Goodbye Metaverse, Hello Spacial Computing...? PLUS the 3 LinkedIn Features Being Discontinued

Stay up-to-date with the hottest marketing trends and the latest social media updates.

From Apple’s new Vision Pro Headset (and lack of the term ‘metaverse’) and Linkedin pulling the plug on 3 new features, YouTube's effort to lower the criteria for creators to monetise to Social Media’s impact on news consumption, this edition of The Marketing Disruptor is not to be missed.?

Here at Brandlective, we are excited to support our clients with these latest announcements from our favourite marketing channels.

Are you ahead of the curve?

LinkedIn pulls the plug on Carousel Posts AND Profile Videos, AND clickable links on images! ??

We’re mad about this one!??? C’mon, LinkedIn… these were great features!? And we, marketers and content creators have been pushing clients towards these features for you.??

LinkedIn users had been creatively using the platform's PDF attachment feature to make carousel posts, prompting the platform to introduce native carousel posting in July last year. However, users haven't embraced this new option, leading LinkedIn to discontinue the native posting tool on June 26th. Users who want to share non-ad carousels will have to revert to sharing PDFs and using each page as a frame for their makeshift carousel post.

?? LinkedIn's profile video feature, introduced in 2021, never gained significant traction. Despite adding prompts last year to encourage better use of the option, it seems the feature failed to gain popularity and will be phased out by the end of the month.

Lastly, LinkedIn will also remove the option to add clickable links to images and videos in the app, which was introduced in August last year. This feature didn't catch on either, even though it provided another way to drive referral traffic back to users' websites.

While none of these changes are expected to have a significant impact, they may affect some users' LinkedIn strategies. All three features will be removed by June 26th.

YouTube recently announced more accessible monetisation thresholds to attract additional creators. ??????????

According to YouTube:

Eligible creators can apply to YPP sooner – upon reaching 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads within the past 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours in the last year or 3M Shorts views in the past 90 days. This unlocks fan funding features such as channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, and the option to promote their products using YouTube Shopping.

Sounds pretty good, right?? Especially since Twitch has introduced more for creators to monetise.?

The tech giant finally dropped details of its new pricey mixed-reality (AR/VR) headset during the Worldwide Developers Conference, though it did not mention the word “metaverse.” ??

It offers a glimpse into a future where screens no longer limit our work, entertainment, and communication experiences. This spatial operating system can detect the environment around us and project images, documents, and videos as needed. Audio will be projected in 3D space, and apps can be accessed through voice commands or gestures.

The headset enables immersive experiences while still allowing users to interact with others in their physical space. AI technology captures facial expressions, creating photorealistic avatars for 3D video calls. This innovation eliminates the need for multiple computer monitors or large TVs, and it operates without being tethered to laptops or phones.

While the current headset may appear bulky, remember Apple's earlier devices like the first iPod, iPad, and iPhone – technology gets smaller and smarter over time. Future iterations could be as unobtrusive as regular eyeglasses or even contact lenses.

This new form of interaction allows for seamless collaboration in a 3D space, revolutionising fields such as science, engineering, and presentations. Previous innovations like Google Glass, Microsoft Hololens, and Oculus Quest were essential steps forward, but Apple's latest offering makes them feel dated.

The AR/VR headset marks a significant leap towards invisible, wearable tech. As it becomes lighter, more affordable, and higher resolution, daily software will also evolve to be more spatially aware and voice-controlled. This transformation will occur faster than we might expect, forever changing how we interact with technology.

So, will you be upgrading? Or buying into this tech for the first time?

The Reuters Institute's annual review of news consumption trends reveals key insights for social media marketers seeking to engage audiences. Conducted with YouGov, the study surveyed nearly 100,000 internet users across 52 countries, delving into news engagement, algorithmic influence, and media biases.

Although the full 160-page report is available for download, we've summarised a key takeaway. Social media has now overtaken publisher websites and apps as the top source for news content, particularly among users under 24 years old.

Surprising?? Not really. ??♀? Who goes anywhere else for breaking news nowadays?

It’s worth noting that the data skews depending on which geographic location you operate in, so it’s worth digging into the full report here.

The data also provides some interesting insights into evolving social media usage habits, including this overview of how younger users are shifting their social media attention over time.

Facebook and Instagram are down, while TikTok and WhatsApp are up. And Snapchat and Twitter usage remains relatively stable (even after Elon Musk’s takeover at the app).

Meta has published an overview of its new ‘Voicebox’ AI system, which will enable users to translate text to audio, in a range of styles and voices.

Introducing Voicebox, a new breakthrough generative speech system based on Flow Matching, a new method proposed by Meta AI. It can synthesize speech across six languages, perform noise removal, edit content, transfer audio style & more.

More details on this work & examples ??

— Meta AI (@MetaAI) June 16, 2023

As explained by Meta:

“Voicebox can produce high quality audio clips and edit pre-recorded audio – like removing car horns or a dog barking – all while preserving the content and style of the audio. The model is also multilingual and can produce speech in six languages. In the future, multipurpose generative AI models like Voicebox could give natural-sounding voices to virtual assistants and non-player-characters in the metaverse. They could allow visually impaired people to hear written messages from friends read by AI in their voices, give creators new tools to easily create and edit audio tracks for videos, and much more.”

Thoughts???

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