#SocialSkim: Google Aggregates Job Listings, Snapchat's Location-Sharing

This week's 'Skim: Google decided to become the world's biggest job search platform; Snapchat introduces location-sharing maps to encourage users to meet up in real life; Music.ly's makes a foray into original programming with big partners that you'll need to pay attention to; LinkedIn makes comments more expressive; Instagram Stories user growth skyrockets. Also: how to add links to your brand's Instagram Stories; America's love for GIFs and their 30th anniversary; and much more...

Skim for your weekly social media briefing!

1. Google decided to become the world's largest job board last week

No more need to scour countless job websites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Monster to make sure you're seeing the latest job postings and matching your needs. Google just did it for you.

The Internet giant added some features to its search so that it now aggregates job listings from all those sites, and it can even set up alerts and email notifications for users, all under the umbrella "Google for Jobs."

Google says it's not paying to index the job listings, and that monetization, aside from regular ads, isn't currently in the works. We'll see how long that lasts.

2. Snapchat releases new location-sharing map feature

It's called Snap Map, and it's a new way for users of Snapchat to meet up IRL (in real life) by enabling location-sharing, making users appear on the map for friends to see. Snap suggests the new feature is meant to help users discover and get inspired to go on new adventures. Those with privacy concerns can either disable it completely or temporarily block it via Ghost Mode.

Snap Maps will also incorporate location-based Stories, meaning users now have another way to discover snaps they might otherwise never see unless they dig into the other buried features of the app.

The Snap Map rolled out to all Android and iOS users on Wednesday, so check out the video to see how it works:

3. Music.ly enters original content game with Viacom, NBCUniversal, and Hearst

The music-based social network where users create, share, and discover short music videos, is working on original content with the likes of Viacom and NBCUniversal.

Music.ly members create and share content all the time—often with their faces on camera—so it makes sense that the original content plans be interactive: Users respond to the shows with personal responses using hashtags.

For now, Music.ly's 500 million users won't be exposed to ads during the programs, nor has the app paid publishers to create the shows, but we can certainly consider it a significant test for the viability of Music.ly in today's race toward social network TV-like shows.

4. LinkedIn users can now add images to their comments

Although the social network's senior director of corporate and product communications makes it sound like LinkedIn's invented the next Snapchat Story, the ability for users to add images to comments on LinkedIn is indeed a notable change for the social network, and brands should take note.

Users can now provide more detail—whether infographic screenshots or bits of a whitepaper—that help engage others on posts and illustrate their contributions or questions.

5. It looks like the Snapchat stock skeptics may have been right

After briefly trading at over $25 per share, Snap Inc.'s stock price fell to its IPO level of $17 last week, a sign investors continue to be nervous about the app's sluggish user growth.

As has been the case with Twitter, such struggles could lead the social network from being able to attract top talent, which might be why Snap has itself commissioned studies to highlight how engaged—and thus valuable—its users are.

But, with worrying declines in downloads compared to previous years, Snap might have to do more to reassure Wall Street.

6. Facebook unveils new, mobile-focused tools for marketers

The social network took to Cannes last week in part to introduce marketers to new tools on its platform meant to help brands test and distribute the ads they make in Creative Hub.

Creative Hub lets brands and agencies more easily create Facebook and Instagram ads online, and the first major update gives those parties a snapshot of video performance and insights so marketers can optimize their creatives for mobile devices.

The second major update lets brands and their agency partners create—and distribute—ads directly on the platform itself, avoiding much back and forth or reformatting needed when normally sending creative assets between parties. Check out the video of how it works.

Have you given Creative Hub a shot?

7. Instagram Stories still growing like wildfire

In case you were wondering, Instagram Stories added 50 million users in just two months, marking accelerated growth since the social network overtook Snapchat Stories back in April.

Instagram also changed its policy on live videos, and now lets users add them to their Stories, meaning they no longer disappear after broadcast but can instead live on the platform for 24 hours.

