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YouTube Launches Updated Green Screen Option for Shorts, Expanding Creative Potential

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As the popularity of short-form video continues to rise, YouTube is adding some new features for Shorts that will open up new creative options in the app.

First off, YouTube’s expanding its current Green Screen option in Shorts, which will now enable creators to use any eligible YouTube video or Short as the background for their Shorts clips.

As explained by YouTube:

“You can create using both the audio + video or video-only if you choose to mute the audio. To use Green Screen, just select Create > Green Screen on the menu of options under the video you’re watching or press the 3-dot menu in the Shorts player and select Green Screen. The max length you can create with is 60 seconds.

YouTube originally added Green Screen functionality for Shorts last October, an option that’s also available on TikTok and IG. But on release, YouTube’s Green Screen option only enabled users to upload content from their camera roll for use as their background image.

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Now, you’ll have a much wider pool of content to choose from for your Shorts background, with the original creator attributed via a source link within the Shorts display.

YouTube Shorts Green Screen

The immediate use case that springs to mind is reaction videos, which are already hugely popular on YouTube. Pretty much every YouTube influencer posts reaction clips, where they’ll check out, for example, the latest memes, and react to them in their own way.

In some ways, it’s a lazy option for creating content – but then again, most people watch YouTube influencers because of who they are, their personality and insights, and as such, reaction clips align with user interest, while also giving creators a never-ending flow of content options, without huge cost or significant time investment.

The expansion of YouTube’s Green Screen for Shorts seems to lean into this use case, while for brands, there could also be a range of ways to use this to highlight industry-relevant clips, showcase product updates, promote your latest videos and more.

In addition to this, YouTube’s also rolling out its new, simplified Shorts iteration option to more users.

Last month, we started rolling out a new way to create a Short – simply tap on ‘Create’ and select ‘Cut’ from any eligible YouTube video or Short to select a 1-5 second segment to use for your own original Shorts content. Any time a new Short is created from your own channel’s content, it will be attributed back to your original video with a link in the Shorts player.”

YouTube says that this option is now available to everybody using the YouTube app on iOS, while it’s also coming to Android soon.

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YouTube continues to see strong performance with its Shorts option, with Shorts clips in the app now seeing over 30 billion views per day, a 4x increase on a year ago. The rise of TikTok has changed the way that all of the major social apps look at content presentation, with Meta reporting that Reels now make up 20% of the time that people spend on Instagram, while Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest are all looking to update their UI options to lean into the TikTok-led video trend.

But of all of them, YouTube poses the biggest threat to TikTok’s dominance.

YouTube’s advanced monetization program offers the most potential for creators to make money from their efforts, and while Shorts itself is not a clear pathway to revenue success, using Shorts as a supplementary feed for your main channel could be the most lucrative strategy for creators.

Will that eventually see more of them coming to YouTube instead?

Certainly, there’s a level of angst among TikTok creators around not being able to make enough money from their clips, and that could, eventually, see more of them shifting focus to greener pastures instead.

And even without that, the relative success of Shorts and Reels in particular is keeping many users in both respective apps for longer, as opposed to them downloading TikTok and turning their focus to that app instead.

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But it does seem like YouTube could still end up the big winner here, especially with clever updates like this, which tap into another of YouTube’s key strengths – its unmatched database of video content.

We’ll wait and see what TikTok does next.

The updated ‘Green Screen’ options for YouTube Shorts is ‘beginning its gradual rollout’ on the iOS YouTube app from today, so if you’re not seeing it yet, you will soon.

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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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