Now is the time…
… if you want to soak up the last rays of the summer.
However, you won’t have time for that if you must concentrate on searching for the latest digital news. Therefore, we have found five of them for you:
Threads is testing ad formats, more YouTubers can create courses on the platform, and Google is introducing new AI tools.
You get all this and more right here in the September edition of Xtracts, your digital news overview.
1. Ads may be coming to Threads soon
Meta has always maintained that ads wouldn’t become a reality on Threads until it was on a safe path to one billion users – and nothing has been officially announced yet. Still, it looks like Meta is testing what Promoted Posts might look like. Including the classic one with the text ‘sponsored’ next to the username.
From Meta itself, it has been announced that they are investigating the back-end processes for potential ads but have no intention of live testing at this time.
When it will happen – that is the great mystery.
Source: Social Media Today
2. AI-powered search results can become part of Reddit
Recently, Reddit announced that they are considering implementing AI-powered search results. No specific details have been announced, but the idea behind it is that it should be easier for users to be introduced to new communities and find various information about products, games, series, etc.
As with most initiatives, there are also speculations about what challenges such an implementation could entail: technical challenges, how users will adapt and accept it, and not least whether it will affect the visibility of certain topics and communities.
Any change to Reddit’s search function is interesting, as it is now the only way to find anything on the platform. Apart from Google, all search engines have been granted access to use the platform’s content.
Source: Search Engine Journal
3. YouTube gives more people the opportunity to create courses
Over a long period, YouTube has run a beta version of their so-called ‘courses’, where only a few have had access to the function. Now they are finally opening so that more users can make use of the function as it is rolled out on the platform.
Key features include special course badges that appear next to the videos, dedicated channel tab, featured placements option, interactive quizzes, discussion section, course completion badges and course information channel.
All in all, the course function gives users the opportunity to share their knowledge in a new way – for free or for a fee. This also creates a new opportunity to make money from content.
Source: Search Engine Journal
4. It is now possible to cross-post at Meta
It has long been an option between Instagram and Facebook, but as something new, it has now also become possible to cross-post between these and Threads.
That said, there are still a few things that can’t be shared across platforms: Reels and Facebook videos. It’s also worth mentioning that if you use hashtags, these will turn into plain text when shared on Threads.
If you need to save time, this is good news. But remember that all platforms have their own tendencies, trends and things that work best.
Source: Social Media Today
5. Google Meet lets AI take notes for you
Google has just announced that a new Gemini AI-powered tool will be able to take notes on your calls in Google Meet in the future. Initially, however, it is only available to select Google Workspace users.
When the feature is turned on, everyone in the call will be made aware of it, and during the call it will be possible to see the meeting notes in real time. Subsequently, a document is created with the notes – and if you have recorded or transcribed the call, the document also contains links to this.
If you are lucky enough to have access to the function, you just must be aware of one thing: the call must be made in English.
Source: Mashable