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Hello, geeks… |
I’m back from vacation (Cyprus). The island didn’t set fire, but man-alive, heatwaves suck (42c!) |
A quick bit of BREAKING TikTok news before we get started… |
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So… I sure did pick a crazy week to take a break. I come back to find the Twitter Bird is dead. And a weird ‘X’ has appeared on my phone. Elmo has been busy. |
But this super-weird Twitter app glitch on my iPhone made me smile |
I also spotted the Zuck vs. Elmo cage fight is off. I’d have paid good money to tune in to that. |
But good news, Twitter (I refuse to call it X) is going to start paying me for my tweets. If I get more than a couple of hundred bucks, I'll be surprised. |
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DON’T MISS… |
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I always said I wanted to pay it forward and be someone else's ‘Emer’ in their career journey… So… |
I’ve created 20 FREE 15-Minute Social Media Career Boost slots in my schedule next week (w.c. 7 Aug). |
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Alrighty then… Let’s get into it. These were the hottest headlines in social from the past few weeks: |
🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5 |
Elon Musk Rebrands Twitter to ‘X’ and Kills Bird Logo [BYE BYE BIRDIE] Meta To Start Asking EU Users’ Permission Before Hitting Them With Personalized Ads [REGULATION WORKS] Threads Usage Falls to New Lows As Retention Issues Grow [DEAD THREADS] Meta’s Ray Ban Smart Glasses Fail to Catch On [EYE SPY PROBLEMS] Meta Study Claims Algorithms Don’t Influence Political Opinion [NEW RESEARCH]
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Meta / Threads |
Meta plans to launch A.I. chatbots with personalities as soon as September (what could possibly go wrong)… Meta is rebooting Horizon Worlds to make it something people actually want to use (I’m not optimistic about this one)… Meta made good its threats and began removing news in Canada… |
Threads for the web is in the works (really hope this lands soon)… Threads now lets you keep track of your Likes and organise your Following tab… Threads could soon offer media quality settings. |
Instagram / WhatsApp |
Instagram is working on a ‘Standouts’ feature to show recent highlights from your time on the app… Instagram now auto-plays carousels of 3 or more items… Instagram is making it harder for spammers to DM you… Instagram may soon add a ‘saved’ tab to your profile. |
WhatsApp is testing a new warning screen to help you reduce spam… WhatsApp wants to make it quicker + easier to add people to new group chats… And WhatsApp launched a new Video Messages feature (and you thought long voice notes sucked) |
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Real-Time Social Media News Alerts Exclusive Beta Invites to New Apps VIP Members-Only Chat Channels
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Twitter (‘X’) |
Twitter warned companies they could lose verification if they don’t buy ads (oh elon)… X is now letting Blue subscribers hide their verification checkmark of shame… X let more creators (including me!) into its ad revenue share programme (i’m not expecting big bucks)… And the terms have improved (but other platforms offer far better)… X was spotted making ads a little less obvious… |
TweetDeck is now called XPro (And soon you’ll have to pay for access)… X seems closer to launching real ID verification… X might build a stock-trading hub in its app… Community Notes now highlights ‘Top Writers’ as it expands to more countries… Blue subscribers can now download videos… And Spaces finally supports speaking via desktop browsers. |
TikTok / Snapchat |
ByteDance got sued for collecting user data via CapCut… TikTok now lets you write 4,000-character captions (almost double the old limit!)… TikTok is testing useful search filters… Snapchat is launching a rewards programme for AR Lens creators. |
YouTube / Reddit / Discord |
YouTube is adding a LIVE Shorts feed (the TikTok cloning continues)… and it’s testing a smart tool to turn horizontal videos into Shorts… YouTube has added TikTok-style Collabs and Q&A stickers. |
Reddit is getting a redesign for logged out users… Reddit is testing ‘Official’ labels, its own version of verification… And finally… Discord on Xbox will soon let you stream your gameplay to friends. |
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DID YOU SEE… 👀 |
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It’s time we dug a little deeper on the biggest developments in social everyone’s talking about. Geekout analysis of the top stories coming up next. 👇 [keep scrollin’] |
– Matt |
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🚨 Everyone's talking about... |
 | By rebranding Twitter as X, Elon Musk creates social media confusion | www.nytimes.com/2023/08/03/technology/twitter-x-tweets-elon-musk.html |
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Twitter’s hasty, poorly thought-through rebrand to X is the best ad in history for the value of external brand consultants. |
There’s been so much to take in. The messy process that has left plenty of ‘Twitters’ still on show (pro-tip: even though it’s officially changed, you can change the app icon back on iOS), the total lack of brand guidelines leaving social media managers confused, the logo just being a unicode symbol, and all sorts of concerns about possible trademark infringements…. |
