Twitch To Reach 47 Million Views By 2023

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This week in social media news, eMarketer released Twitch viewership forecasts, TikTok is reportedly testing direct website links in profile bios and launched parental controls for parents of TikTok users while Twitter rolled out a new option to add tweets to previous tweets.

Twitch To Boost Monthly Users To 37.5 Million This Year

Twitch’s audience is growing at a rate that positions it to rival the viewership of traditional media channels. 

Why it matters: “Twitch … is now too big for the internet giants to ignore,” according to eMarketer forecasting analyst Peter Vahle. Ostensibly, Twitch’s growth forecast is a signal-flare to mobile marketers to invest more ad dollars in the platform.

The details: Mobile Marketer reports that Twitch’s viewership will see a boost of 14 percent, reaching about 16 percent of the U.S. audience for digital video. The platform is set to reach 47 million viewers by 2023.

TikTok Looks To Add Direct Website Links To Profile Bios

The new update could help brands drive traffic to their website directly within the app.

Why it matters: TikTok has been working on ways to boost marketing appeal and direct website links are just another step in the right direction as currently it’s testing shopping links in videos. 

The details: The feature, spotted by TikTok user Sam Schmir, would include a custom link highlighted in pink text at the bottom of TikTok bios, allowing brands to increase awareness.

Twitter Rolls Out New Option To Add Tweets To Previous Tweets

Twitter announced the feature on its page via an animated video tutorial showing how to connect old tweets with new ones.

Why it matters: The feature will help brands add more context to old tweets or provide updates on announcements and sweepstakes winners. However, Twitter users weren’t that impressed with the added option as a majority responded to Twitter asking when they can expect an edit button to revise tweets. 

The details: To connect new tweets to old ones, users can compose a tweet, pull down to view older tweets then select the tweet they want to add to.

TikTok Announces “Family Safe Mode” To Help Parents Keep Teens Safe

The feature links a parent’s TikTok account to their teen’s and once enabled, parents will have access to screen time management and other aspects.

Why it matters: The feature, which will be available in the UK first and roll out to additional markets in the coming weeks, builds on the screen time management feature TikTok introduced in April 2019. Now with more control over how their teen uses TikTok, more parents might be inclined to let their kids join the platform.

The details: “Family Safety Mode” gives parents and guardians access to how long their teen can spend on TikTok each day, control over who sends their teen direct messages and the ability to restrict the appearance of inappropriate content. These features were previously available to all TikTok users, but now the app is giving parents the option to manage them.

Instagram Total Audience Surpasses Total Audience Size On Facebook

Socialbakers’ Social Media Trends Report for Q4 2019 found that for the first time, when it comes to the top 50 biggest brand profiles, Instagram has a larger audience than Facebook. The report also found that there was a relative decline in social engagement during the holiday season.

Why it matters: The data found that while the top 50 brands published more posts on Facebook, the engagement there didn’t reach the numbers that Instagram produced. A drop in engagement during the holidays suggests that brands should be more strategic about what content their audience wants to see and create quality content in smaller volumes to increase engagement. 

The details: In addition to Instagram’s total audience surpassing Facebook’s total audience size, the total interactions on Instagram were nearly 20 times larger than those of Facebook.

Holiday engagement was low for even the most successful industries, such as fashion on Instagram, which decreased by 19.4 percent. Similarly, the top industry on Facebook, ecommerce, decreased by 9.6 percent compared to Q3 2019. The services category, however, saw a 66.7 percent increase in engagement.

Additional insights from the report include: vertical videos perform better than horizontal videos across the board, women account for the majority of followers of brand pages on Instagram and Facebook and Facebook Feed remains the ad spend leader, accounting for 58.3 percent of total ad spend. 

In terms of influencer marketing, Walmart was the top Instagram brand profile in the world associated with influencers, with 854 mentions from 619 influencers in Q4 2019.

Snapchat Launches Swipe Up To Call Or Text Ad Format

Snapchat rolled out a new ad format called “Swipe Up to Call or Text,” which it says was built to help brands deliver leads, conversions and sales.

Why it matters: Snapchat’s goal is to give businesses more control over the user experience and streamline consumers’ decision and purchase journey, citing the example of prospective home buyers being able to immediately call their sales representative and consumers booking restaurant reservations and ordering food.

The details: The new feature lets users swipe up on an ad to directly call or text a business from their mobile phone as well as swipe up to different actions like visiting a website or downloading an app. To use the new feature, brands can create a campaign with “Instant Create” in ads manager on Snapchat and choose “call & texts” as their advertising goal.

Facebook CEO Calls For Regulation Of Big Tech

In an op-ed that originally ran in The Financial Times, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg championed a more democratic tech regulation process as part of Facebook’s efforts to push for new legislation and its support of existing US proposals to prevent election interference, like the Honest Ads Act and the Deter Act.

Why it matters: Zuckerberg’s call for more regulation of big tech companies arises amid this week’s kickoff of EU leaders’ debate about new rules governing data and artificial intelligence (AI). Since 2017, the European Commission has fined Google $8.9 billion in antitrust penalties and in December 2019, the Commission launched investigations into how Facebook and Google compile and use data for ad purposes.

The details: Zuckerberg wrote that big tech needs more oversight and accountability and more clear rules on portability while he pondered the role of regulators: “But who decides what counts as political advertising in a democracy? If a non-profit runs an ad about immigration during an election, is it political? Who should decide—private companies or governments?”

Facebook’s New White Paper Addresses Content Regulation Questions

Facebook released “Charting A Way Forward: Online Content Regulation” today.

Why it matters: From the words of Mark Zuckerberg himself: “It’s impossible to remove all harmful content from the Internet, but when people use dozens of different sharing services—all with their own policies and processes—we need a more standardized approach.” Poor design of regulatory mechanisms could mean less innovation and expression online, a trap to avoid when instituting new policies regarding content.

The details: Facebook’s white paper addresses the following topics: how to protect free expression while reducing harmful speech and the relationship between regulatory bodies, regulations and internet platforms. Additionally, the guidelines outline the stakeholders for such decisions.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, February 21. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Facebook Launches Pinterest-Like App Hobbi; Instagram Updates Ad Rules

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Facebook launched a new Pinterest-like app named Hobbi this week, presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg’s campaign taps into memelords which motivated Instagram to change its advertising rules and more.

Facebook’s NPE Team Launches Hobbi App

Social Media Today reports that the latest app from the NPE, or the New Product Experimentation team at Facebook will allow users to collect images of hobbies and interests while sorting them into boards.

Why it matters: If Facebook puts resources behind launching Hobbi and expanding it, it could be a challenger to Pinterest. TechCrunch notes, however, that the current iteration is fairly niche and lacks a social sharing component.

The details: Facebook’s latest apps from its product incubator capitalize on rising trends with a “relatively unique angle,” as reported by Social Media Today.

Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Paid Meme Creators For Internet Relevance So Instagram Is Adjusting Its Political Ad Rules

Bloomberg’s meme campaign, conducted with Fyre-festival marketing alums FuckJerry, led to some ambiguity about whether the 2020 candidate was really sponsoring memes.

Why it matters: Firstly, the importance of this news comes down to a distinction between what Instagram sees as branded content and advertising. 

From TechCrunch’s reporting: The difference is due to the fact that with branded content, “Facebook doesn’t receive any payment and it can’t be targeted. If marketers or political campaigns pay to boost the reach of sponsored content, it’s then subject to Instagram’s ad policies and goes in its Ad Library for seven years.”

Contextually, this change also matters since it comes two days after the FTC voted to review influencer marketing guidelines.

The details: According to TechCrunch, Instagram is “now asking all sponsorships, including the Bloomberg memes retroactively, to be disclosed with a label using [the Branded Content] tool. That would add a ‘Paid Partnership with Bloomberg 2020’ warning to posts and Stories that the campaign paid meme pages and other influencers to post. This rule change is starting in the US today.”

