Ltap Research

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

#SocialSkim: Twitter Native Video Ads and Polls, Plus More Stories in This Week's Roundup

by Angela Natividad |

October 23, 2015

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This week was big for extending your capabilities on established networks: Twitter launched native video ads and opened polls to everyone (meaning it's that much easier to get the pulse on your consumers), Facebook opened GIFs to brand pages, and Giphy—with perfect timing—launched a do-it-yourself GIF creator.

Skim to keep competitors guessing!

Everything Twitter announced at its #Twitterflight developers conference

—Twitter Polls, which is rolling out across mobile and desktops and will be available to everyone!

—Native video ads, which means you can create videos that pop without disrupting the timeline or driving people off of it. Check out the example below.

—Audience Insights, which provides demographic breakdowns and key interests of your audiences.

—Unity support and a better tweet composer for native apps, which your dev team can read more about here.

Returning CEO Jack Dorsey also made a big promise to the developer community: to fulfill Twitter's mission as a tool for freedom of expression, everywhere in the world. And if anyone ever wants to help improve Twitter, they can tweet ideas using the hashtag #HelloWorld.

It's a good time to ramp up any Twitter activity you have planned, and not just to test what's listed above. Kinetic Social recently took a gander at Twitter's figures this quarter and observed that video costs are decreasing as its offering matures, putting it more in the neighborhood of Facebook costs: Cost per views average $0.10, with some as low as $0.05. Cost per engagement has also fallen 50%, to $0.23 cents per ad click versus $0.45 cents a year ago.

1. It's also easier to embed real-time Twitter content onto a site

Events folks will love this news: Twitter's new Collections API makes it simpler to add curated Twitter content to your website or app, using tools like TweetDeck or Curator. This page explains how to get the widget onto your platform; after that, picking and choosing great tweets from your live event is as simple as dragging them into the right Collections column (in the case of TweetDeck). Spredfast, DataMinr, ScribbleLive, Wayin, and Flowics are also supported.

2. Facebook Brand Pages can share GIFs now, too

When Facebook rolled out support for GIFs in May, Brand Pages were notably left out of the fun. That's changed this week—but note that in order for a GIF to work, you can't upload it natively; you can only share a link to a GIF from another site (Giphy, for example). But let's not split hairs. Let the GIF awesomeness begin!

3. Just in time, Giphy launches a do-it-yourself GIF creator

If you're a trailblazer, and we know you are, there's no reason to settle for the used-up GIFs of others. We give you Giphy's GIF Maker, which lets you create a GIF out of a video posted online, or a video you've uploaded yourself. Super-simple. And once it's finished, you can share your completed GIF anywhere you like.

4. Speaking of GIFs, Instagram's launched Boomerang

It's a GIF-maker in spirit: the spankin' new app lets you record one second of video, which will play, rewind, and play again in an endless loop. We can tell you're excited by this, so let's roll to video:

5. Say hello to YouTube Red

Not to be confused with RedTube, which offers... something different. The ad-free subscription service will provide movies and series from creators, as well as the ability to watch offline (a nice touch for morning commuters). Shows include Scare PewDiePie, a reality adventure series where the super-famous vlogger PewDiePie encounters scary situations inspired by his favorite video games; and I Am Tobuscus, a scripted comedy that follows the YouTube creator as he pursues stardom. More shows here. The service will cost $9.99 per month for Android users; iOS users will have to pay $12.99 because, well, life. YouTube will soon launch its new Music app as well.

Also, here's what to read if you want to know why it's called YouTube Red.

6. Speaking of content begetting new content...

CNN's launched Great Big Story, its way of taking on millennial news giants like Vice.com and Buzzfeed. Expect a big focus on videos that cater to "urban-located, globally curious 25- to 35-year-olds" that can be easily shared on social networks, and are fertile ground for native advertising. Consider this report, zealously titled, "We Found Lisa Frank!"

