Snapchat Is Revamping Its Creator Payments by Introducing Spotlight Challenges
Snap today announced a variety of new tools, programs, and features that would allow producers on its platform to earn money as the race for talent heats up.
The Creator Marketplace has been expanded to include Snap Stars (top creators with verified accounts). In addition, the debut of a how-to resource called the Creator Hub and a new mechanism for Snapchat artists to get rewarded for generating short-form video for its in-app TikTok rival, known as Spotlight.
Key takeaways:
Snap’s Spotlight Challenges will award cash prizes for the best-performing Spotlight content. A minimum prize of $250 will be awarded. Individual challenge reward pools typically vary from $1,000 to $25,000.
Rather than rewarding top-performing content, the challenges will be structured to encourage the use of specific Lenses, Sounds, or #Topics. These challenges will be featured on the “Trending” tab of Spotlight.
The addition comes after Snap creators highlighted their dissatisfaction with Spotlight payment delays earlier this year, as well as the shrinking amount of money they could receive.
Users May Interact with TikTok’s New Ad Offerings through Taps, Swipes, Likes, and More
TikTok is launching several new and interactive ad formats, including clickable stickers, “Choose Your Own Adventure”-type ads, “super likes,” and more. In addition, TikTok presented its new plan to ramp up advertiser investment in its video platform.
The social media giant’s new features will make TikTok’s advertising more engaging and creative, similar to the TikTok experience.
Key takeaways:
TikTok’s ad pricing has constantly increased as the company’s ad revenue has grown.
TikTok’s larger ad business is getting a boost with the debut of numerous new items to differentiate TikTok from its social media competitors.
Marketers haven’t set aside as much money for TikTok as for other vital platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook Apologizes for the Downtime and Explains Why It Occurred
Billions of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger users could not access their accounts for several hours. Facebook has apologized for the outage. The outage, which made it impossible for users to refresh their feeds or send messages, was caused by “configuration changes on the backbone routers.”
Key takeaways:
The outage was the longest for Facebook since a glitch knocked the service offline for approximately a day in 2008, affecting over 80 million users. Around 3 billion people utilize the platform right now.
A similar outage occurred in 2019 and lasted around an hour. The event was caused by a server configuration change, according to Facebook.
The outage occurred one day after a whistleblower exposed sensitive internal information to The Wall Street Journal.
Google’s Plans to Provide Users with Bank Accounts Have Been Scrapped
Two years after the company unveiled its banking plans and a few months after the project’s leading executive resigned, its banking plans have changed.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the project was forced to fold due to a succession of missed deadlines and the departure of the Google Pay executive in charge of the project. According to CNBC, a Google spokesperson acknowledged the allegation but declined to comment on the impact of the executive’s departure.
Key takeaways:
In cooperation with Citigroup and Stanford Federal Credit Union, Google announced in 2020 that customers would open a bank account using its Google Pay app starting in 2021.
As with other industries such as media and advertising, banks have expressed concern that digital companies may take over consumer finance, but the threat has yet to materialize.
Financial services have also become a central emphasis area for Google’s cloud division.
Support for Internet Explorer 11 by Google Search Will End
“We did the math,” Google said of the company’s decision to discontinue support for the Internet Explorer 11 web browser.
On Twitter, Google software engineer Malte Ubl announced, emphasizing that it’s excellent news for the developer community.
Key takeaways:
To be clear, “ending support” does not mean that Internet Explorer will be unable to visit Google. Instead, Google will provide a search engine that can only return basic results and not much else.
On a desktop computer, 1.32 percent of the market uses Internet Explorer.
These decisions are unlikely to have a significant influence on either company. Given that in July 2022, Microsoft will be discontinuing the use of Internet Explorer.
Google’s New Update Will Provide Users with Additional Information about Websites
Google is modifying its search results to enhance online users’ media literacy. The company is extending the capabilities of its “About this Result” feature, which Google introduced earlier last year. It will now include information about the source itself, such as its Wikipedia description and what the site says about itself. Along with news, reviews, and other information that can help people better evaluate unfamiliar or new sources.
It will also point users to further resources on the same topic and other sources of information that may be relevant to the user’s original query.
Key takeaways:
Google will also provide users with additional information about the source, indexed across the web. People can look at what others say about a site, whether news outlets, reviews, or reputable organizations.
Google will also include an “About the Topic” feature, direct online searchers to further information about their original inquiry, such as top news coverage or other search results on the same subject.
The feature will not be available right away but in English in the United States. Google says it plans to expand “About this Result” to more countries in the future.
Google: More Detailed Descriptions Can Optimize Your Job Posting Pages
By simply adding extra details to the description property of the job posting structured data, Google has “uncovered a possibility to improve your job posting sites.” As a result, your job posting sites may get a boost in Google Search due to this.
Key takeaways:
Google displays only text from the description attribute. As a result, it’s critical to include information in the description box about job credentials, abilities, benefits, and so on.
Examine the description field to ensure that it has all of the information that you may have only provided in specific fields.
Full-Width Design for Google Search Featured Snippets
Google Search is experimenting with a new style for highlighted snippets. When the featured snippet ordinarily breaks off at the end of the search box, you can see that it now spans the entire width of the layout.
New Rich Results Status Reports Have Been Added to Google Search Console
For some sites, Google has announced the addition of a new set of detailed mistakes to the rich results reports in the Google Search Console. Users will only see a report if Search Console has data for that type of rich result on your site and if Search Console creates a report for that type of rich result.
Key takeaways:
A summary and a detailed page in the report display the supported rich results’ problems, warnings, and other information.
Google has included a new set of descriptive faults to these reports to assist users in diagnosing difficulties with your rich results.
Ideally, the current error count should be zero on all report pages. The present error, warning, and valid counts are given at the top of the chart.
URL Inspection Tool to Match Google Search Console Testing Tools
According to Google, the URL Inspection tool will be more closely linked with Google Search Console’s public-facing testing capabilities. In addition, Google says it’s changing the “designs and functionalities” of these products, so they’re “completely aligned with the URL Inspection tool.”
This affects the AMP, Mobile Friendly, and Rich Results testing tools. As a result, Google is giving these three public-facing tools a fresh appearance and some new features.
These fields will appear on the public-facing tools as well as the URL inspection tool:
Page availability — Whether Google could crawl the page when it was crawled and any problems it ran into while crawling the URL.
HTTP headers — The response from the inspected URL’s HTTP headers.
Page screenshot — Google’s view of the produced page.
Paired AMP inspection —Inspect both the canonical and AMP URLs with paired AMP inspection.
According to Google, the Index Coverage Report in Google Search Console does not report up-to-date coverage statistics. For individuals that need the most up-to-date assurance of whether a URL is indexed or not, Google advises utilizing the URL Inspection Tool.
Several tweets have been sent out pointing out what appears to be an error in the Index Coverage Report, which reports that a URL was crawled but not indexed.
It turns out that this is a restriction of the Index Coverage report, not a defect.
Key takeaways:
The data in the Index Coverage report is refreshed at a slower rate than a URL Inspection.
When the URL Inspection results contradict the Index Coverage report, the URL Inspection results should be authoritative.
When the status of a page changes, the data presented in Index Coverage should reflect the new status within a few days.
The Google Search Console tool is a peculiar SEO tool. It appears to be a haphazard collection of search results. Some are useful, some could be beneficial if you know what you’re doing, and still, others are nice to look at but have no genuine insights.
