Digital Debrief | June 2021

The Digital Debrief is a monthly digest of the top digital marketing news. My goal in creating it is to give professionals a "by marketers, for marketers" download of what's happening in social, websites, SEO, and tech. If you have thoughts or feedback, please drop me a line.

Trends I’m watching:?

1. Augmented reality?

• Facebook Smartwatch
• Facebook AR hat patent

2. Platforms adjusting for social good?

• Pinterest TAG certification
• Pinterest no longer allows ads for diet programs/body image
• Facebook pride month features and programs

3. Social audio?

• Twitter Spaces?
• Facebook Audio Rooms

4. Social subscription services

• Twitter Ticketed Spaces
• Twitter Super Follows
• TwitterBlue
• Twitter and Facebook newsletter offerings

5. Upcoming regulation changes

The debrief:?

Cross-network:

What does new regulation on big tech mean for social media networks??

In June, four separate bills were introduced to the House of Representatives which all take aim at various elements of big tech monopolies. These four bills could potentially see:?

• A law against platforms giving preference to their own products?
• Restrictions on business mergers in the tech section unless the aquifer can demonstrate that the acquired company was not in direct competition
• A ban on digital platforms owning subsidiaries that operate on their platform if those subsidiaries complete with other businesses.?
• Improved user data portability, platforms will have to allow users to transfer their data elsewhere if they choose

These bills and other anti-trust and data sharing restrictions could force major changes in the digital marketing landscape.?

Twitter:?

Twitter’s paid weather news service, Tomorrow, launches.?

As the platform continues to build out it’s subscription offering, Twitter has launched a paid weather news service called Tomorrow. The service will provide up-to-date weather information and insights for a monthly fee. The project is lead by meteorologist Eric Holthaus, who will work with a collective of client experts to offer local weather insights, start with a small group of US States.?

TwitterBlue is here.?

The TwitterBlue subscription service is officially available in select test markets. This paid subscription enables users to pay a monthly fee to gain access to a range of additional tweet features and tools. The tools in this initial offering are: undo tweets, bookmark folders, reader mode, color theme, custom app icons, and dedicated support. The service is priced at $3.49 in Canada and $4.49 in Australia, the two markets where it has been made available first.?

The initial rollout of the new Spaces tab in the lower function bar of the Twitter app

A new tab has started to appear for Twitter app users within a small test pool to directly access the Spaces social audio conversations section of Twitter from a prime location in the bottom actions bar. The design update should increase discoverability for the Spaces functionality and add value to the Twitter experience for those who use it.?

New ‘Subscribe’ button to support newsletter creators AND new revenue platform

Monetization tools continue to roll out from Twitter, including a new element to help newsletter creators. The ‘subscribe’ profile button will be available for Revue newsletters only for now and will give users the option to view a sample newsletter issue before taping through to the next stage where they can sign up for further content from the creator.?

Ticketed Spaces and Superfollow testing applications are now available

Twitter’s next phase of creator monetization is here, users can now apply to test tickets Spaces and Super Follows. Ticketed Spaces is the next step in social audio, providing monetization and the added level of scarcity for creators to promote and cash in on their content. Super Follows will also enable users to charge a monthly fee to give fans access to a range of additional content and engagement features, like newsletters, exclusive live-streams, product discounts, and more.?

Facebook:?

New features and support for pride month.?

Facebook launched a range of new in-app features and tools to help users participate in Pride month (June 2021). The initiative also included guidance, support, and advice for the LGBTQ+ community. The features included celebratory backgrounds, avatars and stickers, promoted hashtags, and new support and partnership announcements between Facebook and a range of NGOs and experts to share mental health resources and showcase inclusive Facebook communities.?

Expansion of Instagram’s Messenger API will enable businesses to feed direct messages into their existing CRM platform.?

In a move to streamline direct messaging management and response, Facebook opened up their Messenger API for Instagram, allowing messages to be pulled directly into CRMs. This could provide a boost to customer service workflows as it will streamline the management of messaging and ensure that all messages from multiple platforms are able to pull into a single stream.?

New messaging element for 'Login with Facebook' enhances audience connection.

Facebook has announced a new element of its 'login with Facebook' feature that enables brands to build direct messaging into the login process. Within the new experience, when users go to sign-in to a business website via Facebook login, businesses will be able to add a Message connection opt-in as well, providing another way to maintain customer connection and a new touchpoint for customer promotions.?

