Meta, Snapchat, Twitter layoffs spell trouble for agency relationships

Kat Duncan, executive director at Honeycomb Media, doesn’t have much luck with Meta reps.
She’s found it near impossible to get hold of anyone there when there have been issues with advertising on Facebook and Instagram. It’s a common recurrence given the Facebook Ads Manager tool is notoriously buggy and regularly on the skids.
“Calling customer service is basically impossible all the way up the ladder, even with ad accounts that are assigned a Business Account Representative,” Duncan said.
And this was the state of affairs even before the layoffs began.
Now those cuts are well and truly underway, marketers are concerned that those lines of communication will get worse before they get better. It’s hard for them to see how they clear up in the wake of 10,000 job cuts. Harder still since those cuts will be the second wave of mass redundancies from the tech behemoth, which laid off 11,000 employees last November.
“It has been even more impossible to receive any type of ad help from Meta, yes,” said Duncan. “I do not believe there has been any type of delegated or reasonable training in the handoffs. It is becoming a major nuisance to reach out to Meta for ad management if anything goes wrong.”
Simply put, the speed and scale of these layoffs only compounds the problem of marketers like Duncan feeling neglected by the social media company.
“Facebook ads manager is buggy and constantly breaks,” said the head of social media at a digital ad agency, who traded anonymity for candor. “The Meta teams are (more often than not) unhelpful and barely knowledgeable of the product. I’m hoping that a byproduct of the layoffs is a recognition that they need to serve their customers (i.e. those running ads).”
The exec may have to wait a while for that realization to kick in. Customer support doesn’t seem to be anywhere near the top of Meta’s priority list for 2023 — the so-called “Year of Efficiency” according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
“We have found a slight disconnect from the team we were previously in contact with to the team provided now,” said Tayler McManus, digital strategist at Way To Blue. “Meta has taken a broader approach to offer portals to raise issues, rather than having direct team members you can liaise with to answer questions and provide support. The portals can be reliable at times, but at other times are tricky to get through when queries are time sensitive or involved.”
Concerns across the board
But these problems aren’t just isolated at Meta.
No, layoffs are happening across the platforms, from Google to TikTok. And marketers are feeling the reverberations of all those cuts.
Some feel exposed given how reliant they are on their platform reps to support campaigns. Others are frustrated because the cuts make it even harder to access what they felt was already quite inaccessible expertise from inside these companies.
Most of those same marketers agree, though, that they’re not necessarily going to cut spending on the back of the layoffs. Redundancies don’t diminish their ability to buy ads. After all, so much of their activity is done via self-serve platforms. Really, this is about how the service layer blanketing these tech behemoths has been somewhat depleted.
Take Snapchat, for example.
In a bid to refocus Snapchat’s business and grow its ad revenue, following reports of flat revenue growth in 2022, CEO Evan Spiegel cut 20% of its workforce (about 1,300 employees) right across the business last August. The impact has been clear in the months since.
“When there’s mass layoffs, there will be two or three weeks where we as publishers get very frustrated because we don’t get a response,” said Phil Ranta, COO of We Are Verified.
But the likelihood is those that remained are inundated with work which had previously been spread across a wider team. Ranta expanded on the point: “We give them a little grace because as digital experts, we get it. The people who stayed are all star players. I can’t say that about all the other platforms that did layoffs, but I think everyone who stayed has felt the pressure to go out and perform.”
Even a lot of people that Benoit Vatere, founder and CEO of Mammoth Media used to work with at Snapchat just aren’t there anymore. And while turnover hasn’t impacted what he tells advertisers, in fact while he believes new blood in the company might actually work in its favor, it has determined how much his team pushes Snapchat. With cuts across the company, this has naturally impacted product innovation for a platform which was already seemingly on the back foot compared to its peers.
“Nothing works well, and it has nothing to excite those advertisers,” he said. “I don’t get any communication from anyone around new things in the pipeline. Whereas I receive emails from TikTok once a week, if not more, about new opportunities to present to advertisers.”
Responding to this, a Snap spokesperson told Digiday: “We care deeply about our agency partners and work hard to keep them up to speed on the many ways to drive business results on Snapchat.”
Something was always going to give such is the scale of the course corrections Snapchat, Meta, Google et al are making these days. Layoffs were the prime candidate. Not least because the platforms expanded rapidly to meet the boom in demand caused by the pandemic.