On the plus side, Google Search Console provides accurate data straight from Google. Furthermore, it is available to all website owners for free. So, if you’re motivated enough, and especially if you’re on a budget, you can get a lot of search engine optimization done with only this tool.
This SEO audit guide will go over some of the more valuable Google Search Console features and give you step-by-step instructions on how to use them.
Side search, a new feature in Google Chrome that makes it easier to compare search results on the same page, is being tested. On the Chromium blog, Google revealed that they’re testing with a new side panel in the Chrome OS Dev channel so that users can view a page and search results at the same time.
Key takeaways:
Users can use this side search option to view a page in the same window as their main browser window without switching between tabs or losing their search results.
Users must be in the Chrome OS Dev channel on their desktop to use the feature.
Journeys, a new method to explore your browser history in Chrome, is also being tested by Google. Journeys will group all of the pages you’ve seen that are connected to a given topic, so you don’t have to wade through your browser history to find them.
Facebook Gives Tips on How to Avoid Harmful Interactions in Messenger
Facebook recently collaborated with psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos to create a new framework to help users set appropriate boundaries in Messenger.
The data could benefit younger users, who are already depending on such programs to retain social connections in the face of ongoing social distance mandates.
Key takeaways:
Users may find it more challenging to identify such hazards and concerns. By offering a clear framework, these apps may assist in alleviating unneeded tension and discomfort.
Facebook also emphasizes its numerous tools for reducing tension. Turning off active status to minimize the expectation of quick response or adjusting your delivery controls to select who goes to your Message Request folder are a few,
Because of the rising reliance on digital connection tools and recent findings regarding the mental effects of such interactions, it’s important to remember these tips.
Facebook has announced new Messenger and Instagram direct features, including cross-app group chats, which allow you to join in group discussions across the two apps, new group typing indicators to boost participation, and polls in your Instagram direct messages.
Key takeaways:
Given that the option to communicate between the two apps between individuals has been available since September 2021, the new feature is hardly a substantial change in terms of functionality.
It’s also another step in Facebook’s bigger messaging unification strategy, which will eventually include WhatsApp.
The cross-app functionality is another important step in solidifying its integration efforts and bringing its entire suite of messaging tools together.
E-Commerce Advertisers’ Ad Prices Are Rising Due to Apple’s Privacy Measures
After Apple’s privacy upgrade made it more challenging to follow iPhone users and target them with appropriate marketing, e-commerce companies are paying greater fees for digital advertising. According to a new analysis by ad-tech company Moloco, the rising prices of mobile ads would force online retailers to look for new ways to boost campaign performance.
Key takeaways:
Apple began flashing a pop-up window on iPhones, prompted by online privacy concerns, asking customers to accept to be monitored by applications – a feature known as App Tracking Transparency (ATT).
According to the report, the percentage of tracked users declined from 73% at the beginning of 2021 to 32% by June.
During the six months, the average conversion cost for e-commerce marketers increased by 200% for tracked users and 155 percent for non-tracked users.
Facebook Reels Has Come Out of Testing, with Offers to Pay Producers for High-Performing Videos
Reels is now available to all Facebook users in the United States on both iOS and Android. The feature, which is Facebook’s answer to TikTok, allows users to create and share short-form video content using several editing options, including music and audio, AR effects, timers and countdowns, and more.
With its public debut, creators will be able to create Reels directly on Facebook and post their existing Instagram Reels to Facebook, allowing them to grow their following on both platforms.
Key takeaways:
The company is launching a new bonus program to compensate creators when their Reels are viewed. For the time being, the new program will only be open to American creators and will be by invitation only. However, it will eventually grow to other parts of the globe.
Facebook says it’s also working on new ways for creators to monetize their Reels, such as Sticker Ads and Banner Ads in Reels.
In addition, the company hopes to commercialize Reels as a product by experimenting with full-screen and immersive commercials that appear in between Reels, similar to TikTok ads.
Twitch Adds Phone-Verified Chat and Expands Email Authentication Settings
Twitch has announced that they would add new channel-level security tools to prevent abuse on the network. Creators and moderators can now enable verified chat, which requires chatters to verify their phone number or email address before sending messages.
Users can toggle these settings to allow verified chat. Until the channel opts in, these settings will be off by default. Settings are also in place to ensure that VIPs, subscribers, and moderators avoid verification. In contrast to two-factor authentication, users need to validate their phone or email once they authenticate across all channels.
Key takeaways:
Twitch allows users to link up to five accounts to the same phone number. Suppose one of those accounts is banned from a channel. In that case, all other confirmed identities using that phone number or email address will be prohibited as well.
The idea is to prevent anyone from using the same phone number or email address to create several hate profiles. The streamer would only block someone once instead of five times.
While using a different phone number, such as a Google Voice account, is possible. It adds another layer of complexity for bad actors.
Twitch Has Been Hacked, Disclosing Future Product Plans
Twitch, Amazon’s video streaming service, was hacked, exposing payment information for content creators as well as an unreleased product from Amazon Game Studios.
In a post to the anonymous message board platform 4chan, the hacker stated they exposed the information to “encourage greater disruption and competition” in the online video streamingbusiness.
Key takeaways:
Twitch confirmed the hack but didn’t elaborate on the scope of the attack or the information stolen.
According to the 4chan post, the hacker took over 125 gigabytes of data in the incident.
According to reports, the material includes Twitch’s source code and information about Amazon Game Studio’s plans to build an online store for computer games to compete with industry leader Steam.
Third-Party App Stores Can Now Access Microsoft’s Windows Store
Microsoft’s relaxed regulations on competing browsers (which now enable browsers with non-Microsoft engines) are also paying off. Opera and Yandex Browser will be available on the Microsoft Store as alternatives to Edge. If your first instinct is to download Chrome or Firefox, these additions won’t help much. Still, they imply Microsoft is open to some competition in its own store.
Key takeaways:
Third-party storefront apps, like any other program, will have a product description page. This is so consumers can locate and install them with the same confidence as any other software in the Microsoft Store on Windows.
If developers utilize alternative payment channels, Microsoft would also allow them to keep 100% of the money from their apps. The sole exception is that games are not included.
The Microsoft Store has already benefited from Microsoft’s more open app store policy.
Apple’s Most Recent iPhone Update, Allows You to Copy and Paste Text from Photographs
iOS 15, the most recent version of the iPhone operating system, has numerous new tools that use artificial intelligence to analyze photo content.
Although object recognition has been available for a while, Apple claims its implementation is unique. It takes place on the device rather than on a cloud server. It’s also part of the operating system.
Key takeaways:
Copying and pasting text from a photo is one of the most valuable features of this new technology. For example, users can take a picture of a page in a book and then capture that text and paste it into a document or a note.
It also makes it easier for users to call or email by detecting phone numbers and email addresses written down, such as on a business card.
It also works with handwritten text; Apple used scribbles on a whiteboard as an example while announcing the functionality in June.
Users Can Create Burner Email Addresses Using Apple’s iOS 15 Software Update
For users who pay for iCloud storage, the latest version of the iPhone operating system, iOS 15, has new privacy measures.
One of the most useful new features is the ability to create a temporary email account, which is separate from your identity but still sends messages to your inbox. “Hide My Mail” is the name of the game.
Key takeaways:
One of the most useful new features is the ability to create a “burner email address,” which is an email address that isn’t associated with your identity but still sends messages to your inbox.
These burner emails are helpful for filling out online forms where you don’t want to give out your primary email address.
Hide My Email is part of iCloud+, Apple’s new suite of privacy tools for iCloud users who pay for storage.
