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Facebook Outlines its Evolving Efforts to Detect Scammers on its Platforms

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facebook outlines its evolving efforts to detect scammers on its platforms

Facebook has shared a new report on its efforts to stamp out inauthentic behavior which doesn’t quite meet the threshold of ‘coordinated inauthentic behavior’, which are generally large-scale political manipulation efforts, often run by government-aligned organizations.

As explained by Facebook:

Unlike CIB, which is typically designed to mislead people about who is behind an operation in order to manipulate public debate for a strategic goal, IB is primarily centered around amplifying and increasing the distribution of content and is often financially motivated.”

This is the lower tier stuff – it’s basically the dodgy operators who try to trick people into clicking through to ad-filled junk sites by posting topical updates and trending posts.  

Fake story

Stuff like this – why anyone’s getting news updates from a Facebook Page named ‘We need 1Million Trumpers to Make America Great Again’ is a mystery in and of itself, but evidently, cognitive bias will allow people to share anything that fits their world view, regardless of how nonsensical the actual headline, or source, might be.

The idea of these links is to get people to click through, under the guise of the headline, when really, they’re just headed to a site filled with ads, products, whatever else.

Facebook says there are three common uses of this form of deception:

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  • Inauthentic distribution – This is the most common form of this lower tier of inauthentic content, and basically involves people or businesses creating fake Facebook accounts, Groups and Pages in order to distribute links back to certain Pages.
  • Abusive audience building – Some use this tactic to build audiences based on trending topics – the process generally involves switching your Page or group name to align with whatever’s trending in order to gather more followers/members. Once you have enough members, you can then spam them with links, etc. This is why Facebook added the Page History detail in the information tab back in 2018.
  • False pretenses – Scammers will also post Facebook updates suggesting that the Page is supporting a cause, or is part of the same community as their target audience, in order to lure clicks.

So it’s all the common forms you’ve likely come across in your own Facebook usage, and have avoided because you have some idea of what to look for. But not everybody is as digitally literate, and sometimes, these scams work, and end up ruining people’s Facebook experience.

Facebook provides some key examples of these scams in action, the most high profile of which being Natural News, which at one stage had more than three million followers on the platform

Natural News example

Natural News was a notorious proliferator of conspiracy-related content, which Facebook eventually shut down in June 2019

Facebook says that it removed 15 Pages, and blocked links to at least 850 domains, associated with Natural News.

“The people behind this activity engaged in repeated and egregious violations of our inauthentic behavior policy. The US business behind these Pages relied on content farms in Macedonia and the Philippines, misled people about the origin and popularity of its content, inauthentically amplified its posts with fake accounts and engaged in deceptive tactics to evade our IB enforcement.”

Facebook says that Natural News and its CEO are banned from the platform, and it continues to monitor attempts from this network to come back.

Facebook provides additional examples of similar process, but the moral of the story here is that Facebook is onto these scams, it knows what these operators are doing. And it’s getting better at detecting various forms of audience manipulation for clicks.

Just like with fake engagement sellers, Facebook’s cracking down, and while it might seem like a reasonable idea to pay some chumps to boost your Page engagement, especially when you’re starting out, just don’t.

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I assume the types of scammers who use these services don’t read SMT, but if it’s ever crossed your mind, it’s not the way to go – and the consequences, given Facebook’s improved detection, could be significant. 

You can read Facebook’s full Inauthentic Behavior update here.​

Socialmediatoday.com

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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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.

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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.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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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.” 

“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.

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“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.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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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.

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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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