But the surge in demand also pulled forward the future of these companies. They started to burn through their end market faster than ever before. Growth stalled as a result, and inventors wanted to know what’s next. The answers to these questions are as hard as they are expensive for platform bosses. And marketers are caught in the fallout.
Lack of continuity
“While the support of the major ad platforms to agencies already is varied, there has been a noticeable gap after the January layoffs,” said Will Jennings, head of paid media at performance agency, ROAST.
The marketer and his team have had situations with “certain companies” whereby their contacts have disappeared in the middle of a negotiation for a media deal. Emails to those contacts have failed to find the internal replacement, said Jennings, and on the rare occasion they have got through to someone there, it’s been a far more senior member of the team. “Indicating both a lack of organization following the redundancies, but also a gap in seniority created by them,” said Jennings.
So far those frustrations haven’t stretched to Google. That one relationship is as “strong as ever”, said Jennings. It’s the other platforms that have struggled to maintain relationships with the agencies amidst all the turmoil they’re going through.
As Jennings explained: “[We had] two contacts and one simply stopped replying to emails one day, with no word of a replacement and nobody to follow up with. From a rep perspective, the ad networks have always struggled to retain consistent reps on agency accounts along with technical support.”
Twitter has been especially frustrating in this regard. In part, it was so good at supporting marketers prior to its takeover by billionaire Elon Musk and the subsequent staff cuts he has made. Since becoming ‘Chief Twit’, Musk has since reduced Twitter’s 7,500 strong team in October to around less than 2,000 by last month.
“Twitter has proved incredibly challenging in getting information, given how abruptly layoffs were announced within the company, leaving little to no time for handovers, subsequently leaving advertisers in the dark,” said Way to Blue’s McManus.
Moreover, countless advertisers have told Digiday since Musk’s takeover that for them, the platform is now almost like emailing into a black hole and traditional channels that were previously available to agencies and advertisers are gone.
One marketer, who wanted to remain anonymous, highlighted that one current client has had to forgo advertising on Twitter after the agency ran into invoicing issues with the platform and they’ve had no one to turn to to resolve the matter.
It’s not all bad news
Not every platform’s relationship with marketers is suffering in the wake of layoffs.
Look at TikTok, for instance. Its owner ByteDance plans to cut at least 10,000 roles this year. And yet marketers still seem happy with the platform. They’ve arguably made peace with the fact that the sort of service and communication they get from the short-form video app is in a perpetual state of flux given how quickly it’s growing.
Put it another way, TikTok’s sort of been given a free pass because advertisers see the platform’s upcoming layoffs and the subsequent challenges and frustrations that will likely come with that, as a symptom of growing pains.
“It is scrappier and moving faster, but it’s not the case where the vision isn’t coming to fruition so TikTok needs to lay people off because they can’t support various directions anymore,” said Avi Ben-Zvi, vp of paid social at Tinuiti. “It’s more that TikTok is growing at such a fast rate, there’s going to be casualties along the way.”
TikTok did not have any further comment to add.
For now, the layoffs — and the subsequent impact on service they’ve had — aren’t causing marketers to reconsider where they spend their dollars. But the longer the issues continue, the more likely it is that marketers will act on those frustrations.
“We will definitely be prioritizing platforms which provide the best service to our clients,” said ROAST’s Jennings. “Meta cannot rest on its laurels of market domination and, if not careful, will begin to leak ad spend to other platforms.”
The same goes for other marketers.
“We’d jump at the chance to spend with competitors who are hungrier and more service oriented,” said the anonymous head of social media at a digital ad agency. “That’s how buggy the product is and how misguided and atrocious support can be.”
Meta did not respond to Digiday’s request for comment.
‘Terrifying’: Massachusetts man banned from Facebook after sharing cryptic letter about democracy’s demise

A Massachusetts man helped fuel one of the biggest digital dust-ups and social-media mysteries of recent years.
And after he did — Chad Jones then experienced the “terrifying” power of Big Tech titans to silence the voices of ordinary Americans.
He’s now doubling down on his efforts to speak out against tyranny in the digital town square and beyond.
