#SocialSkim: Amazon Debuts YouTube Competitor,

Product launches and redesigns were the talk of the town this week. Amazon surprised us all and introduced a user-generated video service to take on YouTube, and Instagram launched a redesigned app and icon.

This week's 'Skim will also fill you in on Facebook's promise to make Messenger bots more useful with analytics, give you the latest on LinkedIn's plans to rival Facebook's Instant Articles, and tell you all about the first feature-length film that debuted on Snapchat.

Skim to stay in the know!

Amazon launches platform for user-generated videos

Taking on YouTube and Vimeo is a tall order, but if anyone is ambitious enough, it's Amazon. Amazon Video Direct came via a surprise announcement on Wednesday, and the service officially launches the company into the user-generated video market.

AVD, as they call it, lets users upload content to Amazon's Prime Video and earn royalties based on the number of hours streamed, and to monetize it with advertisements or by making the content available to rent or own. The launch of the service follows the introduction of standalone Prime Video subscriptions, which start at $8.99 per month.

Publishers already signed up include Mashable and Conde Nast Entertainment, making us think the tool is aimed more at professionals than your mainstream YouTube user, but the service opens the door to creators from all walks of life.

1. Facebook bets on bots despite criticism, says analytics are coming soon

Facebook generated a lot of chatter and promised the future of customer service and automation with its new Messenger chatbots, but brands have been hesitant to latch on, and the social network has been criticized for jumping onto the bot train before it was ready.

Messenger's head of product took to the stage at a recent TechCrunch event to dispel fears that bots would dehumanize Messenger, and to reassure brands that a full-fledged analytics system was on its way.

Aside from a few success stories like Activision's Call of Duty bot (more than six million messages exchanged between users in its first week), there are few indicators showing how bots are performing overall. An analytics platform that does would help brands see which messages or calls to action are working and garnering engagement, and which are coming off as spammy.

Check out the full panel in the video:

2. Instagram launches redesigned app and icon

Big changes over at Instagram as the photo and video sharing network has finally done away with its classic old-school camera app icon in favor of a more modern, rainbow-inspired look.

In contrast to the icon's pop of color, the app itself received a barebones black-and-white redesign, built to put "more focus on your photos and videos." What do you think of the changes? Let us know in the comments below!

3. Facebook denies allegations of anti-conservative bias

A report from Gizmodo shed light on former Facebook employees' claims that the team in charge of Trending Topics on the social network routinely suppressed news stories of interest to conservative users.

The Facebook news curators also said they were instructed to artificially inject stories into the topics even if online buzz didn't warrant it. Facebook denied any wrongdoing, saying there's no evidence to support such claims.

The controversy serves as a reminder that, in the end, all isn't left up to the algorithms.

4. Periscope to introduce new live search function, ability to save streams permanently

The livestreaming app has launched a beta for users to test a new functionality that enables them to save their streams permanently, a feature often requested in the past. To try it out for yourselves, simply add "#save" to the title of your stream before going live. Once the feature is permanently implemented, the hashtag addition won't be necessary.

The Twitter-owned app also says it will also roll out a live-video search function that lets users find broadcasts by topic or title. The new capabilities will help the platform build an archive of video, likely pushing the platform toward the path of paid advertising. We see what you did there, Periscope!

5. It turns out Facebook Live doesn't have to be live at all, and publishers are catching on

Facebook Live guidelines leave the door open to non-live video, and the fact that the social network's algorithm now prioritizes live content has encouraged some brands to test whether "broadcasting" their pre-recorded content via Live increases their exposure in users' feeds compared with the platform's traditional video uploader.

Facebook acknowledged the workaround, but urged publishers to live-stream, stating that the strength of Facebook Live lies in its ability to help on-air hosts engage and interact with viewers in real time.

6. Snapchat: Primed for feature-length films?

Indigenous Media last week released social media star-studded Sickhouse, the first feature-length film on Snapchat. The horror film was specifically shot for the platform in real time over the course of five days, and it follows a group of social media crazed teens into the woods where, obviously, terror ensues.

The film was reportedly viewed by millions, and the studio plans to release a full-length version via more traditional channel, Vimeo, on June 1.

Although major studios are still garnering success using traditional methods of producing, marketing, and distributing film, we can certainly chalk this one up to another thing for the Hollywood crowd to worry about.

 SICKHOUSE -- The Made for Mobile Movie from Indigenous Media on Vimeo.

7. Facebook updates dynamic ads, brings them to Instagram

Facebook's dynamic ads, which show consumers products that they've shown interest in, are now on Instagram, meaning it just got a lot easier for marketers to get their products in front of Instagrammers' eyes with dynamic creative and targeting. Previously, advertisers had to tailor creatives and targeting to each product in their catalog.

