Facebook Messenger ramps up ‘M’ suggestions for users Facebook Messenger’s ‘M’, an AI powered assistant, is going to start making more suggestions from now on in Facebook Messenger. From suggesting stickers to offering to start a poll when you and your friends can’t decide on which fried chicken restaurant to dine at, M has got your back. She (they? it?) isn’t quite Judi Dench, so time will tell whether the world will warm to this M.
What does the new rocket icon on Facebook do? You know how everyone’s always saying that you fall into a Facebook bubble where your News Feed fills itself with content that Facebook thinks you will like so then you think everything thinks the same thing as you and the next thing you know Trump/Brexit/<insert next surprise political win here> happens? Well, now Facebook wants to give you the chance to explore more news sources with it’s new rocket icon, also known as the ‘Explore’ button. Will it help us burst the bubble? Probably not. Will anyone use it? Time will tell.
New CTA units for Instant Articles on Facebook shake things up Publishers will now be able to embed call-to-actions (CTAs) within Instant Articles of their choosing, encouraging readers to either sign-up to a newsletter from the publisher or like their page on the platform. Facebook says this is to drive more direct lines of communication between publishers and readers (hmm ok). Next in the pipeline are CTAs for people to sign to free trial subscriptions or download the publisher’s mobile app.
Facebook tests linking Groups to brand Pages
To help bring broader groups of fans together, Facebook has started testing the capability for brands to call attention to specific groups which might be associated with them. HBO are already getting in on the action linking to the official Big Little Lies group and meanwhile I’m sat here waiting for Eleven to follow suit with Neighbours because the unofficial fan groups I’m in have been getting a little angsty since the whole Fake Dee storyline.
Facebook has redesigned its Delivery Insight Dashboard If you were to ask a member of our Research & Insights team whether insights are sexy there would be no question about their positive response. If you were to ask anyone else on the planet, chances are you might be met with a broader range of responses. As the people’s platform, Facebook has redesigned its Delivery Insight Dashboard to ensure all users can delight in their attractive data. The new dashboard is designed to increase transparency for advertisers using Facebook and provides detailed metrics to help understand auction activity and performance. You will also be able to use a tool to get daily estimated results.
Facebook plans free version of Workplace Facebook is introducing a new free version of its Slack-style networking tool for colleagues in the workplace called… Workplace. As a current worker in this place, I can vouch that it’s pretty fun as it is. A premium, paid for version is already available but this will obviously increase its uptake among smaller businesses. The free version will be the same as its premium service but will be self-serve and not offer companies such extensive admin and analytics tools.
Twitter unites broadcasters with #PutYourBloopersOut
Australians love to rally together to support one of their own and what better cause than #PutYourBloopersOut. Freelance ABC News reporter Natasha Exelby has allegedly been axed from being in front of the camera after what can only be described as the world’s most mesmerising pen caused her to miss her cue when a pre-recorded package finished. Journos and broadcasters alike have taken to Twitter to share stories (and occasionally clips) of their on-air stuff ups in protest of the ABC’s supposed axing.
I once said “sadly we lost Simon Townsend from Wonder World a few years back” only for people to email me Wikipedia pointing out he’s alive. https://t.co/9cximjLLDQ
Whatsapp rumoured to start supporting payments in India It is suspected that Whatsapp is about to roll out payments within the app in India. This would a big coup for Whatsapp who have more than 200 million users in the country. Although not yet confirmed, various clues point to this happening including the fact that the company is said to be in talks with the Indian government to enable support for the federally regulated Unified Payments Interface (UPI). This enables quick money transfers between users’ accounts.
YouTube begins $35 internet TV service YouTube TV is here! Available in just five US cities to start with including New York and Los Angeles, you can get 40 channels of live TV on the platform, including all of the major broadcast networks. It is said that the main aim of the TV service is to keep their core users (18-34 year olds) to stay on the platform longer.
LinkedIn streamlines lead generation collection process LinkedIn has worked on simplifying the way businesses can collect valuable leads on the platform by introducing LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms. Similar to the format that already exists on Facebook, this gives businesses the chance to capture data in an auto-populating form saving mobile users a whole lot of hassle.
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