In today's episode, we'll dive into Instagram's latest update, warning that longer Reels may not perform as well as you'd hope. Plus, 'X' celebrates a milestone with over half a million users contributing to Community Notes. And in the world of ad tech, Reddit is bringing a Google veteran on board to navigate their post-IPO journey. We'll also take a sneak peek at Instagram's new 'Peek' feature, aimed at boosting user interaction. Finally, stay tuned to hear about TikTok's experiments with a brand new feature that could change the game for collaborative posting. Let's get into it!
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For all the Instagram creators out there, here's a tip straight from the platform's content team: Posting Reels longer than 90 seconds might not be your best move. This insight was shared by the Instagram crew at a recent creator event in New York, where CEO Adam Mosseri addressed various platform-related questions. According to Mosseri, and a slide presented at the event, Reels exceeding the 90-second mark could see a dip in distribution. 
Sure, Instagram allows you to upload Reels that are longer, even experimenting with three and ten-minute long Reel uploads. However, based on this new advice, it seems these longer formats may not be performing as well as expected. 
Apart from the length of Reels, Instagram also pointed out that other factors such as posting recycled content, using watermarks from other apps, and low-quality content can all negatively impact your reach. On the other hand, syncing your posting times with updates on other platforms could work to your advantage, presumably due to the benefits of cohesive branding and conversation generation.
Creator monetization and the challenges of developing an equitable and sustainable program were also discussed by Mosseri. While subscriptions could be a solid revenue path, they seem to be fitting just for a small subset of creators. So, if you're looking to maximize your performance on Instagram, it might be time to cut those Reels down to size and focus on original, high-quality content.
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The platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has hit a new benchmark with its Community Notes feature, exceeding half a million contributors worldwide. This crowd-sourced fact-checking tool, initially called Birdwatch, allows users to add fact-checks and corrections alongside posts. The impact is apparent; users are less likely to repost content that has a Community Note attached, and these notes enjoy higher levels of trust compared to standard misinformation flags.
Despite the positive aspects, Community Notes isn't perfect. The slow process and the requirement for bipartisan agreement on notes mean many do not appear in time to curb the spread of misinformation, with only a small percentage ever making it into the app.
X is working on refining the system, especially the speed at which notes are shown. However, the reduced moderation workforce from 2,294 employees down to 1,849 since Musk's ownership has sparked concern. The downsizing has led to reports of increased hate speech and other issues, which robust moderation teams might have mitigated.
While the platform continues to face a 50% decrease in ad revenue, the expansion and improvement of the Community Notes system offer a glimpse of hope that it might eventually take up the slack left by the reduction in staff moderators. But whether it can effectively handle the task remains to be seen.
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Reddit has recently welcomed a new member to their team, a veteran straight from Google, Jyoti Vaidee. Now holding the title of vice president of ads product, Vaidee's role comes as a key move post-Reddit's successful initial public offering. With a rich background in monetization strategy at Google, where she led the Display Ads unit, she's geared up to steer Reddit's ad product strategy, execution, and management, working closely with Roelof van Zwol.
This move marks an important change...