Day, a New Calendar Software from Yahoo, Was Designed with the Help of Sunrise’s Co-Founder
Jeremy Le Van, who co-founded another calendaring app, Sunrise, later sold it to Microsoft for nearly $100 million was brought in to consult on the design. His app Sunrise became the backbone of Microsoft’s very popular calendar platform in Outlook.
Many people grieved the end of Sunrise; now, it appears that they might have a chance to acquire Sunrise 2.0. However, to be clear, Le Van was not a full-time employee of Yahoo but rather a consultant.
Key takeaways:
In reality, Yahoo includes a stripped-down calendar widget that you can access through Yahoo Mail. However, it’s unclear how popular it is, especially given how simple it is to merge one’s email with most other calendar apps these days.
Yahoo’s Mail team is developing the software. However, it’s being handled “like a startup” within the company and has been granted to develop it independently.
The move demonstrates how Yahoo believes that with the right approach, there is still room for more innovation in this crowded market, despite a history of misses in other areas, such as messaging.
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Updates on TikTok
TikTok Challenges Brands to ‘Don’t Make Ads’
It has been a year since TikTok For Business started to call advertisers to stop making ads and follow the mantra, “Don’t Make Ads. Make TikToks”. An invitation to be more creative, authentic and create content that truly speaks to people.
While TikTok isn’t telling brands not to make ads, but rather, they’re challenging them to genuinely interact with its community, embrace the app’s creativity, positivism, and authenticity.
Katie Puris, who heads the Global Business Marketing at TikTok, said that launching the campaign was a bold ask to the industry. Still, they knew it would work for marketers.
What happens on TikTok is unique. Every day, people participate in campaigns, build alongside them, and even make TikToks for the brands and products they love. People usually don’t realize that what they’re seeing is an ad, and that’s the goal of TikTok.
Key takeaways:
The times have changed, but not the ads.
TikTok’s For You Page is entirely like nothing else on the internet with its endless cycle of new trends and ways for messages to find traction.
To tell a huge story, you don’t need to have a big production.
“When we invite brands to make TikToks, we’re challenging them to transform the way that they connect with their audiences because we know that it has the power to transform their business.”
Tiktok Now Has a Monthly Active User Base of One Billion People
TikTok stated that 1 billion people use the app every month in a blog post. For reference, Facebook reported 2.9 billion monthly active users in June, up 7% year over year. However, TikTok’s growth is rapid: from July 2020, when it had 689 million monthly active users, the number of monthly active users has increased by 45 percent. In addition, according to app analytics firm SensorTower, TikTok became the first non-Facebook app to exceed 3 billion global downloads in July.
Key takeaways:
TikTok’s major markets include the United States, Europe, Brazil, and Southeast Asia, according to the business, whose parent company, ByteDance, is based in China.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has purchased the VR hardware business, Pico, hinting at a possible push into VR.
The threat that TikTok poses to Western digital behemoths is palpable: Instagram, which Facebook owns, has declared that it is no longer a photo-sharing service. Even discussion forums like Reddit are lured by the promise of short-form video streams, as Instagram promotes Reels, its TikTok clone.
New, Step-By-Step Guides to Creating Branded Content on Tiktok
With a new collection of thorough, step-by-step tutorials on making some of the most prevalent, entertaining video kinds on the platform, TikTok hopes to assist more brands in leaping TikTok content development.
Key takeaways:
TikTok also mentions that brands can promote their videos to reach an even wider audience.
The app currently has a billion users, surpassing Instagram in this regard and growing at a considerably quicker rate, thanks to its engaging, community-focused strategy.
Marketers must link their creativity with TikTok trends to optimize their brand’s promotional potential.
As TikTok’s spectacular rise continues, more marketers are taking notice and thinking about how they can use the app to expand their brand’s reach and discovery.
Marketers must learn what works with the TikTok community and align with organic trends to succeed with TikTok. Repurposing ad campaigns from other platforms will not work, and polished, edited, professional-quality commercials are unlikely to get traction.
Key takeaways:
With a basic overview of each element, the guide covers all of the main aspects of practical TikTok clips.
Notes on creating authentic TikTok content are included in the guide, and specific advice on creative techniques and posting frequency.
There are also links to valuable resources and tools, such as TikTok’safe zones’ template examples for your video clips.
TikTok Highlights Rising Ecommerce Opportunities and the App’s Unique Potential for Brands
TikTok has been progressively leaning into eCommerce as part of its ongoing growth and desire to add more monetization alternatives. This can assist in supporting higher advertiser engagement while also giving more cash potential for individual creators through brand partnerships.
The company has revealed some new data and ideas to help marketers increase their product marketing efforts in the app. And could help them define your TikTok marketing strategy.
Key takeaways:
TikTok claims that its platform offers new options for marketers in terms of increasing product engagement through entertainment.
Another significant benefit it possesses in this regard is its algorithm and its “hyper-relevant” For You Page.
TikTok provides more opportunities to showcase a broader selection of clips from multiple suppliers because it is more oriented around content than producers or profiles.
TikTok’s algorithm is also quite effective at determining what you enjoy and displaying more of it to you.
In the wake of the ongoing boom in online shopping, brands are looking for new and eye-catching strategies to keep their commercials relevant. Marketers are looking for every potential scenario to feed the consumer frenzy for digital offers. Social media, like TikTok, could be one of their best options.
As of January 2021, TikTok has 689 million active users worldwide. The app is used eight times per day on average. Those viewers spend 52 minutes watching user-generated videos of various human behaviors, challenges, and entertaining acts every day.
TikTok may be an unequaled advertising investment for e-commerce enterprises that are looking for fresh brand exposure and customer acquisition. The platform allows e-commerce firms to stay visible and relevant in today’s always-on consumer culture.
Key takeaways:
TikTok is the most popular and largest platform that covers purchasing power.
Much of TikTok’s potential as an advertising platform is fueled by its uniqueness.
TikTok is unusual because it encourages users to stay on the platform longer, resulting in more eyes on more advertising for a more extended time.
Tiktok Is Experimenting with Even Longer Video Uploads
TikTok is seeking new use ways and strategies to leverage its fast-growing footprint. This is as it continues to attract more users and expand its business services.
We’ve seen this through the new TikTok Stories feature, the addition of a dedicated resumes option for job seekers, and news of group messaging features on the way, among other things. In addition, TikTok is now experimenting with another possible platform extension. Some users notice a new notification in the app.
Key takeaways:
TikTok has already extended its video length limit several times, allowing users to submit 60-second clips and then increasing it to 3 minutes in July of this year.
Some TikTok users can now submit movies up to 5 minutes long to the app, which might lead to a notable shift in platform usage.
This new update would also place it on a playing field with video competitors such as YouTube and Facebook.
TikTok Effect Studio: Tiktok’s AR Development Platform
Both Facebook and Snap provide developers with the tools to create augmented reality (AR) experiences and features. TikTok is now aiming to follow in their footsteps. TikTok Effect Studio is a new creative toolkit now in private beta testing, will enable TikTok’s developer community to build augmented reality effects for the company’s short-form video app.
Key takeaways:
TikTok was unable to provide a timeline for when these tools would be more widely available.
Effect Studio is described as an early “experiment,” with the disclaimer that not all of its experiments make it to launch.
TikTok would be more competitive with industry rivals if it launched an AR toolkit.
Tencent’s WeChat Pay Is Now Available in Alibaba Apps
For years, China’s biggest internet platforms have functioned as walled gardens, barring competing links and preventing users from purchasing things via competitors’ payment systems.