Marketers might be baffled by the whole thing, but Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino (the split in their duties running the company now officially confirmed) are putting a brave face on it. |
They celebrated the rebrand with a garish flashing sign that left the neighbours furious. It was swiftly taken down amid fears it could be blown off the roof in high winds, but only after it had made headlines around the world. Musk isn’t afraid to piss people off in the pursuit of publicity. |
But what kind of a brand is X? What does it stand for? The dumb, weird slogan doesn’t help us make much sense of the situation.. What does “Blaze your glory!” even MEAN? |
So far X seems to stand for reinstating antisemite Kanye West again, suing anti-hate campaigners, and a terrible blog post containing half-written copy that makes professional writers feel ill. It’s not an encouraging start. |
Meanwhile Musk is getting trolled by Stephen King over the whole thing and even TikTok is lining itself up as as a rival for sharing short-form text posts. |
Still, the rebrand has helped create a clear break from the Twitter of the past, and it feels like more of the people who were once addicted to the app are heading elsewhere or just tuning out entirely. |
No wonder the trolls are getting desperate. |
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 | Threads user count falls to new lows, highlighting retention challenges | edition.cnn.com/2023/08/03/tech/threads-user-count-falls/index.html |
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It’s been hard to ignore the headlines over the past couple of weeks about how Threads usage is falling off a cliff: |
Threads’ daily active user count is down 82% from launch as of July 31, according to Sensor Tower, with just eight million users accessing the app each day. That is the lowest it has been since the day after the app’s release when daily active users peaked at roughly 44 million, Sensor Tower said. | | | | – Brian Fung, CNN |
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Last week we heard from Mark Zuckerberg himself that less than half of the 10 million initial Threads users are regularly using the app. |
However, while Meta can’t be happy with the scale of the exodus, it’s fair to say they expected a sharp drop. After all, if a platform gets worldwide news coverage around its launch, of course lots of people are going to sign up for a look around - and not all of them will stay. |
Meta plans “retention hooks” to keep people using the app, chief product officer Chris Cox reportedly told employees, like "making sure people who are on the Instagram app can see important Threads." |
Ultimately, Mark Zuckerberg thinks Threads could be Meta’s next social network with 1 billion users but it will be an uphill battle to get there as users, and Meta themselves, figure out between them what Threads is actually for. |
We’re seeing friction as some users and publishers push for more of an emphasis on news content than Meta seems to have an appetite for. But whatever Meta is, it certainly hasn’t found a vibe quite yet. It all feels a bit soulless. |
Still, one encouraging data point for Meta is that a new report found that 54% of influencers said they'd already posted sponsored content on Threads |
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 | With 200 billion views per day on Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s Reels are gaining on TikTok | www.tubefilter.com/2023/07/28/meta-facebook-instagram-reels-200-billion-daily-views-q2-2023 |
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Threads might not have established itself quite yet, but you don’t need to look far to see how well Meta’s copy machine can work once it gets fully fired up: |
According to the most recent data, Meta’s answer to TikTok gets 200 billion daily views across Facebook and Instagram. Meta’s Reels earnings rival those of TikTok. According to Insider Intelligence, the latter video service pulled in $9.9 billion of revenue in 2022. The same firm projected that TikTok will reach $13.2 billion in ad revenue this year. | | | | – Sam Gutelle, TubeFilter |
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Yes, Reels is really starting to breathe down TikTok’s neck. As with Snapchat Stories before it, Meta is showing how it can turn a rival’s cool product into a commoditised format and reap the rewards. |
With TikTok’s future still hanging in the balance in the US, Meta is poised to clean up if the worst happens. But even if TikTok hangs on, it’s not crazy to imagine that Reels could become more successful than its Chinese-owned rival. |
Still, angry Reels creators complaining about a payout glitch this week shows how keeping ‘the talent’ happy is key to keeping Reels on an upward trajectory. |
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😆 LOL tweets |
 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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brands on threads ht @marketoonist |  | | | Aug 3, 2023 | | |  | | | 22 Likes 4 Retweets 0 Replies |
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 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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social media managers: 🔥 legal: 🚫 h.t @milkkarten |  | | | Aug 3, 2023 | | |  | | | 71 Likes 8 Retweets 4 Replies |
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Plus: |
