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Meta’s Twitter Alternative is Coming Soon, According to a New Internal Briefing on the App

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Meta’s Twitter Alternative is Coming Soon, According to a New Internal Briefing on the App

Meta’s Twitter clone app appears to be getting closer to launch, with Meta executive Chris Cox sharing more information about the new offering at a Meta all-hands staff meeting earlier today.

As reported by The Verge, Meta’s text-based feed app, currently called ‘P92’ (or ‘Barcelona’ in some other iterations that have been leaked) will be a straight feed of text updates, though users will also be able to add photos and videos to their messages.

The main feed itself looks like a DM thread, with replies that expand out beneath the main message, along with small bubble profile icons at the side, representing which users have replied to each.

There looks to be four tabs in the app, including a main feed, explore, favorites, and your profile, with the middle button being a composer window to add your own post.

These latest screenshots look slightly different to the ones that Meta shared with creators recently, but it may just be varying presentation based on OS.

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Meta Barcelona App

Cox specifically described the app as a ‘response to Twitter’, while also criticizing Elon Musk’s disruptive reign at the app.

“We’ve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run, that they believe that they can trust and rely upon for distribution.”

According to The Verge, the app may actually end up being called ‘Threads’ when it’s finally released – though Instagram did already use that name for another failed spin-off app that it launched back in 2019, and was shut down less than two years later. That doesn’t mean that they can’t use it again, but it seems potentially cursed to resurrect a failed project name in a new form.  

Maybe Meta’s not overly superstitious.

Along with today’s insights, what we already know about the coming app is:

  • P92 will use your Instagram credentials to log in
  • It will also use your Instagram ID as your username in the new app
  • The maximum length for P92 posts will reportedly be 500 characters
  • The app will be decentralized, though it’s not entirely clear what that means in a Meta context as yet

On the last point, The Verge has also reported that the app will integrate with the decentralized protocol ActivityPub, which could enable users to transfer their information, including their audience info, to other apps that support the same. Mastodon is another app that supports ActivityPub integration.

According to Cox, Instagram’s reps are already in talks with various celebrities to help boost awareness and usage of the app, including Oprah and the Dalai Lama. Not sure that they’ll be as cool as Mr Beast or the like, with YouTubers holding significantly more influence among younger audiences. But maybe this is reflective of Meta’s audience focus here – maybe, Meta’s not trying to reach younger demographics, but older users instead, who may be drifting away from Twitter over time.

Indeed, according to Pew Research, the median age of adult US Twitter users is 40, with a higher educational baseline than other apps, and this is more likely the key target of Meta’s new push, in trying to win over these users with some big names who’ll post exclusively to its new app.

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Get enough of them, and that could see the project take off, and right now, as many question the direction that Twitter’s taking under Musk, could be the best time to offer these influential users a new home for their real-time updates.

It looks like it’ll provide a similar user experience to Twitter, and it’ll be simple to log in and use, which has been a key criticism of Mastodon. The app will also benefit from Meta’s broader reach and promotion potential, by being linked back to IG, which has around four times the audience reach than what Twitter currently sees.

It’s too early to have an informed opinion on whether it will work, but it does seem to tick a lot of the boxes, and it could end up being the Twitter alternative that many have been seeking.

We’ll keep you updated on any progress.

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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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