7. What do Facebook M Assistant Testers want?

It's revealing what testers say they're looking for in a product they're checking out before anyone else; Facebook's personal assistant app for Messenger is no different. Here's the list of revealing things its small circle of testers are looking for: At No. 1 are restaurant suggestions and reservations, followed by local search requests and appointment-making for businesses and services they require. The third? Purchasing assistance. Expect M to become a powerhouse in facilitating the social lives of humans and driving more clients to your door.

8. What else is new at Facebook?

It'll now incorporate all public posts into search, providing the most recent and relevant to you. Check out the video below for more details on that. It's testing topic-based feeds that let you read newsfeed posts by category; and, finally, it's just launched Instant Articles for all iPhone users. It was a busy week at the factory.

9. How do brands produce content for Snapchat Discover?

It's tricky, but most content tends to fall under two buckets—custom work or creative repurposing—says AdAge, which interviewed advertisers like Coca Cola and Dunkin' Donuts to learn how they're tackling the murky space, producing advertising that appears on existing content for publishers like Mashable and Tastemade. If you're in an anthropological mood, read this 15-year-old's account on why Snapchat makes her feel awful.

10. We'll wrap with some glorious Back to the Future geekery

The 21st was Back to the Future Day, and we witnessed everything from Marty and Doc Brown discovering selfies, to Neil Degrasse Tyson tossing his hat in the ring for a future with hoverboards. But our favorite execution came to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and AI software company Imperson, which brought an AI-powered Doc Brown to his own Facebook page, where he'll be available to actually chat with users for the next few days. This week, few things proved more magical.

Friday, October 16, 2015

#SocialSkim: Go Shopping on Facebook, Plus 12 More Stories in This Week's Roundup

by Angela Natividad |

October 16, 2015

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Get the latest on Facebook's new mobile shopping experiences. We'll also tell you about Instagram for Business, Pinterest's updated Place Pins, and how many marketers are really taking the influencer route. Skim to stay on top!

Facebook takes shopping social

Building on its still-in-testing "Buy" button for News Feed ads, Facebook's created a "Shopping" tag on Pages that lets a selection of retailers list items, with a trial set for a limited number of users.

It's also updating its Canvas ads platform for mobile, which will also support buyable products (shown below): "After clicking on an ad, people will see a fast-loading, full-screen experience where they can browse through a variety of products, before going to the retailer's website to purchase," the 'Book says.

Tests like this tend to go live soon after, so watch for the chance to bring e-commerce to your page—and mobile ads—very soon.

1. Not just Likes: Facebook's emoji reactions are rolling out

As promised, Facebook's started testing an entire array of new, Buzzfeed-esque ways people can react to a story, including subtle means of expressing dislike (animated "sad" or "angry" emojis).

For those who manage Pages, this will change the way you qualify reactions and engagement. Per The Next Web, new reactions data appears in the Insights panel and are reported the same way Likes are: You'll easily see whether they were made on the original posting or in a share.

Think of it as a way to demonstrate your content is worth more than a banal Like; a post that generates a lot of "yays," for example, is probably worth something different than one that scores plenty of "hahas." The new reactions are only available in Ireland in Spain, but expect to see them in your feed soon.

2. What else is Facebook testing?

New video features, like suggested videos, the ability to save videos later or watch while multi-tasking, and the creation of a dedicated destination to see videos you've saved, as well as others you may have missed. That's currently testing on iPhones. It's also revised its On This Day feature to let you filter out dates—or people—you never want to be reminded of again. Consider this permission to officially forget that holiday office party. You know the one.

3. An Instagram account for inspiration and ideas for businesses

Instagram's launched @instagramforbusiness "as a source of inspiration for the business community." The account will run exclusive, behind-the-scenes stories that demonstrate how different businesses, large and small, use Instagram to achieve objectives. The first (and only) case study currently on the account is for Ben & Jerry's, but next week expect a small business contribution from Chicago's Flowers for Dreams, and an agency piece from BBDO New York.