So now here we are: 100 million more people are using Instagram's copycat version of Snapchat Stories than Snapchat's, and that makes us sad, but also impressed.

8. How to add a link to your brand's Instagram Stories

It's time to spice things up in your brand's Instagram Story. The Facebook-owned social network started rolling out the ability for verified accounts to link to Web pages last month, and slowly and quietly expanded that feature to business profiles that have more than 10,000 followers.

From starting a Story and adding the link to editing and publishing, Social Media Examiner has great ways to drive traffic to your blog, shake things up with new types of content, and promote your products or services in a new way with links on Instagram Stories.

9. It's the GIF's 30th birthday, and Americans are more in love with GIFs than ever

June marks 30 years of GIFs. That's right, we had no idea they were that old, either, but a new study from Gfycat—the largest user-generated GIF platform—shows that 63% of Americans use GIFs. Even more impressive, 39% make their own!

Fully 70% of those surveyed who didn't know how to make their own GIFs would like to learn, so if your brand hasn't yet taken advantage of the comic relief a GIF can provide your social media content calendar, you're not alone!

Inspire yourself with one of our personal favorite GIFs from the old days:

10. We'll wrap with Google's toughening stance on extremist content

The world is getting concerned. Extremists are remaining unknown to authorities despite red flags on their social media pages, and so European countries, including France, Germany, and the UK, are considering legislation to hold social networks responsible for being too lax on extremist content. Germany has already adopted such legislation.

Responding to the pressure, Google has published an op-ed in The Financial Times to highlight just how the company is leading new efforts to fight against online extremism.

The technology titan will use increased machine-learning technology to identify terrorism-related videos, add up to 50 new "expert" NGOs as flaggers of inappropriate content across its platforms, take a tougher stance on controversial (but unblockable) videos by adding interstitial warnings to them, and expand counter-radicalization efforts with a "Redirect Method" that use targeted advertising to divert could-be radicalized individuals to anti-terrorist messages and videos.

#SocialSkim: Apple's Business Chat, Twitter's Major Redesign

In this week's 'Skim: Apple takes on Facebook's Messenger bots with its new Business Chat feature for iPhone users; the latest on Twitter's big redesign; all about why Yahoo's Tumblr takeover failed to realize its grand social media plans; Facebook plans paid news subscriptions for users, tests cover videos for profiles; Instagram officially launches its archive feature, creates new labels for sponsored content for brands and influencers; all about Snapchat's new self-serve ad platform; and much more...

Skim for this week's social media-savvy breakdown!

1. Apple's new iOS will let users talk with businesses

Any iPhone users with Apple's new iOS 11 software update will be able to start chats with businesses they discover via Siri, Maps, Safari, and Spotlight search—a direct shot at messaging apps like Facebook's Messenger that encourage users to chat with bots.

With Business Chat, iPhone users will be able to schedule appointments, make inquiries, make purchases, etc. and businesses will even be able to encourage users to download standalone apps should customers' requests not be able to be handled via text.

Moreover, Apple's Business Chat feature will even integrate with customer-support platforms like Salesforce and Genesys. Shots fired.

2. Twitter launches its biggest redesign in years

Twitter, out of the blue, on Thursday released a major redesign of its mobile app, which not only tweaks the typography but also brings a more streamlined look between the social network's iOS and Android apps.

Profiles are now accessible via a new side navigation bar, which also houses Moments and settings, and can be found by clicking on your profile photo or the top of your timeline. There are more rounded icons, and generally more white space in and around all elements.

The new design is set to roll out to all in the coming days—if it hasn't already reached your screen.

3. Why Yahoo's grand plan for Tumblr failed

Marissa Mayer's Yahoo acquired social network Tumblr in 2013 for $1.1 billion, and now it seems what was once supposed to become Yahoo's shining gem in the social space can be written off as a loss.