FTC To Determine Whether To Penalize Undisclosed Paid Influencer Posts

The Federal Trade Commission voted 5-0 to approve a Federal Register notice that seeks public comment on whether to revise its Endorsement Guides for advertising. 

Why it matters: The current Endorsement Guides require that social media marketing posts created between an endorser and a seller must be clearly labeled as “ad,” “sponsored content” or “paid partnership.” Weak enforcement, however, has led to gray areas around which influencer posts are organic or sponsored. Making businesses liable for civil penalties and for damages could help reduce incentivized and fake reviews.

The details: Commissioner Rohit Chopra’s statement says, “But when companies launder advertising by paying someone for a seemingly authentic endorsement or review, this is illegal payola. If these companies are also pressuring influencers to post in ways that disguise that their review or endorsement is paid advertising, those advertisers especially need to be held accountable.” Chopra suggests the FTC focus its efforts on larger platforms like Instagram and YouTube and on advertisers that earn huge profits from undisclosed influencer marketing.

YouTube Tests Donation Feature That Applies To Creators’ Videos, Not Just Live Streams

In an attempt to expand monetization opportunities for creators, YouTube is testing a feature called “viewer applause,” which lets users buy a clapping animation that appears over the creator’s video they’re choosing to support.  

Why it matters: Twitch streamers earn a lot of their revenue from donations, and it seems YouTube is borrowing what works for the gaming platform to benefit its own creators.

The details: Viewer applause is in beta testing for now, but Google notes it’s not a one-time function—users can spend $2 on a clap, $500 per day or $2,000 per week on super chats, super stickers and viewer applause combined. YouTube will take 30 percent of donations made through viewer applause, just as it does with super chat. The applause feature will apply to creators’ videos, not just live streams.

Snapchat Tests Another New User-Friendly Redesign

Snapchat’s major new redesign would separate the app from three to five sections and include a black navigation bar at the foot of the screen.

Why it matters: Snapchat’s previous major redesign wasn’t a hit and made many users ditch the app. Another more user-friendly design could be Snapchat’s way of appealing to a broader audience, which would be its ticket to maximizing revenue potential. 

The details: The redesign would give each of Snapchat’s sections more dedicated space and make it easier for new users to navigate the app. An unfriendly user design, some suggested, was one way for Snapchat to keep older users out of the app to maintain its hold with Gen Z. But in order to grow past 218 million daily active users (DAU), it’ll have to keep old and new users alike happy.

WhatsApp Reports 2 Billion Users

Up from 1.5 billion users two years ago, WhatsApp is now the second app from Facebook to reach the two-billion-users mark.

Why it matters: Though WhatsApp has yet to make a substantial contribution to Facebook’s bottom line. Still, its growth is impressive given it gained popularity without any marketing in developing countries like India.

The details: Despite, and perhaps because of, being ad-free and free for users, WhatsApp has become the most popular messaging app just after Facebook, which has 2.5 billion users.

YouTube Reveals Most-Viewed Super Bowl Ads

The Google-owned platform rounded up the top five overall and most-viewed big game ads on its AdBlitz channel.

Why it matters: Amazon’s Alexa-focused spot starring Ellen Degeneres was the only brand to exceed 60 million views. The popularity of the video reflects the rising usage of voice-controlled smart speaker shopping.

The details: Amazon’s “What did we do before Alexa” spot earned the top spot, followed by Jeep’s Groundhog Day spot featuring Bill Murray, Hyundai’s spot highlighting the Sonata’s newest features, Genesis’ GV80 ad featuring John Legend and Chrissy Teigen and T-Mobile’s ad showing Anthony Anderson test the network’s 5G capabilities.

Facebook Launches Fact-Checking Initiative With Reuters

Reuters aims to identify misinformation on social media together with Facebook’s third party fact-checking program.

Why it matters: Facebook has been slow to direct deep-fake content to fact-checkers. Though the platform has said it’s preventing the spread of misinformation by using downranking, the process doesn’t account for the views it receives before fact-checkers are able to moderate it. 

The details: According to the announcement, Reuters will “now assess the authenticity of user-generated photos, videos, headlines and other content on social media.” The initiative will be in effect ahead of the US election and beyond, verifying for Facebook’s US audience in English and Spanish and publishing findings on a specially created blog. Reuters recently partnered with Facebook’s journalism project to create an online course that helps newsrooms worldwide identify and reject deep-fake content, available in four languages including English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

Snapchat Launches Mental Health Resources Feature “Here For You“

In honor of Safer Internet Day, Snapchat is launching a new feature that will give proactive in-app support to users experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis. 

Why it matters: Given Gen Z accounts for most of Snapchat’s user base, a resource that informs users on anxiety, suicide and depression could be helpful in keeping the app a safe place.

The details: The feature, launching in the coming months, will include links to expert-led resources on mental health wellness for users experiencing mental and emotional crises and anyone curious about learning more about these issues. Snapchat said it will also launch creative tools and lenses that promote safety and privacy including new filters and its first-ever “Snappable” quiz.

Instagram Reportedly Developing Monetization Tools For IGTV

Reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong found that Instagram is testing a monetization program for IGTV influencers.

Why it matters: The lack of a monetization program is one of the main reasons creators have been reluctant to create IGTV content. Once in place, the program could inspire influencers on YouTube and Facebook to shift their content creation efforts to IGTV.

The details: With the program, Instagram says “You can earn money by running short ads on your IGTV videos. When you monetize on IGTV, you agree to follow the Partner Program Monetization Policies.” 

Instagram Rolls Out New Feature Showing Interaction Level With Who You Follow

According to a tweet from Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, as of today, you can see which Instagram accounts show up in your feed the most and who you interact with the least.

Why it matters: Improving the user experience in this way could lead to a boost in ad views for Instagram, because fewer posts that don’t resonate with a user means they spend more time scrolling, which results in more ad impressions.

The details: Instagram added two new categories to the “Following” section of users’ profiles. There you can manage a list that shows who you least interacted with and a list that shows which accounts have shown up the most in your feed. A spokesperson told TechCrunch, “. . .we want to make it easier to manage the accounts you follow on Instagram so that they best represent your current connections and interests.”

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, February 14. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Pinterest’s Q4 Revenue Increased 46 Percent Since Last Year

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This week in social media news—Pinterest and Twitter release Q4 earnings, Instagram tests IGTV monetization and eMarketer finds that half of companies use LinkedIn for marketing.

Pinterest Reports Better-Than-Expected Q4 Earnings

MediaPost reports that Pinterest released its Q4 earnings report which shows 26 percent YoY (year-over-year) user growth and over $400 million in revenue, up 46 percent YoY.

Why it matters: Pinterest has been aggressively developing products for their advertising business such as the mobile “Try On” feature, powered by Pinterest’s Lens visual search technology. This, and the platform’s universal brand appeal, has positioned Pinterest as the third-largest social media platform among U.S. consumers.

Details: Pinterest sees a strong 2020 ahead. Brands including YSL Beauté, Lancôme, Urban Decay from L’Oreal, Neutrogena, Estee Lauder and Sephora are already leveraging Pinterest’s latest “Try On” feature.

Instagram Tests IGTV Monetization

Instagram is beginning to test monetization of IGTV videos by allowing creators to run ads, as discovered by Jane Manchun Wong and reported by Adweek.

Why it matters: Monetization of IGTV content with ads would be big news for publishers creating for that product.

Details: While details from Instagram are still scant, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri has stated that “IGTV is still in its early days, but it’s growing, so we’re exploring more ways to make it sustainable for creators.”

