Monday Social Media News Roundup: Week of October 23rd

Published

6 months ago

October 25, 2023

Entireweb News Bot

Monday Social Media News Roundup: Week of October 23rd

Get the need-to-know highlights from the social media industry that happened the week of October 16-20.

Broadcast Channels Feature

Meta is testing Telegram-like broadcast channels on Facebook and Messenger, providing a new avenue for Pages to engage with their audiences. Keep an eye on this feature’s rollout to leverage broader communication channels on Meta’s platforms.

Instagram Data Portability

Users can now transfer their Instagram media to Google Photos and other services, enhancing data management across apps. Use this feature to secure and manage your digital assets efficiently.

AI Chatbot Moderation

Verified for Business Onboarding

Meta revealed the onboarding steps for its Verified for Business program, aimed at authenticating business identities. Explore this verification process to boost your brand’s credibility on Meta platforms.

Threads

Facebook Post Display & Branded Content Tags

Threads is integrating with Facebook by displaying posts and testing branded content tags, expanding its reach and advertising potential. Explore Threads’ growing interconnectivity with other platforms to amplify your content visibility.

Instagram Profile Tags & Direct Messaging

Instagram

“Get Orders” Feature

The new “Get Orders” button on posts offers an additional interaction point for businesses and creators. Use this feature to streamline order processes and enhance customer interaction.

Web Tracking Opt-out

Meta now allows users to prevent Instagram from tracking their web activity, bolstering privacy controls.

Reels Play Bonus Discontinued

The discontinuation of a significant income source via Reels Play Bonus has sparked creators’ dissatisfaction.

Link Addition and Desktop Activity Access

New functionalities include adding a link to your page and accessing account activity on desktop, enhancing profile management.

Self-Destructing Messages & Multi-Account Login

Scheduled Chats for Communities

Twitter/X

Blocking Bing Search

Twitter/X has blocked Bing from crawling its content, potentially affecting search visibility. Monitor how this change may impact traffic referrals and content discoverability.

Enhanced User Verification

In a bid to combat bots, Twitter/X is introducing payment, phone, and ID verification along with a $1/yr fee for new users. Familiarize with these new verification steps to maintain your account integrity and platform access.

Possible Exit from Europe

Due to EU laws, Elon Musk contemplates withdrawing Twitter/X from Europe, which could shake the platform’s global presence. Stay updated on this development, especially if your audience is largely based in Europe.

Twitter Isn’t Free Any Longer with New User Fee in Selected Regions

New users in New Zealand and the Philippines will be charged $1 a year for key features access, a step towards platform monetization. Observe how this fee introduction impacts user growth and engagement in these regions.

Community Fact Checks Requirement

Community fact checks on Twitter/X now require source inclusion, promoting more transparent information validation. Make sure to include reputable sources when engaging in community fact checks.

Possible Link Throttling

Allegations of Twitter/X throttling links to rival sites like Threads are emerging. Use available tools to ascertain any link throttling affecting your content reach.

“Enhanced Discovery” for Premium Users

Twitter/X Premium may soon offer an “Enhanced Discovery” perk, enriching content discovery for its subscribers. If you’re a premium user, look forward to leveraging this perk to enhance your platform experience.

Fake Airline Rep Scam

A new scam on Twitter/X involves fake airline reps assisting in flight rebooking, showcasing a bizarre exploitation tactic.

Community Membership Qualification

Entry questions rollout on Twitter/X aims at qualifying users for community membership, fostering a more curated community experience. Use this feature to build and maintain a more engaged and authentic community.

AI-Powered Profile Enhancement

LinkedIn Premium users now have access to an “AI-powered Magic Wand” feature to enhance their profiles, offering a competitive edge in the professional arena.

Platform Evolution Attracting Brands

LinkedIn is transitioning beyond a job board, becoming a valuable space for influencers and CEOs to build their brands, with a burgeoning market of specialists ready to assist in maximizing LinkedIn’s potential. Explore this evolving platform dynamic to broaden your personal or corporate brand reach, and consider engaging professional assistance to harness LinkedIn’s full potential.

YouTube

Affiliate Product Display Enhancements

New features like product timestamps in clips, bulk tagging for affiliate products, and insights into sponsored mention performance are set to bolster affiliate marketing on YouTube. If you’re into affiliate marketing, leverage these features to enhance your product visibility and track performance.

