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Twitter Tests New Tags to Indicate Engagement from Tweet Author in Replies

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Elon Musk Launches Hostile Takeover Bid for Twitter

You might think that with the Elon Musk takeover of Twitter pending, that it’s currently in a state of pause as it awaits news on what comes next.

You would be wrong.

As evidenced by current CEO Parag Agrawal’s recent management reshuffle, Twitter is still pushing ahead, even with major changes likely on the way in the Elon era.

It’s still experimenting with new features too, with the latest update in testing being new tweet labels that could be added to tweets to provide more context around certain engagements.

As you can see in this example (in the bottom reply), shared by TechCrunch, Twitter’s working on a new, in-stream label that would signify when a tweet author has liked a reply.

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In a similar test, Twitter’s also now highlighting some tweet author replies, with an alternate text color and a microphone icon next to the comment.

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Which Twitter’s been working on, in varying form, since 2018. Maybe it was a pet project of Agrawal in his previous role as CTO at the app.

The idea is that this will prompt more engagement by alerting users to comments that the author has found most relevant, while also giving fans more recognition in comment streams.

Recognition is a big element of the social media experience for fans, and by better highlighting such interaction, that could become a community building tool, which might even prompt more famous people to interact in the replies more often.

Because we all know that famous people aren’t using the app. That’s what Elon Musk told us a few weeks ago, among his various criticisms of the app of things that he’ll be looking to fix.

Since then, Musk has floated various vague solutions, including making people pay for embedding tweets by high profile users. Which seems utterly unworkable, while also overvaluing tweets, from anyone – but still, it’s one of the areas that Musk has in his sights for his grand Twitter revival plan.

Outside of that use case, however, I’m not sure this feature would add a lot, with the additional signifier unlikely to play a big role in… well, anything.

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But any extra engagement is a positive, and with Twitter’s current projects, as Agrawal recently noted, failing to ‘hit intermediate milestones that enable confidence’ in reaching its growth goals, it needs to keep throwing things at the wall, in the hopes that, cumulatively, they provide some benefit.

Another, similar tagging project on this front is its ‘vibes’ status update experiment, which would see a custom status indicator attached to your tweets.

That also adds more context to the tweet experience, and it could come in handy for those attending events, in particular, with attendees, at present, often putting event hashtags on the end of their username to alert people to their participation.

I mean, that hasn’t been a big concern over the last couple of years, with virtually every event canceled, but that appears to be the primary use case, with all of these elements helping to provide more engagement prompts within different aspects of the app.

Again, they don’t seem like they’ll shift the needle much on engagement, but maybe, altogether, they will – and if Twitter’s working on them now, it might as well push them out, before Elon steps in and changes everyone’s focus onto incorporating more memes, or adding ‘4/20’ references into the back-end code, or eliminating algorithms altogether, to improve… something.

Essentially, everything is in flux at Twitter right now, but that might still see it push out a few more tweaks and experiments before its next stage.

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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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