This is beginning to change as regulators urge China’s tech behemoths to break down barriers and reform some of their anti-competitive practices.
Alibaba has begun allowing customers to pay for things on several of its applications using Tencent’s WeChat Pay payment service.
Key takeaways:
Alibaba and Tencent, two of China’s largest internet giants, have consolidated their control through their vast services, generally centered on their so-called mega applications.
Companies like Tencent and Alibaba are now being forced to adjust some of their anti-competitive practices across their apps by state regulators.
On WeChat, Tencent has begun to unblock links to rivals’ material. Alibaba has also started integrating Tencent’s WeChat Pay into several of its apps.
As the Pressure on App Stores Rises, Google Is Cutting the Amount It Keeps from Sales on Its Cloud Marketplace
As the major internet corporations face increasing pressure to decrease their so-called take rates, Google reduces the revenue it keeps when consumers buy software from other suppliers on its cloud marketplace.
According to a source familiar with the situation who asked not to be identified to discuss internal regulations, the Google Cloud Platform reduces its revenue share from 20% to 3%.
Key takeaways:
For purchases of third-party software through cloud marketplaces, Google mirrors Microsoft’s revenue share conditions.
The change may entice other cloud businesses, allowing Google to cut its reliance on advertising even further.
Big tech companies have been reducing the amount of money they keep on their platforms for consumer apps or corporate products in recent months. Some of the pressure stems from competitiveness, but there are also growing regulatory and legal issues.
Google introduced a broad range of hybrid cloud services, all of which are controlled by Anthos. The company’s cloud-native management console is meant to supply compute at the edge of Google’s network of data centers, at a partner facility, or in a customer’s private data center.
Key takeaways:
The objective behind the announcement was to bring clients along who might have specialized workloads that aren’t well suited to the public cloud.
A solution might be deployed at the edge in one of Google’s global data centers, in a partner data center such as a telco or a colocation facility such as Equinix, or as part of a managed services within a company’s own data center.
The entire strategy suggests that Google aims to carve out a piece of the cloud market for itself by taking advantage of a hybrid market opening. In the most recent quarterly report from August, Google achieved a 10% market share in the cloud infrastructure industry for the first time.
Google’s Topics Api Has Prompted a Variety of Responses
Earlier this week, Google launched the Topics API, its newest ad targeting idea to replace third-party cookies. While marketing and ad tech platforms and advertisers try to make sense of the new concept, Federated Learning of Cohorts is dead in the water.
According to Aaron Levy, head of paid search at Tinuiti, the topics are more likely to be accepted by the broader ecosystem because they directly address many FLoC privacy concerns. He went on to say that while it’s strange to call this an advantage, he considers anything that debuts with a higher possibility of stability and fewer mass opt-outs again.
Key takeaways:
According to its GitHub page, the Topics API’s initial design comprises 350 topics. Advertisers are worried that this volume will not be enough to enable appropriate targeting.
Aside from the potentially limited topics, marketers may be concerned about the short term, as they are used to much more consistent audience inclusion than one to three weeks.
Although Chrome may be the sole browser to adopt, some may not be concerned. Suppose Chrome captures a large enough share of the browser market. In that case, Google may continue with the Topics API without negotiating with its competitors.
Youtube Is Testing a Tool That Allows Users to save Videos Directly to Their Browser
Premium subscribers can try out a new tool that allows them to download videos directly from their web browser. This test, which brings a mobile feature to the web, is part of a more extensive program that allows Premium members to see what the platform is up to.
Premium users will be able to download videos by default; uploaders will not need to opt-in. In addition, subscribers who have the latest versions of Chrome, Edge, or Opera can use the “Download” button when watching a movie or the 3-dot menu while browsing. Users can then retrieve their downloaded videos via a downloads feed, which can also be accessed via sidebar navigation.
Key takeaways:
Unlike third-party sites, YouTube does not provide you with a video file that you may keep on your hard disk indefinitely. Instead, a cached video is made available to the user.
While offline, users can access their downloaded videos by going to the YouTube website. They’ll then see text indicating that they’re offline, which will redirect them to a new page with the films they’ve downloaded.
The feature is also available in the YouTube Progressive Web App (PWA). However, the user’s device must connect to the internet at least once every 30 days for downloaded YouTube videos to remain available.
Data on ‘Typical Audience Retention’ Is Now Available on Youtube
YouTube is revamping its audience retention reporting to make it easier for artists to see what’s working and what isn’t. Last year, YouTube Studio gave channels access to audience retention data.
This area of YouTube Analytics examines “key moments” in videos that received positive feedback from viewers. It’s intended to assist YouTube creators in determining what resonates with their audience and what works in terms of content.
Key takeaways:
Channels have had a chance to study the data and apply the insights to their content development strategy since the launch of the critical moments for audience retention reports.
One of the most common pieces of criticism YouTube has received is that it would be helpful to know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to audience retention.
This data will appear as a grey band across several charts in YouTube Analytics, making it easier to compare actual performance to typical performance.
Youtube Reveals to Make Live-Stream Shopping Available to All Users
Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest host retail live-streams with well-known brands to optimize their respective commerce opportunities.
With a series of planned Christmas shopping live streams, YouTube is also attempting to break into the market. Users will interact with influencers and celebrities in real-time and make direct in-app purchases.
Key takeaways:
YouTube has revealed more details about its long-term plans for live-stream commerce.
The primary purpose of live-stream purchasing is to extend existing user behaviors, with influencers already recommending companies and artists in their uploads, sometimes through endorsement deals and paid collaborations.
YouTube stars have become trusted voices for many people, especially among younger viewers who are just as enamored with YouTube stars as they are with traditional media celebrities.
YouTube adds more analytics insights to mobile, including statistics on traffic sources and revenue that were previously only available on desktop. Creators can now track their profits while on the road and see how viewers are finding their videos.
As part of the initiative, creators can now access two additional reports on the Studio Mobile app’s income page.
Monthly Revenue Report: This report includes projected income for the current month and past data to allow you to compare month-to-month performance.
Transaction Revenue Report: This report details how you made money, including channel memberships, Super Chats, Super Stickers, and other items that viewers pay for.
Put the customer first by beginning your strategy with customer needs and desires instead of a conversion objective, product feature, website layout.
In this practice, it is not only about exploring how to increase the number of customers who take action but also about the very nature of that action itself.
It is about choosing conversion goals in the customers’ best interests and providing value at every interaction. It may mean sacrificing short-term goals like quarterly sales for ultimate long-term gain.
As a result, customers may perceive that you or your business is acting in their best interests and nurturing a much better relationship with them. Therefore, they view you and your business as a preferred option.
Steps to customer-first marketing:
Determine the ideal customer’s needs in general (whether your brand sells it or not).
Determine what your ideal customer needs specifically from your service or product.
Focus your marketing on a customer-first objective.
Find the most straightforward, least obtrusive way to communicate the offer for your product.
According to Daniel Burstein, who writes at marketingsherpa.com, putting the customer first is the highest of the five levels of marketing maturity.
The highest of the five levels of marketing maturity:
This might be for you if you run a small business or startup.
If you believe digital marketing can help, this might be for you.
This is precisely for you if you are on a tight budget yet willing to learn to do it yourself.
There is a learning curve involved in this process, which is dependent on your background and level of motivation. It’s important to note that this won’t be a quick fix, but it will be worth it.
However — because this section is built for small businesses or startups with limited resources: time, workforce, and budget — I would like to make each lesson as short as possible.
As a small business owner, I found some points to be particularly important.
