RICK REA: Helping You Grow Through Online Marketing
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Social Media News
    • SEO Marketing News
    • Digital Trends News
    • Photography News
    • Mobile Marketing
    • Business News
    • Gadget News
    • Printing News
  • Contact
  • About
  • Subscribe

How to protect yourself when live video of suicide spreads on social media

4/30/2017

1 Comment

 
http://ift.tt/2oYBYXv

How to protect yourself when live video of suicide spreads on social media

http://ift.tt/2qmqgqW


The thrill of social media is often the possibility of surprise. It's fun to log on and see which viral videos, political rants, news stories, and baby pictures your friends and family have shared.

What we don't expect is to see someone die. Watching a suicide attempt (or murder) in real time is not part of the bargain we've made to stay connected with the world. And yet it happens. Earlier this week, a Thai man killed his infant daughter and himself on Facebook Live. The video appeared on both Facebook and YouTube before being taken down by the companies. 

While such incidents are rare, even news coverage of them can make us feel sad or angry. For some people, learning explicit details about these tragedies may lead to suicidal thoughts or behavior. We know this from years of research, but the phenomenon of broadcasting suicide via live video is so new that even experts in suicide prevention are grappling with how to understand its emotional impact.

If you're struggling right now, remember that the Lifeline is here for you, 24/7, at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Let us help you through. ??

— The Lifeline (@800273TALK) April 27, 2017

"This whole medium has not existed long enough for us to have a good understanding of how it might be different from what you might see in the newspaper or on a TV show," says Victor Schwartz, chief medical officer of The Jed Foundation, a suicide prevention nonprofit. 

"There’s nothing more lurid than seeing something like this in real time." 

He suspects, however, that witnessing a suicide on social media can be as bad or even worse for our emotional health as encountering graphic details in the media: "There’s nothing more lurid than seeing something like this in real time." 

That violence could be overwhelming and deeply disturbing, particularly for people who are at risk for or already experience anxiety or depression, or are struggling with their own suicidal impulses. 

To ease that anguish, Schwartz recommends first walking away from its source. "If you were eating or drinking something that tasted [bad], you would stop," he says. "This is the same thing — we can’t control what [we see] online, but you can spit it out." 

Once you've got some distance, find ways to make that space bigger. Try talking to a supportive, trusted friend about the emotions you felt after watching or hearing about the suicide. Sit down with a TV show that makes you laugh, take a walk or run, or do something else that gives you joy. Essentially, says Schwartz, find ways to distract yourself. 

Taking action is important too. If you see a suicide attempt take place on a social media platform, report it to the company. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Snapchat all provide users a way to report suicidal behavior or content, and Schwartz says following those guidelines can make someone feel less helpless. (If someone appears to be in immediate danger, you can also contact local law enforcement or 911.) Finally, he urges people experiencing relentless despair or suicidal thoughts to discuss their feelings, seek profession help, or call or text a hotline. 

Making space for stillness and calm is valuable and necessary. It's okay to stop rushing for a moment and take in your surroundings.

— Crisis Text Line (@CrisisTextLine) April 24, 2017

Testing how suicide on live video affects people would be unethical, which is partly why we don't know its consequences for our emotional health. Yet Madelyn Gould, a professor of epidemiology in psychiatry at Columbia University who specializes in suicide prevention research, believes the existing evidence on the "contagion effect" of suicide is robust enough to suggest that it could harm certain people. 

Most of these studies look retrospectively at whether the suicide rate spikes after a high-profile incident and show there appears to be some association between media reports and increases in the suicide rate. Those most affected are likely to be emotionally vulnerable people who can identify with the person who died. So geography, gender, age, and other factors can make a difference in how someone perceives the death, whether it relates to their own life, and how it could influence their frame of mind. 

Gould is less worried that we lack research on the impact of seeing a suicide on live video and more concerned that the norms around suicide may be changing to the point where people see it as a widespread, acceptable outcome. 

Talking about suicide requires a careful balance of acknowledging how and why it happens while avoiding making it seem inevitable, glamorous, or the best solution to ending one's pain. That's why she and other prevention experts were so alarmed by the vivid portrayal of suicide in the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, in which the main female character meticulously plans her suicide almost as a means of revenge against those who bullied and assaulted her. 

"It’s ok to talk about your fears or concerns about what you’ve seen or felt." 

Gould, among other advocates, want to focus more time on encouraging healthy conversations about self-harm, including coping strategies, how to get help, and spreading the knowledge that many people who have suicidal thoughts or attempt suicide can still lead happy lives. 

These are all things to focus on the next time a suicide airs live on social media. And don't be afraid to express what it meant to encounter that imagery or reporting — or to listen to someone else trying to make sense of that. 

"It’s O.K. to talk about your fears or concerns about what you’ve seen or felt," says Schwartz. 

If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Here is a list of international resources. 

WATCH: Break free from social media with this minimal phone





Social Media

via Social Media http://ift.tt/1N1mMj1

April 30, 2017 at 07:13AM
1 Comment

The pope is about to drop bars and the internet loves it

4/30/2017

0 Comments

 
http://ift.tt/2qsQOpp

The pope is about to drop bars and the internet loves it

http://ift.tt/2pkiQWq

The pope is about to drop bars and the internet loves it

Be humble.
Be humble.

Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock

2016%2f09%2f16%2ff5%2fhttpi.amz.mshcdn.comjhvrkcpdazmm0pcjkudjpgvalc4250x.d1cc2By Keith Wagstaff2017-04-30 18:55:24 UTC

Sorry, Kendrick. The pope is the greatest rapper alive. 

