how i got cloned by a.i. in less than 1 minute

Hello, geeks!

This week has mostly been about a dancing cat…

…Leading to social media managers living their best lives.

…And Elon Musk live streaming fart noises on Twitter Spaces. I kid you not.

Convincing people that working in social media is a serious profession isn’t getting any easier.

In Other News…

• Meta is VERY eager to sell Meta Verified

• These THREE words are going viral on LinkedIn

• My social media toolkit revealed

Also… Who Is The REAL Matt Navarra? 🤯

I trained an AI to clone my voice from a 1 minute recording of me speaking.

Can you identify the REAL Matt Navarra? Listen here. 🔊🤖

—

Alrighty, let's get into it.

First up: The hottest headlines in social this week:

🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

1. TikTok Sets Default 1-Hour Daily Screen Time Limit For Teens [TAKE A BREAK]

2. Meta Working On Generative AI Tools For Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram [ZUCK BOT]

3. Elon Musk Fired ‘Hardcore’ Twitter Blue Exec + New CEO Speculation [ST ELMO FIRES]

4. Jack Dorsey’s Twitter Rival Bluesky Launches Invite-Only App [NEW SOCIAL]

5. E.U Gov Institutions Ban TikTok + U.S TikTok Ban Creeps Closer [EU BAN / US BAN]

What else is new and noteworthy in social media land this week? Quite a lot actually.

Here’s everything else worthy of your attention:

Meta strategically “leaked” its roadmap for future AR / VR devices (someones getting nervous about Apple’s AR/VR launch)…Meta rolled out a sextortion prevention tool for Instagram and Facebook… ​​ Instagram’s new age verification features are now live in more countries… New Instagram features spotted this week include: A Stories video trimming tool and the ability to add music to Carousel posts (useful additions!).

Twitter Blue is now available in more than 20 countries in Europe (European Twitter users can barely contain their excitement 😆)... Twitter published a ‘new’ violent speech policy (It’s a lot like its old one… just a bit more vague and confusing)... Linkedin added new tools for job seekers and enhancements to audience targeting for LinkedIn advertisers.

🔥 LIMITED SLOTS | PERSONAL COACHING CALL WITH MATT NAVARRA 🔥

For a limited time only, you can now steal my best ideas…

And learn from my 15+ years working in the social media industry.

I can help you…

• ✨ Develop a winning social media strategy

• ✨ Take your social media career to the next level

• ✨ Turn your ADHD into a work super-power

• ✨ Build a six-figure income as a content creator

Limited slots available… BOOK CONSULTATION

YouTube creators revealed how much money Shorts revenue share is paying out (hint: not a lot)... YouTube’s new CEO revealed plans for A.I.-powered tools for creators (because every big tech company wants you to know it's doing cool AI things too)... Businesses on TikTok can now add a link to their app on their profile page… And TikTok is making it easier for businesses to add licence-free music to videos with ‘Sounds for Business’.

Pinterest is testing a new super-premium video ad placement option… Reddit made searching for a specific comment on a post much easier… Snapchat will now let you pause your Snap streak (if you pay!)...

And finally…

Snapchat added a ‘My A.I.’ chatbot powered by ChatGPT (that poor AI bot is going to be destroyed by teens 😆)

DID YOU SEE… 👀

• 🚨 TOP SECRET: NEW Geekout Pro Plan for Social Media VIPs [LAUNCHING APRIL 2023]

• ✨ NEWSLETTERS: 14 Top Newsletters For Social Media Managers [GEEKOUT FTW]

• ⚡️ PRO-TIPS: 10 Instagram SEO Tips For Better Reach In 2023 [REVEAL TIPS]

• 🤳🏻 TIKTOK: How To Download TikTok Video Without a Watermark [NEW FEATURE]

Shall we dig a little deeper on the news headlines everyone’s talking about?

Geekout analysis of the week’s biggest developments coming up next.👇 (keep scrollin’…)

— Matt

🚨 Everyone's talking about...

TikTok is clearly starting to get really worried. The steady drumbeat of TikTok bans on government devices in states across the US has built into a crescendo, and a full nationwide ban on the app is closer than it has been since the dying days of the Trump administration.

