This month in social media: everything you need to know from May - Fun stuff

Would you like to know what is happening in the world of social media? Our monthly roundup is here to help you make the most of new trends, tools and features. Stop by and read our summary of May’s key updates…

While Bitly urges users to reset passwords, Twitter introduces photo collages to web and Android users, and launches a new feature called the ‘Mute Button’. LinkedIn releases language preference targeting, and personalised page feed features. Google+ facilitates digital scrapbooks, while Facebook rolls out 15-second autoplay video ads.

Bitly urges users to update their passwords

If you are using url shortener and tracking tool Bitly, you may need to reset your password as a precautionary measure. According to the official Bitly statement, users’ account credentials have been compromised, so the company is encouraging its users to reset their passwords.

Those users who have been using Twitter and Facebook to connect to Bitly were disconnected, and need to re-connect their accounts again. It is important to reset now, especially if you have given your Bitly access to any third party tools e.g. SproutSocial, or other social media accounts. Follow these steps to change your API key and OAuth token.

Twitter brings photo collages to Android & web

You can now post photo collages from Twitter’s Android app and Twitter.com. This feature had previously only been available to iOS users, but now everyone else is able to include up to 4 photos in their tweets, which will display together as an in-line image preview. If you would like to learn how to create one-of-a-kind collages, read Mashable’s post or, if you’ve missed a step of two, catch up with all Twitter’s new features in more detail.

Google+ brings in new tool which creates a digital scrapbook

Google+ introduced a new tool which turns photos, videos and visited places into a digital travelogue. This feature will automatically find the best photos from your Google+ library, while using geo-tags and landmark detection to display names of cities, restaurants, hotels and other places visited. For now, the feature is available for web and Android users, but soon it will be also launched for iOS devices.

Another part of the release includes opening accessibility to all iOS, Android and web devices to create Auto-Awesome Movies and animated GIFs. This feature allows creation of videos/GIFs from photos and videos combined with effects, transitions and music.

Facebook introduces restaurant menus

Restaurants which are using Facebook to market their offering are now able to showcase their menus, thanks to the new feature which allows for their inclusion in Business Pages. Page admins from US and Canada can use a tool called SinglePlatform to list different courses and types of food, as well as process. Admins from outside those countries can upload PDF versions of menus, and display them in their page tabs.

Twitter’s new profile is taking over all accounts

The new Twitter profile design will be turned on for everyone from 28th May 2014. The new look means a greater emphasis on showing off companies’ and individuals’ profile pages, boosting attention for logos and biographies, but especially header images. If you haven’t had the chance to work out how to adjust your layout to the new dimensions, you might find some ideas on ‘how to choose a perfect cover photo for Twitter’s new profiles’.

LinkedIn brings in personalised page feed and language preference targeting

Two new features were launched by LinkedIn to help brands reach more users and help them become more effective at sharing their content. These solutions are available for both Company Pages and Showcase Pages.

Businesses with a worldwide audience can use ‘Language Preference Targeting’ to target their updates better, based on user’s language preference, meaning that the page feed will show updates in the preferred language of the user. The ‘Personalised Page Feed’ could help brands to target their updates based on the size of company, industry, function, seniority or geography.

Learn what works for your business on Twitter with its own analytics

Do you have trouble seeing how your followers engage with your content? Try Twitter’s analytics dashboard. This free tool offers an easy way to track the reach of your tweets while gaining some interesting insights into what resonates. Some of the insights you may discover could be extremely valuable, especially if you are using Twitter’s targeted advertising. If you are not paying for promoted content, having access to additional stats on what people respond to could become another great summary of your social media activity.

Facebook brings Autoplay Video Ads

Facebook’s long anticipated tool, autoplay video ads, has been rolled out internationally. This marketing feature allows for the delivery of 15-seconds videos into users’ feeds. It is activated when users scroll over them. The video ads are soundless, unless a user clicks on them, and they stop playing when the user scrolls past.

Twitter’s Mute Button brings more control over content

Now you can ‘avoid’ receiving tweets from your least favourite users or brands, thanks to the introduction of Twitter’s new ‘Mute Button’. This feature allows users to temporarily remove these accounts from their home timelines. A handy way to simplify your home feed without permanently unfollowing interesting accounts. The muting option will hide all of their tweets and retweets as well as push notifications, and can be reversed by unmuting, any time you wish, without notifying the owner of the account. These feature could help some individuals consume Twitter’s content much easier and faster without the worry of damaging relationships, as the other users will not know they have been muted.

You can find the ‘Muted Feature’ by visiting someone Twitter’s profile and selecting it from the drop down menu.

Twitter launches Restaurant Week

Twitter has created a new initiative for restaurants across the UK and Ireland, which aims to promote food service and the food industry. To help restaurants boost business and connect with customers, Twitter is planning to launch #RestaurantWeek running from 2-8 June 2014, on the social network. To join the event, restaurants have to sign up for #RestaurantWeek and during the event they are encouraged to tweet ‘behind the kitchen doors’ updates using different hashtags. What’s more, a free educational webinar is planned to take place in May for restaurant owners, managers and marketers aiming to reveal the secrets of using effectively Twitter for their business.

Also new in this month:

By Kasia Piekut