LinkedIn Reactions Need a Disagree Option, the TikTok Ban and Utah's Big Social Media Bill, Snapchat AR Division, and SEO vs PPC from The SUM

The elephant in the room is the TikTok ban—so let's briefly cover some thoughts on the whole congressional fiasco out of necessity.

1. Should you care if TikTok gets banned? No.
2. Should you be surprised by clueless politicians' illiterate perceptions of "what TikTok is"? Again, no.
3. Are Google, Meta, and Twitter lobbying for a TikTok ban? Absolutely.

From the perspective of a digital marketer and social media manager, there will always be another forward-thinking innovator to appear out of thin air in the App Store, offering a new channel with shiny new features to reach your prospective audience. Will it be as good as the TikTok algorithm? Who knows.

But someone somewhere is working around the clock to develop and create the next latest and greatest social media platform to break barriers the legacy social apps have not even attempted to touch. Also, it's important to remember that there will come a day when "social media as we know it in 2023" becomes completely obsolete. New technologies and software, like Web 3 will have their day, overthrow the ruling class of Web 2, and seize power.

Keep the politics, the big players, and the TikTok threat in context as you peruse media headlines.

Stay educated and make change happen.

Leave a comment at the bottom if you learned something, hated 
something, or just want to say what's up.

A Summation of this Newsletter ?? 

• LinkedIn Reactions Need a "Disagree" Option
• We ?? NYC Receives Backlash from I ?? NYC Supporters (i.e. Everyone)
• Snapchat Looks to AR for Business to Diversify Its Revenue
• Utah Signs a Bill Requiring Age Verification and the Abolishment of Addictive UX Design in 2024 on Social Media Platforms
• 5 Facts About SEO versus PPC Campaigns
• LinkedIn Web Browser UI Gets a New Look (At Least for Me)
• The Problem with Email, AI, and Humans in a Single Cartoon
• Pepsi Rebranded Yesterday, and It's Amazing

LinkedIn Reactions Need a "Disagree" Option

The "curious" reaction has been removed as an option on LinkedIn. It's sad to see it go for those who stray from the path. However, this removal opens the conversation to something LinkedIn should do: add a "disagree" reaction to better depict sentiment.

As of right now, criticisms live in the "comment" section, and you're less likely to notice if a topic is up for debate among the LinkedIn community. Sure, this brings in negativity, but disagreement is a natural byproduct of debate in a digital town square.

A "disagree" reaction would be a great way to sift through the posts in your LinkedIn feed and see how others are actually reacting to content across the platform. However, when every option is perceived as a "positive" reaction, you stifle discourse and create a sycophantic culture.

"We ?? NYC" Receives Backlash from "I ?? NYC" Supporters (i.e. Everyone)

This illustration alludes to New York City’s change from I ?? NYC to We ?? NYC and captures it all in a few clever edits.

Let's Look at the Stacked Logo ??

…the heart resembles an emoji…

…the “we” reference to take a stab at inclusivity and counteract the negativity and haters spilling over from the pandemic…

…the awkward placement of the text elements in relation to the heart…

The unanimous decision on social media is "we" hate it.

Americans are notoriously resistant to change, so it’s no surprise that this redesign from the 1975 original is widely disliked.

?? Hannah Minn via Morning Brew.

Snapchat Looks to AR for Business to Diversify Its Revenue

Want to build AR features on a social platform reaching 90% of 13 to 24-year-olds (i.e. Gen Z)? Queue Snapchat's new Enterprise division to serve that exact purpose.

This is the first time Snapchat is selling AR technology for websites and apps with an augmented reality spin.

Offering a "commercial-grade solution" to new business customers is a lucrative opportunity for the social media company to diversify its revenue stream and not be entirely indebted to digital advertising.

Meme-ification

To optimize your strategy for search, everyone needs to work together.

If not, you'll end up in the swamp, too. ??

Utah Signs a Bill Requiring Age Verification and the Abolishment of Addictive UX Design in 2024 on Social Media Platforms

Utah put a wrench in reaching a segment of Gen Z for advertisers.

What'd they do?

• They signed a bill.

What's in the bill?

• Age verification and design changes to curb addictive features.

SB 152 requires age verification of any Utah resident with an account on their services. Parental permission applies to anyone under 18. Access is restricted between 10:30 pm and 6:30 am “and social media companies can’t advertise to or collect data on minors.”

HB 311 “requires social media companies to ensure that they are not designed to cause minors to become addicted to them, and gives Utah’s minors the right to sue social media companies if they believe they’ve become addicted to or otherwise somehow harmed by a social media platform they have an account on.”

The Impact of Legislation on Social Media Apps

Identify verification takes away anonymity—which closes the door to freely use services (since parents can see everything a child does)—which begins infringing on free speech. Some are worried this will spill over beyond minors, according to Vox.

Social media is a strain on mental health, it’s very evident, and there are studies proving the point—except this new spin that popped up recently with a solid counterargument.

There are multiple sources linked within this article promoting a convincing argument against the idea that mental health symptoms in minors increase solely because of social media. Nonetheless, the big social apps are an easy scapegoat when you're trying to ignore the other factors contributing to the degradation of mental health in America.

Social media and mental health is a great conversation to have and work democratically to reach a State-by-State consensus. Still, it’s important to keep the implications and constitutionality of the signed bills in mind.

5 Facts About SEO versus PPC Campaigns

1. SEO and PPC work better together, in harmony.
2. "Cannibalization is real" and branded keywords are the most vulnerable for overlap.
3. If separate agencies run your paid and organic programs, ensure those agencies talk.
4. Set clear boundaries to get ahead of future campaign issues.
5. "Search is not a zero-sum game.”

Communication between SEO and PPC teams is the most important thing to remember. Make an effort to work in tandem rather than battle out of sync.

LinkedIn Web Browser UI Gets a New Look (At Least for Me)

Big fan of this new look. It's similar to the recent Google Workplace updates:

• rounded edges
• circular buttons
• muted colors

The other big change is the enlarged pop-up box to insert your content. This is especially helpful for those of us who are writing long-form content.

A+ on the new web browser interface, LinkedIn.

The Problem with Email, AI, and Humans in a Single Cartoon

This tells you all you need to know about AI, ChatGPT, virtual assistants, the human condition, and how email continues to get the short stick in every facet of corporate communication.

Pepsi Rebranded and Debuted a New Logo

What's the World Saying About Pepsi's New Look?

Most reviews are skewed positive, and rightly so, because it looks great compared to some very questionable rebrands of 2022 and 2023... not naming names.

Get the whole story from Ad Age or Fast Company or both.

Speeding Up Your Workflow with AI from ChatGPT to Bard to Bing

I'm a big fan of Google Workspace gives me a bias for preferring Bard, especially with the option to take the next step straight into Google Search.

ChatGPT has been fun and exciting, but I'll split time between both generative AI bots until one outplays the other. If you haven't integrated AI into your workflow, you're missing out.

If you're thinking, "AI isn't applicable to my career, industry, or profession," don't be so quick toward judgment.

Message me if... ??

• you're looking for help.
• you want to apply ChatGPT or Bard to your workflow but don't know how.
• you're confused by endless AI headlines.

Otherwise, find more information over at www.zachburger.com.

The SUM is derived from industry news and insights related to marketing, copywriting, advertising, branding, web best practices, and more. If you enjoyed The SUM, subscribe for biweekly updates or follow Zach Burger for content that doesn't miss a beat.