8. LinkedIn plans to rival Facebook's Instant Articles

Looking to strengthen its offering and reputation as the go-to source for business news, the B2B-centric social network is reportedly in talks with major media outlets to create new publishing features that would dramatically increase pageload times—like Facebook's Instant Articles.

9. Facebook tests new reaction, Messenger feature for Mother's Day

The social network marked Mother's Day this year by giving users the ability to add flower-wrapped messages on Messenger. Although (ironically) it wasn't available in the US for American Mother's Day weekend, the company also branched out beyond its five default reactions for the first time, rolling out a new thankful flower reaction in select markets.

The new features give us a hint of future possibilities of new reactions around other regional holidays and trends, which could be used by brands that embrace Messenger's new bot capabilities to interact with consumers. Stay tuned!

10. WhatsApp reportedly gearing up to add video calling feature

Recent translation requests spotted by Android Police suggest that WhatsApp is set to bring a video-calling feature to users soon. The Facebook-owned messaging platform is also rumored to be working on various new additions that include voicemail, a call-back feature, and zip file sharing support. No official rollout dates for these features, but we'll certainly make sure you're the first to know!

11. How to use Facebook Messenger for business

If your brand's customers are on Messenger, there's a good chance the platform's latest business-friendly updates could prove useful for connecting and engaging with your consumers. So, take a look through this week's super hero guide to using Messenger for business!

Covered in detail: using and sharing Messenger codes, promoting private message links, and replying with automated messages.

12. Introducing musical.ly, the music video social network grabbing investors' attention

The company calls musical.ly a video social network, and the app with 60 million users is on its way to a $500 million valuation. At its most basic, it's a lip-sync app like Dubsmash with which users can make music videos, but investors are impressed with the app's ability to turn such a tool into a social network that has made people comfortable with expressing themselves in a new way.

Users can like, comment, explore trends, follow accounts to keep up with their favorite performers, and produce content themselves to be shared with the community. The company is reportedly working on some updates to attract an older crowd, but details have yet to emerge.

13. We've got the keys to highly-engaging Facebook video ads

Catching and maintaining the attention of your consumers on a busy Facebook News Feed isn't an easy feat, but a recent study from the social network reveals some best-practices and recommendations to do just that.

From making your videos understandable without sound to communicating a link to your brand clearly and quickly, check out this recent piece to discover the key elements to a successful Facebook video ad.

14. We'll wrap with why white people don't use white emoji

After new, multi-race emoji were introduced in 2015, the world mostly figured it was common sense to include imagery that represents the various races of our communities.

However, a recent analysis by The Atlantic's Andrew McGill of 18,000 tweets finds that white people are weirdly hesitant to use light-skinned emoji, and that the white emoji is used far less often in the US on Twitter (19% of the time) than darker counterparts (52%).

Pundits cite hesitance to use white emoji as an example of "white-people weirdness," but some say using the affirmatively white emoji feels disturbingly close to displaying "white pride" and intolerance. Have these thoughts crossed your mind mid-text or mid-tweet?

Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2016/29918/socialskim-amazon-debuts-youtube-competitor-plus-14-more-stories-in-this-weeks-roundup#ixzz48YDFVriV

How to Use Snapchat: A Detailed Look Into HubSpot’s Snapchat Strategy

Written by Marissa Breton | @marissabreton

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Back in 2011, Snapchat was synonymous with risqué teen behavior. News coverage repeatedly warned parents of the damaging effects the platform might have, and as a result, the success trajectory wasn't looking good.

Since then, Snapchat has evolved into something so much more. And while it's certainly not the cornerstone of every marketing strategy just yet, the channel has earned a reputation for fast growth and innovation.

Snapchat is now known as a platform for individuals and brands -- one that allows users to create quick, lighthearted, and even educational video content without using valuable production resources. For brands, this means a new opportunity to show off their culture, share knowledge, and connect with their audience in a new and exciting way.

After reporting more than 100 million daily active users, and over 8 billion video views a day, we decided to give it a go: The official HubSpot Snapchat account launched in March 2016. And while we're still getting our feet wet, we've already learned a lot about executing and iterating a successful Snapchat business strategy.

To help you get started, we've detailed everything we've learned (so far) below. We'll start by going over the basics -- how to set up an account, create a Snap, leverage effects, etc. -- and jump into some tips after that. 

How to Setup Your Snapchat Account

The first thing you’ll need to do is download the app -- available for iOS and Android -- and create an account by entering your email, a username, and a password.

