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What We Learned From UGC in 2020 and How To Plan for 2021

Published

3 years ago

December 6, 2020

what we learned from ugc in 2020 and how to plan for 2021

To say this year has tested brands is an understatement.

The pandemic has forced businesses in every industry to reframe the way they market themselves due to mandatory closures and a surge in online competition.

Empathic marketing has never been more important, and the lack of resources to create full-scale marketing campaigns has affected both big and small brands. Not to mention the cutbacks that have rippled through every in-house department and the fragmented teams that are the result of work-from-home orders.

Brands have had to find alternative ways to connect with their audience without studio setups and huge budgets bolstering their efforts.

But, with 42% of people around the world spending more time on social media since the start of the pandemic, there’s never been a better time to connect with customers online.

Why User Generated Content (UGC) Has Been a Pivotal Part of 2020

UGC has always been one of the most compelling forms of content. It’s more trusted than brand-led campaigns and it instills a sense of trust in a digital landscape.

This year, it’s been more important than ever. Here’s why:

UGC taps into a desire for human connection in the wake of months of isolation and quarantining
UGC builds and strengthens community
UGC is relatable – people look for uplifting content that acknowledges the difficult situation we’re all in
UGC allows brands to meet customers where they’re already spending a lot of their time
UGC helps brands generate remote, great content without having to setup photoshoots

What We Learned From UGC in 2020

2020 has taught us a lot about life and business. In terms of UGC, it’s shown us how important connectivity is in times of need and how a sense of community is crucial for getting through tough situations.

1. Bringing together brands and buyers

As a powerful storytelling tool, UGC is able to bring together brands and their customers and create a deeper sense of belonging.

Take Facebook’s pivotal “We’re Never Lost If We Can Find Each Other” campaign that highlights how people are staying connected during the pandemic and how they are coping during quarantine and multiple lockdowns.

It uses videos and photos captured by Facebook users and stitches them together in a documentary-style video that’s both moving and informative.

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2. Relatability is key in times of need

No one likes to feel alone, especially with a global pandemic raging all around. The fluidity of UGC as a marketing strategy means it has the potential to be far more relatable than brand-driven campaigns.

Made.com quickly realized this. Their marketing has always centered around the notion of “home”, but during the pandemic this became even more prominent.

They created product pages packed full of customer images that served as inspiration.

3. Everything changes so quickly

No one could have predicted how 2020 would turn out – in fact, it’s hard to plan ahead even a few weeks in advance at the moment as things are changing so quickly.

UGC saves brands time and allows them to jump on trends in a matter of days. This is key for keeping up with evolving consumer needs.

Buffalo Wild Wings took this theory and ran with it – they created an ad made purely from UGC that shows real people creating made-up sports in their homes. This was to reflect the fact that sports fans could no longer gather and watch their favorite teams in public places.

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The ad actually went from conception to completion in less than a week, and allowed customers to stay connected with the brand virtually when they were unable to in-person.

4. Events were thrown into disarray

The events industry has been one of the hardest hit. Brands that once delivered in-person ceremonies, seminars, and conferences have had to be resilient and pivot to meet ever-changing guidelines.

edX did a great job of this. When they were faced with the challenge of celebrating graduates after thousands of graduations were canceled, they utilized TINT to pull together achievements, messages, and celebrations that graduates had shared all in one digital place.

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5. Hope is important

It’s difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel, especially when millions of people are in pandemic-related turmoil. UGC gives people hope and encourages individuals to feel connected. In many ways, it nurtures a sense of “we’re all in this together”.

The Gulf County Tourist Development Council leveraged UGC to create travel guides people could use to plan future trips. Even if they weren’t able to travel in that moment, they could browse photos and videos taken by real people as something to look forward to.

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6. Existing customers need connection too

Stats show that it’s cheaper to market to existing customers than attracting new ones, and returning buyers spend more than first-time shoppers. UGC is the perfect way to solidify relationships with long-term customers and create deeper connections with them.

This is exactly what KFC did with their UGC campaign that welcomed customers back after mandatory closures. They created an ad featuring customer photos and videos pulled from the #RateMyKFC social media campaign which encouraged customers to recreate the brand’s famous fried chicken recipe.