On Saturday, His Holiness was on a flight from Cairo to Rome, where he warned about the devastating effects of a war with North Korea. 

A serious topic, for sure. But the internet was too distracted by the above photo to care about the message. Francis: Tell 'em how you feel. 

**BEAT DROPS**

Pope: "oh shiiiiiiit....Microphone check one two what is this, the pope of the Francisus with the roughneck business-" http://pic.twitter.com/NuQLiEaOSQ

— LuisMiguelEchegaray (@lmechegaray) April 30, 2017

A few people referenced #popebars—an old hashtag born from a similar photo of the pope in Bangui back in 2015. 

In case you don't remember the miracle that was #popebars ...

Bless up, Pope Francis. 

WATCH: Seth Rogen and The Lonely Island tease a film about a 'music festival that goes horribly wrong'





Social Media

via Social Media http://ift.tt/1N1mMj1

April 30, 2017 at 07:13AM
0 Comments

The sad reason Donald Trump's tweets are way less popular than 3 months ago

4/30/2017

0 Comments

 
http://ift.tt/2qt8eCe

The sad reason Donald Trump's tweets are way less popular than 3 months ago

http://ift.tt/2oMR4U7

The sad reason Donald Trump's tweets are way less popular than 3 months ago

Farewell, Twitter engagement.
Farewell, Twitter engagement.

Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock

2016%2f09%2f16%2ff5%2fhttpi.amz.mshcdn.comjhvrkcpdazmm0pcjkudjpgvalc4250x.d1cc2By Keith Wagstaff2017-04-30 13:52:30 -0400

People are getting tired of The Donald's tweets.

According to a new report from digital agency Huge, the number of engagements (replies, retweets, likes) per tweet has dropped 66 percent in the three months since he took office. 

The number of likes per tweet has seen a yuuuge drop since his first day as president: 72 percent. 

What's going on? Are gems like these not captivating the public anymore?

Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2017

North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2017

Before your faith in humanity is restored, engagement with Trump's tweets has dropped not because users are tired of his rants—it's because he's not ranting as much anymore. 

The report breaks down Trump's tweets into three categories: agitated, calm, and prepared. 

In the last three months, the percentage of his total tweets that were "agitated" dropped from 44 percent to 26 percent. Meanwhile, his "prepared" tweets—canned announcements most likely written by his staff—rose from 15 percent to 27 percent. 

Essentially, he's tweeting less angry, off-the-cuff remarks, and more boring prepared statements, which is to be expected now that he's president. 

I get why people aren't into it. Here, he threatens Canada, which is interesting because who gets angry at Canada?

Canada has made business for our dairy farmers in Wisconsin and other border states very difficult. We will not stand for this. Watch!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2017

Now here is one of his "prepared" tweets. 

I mean, he's barely threatening anybody. Snooze alert. 

"In social media, nothing alienates a core audience faster than an inauthentic voice," the report said. "Watering down the president’s Twitter account with static and predictable prepared tweets has chipped away at its authenticity, giving its fans and followers license to look away."

Not being an unhinged, impulsive bully is ruining your brand, Donald Trump. But I have faith that you can fix that.  

WATCH: Trump thought being president would be easier than being a reality star businessman





Social Media

via Social Media http://ift.tt/1N1mMj1

April 30, 2017 at 05:59AM
0 Comments

Kind strangers keep feeding Mark Zuckerberg

4/30/2017

0 Comments

 
http://ift.tt/2oYeYI9

Kind strangers keep feeding Mark Zuckerberg

http://ift.tt/2qm1Nlh


Poor Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook CEO spent the weekend wandering America, scoring free meals from kind strangers, who no doubt took pity on a 32-year-old man unable to afford anything but gray T-shirts and hoodies. 

The first family to feed him were the Moores of Newton Falls, Ohio, who learned only 20 minutes beforehand who their dinner guest would be. 

The Zuck reportedly told his staff that he wanted to dine with a family of Democrats in a swing state who voted for Trump—which is totally something that a person who's not running for political office would do. 

A week before dinner, Daniel Moore got a call asking him if he'd like to have dinner with a "very wealthy philanthropist," according to WKBN news. 

Sadly, it wasn't Richard Branson parachuting in from space, but Mark Zuckerberg—fresh from awkwardly drilling things at a Ford plant in Michigan—who showed up at 6 p.m. on Friday night.  

According to a local newspaper with a badass name, The Vindicator, Daniel and Lisa Moore talked about more than just politics with Zuckerberg. They also discussed their work with the Kisiizi Good Shepherd Orphanage in Uganda. 

"We got to know a very cool guy" Moore told The Vindicator. "Just down-to-earth and real easy to talk to."

Afterwards, Zuck hit the road and found more generous strangers in South Bend, Indiana. On Saturday, he ate chicken and ribs with the crew of the Elkhart Fire Department.

"Thanks to the fire department for letting me crash your dinner," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook.

Hopefully this Facebook thing works out so he can afford his own meals. 

WATCH: Seth Rogen and The Lonely Island tease a film about a 'music festival that goes horribly wrong'





Social Media

via Social Media http://ift.tt/1N1mMj1

April 30, 2017 at 03:58AM
0 Comments

The Three-Pronged Approach to Modern Marketing

4/29/2017

0 Comments

 
http://ift.tt/2oWv8BN

The Three-Pronged Approach to Modern Marketing

http://ift.tt/2qh2Y8G

Modern marketing is a complex and diverse ecosystem, and technology alone is no longer enough to address that complexity. Instead, you need a multi-pronged approach. Technology provides the thread that stitches together this diverse ecosystem, data provides the science to know who to engage with, and storytelling is used to deliver an experience that will inspire behavioral change.