A new bill would make it easier for Joe Biden to ban doing business with TikTok entirely across the US - essentially a ban on the app being available and usable across the country.

Meanwhile TikTok is being banned on US federal government staff’s devices as Canada introduces its own government staff ban, following some EU bodies last week. The European Parliament joined in this week with a ban.

Given there’s still no solid evidence that TikTok shares Western users’ data with the Chinese government, this wave of bans feels like ‘me too’ action designed to be better-safe-than-sorry and look tough on what might be happening.

I mean, it turns out some US politicians speaking out against TIkTok happily take donations from staff at the company, so they can’t that worried, can they?

TikTok employees having been shown to have spied on journalists is the closest we have to concrete evidence of shadiness, but a Saudi spy was found working for Twitter a couple of years ago, so these issues can happen at American companies too.

Civil liberties group the ACLU has urged US lawmakers not to ban TikTok outright, citing free speech issues. And TikTok itself continues to insist all is fine and a ban isn’t required. But a nervous-looking statement on Twitter this week shows this is a company that knows the risks are growing, no matter how many people it invites to its ‘Transparency Center’.

A TikTok ban would be a boon for the likes of Meta and Snap, but creators who have built a strong following on TikTok wouldn’t necessarily find it easy to hop over to Reels, Snapchat, or Shorts and keep up the same level of success.

Interestingly, Noises from the UK indicate no kind of ban is on the cards there–even on government devices–with the government saying “significant evidence” of risks would be needed.

And even a ban on TikTok on government devices won’t necessarily stop the company collecting data about staff, thanks to all the other apps that send it data.

If you’re already tired of all the hype around ChatGPT and conversational A.I., sorry… there’s a whole lot more of it to come. Mark Zuckerberg announced plans this week for A.I.-based features in Meta’s apps.

Snapchat beat them to the punch with the launch this week of an A.I. chatbot feature initially just for Snapchat Plus subscribers but supposedly rolling out to all eventually.

But the race to include A.I. in social apps comes before clear uses for it have emerged. Does Snapchat need a copy of ChatGPT (using the same tech via OpenAI’s new business API offering)? What are you supposed to do with it? Is it a good fit for Snapchat?

This tech will undoubtedly be refined into more specific products over time, but for now social media companies should be in no rush to incorporate an A.I. chatbot just because they can.

In related news, Meta has released its own GPT-style large language model, called LLaMA, but the companys’s A.I.-driven ad system hasn’t convinced all marketers yet.

If you were to bet who might be let go next in Elon Musk’s seemingly never-ending headcount cull at Twitter, it would be pretty much anyone but Esther Crawford. And yet…!

Famed for glorifying sleeping at the office, Crawford rose to seniority quickly at the end of last year as she embrace Musk’s new approach. But now she’s out as part of around 500 fresh layoffs.

Crawford says she has no regrets for going all in in her role, and I’m sure there will be other tech companies that would love to have someone like her on staff.

Meanwhile, Twitter is cutting back on NYC office space and has destroyed all the company’s nearly 90,000 Slack channels, after reinstating the work chat app in a streamlined form.

Musk has promised performance-based stock awards for staff that survived the latest cull. But there’s a chance he might not be directly in charge for much longer.

Steve David, CEO of Musk’s Boring Company, reportedly oversaw the latest layoffs and seemed to be keen to show how brutal he could be. Is he being lined up as the next CEO of Twitter?

😆 LOL tweets

Also:

• Twitter is factchecking… advertisers?!

• Pleasing the algorithm overlords: the struggle is real

📈 Going viral

TikTok’s Bold Glamour effect has been amazing users this week. Tap through below to watch a video explainer of what seems to be the secret to why it’s blowing people away 👇

…But not everyone loves the effect, with some experts raising concerns about what it does for people’s self-esteem and body image. And TikTok won’t say if it uses A.I. or not. 🤔

🎯 Record breaker

Twitch isn’t done growing yet…

😮 WTF?!

I mean… what can I say…?

📃 Industry reports

This chunky new report from Meta is well worth a browse.

As Social Media Today explains, it “looks at the latest key, emerging trends, based on analysis of millions of conversations across Facebook and Instagram, along with additional insights from a global survey into 20 key shifts.”

🪦 RIP

Elon Musk claims another scalp. RIP Politwoops.