7. Don’t forget employee-generated content

Employees are a goldmine of content, and during 2020, work-at-home orders and mandatory guidelines made them far more relatable to the average consumer than ever before, and there were plenty of brands that tapped into this.

Take Cisco, for example, they won gold for ‘Best User-Generated Content’ in the Corporate Content Awards for the employee-focused campaign “We Are Cisco”, which highlighted employee stories and brought behind-the-scenes activities to the forefront.

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How to Plan Your UGC Strategy in 2021

2020 has changed the world.

eCcommerce orders are up 108%, daily usage of Facebook is up 27%, and 42% of consumers plan on changing the way they shop moving forward.

This has opened up opportunities for brands to take advantage of new online narratives, and going forward, UGC will be a key consideration for social commerce and eCommerce strategies across the board.

The key elements of your UGC strategy in 2021

Build trust – Brands will have to work harder than ever to recapture the trust and loyalty of customers in 2021. A precedent has been set this year, and this will continue to play a huge part in strategies moving forward
Provide social proof – When things start to return to normal, consumers will want validation that others are buying from you or are at the very least re-engaging in shopping and purchasing

Planning Your 2021 UGC Strategy

1. Design the Concept

The concept of your campaign is what it’s about or what it aims to do, promote, or say.

Think about what your UGC campaign will center around. Use data from 2020 and your customers’ input to decide on a campaign topic that will resonate with them. Consider outside inputs too, like what’s going on in the world and global trends.

It doesn’t have to be complicated – take Made.com’s example above. They simply replaced product photos on their website with customer photos to tap into the growing need for a safe and secure home space.

2. Engage and Amplify

This is the part where you encourage your customers to get involved.

Use incentives and create a buzz around your brand. Make people want to get involved.

A great way to do this is through UGC contests and campaigns. Offering a reward in exchange for a customer photo is a compelling incentive and will quickly spread your campaign far and wide.

3. Curate and Display

Choose the best customer contributions and decide how you’re going to display them.

Will you create a dedicated landing page to host the UGC on like EdX, or will you simply re-share contributions across your social media channels?

Get creative here and consider all the options you have. Maybe you share UGC in your email campaigns, maybe you incorporate it into your product pages, or maybe you do what Facebook and Buffalo Wild Wings and turn it into a video.

4. Plan, But Let Customers Drive the Story

Planning is key for ensuring you get the most out of your UGC campaign – but, as 2020 has shown us, anything can happen. Keep an eye on trends and pivot to meet the changing needs of your customers.

Track patterns in your campaigns and be prepared to switch things up to align better with what’s going on in the world.

2021 will be the year of UGC

UGC should be a core part of every marketing strategy in 2021. New competition means brands are fighting to stand out, and the changing needs of customers will require a more sensitive, empathic approach to marketing.

Through the tactical use of UGC, brands will be able to nurture a sense of community, connect better with existing customers, and keep up with the ever-changing events in the world.

Socialmediatoday.com

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5 Best Sites To Buy Facebook Likes for Posts & Page (Real & Instant)

Published

6 hours ago

December 7, 2023

Entireweb News Bot

6 Best Sites To Buy Reddit Upvotes (Cheap, Real & Instant)

Best Sites To Buy Facebook Likes

1. Bulkoid

Score: 9.5/10

Bulkoid is the best place to buy Facebook likes.

Bulkoid comes out on top as a go-to choice for purchasing Facebook likes due to its balance of superior quality and value. Instead of focusing on pricing, Bulkoid emphasizes on providing top-tier Facebook likes from real users. This ensures a natural growth and boosts engagement on your Facebook page, just like when you buy Facebook followers.

A unique aspect of Bulkoid is its offering of targeted Facebook likes. By enabling you to buy targeted Facebook post likes, they assist you in reaching a specific audience and expanding your online presence more effectively.

Additionally, their delivery time for purchased Facebook post likes is typically within a few hours after placing the order, ensuring a quick and efficient process.

Bulkoid has been mentioned by Chicoer, Orovillemr, TheReporter and SantaCruzSentinel as being the best site to buy Telegram members.

✅ Pros:

Delivers Real Likes: Bulkoid focuses on providing high-quality, real Facebook likes from genuine users.
Reliable Delivery: Bulkoid has a strong track record of delivering purchased Facebook likes reliably and on time.
Good Customer Support: Their customer service team is responsive and helpful if any issues come up with your order.

