Social Snapshot: June 2015

Social news did not disappoint in the month of June, as Web workers saw interesting announcements across some of the Web's top networks, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

From updated ad offerings to features that make it easier for consumers to shop without leaving their favorite social site, digital professionals can find all of June's most important social updates in Website Magazine's sixth Social Snapshot of the year. Learn more about this news by checking out the stories and links featured below:

* Add Social Media Data to Interactive Maps - A partnership between location-based social media intelligence platform Snaptrends and geographic information system software provider Esri is integrating both companies' platforms into a single package.

* Curated Content Channels for Financial Professionals - Authentic employee advocacy and social selling provider Trapit partnered with social media marketing provider Hearsay to power new curated content channels for financial professionals.

* Measuring Social ROI - The 2015 Social Media Markting Trends report from TrustRadius revealed that marketers cite measuring return on investment (ROI) as the most commonly cited social program challenge.

* Customer Service on Social Media is Still Lagging - A new survey from Northridge Group found that 33 percent of consumers who contact brands with a customer service question on social media never get a response at all.

* Instagram Unveils Ad Updates - Instagram is taking steps to make its ads available for businesses of all sizes.

* Shopify Deepens its Ties with Facebook - Shopify has expanded its beta test of enabling merchants to sell products on Facebook via the social network's "But" call to action (CTA) button.

* The Death of Hashtags - A new study suggests that including hashtags or mentioning another account in Twitter's direct response ads can negatively impact performance.

* Twitter Eliminates 140-Character Limit for DMs - Direct messages on the social network will have a 10,000 character limit starting in July 2015.

* Location Tagging for Social Media Intelligence - Geofeedia's upgraded platform now collects "location-tagged" data, capturing and analyzing social media content from multiple networks including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and other channels.

* Facebook Follower Rates have Plateaued - A Yesmail analysis reveals that follower growth rates have plateaued for most retail categories.

* Twitter Tests New Shopping Feature -Twitter introduced product and place pages, which surface and organize relevant Tweets on dedicated pages.

* Premium Packaging Increases Social Shares, May Reduce Returns - Data from Dotcom Distribution reveals that 40 percent of consumers say gift-like packaging makes them more likely to recommend the product to friends.

* Cashing in on Social Intelligence - Social intelligence software developer Artesian Solutions announced the reception of $8 million in Series B funding.

* Hootsuite Unveils iOS App for Content Discovery - A new iOS app from Hoosuite makes it easier for users to discover, schedule and share content from their smartphones.

* Instagram Unveils Revamped Search and Explore - The social network introduces a new Explore page as well as a more powerful search tool for its mobile app.

* Having Trouble Identifying Your Social ROI? - Another study, this time from Simply Measured, sheds light on marketers' struggles with identifying social's ROI.

* Facebook Simplifies Forms for Lead Ads - A new Facebook feature called "lead ads" makes its easier for people to fill out forms on mobile devices.

* Tumblr Embraces the GIF - Tumblr made two announcements regarding GIFs on its social network. The first announcement introduced a new way for users to find GIFs to incorporate in their posts, while the second announcement introduced a new way to view GIFs.

* Bonus - Get inspiration for sprucing up your Twitter bio with Website Magazine's "10 Terriffic Twitter Bios."

Don't forget to look back at 2015's top social news (so far) by visiting Website Magazine's Social Snapshots for January, February, March, April and May.