Twitter Generates $1.01 Billion Revenue In Q4  

Thanks to a 12 percent increase year-over-year in ad revenue sales, this is the first time Twitter’s revenue surpassed the billion-dollar mark.

Why it matters: Though the report shows a drop in net income and earnings per share (EPS), the figure reflects a comeback for Twitter after Q3 when it missed on revenues and earnings as a result of costly ad-related glitches.

The details: Analysts predicted revenues of $997 million with EPS of $0.29. Twitter exceeded analysts’ prediction with its $1.01 billion in revenue, but its net income of $119 million and diluted EPS of $0.15 were both lower than those in the same period last year—$255 million net income and a diluted EPS of $0.33. Twitter’s operating income for Q4 was $153 million. Its monetizable daily active users (DAU) increased by 21 percent in Q4 to reach 152 million due to algorithm updates, which presented users with more relevant content.

Half Of Companies With 100+ Employees Use LinkedIn For Marketing

EMarketer found that 50.3 percent of companies will use LinkedIn for marketing by 2021 and in 2020, 49.6 percent of companies with over 100 employees will use the platform.

Why it matters: LinkedIn as a marketing tool mirrors the user growth the platform has seen as it recently reached 675 million members, a new milestone. 

The details: eMarketer’s forecast excludes companies that use LinkedIn strictly for recruiting. The researcher sees more business-to-consumer brands using LinkedIn in years past but there’s a limit on how many can use it for marketing or advertising. That’s despite the platform’s efforts to give advertisers innovative offerings like Campaign Manager, which launched in September 2019. 

Snapchat App Hoop Downloaded 2.5 Million Times Within A Week

From Snapchat’s developer platform Snap Kit, Hoop is the Tinder-like app that lets people swipe to discover other users and make new friends on Snapchat.

Why it matters: Snap Kit-backed apps like Hoop give users new reasons to sign up for Snapchat and continue using it, ensuring user growth. 

The details: Snap Kit launched in June 2018 and lets other apps like Hoop piggyback on Snapchat’s login for sign up, its big selling point being privacy. Now, Hoop has reached the number two spot on the overall iOS chart and first on the social apps chart on January 24. Hoop’s monetization strategy includes a 10-limit chat request for users. When they run out of in-app “diamonds,” they must earn more by inviting new friends to Hoop, adding new friends on Snapchat and logging in each day. 

Reports Show Millennials, Gen Z Still Use Facebook

Recent reports show Facebook still holds sway with younger generations. 

Why it matters: In 2018, Pew Research found that Facebook was lagging behind YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, making it the fourth most popular social network among US teen users. While recent reports show that Gen Z and millennial still use Facebook, it’s Instagram that may be keeping it afloat as Instagram generated more than a quarter of Facebook’s revenue in 2019.

The details: A report from 5W Public Relations in New York surveyed 1,000 US adults aged 18 and over, and found that 77 percent are active on Facebook. Another report, from Ofcom in the UK, surveyed over 2,300 British parents and children ages 5-15 years about their online activity. Sixty-nine percent of those aged 12-15 said they use Facebook while 68 percent use Snapchat and 66 percent have an Instagram account. 

Instagram Reportedly Brought In $20 Billion In Revenue In 2019

According to Bloomberg, Instagram generated $20 billion in revenue in 2019, more than a quarter of Facebook’s total revenue for the year.

Why it matters: Instagram’s revenue indicates that it’s generating more money than YouTube as Google’s year-end report revealed it brought in $15 billion in revenue in 2019.

The details: Facebook generated a total of $70.7 billion in revenue in 2019, a majority of which came from advertising. Instagram was estimated to have a $100 billion valuation in 2018, and the figure will likely rise given its reported revenue for 2019.

Facebook To Close Mobile Web Arm Of Its Audience Network

Digiday reports the company confirmed it will shut down the mobile web arm starting April 11.

Why it matters: The move to close Audience Network’s mobile web arm follows Facebook’s 2016 retrenchment of LiveRail, the video ad exchange and ad server it bought in 2014 for a reported $400 million. Also in 2016, Facebook discontinued the in-house desktop ad exchange it built. The trend continued when it closed the Audience Network’s connected television service in 2019.

The details: Audience Network was launched in 2014 and Facebook expanded it to include mobile websites in 2016. On its decision to shut down the mobile web arm, the company said it’s focusing its resources in other formats across mobile apps, a growing demand from its partners.

Byte Gets 1.3 Million Downloads In Its First Week

Data from Sensor Tower found that Vine’s successor Byte hits the ground running with 1.3 million app downloads.

Why it matters: Strong performance in its first week may not be enough to carry Byte to the finish line against Instagram and Snapchat. Byte’s founder Dom Hoffman said the app is working on providing influencers with monetization opportunities but the efforts could be backfiring. Byte users have recently complained that comment streams are inundated with users who are aggressively trying to boost their follower counts.

The details: Byte received 1.3 million downloads in its first week, exceeding Vine’s downloads in the same time period after launch.

Snapchat Revenue Increases 44 % Year Over Year

Missing analyst’s expectations slightly, Snapchat increased its revenue by 44 percent year-over-year to $561 million in Q4 2019.

Why it matters: 2018 reports predicted that Snapchat could slip back as growth rates slowed and infrastructure costs continued to rise, but the data show that it’s still growing—it added 8 million more daily active users (DAU) in Q4, reaching 218 million DAU in 2019. Still, the platform’s efforts in emerging markets haven’t produced major returns in ad spend.

The details:  Snapchat’s users grew 17 percent year-over-year as it added 2 million more DAU in North America and Europe, and 3 million additional users in its “Rest of the World” category.

Google Reports YouTube Ad Revenue Of $15 Billion

Per a year-end report, YouTube’s revenue grew by 36 percent to $15.1 billion in 2019 from a year prior.

Why it matters: YouTube’s revenues are higher than eMarketer’s prediction, which was 20 percent growth in ad sales to about 11.4 billion by the end of 2019. While Google’s total ad revenue for Q4 increased 17 percent, its growth is less than Facebook’s 25 percent gain to 20.7 billion and Amazon’s 41 percent increase to $4.8 billion.

The details: YouTube’s ad revenue growth surpassed the 15 percent gain of Google’s search ad revenue to a record $98.1 billion for 2019. In Q4, Google’s total ad revenue rose 17 percent to $37.9 billion from a year earlier, matching the 17 percent growth of the prior quarter.

Facebook Ad Spending Grows 15 % Year Over Year In Q4

According to Merkle’s Q4 Digital Marketing Report, spending growth for Facebook ads, excluding Instagram, increased for the third consecutive quarter. 

Why it matters: Facebook spend may be up but the platform’s impressions growth has slowed. In Q4 2019, its ad impressions fell five percent year over year, down from a 20 percent increase the prior quarter. Mobile devices and tablets accounted for 95 percent of Facebook ad clicks in Q4, which could produce an even greater rise in mobile-first ad content in 2020. 

The details: Though Facebook ad spend was up, Instagram ad spend decreased from 44 percent in Q3 2019 to 38 percent year over year in Q4. Merkle found that Instagram ad impressions grew 29 percent year over year in Q4 and average CPM increased by seven percent. Ads on Instagram stories generated 25 percent of Instagram ad clicks in Q4 and accounted for 21 percent of total spending. Across all platforms, data shows that display ad spend grew eight percent year-over-year in Q4. Additionally, social media platforms generated 4.3 percent of all organic search visits in 2019, up 3.2 percent in Q4 2018.

Study Finds US Voters Distrust Social Media As Political News Source 

Data from Pew Research Center’s Election News Pathways Project is based on responses from 12,043 US adults—consisting of both Republicans and Democrats—a majority of which don’t trust the political news delivered by Facebook and Twitter.

Why it matters: In 2018, Pew’s study found that 68 percent of Americans get some form of news content via social media. Despite more Americans getting news information from social platforms, Democrats and Republicans alike distrust these sources by large margins.

