SOCIAL
Facebook Launches New, Pinterest-Like App Via its Experimental NPE Team
Facebook has this week launched another new app via its New Product Experimentation – or NPE – team, which is essentially a new version of the Creative Labs development team that Facebook shut down back in 2015.
The latest app from the NPE crew is called Hobbi, which is a Pinterest-like app for collecting images of hobbies and interests, and sorting them into boards to track your progress.
As per the description of Hobbi on the App Store:
“Hobbi wants to help you document and remember the things you love to do. You can save photos of the projects you’re working on and the activities you love to do, whether it’s cooking, baking, DIY, arts & crafts, fitness or home decor. You can then organize your photos into visual collections in order to see the progress you’re making over time. You might just surprise yourself with how much you have done.”
As TechCrunch points out, it’s kind of like Pinterest, in that it focuses on DIY hobbies, but it’s also not – it’s more about tracking your personal progress in order to see how you’re developing. You can then create highlight videos of your efforts which you can share with friends and family – so Hobbi is less about showing off your personal interests and more about encouraging participation by logging your own development.
It actually seems like a fairly positive app, though without the social sharing elements, it’s also likely to be a fairly niche prospect. In theory, if it were to take off, and Facebook were to expand it, it could be challenger for Pinterest in some respects. But, at least in this initial form, it seems fairly separate in terms of its use case.
Hobbi is the fourth app released by the NPE team since it was announced in July last year.
NPE’s other three apps are:
- Whale which enables users to create their own memes with simplified templates and tools
- AUX which is essentially a participatory DJ app, where users try to get their song on a group playlist
- Bump a chat app which aims to introduce students to others in their vicinity
Each app seeks to tap into rising trends via a relatively unique angle, and while none of them appear to have caught on as yet, Facebook’s strategy appears to be to just keep throwing things at the wall in order to see what, if anything, sticks.
As noted, the NPE team is similar to Facebook’s original app experiment group Creative Labs, which Facebook shut down in 2015 after a series of apps that never caught on. The Creative Labs team was a bit more overt in its experiments – it created ‘Slingshot’ to take on Snapchat, and ‘Riff’ as a challenger for Vine. With those apps, Facebook was very clearly taking aim at rising competitors in the market, but with NPE, The Social Network seems to be looking for more unique angles, which, you’d assume, is based on rising usage trends on other platforms.
Indeed, TechCrunch notes that Google has also recently launched a similar DIY collections app called Tangi, which may suggest that both Facebook and Google are seeing a rise in interest in this area via their existing apps.
In this respect, it’s interesting to note where Facebook’s NPE team is looking – while these app experiments might not gain traction in themselves, they likely reflect what people are searching for, and what users are already doing, which may point to new shifts.
You can download Hobbi from the App Store here.
SOCIAL
Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?
In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.
The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.
According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.
Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.
Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.
The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.
This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.
Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.
As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?
Only time will tell.
SOCIAL
Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach
While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.
When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.
“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.
Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.
“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.”Â
“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.
“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.
Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.
SOCIAL
Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement
Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.
As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.
That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.
Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.
That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.
Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.
Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.
We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
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