SOCIAL
Twitter Adds Auto Captions for All Video Uploads in Tweets

This is a sneaky big addition – today, Twitter has announced that all videos uploaded within tweets will have auto captions enabled, providing more ways for users to consume video content in the app.
Where are video captions when you need them? They’re here now automatically on videos uploaded starting today.
Android & iOS: auto-captions will show on muted Tweet videos; keep them on when unmuted via your device’s accessibility settings
Web: use the “CC” button to turn on/off pic.twitter.com/IHJAI31IvX— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) December 14, 2021
As explained by Twitter, all videos attached to tweets from today will have auto captions enabled. Captions will be activated for in-stream videos that are muted, on both iOS and Android, while desktop users will be able to switch them on and off as they choose.
Twitter’s auto captions are available in 37 languages, and while translation is not available as yet, the captions will appear in the language of the device used to upload the clip.
Also, a key downside, Twitter’s auto captions are not editable at this stage. Both translation and editing tools are still in development.
The announcement is the latest advance in Twitter’s accessibility features, which got a boost last year with the announcement of two new internal teams focused on ensuring optimal utility for all users. That came after the company was criticized for launching audio tweets without a captions option, which helped Twitter recognize the need for more dedicated focus on his front.
Twitter also announced auto-captions for voice tweets last year (which it began testing in July), while auto captions are also available for Spaces.
But auto captions in regular videos may be the biggest step yet. And as noted by TechCrunch, it could also be particularly valuable in Twitter’s revamped Explore tab, which is currently in testing, and presents tweets in a more TikTok-like full-screen, vertical scrolling format.

The benefit of having captions available in this format is that it will enable users to engage more types of content. While the majority of Twitter’s regular feed is primarily focused on text, this updated format is more visually aligned, and captions could play a key role in matching evolving engagement behaviors in this respect.
It’s a good addition, and one that will have a significant impact for many users. Another key potential benefit could be in categorization and data, with Twitter able to use auto-generated captions as means of understanding engagement behaviors, and providing more insight into user interests.
Twitter hasn’t indicated that this will be a use case for captions as yet, but the expanded considerations could also be of benefit.
As Twitter notes, auto captions will now show on muted videos on iOS and Android, while you can also tap the ‘CC’ button on desktop to view auto caption text. You can read more about Twitter’s various auto-caption tools here.
SOCIAL
Pinterest Launches Pin Ads in Argentina, Colombia and Chile

As it continues to expand its ad offering, in order to maximize its business opportunities, Pinterest has today announced that Pin Ads will now be made available to all businesses in Argentina, Colombia and Chile.
As explained by Pinterest:
“Businesses of all sizes now have access to multiple types of ad formats and targeting options in Argentina, Colombia and Chile, to reach new audiences with meaningful, useful content as they discover ideas and plan new projects.”
Pinterest says that it recently launched its first ads with a small group of early partner brands in these regions, including Tiendas Paris and Publicis Groupe, which has paved the way for today’s full market expansion.
The announcement is the latest in Pinterest’s growing Latin American business push, with Pinterest Ads also made available in Brazil and Mexico last year. The app reaches around 80 million active users per month in the region – over 18% of its total user base – which represents significant opportunity, and highlights the expansion potential that Pinterest still has in this respect.
Further to this, Pinterest also launched ads in Japan just last month, enabling businesses to reach another 8.7 million active Pinners.
It’s somewhat surprising to consider the extended reach that Pinterest is still yet to achieve with its ads business, and how that could translate to more revenue for the company – and with the platform also warning of ongoing revenue pressures throughout 2022, and its overall user base in flux to some degree, it needs to tap into these expanded markets to boost its potential and showcases its value to investors.
Maybe that will be the remit of incoming Pin CEO Bill Ready, who took over from Ben Silbermann last week. The platform has been on a roller coaster ride throughout the pandemic, with usage reaching new highs, then normalizing once again, which has left many unsure what the future holds for the app. Ready, a former Google commerce chief, will now be tasked with stabilizing the ship, and maximizing performance – and you would assume that this would include a significant expansion of its ad business to facilitate more opportunity.
In selling its new Latin American expansion, Pinterest also reiterates that 97% of the top searches in the app are unbranded, and consist of 2-3 word queries, which makes Pinterest an effective tool to reach people while they’re still considering their next purchase.
“Pinterest is one of the rare platforms where it is truly possible for brands to engage with new customers who are intentional, open and making buying decisions.”
There is opportunity in Pins, for sure, and the addition of a Google insider should help to advance its discovery ambitions in this respect.
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