When creating a username, keep in mind that you've only got one shot: Snapchat does not allow you to change your username once you set it.

↓ 

Once your account is created, you'll want to take care of a few housekeeping things:

• Set up a profile picture. Tap the  at the top of the camera screen, then tap your Snapcode to open the camera. Point and shoot!
• Adjust your privacy settings. Tap the  at the top of the camera screen, then tap the 'Settings' icon in the top right-hand corner. Under the 'Who Can...' section, adjust your preferences accordingly.
• Add Friends. Tap the  at the top of the camera screen, then tap the 'Add Friends' option. From here you'll have the option to add friends by username, address book, Snapcode, or location.

Snaps vs. Stories: What's the Difference?

Snap

A direct message from one account to one (or several) other accounts. These messages disappear immediately after viewing, and can contain photos, videos, or images uploaded from your phone.

How to Create and Send Snaps

To send a photo Snap, open up the camera screen and tap  or the anywhere on the screen to capture the photo. To send a video Snap, hold .

If you want to experiment with Snapchat Lenses -- animations that can be overlaid on top of your selfie -- simply press and hold your face until the Lens option appears below. You can then swipe left to browse through the options, like the one below.

Image Credit: Snapchat

(Note: Snapchat also offers Sponsored Lenses -- like the Gatorade one featured in #4on this list -- but it'll cost you. According to Financial Times, a Sponsored Lens could cost up to $750K in certain situations.)

Once you've got a photo or video, you have a few options before you hit send:

Image Credit: Snapchat

1) Discard your Snap.
2) Add emojis.

3) Add a caption.

4) Doodle!

5) Set a timeframe for your Snap.
6) Save your photo to your Camera Roll.
7) Add a Snap to your Story.
8) Select recipients and share your Snap.

Want to add filters, the time, the weather, or your current speed to a Snap? Swipe left or right on the preview screen to browse your options. You'll also notice something called Geofilters appear as you swipe through. On-Demand Geofilters are available to businesses and individuals for purchase.

These special filters can be use for an event, business, or specific location -- brand logos and trade-marks are permitted.

How to View a Snap

To view a Snap that has been sent to you, swipe right on your camera screen and tap once on the Snap. If you have several Snaps from the same friend, they'll play like a flipbook.

Helpful tips:

• To skip a Snap, tap the screen once.
• To exit, swipe down.

Story

This is a photo or video that is viewable to all of your friends for 24 hours. You can create multiple photos/videos shown in succession to create a longer story. Most brands utilize this feature, as it allows you to reach a larger audience.

How to Create a Snapchat Story

To create a Story on Snapchat, follow the process for creating a Snap above. When you're ready to send it, tap  and select 'My Story.'

How to View a Snapchat Story

To view a user's story, swipe left on your camera screen and scroll down to 'Recent Updates.' Tap a user's name once to open their story. (To view your own Story, tap 'My Story.')

Stories are available for 24 hours (unless they are deleted). During that 24-hour period, you can watch the Story as many times as you want.

Helpful tips:

• To skip to the next Snap in a Story, tap the screen once.
• To skip to the next Story, swipe left.
• To exit, swipe down.
• To save a Story, follow the instructions here.

How to Use Snapchat for Business: 6 Tips From HubSpot's Snapchat Playbook

1) First, create a personal Snapchat account.

Before you begin Snapchatting on behalf of your brand, you may want to create a personal account to mess around with. Follow accounts your audience might follow. Add your friends and family. Just start using it. While this isn't a formal prerequisite, it can help you understand the intricacies and nuances of how real people use the platform -- which will ultimately help you make better decisions and create better content.

At HubSpot, we’ve found the best performing content looks and feels like the native content being created by the average Snapchat user. So use your personal account to play around with the front facing camera, explore different filter options, and dress up your Snaps with doodles and emojis. The more Snaps you send and engage with, the better your understanding of how the platform works will be.

2) Create a plan for measurement.

Here's the truth: Talk to any social media manager and they’ll tell you Snapchat analytics are a pain in the rear. At the end of the day, you’re limited to views (), screenshots ( ), and replies. That’s it.

You can’t even get a total follower count: Snapchat replaces what would be your follower count with a score that reflects the sum of the messages you send and receive.

All this aside, you can use context to put things into perspective. Here are a few tips we've picked up along the way to help us better understand our Snapchat performance:

• Looking at your retention rate (what percentage of people watch each frame of your story) will allow you to compare stories to each other. Which are performing better? We’ve learned there’s a sweet spot around 90 seconds -- any longer than that, and people start to lose steam.
• Looking at the percentage of people that dropped off after the second Snap will help you gauge general interest. If 30% of our audience dropped off after the second Snap, we probably missed the mark.
• Reviewing qualitative feedback can help you better understand your success.If people are sending you chats telling you they love your latest post, you’re probably on the right track.

