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It’s been a big ‘un so stick the kettle on and get comfy.
Ah, another week, another backtrack of a backtrack of a backtrack. The now-infamous blue tick debacle continues with the $8-a-month subscription version launching on November 10th, a move which created inevitable chaos and rampant impersonation. The scheme was shelved a few days later and is now apparently re-launching November 29th. With execs quitting left, right, and centre; an array of poorly-thought out decisions being rushed through; and Musk seemingly taking zero responsibility, the future of the platform is looking shaky.
What does this mean for me?
We’d never normally advise this, but if you rely on Twitter as your main platform now’s a good time to start building a presence elsewhere. Because this s**tshow doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
Instagram
In more positive news, you now have the ability to add music to still images. A cute feature that has lots of potential.
What does this mean for you?
Enhance your audience’s experience when they come across your stuff. This is a great opportunity to get creative with your posts by adding a soundtrack that speaks to the content and your audience.
LinkedIn
Hello Brand Safety Hub – designed to make it easier for advertisers to take control of where promotions are shown beyond the app. According to LinkedIn you can “download and review the list of publishers that make up our Audience Network. You can also create custom allow lists and block lists, which enable you to prioritize the publishers that meet your brand safety guidelines”. Sweet!
What does this mean for you?
This is a total game-changer. Giving you greater control means you’re able to avoid unwanted placements AND improve targeting. Both of which increase the likelihood that your ads will be successful.
TikTok
Let’s start with the negative, shall we… As reported by Reuters, the FBI is joining calls for a ban of the app in the US, citing national security concerns. This is nothing new, the app has been dogged by security concerns since launching in the US and the rest of the world. On the one hand, TikTok continues to reassure people that their data is processed in an appropriate way; while on the other there is a clause that states staff based in China can access data if required.
In better news, TikTok launched its Discover List for 2022. Focused on 50 creators who are building followings on the app and having an impact in the real world. They’re sorted into 5 categories – Changemakers, Foodies, Icons, Innovators, and Originators.
Coinciding with COP27, TikTok has launched a new #ClimateAction initiative to help people share what they’re doing to create change and learn more.
What does this mean for you?
At this stage, not much. We’ll probably never know for sure, as the issue comes from the fact it’s effectively an off-shoot of a Chinese app called ByteDance. As long as you’re not sharing info that could impact national security on the app, you’re probably gonna be fine.
The Discover List is a great way to learn more about the top creators, trends, and to improve your overall knowledge of the app. It could help you understand important shifts within different communities and sectors. It could also expose you to people to potentially work with. If nothing else, it’s a great learning tool.
We have mixed feelings about the #ClimateAction piece – increasing awareness is great as long as it doesn’t lead to greenwashing. If relevant to your business then share what you do, but make sure it fits with your brand first.
Facebook/Meta
It’s almost that time of year, although if you watch normal TV the C-word adverts started back in October, and that means Holiday Season Marketing. So Meta launched a toolkit to help you make the most of the holidays (read get more cash).
If you’re a sports fan this one’s for you – Meta has launched a new VR sports experience in the Metaverse. According to them you can get closer to the action with 180-degree VR footage of your favourite teams. Call us cynical, but it feels like an attempt to drum up interest after a turbulent few months.
Bye-bye portal – after some success during the pandemic things have stalled recently, resulting in Meta pulling it from the consumer market back in June. They’re now binning it all together.
If you have the need to write academic papers this one will likely be of interest, the Galactica AI System. On the demo site you can enter any subject and it will produce articles based on that prompt.
What does this mean for me?
The toolkit looks pretty good and is, unsurprisingly, heavily geared up for product-based businesses. There are various sections giving you insight into how people shop before, during, and after the holidays; prompts to get started producing various content; key dates, and tips and tricks.
The sports thing doesn’t have a lot of business applications, but is a useful thing to know. So yeah.
Unfortunately, there has been no official word from Meta on this, so we’re not sure if they’ll continue supporting existing Portal customers and for how long. We’ll keep you posted though.
As with most AI-written text, the stuff Galactica produces isn’t the best, which means you’ll have to do A LOT of editing to get it up to scratch. But it could be a good way to get things started.
That’s it for this week folks! Remember to sign up for weekly updates direct to your inbox and connect with Jordan on her LinkedIn for more tips. See you next week!