4. The quantified state of social engagement

This article on social engagement is packed with stats, like how many Americans recommend a brand after a positive customer experience (69%), and by how much the number of social messages requiring a response from brands has risen (110% in the past year). There's also an index of social engagement rates by industry, brand messages versus brand replies, and a quick primer on how to out-social your competition. Dig in!

5. Eight tips for high-quality video production

You don't need to be a film school graduate to take advantage of the video wave on social. These eight handy tips include useful—and easy—suggestions, such as shooting during the day (even great directors try taking advantage of natural light when they can). You'll also learn not to shoot with windows behind you, avoid shooting in cars, and remember that your hands are not as steady as tripods. Don't feel like reading an article? Watch the tips below—and if you're already a pro, find out how to use video metrics to create better lead generation data:

6. Pinterest amps up Place Pins with more info

It's easier than ever to add data to Pins to help users find you: Location information will now be automatically added to Pins, which means that nearly seven billion of them will be updated to include phone numbers, addresses, and store hours.

More perks: Users can discover nearby places, or get a preview of where a physical location is on a map, which could include other Pins from that spot, or tips from people who've visited. A call to a business is just a tap away.

The features roll out on iPhone and iPad; Android and desktops get the update next. Once your Pins are souped-up with data, or even if they're not, study up on other ways to increase foot traffic with social.

7. Branded scratch-cards hit the social space

Say hello to Scratchy, an iOS app that lets users "scratch" virtual scratch cards to win prizes from brands. Once they're downloaded, users must follow 10 brands from a list of big hitters, including Apple, Amazon, and Chipotle. They can then play scratch cards until they unearth three matching brand names under six possible squares. Even if they don't win, they still get a point; winners get bonus points; the higher they go, the more rewards they get. Think of it as Lotto for a digital generation, except nobody needs a coin with ridged edges.

8. Say goodbye to Snapchat's Snap Channel

Snapchat's shutting it down and laying off its Snap Channel team. Part of Snapchat Discover, it was launched in January with several corporate participants, but it was put on hiatus weeks ago. Instead, Snapchat will use publishing partners to create original, ad-supported content, including ESPN, Comedy Central, Vice, and CNN.

9. How many marketers use influencer marketing, anyway?

The answer is 75%, per Augure, which also finds that 69% found an influencer engagement strategy effective. A full 93% of marketers who use influencer marketing strategies say they're improving visibility as a result.

10. 65% of US adults use social!

That's according to Pew, and the figure rose from 7% in 2005. Fully 90% of young adults—those age 18-29—use social, but use among those 65 years old and older is now 35%, compared with just 2% in 2005. Men and women are social at similar rates (62% and 68%, respectively). Those with higher levels of education and income are more likely to use social, but 56% of low-income households do, too. Trust us when we say there is so much more data here.

11. Twitter's cutting loose 8% of its staff

Before freaking out and shutting down your account, consider it's probably a good thing: Jack Dorsey, now permanent CEO of the company, is letting go 336 out of a staff of 4,100 worldwide—likely too many, as with most companies that have grown as fast as Twitter has.

The restructuring is part of a plan to "organize around the company's top product priorities," and is accompanied by a reasonably transparent letter from Dorsey. Cuts will consist mostly of engineering staff, and will, Dorsey hopes, make Twitter "smaller and nimbler." The money saved will be reinvested, he says, to drive growth elsewhere.

12. Let's wrap with some storytelling inspiration

We give you The Hero's Journey, a short video by Iskander Krayenbosch that outlines the different milestones a typical hero must achieve before arriving at a goal. (It also features illustrated cameos from Frodo, Batman, and more.) You'll find the 12-stage format in everything from films to ads, and it may help you construct a narrative out of the great story you doubtlessly have to tell. How do you put your customer in the hero's position?