BREAKING NEWS: An unbroken egg has broken the internet
Move over, @KylieJenner, this one’s no yolk. A generic picture of a brown egg has racked up 37 million+ likes and counting, which cracks Jenner’s birth announcement of daughter Stormi Webster from February 6, 2018 (18 million likes).
So what exactly turned 2019 into twenty nine(pro)tein? No one actually knows. The yolkers behind the account have yet to come out of their shell, but you can be sure people are scrambling to figure it out. Surely, they’ll be poached by a social agency, or Buzzfeed, or something, once the case has been cracked.
As with anything that goes viral, the loveable egg has sparked dozens of parody posts, and Jenner herself posted a response video of herself trying to fry an egg on the sidewalk. A few here others here:
Instagram lets users share posts to multiple accounts AT THE SAME TIME!
No one likes a mass text, so is the world ready for a mass post? Well, thanks to Instagram, it’s here. If you’re keen to show your avo smash and poachies (or, newly popular unpoached whole eggs) to your many, multiple audiences, Instagram will soon let iOS users post the same images from your multiple accounts. Just pick where else you want to share it and get that content out there.
Instagram FINALLY catches up and offers video post scheduling!
Social media managers and aspiring influencers, rejoice! Instagram’s newest API includes a new feature that will allow business profiles to schedule video content on the platform. Previously, scheduling on Instagram was limited to single image posts, but before long most third-party management platforms (including Buffer and Hootsuite) will be enabled with this new feature. Currently, the update has only been implemented by Instagram Marketing Partner, Social Report. HURRY PLEASE!
WhatsApp releases some new (potentially unnecessary) features for iOS
Private mockery of your friends just became easier with the new WhatsApp update. Version 2.19.10 is the first iOS update for 2019, and it includes a “Reply Privately” feature for group messages. The other new features include the ability to add stickers to photos and videos and 3D Touch support, which will let you preview a contact’s status in the Status tab. All the things you didn’t even know you needed, hey?
Twitter plans new ways to display tweets
Are your fingers crossed in hope of making the cut for Twitter’s beta programme? Well, for those lucky ones, you’ll now be able to display your tweets in a multitude of different ways! You’ll have speech bubbles, indenting, and different colours determined by whether you follow someone or are replying. Exciting, hey?
Twitter is working on events and analytics tools Twitter has announced plans to help publishers better understand the content that resonates on the platform. At last week’s CES, Twitter revealed a new kind of analytics dashboard, as well as a dashboard to track real-time information around events. Twitter’s VP of Product stated that it’s very much an “early concept” but will eventually allow publishers to track who’s reading and engaging with their Twitter content, when they’re viewing it and what is working best.
Twitter and the NBA announce live-streaming experiment
Want to watch half of a game from the perspective of only one player? Then hit Twitter in 2019. It was announced last week that Twitter will stream the second half of some NBA games focusing on a single player. The catch? During the first half, the platform’s users will vote via @NBAonTNT for the player they want the camera to follow in the second half. The ‘winning’ player will then be the sole focus of the second-half live stream. If he fouls out or gets benched for any reason, the rest of the game will be shown from a camera behind the backboard, otherwise known as “the worst seats in the house”. Confused? Us too, but we do appreciate the effort Twitter is going to to put live content onto social platforms and the creative loopholes they’ve found to curtail hefty broadcast rights.
The PGA extends streaming deal with Twitter
“MOAR live sports” I hear you say? Well, The Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour has announced an extension to its broadcast partnership with Twitter. This means that Twitter will now be allowed to distribute nearly 140 hours of live competition from the tour, across 28 tournaments. Saturday and Sunday morning coverage will “result in the most live PGA Tour content ever offered on Twitter”, according to the PGA.
YouTube to remove automatic posting tools for Twitter and Google+
YouTube has told creators that, from 31st January, it’s getting rid the option to automatically post their public YouTube activity with their followers on Twitter and Google+. The platform commented “We’ve found that social sharing works better when the message is more customised and takes advantage of social media features, such as @mentions. Overall, this provides a better experience for both you and your followers vs automatically generated posts.” As a full-time content creator, I do agree that this gives the opportunity for a different tone for each platform.
Stereotypically masculine razor brand hopes to shave off stereotypes
A clean face should start with a clean slate, right? Well, that appears to be the thinking behind Gillette’s new ad campaign, which is quite a departure from their 30-year-long “The Best A Man Can Get” messaging. In the spirit of female empowerment, Gillette’s emotive short-film asks “Is this the best that we, as men, can be?”. It’s a huge step for the brand and it’s exciting watching a household name help shift stereotypes and acknowledge their contribution to the social eco-system. Well done Gillette – you’re not yet the best, but it’s a start!
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