Feature Update Announcements

Communications shared by social media platforms about new features, design changes, or enhancements to their platforms are what I consider to be Feature Update Announcements. These can take the form of posts, blogs, notifications, or even videos, shared to let the platforms’ various audiences—from casual users to businesses with marketing departments—know that something new is happening. They are often detailed in their descriptions of what’s new and how it works.

They’re even more often vague in their descriptions of why it was necessary to create the new feature or why the new feature is better than whatever it was intended to replace. Nevertheless, these posts provide clear updates on what the platform’s developers are doing, sometimes even giving inklings about where the platform itself is headed. Were I to develop a typology of social media platform communication, Feature Update Announcement would be a clear type on the platform.