Twitter (finally) frees us from unnecessary character constraints In one of the most highly-anticipated revamps ever, Twitter has finally rolled out the update making photos, videos, polls, etc. exempt from your character limit. Quote tweets also don’t count, so be prepared to totally burn people when they say something stupid on Twitter. If you’re into self-congratulation, you can now re-tweet yourself as well.
Qantas: evil genius or every employees’ best friend? Qantas took their Insta-game sky high last week when it launched a service that automatically updates users’ out of office auto-reply with the latest photos from their holidays. More photos = more FOMO = more holidays. Genius!
Only downside is I’m not actually soaking up the sights but rather sulking at my desk at the thought of my could-be getaway. Perhaps I can convince my manager to let me give the service a proper test from Tokyo…
Buzzfeed opens Tasty to Australian brands Buzzfeed has just announced that its Tasty videos are open for business to Australian brands hungry for bite-sized foodie content. The series, which is served out of the US and has been devoured in other markets, consists of what I would consider cooking shows for the A.D.D. generation. So, next time you’re cooking quick and easy Chocolate Chip Banana Monkey Bread, you may find yourself inadvertently thinking about a brand. Don’t worry, this is normal. This is also why other publishers are racing to replicate Buzzfeed’s content strategy recipe.
Note: bread featured above may not actually change your life.
Instagram lets users filter inappropriate comments Instagram wants to make sure it maintains its status as a quiet refuge where you can go and look at all the amazing things you aren’t doing. So, in a blow to professional trolls everywhere, you can now set up a filter that picks up on words you don’t like. To set one up for your own account, just create a list of banned words using the system in Settings.
Is it just me, or did Donald Trump’s Instagram account just get a lot less interesting?
Snapchat decides ‘creepy’ ad targeting is actually fine
Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel told a Cannes audience in 2015 that he thought targeted ads were creepy. He didn’t approve of platforms using users’ emails, phone numbers and smartphone advertising IDs to sell ads. Well, surprise! The platform has now decided it wasn’t such a creepy idea after all and has adopted Facebook-style targeting using – you guessed it – e-mail addresses, phone numbers and other information like smartphone advertising IDs. TRUST NO ONE. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.
Twitter launches new customer service features for businesses
Next time you want to vent your rage at a brand on Twitter, you might be able to get your problem solved a bit faster. Or, the brand might be able to keep you quiet more easily, depending on how you look at it. Twitter is rolling out a series of new features to help users better connect with businesses on the platform. Updates include making it clearer when an account offers customer service, as well as updated times those accounts are active. Plus, a new Customer Support Settings page on the Twitter Dashboard website will enable brands to send a private message to a customer without having to ask them to follow them – ultimately taking the conversation ‘offline’ more quickly. Some Australian brands such as Optus (shameless client plug) have already jumped on board.
YouTube launches ‘Community’ social networking features YouTube has created a new social networking feature, Community, for video creators to better engage viewers using text posts, images, GIFs and other content. Viewers will see these posts in their “Subscriptions” feed in the YouTube mobile app and can also choose to receive push notifications from their favourite creators.
Facebook Messenger to allow instant purchases In an update designed to further lock you into the endless cycle of consumerism, Facebook Messenger users will soon be able to instantly make purchases using chatbots without third-party websites. Other key updates include Facebook’s Newsfeed link ads for Messenger bots, as well as updates to sharing bots with friends. Just what every friend group needs – the bot bloke.
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