❌ Cons:

They don’t accept crypto payments.

For more information about the services, prices, and delivery options, visit Bulkoid.com.

2. FastPromo

Score: 9.3/10

FastPromo is an excellent alternative for acquiring authentic and organic Facebook likes. Their likes come from genuine and active accounts relevant to your content, ensuring high-quality engagement. With FastPromo, you can expect a noticeable boost in your Facebook presence.

One of the biggest advantages of FastPromo is its targeted likes from specific demographics or regions. This ensures you connect with genuine and engaged Facebook users who will contribute to high-quality likes and increased engagement on your posts.

FastPromo also focuses on driving growth organically, without using bots or fake accounts, making them a reliable and safe Facebook likes provider. Their commitment to customer satisfaction and dedication to high-quality services make them stand out in the industry.

✅ Pros:

Competitive Pricing: FastPromo ensures you will get excellent value for your money.
Custom Packages: They provide customized Facebook like packages tailored to your specific needs and budget.
Gradual Delivery: Likes are delivered gradually over a few days for a natural growth pattern.

For more info about this company and its services, visit FastPromo.net.

3. ViralHQ

Score: 9/10

If you’re searching for a user-friendly and secure site to buy Facebook likes, ViralHQ might be the perfect fit. They offer high-quality Facebook likes, ensuring your social media presence enhancement.

ViralHQ takes a unique approach by offering a diverse range of Facebook likes packages, catering to different needs and objectives. Whether you’re a small business looking to build your brand presence or an influencer seeking to expand your reach, ViralHQ has got you covered.

The safety and security of its customers are a top priority for ViralHQ. They utilize an SSL encryption protocol to protect the order and payment process, ensuring that your data and information are secure when using their Facebook services.

✅ Pros:

Instant Delivery: ViralHQ starts delivering Facebook likes instantly after processing your order.
Quality Assurance: ViralHQ has strict quality control checks to ensure all delivered likes are from real and active users
Positive Reputation: They have earned a solid reputation for their reliable service, quality likes, and excellent customer support.

For more info about this company and its services, visit ViralHQ.net.

4. Breaked.net

Score: 7.5/10

Breaked.net is a platform that provides a variety of Facebook likes packages, assuring top-tier likes from authentic users as part of their Facebook services.

One of the best things about Breaked.net is that it makes unique suggestions for each individual to ensure the quality of Facebook post likes. This means purchasing Facebook post likes will be tailored to your specific needs.

The Facebook post likes from Breaked.net come solely from real individuals. This is crucial because it ensures that the likes you receive aren’t from bots or fake accounts. This means you won’t have to worry about fake likes, and you will get organic Facebook engagement.

Here is an overview of Breaked.net’s main advantages:

Provides tailored suggestions for quality likes.
Assures all likes are from real and authentic users.
Gives organic Facebook engagement without fake accounts.

5. YtNotics

Score: 7/10

YtNotics delivers fast and affordable Facebook likes, followers, and comments from real users to increase engagement and social proof on the platform. Their Facebook services cater to a variety of needs, with instant delivery for Facebook post likes packages.

YtNotics offers likes from active Facebook accounts, assuring the credibility of the likes you get from them. This can help boost your social media presence and improve your engagement with your target audience on Facebook.

Using YtNotics for your Facebook promotional strategy has many benefits. You can expect:

Delivers instant likes from real active users.
Increases engagement and social proof on Facebook.
Affordable packages cater to diverse needs.

What Is the Best Site To Buy Facebook Likes?

Bulkoid stands out as the best site to buy Facebook likes.

When it comes to buying Facebook post likes, and Facebook page likes, you want real likes from active Facebook users, not bot or fake accounts. Bulkoid sets itself apart by focusing on quality over quantity when delivering likes to its customers.

Likes from real and active Facebook users

Bulkoid’s likes come from real Facebook profiles with content interaction history, profile pictures, friends, and genuine interests. This provides huge benefits over fake accounts when it comes to the Facebook algorithm. When real users like and engage with your posts and page, it signals to Facebook that your content is resonating with real people. This leads to more organic reach and followers.