The details: The platforms with the highest percentage of distrust among all adults are Facebook (59 percent), Twitter (48 percent), Instagram (42 percent) and YouTube (36 percent).

LinkedIn Reaches 675 Million Total Members 

Microsoft reported record levels of engagement on LinkedIn in its FY20 Q2 report, which the company published this week.

Why it matters: Though the report shows an increase in total members, not active users, the growing engagement levels and memberships reflect the success of LinkedIn’s “Marketing Solutions,” which LinkedIn says is its fastest growing business for connecting with members. 

The details: In November 2019, LinkedIn reported reaching 660 million members. This week, Microsoft reported it now has 675 million total members, which means in three months LinkedIn gained 15 million more members.

Twitter Officially Launches Conversation Threads On iOS

After beta testing conversation threads for the last six months, Twitter rolled out the feature on iOS.

Why it matters: The new threaded conversational feature could lead to an improvement in tweet engagement among users’ communities especially considering the feature only displays threads for replies from people you follow.

The details: The company tweeted the announcement, noting that when people you follow are in a conversation, you’ll see their replies in a new way in the home timeline. According to Twitter, the new layout will make it easier to see who’s replying to who so that users can join in on relevant conversations. Twitter says the new feature will be available on Android soon.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, February 7. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Google Launches Experimental Short Form Video App Tangi

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Today in social media news, Google’s Area 120 launches a social video sharing app for DIY-ers, Facebook reaches a new milestone of 2.5 billion monthly active users and Twitter takes steps to stop the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus.

Google’s Area 120 Launches Short Form Video App For DIY-ers Called Tangi

A product from Google’s in-house incubator Area 120, Tangi is an experimental social video sharing app for 60-second tutorials.

Why it matters: With a similar feel and layout as Pinterest—where 83 percent of users have made a purchase based on the content they saw from brands—Tangi could be a lucrative platform for marketers when and if the app supports ads.

The details: Tangi is an app for DIY lovers to learn and share their favorite how-tos via tutorials under 60 seconds. Unlike TikTok or YouTube, the app has a “Try It” feature that lets users upload pictures of their re-creation of the video they learned from. The app is ad-free, free to download and available everywhere except the EU.

Facebook Reaches New Milestone Of 2.5 Billion Monthly Active Users

In its Q4 2019 performance update, Facebook reported an increase of 34 million in daily active users (DAU), taking it to 1.66 billion DAU for the period.

Why it matters: Though steady, Facebook’s growth momentum will need to be complemented by increased revenue per user in regions outside the US in order to convert new users into worthwhile opportunities for marketers. 

The details: The update shows that Facebook added a million additional users in the North American market, its main revenue source. It also saw added 14 million DAU in the Asia-Pacific market. In addition to reaching 2.5 billion MAU, Facebook’s revenue for Q4 was $21 billion, up 25 percent year over year. Still, the platform’s costs and expenses also increased 51 percent year over year.

Twitter Launches Dedicated Search Prompt To Prevent Misinformation On Coronavirus

Twitter has seen over 15 million tweets on the topic of the coronavirus in the past four weeks and wants to ensure factual information about it is surfaced.

Why it matters: The global outbreak of coronavirus has led to the spread of inaccurate information across Facebook and YouTube too. Seven organizations that partner with Facebook issued fact checks that found false coronavirus claims, leading Facebook to lower those people’s ranks in users’ daily feeds.

The details: Twitter has launched a dedicated search prompt that provides anyone who uses it with “credible, authoritative information” about the coronavirus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s also stopping auto-suggest results that might lead to non-credible content about the virus on Twitter.

Pinterest Launches AR-Powered Beauty Try On For Mobile 

Pinners can now try on different lipstick shades via Pinterest’s new augmented reality (AR) feature “Try On,” powered by Lens.

Why it matters: Given that 90 percent of pinners use Pinterest to make purchase decisions, it’s in Pinterest’s best interest to enhance users’ shopping experience via AR. The platform says it’s working on even more AR categories.

The details: Those looking to try on lipstick, save a shade for later or buy through the retailer’s site can access the AR feature by opening the Pinterest camera in search. Upon clicking “Try On,” pinners will be able to browse different lipstick shades and swipe up to shop from brands like L’Oreal, Sephora, bareMinerals, NYX Professional Makeup, Urban Decay, YSL Beauté, Lancôme, Neutrogena and Estée Lauder. They can also use the “try on” button on select products and see how the lipstick looks on skin stones that match their own. The feature is available on the mobile app for iOS and Android in the US. 

Social Networking Platform For Moms Raises $2 Million

Founded by Katya Libin and Amri Kibbler, the platform lets moms post to forums, chat in groups and even find job candidates.

Why it matters: The platform’s success could mean more opportunities for brands to reach its community’s “ambitious women who are coming together to support each other.” 

The details: According to TechCrunch, HeyMama announced the close of $2 million in seed funding with investors among the likes of fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff and founder of OWYN Kathryn Moos. Once a social media account and online magazine that started in 2014, HeyMama’s goal as a platform is to help moms connect online and offline, as it holds events in 11 cities across the country. Brand partnerships fuel its revenue and 85 percent of its members are from word-of-mouth referrals. A HeyMama membership costs $35 a month or $349 a year.

Snapchat Inks Deal With NBC On Tokyo 2020 Olympics Shows

According to Variety, NBC will produce four exclusive Snapchat shows in a mobile-first, vertical format.

Why it matters: NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel said that NBC wants to offer advertisers a way to reach Snapchat’s large and young audience, demonstrating the network’s increased level of comfort with Snapchat as an evolution of the brand’s platform.

The details: This marks the third partnership between Snapchat and NBC Olympics, following deals for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics and PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. Among the four shows, two will, for the first time, showcase Olympic highlights to be updated in near real-time. NBC is gearing up to produce more than 70 episodes for Snapchat, triple the amount it produced for the 2018 Winter Games. Leading up to the games, Snapchat will also curate users’ coverage of the Tokyo Olympics for its “Our Story” feed. NBC has also called on Twitter to present Olympic content via an exclusive 20-minute live daily studio show from Tokyo.

Tinder, Pandora Top Revenue Charts For US Subscription Apps

New data from Sensor Tower show that U.S. subscription non-gaming app revenue saw a year-over-year growth of 21 percent from $3.8 billion to $4.6 billion.

Why it matters: While Tinder and Pandora led the revenue chart, Google’s cloud storage app Google One also earned 15 percent of revenue for the top 100 apps. Google One’s position indicates that subscription revenue may be diversifying beyond music streaming and dating apps.

The details: Subscriptions made up 19 percent of the total $24 billion that consumers spent on non-game apps from Apple’s app store and Google Play. Tinder led the revenue chart for subscription-based apps and accounted for 10 percent of the spending in the top 100, followed by Pandora, YouTube and HBO Now. Pandora generated 20 percent of subscription revenue for Google Play and YouTube’s subscription revenue for Apple’s app store exceeded $1 billion.

Vine Successor Byte Debuts On iOS And Android

The Byte app makes its debut two years after Vine’s co-founder Dom Hofmann announced he was working on a successor to Vine.

Why it matters: To compete against TikTok and others like Firework, Triller and Facebook’s Lasso, Byte will have to woo influencers who have tried transferring their audiences from platforms that lack monetization. The cards may be in Byte’s favor as Vine turned TikTok stars Joshdarnit, Lance Stewart and Chris Melberger are already on Byte.

The details: Hofmann’s goal is for Byte to focus on helping creators monetize their content. The app will launch a pilot of its first partner program to offer popular creators monetization options. It also plans to fund its own revenue sharing on the app.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, January 31. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

TikTok Announces Opening Of Permanent US Office In Los Angeles

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This week in social media, TikTok announced the opening of a permanent Los Angeles office amid news that it grossed about $177 million globally in 2019 and Instagram is testing an option that lets users easily find and share stories mentions.