Driving all of these marketing efforts, and influencing all consumer behavior is the unmet needs of the individual. Today’s marketers have all the tools they need to weave together technology, data, and storytelling to predict these needs. Here are the 3 things to consider reasons why your brand always needs to be “on” in order to effectively utilize this data.

The Consumer Is Always “On”

Consumers aren’t just tech-savvy these days, they’re tech dependent. That means more work for brands to engage, inspire, acquire, and ultimately retain that consumer. People know what they want, and they have the patience and skillsets to use various technologies to get it. Don’t make the mistake of becoming tech-obsessed though, and neglect the importance of data and storytelling.

Meeting the Needs of Yor Target Market

To effectively and consistently meet the needs of your target audience, you need to be always listening, understanding, and predicting consumer behavior. These three principles make up predictive marketing. A good brand will give the company what the consumer wants. A great brand will give consumers what they want, before they even know they want it. Data can provide these insights and virtually all companies have the ability to collect it. The secret is to analyze and apply the data to really understand, and ultimately shape, consumer behavior.

Separation Between Online and Offline No Longer Exists

Unless you’re marketing to the Amish, the line between the offline and online worlds has become blurred to the point of questionable existence. With more and more consumers constantly plugged in, brands need to be ready to anticipate decisions that can occur at any moment. This has led to consumers caring less about the product, and more about the general experience offered throughout the marketing process (largely conveyed through storytelling). If your story resonates with the consumer on a personal level, and you have the tech and data to connect everything together, you win the loyalty of those consumers.

To hear more about predictive marketing and the importance of understanding consumer behavior from a variety of angles, check out the latest Renegade Thinkers Unite podcast below. Drew Neisser talks about modern marketing techniques with Spotify’s Global Vice President for Growth & Marketing, Mayur Gupta.

The post The Three-Pronged Approach to Modern Marketing appeared first on Social Media Explorer.





Social Media

via Social Media Explorer http://ift.tt/xMddWR

April 29, 2017 at 09:26AM
0 Comments

The parody accounts that make Twitter bearable in the era of Trump

4/29/2017

0 Comments

 
http://ift.tt/2oIKJJd

The parody accounts that make Twitter bearable in the era of Trump

http://ift.tt/2qinrXL


Over the course of his first months in the White House, President Trump notoriously turned Twitter into his personal outlet for unhinged political venting. That of course inspired the creation of dozens of parody accounts that became tools of resistance, coping mechanisms, and light-hearted distractions from the political chaos. 

A simple Twitter search for "Donald Trump Parody" reveals a collection of over 50 accounts, and though each tackles Trump’s presidency with a different approach, they all set out with a common goal: to make Twitter in the Trump era a bit more bearable. 

To get a better sense of what it takes to challenge Trump on his favorite social platform, we reached out to the creators of two of the most popular Trump parody accounts on Twitter and uncovered some intriguing facts about the 24/7 job. 

For instance: One of the most thought-provoking accounts on Twitter was inspired by Trump's spat with the musical Hamilton.

While accounts like @RealDonalDrumpf and @mechanicaltrump attempt to imitate Trump's unique online behavior, tweeting with an excessive amount of exclamation points and bashing Obama and the Democratic party every chance they get, others, like @aTinyTrump, give followers a good laugh with the help of Photoshop.

The more serious parody account @DTrumpExposed, meanwhile, provides followers with essential information related to Trump's presidency and his administration, serving as an alternative source of news for those who want to stay in the loop.

@IfHillaryHad imagines American politics in an alternate reality, tweeting on a day-to-day basis as Hillary Clinton had she won the election. @BRIDGETTRUMPSD1 is a depiction of Trump's diary entries if they were written in the style of Bridget Jones. You know, very normal stuff.

Which brings us to @HalfOnionInABag, the scrap of a vegetable just looking to get more Twitter followers than Trump. It hasn't quite reached the president's 28.4 million, but 739,000 followers is still pretty impressive for a vegetable.

Trump — now with maturity!

If there's anything we've learned from the overzealous, typo-ridden 140-character messages posted to the president's Twitter account, it's where there's a Trump tweet, there's room for improvement.

One man decided to take on the taxing job of editing those tweets to try and make the president's words sound more, well, presidential. Under the promise of anonymity, the 52-year-old creator of Mature Trump Tweets spoke to us about the inspiration behind the thought-provoking account, how life has changed since starting it, and what kind of impact he hopes his revised words have on the world.

Here's how he edited one of Trump's tweets about "fake news":

The independent media have an important job to do. Informed Americans can ferret out the truth w/out my need to try to sully or discredit. https://t.co/URR1qsHxly

— PresidentialTrump (@MatureTrumpTwts) February 25, 2017

Since several early followers wondered if Barack Obama were behind the account, the creator has decided to go by the nickname Barry.

"I think he's failed to recognize, or worse doesn't care, that his words matter."

He began the account last fall, a few weeks after Trump won the election, as things on Twitter got more and more surreal.

"I think he's failed to recognize, or worse doesn't care, that his words matter," Barry said. "I became almost numb due to the Twitter assault that seemed to attack first amendment rights and lack of civility in his tone," he went on, identifying the president's Twitter beef with the cast of Hamilton as one of the events that drove him to create the account.