Yahoo never cracked the code for turning Tumblr's massive user base into ad dollars as a consequence of little ad product innovation (e.g., to the extent of Snapchat or Instagram), argues DigiDay.

Sources, who cite a drastic difference in company cultures, also partly blame an exodus of Tumblr's sales team once it was merged with Yahoo's, as well as the fact that Yahoo's Tumblr has a clumsy programmatic native ad network that targeted irrelevant ads at even more irrelevant consumers.

Tumblr seemed to be a shot in the dark for Yahoo, and now—as Yahoo prepares to be swallowed up by Verizon—we think we know just how dark that room turned out to be.

4. Facebook looking at ways for users to subscribe to news

The social giant is reportedly building a way for users to pay for news publication subscriptions directly on its mobile app, and that feature should be rolled out by the end of 2017.

Details are scarce for now, but indications are that the feature will be applicable only to articles published natively on Facebook via Instant Articles. Rumors also show the subscription model as metered-payment, meaning users will likely be able to read a limited number of articles for free before being prompted to purchase a subscription.

The move could significantly help publishers by giving them another opportunity to earn money from content on the social network—particularly local and regional publishers, which have faced more difficulty in today's digital world.

5. Twitter testing Happening Now feature

Twitter is trying to find ways to engage users with new content, and to do so it's testing a new feature, dubbed "Happening Now," which displays a small carousel of Twitter cards, each representing a different current event or conversation, at the top of timelines.

Users who select a card are rerouted to a stream of tweets related directly to that subject. This obvious display of new content could help Twitter users more easily discover new subjects and scan more tweets, something that many users might not even know they can do unless they venture down onto the "Explore" tab at the bottom of the mobile app.

6. Instagram testing feature that clearly labels influencer posts as sponsored

Building on pressure from government regulators, Facebook's Instagram wants influencers and celebrities to start labeling the posts for which they're paid. A new feature, which easily allow influencers to identify the brands with which they've entered into a paid partnership, will also enable the business to access insights on the performance of posts.

The new tool will be initially rolled out to a select number of creators and businesses, with a wider rollout slated for the coming months.

What do you think of the new labels? Check out the image below and let us know in the comments!

7. Facebook further tests cover videos for users

In case that old school photo just didn't do your Facebook profile justice, you might soon be able to express your brand or personal page with a cover video instead. Some users have reported seeing the video option this week, a sign that the social network might be expanding testing since the feature first reared its head back in April on Netflix's page for its show "Narcos."

Cover videos must be between 20 and 90 seconds in length, the recommended video crop size is roughly the same as cover photos at 828 pixels by 462 pixels, and the videos auto-play and auto-loop once users load a Facebook page. It seems cover videos will start without sound, and users have the option to enable audio by selecting an unmute button on the bottom right.

8. Snapchat practices the art of seduction, for advertisers

Snapchat seems to have realized that it needs to step up its game if it wants to compete with the business-friendliness of Facebook's ad platforms. Cue the Snap Publisher tool, and a Snapchat Certified Partners program, both new additions to Snapchat's ad platform arsenal, and meant to make it easier for brands to advertise on the social network.

The Snap Publisher tool provides a way for marketers to build vertical-video creative, and the Certified Partners program helps connect advertisers to trained third-party ad tech tool providers.

Moreover, Snapchat is also officially rolling out its self-serve Ad Manager. The idea is to make it easier for brands to handle their own campaigns from start to end, with limited hiccups. And Snapchat needs to do just that if it wants to remain relevant.

9. Instagram officially launches its archive feature

Users can now move photos and video posts they're hesitant about keeping up, or posts they were embarrassed about because they generated few likes, into a dedicated space only they can see.

Instagram officially rolled out the new Archive feature to all users last week; it can be accessed by selecting the three dots at the top right of each individual post. Instagram users can also reinstate the posts they've archived, should they change their minds about whether the content is worthy of their feed. They know you're picky.