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📈 Gone viral |
Elon Musk made an enemy of journalist Christopher Beale last weekend. Living opposite X HQ turned into hell… but at least his video of the nightmare got him a shedload of engagement. |
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🪧 Brand social |
Brands had a lot of fun with Elon Musk’s hasty rebrand… |
 | Sesame Street @sesamestreet |  |
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The letter X will be holding a press conference later today. #TwitterXtwitter.com/i/web/status/1… |  | | | Jul 24, 2023 | | |  | | | 177K Likes 32.3K Retweets 1.31K Replies |
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 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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“Protect our animal species before it's too late!” Well played @WWF_Deutschland | WWF Deutschland @WWF_Deutschland Schütze unsere Tierarten, bevor es zu spät ist! Rund 1 Million echte Tierarten sind vom Aussterben bedroht➡️ #TwitterX |
| | | Jul 29, 2023 | | |  | | | 54 Likes 14 Retweets 1 Replies |
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plus: |
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📺 Must-watch |
Adam Mosseri appeared on Harry Stebbings’ ‘20-Minute VC’ podcast recently, and took the opportunity to drop some hard truths about how people use Instagram these days. |
It’s well worth a watch 👇 |
 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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How people really use Instagram in 2023 h/t @HarryStebbings / @mosseritwitter.com/i/web/status/1… |  | | | Aug 3, 2023 | | |  | | | 605 Likes 133 Retweets 17 Replies |
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👀 Must-reads |
What’s behind Mark Zuckerberg’s recent image overhaul? This article digs into what’s going on… |
 | 'He is in war time': Mark Zuckerberg's desperate, last-ditch attempt to remake himself — and Meta | www.businessinsider.com/new-mark-zuckerberg-meta-facebook-ceo-layoffs-profit-cage-match-2023-7?r=US&IR=T |
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Also: |
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❓ What do you think? |
The ‘unhinged social media manager’ act: fun and useful or tired and lame? Tap through and let me know what you think… 👇 |
 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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Social media managers... What are your thoughts on brands leaning on the 'unhinged social media manager' tactic? twitter.com/i/web/status/1… |  | digiday.com/marketing/bran… Here are the cases for and against the so-called unhinged social media manager As the trend of the so-called unhinged social media manager continues, experts weigh in on its value as a marketing strategy. |
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|  | | | Aug 2, 2023 | | |  | | | 29 Likes 2 Retweets 12 Replies |
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💬 You can quote me on that |
When I’m quoted in the news, you’ll find it here: |
X vs Threads: I weigh in on the debate in this podcast… |
 | CommsHero @CommsHero |  |
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🚨 NEW PODCAST! 🚨 In the latest #CommsHero podcast, our host @AsifChoudry is joined by @MattNavarra where they explore the pros, cons, ofTwitter and Threads and what the future of each social platform looks like. Listen here: ow.ly/WaYE50Pq5MF |  | | | Aug 2, 2023 | | |  | | | 5 Likes 2 Retweets 0 Replies |
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Also: |
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⏰ ICYMI |
This is something really useful that might have passed you by in a summer haze… |
 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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NEW! TikTok launches ads transparency library The searchable ads database shows: - ad creative - dates ad ran - ad targeting used - # of people served the ad But for now only data on ads running in Europe is available Access TikTok Ad Library: library.tiktok.com/ads |  | | | Jul 20, 2023 | | |  | | | 301 Likes 65 Retweets 5 Replies |
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🤦 FAIL |
Meta messed up payments to Reels creators, and they are NOT happy: |
 | Meta blames ‘display error’ as it slashes creator pay | The payouts involve a new ad revenue sharing program for Reels videos that use music from Meta’s library. | fortune.com/2023/08/02/instagram-facebook-reels-creators-furious-meta-reduced-promised-payouts |
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🤔 Did you know…? |
Well this has got me rethinking all that swiping….! |
 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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The Reality Of Just Casually Scrolling On Social Media On average, within 4 months, the average TikTok user will have scrolled (in length) to the depth of the Titanic digg.com/news/link/the-… | | | Aug 2, 2023 | | |  | | | 3 Likes 2 Retweets 0 Replies |
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💬 Quoted |
| ❝ | | | “I’m highly confident we’re going to be able to pour enough gasoline on this to help it grow” | | | | – Mark Zuckerberg gets real on growing Threads |
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🪦 RIP |
Features heading for the social media graveyard: |
It’s a big one this week 😢 |