"I needed to do something because I felt powerless. So I decided to recreate his tweets and tweet the way I think a true diplomatic statesman would. It was cathartic for me, and I had a hunch it would be for others too."

Throughout the course of the young presidency, Barry's goals for the account have evolved. "Originally it was selfish. I needed an outlet," he explained. "I also was determined to not allow this type of tone to be normalized. That's a scary proposition."

Retweets from powerful social media voices like J.K. Rowling, Ricky Gervais, Seth McFarlane, and Mark Cuban were soon to follow. Mature Trump Tweets has 123,000 followers, some of whom have reached out to tell Barry how important the account is to them, offering to start GoFundMe or Kickstarter campaigns to ensure it remains up and running.

The first 90 days of my presidency has been humbling. I'll work tirelessly for you & this country. We have much yet to accomplish, together. https://t.co/9OvgFOoObr

— PresidentialTrump (@MatureTrumpTwts) April 17, 2017

"Today, I have bigger goals," Barry admitted. "I think this could be a counter movement. One that espouses kindness, civility, decorum — things I think Americans and people around the world truly want and crave."

Maintaining an account that directly responds to Trump's relentless Twitter activity isn't always easy. "I usually retweet Trump when he tweets, which means daily — usually early in the morning or late at night," Barry said. 

Barry also tweets whenever he feels the president should be tweeting, even if Trump remains silent. "Those are often the most popular, because it demonstrates the fact he seems tone deaf on what's important and what the majority of Americans want to hear from him."

"W/so much negativity in headlines right now, know we really can & will build a better, kinder world together. Pls keep believing." - Barry

— PresidentialTrump (@MatureTrumpTwts) April 20, 2017

Embracing the chaos through humor

During Trump's first month in office, executive order signing became something of a sport for President Trump and it wasn't long before 34-year-old Mike Gaines took notice.

With each document Trump presented, Gaines thought he resembled a proud little kid showing off his drawings to his parents. Gaines was inspired to take a more lighthearted approach to manage his political frustrations. Trump Draws — a brilliant collection of photoshopped GIFs — was born.

When Trump fired Sally Yates, the deputy attorney general who refused to defend his travel ban, the Los Angeles-based visual effects artist decided to transform the proud president into an ambitiously doodling toddler with the help of his iPad Pro, the app Procreate, and Adobe After Effects.

Gaines began posting to the account several times a week, showing Trump dramatically revealing drawings of cute little animals and holiday greetings, with timely political references. He misspelled captions (in too-real Trump fashion) and occasionally even doodled with his non-dominant hand to really capture the youthful aspect of his photoshop creations.

"In this increasingly divisive political world, the account somehow cuts through all the BS," Gaines said. It's "simply a way to laugh at the doodles of a very proud man, who just happens to be the president of the United States."

After the account — which is currently at 439,000 followers — received such a positive response from Twitter users, Gaines decided to expand the endeavor to include paintings in the White House, presentation tools, and really any other white surface begging to be memed.

"I feel like these accounts really are a bright light in a pretty dismal world right now, he said. "Laughing and comedy are the best way to cope."

Though Gaines refers to Trump as "a diamond mine for comedy," he thinks the president's seemingly unfiltered, unprofessional Twitter account is a true cause for concern. "Dude needs to pick a new game ... maybe trying to run the country instead?" he suggested, clarifying that he's not trying to use Trump Draws to make a political statement. 

"I really just want to add some levity to this crazy political climate," Gaines said. "Sometimes you just need to see Trump childishly draw an elephant to get you through the day."

So simple, yet so effective.

Parodies FTW

Though it’s tough to say definitively whether Trump is the most parodied president in history — I mean, even George Washington was subject to sketches — The Donald does seem to have a big target painted on his back in the social media age.

Even when it comes to more recent presidents, a search for "Barack Obama parody" yields eighteen results on the platform. "George Bush parody" reveals a mere three. (Though, to be fair, Obama was elected when Twitter was only in its infancy.)

The takeaway? When it comes to being parodied on Twitter, Trump is winning. So much winning.

WATCH: Trump accidentally stood next to Darth Vader and this is why symbolism exists





Social Media

via Social Media http://ift.tt/1N1mMj1

April 29, 2017 at 12:27AM
0 Comments

New LinkedIn Remarketing Capabilities: This Week in Social Media

4/29/2017

0 Comments

 
http://ift.tt/2qfO2rq

New LinkedIn Remarketing Capabilities: This Week in Social Media

http://ift.tt/2prF7Aa

social media researchWelcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news.

To help you stay up to date with social media, here are some of the news items that caught our attention.

What’s New This Week

LinkedIn Rolls Out Matched Audiences: LinkedIn introduced Matched Audiences, “a set of targeting capabilities that give you the unique ability to combine LinkedIn’s powerful professional data with your own first-party data.” With Matched Audiences, members can engage key accounts, prospects, and audiences “that matter most to [their] business with three new capabilities.” These capabilities include Website Retargeting, which allows businesses to market to LinkedIn members who visited their website with always-on campaigns. LinkedIn also rolled out the ability to engage prospects from your list of contacts with Contact Targeting and reach decision-makers and influencers at companies you’re targeting with Account Targeting.

VIDEO

Facebook Allows Content Owners to Claim Ad Revenues From Freebooted Videos: Facebook updated the Rights Manager to include a new option that allows content owners to “claim ad earnings” generated from a piece of content that other users have taken from them and uploaded elsewhere. For example, if a freebooted video happens to be served a new mid-roll ad break that Facebook is currently testing, then the resulting revenue could automatically be sent to the content’s rightful owner instead of the infringing user who uploaded it.

