Got a minute? Check out our update on what’s happening in the industry.

Pinterest
Pinterest just made business profiles look a lot better with new dynamic cover images. The update is a part of Pinterest’s redesign of business profiles that they say will take place over the next couple of months. Based on your preferences, the cover image will highlight pins from a specific board or focus on the most recent Pinterest activity from your site. The cover photo is viewable on mobile and desktop.

Our Take:
We like that the dynamic cover images spruces up the look of Pinterest business profiles, but even more than that we love that they are customizable based on your Pinterest goals. For brands that want to highlight a specific board related to a service, this will be a great feature to utilize.

Facebook
Facebook has been quite busy lately, rolling out several new updates that Mark Zuckerberg announced at the recent F8 developers conference. In addition to privacy updates and a dating app, Facebook is also rolling out some new features specifically designed for Facebook Groups such as Facebook Watch Party.

Facebook Watch Party will allow group admins to hold a live screening of pre-recorded videos. In most aspects this is very similar to a Facebook Live video – group members will be able to have a shared viewing experience, watching and commenting on the video in real-time. The difference is the video will be pre-recorded and not live.

Our Take:
For anyone who has been skittish about live video, this update is for you! The ability to pre-record the video before hosting a watch party makes it much easier for brands to create a professional piece without worrying about any hiccups on live camera. For the moment, it looks like this feature is exclusive for Facebook Groups.

Instagram
Facebook wasn’t the only topic of discussion at the F8 conference. Mark Zuckerberg also announced a few new things that are coming to Instagram. Notably, topic channels on the Explore page. Now, instead of a compilation of photos and videos Instagram thinks you’re interested in, the Explore page will be sorted into topic channels based on your interests and hobbies.

Our Take: The Explore page on Instagram is a great way for people to discover different types of content. Based on the topic they choose, they’ll then be shown a set of related hashtags as well. Since Instagram recently launched the ability for people to follow hashtags, this further reinforces the importance for brands have a great hashtag strategy on Instagram. They’re no longer just fun and games; they’re how Instagram users will find your brand.

Twitter
Did you know that Twitter releases a monthly calendar to help with your strategic planning for the month? If you’re planning content in advance (as you should be) then Twitter’s monthly calendars could be a huge help! The calendars map out upcoming events in sports, music and culture that brands can tie into their content throughout the month.

Our Take: We’re big advocates of having a content calendar for social media. Twitter’s monthly calendars can help make sure you’re not missing major holidays or hashtags that are relevant to your business. These events are great ways for brands to show off their personality by curating relevant content. And, if nothing else, the calendar will make sure you don’t forget the date of the upcoming Royal Wedding.