Supporting News Organizations with Shorts

YouTube is allocating $1.6 million to assist over 30 news organizations across 10 countries in creating Shorts, enriching the platform’s news content. Explore YouTube Shorts as a fresh avenue for news consumption or sharing.

Facilitating Diverse Creator-Advertiser Connections

A new initiative allows creators to self-identify regarding race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and disabilities, making it easier for advertisers to connect with diverse creators.

Product Timestamps for Enhanced Shopping Experience

Creators can now add timestamps to tagged products in their videos, enriching the YouTube shopping experience. Use product timestamps to guide viewers to the exact moment a product is featured, enhancing their shopping journey.

Authoritative News Source Promotion

YouTube is nudging users towards ‘authoritative’ news sources through a new watch page, showcasing longform videos, livestreams, podcasts, and Shorts under currently playing content.

Playback and Creator-Focused Feature Rollout

A suite of new features including stable volume control, enhanced video descriptions on smart TVs, real-time view, and like counts for the first 24 hours, among others, are aimed at enhancing user and creator experience on the platform.

TikTok

Halloween-Themed Voice Effects

‘Parents of TikTok’ Hub Launch

A new hub called ‘Parents of TikTok’ aims to spotlight parenting content and create a supportive community for parents on the platform.

‘Out of Phone’ Ad Expansion

AI Chatbot ‘Tonik’ on TikTok Music

TikTok Music is testing an AI chatbot named Tonik, hinting at interactive features in the music domain.

Monetization Feature: ‘Work with Artists’

A new feature facilitating collaborations between creators and artists opens monetization avenues.
Explore ‘Work with Artists’ to discover collaboration and monetization opportunities.

Mobile Gaming Feature ‘Drops’

‘Drops’ allows viewers to earn in-game props by completing tasks during live streams, enhancing the gaming experience on TikTok.

CapCut for Business Launch

TikTok unveils a suite of business-centric video editing tools, including an AI script generator, AI virtual try-on, and collaboration features among others, targeting brands, marketers, and creators. Explore CapCut for Business to elevate your video marketing efforts with AI-powered tools and collaborative features.

Auto Captions on All Videos

Auto captions will soon be a default feature on all videos, promoting accessibility on TikTok.

Privacy Fine Challenge in EU

TikTok is contesting a €345 million fine over teen privacy concerns in the EU, showcasing the platform’s ongoing legal challenges in the region. Stay updated on this legal battle as it may impact TikTok’s operations in the EU.

Video Mention Feature from Audio Page

A new feature allowing mentions of other videos from the audio page enhances content interlinking on TikTok. Use this feature to reference and connect with other content, enriching your video narratives.

AI Memes Generation

Generate AI memes on TikTok with a new feature that adds a fun and interactive element to your content creation.

Alternative Platforms

Artifact

Recommendation Feature Expansion
- Instagram co-founders’ app, Artifact, now assists users in discovering and sharing favorite places like restaurants, bars, or shops, enhancing local exploration.

Snapchat

Facilitating Creator-Brand Collaborations
- Three new tools, including a Paid Partnership tag, Creator Discovery API, and Midroll ads for Stories, are launched to bridge collaborations between creators and brands, offering insightful metrics for informed partnerships.
Web Content Embedding Feature
- Snapchat now allow s websites to embed content like Lenses, Spotlight videos, Public Stories, and Public Profiles, broadening content shareability beyond the app.

Discord

Shutting Down Gas
- Discord decides to shut down Gas, an anonymous compliments app it acquired earlier this year, marking an end to this unique platform feature.

Reads

Coca-Cola Social Media Insights
- An in-depth exploration into how Coca-Cola effectively leverages social media to enhance brand presence and engagement.
- Takeaway: Delve into Coca-Cola’s strategic approach for potential insights to refine your own social media strategy. Read more
Paying to Dodge Ads
- A look into how much social media users are willing to pay to enjoy an ad-free experience on their favorite platforms.
- Takeaway: Understand user preferences regarding ad-avoidance to tailor your advertising or subscription-based strategies. Read more
New Stories Feature on Twitch
- Twitch introduces a Stories feature for eligible streamers, enhancing interaction and content sharing with their audience.
- Takeaway: If you’re a Twitch streamer, leverage the new Stories feature to engage with your audience in a fresh, transient manner. Read more
Teen Digital Behavior Insights
- A study revealing that most U.S teens spend around 4.8 hours daily on social media, with distinct preferences between genders on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
- Takeaway: Gain insights into the digital behaviors of Gen-Z to tailor your content and engagement strategies accordingly. Read more

That’s it for updates!