Facebook now allows content owners claim ad earnings from freebooted videos.

Facebook now allows content owners to claim ad earnings from freebooted videos.

In addition to the right to claim ad earnings from their videos, content owners can also set automated rules for instantly blocking infringing uploads from being viewed. Content owners also have the option to allow matched videos to be seen and have access to the viewing metrics or request that they be manually reviewed by Facebook. These updates are being rolled out to pages using Rights Manager globally over “the coming weeks.”

Facebook Brings Messenger Lite to More Countries: Facebook announced that Messenger Lite is now available to more countries around the world including Germany, Colombia, Italy, Vietnam, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Turkey, Japan, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. Facebook highlights the benefits of using Messenger Lite on older phones with limited processing power, but it’s also helpful in areas with spotty or unreliable Internet connections.

Facebook Messenger Lite is now available in more countries around the world.

Facebook Messenger Lite is now available in more countries around the world.

Pinterest Retires the Like Button: On its company blog, Pinterest announced plans to retire the Like button “in the coming weeks.” The company states that confusion about the differences between the Save button and the Like button and research showing that Pinterest is “easier to understand” without the Like button led to this decision. It’s speculated that this minor update is a way for Pinterest to “separate itself from other photo-heavy social platforms where ‘Like’ buttons are prominent, primarily Facebook and Instagram” and establish itself as a visual discovery tool.

Our Take on Top News This Week

In this week’s show from Friday, April 28, 2017, Michael Stelzner and guests discuss the top news in social media. Topics include Facebook Live Camera Effects (6:50), Facebook Video Cover Images (25:24), Pinterest Desktop Visual Search (31:59), and LinkedIn Retargeting (40:41). Subscribe to future shows here.

More News to Note

Snapchat Expands Automatic Geofilter Ad Sales: Snapchat opened its API “a bit more” by allowing brands to automatically purchase customized geofilter ads from ad-tech partners and creative firms. Adweek reports that “more than 15 of Snapchat’s ad partners in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada, including Amobee and Videology, are now pitching sponsored geofilters to agencies and brands, as well as the full-screen, vertical video ads that run alongside stories and Discover content.”

Previously, branded geofilters could only be purchased through Snapchat’s self-service Buy tool. With this update, vendors can now “help brands buy bigger ad packages that include both formats and automatically manage the targeting of geofilters to make sure they run at specific locations and times” and creative firms can provide templates to help brands design custom messaging for their geofilters.

Snapchat opens up its ad business even more to help brands buy geofilter ads automatically: https://t.co/xFN0fzyTmn http://pic.twitter.com/Ercgl7epIW

— Adweek (@Adweek) April 24, 2017

Facebook Expands Dynamic Ads to Target Airline Customers Globally: Facebook extended Dynamic Ads for Travel to include flights globally across Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook’s Audience Network ad network. Marketing Land reports that these new flight ads are similar to the industry-specific retargeted ads that Facebook rolled out for hotel inventory almost a year ago. With Facebook’s new Dynamic Ads for Travel for Flights, marketers can retarget potential air travelers with ads featuring flight information such as dates, airport names, or links to an airline’s site or mobile app.

Facebook’s Dynamic Ads for Travel for Flights offer airlines industry-specific retargeted ads. Here are the details: https://t.co/bPPafOHIlF

— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) April 27, 2017

Pinterest Improves Chrome Extension for Visual Search: Pinterest announced “an update to its browser button for Google’s Chrome browser that should make it easier to save interesting content that users find on websites.” Using a new technology called “instant image feature detection,” Pinterest’s new Chrome extension will “automatically highlight any interesting thing that’s visible in the current [browser] window… and then show you pins that are visually similar.” This update surfaces “much better results” and “is so much more useful” when searching for similar items on Google Chrome.

Pinterest improves visual search in its Chrome extension https://t.co/asG7XfYvLz

— VentureBeat (@VentureBeat) April 22, 2017

Instagram Reaches 700 Million Users Worldwide: Instagram shared that its “community has grown to more than 700 million” worldwide. It also announced that the “the last 100 million… joined faster than ever,” which refers to Instagram’s accelerated growth from 600 million users as reported only four months ago. TechCrunch reports that it previously took Instagram six months to go from 500 million in June 2016 to 600 million by December 2016. It credits the addition of new features such as “Stories, web signup, and better onboarding on low-end Android phones” for the platform’s rapid user growth and retention over the past two years.

Instagram reaches 700 million users worldwide.

Instagram reaches 700 million users worldwide.

LinkedIn Reaches 500 Million Members Worldwide: LinkedIn reached an important milestone of “half a billion members in 200 countries connecting and engaging with one another” on its platform.  LinkedIn also provided insights on the “top 5 most connected” industries, countries, and jobs within the LinkedIn community and the average number of contacts, companies, and opportunities each connection in your personal LinkedIn network reaches.

Along with this announcement, LinkedIn announced an upcoming update to the My Network tab that will provide personalized insights on “the top connections you’ve already made and how each person can help you work toward your career goals.”

LinkedIn reached an important milestone of having half a billion members in 200 countries connecting and engaging with one another on its platform.

LinkedIn reached an important milestone of having half a billion members in 200 countries connecting and engaging with one another on its platform.