TikTok Scales US Operations With New Los Angeles Office

TikTok just set up shop in Culver City to accommodate its growing US team.

Why it matters: A permanent office in Los Angeles reflects TikTok’s commitment to scaling its US presence. As Bloomberg reported, the platform is also looking for a US-based CEO, a potential solution to resolving lawmakers’ security concerns.

The details: In a blog post, TikTok says the new five-story office will help accommodate its 400-plus US team. This summer, the office will also house a content creation studio.

Instagram Tests Option To Find And Share Story Mentions

The option highlights any stories that mention your profile and enables you to re-share them on your own stories.

Why it matters: A few months ago, Instagram launched a feature called “Stories About You” that shows a list of your story mentions in the mentions feed only. This new option provides Stories mentions within Stories, which could help brand accounts engage better with user-generated content (UGC).

The details: First spotted by social media expert Matt Navarra, Instagram’s new Stories addition appears as an option under the “@“ symbol in create mode. Selecting this mode lets you see how many Stories mentions you have while still in Stories. Then you have the option of choosing any of the frames and reposting them to your Stories. It’s still unclear how many users have access to the option.

TikTok Revenue Increases Fivefold to $177 Million

Sensor Tower found that TikTok’s downloads surged 13 percent to 738 million, making it the second-most downloaded app after WhatsApp.

Why it matters: TikTok’s $176.9 million gross revenue in 2019 could help the app build out its targeted advertising capabilities which it has yet to establish.

The details: According to Sensor Tower, TikTok has 1.65 million lifetime downloads, making it one of the most popular apps worldwide. In India, users downloaded TikTok 323 million times, 44 percent of the app’s global total. China is the app’s second largest market with 52 million downloads followed by the US with 46 million.

Instagram Removes IGTV Button From Home Page

According to TechCrunch, only about 7 million of Instagram’s 1 billion-plus users have downloaded the standalone IGTV app since it launched 18 months ago, compared to 1.15 billion TikTok downloads in the same period. 

Why it matters: The unpopularity of the IGTV button on the home page indicates it hasn’t become a staple for users like previous features have been like augmented reality filters, stories and close friends. Plus, without the ability to monetize their IGTV videos, influencers were hesitant to dedicate time to creating IGTV content.

The details: A Facebook company spokesperson said that most people are discovering IGTV content through the IGTV channel on the explore page, previews on the feed and creators’ profiles. To simplify user functionality, Instagram has removed the icon based on these learnings and community feedback.

Pinterest Highlights Inclusion Efforts In Sixth Annual Report 

Pinterest has released its annual report, which shows the platform exceeded three of its external hiring goals with respect to diversity.

Why it matters: In 2015, Pinterest set annual public hiring goals and has since made moves to ingrain inclusivity into its culture. In 2019, the platform launched a skin tone ranges search feature, an employee gender transition guide and set out to limit content that would make users feel unsafe or unwelcome. For example, it limited the distribution of wedding venues that were former slave plantations.

The details: Pinterest’s report shows it surpassed its goal to increase hiring rates for full-time women engineers from 25 percent to 27 percent. Additionally, its goal to increase hiring rates to eight percent underrepresented minority engineers was exceeded at nine percent. Hiring more underrepresented minority employees across the company was also one of its goals, which it surpassed by two percent from 12 to 14 percent. Other milestones include the fact that women at Pinterest are now 25 percent of engineers overall, up from 19 percent in 2014.

Spotify Launches Stories-Like Shareable Playlists 

The music streaming platform is giving users the ability to incorporate video elements into their public Spotify playlists.

Why it matters: Spotify has been testing video products for a while now. Last year, it tested a feature called “Storyline” that let artists share their insights and inspiration. Now it’s giving select users a stories-like platform to share playlists for the purpose of music discovery. 

The details: Spotify stories, which can be accessed via a circular icon above a playlist’s title, includes short video clips that users can tap on. Also similar to Instagram stories, Spotify stories shows song snippets and album art. Meant for influencers, not artists, the feature was first tested by makeup and fashion YouTuber Summer Mckeen, who has 126,455 Spotify followers.

Octi Creates Augmented Reality (AR) Social Network

The startup launched an AR-enabled social platform that connects the act of seeing friends in real life with viewing digital content like their favorite YouTube videos.

Why it matters: According to TechCrunch, Octi’s co-founder and CEO Justin Fuisz says his goal is to turn the AR platform into a WeChat-style platform for outside developers to build social tools and content. The app’s facial recognition feature could mean competition for Snapchat.

The details: Octi’s facial recognition experience lets you point your phone at a friend and identify them in as little as 20 milliseconds. Once your friend accepts, you can view your friend’s profile remotely and see a belt of virtual items hover around them via videos, songs and photos. Though it’s powered by AR, the app’s core experience is meant to be in-person. 

Twitter Updates Television Show Reminder Buttons

Social media expert Matt Navarra found that the new format will let users set reminders for when television shows and events will air.

Why it matters: This update could help improve engagement and create more live-tweeting content around trending television shows.

The details: Users will notice a dedicated button called “Set Reminder” at the bottom of tweets about television shows and events on Twitter’s explore page.

Instagram’s Hidden Likes Test Meant To Remove Pressure From Users

Instagram’s VP of product Vishal Shah shed light on the hidden likes test in an interview on “The Social Media Geekout” podcast.

Why it matters: Since the announcement of the hidden likes test in April last year, brands and users alike are still waiting on word from Instagram about how the test will impact measurement. Shah says, “We know going into this that we would likely have to trade-off some amount of engagement to do this work,” indicating that Instagram has likely seen a decrease in engagement in areas where likes have been removed. 

The details: Shah said the idea behind removing likes stemmed from the team that works on interactions and feeds, who found that public like count was a “very high area of pressure for them when they produce content on Instagram.” Shah says another reason they’re testing the removal of likes is to give users an even playing field among public figures and celebrities who have follower counts well into the millions.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, January 24. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

Twitter Tests New Ways To Control Conversations

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This week in social media, Twitter said it’s testing four new ways for users to control their conversations, Twitch fell short of ad revenue expectations and Facebook and eBay pledged to take the selling of fake online reviews more seriously. Also, Facebook announced two new deadlines that advertisers who use its marketing API must adhere to, TikTok is testing a music tab that lets popular artists promote their songs, YouTube is releasing a Coachella documentary and LinkedIn’s user growth is expected to be higher than previously estimated.

Twitter To Let Users Control Tweet Replies Via Four New Ways

The platform detailed its plans to give users more control over their conversations as part of a slew of industry announcements at the Consumers Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Why it matters: More options to limit the spread of tweets is said to help prevent bullying and harassment on the platform. But Twitter says it’s already doing its part to manage tweet violations. Currently, over 50 percent of tweets that Twitter removes for terms of service violations happen proactively.

The details: As part of an experiment running in Q1, Twitter will provide users four new options which will appear on the compose screen: Global lets anyone reply, Group lets a user’s followers reply, Panel is for people you mentioned in the tweet and Statement lets users turn off all replies. The head of conversations for the platform said these updates build on a feature the company launched in 2019 which allowed users to hide replies. Twitter is also testing a thread-like conversation view which leads users through replies.

Twitch Misses Ad Revenue Expectations

According to The Information, the Amazon-owned streaming platform’s ad revenues fell short of expected ad revenues by 50 percent. 

Why it matters: Twitch projected ad revenues between $500-$600 million in 2019 but reached only $230 million in ad revenue for 2018 and a midyear annual projection of $300 million for 2019. Comparatively, YouTube is reportedly bringing in billions in ad revenue alone. YouTube, Mixer and Facebook have all signed major streamers away from Twitch which could be one reason why it fell short.