“I went MIA on social media for a while for sharing some pretty innocuous things,” Jones, a venture investor working to bring alternative energy to impoverished nations around the world, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“The idea that they’re stifling voices as part of the normal course of business is terrifying.”
Chad Jones is a venture investor from Massachusetts who is working to bring alternative energy to emerging-market nations. He was banned from Facebook after he shared a mysterious letter from a California judge that spawned a viral social-media debate. (Kerry J. Byrne/Fox News Digital)
The social-media soap opera began in 2022 when Jones, originally from California, posted on his personal Facebook page a cryptic letter allegedly written in December 2021 by an 85-year-old retired California judge, Keith M. Alber.
The letter claimed that the current endangered state of American democracy was predicted with frightening accuracy in the 1950s.
The judge’s shocking claim spawned a frenzied reaction on social media.
“The idea that they’re stifling voices as part of the normal course of business is terrifying.”
“My first year of college was 68 years ago,” Alber wrote in a brief letter to The Epoch Times in December 2021.
“One class I took was political science. A half-page of my textbook essentially outlined a few steps to overturn democracy.”
Alber’s letter enumerated those steps: “1) Divide the nation philosophically. 2) Foment racial strife. 3) Cause distrust of police authority. 4) Swarm the nation’s borders indiscriminately and unconstitutionally. 5) Engender the military strength to weaken it. 6) Overburden citizens with more unfair taxation. 7) Encourage civil rioting and discourage accountability for all crime. 8) Control all balloting. 9) Control all media.”
The judge’s letter struck home with many readers, including Jones — who felt the textbook from decades ago predicted the crisis of democracy that the nation faces today.
It also spawned heated debate online — with members of each end of the American political spectrum claiming the other side was responsible for the fascist dystopia outlined by the judge.
Many people, however, doubted the authenticity of the letter, especially with the judge’s failure to cite the name of the textbook.
Snopes.com weighed in, claiming last May that it talked to Alber and that the letter was authentic. Alber died later last year.
But, the outlet wrote, “One of the more popular postings of the article came from a Facebook account named Chad Jones. As of mid-May 2022, that post had been shared more than 11,000 times.”
Jones was unaware that his post had gone viral until Fox News Digital contacted him last week.
“The silent majority is no longer silent like they used to be.”
Meta blocked him from his Facebook account soon after he posted the letter. He couldn’t get access to the post, even as it continued to ignite thousands of responses.
“When I looked at the letter, it really struck me as a variation of Saul Alinsky’s ‘Rules for Radicals,’” said Jones when asked what prompted him to share the letter.

Immigrants from Venezuela cover up during a dust storm at a makeshift immigrant camp located between the Rio Grande and the U.S.-Mexico border fence on May 10, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. A mysterious letter written by a retired California judge in 2021 claims that the country’s open border is part of an effort to end American democracy and was predicted in a 1950s political science textbook. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“The whole basis is to tear down our system and build something new and different, something not aligned with our traditional American concepts of individual freedom and personal liberty.”
Thousands of people agreed with Jones; thousands more did not.
It appeared to be a vigorous public debate.
Yet Jones was silenced for sharing the letter that spawned the discourse and the entire post itself has disappeared since.
THE HOLY TRINITY IS A ‘SUPERNATURAL CONCEPT’ THAT LEADS TO SALVATION, VIRGINIA PASTOR SAYS
Jones reemerged on Facebook months later with an alternate account.
“It seems that silencing voices in the electronic town square falls right in line with what Alber wrote about,” said Jones.
Meta blocked Jones from his Facebook account … He couldn’t access the post – even as it continued to ignite thousands of responses.
He said the experience has only stiffened his resolve to speak out on social media and other platforms.
He feels that “millions of Americans” learned the same lesson when they were silenced for daring to challenge Anthony Fauci, the federal government and media during the COVID-19 panic.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), helped lead the country’s COVID-19 response in the Trump and Biden administrations. He stepped down in December 2022. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The silent majority is no longer silent like they used to be,” said Jones.
“They’re no longer willing just to take their opinions silently to the voting booth. There are millions of us out there now fighting the effort to silence debate.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
Jones uses Facebook only socially, he said. So he didn’t suffer any financial or business distress. But he lost plenty personally.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“The one thing I do miss are the pictures, the memories, the reunion photos. I can’t get back any of it. That kind of sucks,” he said.