Twitter Adds 9 Million New Monthly Average Users in Q1 2017: In its Q1 2017 Earnings, Twitter shares that it has averaged 9 million added monthly users this past quarter. It also streamed over 800 hours of live premium video content and added 45 million unique viewers this past quarter as well. Yet Twitter’s overall revenue declined year over year for the first time and advertising revenue across all ad formats shrank for the second straight quarter in a row. The report states that live video has become Twitter’s “single largest revenue-generating ad format” in Q1 2017, while promoted tweets and direct-response ad formats declined year over year.

#Twitter‘s total revenue shrinks for the first time as ad revenue decline steepens by @petersontee https://t.co/f2EVYn2uOZ

— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) April 27, 2017

Google Adds Linear and Digital TV Inventory to DoubleClick Bid Manager: Google’s DoubleClick Bid Manager platform in the U.S. has added traditional TV inventory, which means that advertisers will be “better able to manage their video campaigns across ‘linear’ TV and digital TV… [in] a single platform.” Google is currently working with two ad tech partners that will work with “cable networks and TV stations, as well as its own Google Fiber service, to serve access to ‘national, local, and even addressable’ TV inventory through DoubleClick Bid Manager.”

Google adds TV inventory to DoubleClick Bid Manager https://t.co/0vZEUGU1DT

— VentureBeat (@VentureBeat) April 24, 2017

Twitch Launches New Affiliate Program for Qualifying Non-Partner Channels: Twitch launched a new affiliate program “to help streamers who have been working hard to grow their stream, but haven’t reached Partner status.” The new affiliate program allows qualified streamers to start earning on their channels and will give them access to additional tools “in the future.” To qualify, non-partnered streamers must have at least 500 total minutes broadcast in the last 30 days, 7 unique broadcast days in the last 30 days, an average of 3 concurrent viewers or more over the last 30 days, and at least 50 followers.

Twitch released its first round of invitations to join the affiliate program to qualified streamers from around the world this week. The company reports that “new invites will continue to go out on a rolling basis as additional streamers qualify for the program.”

Twitch opens new Affiliate Program for qualifying non-partner channels.

Twitch opens a new affiliate program for qualifying non-partner channels.

YouTube Expands YouTube Kids App to Select Smart TVs: YouTube announced that the YouTube Kids app, which was previously only available on mobile, can now be enjoyed on “select smart TVs” in the 26 countries where the app is currently in operation. YouTube notes that access to the YouTube Kids app within each country is also “dependent on the individual television manufacturer.” TechCrunch reports that several complaints have been filed with the FTC about advertising and influencers on YouTube and YouTube Kids being used to market to minors. YouTube responded by rolling out an ad-free subscription option for YouTube Kids that removed paid ads on the network but not undisclosed influencer videos.

Reddit Removes Custom Styles and Mod Tools for Communities: As part of an upcoming site redesign announced earlier this year, Reddit is eliminating custom community styles via CSS “in favor of a new system over the coming months.” Reddit assures users that it’s “designing a new set of tools to address the challenges with CSS but continue to allow communities to express their identities,” as well as developing new mod tools that will natively support “the most requested features from Toolbox.”

Upcoming Social Media News Worth Following

Twitter Will Begin Streaming Live Video Programming 24/7: Twitter “plans to air live video 24 hours a day, 7 days a week inside its apps and desktop site, building on the 800+ hours it aired in the first three months of 2017.” The company’s goal is to “to be a dependable place so that when you want to see what’s happening, you think of going to Twitter.” While Twitter hasn’t yet publicly offered a timetable for reaching this 24/7 programming goal, it indicates that it’s currently working on “many, many things” and “there’s a lot in the pipeline.”

BuzzFeed News reports that Twitter is currently pitching advertisers “on the value of spending big bucks to reach its audience at its first ever NewFronts event” and introducing “a handful of new shows in hopes of landing some big upfront ad buys from top-tier sponsors.”

Nonstop live video is coming to @Twitter https://t.co/01XM4VA3mJ

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 26, 2017

Facebook Tests Video Cover Images for Pages: Facebook is testing the ability to upload videos as cover images on pages. Facebook confirms that it’s “always looking for ways to help businesses create more engaging experiences and drive more rich experiences for their audiences” but didn’t share any further details regarding plans to expand this feature more broadly.

Facebook Is Testing Video Cover Images for Pages: https://t.co/I66j5xDrrY #facebook http://pic.twitter.com/9hjcnJJ75i

— Social Pro Daily (@SocialProDaily) April 25, 2017

Facebook Tests New Related Articles Feature in News Feed: Facebook is testing a new Related Articles feature that surfaces similar news items that might appear before you read an article in the news feed and provides “additional perspectives and information including articles by third-party fact-checkers.” Facebook initially added Related Articles to the news feed in 2013 “to show people additional articles similar to ones they had just read.” This new Related Articles feature would appear before users click on the stories in their news feeds.

Facebook doesn’t anticipate that pages will see significant changes in reach due to this test and advised that “Pages should continue posting stories that are relevant to their audience.”

Facebook is testing a new Related Articles feature that surfaces similar news items before you read an article shared in News Feed and provide additional perspectives and information including articles by third-party fact-checkers.

Facebook is testing a new Related Articles feature.

Facebook Announces Upcoming Changes to the Facebook Pixel: Facebook alerted advertisers that effective May 20, the Facebook pixel will start mining more contextual information and event data including button clicks and related page metadata from websites. This enhancement to the Facebook pixel is expected to improve ad delivery and reporting. Facebook notes that for any pixels created before April 20, “this new functionality will go into effect May 20… [and] for Facebook pixels created April 20 or later, this change will take effect immediately.”