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24805573/Twitter_X_Verge_Hero_Vs_2.jpg) | RIP Twitter’s iconic bird logo | And hello to a generic white X. | www.theverge.com/2023/7/24/23805415/twitter-x-logo-rebrand-bird-farewell-to-birds |
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🧵 Top X thread |
In this thread I break out useful insights from the Digital 2023 Global Statshot Report. Well worth a look 👇 |
 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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📊🌍 NEW INSIGHTS: The Digital 2023 Global Statshot Report It's stuffed full of new insights about: 👥 Social media 💻 Internet usage 👾 Gaming 🤖 AI 📰 Online news consumption 🛍️ Ecommerce + more View full report: |  | datareportal.com/reports/digita… Digital 2023 July Global Statshot Report — DataReportal – Global Digital Insights A comprehensive study of all the latest trends in how the world uses the internet, social media, mobile devices, and ecommerce platforms in July 2023. Includes a big new milestone for social media use, a deep-dive into online news behaviours, and the rise of OpenAI and Threads. |
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| | | Jul 20, 2023 | | |  | | | 25 Likes 12 Retweets 1 Replies |
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🤖 A.I.-mazing |
All the ways A.I. is transforming social media: |
Meta has released a new open-source tool that creates music and sounds entirely through generative A.I. |
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951350/STK043_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_6_Meta.jpg) | Meta’s AI music generator could be the new synthesizer — or just muzak | www.theverge.com/2023/8/2/23816431/meta-generative-ai-music-audio |
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Also: |
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💡 New feature spotlight |
Even TikTok wants to be a Twitter rival… |
 | TikTok introduces text-only posts as Elon Musk rebrands Twitter as X | www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/25/tiktok-text-only-posts-elon-musk-twitter-x-rebrand |
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📄 Reported |
Key insights from recently published reports: |
 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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NEW DATA: UK Media Consumption Habits 2023 🇬🇧📱 Most popular platform for short-form video (all ages): - YouTube: 68% of people - Facebook: 49% - Instagram: 31% Social platforms with the highest overall reach: - Facebook: 91% of online UK adults - YouTube: 91% Most time spent… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… |  | | | Aug 3, 2023 | | |  | | | 109 Likes 27 Retweets 2 Replies |
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 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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NEW INSIGHTS: Brands Get More Reach on Instagram, TikTok Wins for Engagement Here are FOUR takeaways from an analysis of brand social profiles 1. TikTok is great for follower growth and engagement, while Instagram reels gets more reach and interactions 2. Instagram is… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… |     | | | Aug 2, 2023 | | |  | | | 148 Likes 23 Retweets 1 Replies |
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📊 Social stats |
Turns out people don’t want Meta’s smart Ray-Bays. People surprised = 0. |
 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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90% of Meta x Ray-Ban Smart Glasses owners have ditched them |  | theverge.com/2023/8/3/23818… Barely anyone is using Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses A second generation is expected next year despite poor retention. |
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| | | Aug 3, 2023 | | |  | | | 6 Likes 3 Retweets 2 Replies |
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Also: |
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📈 Charted |
 | Matt Navarra @MattNavarra |  |
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The Social Media Copycat Conundrum axios.com/newsletters/ax… |  | | | Aug 3, 2023 | | |  | | | 138 Likes 34 Retweets 7 Replies |
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Also: |
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 | More Meta News |
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/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951344/STK040_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_4_facebook.jpg) | Facebook moderation is lacking for gender-based violence | Meta’s Oversight Board has requested policy reforms. | www.theverge.com/2023/8/1/23815368/facebook-meta-oversight-board-gender-based-violence-moderation |
| /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951344/STK040_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_4_facebook.jpg) |
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Facebook bowed to White House pressure to remove Covid-related posts, internal documents suggest. [Wall Street Journal $$$] Meta has been accused of “neglecting” an initiative designed to remove harmful content and misinformation online. [Financial Times $$$] News publisher Reach’s revenue has been hit by Facebook deprioritising news. [Press Gazette] AN NHS health board has been reprimanded after patient data shared on WhatsApp over 500 times. [Sky News] Roblox for Quest VR has been downloaded “well over” 1 million times, according to Roblox’s CEO. [The Verge]
