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Twitter launches explore, a discovery tool!! Know more about the latest feature of Twitter.Today we bring you the latest updates on Twitter’s new discovery tool. Along with other marketing news about every platform from your favorite sites and blogs.
Read the full article for shorts that interest you.
1. Twitter launches Explore, a discovery tool:
What did I miss? : Moments’ tab will soon be no more, replaced by an ‘Explore’ tab that’ll also be shifted from the middle spot. Moments is still there, but it’s further down the page. And it no longer gets its own tab.
Why this change? : The change is designed to streamline the discovery process , another step in making Twitter easier to understand. The demotion of Moments also seems to go against the wider trend towards more storytelling type devices in social, ways to string several posts together into a more comprehensive, narrative-style update.
What was the problem with Moments? : Part of the problem for Moments was that it wasn’t open to all users from the start, but the bigger issue limiting Moments’ take-up has been Twitter’s failure to communicate its potential, its context and position within our day-to-day lives.
How does it work? : The Explore tab will take you to a screen that shows you your Moments. While Twitter’s trending stories have been on the site all along, this method of consolidation looks a lot like others are familiar with.
Takeaways: This update clearly signals that users are not engaging with the Moments tab at a high enough rate to justify that prominent in-app position. The problems that have plagued Moments are much the same as the wider issues at Twitter overall. Users preferred the Explore tab, as it helped them find more content. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction.
Read: Twitter adds ‘explore’ to make finding tweets easier
2. Facebook blatantly copying Snapchat:
What’s this about? : Facebook’s at it again. Just when you thought the social network had done all they could to duplicate Snapchat’s functions in their apps, they’re now looking to add a new Stories option within Facebook itself.
Why now? : Facebook’s not doing this just for fun or to see what happens, they’re doing this based on data and maybe to take a little bit more wind out of the sails of Snapchat ahead of their planned IPO.
What’s more? : Stories on Facebook, just like Instagram and Snapchat Stories, are built upon the addition of video and/or photos. Friends can access the stories, and they will expire after 24 hours. Unlike other news items, Facebook stories do not show up on the News Feed or on the poster’s timeline, and engagement is done through direct message.
Impact: With Facebook Stories, the social network will be introducing the Stories function to a lot of people who aren’t aware of it. Facebook has used for other Snapchat-like additions, like the new camera function, most functions of which have since been expanded to Messenger.
Takeaways: With this move Facebook is acknowledging, once again, that the ‘Stories’ format, originated by Snapchat, is a new paradigm in social media. Facebook Stories could provide a whole new opportunity for brands, another way to generate reach on the platform. It’s a bold move, for sure, but one which could deliver significant benefit.
Read: Facebook have facebook stories now!
Watch: Facebook stories test walkthrough
3. Google AMP results in Google News more than double:
What’s new? : The folks at Rank Ranger reports that Google News on mobile is now showing close AMP in the US results up to about 70% of the time.
What were the numbers before? : On January 25, Rank Ranger reported about 30 percent of mobile Google News box results in the US showing as AMP. On January 29, that number hit 70 percent.The number of AMP optimised news articles appearing within Google’s Top Stories on mobile has skyrocketed across the globe.
Is there any change in the algorithm? : It is unclear if this is a glitch or a change in the algorithm where Google is showing more AMP for mobile users in Google News.
What’s the status now? : Globally it is now at about 50%, but in the US, about 70%. Even more of a reason to go AMP with your news site.
Takeaways: It’s quite interesting to see that there is a huge jump of Google AMP results within just a few days.
Read: Google AMP In Google News hits 70% of results.
4. Facebook updates News Feed algorithm:
What’s this about? : Facebook has announced a new News Feed algorithm update which puts more emphasis on longer videos posted to the platform.
Why now? : To give more weightage to what percentage of a video is watched by users, which puts more emphasis on longer videos posted to the platform.
What’s more? : Various signals are evaluated to determine prominence, including live video status and engagement based on length of time watched, as a metric known as “percent completion.” A video that is watched at least halfway identifies the content as “compelling.” A longer video with this weight metric also indicates a bigger commitment, so longer videos may not necessarily be penalised in the News Feed.
Is it significant? : Facebook acknowledges that long videos shouldn’t necessarily get the shaft, if there is still a lot of engagement on the video, it clearly means it has significance. But that is predicated upon engagement.While watching a Facebook video on your TV through the app, you can scroll through Facebook as normal without affecting the playback that’s actually quite interesting.
Takeaways: By creating a longer video, Facebook isn’t going to give the video prominence by default. It still needs to pass this “percent completion” weight metric.
Read: Facebook’s news feed update!
That’s all for today. Happy Marketing ? ?!!