Understanding the Foundations of Business Success
Target Audience
In any business strategy, it is crucial to define the target audience. Understanding your customers’ needs, preferences, and behaviors allows for tailored marketing efforts and product development.
Unique Value Proposition (UVP)
Crafting a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is equally crucial. A UVP is a brief statement that emphasizes what makes your product or service distinctive from competitors. A well-crafted UVP not only encapsulates the essence of your offering but also communicates its value to your target audience. This helps set your brand apart in a crowded marketplace.
Stages of Marketing
Mastering marketing stages is vital for impactful business growth in a competitive landscape with brief attention spans. Progressing from awareness to advocacy is key to driving success.
Branding
Branding is the bedrock of business success, defining unique identities that resonate with consumers. Explore the pivotal role of branding in shaping business outcomes and unravel a captivating case study on brand excellence in real estate marketing strategies.
Planning and Implementation
I assume everyone who wants to start a business has a plan. We all know the importance of planning. However, we also know that not all plans may succeed.
Because of this, we want to focus on a business plan that has practical considerations and is primarily focused on implementing and managing the direction of the business. This is also known as strategic planning.
Strategic planning is action-oriented with a clear objective of the desired outcome. For what is planning then, without any implementation?
You may have heard the phrase: plan your work and work your plan. In brief, this is exactly what we mean by strategic planning.
Though financial planning and budgeting would have been part of strategic planning — I’ve had it here as a separate subheading to stress its importance. This is the lifeblood of the business. And with that, I could not say more about its importance.
When the finances are not in order, the quality of the service is affected. Creativity and enthusiasm can be hindered when the finances are not in order. When finances are not in order, pessimism works at its best.
How to Price a Product
This section covers The Pricing Strategy Matrix and The Van Westendorp Model in the context of setting up an online store efficiently and using pricing science effectively. It discusses demographic-based and dynamic pricing strategies, the Bass Diffusion Model for product adoption, strategies based on consumer behavior, psychological pricing principles, and other effective pricing methods.
The Pricing Strategy Matrix
The Pricing Strategy Matrix categorizes pricing strategies into four main types: premium pricing, penetration pricing, economy pricing, and price skimming.
Premium pricing involves setting a high price to position the product as high quality.
Penetration
Penetration pricing sets a low initial price to quickly penetrate the market.
Economy
Economy pricing offers products at low prices for cost-conscious consumers.
Skimming
Price skimming sets a high price initially and lowers it over time to attract different customer segments.
The Three Cs of Pricing
Businesses often use the “Three C’s” of pricing:
Cost (product cost),
Customers (willingness to pay), and
Competition (competitors’ prices).
While the Three C’s of pricing provide a framework, real-world pricing considerations can be more complex. Additional factors like value perception, market demand, and pricing strategies also play crucial roles in setting prices effectively.
In practice, this strategy often falls short due to various reasons:
Costs can fluctuate with raw material availability and production scale.
Cost-based pricing overlooks the true value offered to customers and ignores intangibles like brand perception and demand.
Competitors may underprice products to increase market share.
Customer surveys for pricing can be unreliable; theoretical willingness to pay may differ from actual purchasing behavior.
The Van Westendorp Pricing Model is a market research technique used to determine the optimal price point for a product or service. It involves asking consumers four pricing-related questions to establish a demand curve and identify the price sensitivity threshold, helping businesses set prices that maximize revenue and profitability.
The four key questions in the Van Westendorp Pricing Model are:
Price Point of Equilibrium (PPE)
At what price would you consider the product to be so inexpensive that you would question its quality?
Point of Marginal Cheapness (PMC)
At what price would you consider the product to be a bargain, but not so cheap that you question its quality?
Point of Marginal Expensiveness (PME)
At what price would you consider the product starting to get expensive, but you would still consider buying it?
Price Point of Indifference (PPI)
At what price would you consider the product to be so expensive that you would not consider buying it?
For a more detailed explanation, refer to this Forbes article.
Weekly Regular Meetings
Weekly regular meetings might sound painstaking. Yet this is what keeps our team on our toes.
I see regular weekly meetings as opportunities:
to set or achieve goals, to evaluate the team’s performance, to assess an individual’s well-being and performance, to provide feedback, to learn innovative ideas and practical solutions, and lastly to foster camaraderie.
Start small Start simple Move fast Be Frugal Stay nimble
Your Business Is as Good as You Make Money
Every business is someone else’s baby. But as an entrepreneur, your business is only as good as it could invoice and collect. Everything else outside of that means your business is just an expensive hobby.
This is one of the best business advice I’ve heard.
It doesn’t matter how great you think your business idea is. If the customer is not willing to pay for it, it’s just a fascinating idea.
Avoid Losing Your Gains by Knowing How to Use the Fear of Loss
Business Quote
Business Strategy
When the thing you sell has communication built in, when it is remarkable and worth talking about, when it changes the game – marketing seems a lot easier.
Every business is someone else’s baby. But as an entrepreneur, your business is only as good as it could invoice and collect. Everything else outside of that means your business is just an expensive hobby.
This is one of the best business advice I’ve heard.
It doesn’t matter how great you think your business idea is; if the customer is not willing to pay for it, it’s just a really interesting idea.
In the time of isolation brought about by the pandemic, more people turned to social media to stay connected with the world and their loved ones. As such, it has become an indispensable part of daily life.
With the majority of the world distributed across different social media platforms, its effect on commerce and business can not be overstated. Viral posts and online popularity can now be translated to potential sales. On the other hand, web development and web design are geared towards establishing connections with people through reliable branding and a great user experience. In marketing terms, all design and functionality elements should work together to ultimately persuade consumers toward a product, service, or concept.
Harnessing the power of social media could be beneficial to brands. This could even be translated to other aspects such as web page development and design. To make the most out of technology reaching people, here are three social media tips to boost your web development and web design efforts.
1. Consistency is the key
While it sounds like an overused phrase, social media is a great space to examine what makes people subscribe to a brand. Aside from the uniform layout of the platform itself, effective brands maintain consistency in the design and sometimes the schedule of their posts. This helps people associate certain design elements with the brand. It usually starts with the brand name and the logo, then, later on, extends to certain keywords, slogans, or even color palettes.
The same applies to web design. Of course, if you’re looking to establish a specific identity, you have to choose the elements that will represent it – and stick with it. A changing website design or layout will make your brand appear inconsistent, if not outright suspicious. It also includes the use of your logo that should always be the same color scheme and aspect ratio when you use it in different parts of the site. Even in the use of media, you’d prefer photos of the same size and quality to imply an organized and orderly enterprise behind them.
In terms of web development, accessibility is important. This means that a wide range of users must be able to reach and navigate across your website. Small tips to help you in this part include the use of alt texts for screen readers to explain images for visually impaired users. Web devs should also keep in mind the overall branding and try not to deviate too far from it. Not only do additional features risk alienating users, but they can also affect website speed – another important factor that affects the overall user experience.
One defining characteristic of social media is how it amplifies a certain topic, giving you an idea of the hot topics of the day or the public’s reception to a certain issue. Aside from monitoring your presence, you can also use social media listening tools as a source of ideas to better improve your practice. Additionally, social media is turning into a platform for support outreach, which you can also use yourself to increase brand awareness.
Another common practice in social media you can incorporate into your web design and development is the use of contests and other promotional activities. It creates an easy channel to engage and establish a connection with audiences through the elements of prizes and chance. Other contests, such as those hosted on different social media platforms, only require them to like or share posts. However, there are other contests that ask them to provide information that you can use for your lead generation efforts. However, the collection and storage of user information on your website is a tricky matter.
