SME Recovery Loan Eligibility Changes, Social Media Updates & More

This Week’s Business, Tech & Marketing News

Monday, 23 August 2021 News Highlights

• Instagram Reels are now double their previous 30-second limit, now being up to one-minute long.
• Google reminds Google Chrome users to upgrade browser in prevention of security threats.
• Twitter have updated their direct messaging feature, making it easier to share Tweets. Users will notice changes in the next couple of weeks.

Tuesday, 24 August 2021 News Highlights

• Youtube’s Partner Program has recently reached 2 million members, which has helped support both content creators and advertisers.
• Instagram will be retiring the swipe-up link to make room for a tappable stickers feature in Stories.
• Facebook is currently testing the feature of adding video and voice calls to the main Facebook app.

Wednesday, 25 August 2021 News Highlights

• Instagram will be launching ads globally in the Instagram shopping tab. Ads will appear in the tile structure under the title ‘Sponsored‘.
• TikTok will be allowing selected merchants in US, UK and Canada to access a new shopping tab as part of their collaboration with Shopify. TikTok are planning to bring the feature to other countries in the coming months.

Australian Government Expands SME Recovery Loan Scheme Eligibility

The Australian Government will remove the eligibility requirements of small and medium businesses (SMB) to have received JobKeeper during the March quarter of 2021 or to have been a flood affected business. Eligible SMBs will be able to access loans of up to $5 million for up to a 10-year period with two years repayment free.

Further information can be found on treasury.gov.au.

Thursday, 26 August 2021 News Highlights

• Google has confirmed they are updating the way they generate web page titles, selecting on-page text if the title is too short/long, stuffed with keywords or does not match the search query.
• TikTok is testing out a tool for developers which would allow creators to build augmented reality effects in the app. This could provide brands with effective ways to stand out on the app.
• It will be easier to find Twitter Spaces with the social media platform testing out showing users what Spaces their friends are joining.