Helps you get more organic growth

Fake accounts can actually hurt you with the Facebook algorithm or even lead to bans. But Bulkoid only utilizes safe methods to deliver likes from real, active Facebook users interested in your niche. Their organic growth approach helps you build credibility and an audience that engages with your brand.

Customize the likes on Facebook for your needs

In addition to real Facebook users, Bulkoid also lets you buy targeted Facebook post likes based on location, interests, gender, and more. This level of targeting ensures the right people see and engage with your content.

For the best quality Facebook followers and helping spur organic growth on Facebook, Bulkoid is the top service for buying Facebook likes, thanks to their focus on real Facebook users. They have affordable package options, making it easy to get started and see results.

Frequently Asked Questions About Buying Facebook likes

1. How can you buy Facebook likes?

Buying Facebook likes is a simple process that can be completed through various online platforms. Some of the top sites for purchasing Facebook likes include

Bulkoid,
FastPromo,
ViralHQ.

To buy Facebook likes on these platforms, simply visit their website, select a package that meets your requirements, and place an order for the desired number of likes.

Remember, buying Facebook likes should not be hurried and should be cautiously undertaken. It is necessary to review the provider and verify that the likes originate from real people, not bots. This can help guarantee the quality and value of the likes you purchase, leading to better engagement and results on your Facebook page or post.

2. Where to buy likes on Facebook?

You can buy more likes from several top-rated websites. After thorough research, I have compiled a list of the best websites for purchasing Facebook likes:

Bulkoid.com;
FastPromo.net;
ViralHQ.net.

3. How much does it cost to purchase Facebook post likes?

If you chose Bulkoid.com as the place to buy Facebook post likes, here is how much their premium-quality service costs:

100 likes – $4.9;
200 likes – $9.8;
500 likes – $24.5;
700 likes – $34.3;
1,000 likes – $49;
1,200 likes – $58.8;
1,500 likes – $73.5;
1,700 likes – $83.3;
2,000 likes – $98;
2,200 likes – $107.8;
2,500 likes – $112.5;
2,700 likes – $132.3;
3,000 likes – $147;
3,200 likes – $156.8;
3,500 likes – $171.5;
3,700 likes – $181.3;
4,000 likes – $196;
4,200 likes – $205.8;
4,500 likes – $220.5;
4,700 likes – $230.3;
5,000 likes – $245.

4. How many Facebook likes can you buy?

You can buy Facebook likes depending on your budget and growth needs. There are many options when buying likes on Facebook, ranging between 100 to 10,000 or more.

Depending on your needs, you can choose between theseFacebook likes packages: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 75, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 600, 700, 750, 800, 900, 1000 (1k), 1500 (1.5k), 2000 (2k), 2500 (2.5k), 3000 (3k), 4000 (4k) 5000 (5k), 6000 (6k), 7000 (7k), 7500 (7.5k), 8000 (8k), 9000, (9k) 10000 (10k), 15000 (15k), 20000 (20k), 25000 (25k), 30000 (30k), 40000 (40k) 50000 (50k), 60000 (60k), 70000 (70k), 75000 (75k), 80000 (80k), 90000 (90k) 100000 (100k), 200000 (200k), 250000 (250k), 300000 (300k), 400000 (400k), 500000 (500k), 600000 (600k), 700000 (700k), 750000 (750k), 800000 (800k), 900000 (900k) or even 1000000, 1,000,000, 1 Million, 1 M (1M or one million), 2 Million (2M), 3 Million (3M), 4 Million (4M), 5 Million (5M), 10 Million (10M).

5. Can you buy targeted Facebook likes from specific countries?

If you want a specific Facebook audience, you can buy Facebook likes from different countries across the globe.

Here are the countries where you can buy targeted Facebook likes:Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, and Azerbaijan.

Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, and Burundi.

Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, and Czechia.

Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, and the Dominican Republic.

Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, and Ethiopia.

Fiji, Finland, and France.

Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinee, and Guyana.

Haiti, Honduras, and Hungary.

Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, and Italy.

Jamaica, Japan, and Jordan.

Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan.

Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, and Luxembourg.

Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, and Myanmar.

Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, and Norway.

Oman.

Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, and Portugal.

Qatar.

Romania, Russia, and Rwanda.

Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, and Syria.

Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Tuvalu.

Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.

Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Yemen.

Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Buyer’s Guide For Buying Real Facebook Likes

1. What are the benefits of buying Facebook likes?

Purchasing Facebook likes can increase your content’s visibility in the news feed, help you reach more users via Facebook’s algorithm, improve your brand social proof and credibility, and improve overall engagement. More likes signals to Facebook that your content resonates with real users, which leads to expanded organic reach.

2. How can you pay for genuine Facebook likes?

If you want to buy Facebook likes, there are many ways you can pay for this service.

Depending on the provider you use, these may vary, but some of the most common payment methods are credit card, Google Pay, PayPal, Apple Pay, and cryptocurrencies.

3. Are bought Facebook likes real and active users?

Yes, reputable Facebook likes providers like Bulkoid deliver likes exclusively from real, active Facebook users that fit your target demographic. This ensures sustainable, long-term growth through real engagement rather than temporary vanity metrics from fake or inactive accounts. Always verify that potential providers use only legitimate methods to source real likes.

4. Where to buy real and active Facebook likes?

Based on my research, the best sites to buy real and active Facebook likes are:

Bulkoid.com;
FastPromo.net;
ViralHQ.net

5. How many likes should I buy from Facebook likes providers?

Experts often recommend buying enough Facebook page likes to seem reasonably popular for your niche but not drastically raising suspicions with high numbers. Additionally, buying likes for recent posts helps nurture real engagement. Consider starting small with Facebook likes orders, then monitoring how the bought likes interact with your content.

6. Will I get banned if I buy Facebook likes?

You won’t risk banning if you use trusted, reputable vendors that deliver likes from real accounts employing industry best practices. However, you should stay away from shady providers offering fake likes or other prohibited engagement tactics. As long as your chosen provider responsibly follows Facebook’s terms of service, buying likes is allowed.

7. How long does delivery take for my Facebook likes order?

Delivery times vary depending on factors like your order’s size and the provider’s workload, but quality vendors begin dispensing new likes from real accounts within 24-72 hours typically.

8. Should I buy Facebook likes for my page or posts?

The best approach is buying Facebook page likes to generally build your overall brand credibility alongside likes for recent posts. Post likes specifically improve user engagement. Remember, posts have a shorter shelf-life for interaction than pages, so focus on driving up page likes as well.

9. What should I look for when buying Facebook likes?

You should thoroughly research potential Facebook likes sellers, read client reviews, ensure they follow platform terms of service, check for verifiable social proof examples of past clients, and start slowly with small batch testing. As the saying goes, if an extremely cheap offer seems too good to be true, it likely is.

Buy Facebook Likes And Increase Your Reach

When it comes to buying Facebook likes, doing your research is crucial to finding a reliable provider that will deliver real, high-quality likes to help grow your brand.

There are many potential risks, from buying fake likes that could get you banned to wasting money on inactive accounts.

The best option for buying Facebook likes safely and effectively is Bulkoid. Bulkoid focuses exclusively on likes from real, active users interested in your niche to drive authentic engagements. With them, you can feel confident you are investing in real marketing value for your brand, not vanity metrics.

From targeted likes to reliable customer service, Bulkoid checks all the boxes as a top-tier Facebook likes provider for taking your brand’s social presence to the next level the right way.

So take your channel to the next level by purchasing targeted likes from Bulkoid today. Their subscriber service from organic users will elevate your subscriber count and content visibility for sustainable channel success.

The news and editorial staff of the Chico Enterprise-Record had no role in this post’s preparation. This is a paid advertisement and does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Chico Enterprise-Record, its employees, or subsidiaries.

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YouTube Highlights its Top Trends, Topics and Creators of 2023

Published

13 hours ago

December 7, 2023

Entireweb News Bot

YouTube Highlights its Top Trends, Topics and Creators of 2023

YouTube has published its annual trend wrap-up, highlighting all the key trends, based on user engagement and search behaviors, from throughout the year.

And most of them you probably recognize, either via your own engagement or subconscious exposure.

As per YouTube:

“2023’s Trending Topics in the U.S. reflect fandom’s increasingly important role in transforming cultural moments into fully immersive phenomena that play out across Shorts, longform, livestreams, and podcasts. From original series like Skibidi Toilet to the release of Barbie, fans came to YouTube to put their personal spins on memes, movies, and more.”

Ah, yes, “Skibidi Toilet”, a random joke clip that somehow morphed into an epic, post-apocalyptic drama series, set across 68 video clips and counting.

