We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #340
My! What a big IPO you have SNAP (artist formerly known as Snapchat). After confidentially filing for it last year, SNAP has gone public, filing its IPO through the Securities and Exchange Commission. It’s expected to go public at a valuation of more than $25 billion in early March and the public filing means that now everyone can see its more private data around financials and plans for future growth.
A slight blot on the SNAP’s excitement ink pad though is that Instagram and Facebook are rapidly developing products which are eating away at their user numbers. Instagram Stories and the new ephemeral offerings from Facebook have caused a reported 15-40% decline in Snapchat Story views.
Snapchat opens up ads API
Eight months after debuting the technology at Cannes, Snapchat is now letting all marketers buy campaigns on its ads API. Up until now, only 100 companies had been able to use it including Gatorade, Nissan, Unilever and McDonald’s.
Snapchat lets you create Snapcodes for any website including *whispers* PORN
Snapchat has rolled out a new update which makes it easier for users to share online content within the app. This is great for creators which want to push people to content beyond their snaps. Anyone can create a Snapcode of anything, even porn… apparently.
The New York Times sets its sights on Snapchat Discover
The New York Times is coming to Snapchat Discover. It will be offering a version of its Morning Briefing which is an e-mail digest of daily news, Monday to Friday. The Times joining Snapchat seems mutually beneficial for both parties, with the NYT reaching a younger audience and Snapchat gaining the credibility that comes with such a prestigious publisher coming aboard the platform.
Facebook earns $8.81B revenue in Q4, but has slower user growth
Facebook has had another strong quarter in Q4 2016, earning $8.81 billion in revenue, this blew past analyst estimates which were coming in at $8.51 billion in revenue. It pulled that number from its 1.86 billion monthly users, up 3.91% this quarter (however slower than its 4.67% growth last quarter). Daily active users also hit 1.23 billion, up from 1.18 billion last quarter and up 18 percent YoY, compared to 17 percent last quarter.
Facebook planning set-top box app for its video content
Facebook is planning to create an app for devices like Apple TV where users could watch all their favourite Facebook videos in one place. It won’t just be a version of their app which you watch on your TV, no no. It’ll be like Netflix or Amazon Prime and there are even rumours that Facebook want to license their own original content, so we won’t even need companies like Netflix or Amazon, or any other companies at all in fact and it’ll just be us an Facebook, doing all the things, all the time, for everyone.
Facebook launches measurement partnership program updates
Facebook has announced a list of updates regarding its measurement partnership program, which include an expanded partnership with Nielsen and comScore and the addition of a new partner, DoubleVerify. Facebook has also offered details on the status of current integrations, and the launch of a new online portal to help marketers see how their Facebook ads perform – in comparison with other platforms like print or TV.
Facebook starts planning brand lenses for users a la Snapchat
Facebook is talking to the big wigs of Hollywood about letting them promote their new movies on Facebook using animated selfie masks. Facebook Live already lets people use filters to put special effects onto live video but until now brands have not been able to play with the tech. This announcement must come as another blow for Snapchat who is slowly seeing all of its previously unique attributes being stripped away by Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook tweaks algorithm to favour authentic content
Facebook has announced its doing more to keep misleading or spammy content away from your newsfeed and to bring relevant content higher up – well duh! Thanks Facebook. The predictions on whether you’ll appreciate something of not are apparently to be made in real-time, for example if a page you like has published something and it’s getting lots of comments, likes and shares (without cheating the algorithm by asking for them), it will be fast-tracked to your feed. If you are hiding a lot of content from your feed, Facebook will know you don’t like it and decrease the amount of that you see.
Google and Facebook partner to fight fake news during French election
With the French elections just around the corner, Google and Facebook have paired up to fight the onslaught of fake news en Francais. Google is backing an information verification company called CrossCheck, which launches on 27th February and will continue through the French elections. The website is powered by local media companies and members of the public are able to submit articles which they may doubt the validity of. Tech companies will also be providing data which can help identify misinformation surrounding the theme of the election. Facebook’s involvement will include supporting the vetting platform through “dedicated tools and media literacy efforts that will help to explain the verification process and keep relevant audiences up to date with confirmed and disputed information relating to the election”.
Instagram is testing multi-photo albums for everyone
It looks as if multi-photo albums on Instagram are nearly here as Android users apparently have been able to create albums already on the platform but can’t post yet. I do look forward to seeing even MORE of everyone’s amateur photography of bleak, brutalist architecture.
Pinterest introduces ads focusing on searches
Pinterest can now offer marketers the option to target people searching for products on the platform. This means that users can be captured during the phase when they’re still idly searching for inspiration and not even sure of what they’re looking for. Global head of partnerships at Pinterest, Jon Kaplan, has said that most of Pinterest searches don’t include a brand name, so targeting the ads to keywords is also a wise tactic for marketers to employ.
T-Mobile and Verizon get into twitter brawl during Super Bowl
It all began with a 50 Shades of Grey rip-off from T-Mobile. The idea they were trying to get across is that if you’re a Verizon customer, it’s probably because you’re addicted to pain (in the form of fees and taxes).
Think you’ve had too much? Are you close to being finished… with limits? You won’t get punished with #TMobileONE #TheSafeWordisUnlimited pic.twitter.com/k1KhRawIML
— T-Mobile? (@TMobile) February 6, 2017
This then led to quite a bit of back and forth about being ‘dominated’ by a phone company and safe words.
Unfortunately no one will hear your safe word if you’re on @Tmobile. ?
— Verizon (@verizon) February 6, 2017
Some people apparently saw it as ‘too much’ but they obviously haven’t seen my mum after a bottle of wine, pondering what lesbians ACTUALLY do in bed.