10. Why social media is the best thing to happen to marketing automation

There's a reason 84% of CEOs and VPs use social media data to make purchasing decisions, and so it's obvious that such valuable data should play a part in what your marketing automation platform digests. Whether your brand uses Eloqua, Act-On, Pardot, Marketo, or another automation system, social media can play a valuable role in helping deliver increased customer engagement and conversions.

From the finding that 55% of B2B buyers search for information on social media, to the fact that social media can assist your brand in lead nurturing and attribution, MarketingProfs' recap of Oktopost's handy infographic on social and automation will keep you informed.

11. We'll wrap with Facebook's latest attempt to make social media do more societal good

Aid organizations, including UNICEF, International Red Cross, and others, will soon get a new hand from Facebook in the form of data that could help them figure out where supplies or shelters might be required.

The social network is set to provide anonymized data from users in the form of "disaster maps" that will help organizations see how the population is distributed—based on where users are marking themselves safe via Safety Check or from where they might be fleeing.

Facebook will likely use three types of data to accomplish this: sourced from GPS indicators, location density maps that provide rough estimations of where people are, and movement maps that show how users have changed locations.

Skeptics are wondering whether the social network has any other uses in mind for this type of data, and who has access to it, but Facebook has no formal obligation to detail that. We can just hope it's up to some good.

#SocialSkim: Facebook Plans New Messaging App, Instagram Hooks Small Biz:

In this week's 'Skim: Facebook looks to give parents more control with new teen messaging app; Instagram seems to win out over Snapchat for small business needs; Facebook, WhatsApp revamp photo features, filters, and albums; the only social listening tool that can dive into Reddit; why Facebook's mid-roll video ads are underwhelming; top social media trends for B2B; and much more...

Skim for your breakdown of all the latest social media news!

1. Facebook reportedly working on new teen messaging app

Website The Information reveals that Facebook is working to develop a messaging app that will enable parents to monitor who their children are in contact with.

Based on code discovered on the flagship Facebook app, the new messaging platform—dubbed Talk—will allow parents to "fully control the contacts your child uses the Talk app to chat with you in Messenger." No official word from Facebook yet, but the app is expected to let users even without Facebook profiles sign up.

In an age of cyber-bullying and objectionable content, Facebook just might be on the right side of history.

2. Small businesses look to Instagram more than Snapchat for services... by a mile

It would be easy to assume, at first glance, that Instagram's progressive growth at the expense of Snapchat is due to its copying of core Snapchat user experiences, like Stories. But a deeper look reveals the navigability and advertising problem that plagues Snapchat's future.

Users find Snapchat difficult to navigate; moreover, queries from small business for Instagram services (advertising) outpace those for Snapchat services 12-fold, according to Fiverr. That's huge.

If Snapchat aims to change this situation, it must continue to release new ad units that can attract business of all sizes. Even so, the social network is certainly fighting an uphill battle.

3. Facebook Albums revamped, allow collaboration and more

Facebook Albums just got a major overhaul, with new features launching on Android and Web—with iOS soon to come. Users will be able to add videos, check-ins, and text posts to albums; showcase their favorite albums on their profiles; share and create albums with friends; and easily follow friends' albums by signing up for notifications.

As Facebook continues to aim for more authentic sharing, it seems to be encouraging users to engage in a more visual form of storytelling, and its new albums update might just be the start.

4. WhatsApp embraces photos with new filters, albums, and messaging shortcuts

WhatsApp users on iOS were treated to a surprise trio of new features this week as the Facebook-owned messaging app got even more visual. WhatsApp added filters for all types of media, the ability to group photos into neatly organized albums, and a new form of reply shortcuts to cut down on inefficiencies.

Five new photo, video, and GIF filters give users a way to brighten up or give effect to their media before sending to a friend, and users who send four or more photos or videos will see their media automatically arranged into an album with a tile layout

The new reply shortcut means users can swipe on a specific message in a thread to reply directly to that content—a time-saving feature for people whose late responses often get buried in a busy group chat. There's no specified timeline for an Android release of the same features.