💡 New feature spotlight

WhatsApp is a powerful platform for broadcast communication, and this could be a killer feature if they get it right:

And this will be really handy if you work with Instagram Stories a lot. A video trimmer tool is overdue!

🧵 Top threads

Must-read Twitter threads from the past week…

This viral thread details why and how an auto shop took over TikTok this week…

Ryan Broderick has figured out how to hack the Twitter algorithm in 2023:

Spotify is reportedly planning a TikTok-style feed. I a bigger deal than you might think? Tap through and read on…

❓️ Question of the week

A.I. is the hottest tech on the block, but how are you making it work for yourself? Tap through to get ideas, or share your own 👇

💰 Paid social

As the business model of social media continues to move beyond pure advertising, here’s a good roundup of what’s going on:

Also:

• Meta Verified update: You’ll need two Meta Verified subscriptions for Facebook and Instagram, and notable people will still get checkmarks separately from the paid subscription.

🗣️ Industry chatter

Not all marketers are ready to trust Meta’s A.I.-driven ad products just yet…

💬 You can quote me on that

When I’m quoted in the news, you’ll find it here:

I spoke to the Drum about about TikTok’s attempt to do the right thing for teens:

📈 Charts of the week

Also:

• The most in-demand skills for recruiters in 2023, according to LinkedIn - social media makes the cut!

• Substack now hosts 2 million paid subscriptions

📊 Stats of the week

YouTube Shorts by the numbers:

• Meta Verified will require separate subscriptions for Facebook and Instagram, and ‘notable’ people will still receive verification. [Mashable]

• Instagram boss Adam Mosseri says paid verification could 'help small creators get a leg up.' [Insider $$$]

• Meta has launched tool to prevent sextortion of teens on Facebook and Instagram. [CNN]

• Meta’s AR and VR hardware roadmap for the next four years has leaked. [The Verge]

• US Senators have urged Meta not to open Horizon Worlds up to younger teens. [Wall Street Journal $$$]

• Meta is expanding Instagram age verification test to Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Australia, Japan and more countries in Europe. [@andymstone]

• WhatsApp has been approved to handle business payments in Brazil. [Bloomberg $$$]

• Meta is wrong to say all Cambridge Analytica lawsuits are over, New Mexico says. [Bloomberg $$$]

• Instagram meme pages are using violent Reels videos to draw viewers. [Washington Post $$$]

• Meta’s metaverse division leaders reportedly gathered for a summit that included a meeting called 'Must Go Faster'. [Insider]

• Meta says its automated as targeting tools have driven a 32% increase in return on ad spend. [Social Media Today]

• Meta’s VR battle royale shooter ‘Population: One’ is going free-to-play. [The Verge]

Insights to give you an edge at work:

• 10 Instagram SEO tips for better reach in 2023. [Hootsuite blog]

• Meta has shared insights into emerging cultural trends in a new report. [Social Media Today]

New features and tests:

Facebook:

• Facebook now lets creators earn stars on photos and text posts. [@jonah_manzano]

• Facebook has been spotted offering an Instagram-like ‘close friends’ feature. [@techjalal]

• Facebook is working on new app icons. [@wongmjane]

Instagram:

• Instagram has been spotted offering a ‘Suggested Content’ settings option to help you control your feed. [@ahmedghanem]

• Instagram is working on the ability to add music to carousel posts as well. [@alex193a]

• Instagram is building a video trimmer for Stories. [@alex193a]

WhatsApp:

• WhatsApp is rolling out a sticker maker tool to convert images to stickers on iOS. [WABetaInfo]

• WhatsApp continues to work on a Newsletters feature. [WABetaInfo]

• Twitter’s Community Notes feature now operates as an open source project accepting community code contributions. [@CommunityNotes]

• Twitter has lightly tweaked its violent conduct and language policies. [The Verge]

• Tweetbot and Twitterrific have asked customers to decline refunds, after Twitter cut off their API access recently. [TechCrunch]

New features and tests:

• Twitter was spotted selling packs of ‘Twitter Coins’ ahead of the feature’s launch. [@Tree_of_Alpha]

• Twitter has expanded Blue to more than 20 more countries across Europe. [TechCrunch]

