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YouTube’s Developing an Updated Shorts Player for Connected TVs, Along with Multi-Screen CTV Viewing

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YouTube Expands its 'Pre-Publish Checks' Tool to the Mobile App

YouTube Shorts has been a big hit for the platform, with the TikTok-like short-form video feed now driving over 30 billion daily views in the app.

And now, YouTube’s looking to better integrate Shorts into its expanded viewing options, with a dedicated Shorts player soon to be integrated into YouTube’s smart TV app, which will see its short clips hit the big screen in millions of homes around the world.

As reported by Protocol, YouTube is developing a new Shorts display for Connected TVs, which will frame Shorts clips in the middle of the big screen.

As reported by Protocol:

A mock-up slide presented to the audience of Google’s partner event showed a vertical video at the center of the screen, with the video’s title, the name of the song used in the clip and quick access to up-and-down thumbs off to the side.”

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That’ll provide a better viewing experience for Shorts on the big screen, helping to lean into content consumption trends.

Which TikTok is also trying to incorporate. Many LG and Samsung Smart TV owners can already access the TikTok TV app, which utilizes a similar presentation format to this new YouTube display.

TikTok on TV

Though as Protocol notes, YouTube has a major advantage over TikTok on this front, with YouTube’s app installed on virtually every Smart TV.

Indeed, Connected TV (CTV) viewing is now YouTube’s fastest-growing content surface, with over 120 million people now consuming YouTube content on their home TV screens each month.

That could see this facilitate huge new audience reach capacity for Shorts clips – and with 75% of YouTube users now engaging with Shorts in some form, it could help to amplify the format to a lot more people, making it a bigger content consideration for YouTube creators.

Which would be a big win for YouTube.

A key element of YouTube’s Shorts push is that Shorts can be used as a supplementary promotion for a creators’ main YouTube channel, where they can generate significant income via YouTube’s Partner Program.

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As TikTok well knows, monetizing short-form video is hard, because you can’t insert ads into short clips. That means that creators have less capacity to earn income from their TikTok or Shorts clips – but by using it as a means to drive viewers back to their main YouTube channel, that can be a much more viable monetization pathway.

Which could, eventually, see more TikTok stars take their talents to YouTube instead.

This is a key existential concern for TikTok, with creators already expressing their frustration at its fluctuating Creator Fund payments, while the structure of the app itself doesn’t lend itself to building a following, with the focus more on surfacing the latest trending clips, from any account.

Maybe, like Vine before it, TikTok will eventually lose its top stars to greener pastures instead. At present, most of the top names seem to be content at posting to TikTok and other apps, with TikTok more of a cross-promotion opportunity. But the signs suggest that many are shifting focus away from TikTok as a primary channel, which could lead to further concerns down the road.

Along with the expansion of Shorts to the TV app, YouTube’s also adding new YouTube Music features for connected TVs, including the ability to browse playlists, and add songs and albums to your YouTube Music library directly from the TV screen.

YouTube’s also working on a new ‘Mosaic Mode’, which will enable subscribers to display up to four live feeds on screen at one time, with the screen divided into quadrants.

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Which, I can only imagine, will further scramble kids’ attention spans, and befuddle adults, as youngsters learn to take in four concurrent TV streams at one time.

Is that the future of media consumption? I guess, in many ways, we’re already consuming multiple content feeds at once, with the TV playing as you scroll through your mobile device, and potentially view videos and other content on two streams at once. What’s another one or two inputs in that mix?

I mean, soon you’ll be in the metaverse, watching a virtual video screen, as notifications pop-up at the side of your vision, or you may be wearing AR glasses that add another attention surface into the mix.

The evolution of human attention is happening before our eyes, and in this sense, YouTube’s multi-screen presentation probably makes a lot of sense.

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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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