Latest news with #SocialMediaToday
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
YouTube Adds Lens Search Functionality to Shorts
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. YouTube's testing out a new option that will enable Shorts viewers to search whatever they can see in a Shorts clip, using Google's Lens technology to scan Shorts videos for objects, people, language that can be translated, etc. Which could also include products, and relevant product matches based on items displayed in Shorts, though that won't be the focus of this initial test. As you can see in this example, now, you'll be able to pause a Short, then access Google Lens, enabling you to pick a section and use that as the basis for a visual search. Which could have a range of potential use-cases, as explained by YouTube: 'For example if you're watching a Short filmed in a location that you want to visit, you can select a landmark to identify it and learn more about the destination's culture and history.' I mean, sure, that's one way you could use it, and technologically, this isn't a huge advance, it's just incorporating Google Image Search into still frames from Shorts clips, in a more integrated and streamlined way. But it could, as noted, have benefits in regards to shopping, and finding items displayed. YouTube does note that the new Lens search experience won't be available for Shorts with YouTube Shopping affiliate links, or with paid product promotions tagging a product via YouTube Shopping. So this isn't the main focus, as such, but it could well become an easy way for viewers to find items based on what creators are wearing, or related products, etc. Which could also provide a new influencer marketing pathway. Brands, for example, could pay a creator to wear their clothes, with the creator then prompting viewers to Lens their outfit and look for the right match. That could also lead to false matches, but for unique products, it may be another consideration. Of course, it could also be used for stalking, and tracking down people based on their face in a clip. On that front, YouTube says that it doesn't use biometric facial recognition in Lens, though it may show results for notable public figures where relevant. YouTube also notes that AI overviews could be displayed in Shorts Lens results. YouTube's rolling out its new Lens search functionality in Shorts to all viewers this week. Recommended Reading YouTube Tests Community Spaces To Drive Fan Engagement Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WhatsApp Adds Status Functionalities, Including More Music Sharing Options
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. WhatsApp's adding some new creative options to Status, its Stories-like option for the messaging app, including updated Layout option, more music sharing functionality, photo stickers, and more. First off, WhatsApp's added a new collage option within its Layout tools, which enables you to convert up to six images into a combined frame. Users can place the images in the collage however they like, with the Layout tools making it easier to present the display in variable formats. WhatsApp's also adding new music sharing options, including the ability to turn a song into a music sticker, and add it to a separate status post: 'like a selfie, for extra pizzazz.' WhatsApp launched music for Status updates back in March, which enables users to share popular music clips to accompany their Stories-like updates. It's also testing music sharing from Spotify, and given the platform's massive reach, it could become a key driver of music promotion and engagement. WhatsApp's also adding Photo Stickers, which, as it sounds, will enable you to turn a photo into a sticker, and add it to your status. Similar to the same functionality on Instagram, you'll be able to edit the sticker's size in the composer, so you can use your photos in new ways within your updates. Finally, WhatsApp's also rolling out its own version of the 'Add Yours' sticker for Status. As per WhatsApp: 'Choose a picture and use the Add Yours sticker to invite friends in on the conversation. When they respond to your prompt, they can share it to their status and hear what their community has to say, too.' Which is again similar to the same on IG Stories, with Status gradually catching up in terms of functionality, ensuring greater expressive capacity within the DM focused app. WhatsApp's been gaining popularity, particularly in the U.S., where it now has over 100 million users. The app is also, of course, the most used messaging app in the world, with over 3 billion active users, which gives Meta a huge market advantage in rolling out new tools like this to many users who don't have access to other social media apps. As such, expanding WhatsApp's functionality could also lead to more opportunities, both for Meta and creators/brands in the app. So while these may seem like fairly simple updates, given their availability in other apps, they are significant in the broader development of WhatsApp as a connective tool.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
X Pauses DM Encryption as it Works on Messaging Updates
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. It seems that X's DMs are about to get an overhaul, with X announcing today that it's removing encrypted DMs for the time being, as it continues to implement back-end improvements. As per X: 'Starting today we will be pausing the encrypted DMs feature while we work on making some improvements. You will still be able to access your encrypted DMs, but won't be able to send new ones.' So DM encryption on X will be disabled for a time, though you can expect it to be back very soon, with X owner Elon Musk repeatedly noting that encryption is an important element of its expanded messaging push. Which also includes video messaging, voice chat, basically every function currently available in the other major messaging apps. X has taken steps on this front already, but it's now seemingly set to realign its DM features around these expanded usage elements. Some have suggested that this new system will be called 'XChat', and will introduce new functionalities, including the ability to send files, unlock codes, vanishing mode, and more. As you can see, elements of this have already been spotted in testing, but they're yet to get a full launch. Indeed, last month, an X engineer remarked that the code base for X DMs was being completely rewritten, in favor of an improved, chat-like interface. The update could also relate to X's plan to integrate payments, with a more secure, streamlined messaging platform potentially also enabling money transfers within the app. And that would also include full DM encryption, though X is seemingly rewriting its encryption elements as well, in order to accommodate this update. We don't know, of course, as X doesn't provide a heap of info on its updates. All we know for sure is that X is working on its messaging features, and that right now, encryption is switched off in X DMs. But I would anticipate another announcement coming very soon, which could signal the beginning of its integrated messaging and payments platform, in replacement of the current X DMs. Recommended Reading Meta's New AI and VR Push Includes Celebrity-Influenced Chatbots and Next-Gen Smart Glasses