New AI project re-creates text styles based on an image

Facebook is developing a new, machine-learning-powered system that enables users to re-create the style of text in any photo using a single word example. This could lead to new developments in translation editing, replication, etc. The TetStyleBrush project enables users to replace text in existing images, including background scenes, by using a single shot and a single word as a reference point.?

Facebook is adding a Smartwatch to hardware offering, plus an augmented reality hat

Joining the Portal video calling device, Oculus VR, and upcoming AR glasses, the new Facebook Smartwatch is slated to be available sometime in 2022 and is linked to further pushes into augmented reality (AR). Reports confirm that the watch will feature two cameras for capturing pictures and videos on the go for Facebook and Instagram but tech experts speculate further that this device could play a role in Facebook’s AR offering. Their research on wrist-based controls for AR which was released earlier this year certainly makes a case for it.?

Facebook also recently filed a patent for an AR hat as a variant to the AR glasses they are developing.?

Facebook gets in on the social audio trend with live audio rooms + podcast playback

Facebook’s answer to the Clubhouse-lead audio trend is here, audio rooms is now available to select public figures in Facebook Groups in the U.S. The rooms will appear at the top of your Facebook News Feed once launched by the people and or groups that you follow and users will also be able to sign up for scheduled audio rooms, similar to events.?

Newsletter platformed called “Bulletin” coming soon

A new Facebook site called Bulletin will be a place for content creators to publish, get discovered and build a subscriber list within the Facebook ecosystem. The platform is currently in development and Facebook is testing tools and features within a small group of writers.?

Instagram:?

Key points from the Instagram Algorithm download

For users looking to better understand the Instagram algorithm, how it decides what content to show each individual user and how to use that to increase reach and gain followers - Instagram has provided some answers. Here’s a look at the takeaways from their update.?

• Instagram doesn’t use ONE algorithm to determine what users do and don’t see on the app. They instead use a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes. The focus of Feed and Stories is friends while the Explore and Reels sections look to uncover more relevant topics based on trends, interests, etc.?
• Similar to how Google and Facebook’s algorithms work, Instagram relies on key signals to inform content decisions, the most important across Feeds and Stories are: information about the post, information about the poster, your activity, your story of interaction with each user.?
• This works differently for the Explore section of Instagram, where you are likely to see content based on who you follow and your engagement history. This is where hashtags can improve discovery.?
• The algorithm for Reels is specifically focused on what might entertain you. In this section, the signals are focused primarily on content and creator popularity plus your activity, your history of engagement, information about the reel, and information about the poster.?

Pinterest:

Ban on all weight loss related ads goes into effect?

Pinterest completed their list of banned weigh lost related ads to combat the steep rise in National Eating Disorders Association helpline call volume during 2020. The list includes weight loss or appetite suppressant products, before-and-after weight-loss imagery, weight loss procedures, body shaming, unrealistic cosmetic results, weigh loss language or imagery, testimonials involving weight loss, language or imagery that idealizes certain body types, referencing BMI or similar indexes, any products that claim weight loss through something worn or applied to skin.?

Pinterest earns TAG brand safety certification?

Pinterest has been awarded the brand safety certification from the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG),?an organization that works to increase trust and transparency in digital advertising by fighting against criminal activity online. This is a great achievement for Pinterest as well as a positive sign for brands advertising on the platform or for those considering it as part of their marketing strategy in the near future.

Search engines:?

Google’s June 2021 core algorithm update

The first of a two part core update (part one in June, part two in July) is here. Ranking fluctuations were felt immediately as the update started to roll out and with news of a second update coming in July, SEO experts are expecting some reversals of gains and losses. The largest areas of search vocality triggered by this update were in the Health, Auto and Vehicles, Pets and Animals, Science and Travel categories according to SEMRush data.?

Google’s new guide for HTTP status codes and network issues

If you’re like me, you have a surface-level understanding of how various HTTP status codes, network settings, and DNS records impact how Google indexes your site. Google is shedding some light on the topic with a new guide on how these codes and settings impact your search performance, you can find it here.?

The Search Console Insights report is now available to all users

Search Console Insights is designed for content creators to help them understand how audiences discover their sites content and what resonates with their audiences. The report was previously available in Beta testing but has now rolled out to all verified Search Console websites.?

More transparency for specific search results?

Google can now list several factors or reasons why specific results are ranked as they are in search listings. The new feature is an expansion of the “About this Result” section and will show the terms it matched on the web page and your query, including the terms that were related but not direct matches.?