The Facebook Pixel Will Begin Mining More Information From Websites May 20: https://t.co/gqGIVeVfse #facebook http://pic.twitter.com/XHPWKyedFO

— Social Pro Daily (@SocialProDaily) April 27, 2017

Some Interesting Studies to Note:

The 2017 Influencer Marketer Report: A new survey from micro-influencer marketing platform Hashoff reveals nearly all respondents (92%) say that Instagram is the “#1 platform” for influencer work, citing community and opportunities to connect with brands as the driving factor for this choice. Facebook was chosen as #1 by nearly 3%, which means that Instagram and Facebook together dominate influencer marketing as the focus platform for 95% of influencers at the expense of other platforms. Twitter, Snapchat, and others were cited by “only 2.4% of influencers combined,” and this figure is predicted to decline even further over the coming year.

Solving the WBE Digital Disconnect: A new report from Slice Communications, Cogberry Creative, and Creatives on Call explores the reason why women’s business enterprises (WBEs) are “missing out on market share despite a climate of access in the supplier inclusion industry” and examines the “digital disconnect” between the way WBEs are using digital marketing and social media and how buyers are making purchasing decisions. The study reveals that out of almost 900 WBEs surveyed across the U.S., approximately 64% don’t maintain a current or active social media presence. In addition, 45% of the WBEs surveyed have a website that doesn’t adequately communicate the products and services they offer.

Location-Based Marketing in Retail Roundup: eMarketer compiled a roundup of curated articles, insights, and interviews to help retail marketers understand how to leverage location-based marketing to bring customers into stores. This report examines where retailers can place location-based digital ads to drive offline store visits, how to use geolocation and customer ID technology, and leveraging platforms like Snapchat to get “shoppers to the shelves.”

What do you think of LinkedIn’s new retargeting tool, Matched Audiences? Have you updated your content management preferences in Facebook Rights Manager? Please share your comments below.

New LinkedIn Remarketing Capabilities and other social media news for Apr. 29, 2017.

New LinkedIn Remarketing Capabilities and other social media news for Apr. 29, 2017.





Social Media

via http://ift.tt/eZnnjC

April 28, 2017 at 10:06PM
0 Comments

Jack Dorsey just spent $9.5M buying more Twitter stock

4/28/2017

0 Comments

 
http://ift.tt/2oH1FzD

Jack Dorsey just spent $9.5M buying more Twitter stock

http://ift.tt/2oH3yMH

Jack Dorsey is at it again — after purchasing $7 million in Twitter stock back in February, the Twitter CEO bought another $9.5 million today. After making his purchase, Dorsey posted the news on Facebook Twitter, sparking a one percent gain in the company’s after share price in after-hours trading.

Sourced from Google Finance.

According to an SEC filing, Dorsey purchased 574,002 shares of Twitter stock at roughly $16.62. That price is either a steal, if you compare it to Twitter’s peak share price of almost $70 or a pretty bad deal if you’re looking at last week’s share price that was $2 lower. Either way, the CEO is expressing confidence in his company that just posted its first decent earnings report in a while.

Earlier this week Twitter reported to investors that it brought in $548 million in revenue in Q1 2017, beating investor expectations of $511.9 million. That sent Twitter stock on an upward trajectory, benefitting shareholders. But despite all the good news, Dorsey hasn’t actually made much from his purchase of over 400,000 shares back in February.

With both purchases combined, Dorsey has now grabbed up over 1 million additional shares of Twitter stock this year alone. In contrast, he has been dumping stock from his side-hustle Square. The share price for Square stock has been on the rise. The money from Dorsey’s sale of Square stock has previously gone to find his own Start Small Foundation.

Featured Image: Paul Jeffers/Fairfax Media via Getty Images/Getty Images




Social Media

via Twitter – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com

April 28, 2017 at 12:15PM
0 Comments

Fyre Festival perfectly demonstrates the delicious schadenfreude of our modern world

4/28/2017

0 Comments

 
http://ift.tt/2oQIX45

Fyre Festival perfectly demonstrates the delicious schadenfreude of our modern world

http://ift.tt/2oFXXGr


If you spend a lot of time on social media, then you've probably heard about music and culture event Fyre Festival — the exclusive Bahamas getaway all the pretty people were headed to this week. If Coachella was for the plebs, Fyre Festival was supposedly for the truly cool.

And because the festival is for the truly cool, you can charge thousands of dollars for it. After all, getting pretty people to shill for products of questionable effectiveness is a hallmark of the influencer industry. So it's understandable why the people behind Fyre Festival (A.K.A. Ja Rule) would charge a minimum of $1,500?

If you haven't been living under a rock, you probably have an idea of what happened next: The festival, billed as a luxury getaway, just about imploded on all fronts, with musicians pulling out, laughably bad food, lack of accommodations, and so on.

Fortunately (or unfortunately if you're Fyre Festival), now everyone knows about the disaster because a bunch of social media-savvy people who paid a lot of money for something that turned out to be a disaster ended up ... posting about it on social media for us all to enjoy. And in the process confirmed everyone's worst assumptions about social media influencers.

The promotion

For a first-time festival, Fyre had plenty of media and social media buzz — much of it centered around the influencer blitz.

"Hey quick question: What's Fyre Festival, and why are all the models in the Bahamas promoting it?" asked Fashionista back in December. "And most importantly, will it be lit?" the subhead added. 

"Can a critical mass of Victoria's Secret Models and a Hadid give Bahamas tourism an Insta-boost?" asked Vanity Fair.

Hell, even Kendall Jenner was involved. 