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
LinkedIn Launches Conversions API Playbook
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. LinkedIn has published a new guide on how to make best use of its Conversions API, which provides advanced data on LinkedIn ad campaign performance, by enabling you to plug both online and offline data sources into LinkedIn's systems. LinkedIn launched its updated Conversions API back in 2023, with a view to enabling expanded data sharing for ad targeting in a privacy-friendly way. Those who've implemented the API can glean advanced data insight, including direct sales attributed to LinkedIn campaigns, leads generated, and more. LinkedIn's 16-page Conversions API Playbook covers all of this, along with detailed instructions on how to implement the API, objective-specific explainers, and more. As you can see in this example, the first segment of the playbook is dedicated to implementation of the Conversions API, with instructions on how to action each element. The guide also provides more specific explainers on how to utilize the data available via the API, in conjunction with LinkedIn's Insight Tag. In combination, this will provide you with a range of additional data to help refine and improve your LinkedIn ad campaigns. Though it is fairly technical, and it may require developer expertise to implement these elements correctly. But for those looking to make LinkedIn promotions a bigger focus, it may well be worth the additional investment. The guide also provides an overview of key use cases for the Conversions API: There are some handy notes here, and some valuable pointers, which could improve your LinkedIn marketing process significantly. And with more people coming to the app to engage with business-related content, a lot more marketers are also looking to boost their LinkedIn promotions to capitalize on those opportunities. You can download LinkedIn's Conversions API Playbook here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
X Looks to Expand its Video Push With ‘X Originals'
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. X is looking to sign-up more original content, as part of its expanded video push, with the launch of a new 'X Originals' moniker for its expanding slate of programming. As explained by X: 'Over the last year, we've released a slate of premium content series, together with some of the internet's top talent […] We've already released 17 shows with over 300 episodes across the US, Japan, and MENA, and we're just getting started - continuing to build premium original content series for X's most popular communities like sports, pop culture, business & finance, and more. Nowhere else can you watch a new series with your favorite creators AND talk to them immediately below the episode.' Which has always been the allure and appeal of X (and Twitter), that it's the top host of TV show discussion online, and if there was some way that you could integrate the two, combining content consumption alongside all that real-time chatter, the platform could become an entertainment powerhouse. 'Could' being the operative word. Previous Twitter management tried out many ways to merge the two behaviors, even signing expensive hosting rights deals with the MLB, NFL and NBA to broadcast games directly in the app. Given that sports is the most discussed topic segment in the app, and live sports, in particular, drive huge engagement, an integrated Twitter/TV offering seemed to make sense, bringing the top tweets and posts right to the same screen, so more users could view and interact with the expanded discussion, But it didn't work. For some reason, users prefer to use Twitter/X as a second screen, while viewing sports on another surface (or in person). Twitter also tried the same with TV shows and exclusive video content, to limited success. But X believes that it now sees a new path to entertainment dominance, though it's exclusive content slate, at this stage, remains limited. Over the first year of its video content push, X has signed deals with and/or hosted exclusive video content from: Khloe Kardashian on her 'Khloe in Wonderland' interview show Anthony Pompliano for his business-focused program 'From the Desk of Anthony Pompliano' Paris Hilton, on a yet-to-be-announced project (which now seems to have been dumped) Tucker Carlson, whose interviews had been generating millions of views in the app (before he migrated to his own platform) Don Lemon, whose X show was canceled after he interviewed Elon Musk Tulsi Gabbard, who had been developing a series of documentary-style programs focused on U.S. politics (now seemingly dumped) Jim Rome who's still airing his show 'The Jungle' in the app WWE, which is airing a weekly 'WWE Speed' show in the app The Big 3 league of retired NBA players, which aired weekly games in the app during its most recent season Rap battle show Verzuz, which is looking to make a comeback on X Investment-based show 'Going Public' (still airing on X) Football docu-series 'The Offseason' NHL's '4 Nations' tournament Athlos athletic events Special docu-series 'The Art of the Surge' focusing on Trump's re-election, and 'All-In with the Boston Celtics' That's not bad, I guess, in terms of expanded original programming. But 15 or so shows is also not going to make X a serious player in this space, especially with every other platform offering more incentives for creators to share their content exclusively in their apps, which have even bigger audience reach. In this sense, X remains a niche offering, and with its overall audience reach in decline, not an overly appealing one for those looking to build their online media foundations. But again, X does host a lot of related discussion, and it's hopeful that those additional community engagement benefits will be of interest to more content creators moving forward. Which will then enable it to build out its X Originals slate, though how X sees itself as a 'video first' platform at this stage is still unclear. X is not a video-first platform. TikTok is, as is YouTube, and both Instagram and Snapchat are inching ever-closer to being video-first in their own ways. X isn't. The app doesn't open to a video feed, and only offers video as a secondary element, that users have to actively seek out. Which will always impede its expansion on this front, and I don't really see how X has done much to shift user attention towards video, other than adding a video tab, and proclaiming that it's now a 'video first' business. Sure, video views in the app are increasing, but some of that comes down to how X is measuring video 'views,' along with broader online posting and consumption trends. Given this, I'm not sure X's Originals are going to see any significant expansion, unless X spends a lot of money to do so. And as noted, that hasn't worked in the past, so I'm not entirely sure why X thinks it can make it happen with this effort. But maybe, with X CEO Linda Yaccarino's experience and connections, based on her years of working NBCUniversal, it has some more tricks up its sleeve on this front. 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