The details: The report says that Twitch is profiting more from commerce like subscriptions but that it sees a better profit margin on ads given that top streamers get a majority cut from subscriptions.

Twitter Makes New Ad Placement “Promoted Trend Spotlight” Global

With its new takeover ad offering, advertisers can place six-second videos, GIFs or static image ads at the top of Twitter’s Explore tab.

Why it matters: Global behavioral research company EyeSee found that people spent 26 percent more time looking at the Promoted Trend Spotlight as compared to the standard Promoted Trend unit, generating 113 percent higher ad recall.

The details: Promoted Trend Spotlight will be generally available in the US, UK, Japan and 12 additional markets. Ads will appear at the top of Twitter’s Explore page for the first two visits per person, per day. After the initial two visits, the ad placement moves to the standard Promoted Trend placement.

Facebook, eBay Commit To Stopping Fake Reviews Being Sold

TechCrunch reported that last June, UK markets regulator Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it found “troubling evidence” of a “thriving marketplace for fake and misleading online reviews.”

Why it matters: The CMA estimates that more than three-quarters of UK shoppers base purchase decisions on online reviews.

The details: After not making any progress to prevent fake reviews, Facebook today has removed a total of 188 groups and disabled 24 user accounts while eBay has permanently banned 140 users. Both platforms said they’re improving systems to identify and block listing for the sale or trade of online reviews.

Facebook Gives Advertisers New Compliance Deadlines

Advertisers who buy Facebook ads through third-party platforms and tools must comply with new deadlines that the platform has set forth. The news comes after Facebook announced in March last year, and again in December, that it was limiting the set of ad targeting categories for housing, credit opportunities and employment ads. 

Why it matters: Not complying with Facebook’s “Special Ad Category” restrictions and deadlines will mean the removal of ads.

The details: The first deadline requires that businesses located in the US identify any active campaigns belonging to a “Special Ad Category” that were created before December 4. Businesses have until February 11 to do so. Additionally. by March 31, all Facebook advertisers in the US creating new ads offering housing, employment or credit must specify a “Special Ad Category” and update targeting settings otherwise the ads won’t be allowed to run. Those running ads that don’t offer the aforementioned must be indicated “None.” 

TikTok Testing New Music Tab For Improved Artist Discovery

According to Social Media Today, TikTok is adding artists’ songs to a select group of verified musicians’ profiles.

Why it matters: Letting influential musicians like Justin Bieber and Camila Cabello promote their work will drive consumer behavior and establish fan connections, both important given the centrality of music to TikTok’s success with short-form videos.

The details: This new tab will become the third music tab listed on artist profiles. Upon tapping the music note icon to the tab’s left, a listing of all the musician’s songs will appear. Users can then browse the songs and use them in their own videos.

YouTube To Premiere Feature-Length Coachella Documentary

YouTube Originals has partnered with Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival to create a documentary, “Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert,” premiering March 31.

Why it matters: This year marks the tenth consecutive year that YouTube is the official playlist and exclusive live stream partner for both weekends of Coachella. YouTube Premium members will get Coachella perks like access to members-only allocation of passes for purchase. 

The details: The announcement of a documentary follows the release of Coachella’s official 2020 lineup, and is meant to celebrate the festival’s 20th anniversary. Never-before-seen footage and interviews in the film will depict the festival’s colorful beginnings.

LinkedIn To Grow Faster Than Expected 

According to eMarketer’s latest estimates, there will be 62.1 million adult LinkedIn users in 2020, and the figure will grow 4.2 percent in 2021.

Why it matters: Though it lags behind Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn has recently launched features to boost user activity such as its live video broadcast “Live,” launched in February last year, and “Events,” debuted in October last year.

The details: LinkedIn will see $1.59 billion in ad revenues this year, growing to $1.77 billion in 2020. Its users will make up about a third of all social network users in the US, which will stay the same for the next few years. That number will grow from 62.1 million users to 64.7 million in 2021, and to 68.8 million in 2023.

Twitter Launches Promoted Trend Spotlight

The company announced the launch of Promoted Trend Spotlight, a new ad product on Twitter. 

Why it matters: The new ad product has three key features: capture the users’ attention with its immersive creative; differentiate a brand by making ads appear next to highly curated editorial content; and finally, surface conversation by tying together the prominent placement and expansive coverage atop Twitter’s Explore tab.

The details: Promoted Trend Spotlight is now available in the US, the UK and Japan, and is expanding to Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain and Thailand. 

EMarketer’s Report Shows A Decline In Instagram User Growth 

A new report from eMarketer predicts Instagram’s user growth dropping to single digits in 2020. 

Why it matters: According to eMarketer, Instagram is facing two major problems: losing its older users and experiencing tougher competition from other popular platforms, like Snapchat and TikTok. However, it is important to note that Instagram is still serving over a billion monthly active users, which makes it one of the top platforms for advertisers. 

The details: The researchers concluded that “in 2019, Instagram’s US user growth rate will have dropped to single digits for the first time to 6.7%, down from 10.1% in 2018. Starting in 2020, and through the end of our forecast period in 2023, we estimate that the social media platform will grow slower than previously expected.”

Snapchat Will Launch Bitmoji TV In 2020

According to TechCrunch, Snapchat is preparing to release “Bitmoji TV,” a personalized cartoon show. 

Why it matters: Creating original content has the potential to differentiate Snapchat from the other short-form video competitor platforms, such as YouTube and TikTok (which don’t yet own an avatar platform) and provide unique opportunities for advertising. 

The details: The initiative will launch in February 2020 globally and will feature customizable Bitmoji avatars as the characters of a full-motion cartoon series called “Bitmoji TV.” 

SnapChat And TikTok Spotted Working On Deepfake-Like Features

SocialMedia Today reports that both platforms are busy developing features that closely resemble deepfake technology, allowing users to easily overlay their face on existing content. This comes as Snapchat acquiring AI Factory, and images show that TikTok is working on a deepfake-style addition within its app.

Why it matters: The new developments rise one major concern: overlaying other people’s faces over existing video content may be misused and pose a threat to brand safety.  

The details: Snap has purchased AI Factory, the company Snap collaborated with in developing its Cameo feature, a feature that enables users to overlay their face over a selection of pre-made scenes.

And according to TechCrunch, Tikok is working on a deepfake-style feature, which asks users to take a multi-angle, biometric scan of their face and allows them to add their image into a selection of videos.

Apptopia Estimates TikTok Q4 Revenue To Reach $50M

TikTok revenue is expected to rise 300 percent in Q4, according to Apptopia, a startup that tracks mobile app revenue and usage. 

Why it matters: The numbers indicate the company’s rapid year-over-year growth (compared to a Q3 in-app top-line figure of around $20 million).

The details: TikTok’s in-app purchase revenue rise 310 percent on a year-over-year basis reaching $50 million. 

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, January 10. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.

5 Social Media Marketing Trends To Adopt In 2020

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As we enter 2020, social media will remain a critical channel for driving brand awareness and generating sales. To see the best return on investment (ROI), however, brands will have to be early adopters of a few social media marketing trends we’re shining a light on here. Think TikTok influencers, augmented reality (AR) social commerce and video storytelling.

1. The Rise of the TikTok Influencer

This year, TikTok outperformed all social media platforms. Recent data from Sensor Tower showed that TikTok hit 1.5 billion downloads across iOS and Android. Users in India accounted for 31 percent of the app’s downloads, followed by 11.5 percent in China and 8.2 percent in the US. TikTok even outranked Instagram and Facebook, which indicates that Gen Z have found a new playground. This has opened the door to a new generation of influencers on the nascent platform. Though consider this an early adopter phase, as TikTok’s ad platform is still being developed.

