A month in review: March social media trends and updates

A bill was passed on March 13th by the House requiring TikTok owner ByteDance to sell or face a US ban, which is the most existential threat to TikTok in the US yet. Amongst threads of X users deliberating on which TikToks might have sparked the conversation on banning the app, many have noted the political agendas that might be behind this move, such as censorship regarding Palestine.

“Oppenheimer” came out on top at the 96th Oscars, winning Best Picture and earning Christopher Nolan his first-ever Oscar for directing. Other big moments noted by X users included Messi the dog who makes an appearance in the Oscar-nominated film “Anatomy of a Fall” making his Oscars debut, Da'Vine Joy Randolph earning her first Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, John Cena baring all while assisting Jimmy Kimmel in presenting the award for Best Costume Design and Ryan Gosling's performance of “I'm Just Ken.”

Apple has announced their Worldwide Developers Conference returns on June 10th. The event will highlight the latest Apple software in the keynote — for developers and students to learn from — hoping it can progress their own app development. 

Apple is reportedly in talks with Google to integrate its Gemini AI model into the iPhone, with the potential to roll out advanced AI capabilities to users in iOS 18 later this year. This would include new AI-powered functions for image creation, writing text, and more, in addition to Apple's on-device AI enhancements. It’s rumored that iOS 18 will be the largest overhaul of the iPhone’s software yet, so that will be an interesting watch!

The trending social media platform struggles to maintain active users as it runs out of funding. Since mid-last year, the app has been sitting on around 25 million users, which represents a massive drop from its 70 million daily active users at its peak. In a recent update, BeReal rolled out a celebrity feed of updates to encourage engagement.

In mid-March, the European Parliament approved the first-ever legal framework for restricting the risks of AI, in hopes of making the technology more “human-centric.”

The AI Act works by placing products in specific categories according to the risk and adjusting the scrutiny appropriately. According to Dragos Tudorache, MEP, this is just the beginning of new governance that will be built around AI.

While China already put various AI laws in place, late last year, Biden announced an order requiring AI developers to share data with the government. This is a step further from the EU, with analysts stating it would make the EU the global standard for trustworthy AI.

Google

• Google's new update to its search algorithms aims to decrease spam and low-quality results by 40%. This is achieved through advanced AI to address issues like mass low-quality content and misuse of expired domains for better content ranking.

Meta

• WhatsApp & Messenger: Meta announced plans to make these services work together and with other third-party messaging services, in response to the EU's Digital Markets Act. This could improve cross-platform communication for brands opening up new strategies to engage with their audience.

• WhatsApp: Introducing a feature for pinning multiple messages, useful for brands using a Whatsapp Channel to highlight important info.

• Instagram:

• Users can now edit direct messages up to 15 minutes after sending, allowing for Brands to make corrections or updates quickly.

• Testing a “Spins” feature for remixing other user’s Reels with different audio or text, expanding content reach for creators and brands.

• Allowing longer video uploads for Reels, up to 3 minutes, catering to both short and long-form content creators.

• Testing targeted commenting on carousel posts through @mentions to enhance engagement.

Reddit

• Reddit is launching Reddit Pro, a suite of tools for businesses to grow an organic presence, using AI to find trending topics and mentions within subreddits.

Beeper

• Beeper might be a name you want to familiarize yourself with. This emerging service integrates messages from platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Discord, Slack, and syncing with desktop for cross-platform access.

One thing is abundantly clear: the digital landscape is constantly in flux. With each week, new trends emerge, and the social media giants introduce innovative features that shape the way we connect, share, and engage with one another online.

Keeping a finger on the pulse of these changes is not just beneficial; it's essential. Whether you're a business looking to stay ahead of the competition or an individual navigating the social media universe, staying informed is the key to success.

The insights and updates we've covered this month provide a glimpse into the exciting journey ahead.

Stay tuned for more trends and industry news in the coming months from our Strategic Services team. The world of social media is a never-ending adventure, and together, we'll continue to explore its uncharted territories.