• TikTok’s ‘teenager’ AR effect has been going viral and freaking users out. [TechCrunch]

• TikTok star Khaby Lame will join TV show ‘Italia’s Got Talent’ as a judge. [Variety]

Insights to give you an edge at work:

• TikTok has launched ‘Sound for Business’, a library of sounds for marketers. [TechCrunch]

New features and tests:

• TikTok will set a one-hour daily screen time limit by default for all users under 18. [TechCrunch]

• …but it’s easy to override. [@MattNavarra]

• TikTok has been spotted letting some creators download videos without a watermark. [@MattNavarra]

• TikTok has expanded testing of its Shop feature to more brands in the US. [TechCrunch]

• TikTok has added a new ‘About Me’ feature for livestreams. [@jonah_manzano]

• TikTok is coming to Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche in-car entertainment platforms in 2023. [The Verge]

• TikTok parent ByteDance is developing an A.I. learning app called GeniusJoy. [Insider $$$]

• TikTok has been spotted offering an option to create stickers for direct messages, based on your videos. [@jonah_manzano]

• TikTok has added a new UI for changing playback speed on longer videos. [@mediocook]

• TikTok now lets more businesses add an app link to their profile. [@MattNavarra]

💥 More social media news and updates

• YouTube is introducing restrictions on featuring firearms in livestreams. [@jonah_manzano]

• YouTube has been accused of collecting UK children's data, in breach of data privacy rules. [BBC News]

• YouTube has plans for A.I.-powered tools for video creators, along with new podcasting features. [The Verge]

• YouTube Shorts won’t make you rich, data from a month of monetisaton shows. [Social Media Today]

• YouTube has disabled posting and commenting on its Help forum, and promises “improvements” in the coming months. [9to5Google]

• LinkedIn has seen a rise in recruitment scams taking advantage of the rise in remote working. [Financial Times $$$]

• LinkedIn users are stuffing comment boxes with boilerplate phrases to help posts go viral. [Wall Street Journal $$$]

• BeReal has made it clear that advertising and working with brands is not a priority for the company. [@MattNavarra]

• Anonym is a new startup from former Meta execs that wants to track add effectiveness while respecting user privacy. [Wall Street Journal $$$]

• Signal warned it will quit UK if the Online Safety Bill weakens end-to-end encryption. [The Guardian]

• The EU already has its eye on potential competition law abuses in the metaverse and A.I. spaces. [Bloomberg $$$]

• Drug runners in the UK are using social media ads to ensnare teenagers. [The Guardian]

Insights to give you an edge at work:

• The 7 types of top-performing B2C ads on LinkedIn. [LinkedIn Ads Blog]

• Why brands are hiring creators as ‘creative directors’. [Digiday $$$]

New features and tests:

• LinkedIn has improved its ad targeting options for marketers. [LinkedIn Ads Blog]

• LinkedIn is adding more features to its Sales Navigator. [Social Media Today]

• LinkedIn has added new job seeking tools, including updated job alert systems. [Social Media Today]

• LinkedIn has added new segmentation options for its company engagement report. [Social Media Today]

• Snapchat now lets Plus subscribers pause their Snap Streaks They get one for free, then there’s a fee. [TechCrunch]

• Reddit now lets you search comments on a post right from the search bar. [Social Media Today]

• BeReal is testing a grid view for browsing your friends. [@ahmedghanem]

• Pinterest has expanded its ‘Shuffles’ collage app to nine more countries across Europe. [Social Media Today]

• Pinterest is testing a new premium video ad format on the search tab. [TechCrunch]

• VSCO is launching new social features. [TechCrunch]

• Flipboard has launched a Mastodon integration. [Engadget]

📖 Weekend reading

• How UK’s Online Safety Bill fell victim to never-ending political crisis

• In the three-way battle between YouTube, Reels and TikTok, creators aren’t counting on a big payday

• Where did Facebook’s funding for journalism really go?

😳 And finally...

I’m sorry, but… just… no.

📅 Back next week...

…Nothing beats a romantic ending, huh! 😘💋

Too much internet for me this week.

I'm heading off to finalise plans for the new Geekout Pro plan for social media VIPs 😮

More details coming soon 🤐

Goodbye geeks

– Matt

_______

This newsletter is edited by Martin SFP Bryant