To ensure that you’re ready for these kinds of activities, check whether you have a HIPAA-compliant web design. This set of standards rules the protection of data, especially those involved in patient care. If you’ll be handing, collecting, storing, or transmitting any form of such data, HIPAA compliance applies to your website.
3. Share the good word.
Another way to create buzz and establish trust with your potential customers is to publish good reviews from your customers. Good reviews are effective marketing tools because, most of the time, they come from real people with verifiable accounts. Include it across your channels. Aside from the good reviews, user reviews, in general, are great opportunities to improve and establish your brand more. It helps to include a photo of the reviewer and a link to their website. Aside from adding credibility to the review, it improves both of your websites by adding an external link.
A good example is if you’re looking to extend your reach by Mobile app development available on Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. User feedback can help you identify issues with the app, which in turn accelerates your mobile app bug testing phase. With an open feedback channel, you can even identify opportunities for improvement. Of course, the good reviews regarding your new project can help convince other people to try the same.
Conclusion
Trends, strategies, and best practices in social media can be used to improve your web design and web development efforts. After all, the goal is to offer the best you can to people who see what you do. From aesthetics to functionality, there are tips and tricks from social media that can help you get the most out of your work.
The latest industry research from LinkedIn uncovers the four (4) key B2B trends upending the Telecommunications sector right now. In addition, it spotlights what decision-makers see as their most pressing business needs. It also outlines prescriptive recommendations to help marketers succeed today—and tomorrow—in telco.
#1 Trend: 5G Network Technology
Many questions persist about what 5G means for productivity and the future of business.
#2 Trend: Remote Work and Collaboration
A rapid transition to remote work prompts businesses to adopt long-term solutions for productivity among a permanently distributed workforce.
#3 Trend: SD-WAN
Unanswered questions about SD-WAN costs and complexities blowup the need for more unified and accessible systems
#4 Trend: Cybersecurity
The rapid migration to remote work means info-security is more critical than ever before.
All iOS, Android, and Web Users Can Now Listen to Previously Recorded Spaces on Twitter
On iOS, Android, and the web, all Twitter users now have the option to listen to a Space recording. In addition, users can now listen to a talk after the live stream has ended, bringing Facebook’s Spaces offering closer to traditional podcasts.
Key takeaways:
Over the last few months, Twitter has been expanding and improving its Spaces feature. The social media behemoth recently added the ability for users to share direct links to their Spaces, allowing others to listen to a live audio session without logging into the platform.
According to Twitter, some hosts will be able to record Spaces on iOS and Android.
Suppose users are in a Twitter Space that is being recorded. In that case, they will see a “Rec” button at the top of the Space with a red dot next to it, indicating that the recording is in progress.
You Can Now Listen to Spaces without Having to Create a Twitter Account
Users will soon be able to publish direct links to their Spaces on Twitter. This would allow others to listen in on a live audio session without being logged in. According to the social media giant, the new feature is intended for Spaces users who have pals who aren’t on Twitter but still want to listen in on a Space.
Twitter Spaces will now be available to even more people, giving the social media giant a greater opportunity of reaching new users outside of its platform. In addition, Twitter Spaces now has an advantage over competitors like Clubhouse and Facebook’s Live Audio Rooms, thanks to the new feature.
Key takeaways:
Over the last few months, Twitter has added several new features to Spaces to make them more user-friendly. On iOS, the business rolled out a Spaces Recording functionality to testers, with a global rollout to come.
Twitter has just released a Spaces test for Android users, including a dedicated Spaces Tab and an upgrade that makes DM invites more accessible.
As individuals worldwide were confined to their homes due to the pandemic, live audio became increasingly popular.
Some hosts on Twitter’s live audio function, Spaces, will now sell access to Ticketed Spaces. Users above 18 who have hosted three Spaces in the last 30 days and have at least 1,000 followers can apply for Ticketed Spaces.
Key takeaways:
As of now, only iOS users can purchase tickets to Spaces hosted by people who have access to the function.
Twitter has already said that it will take a 3% cut of Ticketed Spaces earnings from creators.
Twitter’s Ticketed Spaces would set it apart from its live audio competitors. Listeners can tip speakers or award badges in a live audio area via Clubhouse and Instagram, but advance ticket sales are unavailable.
WhatsApp Business Automation: Everything You Need to Know
We increasingly see WhatsApp as the go-to tool for businesses to get creative, work more efficiently, and connect better with customers.
People around the globe are sending over 175 million messages to WhatsApp Business accounts. It’s not just in big cities – whether in Indonesia or Mexico, the US or the UK- that digital communication is becoming a big part of everyday life.
WhatsApp gives businesses a direct way to stay in touch with their customers, no matter where they are. And in today’s world, where everyone is so connected.
What is WhatsApp Automation?
WhatsApp automation is when we use special tools and systems to improve communication. This includes sending instant and personalized messages and handling customer chats automatically to make things smoother for users.
When businesses automate many tasks and interactions on WhatsApp Business, it’s called WhatsApp Business automation.
WhatsApp Business API is a particular version of WhatsApp designed to help businesses talk to their customers more efficiently.
By using automation, businesses can make their customers happier, work more efficiently, and save time.
Exploring the Features of WhatsApp Business API and Understanding WhatsApp Automation
1. Proactive Messaging
Suppose a customer wants updates on their order, service request, payment, appointment, etc. In that case, you can use the WhatsApp Business API to send them messages without asking.
2. Message Flow Automation
The WhatsApp API lets you create any message flow and answer customer questions. The idea behind automation is to handle interactions, conversations, and engagements without requiring people to do it.
3. Automated Sales and Marketing
Businesses can set up sales and marketing processes using WhatsApp chatbots. These chatbots can understand what customers want, suggest products, help choose items, and make it easy to buy things.
You can use the WhatsApp Business API to move customers from phone calls to WhatsApp. The IVR system can ask users if they want to switch to WhatsApp to keep chatting. If they say yes, they’re sent straight to the WhatsApp chatbot.
Advantages of Leveraging WhatsApp Business Automation
Here are the top benefits of using WhatsApp automation:
It helps your business stand out in a competitive market where fast responses to changing trends and customer needs are crucial for staying ahead.
Automation makes response times much quicker. Customers want fast answers, and WhatsApp automation delivers just that.
It gives your team more time to deal with important issues. Automating WhatsApp tasks frees up valuable time for your team to focus on other essential tasks.
It boosts your conversion rates. Happy customers are likely to buy from you and stick with your brand. With automated WhatsApp messages, you can guide customers through the sales process effortlessly, bringing them closer to purchasing.
7 Powerful Use Cases of WhatsApp Business Automation
Here are some common ways WhatsApp automation is used:
1. Welcoming New Customers
Automated WhatsApp messages can welcome new customers who’ve connected with your business. These messages go out when a customer starts talking to your team.
It’s an excellent way to say hello to people who want to learn more about what you do. For example, Air Asia Support sends an automated greeting message when a customer contacts them on WhatsApp.
2. Setting Out-of-Office or Away Messages
Away messages are automatic messages that go out whenever a customer contacts your business outside regular hours. They’re like a note saying, “Hey, we got your message, and we’ll get back to you soon.”
They’re super helpful for keeping customers engaged, ensuring none of their messages slip through the cracks.
3. Sending Delayed Notifications During Peak Hour
When your chat queue is busy, and all your agents are helping other customers, you can send automated WhatsApp messages to let customers know you can’t assist them immediately. But you promise to help them within a set amount of time.