5. One social listening tool finally lets brands tune in on Reddit

Listening to what your followers, critics, and best customers are saying about your brand on social can go miles toward not only helping your team optimize your social media strategy but also furthering your business objectives. You might use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to keep tabs on conversations around your brand on Facebook and Twitter, but tapping into the more complex social network Reddit—filled with thousands of passionate, niche communities—has remained a mystery for most marketers.

Now, there's finally a social listening and analytics tool that can crunch the Reddit data and gather insights for your brand. Brandwatch now provides its users with Reddit data at no extra cost and, for the right brand, that could go far in mining into the deeper feedback Redditors are seemingly more apt to provide.

6. Snap's Spectacles land in Europe

Snap Inc.'s Spectacles are about to make a bigger splash than we think even the company predicted, with sales of the connected sunglasses rolling out across Europe online and via pop-up Spectacles selling bots in high-profile locations in major cities.

Snap will begin its European promotional tour with vending machines in London, Berlin, Paris, Venice, and Barcelona; it will announce upcoming locations 24 hours prior to launch. We'll wait to see whether our neighbors across the pond are as keen on Spectacles.

7. YouTube ramps up push against objectionable content

Google's YouTube is taking new steps to ensure that hateful content doesn't fill users' search results, and that those who publish such content don't reap rewards from having done so.

The video-sharing social network took steps to disable advertising for users who post videos that constitute hateful content, the inappropriate use of family entertainment characters, or incendiary or demeaning content. YouTube did note, however, that the standards for what content is eligible for advertising on the platform remain different from what is eligible to remain present on it, meaning some objectionable content might not be rewarded, but could stay visible.

8. Facebook's mid-roll video ads are apparently nothing to write home about

Three months after the ads' rollout, publishers of videos on the social network are finally starting to see some results in the form of ad revenue from the testing of Facebook mid-roll video ads. But there's a catch: The ads are working only about as well as the social network's Suggested Video ads, which appear between two recommended videos.

Publishers noted, however, that even though it requires fewer views on YouTube to generate the same amount of revenue that they generate via Facebook mid-roll ads, Facebook provides a level of volume and scale that YouTube cannot match.

But how will Facebook users feel about being interrupted mid-video? That will be the true test, and the jury is still out.

9. Snapchat wants to prove its advertising can generate foot traffic

Snapchat acquired location-based analytics and ad measurement startup, Placed, in an effort to show advertisers how the platform's ad services like Snap to Store can translate to offline return on investment for brands.

Placed has developed an audience it can ask about recent location and store visits, and by combining that information with third party data, the startup—and now Snapchat—can figure out what percentage of a sample of an ad's viewers were encouraged to visit a store.

The acquisition should give Snap and its advertisers deeper insights into ad effectiveness, and help the social network close the gap a little between what marketers believe it can offer and what competitors like Facebook can offer.

10. 2017 social media trends: top B2B, B2C networks, and paid channels

Recent research on B2B and B2C marketers from Social Media Examiner finds that for the first time ever in the history of the study Facebook surpassed LinkedIn in terms of importance for B2B marketers.

But a significant portion of B2B-ers still rate LinkedIn as integral to their marketing activities, with 37% citing it as their most important social media platform. But, aside from Facebook, which social platform comes out ahead of LinkedIn as the most used paid channel? Check out the recap for the most important findings!

11. We'll wrap with Facebook's deeper foray into politics

Welcome to Facebook's newly christened political world. The social network has rolled out new ways for elected officials to get in touch with their constituents via what it calls constituent badges, constituent insights, and district targeting.

The new tools allow users to identify themselves as constituents of a certain elected official's district, and let those in office gather insights about what news stories and trending topics are most talked about in their districts.

District targeting—perhaps the most important addition—lets politicians set up polls or questions that will be shown only to their constituents on the platform, allowing them to use Facebook to gather feedback about their opinions on various topics and policy issues.