has paid out over $100,000 to these creators. This is not just a promise; it’s a proven reality.
Fanova is a clean subscription platform, so nudity and explicit content is not permitted. The platform employs a team of moderators as well as artificial intelligence to monitor content.
For creators in Latin America, Fanova represents a new beginning. It’s an opportunity to be part of a transformative journey where your passion can be your paycheck. It’s a place where talent meets technology, and creators are valued. The new application is leading the charge to monetize content in Latin America, one passion at a time. For more information, visit www.fanova.io.
SOCIAL
Merriam-Webster’s 2023 Word of the Year

The wordsmiths over at Merriam-Webster have announced their official “Word of the Year for 2023,” they say it’s something we are “thinking about, writing about, aspiring to, and judging more” than ever.
The word is authentic.
According to the dictionary, the most common definitions of authentic are “not false or imitation,” “being true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character,” and “worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact.”
Merriam-Webster says the word saw a “substantial increase” in lookups this year. That’s probably because we now live in a world where artificial intelligence, deepfake technology and questionable memes challenge our basic notions of reality.
Authenticity is also seen as a commodity at a time when influencers build their brands on social media while attempting to seamlessly pitch their “favorite” products. These days, the average person scrolls through over 43 feet of content every day on social media. After being exposed to countless images of people, it becomes easier to spot the phonies from those who are being their authentic selves.
“When we look at common threads across the thousands of influencer marketing campaigns we’ve run at The Outloud Group over the last 15 years, the similarity between all of our best-performing brand creator partnerships is pretty simple: true authenticity,” Bradley Hoos, CEO of The Outland Group, a full-service influencer marketing agency, writes in Forbes.
Merriam-Webster adds that authenticity is a trait people strove to find for themselves in 2023.
“Celebrities like singers Lainey Wilson, Sam Smith, and especially Taylor Swift all made headlines in 2023 with statements about seeking their ‘authentic voice’ and ‘authentic self,” Merriam-Webster writes. “Headlines like Three Ways To Tap Into Taylor Swift’s Authenticity And Build An Eras-Like Workplace associate this quality with pop-culture superpower.”
The dictionary also highlighted more words that trended in 2023, including:
“Rizz” — Internet slang for “romantic appeal or charm” (noun) or “to charm, seduce” (verb), popularized by YouTuber Kai Cenat, was added to the dictionary.
“Deepfake” — Altered images or recordings that convincingly misrepresent someone’s actions or words, making it hard to distinguish between real and fake.
“Coronation” — The crowning of a new British monarch, King Charles III, sent people to the dictionary’s website to learn the term’s meaning.
“Dystopian” — In 2023, “dystopian” was a verb applied to many frightening real-world issues and was used to describe the trend in video games, books and movies depicting a dark future.
“EGOT” — Lookups for “EGOT” spiked in February when Viola Davis won a Grammy for the audiobook version of her memoir. That made her one of the 18 people to become an EGOT, or winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
“X” — When Twitter was rebranded as X on July 23, searches for the term spiked at Merriam-Webster.com, where curious people went to discover more about the mysterious letter.
“Implode” — When a submersible that went to visit the remains of the Titanic in June imploded, the term had a considerable spike as people attempted to learn more about the passengers’ fate.
“Doppelgänger” — This term got hot multiple times in 2023. It trended twice due to stories out of Germany and New York involving the attempted murder or suicide of someone’s lookalike. Further, September saw the release of Naomi Klein’s book, “Doppelgänger: A Trip Into the Mirror World.”
SOCIAL
X Experiments with New Grok AI Access Buttons In-Stream

I’m not sure that X’s “Grok” AI chatbot is ever going to become a major element of the in-app experience. But owner Elon Musk has invested a lot into the new tool, so soon, it’ll be added to a lot more surfaces in the app, as X looks to make it a bigger enticement to get more subscribers to its X Premium+ subscription offering.
Last week, Musk noted that, soon, Grok would be available to analyze X posts in-stream.
In order to facilitate this, X is now looking to add a new Grok button to the lower function bar in the app, seemingly, at this stage a least, replacing the current Communities shortcut.
As you can see in this example, posted by X News Daily, a new Grok button may soon be displayed in prominent position, right in the middle of the bottom tray. Which would then make it easier to consult Grok for analysis of content, or potentially to assist in post creation, while there’s also another Grok tab in the sidebar, providing alternative access.

All of this is still in flux, as X works out the best placement for the option. But one way or another, Grok is coming to the main X UI, which could see a lot more content being pumped out by Elon’s sarcasm-focused AI bot, which is trained on real-time X conversation and data.
Though, presumably, access will remain limited.
Right now, Grok is only available to selected users who have subscribed to X’s highest-priced “X Premium+” monthly subscription package, which currently costs $US16 per month. X is rolling out Grok access to Premium+ subscribers based on when they signed up to the program, as it gradually expands the presence of its AI chatbot tool.
You would assume, then, that these new buttons and Grok analysis options will only be made available to those who are paying a premium for the app, though whether that’s actually worth the $US168 a year (annual plan) to gain access is another question.
But then again, millions of people have signed up to ChatGPT, and Elon seems confident that Grok will be as good, if not better than that. And in that sense, maybe Grok will prove to be a winner, which could then help X to maximize its subscription revenue intake, and broaden its income streams.
It’s impossible to say, because Grok is only in limited access, and as such, there’s not a lot of insight as to its potential value, or not, as yet.
But Elon wants to ensure that there remains a generative AI option that’s not biased, and not censored, a market gap that he believes Grok can fill. And again, given his investment in the required technology (Elon reportedly spent “tens of millions of dollars” on GPUs for his alternative AI project), he’ll also be looking to glean some return on that outlay, which will likely see X looking to make as big a push on Grok as it can to maximize interest.
Whether that’s a positive or negative, we’ll soon find out.
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