SOCIAL MEDIA
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Inbox Ads Are a Risky Bet for Snap
Yeah, I’m not sure that Snapchat’s new inbox DM ads, which it’s calling “Sponsored Snaps”, are going to go down so well with Snap users. Because as I’ve noted previously, the Snap inbox is one of the most intimate connection surfaces in all of social media, due to the privacy and protection of self-erasing Snaps, and the fact that Snapchat…
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Meta Outlines Its Efforts to Combat ‘Pig Butchering’ Scams
Meta has provided some new insights into its ongoing efforts to protect users from scams, while it’s also shared some tips on what to look out for to avoid scam activity, and in particular, “pig butchering”, which has become a bigger problem in recent years. What’s “pig butchering” you might ask? As explained by Meta: “One of the most egregious…
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X Users Can Now Activate Side-Swiping Likes and Replies In-Stream
It seems like X has decided to take a more cautious approach with its plan to phase out all of the post function buttons in-stream. And its compromised approach could actually be one of the best updates that it’s rolled out in some time. Today, X engineer May Ly announced that users on iOS can now choose to enable side-swiping…
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Snapchat Adds Prada and Miu Miu Bags for Bitmoji
Snapchat’s adding some more customization options for its Bitmoji characters, with users now able to dress their characters up with bags from Prada and Miu Miu via Snap’s first branded handbag partnership. As you can see in this example, Snap has added a range of designer bags to its digital accessories, providing new ways to customize your digital character. As…
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Threads Continues To Lead the Download Charts in October
Threads is still attracting a lot of attention, at least in terms of overall downloads, with the latest data from Appfigures showing that Threads was the most downloaded app on iOS in October. As you can see in this listing, Threads came out on top once again last month, after reaching the top spot on the iOS downloads chart in…
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YouTube Prepares to Launch ‘Jewels’ Live-Stream Gifting Process
YouTube’s preparing to launch its new “Jewels” creator donation option, which will enable viewers to purchase digital stickers that they can apply during a live stream, with a percentage of the sticker purchase price then allocated to the streamer. As you can see in this sequence, live stream viewers will soon be able to purchase Jewels during eligible broadcasts, which…
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Threads Takes First Steps To Separate Itself From Instagram
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has announced that Threads is now moving into a more independent phase, which could eventually see it separate itself from Instagram entirely. Maybe. Yesterday, Mosseri announced that: Wow, people on Threads, which is an entirely different platform, facilitating an entirely different use case to Instagram, don’t want to follow the exact same accounts on both platforms.…
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Is X Really Seeing a Mass Exodus of Users Post-Election?
There’s been a lot of discussion post-election about a “mass exodus” of users from X, with reportedly record numbers of people deactivating their X accounts. But is that true? Is X really losing millions of users everyday, putting it on a fast track to irrelevance? Well, maybe. The truth is, nobody knows, other than those working for X, and they’re…
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Research Highlights Social Media Usage Trends in 2024
What are the latest social media usage trends, and more importantly, has X become less relevant for U.S. adults? The team from Pew Research has published its latest overview of social media usage, which shows that YouTube remains the most popular social media app by far (though defining it as a social app feels like a stretch), while Facebook and…
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X Experiments With Free Access to Its Grok AI Chatbot
It looks like X is set to make a bigger push on its Grok AI chatbot, with a version of Grok that would be available to non-paying users of the platform now in development. As you can see in this example, posted by Lohan Simpson, X is looking to launch a limited, “freemium” version of Grok to all users, which…
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