Snapchat isn't dead! The Critical Social Weekly Round-Up
Facebook's investing millions in group admins, YouTube Go might change SA's attitude to video, and Snap is 25% cooler than it was last week.
I've got all that and 8 more critical social media industry updates, freebies and trends for you this week.
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Critical Platform Updates
- YouTube's launched its data-saving offline app YouTube Go in South Africa! This is huge if you're working with data-sensitive audiences who love to consume video. It's only available for emerging markets, but we tested it and it works perfectly in SA - you can choose your file size and download any video for offline viewing.
- Snap snapped back! Snap announced 8.9 million new users in its quarterly report, causing its stock to surge 25% in value. They say the app's simple redesign has seen usage soar in the 35 and up demographic. This is the first wave of optimism the company's had since IG stories launched, and frankly it's a relief to see an independent player bounce back like this.
- As Facebook lowers the impact of brand pages with one hand, it empowers group admins and members with the other. Facebook's launched a $1 million residency program, and will also be giving $50,000 grants to "extraordinary community leaders." They've also added new features for group management, including a Rules section, color schemes, and more group insights. Prediction: power admins are going to be the new generation of influencers, so start sucking up to them now.
- Facebook also low-key updated its branded content guidelines to explicitly bar creators from including title cards or running ads in their videos - which makes sense, since Facebook is trying to get some of that sweet pre-roll ad money for itself. If you've got deals with content creators to feature your products or ads, you might want to double check that you're complying with the updated guidelines.
- WhatsApp has beta launched a payment functionality in India. Though they haven't announced further plans, this is obviously a play to replicate the Chinese social commerce model, where 92% of e-commerce transactions are done through instant messenger WeChat.
Critical Links to Bookmark
- Even though the kids don't use them ironically anymore, hashtags still matter. So here's a handy roundup of 7 Twitter hashtag tools for tracking campaign hashtags and discovering key trends on Twitter.
- This quick guide to decoding social media algorithms has made me an instant fan of social consultant Ste Davies. We know what works and what doesn't on social media, but this post is an excellent resource for visualising all the instinctual checklists we keep in our heads. Bookmark it as essential reading for your next intern!
- LinkedIn's new Executive Playbook (I'll be honest, "playbook" may be a bit of a stretch) is a slick introduction to using LinkedIn targeted to C-Level wannabe thought-leaders. No life-changing info here for social pros, but a very handy resource to include in your onboarding packs for those clients who think they're just one blog post away from being Elon Musk.
What's Distracting Dasia This Week
- You can use the tech behind Amazon's Alexa to create lifelike text-to-speech for blog posts now! The Amazon Polly WordPress plugin is a game changer for content marketers who want to instantly convert blog posts into podcast-like audio with almost zero resources. The results still sound a little robotic, but it's miles ahead of the old Microsoft Sam voices we grew up with.
- The Critical Social Twitter handle is up and running, which means I've already tweeted 20+ times in one day, about a conference I didn't even attend! I'm also posting social media news as I find it throughout the week, so if you want to stay in the loop, ask questions, or send stuff you'd like to see in the newsletter, follow @critical_social.
- If Chloe the tiny 11-year-old dog can get unknowingly adopted by her childhood owner, then you can make it through this week. YES YOU CAN!
Your Critical Call To Action
Share this article with anyone who'd find it helpful! Even if they don't work in social media, and you just want to tell them the good news about Chloe the old dog. They deserve to know.
Critically Yours,
Dasia
Founder and One Blog Post Away From Being Elon Musk