“Similar to those who were on Vine, TikTok stars are creative and collaborate to create short-form video content. With TikTok, influencers can become popular instantly with their integration of challenges. The most popular example to date is the success of Lil Nas X and Old Town Road. Expect to see more of this especially as more brands are embracing TikTok as a platform to engage users,” freelance marketing consultant and the author of “Oh Snap! You Can Use Snapchat For Business,” Kate Talbot tells us.

2. Purpose-Driven Content

Brands hyper-focused on targeting younger audiences will find they need to take a stand on important social issues in marketing as well as create purpose-driven social content and activations. 

A survey by Crowd DNA found that 68 percent of Gen Z consumers expect brands to contribute to society, and 61 percent are willing to pay more for products that are ethically produced.

“In 2020 we’ll see a lot more political awareness in social media. With the election, no matter the platform, people will be using social media to highlight issues in the world. We saw this year, many Gen Z’ers use TikTok to bring awareness in creative ways to highlight the water crisis in Flint Michigan or global climate change. However, all the social platforms will be on top of their game to combat fake news and any interference. When you scroll down your feed, it’ll be a mixture of fun memes intertwined with political jokes and messages,” Talbot explains.

“Woke culture” in beauty and fashion is also on the rise, and as Talbot notes, brands like Victoria’s Secret that haven’t shifted their mindset are already on their way out. Companies that think about their consumer first, and how they fit into the diverse beauty narrative will emerge and grow.

3. Video Storytelling

Marketers who use video, on average, grow revenue 49 percent faster than non-video users, and social media is arguably the fastest way to utilize this advantage. PR and influencer marketing strategist working with technology, fashion and beauty brands, Jocelyn Johnson believes video in various forms will gain budget and more focus. From short-form ephemeral videos for Instagram Stories and Snapchat to longer format YouTube videos, she notes, all forms will continue to grow as platforms such as Snapchat extend the length of ads from six seconds up to three minutes. A Cisco study echoes Johnson’s prediction as it found that by 2022, 82 percent of all online content will be video content.

According to Talbot, three areas of video in social media marketing that have the potential to grow in 2020 are: IGTV, LinkedIn Live and Snapchat Discover. Instagram gives IGTV a lot of visibility on the app, and the platform wants the feature to grow with a focus on long-form video storytelling. This is Instagram’s way of competing with YouTube and they’re going all in. 

Talbot says that LinkedIn has become a strong social media network in the past few years, giving creators a place to shine. Although only a small amount of creators have access to the Live feature, everyone in their network gets a notification, making it a valuable tool. Many creators have their own shows that speak to their audiences’ business needs and are interactive in real-time. 

Discover on Snapchat is a prime example of brands and media working together on social media to create digestible content and entertainment for the next generation consumers, Talbot says. Snapchat doubling down on this feature and finding more influencers and celebrities to be part of the program will be influential for the future of branded content on social media. 

The bottom line: Video wins across all of the algorithms. For every channel, video is a huge driver of impressions. Quick videos that include subtitles are a great way to educate, inspire and inform your audience.

4. Nano-Influencers

Due to the rising costs associated with influencer fraud, marketers will have more reason to leverage smaller, more influential figures such as nano-influencers, those with 10,000 or less followers. A recent study found that these alternatives to mega influencers have an engagement rate of 7.2 percent on Instagram compared to influencers with over 10,000 followers who have just a 1.1 percent engagement rate on Instagram.

On the disappearance of likes and organic influencers, Talbot says, “There will be a shift into having real influencers, no bots or fake followers, that share insights that can make an impact on a company. Instagram will still lead the pack for influencer marketing. With disappearing likes, there will be a shift where more content will be created. Because users can still see their likes and influencers can work with agencies and platforms to share data, Instagram influencer marketing will rise, and as predicted last year, nano-influencers will continue to hold power. Us regulars will have access to nano-influencer influencer platforms like Heartbeat and RewardStyle where we can share out favorite products to our niche audiences.”

5. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Social Commerce

AR-enabled ads will generate nearly $13 billion dollars a year by 2022, and the number of global mobile AR users is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2023. Even more marketers then will call on AR and VR to enhance their in-app shopping experiences.

“Marketers and brands will get creative with applications of technology such as AR. The beauty category has seen lots of makeup try-ons, but brands such as Dior have had a lot of fun with it. In the spring, the brand launched a Kaleidoscope filter to support its spring collection, and now they’ve gone to the next level with the launch of the 2020 Holiday Makeup with an Instagram face filter that emanates gemstones and fireworks from the Instagram user’s face,” Johnson says.

In October, YouTube globally launched an AR-enabled beauty try-on feature in beta via its masthead and discovery video ads. NARS was one of the first brands to incorporate the AR feature, and in doing so, has reached over 20 million people in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

Ahead of Black Friday this year, Kohl’s also debuted its first AR experience on Snapchat, a virtual store where users could purchase real products via shoppable links. The virtual store was “open” for a limited time, from November 7-10.

In March, Instagram announced that users would be able to shop and check out within the app. Now the platform is testing an AR try-on shopping feature with select brands such as Ray-Ban and MAC Cosmetics.

Ayzenberg Group, Spotify Launch Holiday Initiative Supporting Women In Tech

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(Editor’s note: AList is published by a.network.)

While advancements in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) diversity is growing, gender equality in the field is stagnant. Averaged across regions, women accounted for less than a third of those employed in scientific research and development across the world in 2015. Women make up half of the total US college-education workforce but account for only 28 percent of the science and engineering workforce.

To celebrate and amplify the voices that still need to be heard in STEM, Ayzenberg Group, a full-service advertising agency that is part of a.network, partnered with Spotify to launch Grooves for Good (G4G), a platform where engagement equals impact. That’s based on the acknowledgment that a better representation of women in STEM begins with education.

Helping launch the initiative, the first “Box Set” is a compilation of holiday playlists for every occasion of the season, including “martini & mistletoe,” “wrap music” and “crying in my eggnog.” G4G fuses creativity and technology for a collaboration that has the power to pay it forward. All season long, each time a user follows a playlist, it will trigger a donation to Girls Who Code. 

“We partner with She Can STEM throughout the year as we share their passion for championing diversity in STEM professions. Girls Who Code is one of their organizations, and so in addition to raising awareness of current diversity gaps, we’re able to make a donation to sponsor participants of their Summer Immersion Program,” said Danielle Simon, VP, head of strategy and marketing science at Ayzenberg Group.

In August, Girls Who Code surveyed over 1,000 college-aged women within its network and found that nearly half have either had a negative experience applying for a job in tech or know a woman who has. In the US today, women account for less than 20 percent of all graduates with computer science degrees and less than 25 percent of the computing workforce. That’s why in September, Girls Who Code announced it has plans to expand to 10,000 clubs across the US, nearly doubling its existing clubs presence. 

“When we reached out to Spotify to talk to them about setting up the platform, we learned that we were the first company or brand to make playlist engagement equal an action or donation. That’s when we realized that Grooves for Good had the potential to engage a much larger community and become a CSR fundraising platform,” Simon added.

Ayzenberg Group is treating the initial launch of G4G as a soft beta while they optimize the user experience, tweak how to best share playlists and provide the community turnkey ways to share. In parallel, Ayzenberg Group is reaching out to influencers, artists, brands and organizations with a shared passion for the mission.

Coca-Cola, McDonald’s Partner With Snapchat Scan

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McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are the first brands to partner with Snapchat on an initiative powered by its augmented reality (AR) utility platform, Scan, which provides users with AR lenses and content that changes depending on which products they scan and unlock. 