Geekout PRO Whatsapp Group (paid community with daily alerts)
The Verge
Social Media Today
TechCrunch
Twitter notifications are turned on for:
Matt Navarra
Radu Oncescu
Annie-Mai Hodge
Lindsey Gamble
Jonah Manzano
Lia Haberman
Rachel Karten

Related Topics:23rd Media Monday News October roundup seo Social Week

Up Next

How Jesse Cunningham Uses AI to Create High-Quality Content At Scale in 2023

Don't Miss

Eddie Huang Talks Family While Feasting on Chinese Takeout

Samsung: 6-Day Workweek For Execs, Company in Emergency Mode

Published

18 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

Samsung: 6-Day Workweek For Execs, Company in Emergency Mode

Four-day workweeks might have all the buzz, but one major tech company is going in the opposite direction.

Samsung is implementing a six-day workweek for all executives after some of the firm’s core businesses delivered lower-than-expected financial results last year.

A Samsung Group executive told a Korean news outlet that “considering that performance of our major units, including Samsung Electronics Co., fell short of expectations in 2023, we are introducing the six-day work week for executives to inject a sense of crisis and make all-out efforts to overcome this crisis.”

Lower performance combined with other economic uncertainties like high borrowing costs have pushed the South Korean company to enter “emergency mode,” per The Korea Economic Daily.

Executives at all Samsung Group divisions will be affected, including those in sales and manufacturing, according to the report.

Samsung had its worst financial year in over a decade in 2023, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that net profit fell 73% in Q4. It also lost its top spot on the global smartphone market to Apple in the same quarter, though it reclaimed it this year.

Though employees below the executive level aren’t yet mandated to clock in on weekends, some might follow the unwritten example of their bosses. After all, The Korea Economic Daily reports that executives across some Samsung divisions have been voluntarily working six days a week since January, before the company decided to implement the six-day workweek policy.

Entrepreneur has reached out to Samsung’s U.S. newsroom to ask if this news includes executives situated globally, including in the U.S., or if it only affects employees in Korea. Samsung did not immediately respond.

Research on the relationship between hours worked and output shows that working more does not necessarily increase productivity.

A Stanford project, for example, found that overwork leads to decreased total output. Average productivity decreases due to stress, sleep deprivation, and other factors “to the extent that the additional hours [worked] provide no benefit (and, in fact, are detrimental),” the study said.

Longer hours can also mean long-term health effects. The World Health Organization found that working more than 55 hours a week decreases life expectancy and increases the risk of stroke by 35%.

The same 55-hour workweek leads to a 17% higher risk of heart disease, per the same study.

AFFILIATE MARKETING

John Deere Hiring CTO ‘Chief Tractor Officer,’ TikTok Creator

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

John Deere Hiring CTO 'Chief Tractor Officer,' TikTok Creator

^{This article originally appeared on Business Insider.}

Agriculture equipment company John Deere is on the hunt for a different kind of CTO.

The brand on Tuesday announced a two-week search to find a “Chief Tractor Officer” who would create social media content to reach younger consumers.

One winning applicant will receive up to $192,300 to traverse the country over the next several months showcasing the way John Deere products are used by workers, from Yellowstone National Park to Chicago’s Wrigley Field and beyond.

“No matter what you do — whether it’s your coffee, getting dressed in the morning, driving to work, the building you go into — it’s all been touched by a construction worker, a farmer, or a lawn care maintenance group,” Jen Hartmann, John Deere’s global director of strategic public relations, told AdAge.

To kick off the search, John Deere tapped NFL quarterback Brock Purdy (who will presumably be a bit busy this Fall to take the job himself) to star in a clip in which he attempts to set out on a road trip in an industrial tractor.

Suited up in the obligatory vest, work boots, and John Deere hat, Purdy’s progress is interrupted by teammate Colton McKivitz hopping into the cab while a string of messages floods in from other athletes and influencers expressing interest in the job.

The clip also represents the first time that the 187-year-old company has used celebrities to promote itself, Hartmann told AdAge.

According to the contest rules, entrants have until April 29 at midnight to submit a single 60-second video making their pitch for why they should be the face and voice of the company.

In addition, entrants must live in the 48 contiguous states or DC — sorry Hawaii and Alaska residents. Interestingly, any AI-generated submissions are prohibited, too.

Videos will be judged against four categories — originally, creativity, quality, and brand knowledge — after which five finalists will be chosen and notified after May 17.