Customers like honesty and prefer brands that are clear about when they’ll get help.
4. Setting Quick Replies to Answer Customer FAQs
This feature makes handling customer FAQs easy. You can create, change, and save these messages to send whenever customers ask common questions.
Saving these messages helps your team because they can quickly respond to FAQs, leaving them more time for other important jobs. For instance, airlines often use automated messages to answer customer FAQs.
5. Sharing Order Tracking Details
WhatsApp automation is handy when you need to update customers about their orders. With automated messages, you can let customers know where their shipments are.
6. Sending Timely Reminders
Another everyday use of WhatsApp Business automation is sending customers notifications and reminders. These could be about upcoming events, appointments, tasks they must do, or special discount offers they might miss out on. It’s a fantastic way to keep customers engaged and improve their experience.
For instance, Indigo might send a WhatsApp reminder to a customer, nudging them to complete the web check-in for an upcoming flight.
7. Sharing Discounts and Offers
WhatsApp automation is an excellent tool for quickly sharing discounts and offers with customers. Messages that include discounts and offers are called promotional messages because they help boost sales.
You can use automated WhatsApp messages to inform customers about the discounts and offers they can get. WhatsApp messages are often opened quickly. People who use the app regularly would instead get promotional messages on WhatsApp than through other channels.
For example, Deyga, a skincare brand, used WhatsApp automation to tell its customers about a discount they could use.
Wrapping Up: WhatsApp Business Automation
In conclusion, WhatsApp Business Automation offers many opportunities for businesses to streamline their operations, enhance customer interactions, and boost efficiency.
By leveraging the power of automation, companies can effectively manage customer inquiries, send timely updates, and even drive sales through personalized messaging and chatbot assistance.
The possibilities are endless, from automating responses to frequently asked questions to seamlessly integrating WhatsApp into customer service workflows.
Embracing WhatsApp Business Automation helps businesses stay ahead in a competitive market and ensures a smoother and more convenient customer experience.
As technology evolves, incorporating automation into WhatsApp business strategies will become increasingly vital for companies looking to thrive in today’s digital landscape.
With the right approach and tools, businesses can unlock the full potential of WhatsApp Business Automation to achieve their goals and delight their customers.
WhatsApp News and Trends
WhatsApp Users Can Now Have All New Chats’ Messages Disappear by Default
As the world’s largest instant messaging service expands its options, users may now choose to make any new messages they send or receive disappear.
The Facebook-owned service, which has over 2 billion users worldwide, added an option to enable the temporary feature by default for all new chats.
Key takeaways:
In addition to the seven-day term it first announced last year, WhatsApp is now offering users the option of having their messages disappear after 24 hours or 90 days.
Suppose either of the participants in a conversation has activated the ephemerality option. In that case, the communications will disappear after a set amount of time.
Users can still get around the disappearing feature by forwarding messages or taking a screenshot.
Facebook Is Testing with New News Feed Restrictions
Facebook revealed that it is testing a feature that will give users more control over what they see on the network.
For English-speaking users, the test will be available on Facebook’s app. It adds three new sub-menus to Facebook’s menu to control what appears in the News Feed: friends and family, organizations and pages, and public figures. Users in the trial can keep the ratio of those posts in their feed at “normal” or change it to more or less, based on their preferences.
Key takeaways:
Anyone in the test can do the same for topics, indicating what they want to view and what they don’t want to see.
The test will affect “a small fraction of people” around the world, according to Facebook, before gradually expanding in the coming weeks.
Facebook will also expand a mechanism that allows advertisers to opt-out of appearing next to topics like “news and politics,” “social concerns,” and “crime and tragedy.”
Instagram Introduces the ‘Rage Shake’ Function and Removes Posts from a Carousel
Instagram has a new “Rage Shake” function that allows users to shake their phones to report an issue with the app. In a video on Twitter, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri unveiled the new feature and explained how it works.
Key takeaways:
You can explain what happened with the app and submit the problem after shaking to report. This will assist Instagram in prioritizing bugs and learning about other issues that need to be addressed in the app.
The feature is only available for iOS and Android users in the United States.
The social media giant also rolled out the ability to delete individual elements from a carousel post with at least three photographs or videos.
Does your content show the real message you want to convey? Is it free from biases, discrimination, or possible misinterpretations? These questions may seem absurd to begin with but you will realize its importance when you put in mind the ones who see and read your content.
The power of digital marketing
Digital marketing is very powerful. It can bring your message to any corner of the world – to whoever needs it and to whoever you target it to. Your content can become viral. An infographic or image you post in your blog, for instance, can be shared from one email account to another; shared in social media channels; sourced by other content creators; and more. It can go places you may not expect them to reach.
Different cultures, different meanings
The content you make in this culturally-diverse world is open to different interpretations. Different cultures, as we know, have different ways of understanding and interpreting things. This creates different meanings to your content, whether in image or text form. This is where the importance of cultural intelligence among digital content marketers come in.
What is cultural intelligence
Cultural intelligence means having knowledge about other cultures and accepting that such differences in traditions, beliefs, social patterns, and language exists. It is also about making an effort to manage one’s unconscious cultural biases and being adaptable to different cultural settings.
CQ is a skill that completes IQ and EQ to be globally competitive. More than being successful, CQ promotes healthy relations with other people in different social groups, like communities, schools, workplaces, and even the business sector.
The need for improving your cultural intelligence
While original, relevant, and credible information is critical for your content to be considered ideal and effective, you should not forget cultural intelligence. Improving your cultural intelligence as a digital content marketer can make sure your content relays the real message you want to convey. It helps ensure your content is free from possible misinterpretations, biases, exclusion, and discrimination. While some misinterpretations are unavoidable, you can help lessen the possibility for such problems to occur.
Cultural sensitivity and competence in your content marketing strategies can also help your business grow. With the right content that people from different cultures can relate to and appreciate, you can improve your brand image. Being respectful and being inclusive of other cultures can help your marketing and sales efforts more effective.
How content marketers can improve cultural intelligence
Cultural intelligence training is a sure way to develop cultural intelligence among content marketers. CQ may also be developed through a constant reminder that different cultures exist and that other cultures deserve as much respect as any other culture. Improving your cultural intelligence can also involve corporate actions that promote diversity and inclusion. Companies can hire culturally diverse employees and content marketers who can be great sources of new cultural insights and information.
What to look out for when creating culturally-competent content
Use of images and symbols that may have strong meaning for some cultures;
Use of language that may be offensive to others or those prone to misinterpretation;
Negative portrayal of certain religion or culture;
Use of political figures; and
Jokes that may be offensive or easily misinterpreted.
Takeway
If you want to create great content, you have to do more than just providing reliable, relevant, and timely information. If you want to produce great content for your local and global audience, you need to make an effort in developing and improving your cultural intelligence. This way, you can make content for everyone that is respectful – one that is free from biases, stereotypes, and discrimination.
If you’ve been marketing online for more than 5 minutes, you’ll know that lead magnets, eBooks and reports are powerful ways to build your list or sell directly for profit. But you’ll also know they’re a serious headache to create too. All that writing, designing and formatting… URGHH. Enough already!
That’s why a new product recently caught my attention — it’s called Sqribble and it’s an online tool that instantly creates professional eBooks, reports, whitepapers and other types of digital books with a few clicks or taps.
This concept isn’t new. There have been a lot of different eBook creator tools in the past. But if you’ve used most of them, you’ll know they all share the same frustrating flaws:
— They have crappy templates.
