SOCIAL
LinkedIn Adds New Post Visibility and Reply Controls to Manage On-Platform Discussions
LinkedIn’s following Twitter’s lead with the addition of new reply control tools on your LinkedIn posts, which enable users to restrict who’s able to comment on their platform updates.
As you can see here, in the first image, it shows how users can control who can see their posts on LinkedIn. These settings have been available for some time (though in slightly different form), but the new addition is on the right – reply controls that let users dictate who can comment on their posts.
As noted, Twitter added reply controls last August as a means to facilitate more discussion options, like interviews and more intimate chats, without every Twitter user being able to chime in. LinkedIn is not the same as Twitter in this respect, with Twitter chats being more open to the public. Depending on your privacy settings, LinkedIn posts are also publicly viewable, but LinkedIn’s algorithm is generally more restrictive, so the risks of a chat being overcrowded in the same way is not the same.
But it does provide additional discussion options – as explained by LinkedIn:
“For example, you might want to ask your connections, who you know and trust, for a particular piece of advice. Or you may want to ask an industry question just to a specific group you are a member of.”
You can also select no replies, if you want to make a statement on LinkedIn, without opening up a discussion.
I mean, it’s ‘social’ media, so that’s probably not a common usage point, but the new options do provide more ways to engage and broadcast on the professional social network, in a more controlled way.
In addition to this, LinkedIn has also added a new ‘mute’ option to eliminate selected users or company pages from your feed.
“To curate your feed beyond engaging with content, you can also signal to us what you want to see more and less of by clicking the three dots (…) on a post. This will open a toolbox of options available, including saving the post to review later, hiding the specific post from your feed by clicking “I don’t want to see this,” and reporting the post. A new option we just rolled out in this section lets you mute an individual or Page who might show up on your feed because a connection of yours commented, reacted, or reshared that individual’s content.”
That adds another way to maximize the utility of your feed display, while you can also subscribe to newsletters and follow hashtags and influencers to further improve your feed relevance.
LinkedIn’s algorithm can be strange at times, using varying factors of relevance which can re-surface posts from months ago, seemingly at random. As such, it’s good to have more ways to control what you see, while the new conversation controls offer more options for maintaining different types of discussions on the platform.
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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