Things are constantly changing in the world of social media, with new features being added to our favorite apps, and entirely new platforms cropping up to attract our attention. Here are a few updates that might interest you this month.

TikTok Remains Most Downloaded App in 2021

If you’re wondering what the most downloaded app is this year, it appears that TikTok’s popularity has endured—at least for the first quarter of 2021, according to the latest stats from App Annie.

Of course, “most downloaded” doesn’t necessarily indicate that an app is the most used—Facebook still holds that title—but it does tell us that, despite the controversy surrounding TikTok over the last year, people are still interested in using it. That’s important information for retailers and businesses considering a social strategy on the app, as it signifies there are no signs that users are abandoning it.

Instagram Officially Launches Remix, a TikTok-Like Video Feature

Speaking of TikTok, Instagram is still coming for it, with the addition of a new feature to its Reels video content.

The new feature, Remix, offers users the ability to record a Reels video alongside another user’s video. Remix is similar to Instagram’s existing Duets feature, which lets users react to or interact with another person’s video content while creating their own, giving users options to engage and collaborate with fellow creatives.

The feature was in testing for some time, so some users may have had early access to it. Remix officially began rolling out to all users on March 31.

Snapchat reportedly has a similar feature in the works, which is also slated to be called Remix.

LinkedIn Introduces Cover Story Feature and More

LinkedIn has introduced several new tools professionals can use to express themselves creatively on the app, including a new video Cover Story feature.

Cover Story lets users create a personalized video as their first introduction to others, allowing them to engage their audience and reach recruiters by incorporating their personalities, which can’t necessarily be gleaned from simple text. The option is open to career professionals and freelancers alike, all of whom can use a video Cover Story to talk about their services, attract new clients, and even create a dedicated service page on their profile.

In addition, LinkedIn is now letting members add their gender pronouns to the top of their profiles, in an optional field.

For content creators, LinkedIn has introduced a new creator mode, allowing its members to add hashtags that best define the topics they post about most. The new mode moves the Featured and Activity sections to the top of their profiles, letting them display content more prominently. Creator mode also allows a user to change the “connect” button to a “follow” button.

For more information on the new features, visit blog.linkedin.com.

Instagram Bringing Ads to IGTV

After testing ads in IGTV with a revenue share model for some United States–based creators last year, Instagram announced it will be expanding the option to select creators in the United Kingdom and Australia. According to Instagram, the rollout will continue to more creators in those countries and, later, others throughout the year.

The update is part of the platform’s commitment to building a suite of tools to support creators’ various needs, and offers opportunities for those users to make money by sharing their content through Instagram.

IGTV ads will initially appear when people click to watch IGTV videos from previews in their feed; they are built for mobile, and can be up to 15 seconds long. Instagram recently rolled out Automatic Placements, so global advertisers have the option of having their ads delivered next to IGTV videos.

For users, this means sitting through a maximum of 15 seconds of an advertisement before they can go about perusing on IGTV. For creators, it offers an opportunity to monetize their content and get paid while putting their efforts out there on the platform.

For more information, visit business.instagram.com.

(Photo: Getty Images Plus/pressureUA)

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