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Musk Reinstates Trump, as the Platform Keeps Running Despite Reduced Staff

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Musk Reinstates Trump, as the Platform Keeps Running Despite Reduced Staff

Yes, Trump is back on Twitter.

In what may be the ultimate singular example of the Elon Musk experience at the app, over the weekend, Musk reinstated the former President’s Twitter account, despite saying, just three weeks ago, that no decision on account reinstatements would happen until Twitter had formed a ‘content moderation council’ to rule on such moves.

Again, what Elon says and what he does are often very different, which is an important contextual note in analyzing his process.

So, to provide a full overview, back in October, shortly after Musk took over at the app, and amid a wave of calls for him to reinstate Trump, as Musk had said that he would, Elon explained that this wouldn’t be on the cards anytime soon.

Knowing that he had to maintain appeal with advertisers, who are still reportedly cutting ad spend, and taking a more cautious approach to such decisions, Musk seemed to be scaling back his ‘hardcore free speech’ ethos, in order to avoid putting prominent ad partners offside.

Shortly after, Musk met with those very advertisers to allay their concerns, and explained that Twitter was indeed working to implement a content council, featuring various experts and civil rights leaders. Musk noted then that it would take months to establish this group.

That seemed to give Musk some room to work on this new approach to moderation, and reduce his own, direct input in such rulings. Which, in some ways, is the best of both worlds – Musk can say that he stands for total free speech, maintaining his position with his supporters, while this new Council makes actual rulings, that are more in line with ad partner expectations.

That would likely have been a much safer way to move forward.

But then, Elon changed his mind.

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On Friday, Elon sent out a tweet stating that it was ‘Freedom Friday’, before reinstating the previously banned accounts of The Babylon Bee, Kathy Griffin and Jordan Peterson.

He then launched Twitter poll asking Twitter users if they thought that he should reinstate the account of former President Trump.

The poll eventually garnered more than 15 million votes, with the ‘for’ just outweighing the ‘against’. And true to his word, Musk did then reinstate Trump’s account, with the former President now able to tweet once again from his @realDonaldTrump profile.

But he hasn’t, and he says that he won’t.

Trump Media & Technology Group has over $1 billion sunk into Trump’s own social media app Truth Social, with funding from a range Trump’s top supporters and advocates. A key proviso in that plan is that Trump has committed to posting exclusively Truth, even if his Twitter account were to come back. Trump could find a way around that, in posting to Twitter several hours after first posting in his app, but essentially, Trump’s pretty much locked into making Truth Social a thing, even with his beloved Twitter account now there and waiting for his attention.

So Trump might, eventually, start tweeting again, but right now he’s not. Which means that this was really more of an attention-grabbing move for Musk, once again, which also, as noted, contradicts his previous statements, and reinforces the fact that at Elon’s Twitter, anything could happen, at pretty much any moment.

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That’s clearly helped Twitter gain more interest – Musk keeps saying that Twitter usage is hitting all-time highs, and thus far, it’s been able to keep running, despite that increased load – and despite Twitter’s headcount being cut by some 88% since Musk took over.

It’ll be interesting to see if the platform holds up, and while there have been reports of outages and other issues at the app, it is still working, which does, at least in a public-facing sense, add some weight to Musk’s approach in cutting staff to bare bones.

The big test will be the World Cup next week, which is expected to put increased demand on Twitter’s servers once again. And if the platform does hold up, with minimal impacts on performance, you can bet that other social apps will be reassessing Musk’s staffing approach, and considering if they need so many people to keep things running.

Which they might – but then again, 88% of Twitter’s staff are reportedly no longer working on the app. That’s gotta’ have some impact, right?

But to the point at hand, Musk’s decision to reinstate Trump is a perfect reflection of his approach in managing the app thus far. He says one thing, then does another; he appeals to advertisers to stay, then gives them more reason to be concerned about his approach.

In summary, who knows what’s coming next at Twitter, and if it’ll work. It could all come to a grinding halt this week, due to internal issues that are not being addressed, or Musk could keep finding new ways to generate headlines about himself and the app, which then keeps more people coming to it, which eventually makes it more of a magnet for ad dollars either way.

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We’ll see what Musk has in store this week, in the lead-up to Thanksgiving.



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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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