SOCIAL
Twitter Expands Access to Professional Profiles and Ticketed Spaces
Twitter’s looking to keep its foot on the development accelerator, with the expansion of two new projects that will provide more opportunities for brands and creators in the app.
First off, Twitter is now inviting more businesses to apply for its Professional Profiles test, which enables brands to showcase more business information in a dedicated, additional profile space in the app.
As you can see in this example, Twitter’s Professional Profiles add several new display elements to your Twitter presence, including a business location listing (which people can tap on to open in Google Maps), hours of operation and contact info, all in a new module beneath your main profile display.
Twitter launched its initial test of Professional Profiles back in April, and now, more businesses are getting notifications like these in their inbox.
That could suggest that the option is getting closer to a full roll out, and with Twitter also experimenting with new icons for businesses, delineating their sector, it seems that the next move for the option is imminent.
In addition to this, Twitter’s also expanding access to Ticketed Spaces, which it first opened up for public applications back in June.
today, more people can use ticketed Spaces! all approved Hosts can now set ticket prices & audience size for Spaces
if you’ve been approved, you’ll see an in-app notif letting you know. Ticketed Spaces Hosts, send us your feedback! pic.twitter.com/URG1y7L5ah
— Spaces (@TwitterSpaces) September 14, 2021
So it’s not available to everyone as yet, but from today, more people will have the capacity to host their own paid-for Space, from which they can generate direct revenue for their efforts.
I mean, they’ll get a bit. Twitter is only taking 3% of the charges for Ticketed Spaces (up to $50k in total earnings), but app store fees also need to be factored in, which will reduce the creator’s overall share. For example, on iOS, if you set a ticket price for your Space of $5, $2.80 from each ticket sold would go to you, while 70c would go to Twitter, and $1.50 would go to Apple/Google.
So that’s another element to keep in mind – but even so, it does provide another revenue opportunity, and it could prompt more people to utilize Spaces, which seems to have lost some of its initial momentum, as the air comes out of the audio social trend.
At the same time, it’s also a little unclear, right now, what Twitter will be doing to further promote Spaces discovery.
For the last few months, Twitter has been developing a new, dedicated Spaces tab in the app, which would provide users with an easy way to access in-progress broadcasts at any time. But last week, with the arrival of Communities, it added a different tab in that bottom bar slot.
So will it be Spaces or Communities that gets the final nod? I don’t know, and maybe Twitter doesn’t know either, because three days after the launch of Communities, it previewed another new design for the Spaces tab.
Maybe that’s a consequence of increased development speed, or maybe it’s all part of a broader plan that Twitter will reveal over time.
Either way, Spaces needs good content to keep people coming back, especially if they’re going to have trouble finding it. As such, it’s important that Twitter moves to expand ticketed Spaces, which will also provide more revenue potential for more creators in the app.
Oh, and there’s also this:
I have no idea what this is.
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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