Yeah, it’s super weird, but there actually is a core story told through machinima, or computer game-based animation, which has obviously proven compelling to many users.

Like, tens of millions of them, for every episode.

Among other key trends of note, YouTube highlights the viral “Grimace Shake” response, Jack Black’s “Peaches” from the Mario Bros. movie soundtrack, and Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers”, among various other niche topics of interest.

The top 10 YouTube topics of the year, among U.S. users (by total engagement), were:

The top YouTube creators, meanwhile were headed by Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson and his friends once again, as he continued to expand upon his online video (and beyond) empire.

It’s always amazing to me to consider the cultural impact of gaming based on this list. Out of these 10 creators, more than half of them have direct roots in gaming content, which has become a key pathway into content creation, beginning with game streaming, then shifting into other areas.

And gaming is likely to remain a key cultural influencer, because most young consumers these days don’t even watch regular TV, with YouTube, and other online platforms, now their primary sources of entertainment. To them, these creators are not YouTubers, they’re as mainstream as anyone else, which will see them continue to guide future creative trends.

YouTube has also included a listing of “Breakout Creators” and top songs of the year, providing a solid overview of what resonated in the app in 2023.

Also, Shorts is a key factor. YouTube hasn’t provided a Shorts-specific listing for this year, but I suspect that’s coming, maybe in 2024, as Shorts continues to drive more engagement in the app.

YouTube’s full overview is worth a look if you want a reminder of the top trends, or if you want to catch up on what young people, in particular, are currently engaging with.

Let’s just hope they don’t also make another “Rewind” video clip to go with it.

You can check out YouTube’s 2023 Trend Report here.

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Twitch to shut down in SKorea over ‘seriously’ high fees

Published

20 hours ago

December 6, 2023

Entireweb News Bot

The platform said it had tried to lower its costs by reducing the maximum video quality but it was still losing money – Copyright AFP Chris DELMAS

US-based streaming platform Twitch said Wednesday it would stop its service in South Korea in February because of “seriously high” network costs, dealing a blow to millions of users in one of the heartlands of e-sports.

The Amazon-owned company said in a statement signed by CEO Dan Clancy that costs were 10 times higher than most other countries, making it impossible to continue operating.

South Korea allows internet service providers to charge data-heavy companies like Twitch extra fees, which has already led to a long dispute with Netflix.

Big telecom firms in Europe have pushed for a similar deal, which they call “fair share”, but an EU consultation concluded in October that the idea was not popular.

Twitch said it had tried to lower its costs by reducing the maximum video quality but it was still losing money and would pull out of the country on February 27.

“The cost of running Twitch in South Korea is currently seriously high,” said the statement.

– ‘Stellar player’ –

Twitch, acquired by Amazon in 2014 for close to $1 billion, gained significant traction among gamers in South Korea.

The firm does not publish user numbers but it was widely reported in 2021 to have six million users in South Korea, more than four percent of its global total.

The country is known for its passionate, competitive, and dedicated gaming community, as well as its megastar Faker — a gamer hailed as the Michael Jordan of e-sports.

“We would like to reiterate that this was a very difficult decision, and one that all of us at Twitch are deeply saddened by,” the company’s Wednesday statement said.

“South Korea has always been a stellar player in the global e-sports community and will continue to do so.”

Shares in South Korean video streaming service Afreeca TV, Twitch’s competitor, soared almost 30 percent in afternoon trading in Seoul.

Some of the country’s Twitch users were devastated by the news.

One streamer, yummy_2 said: “It feels like losing my job right now.”

– Biden vs Trump –

Netflix was the first major international firm to cry foul over South Korea’s rules on network fees, getting entangled in lawsuits with SK Broadband, one of South Korea’s biggest internet service providers.

However, the two firms announced in September they would drop the legal cases and would now instead “collaborate as partners for the future”.

While the usage fees are a boon to telecom companies, they are bitterly opposed by tech platforms around the world.

European lawmakers and digital rights activists also argue such an arrangement could break rules on net neutrality, whereby telecoms firms are barred from selling faster internet speeds to particular companies.

The issue has been at the heart of a years-long dispute in the United States with former President Donald Trump rolling back net neutrality rules and his successor Joe Biden struggling to restore them.

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