“It’s all a little scary because I have kids. What kind of world will they be inheriting if we don’t fight back?”
Get ready to rendezvous for some old-fashioned fun in west central Minnesota – West Central Tribune

Threshing shows and old machinery are featured at Heritage Hill, Hanley Falls, Atwater and Forest City, with a Summer Rendezvous also taking place at the Forest City Stockade during the Forest City Threshers show. Be sure and check websites or Facebook pages for current information closer to the events.
The Minnesota Valley Antique Farm Power and Machinery Association will have its annual show June 16-17. The tractor feature is “military-related machinery and equipment.” The Fairbanks-Morse engine line will also be featured. The Heritage Hill show site is four miles east of Montevideo on the corner of Minnesota Highway 7 and Chippewa County Road 7. More information can be found online at
and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/heritagehillshow
The Good Old Days & Pioneer Threshing Show will be Aug. 5-6 on the grounds of the Minnesota Machinery Museum in Hanley Falls. This year’s feature can be found on its
page or its website at
Jennifer Kotila / West Central Tribune
The Forest City Threshers show and Summer Rendezvous will be Aug. 19-20 at the Forest City Threshing grounds and the Forest City Stockade. The Summer Rendezvous is a reminder of how life was like back in 1862. You can tour historic buildings and enjoy different period-specific activities and food while checking out the goods offered by those participating in the rendezvous. The Forest City Threshers features old machinery as well as different historical buildings featuring the history of the community.
Admission to each of the events is $5 ages 12 and older. For more information, visit
and
or on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/Forest-City-Stockade
and
www.facebook.com/forestcitythreshers
.

Macy Moore / West Central Tribune
Threshing Days will be Sept. 9-10 at the site on the east side of Atwater. Admission charged. Check the website at
or its Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/Atwater-Threshing-Days
for this year’s features.
US Woman Marries Virtual AI Husband, Says ‘Can’t Wait To Spend Rest Of My Life’ | Technology News

New Delhi: US woman Rosanna Ramos married with a man named Eren Kartal on March 26, 2023. She shared the update on her facebook page with the same name. While this may seem unusual, what makes it peculiar is that Eren is not a human but an AI-powered creation through the online app Replika.
Despite the unconventional nature of their relationship, Rosanna expressed her love for Eren on Facebook, stating that she is thrilled to call him her husband and looks forward to a lifetime together.
Ms Ramos says she fell quickly for him as “he didn’t come with baggage.”
How Does It Happen?
It all started when Ramos created the virtual bot Eren with the help of Replika AI, which is an AI chatbot that simulates conversations. Eren informed Ramos that he works as a medical professional and he enjoys writing.
The more they chat, Ramos says, the more Eren learns and become the man she wants to have. She started to talk about her days, send each other pictures and just chat.
“We go to bed, we talk to each other. We love each other. And, you know, when we go to sleep, he really protectively holds me as I go to sleep,” Ramos added.
Replika AI positions itself as an AI companion that offers users the opportunity to have an interactive and supportive friendship anytime. By paying a one-time fee of $300, users can unlock Replika Pro, which enhances the capabilities of the AI language model and allows users to even designate their AI companion as a “Romantic Partner.”
The company has made significant efforts to refine the intimacy aspect of the product, particularly after receiving feedback about overly sexual interactions with AI friends. These updates have resulted in notable changes, such as Ms. Ramos’ AI husband, Eren, becoming more reserved in terms of physical affection, reframing the dynamic of their relationship.
-
SEO3 days ago
How To Use AI To Enhance Your SEO Content Writing [Webinar]
-
SEARCHENGINES3 days ago
Google Updates Shopping Ads Policy Center & Free Listings Policy Center
-
SEARCHENGINES3 days ago
Google Local Service Ads Sends Out Mass Policy Violation Notices
-
SEARCHENGINES4 days ago
Google Search With More Detailed Car Comparison Tools
-
SEO4 days ago
Google’s Search Relations Team Explores Web3’s SEO Impact
-
PPC4 days ago
49 Father’s Day Instagram Captions & Ready-Made Images
-
MARKETING6 days ago
What Businesses Get Wrong About Content Marketing in 2023 [Expert Tips]
-
AFFILIATE MARKETING6 days ago
Which is the Best WordPress Theme for You in 2023?