SOCIAL
Unlikely savior: Musk’s antics give Zuckerberg PR makeover
Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) has mostly ignored provocations from Elon Musk – Copyright AFP/File ALAIN JOCARD
Alex PIGMAN
After years of bad press and scandal, Mark Zuckerberg is seeing his reputation spruced up in the fickle world of tech, largely thanks to the increasingly unpredictable behavior of Elon Musk.
Always bubbling just beneath the surface, the on-again, off-again rivalry between Musk and Facebook creator Zuckerberg has boiled over with the launch of Twitter-clone Threads.
Meta’s new app has provoked the Tesla titan to sue Zuckerberg as well as unfurl a spate of potty-mouthed trolling on Twitter.
“It’s definitely unique to see two people, who obviously are just ungodly wealthy, be in this kind of grudge match,” said Andrew Selepak, assistant media professor at the University of Florida.
“But it does seem a little bit one-sided” with Musk clearly engaging in “childish behavior,” he added.
Any blow-by-blow account requires wading into the often arcane back-and-forth that takes place on social media.
One altercation began on Threads when the official account of fast-food chain Wendy’s made a friendly jibe at Musk’s expense, which Zuckerberg tagged with a laughing emoji.
This quickly met the wrath of the mercurial Tesla boss: “Zuck is a Cuck,” Musk wrote on Twitter, using a slur embraced by the far-right to slander Zuckerberg as a shill for the establishment.
Musk then proposed “a literal dick measuring contest.”
– ‘Learning is failing’ –
Zuckerberg has ignored the provocations, but hasn’t always stayed above the fray.
Two weeks ago, before the release of Threads, he offered, maybe as a joke, to meet Musk for a bare-knuckled cage fight.
And in the hours after Threads was released, he went to Twitter for the first time in more than a decade to post a popular meme of Spider-Man pointing at another Spider-Man — a tacit acknowledgment that, yes, he had copied Twitter.
Zuckerberg, who is 39, now cultivates a calmer image as big tech’s muscle-toned wise man who practices martial arts and cares for his young daughters, all while delivering huge profits.
“Part of learning is failing,” Zuckerberg recently told the Lex Fridman podcast.
“The moment that you decide that you’re going to be too embarrassed to try something new, then you’re not going to learn anything anymore,” he added.
Fading are the memories of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Zuckerberg being hauled in front of US lawmakers to defend his company’s actions during the 2016 US election.
Even last year’s failure to make something out of virtual reality, with billions of dollars written off and thousands of staff fired, has faded from the headlines.
But the Musk antics have helped more than anything to rehabilitate the Facebook founder.
“These attacks by Musk have done nothing but help Zuckerberg’s image,” said tech industry analyst Rob Enderle.
– Evil ‘I can understand’ –
Threads was pushed out last week to Instagram’s 2.3 billion users (except in Europe), and more than 100 million have signed up.
Those praising Threads have often been those who expressed alarm over the years about Facebook and especially the company’s close tracking of users and relentless harvesting of personal data.
Threads, which shows no ads yet, is no different, with users asked to give Meta permission to track them closely across the internet.
Those demands have delayed the app’s launch in Europe where new legislation limits the ability of Meta to track and share data across its family of platforms.
But for analyst Carolina Milanesi, a close observer of the industry, “at least I can understand the evil that is profit-driven, versus Twitter, which is just an egotistic, rich man who has despicable, ethical bearings.”
Blood feuds in the tech industry are not new, with Apple icon Steve Jobs and Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, for example, known to engage in battles that would leave those on the other side remembering them for years.
“Balmer threw furniture around when people were leaving for Google and there were certainly some interesting stories around the time of Netscape (in the late 1990s), but this is bonkers,” said Enderle.
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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