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YouTube Tests New Shorts Logo, Provides Tips on How to Get Videos Featured in Shorts Feed

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youtube tests new shorts logo provides tips on how to get videos featured in shorts feed

YouTube is working on the next iteration of Shorts, its TikTok-like short video feed, with a new icon for the function now being tested in the Android app.

YouTube Shorts icon

You can see the new Shorts icon beneath the main YouTube logo, alongside the categories listing for Shorts clips. 

The icon was spotted in testing by Android researcher @WFBrother (and shared by Matt Navarra), and could point to the next stage for the function, which may also be part of a broader roll-out of the platform’s short video feed.

YouTube officially announced the launch of Shorts in India late last month, where it’s looking to fill the gap left by the removal of TikTok in the region. 

YouTube Shorts

As you can see here, where the option is available, Shorts clips are made discoverable on the front page of the YouTube app, via what YouTube’s calling the ‘Shorts Shelf’, a side-scrolling display of clips in the main feed. Indian creators also have access to the Shorts Camera, via the + icon on the bottom bar, which includes additional quick editing functions like speed controls, timers, and options to add music to your clips.  

But even if you’re not in India, and you’re not able to access the dedicated Shorts Camera function, you can still have your content featured within the Shorts row in the app – while YouTube’s also testing a new section in other regions which will highlight “videos created from the Shorts camera, as well as any vertical video up to 60 seconds” that’s been uploaded to the platform.

As explained by YouTube

“You can still make your video eligible for the Shorts shelf and feed, all you need to do is make sure that it’s 60 seconds or under, and shot in the vertical format.”

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YouTube’s Creator Insider channel has also provided some additional tips on how creators can maximize their Shorts, which could help boost exposure for their content.

  • Adding the hashtag #Shorts to the title of your short video clips will increase your chances of appearing on the Shorts shelf
  • Creators should keep their short clips “highly visual and highly accessible”. Because people who see your Shorts might not be channel subscribers, creators should also avoid using any inside jokes, while you also shouldn’t spend too much time on ‘creating memes or titles, just make sure that you’re getting your message out there, keep it short and keep it sweet.’
  • YouTube also notes that your shorts video clip will also be available as standard YouTube videos as well, so creators need to consider whether the content fits into their regular programming schedule, and where it might fit into your broader channel content

There’s no word yet on when YouTube will look to launch Shorts in all regions, but given the ongoing development, you can expect to see it coming some time soon – I would predict before Christmas in order to maximize usage over the holiday period.

Whether it ends up being a valuable tool for you will largely come down to how you use it, but with potential for exposure on the front page, it could be worth considering within your YouTube approach.

At present, it looks as though you’ll need 10k subscribers to get access to the Shorts Camera, when it does become available, while YouTube says it’s looking at a broader roll out ‘in the coming months’. 

Socialmediatoday.com

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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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