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Social media: Beware adverts coming from illegitimate companies

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Falling out of love with social media? The least popular apps revealed

Social media apps. — © AFP

With social media having embedded itself in, and become a core aspect of, most people’s daily lives, users have grown accustomed to its accessibility and ease of use, so much so that it’s far easier to place yourself at risk online than most people would expect.

Stuart Hyde, a social media, Internet, and cybersecurity expert, has revealed via digital resource provider Virtual College by Netex to Digital Journal the social media apps that therefore pose more of a risk to users. These include apps that make it easy to mistakenly break data protection laws and apps that potentially reveal where a person lives and making them more susceptible to thefts.

Dating Apps

According to Hyde, dating apps are a prime example of how social interactions and romantic relationships are shifting from the real to the virtual world and with over 6.5 million monthly downloads recorded in May of 2021 alone, Tinder is the most popular dating app in the world.

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Followed by its competitors including the likes of Badoo and Bumble, this app plays playing a significant role in how many people maintain and form relationships.

Hyde warns that those with unethical intentions on these apps are becoming much more convincing when trying to portray themselves as someone else and that we need to be more aware than ever that the people we may be forming romantic attachments to might not be who we think they are.

Hyde explains: “Whether it’s being exploited for money or sending explicit images, you need to be conscious of this at all times as sharing your personal information even with those you think you trust can have severe consequences later down the line”.

TikTok

Having merged with the popular application Musical.ly in 2018, TikTok made its mark on the world from the get-go and was the most downloaded application globally in 2022, and one of the world’s most popular video-sharing platforms to date.

Whilst TikTok may seem harmless in the sense that its uses are strictly limited to uploading videos, with the ability to follow others as well as comment, like, and share their content, the app can still place its users in a vulnerable position.

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The addition of adverts to social media, whilst not being a new concept, is producing highly-successful results for small e-commerce businesses and companies on TikTok specifically. With this comes illegitimate adverts coming from illegitimate companies as the app offers little moderation to the adverts that can be added to its site.

This causes Hyde to comment “With applications like TikTok, it’s not just its core purpose that people should be aware of, it’s everything that goes with it, like ads for instance”.

Hyde adds that these adverts can crop up as videos themselves or links can be added to videos by accounts on the platform, which will redirect users to sites that claim to offer something beneficial or desirable to the user. These can often lead to scams, whereby either the advert is fake and users will spend money on a non-existent product, or users may click on a link that appears safe but may direct them to a dangerous part of the Internet.

Hyde adds that one of the greater problems with this is that this is unregulated in the sense that if you have a problem, it’s difficult to know who to go to follow this up. Thus, even for more external aspects of social media apps, like adverts, users need to remain savvy to protect their online safety.

Hyde highlighting the need for everyone to have a good idea of where their information is going, and what it is being used for, at all times in order to prevent the risk of being exploited by unethical practices.

Hyde emphasizes, “There is a need for governments across the globe to invest more and to work harder to set regulations for social media usage as the pool of users grows, because this will only mean that more users will be making mistakes that exploit their vulnerabilities.”

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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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