Another tricky part about Snapchat analytics? In order to accurately collect numbers, you need to log in and write them down or screenshot them exactly 24 hours after you took the first Snap. Otherwise, they disappear forever. (We learned this the hard way. A few times.) You can find your views & engagements on the “Stories” screen.

At HubSpot, we record the following information on each Story:

• Story Title: What are you calling this Story?
• Number of Snaps: How many individual Snaps are in your Story?
• Length of Story: How long is your Story from start to finish?
• Views on first Snap
• Views on last Snap
• Retention rate: What percentage of people who start your Story view through the end?
• Engagements: How many people screenshot a Snap and send a direct message in reply?

3) Source content and ideas from your team.

Finding the time to come up with creative, engaging content ideas for Snapchat can be a big challenge -- especially if you're the only person on the job.

To combat this, we turned to our collective team to gain perspective and source ideas. This is an especially interesting tip if you work at a company with global offices, as it can help you piece together interesting stories from all over the world.

Here's how we approached this outreach:

• First, we sent out a company-wide email asking for anyone who wanted to be featured on Snapchat. This gave us a massive list of people who were interested in being on camera or creating Stories themselves.
• We then created an internal Slack channel for all those who were interested. We used this platform to ask for volunteers for specific shoots and to source general ideas.

If you're struggling to gain internal support, you might want to consider explaining how certain teams could benefit from getting involved with the company Snapchat account. For example, our social media team is working closely with the culture team to highlight our company culture. By creating stories that showcase what life is like at HubSpot, they can get the word out about our culture, while also helping us lighten our daily content load.

4) Focus on variety.

If you want to maintain an engaged audience, it's important that you commit to consistently posting great Snapchat content. What makes a Snap or Story great? For starters: Variety. Snapchat users like to consume stories and information in different formats, and the app provides a lot of room for creative application.

For example, here are a few ideas and formats we're currently testing:

• Video vs. stills
• Graphics/drawing/emojis
• Selfie cam style video vs. point and shoot
• Sound vs. no sound

By testing different types of content, we can start setting up some best practices that we can share across the company. Here are some early findings:

• Short videos rule. Our highest performing videos are all under 60 seconds long.
• Pay attention to timing. Things like newsjacks or live coverage of major company events tends to perform well.
• Cast a wider net. We’ve incorporated content from our Sydney and Dublin offices, which helps us build out a global perspective. This initiative has been really well received by our Snapchat audience.

Looking for inspiration? Check out what 10 of the best brands on Snapchat are doing to engage their audience.

5) Look for creative ways to build your audience.

On most social networks, it’s easy to browse around and find stuff that might be interesting to you. For example, on Instagram you might search for a particular hashtag or look for photos tagged with a specific location. Snapchat, however, does not make “discoverability” easy. And as a result, building an audience requires you to get a little creative.

When we launched HubSpot's Snapchat account, we leveraged other company channels -- blog posts, social media, etc. -- to attract followers. As a result, we got some momentum going. Trouble is, keeping that growth moving has proved to be a challenge.

To avoid stalling out once the initial excitement has faded, we recommend developing a long-term promotional plan to keep your audience up-to-date on what's to come.

Some more tips for increasing your reach:

• Leverage partners or influencers. Invite others to be featured on your account, and ask them to spread the word to their network.
• Newsjack. We’ve done a few “HubSpot Hot Takes," which is essentially our version of a quick reaction to industry news. This has gotten our account mentioned by people on other social platforms, which helps spread the word.
• Join the conversation. Find an opportunity to get involved in a relevant event and leverage that audience. We recently did a takeover from Social Media Marketing World, highlighting some speakers, sessions, and key learnings from the conference. We posted about the takeover using the #SMMW16 hashtag and saw a noticeable spike in followers that day.

6) Don't get too caught up with perfection.

This one is hard for many content creators to stomach: We like to edit, adjust, tweak until the last second. But if you’re doing Snapchat right, it’s not gonna be perfect.

Stories should feel quick, off the cuff, and not overly produced. In fact, one of our highest performing stories was just a quick video of me sitting in a chair reacting to a Facebook platform announcement in real time. I saw the press release, ran to an empty room, and fired off a few quick snaps explaining the change. That's it.

Keep in mind that the photos won’t be professional-grade ... and they don't have to be. Your focus should be on finding a way to create authentic, compelling moments and stories, so try not to overthink it.