It’s mid-November, and some of your favorite social media platforms have unveiled new features just ahead of the holidays. Here are a few things to take note of as you embark on your holiday marketing plans.

Instagram Unveils Redesigned Homepage

If you logged onto Instagram any time over the past weekend, you probably noticed things look a little different. The platform announced it’s made some changes to its layout, providing easy access to its Reels and Shop features by giving them their own tabs. Click on the Reels tab if you want to watch short videos (basically, Instagram’s version of TikTok), and click on Shop if you want to, well, shop.

“At Instagram, our focus has always been on young people and creators because they’re trendsetters,” wrote head of Instagram Adam Mosseri on Facebook’s Newsroom blog. “Change is happening quickly right now, including how both of these groups use Instagram and engage with the world. This year, with the pandemic and much of the world sheltering in place, we’ve seen an explosion in short, entertaining videos on Instagram. We’ve also seen an incredible amount of shopping move online, with more and more people buying online and young people looking to their favorite creators for recommendations on what to buy.”

Mosseri goes on to say that Instagram doesn’t take making changes lightly, so expect these updates to its homepage to be here to stay (at least for a while). Plan accordingly: Consider making some Reels of your own, or reach out for more information on how to get your brand featured on Shop.

Pinterest Releases Its 2020 Holiday Gift Guide

Pinterest has announced its holiday collection for 2020: a list of the year’s most-searched-for holiday gift ideas on the platform, presented via a shoppable inspiration guide that links directly to retailer product pages.

According to Pinterest, interest in holiday planning was up this year, beginning as early as April, with searches for “Christmas gift ideas” already increasing three-fold year over year.

That’s good news for retailers hoping to make holiday sales, though it should be noted that if consumers have been in the mood to fulfill Christmas wishes since April, shoppers might be wrapping up their purchasing soon.

“At Pinterest people come to us with a question, ready to explore, be inspired, and find their answer,” said Aya Kanai, head of editorial partnerships for Pinterest, on the platform’s blog. “The latest edit of the Pinterest Shop features hundreds of items from a combination of small businesses, Black-owned brands, and sustainable products. Inspired gifting this season means supporting meaningful brands and businesses where consumers can feel like their purchases matter.”

Visit the Pinterest Shop here.

Facebook Announces Vanish Mode for Messenger and Instagram

Facebook recently announced a new feature: disappearing messaging, much like the feature users have come to know through Snapchat. Its version, called Vanish Mode, allows users to set chats to automatically delete after the message is seen and the chat is closed.

It should be noted that this is an opt-in experience and not a default setting, meaning users would need to enable it from within an existing chat by swiping up on their mobile device’s screen while in the chat. The mode only works with people a user is connected to.

The update is available now; users must opt in to get the upgrade.

Top: Image of Instagram’s new homepage via Facebook

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