AFFILIATE MARKETING

How to Capitalize On This Thriving Talent Pool to Drive Your Company’s Growth

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

How to Capitalize On This Thriving Talent Pool to Drive Your Company's Growth

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

As business operations shift, executives and entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to an on-demand workforce that is simultaneously empowered by technology and drawn to purpose-driven projects.

Consider Upwork, whose 2020 Future of Workforce Pulse Report revealed that nearly 80% of hiring managers engaging freelancers feel confident about doing so. These hires provide coveted expertise — on a project-to-project basis — that entrepreneurs need to scale their operations without incurring long-term overhead costs.

This new market paradigm also promotes dynamism, with 79% of businesses agreeing that freelance talent enables greater innovativeness. Perhaps most telling, 84% of hiring managers utilizing it feel more assured about adapting to future disruption, compared to just 69% of those relying solely on full-time staff.

By capitalizing on freelance marketplaces, entrepreneurs can amplify employer branding, augment capabilities and future-proof organizations, even amid turbulence. As nearly 60% of hiring managers plan to increase engagement with freelancers over the next two years, the time is now for executives to realize their inherent potential.

The job market continues to shift

After a season of massive hiring, we’re back to seeing layoffs and downsizing. Companies are feeling the bloat—from unused office spaces with rising rent to oversized employee structures — and are shifting focus to hiring only the most essential positions. This leaves a critical talent gap needed for complex projects and specialized tasks. Highly skilled and specialized independents can fill this void.

A few key benefits to engaging them:

• Access to niche experts: Platforms like Toptal and Guru provide access to elite professionals from leading Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups. Whether the need is for a machine learning specialist, growth strategist or financial modeler, entrepreneurs can now curate on-demand teams that boast specialized skillsets, enabling them to focus investment on projects with the highest strategic value.

• Enhanced agility: Leading corporations increasingly “rent” skills by tapping freelance experts for initiatives involving new technologies or while entering unfamiliar markets. With niche contributors available to plug knowledge gaps, owners can explore ideas that once seemed unrealistic due to internal constraints—unlocking inventiveness and first-mover advantage.

• Stronger employment brand: Blending full-time employees with project-based freelancers signals a commitment to modernization and work-life balance. Offering both engaging work and flexibility will help draw exceptional candidates and help you compete with corporate giants for top-tier talent.

Tips for capitalizing on gig talent

Having explored the forces reshaping work, executives may wonder how to effectively leverage freelance platforms. After all, how can you know you’re getting your money’s worth if a hire isn’t physically present full-time?

• Define projects clearly: Contract hires thrive when expectations and deadlines are established upfront. So, clearly, detail needs around deliverables, success metrics, required skills and projected time investments. Staying ahead when it comes to communication and expectations will help avoid headaches, including delays.

• Build loyalty with talent: The best independent professionals have options regarding the projects they accept. Study their profiles to discern passions and incentives. Offer interesting work, flexibility and strong communication to motivate interest and improve results.

• Manage collaboration: Provide steady context, feedback and guidance at each project stage, but also foster autonomy, even while directing efforts toward strategic goals. A dynamic balance of these qualities drives optimal outcomes.

• Continue expanding your talent pool: Add proven freelancers to an internal database for repeat engagements, and notify talent about new initiatives for which their expertise would provide an edge. Uncovering additional ways, freelancers can enhance the business deepens the relationship.

Top platforms for connecting with talent

Now comes the hard part: finding contractors who bring fractional expertise sets. There are a growing number of platforms, of course, but I’ve found that the following stand out as leaders:

Fiverr: Ideal for execs seeking design, digital marketing, writing, video and admin support. Known for affordability and ease of posting jobs. It taps a global talent pool, too.

Upwork: A flexible platform that spans more than 150 skills. Used by everyone from small businesses to global enterprises. Strong at IT, development, design, finance and consulting.

Toptal: Focuses exclusively on the top 3% of talent. Best for expert software developers, designers, project managers and finance experts. All contributors are extensively vetted.

Contra: A growing independent platform that vets and connects both job candidates and hiring companies. Best of all, it doesn’t take a commission from projects.

The numbers speak for themselves: businesses engaging freelance professionals report greater confidence and competitiveness, as well as the ability to withstand turbulence, yet legacy beliefs can still cause hesitancy among those keen to hire. Supported by such specialized collaborators, companies can explore new horizons unencumbered by a one-time narrow view of staffing models.