— They are buggy and unreliable.
— They often require additional tools
What is Sqribble?
Sqribble is different. It’s packed with professional templates, seriously good looking covers, and surprisingly, is totally bug free. In fact, the whole process of creating an eBook with Sqribble is satisfyingly easy and smooth.
Heck, it’s FUN.
But perhaps most remarkable of all… Sqribble comes loaded with some of the most powerful features I’ve seen in an eBook creator tool.
Here’s just some of the things this bad boy can do:
— Automatic table of contents
— Automatic headers and footers
— Automatic pagination
— Drag and drop design
— Add or delete pages
— Add your own media
— 300+ Google Fonts
— 50 eBook templates (in 15 different niche categories)
Seriously, if that’s not enough to make you want to check this thing out, I don’t know what else to say. Apart from this — Sqribble isn’t perfect. Yes, it’s powerful. Yes, it’s going to save you tons of time and money creating eBooks. But it does have a few flaws.
What I didn’t like about Sqribble.
First, the upsells. There’s 4 of them! It’s kind of annoying because they’ve saved the best features in them. Do you need them? Well, Sqribble works fine without the upsells so you don’t have to, BUT if you want more power out of it I recommend grabbing them all.
Here’s a rundown of the upsells:
Upsell 1 — Sqribble professional.
Unlock 150 more professional eBook templates (the best ones are in the professional version), graphics and even more ready—made content for all kinds of niches. (Just so you know, single templates from stock websites would cost you up to $450… for just ONE template!) Great for those that want more variety, content and heavy users.
Upsell 2 — Sqribble Prime.
Get 15 premium “limited edition” new eBook templates added to your Sqribble dashboard every month. This will increase your library over time, and make you stand out from other users. It works out to less than two bucks for a template! (Much cheaper than stock sites.) Great for moderate users.
Upsell 3 — Sqribble Fantasia 3D.
This includes 2-in-1 features.
1.) Unlocks a 3D cover creation tool inside your dashboard, allowing you to turn “flat” covers into lifelike, 3d covers. Great for getting more attention and making your books look and feel more “real.” People do judge a book by its cover, so something to keep in mind.
2.) Create “Flipbooks” that turn your eBooks into interactive and animated pages that turn like in real life. They can be linked to from anywhere online, as well as embedded on web pages with a single piece of code. This is really cool.
If you’re going to be using Sqribble to create eBooks as a service to get paid, then Auto Job Finder is something that you need. It will automatically find you related jobs across various freelance websites and notify you so that you can fulfil them. A huge time saver and money earner.
What I loved about Sqribble
Without doubt, it’s the pro designs, the simplicity and the speed at which you can create seriously sexy eBooks, on the fly.
And the fact you can turn your eBook into a flipbook is just icing on the cake. It just makes your books look and feel more “real” and that’s a good thing for engaging your readers.
The amount of customization is just off the charts too. You can tweak your designs, layouts and everything in-between to your heart’s desire. It even creates a table of contents for you, inserts all your content into a nice layout, play around with the formatting and design, add stuff, delete stuff… it’s only limited by your imagination.
But if the idea of too many options scares you… don’t worry. Sqribble is designed to keep things simple. You can just go with the ready-made templates, layouts and styles, insert your content automatically, and boom… you’ve got a pro eBook that’s going to grab more attention, build trust, engage your readers, and help you stand out in a sea of competition.
About the creator
Sqribble has been developed by Adeel Chowdhry, who is a well-known internet entrepreneur and best seller, with over ten years of experience and has previously created worldwide hits such as Pixel Studio FX which sold tens of thousands of units all around the world. He’s known for creating high quality professional solutions and I expect no less from Sqribble.
Final thoughts
The standard has risen online. These days, your eBooks can’t look like crap, or people just won’t want to optin, buy or read it. And because people are busier than ever, they will only spend a couple of seconds deciding whether your book is worth reading or not.
With Sqribble, you can instantly create books that scream trust, credibility and value, and attract more subscribers and sales.
Creating eBooks has always been a pain for most marketers, but with Sqribble, it really doesn’t have to be. With a few clicks, you can choose a template, add content, tweak the layout and then publish online… in just minutes from now.
Instead of spending hundreds — or even thousands — on freelancers, or even more money on fancy software, I would seriously recommend giving Sqribble a test drive first… I think you’ll be amazed how powerful, easy and quick the whole experience is.
Apple Has Released a Device Management Solution for Small Businesses
Maintaining and keeping their employees’ Apple devices up to date is a significant burden for many small firms. Because they typically lack skilled IT staff, customers are frequently forced to work things out independently. Utilizing Apple’s consumer support facilities when devices break down or users have issues.
Recognizing this problem, Apple purchased Fleetsmith last year. As a result, the beta of Apple Business Essentials has been revealed. A device management solution aimed directly at organizations with fewer than 500 employees.
Key takeaways:
Apple intended to assist these customers with onboarding, supporting, and updating employee Apple devices, as well as offboarding them when employees depart.
The Fleetsmith acquisition and the Apple Device Enrollment Program combine to provide the management component. It gives small businesses access to the same capabilities as their larger competitors. This will give them more control over the devices and ensure that they work as soon as an employee checks in.
Admins can create users and groups if a company registers up for the service. Users are assigned to groups, and administrators can customize each group’s settings to include the number of supported devices and the amount of storage available.
Apple released a new set of App Store Guidelines, with three significant revisions. One of the adjustments is the outcome of a previously disclosed settlement deal with a group of app developers from the United States.
Apple first said in August that it had struck a provisional deal with a group of American software developers in a class-action lawsuit filed against it in 2019. The agreement included several conditions, the most important of which allowed developers to advise their customers about paying for transactions made outside of their iOS app and the App Store.
Key takeaways:
Apple removed a provision from guideline 3.1.3 that said developers could not utilize information gathered within their app to target individual users outside of the app for payment methods other than Apple’s in-app purchases.
Its new guidelines specify that developers can inform their clients about alternative payment options outside of their app.
Another new rule specifies that apps may ask for customer information such as name and email. Still, the request must be voluntary and should not hinder the user from using the app.
Apple’s Most Recent iPhone Update, Allows You to Copy and Paste Text from Photographs
iOS 15, the most recent version of the iPhone operating system, has numerous new tools that use artificial intelligence to analyze photo content.
Although object recognition has been available for a while, Apple claims its implementation is unique. It takes place on the device rather than on a cloud server. It’s also part of the operating system.
Key takeaways:
Copying and pasting text from a photo is one of the most valuable features of this new technology. For example, users can take a picture of a page in a book and then capture that text and paste it into a document or a note.
It also makes it easier for users to call or email by detecting phone numbers and email addresses written down, such as on a business card.
It also works with handwritten text; Apple used scribbles on a whiteboard as an example while announcing the functionality in June.
Users Can Create Burner Email Addresses Using Apple’s iOS 15 Software Update
For users who pay for iCloud storage, the latest version of the iPhone operating system, iOS 15, has new privacy measures.
One of the most useful new features is the ability to create a temporary email account, which is separate from your identity but still sends messages to your inbox. “Hide My Mail” is the name of the game.
Key takeaways:
One of the most useful new features is the ability to create a “burner email address,” which is an email address that isn’t associated with your identity but still sends messages to your inbox.
These burner emails are helpful for filling out online forms where you don’t want to give out your primary email address.
Hide My Email is part of iCloud+, Apple’s new suite of privacy tools for iCloud users who pay for storage.