If influencers have turned social media platforms into a gigantic version of high school (complete with the social stratifications), Fyre Festival seemed to represent a chance to hang with the cool kids and get a taste of their life — for a price. Many packages included chartered airfare and "glamping" accommodations. There was even a $400,000 package that offered a house on the "VIP island" that included "dinner with a performer." 

It's an attractive offer to people who follow Instagram stars and imagine the lives behind their sunset-on-the-beach photographs. 

Think: less music festival, more a millennial version of those fantasy rock-and-roll camps. 

The festival

Turns out, it's pretty hard putting on a gigantic event with tons of moving parts. 

Problems were already apparent in the weeks leading up to the event: Deadlines missed for paying artists, confusion spread about travel logistics. The event's cofounders even had to seek outside investments to pay for costs, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. 

Perhaps even more interesting? Fyre came right after Coachella, among the biggest and most successful U.S. music festivals. People who bought Fyre packages conceivably picked it over Coachella, which had a better lineup of acts and, you know, the promise that it would actually happen.

The promotion worked and the festival was sold out of general admission tickets. Bad press somehow wasn't able to overcome bikini-clad models on boats.

Meanwhile, Fyre organizer Ja Rule was speaking at SXSW on a panel about authenticity in advertising. You honestly can't make this stuff up. 

The aftermath

Fyre Festival ended like it began — as a social media firestorm, though not the way its organizers intended. 

By Friday morning, the schadenfreude was in full swing. Twitter, Instagram, even Reddit were filled with horror stories. The organizers cancelled the festival, and transportation was a mess. There wasn't even beer. 

This tweet of food, allegedly from the festival, summed up much of it.

Are we all going a little overboard in our enjoyment of this disaster? Yes, but not without reason. Fyre Festival brought together so much of what many people find disgusting about social media influence — crass materialism, braggadocious vanity, empty aspirations — and packaged them into a single event. Then, it confirmed our assumptions that the entire scene is fake.

When a bunch of pretty people pay big bucks to discover that fact we all already know — social media is intensely staged — it's hard not to laugh, particularly when entire thing was then roasted by the same social media platforms that made this possible in the first place.

Now, please share this post on your social media feeds.

WATCH: This NYU student went undercover as a worker in a Chinese iPhone factory





Social Media

via Social Media http://ift.tt/1N1mMj1

April 28, 2017 at 06:31AM
0 Comments

Take a wild guess what Trump's favorite hashtag was in his first 100 days

4/28/2017

0 Comments

 
http://ift.tt/2ptsMgM

Take a wild guess what Trump's favorite hashtag was in his first 100 days

http://ift.tt/2pbYIpz

Take a wild guess what Trump's favorite hashtag was in his first 100 days

Lori Levis checks her phone outside the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton, Wisconsin, ahead of a Donald Trump rally.
Lori Levis checks her phone outside the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton, Wisconsin, ahead of a Donald Trump rally.

Image: Nam Y. Huh/AP/REX/Shutterstock

2016%2f09%2f16%2f9c%2fhttpsd2mhye01h4nj2n.cloudfront.netmediazgkymde1lzaz.ce8caBy Colin Daileda2017-04-28 14:15:16 UTC

Hint: Look at the woman's hat in the photo, above. 

President Donald Trump has been in office 100 days as of Saturday, April 29. In honor of the occasion, Twitter put out some stats about the president's use of Twitter. At this point, you really should have guessed his favorite hashtag: #MAGA. 

That acronym, of course, is short for Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. The president also used a lot of #AmericaFirst, #USA, #Obamacare and, because he's just like a bunch of reporters on Twitter, #ICYMI. 

Trump's favorite words on Twitter are also straight out of a caricature. His most tweeted word since taking office is "great," followed by America/American, followed by news/media, because he's nothing if not a hater. "Fake news" finished in sixth place, and "big" took home the ninth prize. 

Trump's favorite handle is his new home, @Whitehouse, followed by @foxandfriends (which he loves) and @NYTimes (which he often hates on), both of which tie for second. @FoxNews came in third, while @CNN managed a tie for fifth. 

You and I could have predicted most of this. But what many folks would have gotten wrong is his most retweeted tweet since Jan. 20. I'll leave you with that: 

Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don't always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2017

WATCH: Ivanka Trump gets booed at an international women’s summit speaking about father's 'advocacy' for women





Social Media

via Social Media http://ift.tt/1N1mMj1

April 28, 2017 at 02:38AM
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Amazing WeightLoss

    Click Here!

    Categories

    All
    Analyze Top Competitors
    Anti-Abuse
    Apple
    Apple Watch
    Blog Posts
    Brainstorm
    Brand Awareness
    Communications
    Content Marketing
    Conversion Rates
    Editorial Calendar Tips
    Engagement
    Facebook
    Google Analytics
    How To Marketing Tips
    Influencer
    Instagram
    Instagram Live
    Keyword Search
    Marketing
    Marketing Automation
    Picture Quotes
    Podcasts
    Recording Videos
    Repurpose Blogs
    Research Trends
    Sales Funnel
    SEO Marketing
    Sharing Posts
    Slide Shows
    Smartwatch
    Social Media Marketing
    Social Media News
    Social Media Tools
    Social Selling
    Target Marketing
    Twitter
    Twitter Notifications
    User Interaction
    Video
    Video Marketing

    Archives

    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Social Media News
    • SEO Marketing News
    • Digital Trends News
    • Photography News
    • Mobile Marketing
    • Business News
    • Gadget News
    • Printing News
  • Contact
  • About
  • Subscribe