February Update: Twitter, Twitch and Bebo

This last month has seen a lot happening in the social media world. There was further escalation in the battle of Australia, between Google and Facebook and the government over its proposed News Media Bargaining Code, with Facebook choosing to shut down news pages on its platform for several days. The consequences of all this activity and the deals that have been compromised between all parties are bound to have an effect on all of us. 

Twitter has been a little quiet recently in unveiling any changes to its platform. But in February it announced plans to introduce a “super follow” feature which will allow users to charge for additional, exclusive content. But would people pay to get more out of Twitter? It is also testing a live audio discussion service, to rival Clubhouse, the app whose growing popularity has been a success story of the pandemic.

Bebo is Back

Back in the mists of time, there was a platform called Bebo. Its name came from “be early, blog often” and it was once the biggest social platform in the UK before being sold to AOL in 2008, and then again, later in 2019 to Twitch. It has now announced plans to make a comeback - this time with a focus on real-time user interaction, rather than the news-heavy feel that Facebook and other platforms are now almost saddled with. This BBC story looks at the pros and cons ahead of Bebo’s new life. And let us know your own "top 16" for Bebo in our Forum discussion.

Twitch

Speaking of Twitch, the mammoth gaming platform is still challenging for brands to crack but it's becoming ever more appealing, especially if you consider its unique connection with (its owner) Amazon’s ecommerce power. Twitch almost doubled its number of monthly broadcasters in 2020, and is seeing a broader range of niche communities, such as beauty, chess, and cosplay. Some brands have found just the right approach, such as the Wendy’s channel campaign with Uber Eats to provide late-night food deliveries - Digiday.

Breakfast Mayhem

A bizarre food combination caused a big stir on social media this month. The thought of eating Weetabix with Baked Beans sprouted some fun online engagement from US and UK Embassies, and interesting brands like Pfizer, the NHS and Tinder. See Euronews.

In Other News

• How the Facebook Algorithm Works in 2021 and How to Make it Work for You - Hootsuite
• LinkedIn Pages has launched new features, such as Lead Generation forms in your Product Pages - SEJ. 
• More on how marketing should seriously think about the gaming industry, from Inside Marketing.
• Shopify has integrated its Shop Pay feature into Facebook and Instagram. - SEJ. 
• In China, online purchases are set to surpass sales in physical stores, an historic first predicted by eMarketer.

This Month’s Tips

Over in the Community Forum, we shared these quick tips to tidy your social media identity. Join in and share your own with us. 

1. Consistency - regularly sharing content, daily updates where feasible helps your audience to recognize your personal or corporate brand. But consistency is more important than frequency: consistency in messaging, tone, look & feel.
2. Understand and have a strategy for each social media platform - know why you're using a platform, who you are looking to reach, and what type of posts work best there.
3. Hashtags - use relevant hashtags in your posts captions to help your audience find you
4. Content - use gifs, memes, lives, stories, reels, and videos to reach and engage your audience.
5. Promote - don't be shy. If you have something to shout about - shout it loud and clear!
6. Trending & Social Calendar Dates (where appropriate) - if there is a popular trend or social calendar date that supports your personal or corporate goals, you can use it to create and publish high-quality, current content that will resonate with your audience. Check out our 2021 calendar.

And, Finally

Research has finally proven that 1980s pop music is the best way to beat stress and liven your mood. (Well the survey was conducted by a Turkish hair transplant center, but who could disagree?) So that’s my excuse for leaving you with a shot of Cyndi Lauper to get you through the long month of March.

Related

• The Secrets to Marketing in the Gaming Industry
• Tweet Tweet: The Evolution and Future of Twitter
• How to Manage your Online Reputation
• Social Content Distribution & Engagement Dashboard