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Insights to give you an edge at work: |
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New features and tests: |
Facebook: |
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Instagram: |
Instagram now lets you manage your broadcast channel on desktop. [@jonah_manzano] Instagram now auto-plays carousels of three or more images. [@oncescuradu] Instagram has added a button to help you learn more about being a creator. [@jonah_manznao] Instagram could soon let you adjust the playback speed of audio messages. [@ahmedghanem] Instagram is working on adding a Saved tab to your profile. [@alex193a] Instagram has added an option “Avatar interactions” in the Privacy page. [@hammodoh1] Instagram is testing showing broadcast channel subscriber counts on profiles… [@ahmedghanem] Instagram is rolling out Avatar interactions and shared Avatar stickers… [@SaadhJawwadh]
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WhatsApp: |
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The rest: Creator Studio/adtech/Quest and more: |
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 | More X News |
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 | Elon Musk: Japan issues rare warning over fake X account | The account on the platform formerly known as Twitter impersonated Japan's top currency diplomat. | www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66402201 |
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New features and tests: |
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 | More TikTok News |
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 | Activision is suing a TikToker, saying he demanded $100K+ for using a viral clip of his voice he gave away the rights to | Activision said Anthony Fantano has no right to charge for the voice clip since he voluntarily uploaded it to TikTok for other people to use. | www.insider.com/tiktoker-sued-demanding-money-sound-he-gave-away-rights-to-2023-7 |
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New features and tests: |
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💥 Even more social media news and updates |
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24305992/STK140_Mastedon_K_Radtke_02.jpg) | BBC launches an “experimental” Mastodon server | The BBC has launched social.bbc. | www.theverge.com/2023/7/31/23814556/bbc-experimental-mastodon-server-twitter |
| /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24305992/STK140_Mastedon_K_Radtke_02.jpg) |
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China could impose strict limits on children’s internet usage. [The Verge] Australia’s ban of TikTok on should also include WeChat, according to new recommendations. [The Guardian] Reddit has closed the r/Place collaborative art project. [The Verge] Three big Reddit communities are no longer focused on John Oliver. [The Verge] Pinterest beat revenue estimates in its latest quarterly earnings report. [Bloomberg $$$] Twitch has expanded its ban on gambling livestreams. [AP]
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Insights to give you an edge at work: |
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New features and tests: |
YouTube now lets you add a Short to any playlist. [@oncescuradu] Snapchat has launched a limited-time Story format to mark International Friendship Day. [Social Media Today] Bluesky has replaced ‘What’s Hot’ with personalised “Discover” feed. [TechCrunch] Twitch has improved the way chat replies are displayed. [@TwitchSupport] Discord on Xbox will soon let you stream your gameplay to friends. [The Verge] T2 has added DMs ahead of other budding Twitter rivals. [TechCrunch]
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📖 Weekend reading |
 | How TikTok and Tech Gave Kylie Minogue the Song of the Summer | “This is a blueprint we’ll see taking over the music industry.” | www.thedailybeast.com/how-tiktok-and-tech-made-kylie-minogues-padam-padam-the-song-of-the-summer |
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😳 And finally... |
All is not going well in MrBeast’s burger kitchens. The customers aren’t too happy either, it seems… 🤮 |
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24821828/1420811775.jpg) | MrBeast is suing his ghost kitchen partner over “inedible” MrBeast Burgers | Fans have described the burgers as “revolting” and “so nasty.” | www.theverge.com/2023/7/31/23814558/mrbeast-sues-ghost-kitchen-partner-burger-virtual-dining-concepts |
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📅 Back next week... |
…You made it to the end of this week’s Geekout. 🎉🍾 |
Does anyone ever actually read this bit? Tweet me “I read it” if you do! 😆 |
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✨ HELP WANTED… GEEKOUT NEWSLETTER v 2.0 COMING SOON ✨ |
I’m working on plans to revamp Geekout Newsletter. And I’d love to get your input. What Geekout Newsletter improvements or changes would you like me to make? Reply to this email with your suggestions
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– |
That’s all for this week folks. |
I’m heading off to hide my blue checkmark and figure out a better Threads strategy. |
Goodbye geeks!
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– Matt |
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You should advertise in Geekout! Get in touch: matt@mattnavarra.com |
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This newsletter is edited by Martin SFP Bryant |