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New Research from Facebook Shows Engagement with Local News Providers Booming Amid COVID-19

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new research from facebook shows engagement with local news providers booming amid covid 19

Given the rapid evolution, and massive impact of COVID-19, on everybody, it’ll come as little surprise to discover that news organizations are seeing significant increases in online engagement at present. 

But the specifics of that engagement could reveal some valuable insights for your own content approach. This week, Facebook’s CrowdTangle analytics platform has published a new overview of Facebook Page engagement stats from over 2,700 US local news publishers’ during March and the first half of April 2020.

And again, while the broader trends are as you might expect, the detail is interesting to note.

First off, CrowdTangle says that local news pages saw a big spike in interest as COVID-19 cases began to rise in the US in mid-march.

In the second half of March, US local news organizations’ Facebook Pages grew 150% in new Page likes, and interactions per post such as shares, reactions or comments increased 33%, compared to the first half of March.”

Facebook news page engagement

Again, that’s probably as you would expect – but CrowdTangle’s data goes further, looking at which post types, specifically, have garnered more interest.

Between the first and last half of March, interactions per post increased on live videos by 60%, on photos by 60%, on status posts by 50% and on links by 30%.”

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Facebook Page data

Facebook Live remains the leading option for engagement – and while the data here is news content specific, and not overall Facebook Page trends, it is interesting to see the ongoing audience interest in Facebook Live, which could help provide some more guidance for your own strategy.

That’s particularly relevant given that Facebook Live videos are the third most utilized option by local news Pages.

Facebook news content engagement

Those trends would likely hold across most Facebook Page types – while Facebook Live generates significantly more engagement on average, link and image posts are used far more frequently.

Of course, that makes sense. Broadcasting live comes with a higher degree of risk, and difficulty – it can be tough to create entertaining, interesting live broadcasts, especially when it’s just you talking to a camera lens. That’s partly why so many Pages were happy to see Facebook bring back its ‘Live with’ guest functionality for streams, reducing the pressure on the main host, while Facebook has also recently rolled out a range of updates to its Live Producer platform to make it easier to create more professional looking live-streams.

Clearly, based on the data here, it’s worth consideration – and while this is, again, data on local news publishers specifically, it points to where people are engaging, which could be relevant for your approach. 

But what does this mean for local publishers?

Sure, they’re seeing a lot more engagement on their Facebook Pages, and other reports have shown that news publishers overall are seeing significant increases in traffic. Yet, despite this, many local news organizations are being forced to shut down amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, because most of them rely on advertising from local businesses that are currently not operating due to the restrictions.

So despite CrowdTangle reporting that people are sharing Facebook posts from local US publishers’ 40% more during the pandemic, that isn’t generally being reflected in publisher bottom lines. 

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For its part, Facebook has committed more than $100 million to supporting local newsrooms, which is in addition to the $300 million it pledged in January to help fund local news programs. But Facebook could, potentially, do more, with respect to revenue sharing and contributions to the news providers that help it generate a lot of its on-platform engagement.

Recently, the Australian Government announced that it’s looking to implement a new, mandatory code of conduct which would require both Facebook and Google to share any revenue they generate as a result of news content with the relevant publishers of such material. Various nations have tried this in the past, and largely failed, but Australia believes it will be able to implement a system that facilitates revenue sharing with publishers, helping to supplement money they’ve have lost in ad spend to the digital giants.

Of course, neither Facebook nor Google agrees with this logic. Google has countered most of these arguments in the past by noting that it actually drives more traffic to publishers by including their content in its listings , and if selected publishers are unhappy with this arrangement, Google has offered to remove them from its index – leading to a worse result for both. But maybe, through alternate means, there is a way that Governments could facilitate more revenue sharing between the parties to better support the news industry.

In a great overview of the challenges of such approaches published by OneZero this week, one option suggested would see the tech giants face new taxes, with the resulting revenues funneled into support programs for the publishing sector. That seems like a more logical, workable approach than forcing Facebook and Google to pay for using news content, which, history shows, they absolutely will not do.

And in many respects, they’re right to reject such calls – but clearly, there’s a problem when traffic to local news publishers is so high, and revenues from such are so low. Part of that is unique to COVID-19, of course, but the data here underlines the value of local publishers, and why we should be looking to save them with improved measures, if and where possible.

You can read CrowdTangle’s full COVID-19 trend report here

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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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