The News Feed: Byte on the rise
7th February 2020
Ben Hordos & Gabby Hurn – Team Social at Think Jam
From the rise of Byte to Facebook’s latest features on their ‘Messenger Kids’ app, stay up-to-date on all things social.
FACEBOOK
Facebook Adds More Features to Messenger Kids
The Messenger Kids app is designed for users under the age of 13, and allows parents visibility over their online behaviour. They have recently announced the addition of a ‘Parents Dashboard’ which will include a view of recent contacts and chat history, images shared in chats, who your child has blocked and what devices they have logged in on. This information will also be downloadable for the parents.
This is a step in the right direction for Facebook, following the backlash they have recently experienced from organisations such as the NSPCC around encryption on messages making it harder to find offenders.
Quick Bites
NSPCC Urges Facebook to Stop Encryption Plans
Celebrities Quit Facebook Over Data Concerns
TWITTER
Twitter Credits User Growth to Algorithmic Timeline
Twitter has announced that their Q4 growth was in part due to improved machine learning models that put “more relevant” tweets in people’s timelines and notifications, leading to 152 million daily users in the last few months of 2019.
With Snapchat and Facebook both reporting higher daily users over the same time period, there is still room for Twitter to grow. Both platforms have also announced new product launches in 2020, so it’ll be interesting to see what Twitter plans to implement in the next year.
Quick Bites
Facebook’s Twitter Account Gets Hacked
INSTAGRAM
Instagram Rolls out IGTV Monetization for Creators
In a bid to lure more creators, Instagram is stepping up their IGTV offering. This new feature will allow creators to run ads throughout their IGTV content.
Whilst the finer details are yet to be announced (including who is eligible), this provides a great opportunity for both creators and brands alike, who will now have greater advertising options on the platform.
Quick Bites
Instagram Launches GIF Replies to Stories
You Can Now View Your Most and Least Interacted with Instagram Accounts
YOUTUBE
YouTube Funding Kids Content That Encourages Character Strengths
YouTube will invest $100M to fund videos that “drive outcomes associated with the following character strengths: courage, compassion, communication, gratitude, curiosity, humility, teamwork, integrity, perseverance, self-control, empathy and creativity.” This investment is aiming to help younger creators who are financially affected by the changes the FTC required of their channels.
This investment highlights the type of kids content YouTube will be focusing on in the future, moving away from consumer-driven content to deeper and more meaningful content for children.
Quick Bites
YouTube Ads Sales Continue to Increase
TIKTOK
TikTok Competitor Byte Downloaded 1.3 Million Times In Its First Week
New TikTok competitor Byte reached 1.3 million downloads in it’s initial week, this surpasses Vine’s downloads in their first week. With the opportunity to build on Vine’s popularity, it’s promising for the app to see so much popularity early on.
However, Byte is not without its issues, the app is experiencing problems with users spamming comments, with a view to monetizing their content. Although their initial launch has seemed successful, only time will tell if these initial downloads will translate into active and engaged users.
Quick Bites
TikTok Testing Instagram-like Profiles
You Can Now Upload TikTok Videos via Desktop
PODCASTS
Spotify Buys The Ringer and Their Podcast Network
With their recent acquisitions, Spotify now owns podcasts related to horror, crime, and sports – as well as their Spotify Originals including Joe Budden and Amy Schumer’s shows. In this huge step for Spotify, this will now add the popular Bill Simmons Podcast to their roster.
Spotify has announced that 16% of it’s users listen to podcasts, and are clearly upping their offering to cater to this audience.
Quick Bites
Spotify Reports 271M Monthly Average Users in Q4
SNAPCHAT
Snapchat Reports an Increase in Users, But Big Q4 Losses
Despite hitting 218M users in Q4 of 2019 Snapchat has announced a dip in share price off the back of financial losses. With investments into AR, content platforms and several new products including Bitmoji TV and Cameos, Snapchat is clearly aiming for a much more profitable 2020.
Quick Bites
Snapchat’s show ‘Slick’ reaches 40 million
TRENDING THIS WEEK
Phillip Schofield Speaks Out About His Sexuality on This Morning
Cinema Icon Kirk Douglas Dies Aged 103
J Lo and Shakira’s Super Bowl HalfTime Show Breaks Twitter
BFI Launch a TikTok Challenge Called #MyMovieMoment
Get in touch with our social experts at teamsocial@thinkjam.com