Now, users in the US with Scan activated on their iOS devices can unlock access to three immersive Coca-Cola AR lenses in their lens carousel when they scan the original Coca-Cola logo on products like Coca-Cola and Coke Zero cans. Users can retrieve three immersive McDonald’s lenses as well upon scanning French fry boxes, food trays and burger wrappers.

Leveraging Snapchat’s Scan feature will help Coca-Cola and McDonald’s extend their digital content into the physical world. And because some of the interactive lenses unlocked via Scan are promoted to Snapchatters directly through the app, the brands can also drive incremental value and engagement. 

Though McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are Scan’s first brand partners, any brand can utilize the feature by creating a marker tech lens via Snapchat’s public AR creation tool Lens Studio. Once submitted to Snapchat and approved, the lens automatically is enabled with Scan.

Snapchat introduced Scan in April at the first-ever Snap Partner Summit, where details surrounding partnerships with Photomath and Giphy were explained. Using Photomath, users could point their camera at a math problem and Photomath would solve it for them. Similarly, Giphy makes GIFs appear on a user’s screen when objects are detected and scanned using the camera. 

More brands are looking at Snapchat for ad and partnership opportunities, as in the US, Snapchat reaches nearly 75 percent of all 13 to 34-year-olds and 90 percent of 13 to 24-year-olds. The platform reaches more Gen Zers than Facebook or Instagram in the US, UK, France, Canada and Australia.

Twitter Updates List Sharing With Image Preview Cards

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This week in social, Twitter announced two new features to enhance users’ experience with lists and Instagram said it will crack down on branded content featuring vapes, alcohol and diet supplements. Also, Instagram launches layout mode for stories, LinkedIn adds new features to groups in a hope to revamp the community and Snapchat gives users a split-screen reaction lens.

Twitter Replaces Long URLs With Images For List Sharing

Twitter added two new features to enhance users’ experience with lists.

Why it matters: Improving discovery through updates to Twitter lists will help foster relevant conversations on the platform.

The details: The new feature lets users share lists via a title link card that replaces URLs with a preview image in a range of basic colors. When creating or adding people to a list on iOS, users will also now see suggested accounts to add based on the list’s title or who’s already on it.

Instagram To Enforce Vape, Tobacco Content And Boost Collab Tools

The company announced today that it will remove branded posts that promote certain products such as vapes, and is also giving influencers a way to more formally work with brands via Facebook’s brand collabs manager.

Why it matters: Instagram says that it has always prohibited branded posts that promote tobacco, vapes and weapons, but it’s going to enforce the rules more strictly. 

As part of a closer relationship with its parent company, Instagram has introduced a more closely aligned relationship with Facebook’s brand collabs manager pool for all creators across Instagram. The feature will allow for more data transparency, which is the underlying issue of influencer fraud today.

The details:  In addition to removing branded content that promotes tobacco, vapes and weapons, Instagram will place special restrictions around the promotion of products such as diet supplements and alcohol. In the same announcement, Instagram said it plans to open up Facebook’s brand collabs manager to a select group of Instagram influencers, giving them the ability to source new deals, manage partnerships and automatically share insights with brands.

Instagram Launches Layout Mode for Stories

The platform has officially launched layout mode, a range of grid display styles for stories after testing it back in August.

Why it matters: Until now, users were forced to create multiple image stories via third-party tools. Thanks to the layout mode, Instagramers will have more reason to stay in the app, scroll, create and shop.

The details: With layout, users can now capture and share multiple photos in their story using one of six different grid styles.

LinkedIn Adds Features To Help Boost Groups Engagement

LinkedIn is trying to make groups relevant again with the addition of new features like member filters, blocking abilities and refined notifications.

Why it matters: LinkedIn groups lost user focus due to random spam and self-promotion. This new set of tools aims to make groups a more valuable, useful option.

The details: Adding to the control and functionality of groups, new LinkedIn group features will let group admins exercise power over new potential members, delete posts from a chosen member, block members direct from a comment in a group, review posts before they go live in the group, locate members by location or industry and find group posts that have been recommended by admins.

Snapchat Announces New Movie Trailer Reaction Lens

Snapchat launched a “trailer reaction lens” for the upcoming film Top Gun: Maverick.

Why it matters: Snapchat’s new lens is similar to TikTok’s react option, which lets users share their video responses to TikTok videos. 

The details: The new lens switches users’ view to split-screen, with the trailer on top and their reaction below. In addition to the split-screen lens, Snapchat rolled out games, “Leaderboard Games,” in which people compete against their friends on and offline.

Facebook Releases Trending Topics Guide To Inform 2020 Decisions

The report is an expansion of the platform’s monthly “Topics to Watch” reports.

Why it matters: Facebook’s reports have shown to be highly accurate in predicting shifts that turn into trends, so this more detailed report could be beneficial for 2020 strategic ad targeting.

The details: The “2020 Topics and Trends Report From Facebook IQ” shows trending topics according to region. Hot topics include consumers making small lifestyle changes in the name of sustainability including beekeeping in Canada and eco-friendly fashion purchases in Sweden and the UK. In the US, podcast lovers are keen on seeing companion podcasts for television shows come to life. Tactile activities such as 3D printing and laser printing in Brazil are emerging while people’s desire to live simply has led to minimalistic beauty routines in the Philippines and the use of apps in France to detect harmful ingredients.

Twitter To Revive Political Candidate Labels For 2020 US Elections

Twitter’s labeling of politicians and candidates is part of the platform’s efforts to drive authentic conversations.

Why it matters: Twitter said that 1.4 million users interacted with Russian trolls during the 2016 presidential campaign, resulting in the spreading of false information. Election labels will help Twitter identify original sources and authentic information. 

The details: Twitter’s election labels will show information about political candidates including which office they’re running for, their state and district number. Candidates’ accounts and their tweets will be marked with a small ballot box icon to accompany this information. Twitter first launched the featured during the 2018 US midterms. The labels will appear once a candidate’s account is qualified, which will occur on a rolling basis.

Facebook Introduces Limited-Edition Star Wars Messenger Features

The features were launched in honor of the premiere of the final installment in the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Why it matters: Facebook once collaborated with Google to create a tool to let users choose app themes for Gmail, YouTube, Chrome and Google Maps. A few years ago, Facebook also allowed users to change their profile picture into a Star Wars-themed photo. 

The details: Designed in partnership with Disney, the features include a chat theme, augmented reality (AR) effects, reactions and stickers that let users express themselves via characters from the movie. To enable the limited-edition features, users can open a messenger thread and tap the name of the thread at the top to open its settings. From there, they can select “theme” and let the force be with them.

Yubo Raises $12.3 Million For Forthcoming Teen Social App

According to TechCrunch, the French startup is working on a social media app to help people under the age of 25 years old meet new people and create friendships.

Why it matters: The new funding round will help Yubo attract users in new markets in Japan and Brazil. Currently, Yubo is most active in the US, Canada, the UK Nordic countries, France and Australia.

The details: Unlike Instagram, Yubo’s app for teens isn’t focused on likes and followers. The app will instead help users build their own micro-community of friends via video streams and live chat. 

Instagram Will Use Artificial Intelligence To Flag Hurtful Comments Before They’re Posted

The platform announced that starting today, it will warn users when they’re about to post a potentially offensive caption on a photo or video that’s being uploaded to the main feed.

Why it matters: Instagram says that asking people to reconsider posting potentially hurtful comments has had promising results. The new AI-powered reminder builds upon the platform’s anti-bullying efforts which include the “restrict” feature it launched in October.

The details: Instagram’s AI-powered tools will generate a notification that says the caption “looks similar to others that have been reported.” The alert will also encourage the user to modify the caption or post it without editing it. The feature is rolling out in select countries first.

Editor’s Note: Our weekly social media news post is updated daily. This installment will be updated until Friday, December 20. Have a news tip? We’re looking for changes to and news surrounding social media platforms as they relate to marketing. Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.