the worst job in social media

September 24, 2021

*Read this newsletter on the web for the best experience*

Hello, Geeks!

First off this week… The worst job in social media I would NEVER volunteer to do. 

🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

  1. Facebook faces its biggest PR crisis since Cambridge Analytica 

  2. Twitter spotted testing new image editing tools 

  3. YouTube launched a video download feature on desktop

  4. Facebook made it easier to stalk your friends Stories 

  5. TikTok expanded access to a much-requested feature for creators 

I’ve stumbled upon a LOT of weird and wonderful stuff as I sloped around my social channels this week, including…TikTokker Emily Zugay’s hideous redesigns of major brand’s logos such as this one for McDonald’s...This warning about the health risks of using social media...Facebook has a Breaking Bad-style ‘Heisenberg’ mode?...And how many of your friends suffer from ‘Instagram Face’? 😀

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✨ TAKE THIS 1-QUESTION SURVEY (...And Get a FREE Gift!) ✨ 

Help me out, folks! Geekout’s sponsor Hootsuite has a question for you.

1-click to answer and the link takes you to a useful free guide. Ready…? Go!

Over the last six months of Hootsuite sponsoring Geekout, how has your perception of Hootsuite changed?

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WORTH A LOOK…

🔥 FREE WEBINAR: How to Turn Your Employees into Megaphones for Your Brand on Social [Get Free Invite]

👀 REVEALED: The content Facebook’s news feed algorithm will restrict 

💥 VIRAL: Why a murder in the U.S went viral on TikTok 

😆 LOL: Facebook doesn’t like the term ‘Influencers’ anymore 

😮 WTF: Instagram’s expensive new ad campaign is…weird...v weird.

Time to dig into the news headlines generating the biggest buzz for social media geeks this week… First up: Facebook’s PR week from hell! 👇 

— Matt

P.S. Join me later for your weekly Geekout Debrief on Twitter Spaces at 4PM (UK) today (Fri 24 Sept)

We will discuss all the week’s BIG social media hot topics, breaking news, new features, and more. [Get a Reminder]

🚨 Everyone's talking about...

Bad news about Facebook emerges pretty much every week, but little of it hangs around for the long term. Last week's 'Facebook Files' series from the Wall Street Journal is different. It seems to have stuck in a way nothing since the Cambridge Analytica scandal has.

The mixed bag of revelations last week has led to talk of another ad boycott, while politicians want answers about claims Facebook sat on research that Instagram is harmful to teenage girls.

And since last week's Geekout newsletter, the bad news has kept coming. The Wall Street Journal published a report about how Facebook's own product hobbled Mark Zuckerberg's effort to get America vaccinated; shareholders alleged that Facebook massively overpaid its 2019 FTC fine to stop Zuckerberg being held personally liable, and it appears that Facebook is blocking researchers from gathering data from the News Feed.

Facebook fought back against the onslaught, with the inevitable Nick Clegg blog post going out over the weekend promising to reveal what the Wall Street Journal got wrong, and then failing to go into any details about exactly what it got wrong.

Another defensive post, a microsite about the good things Facebook does, and an announcement about its safety and security investment over recent years followed. And there were signs of more transparency, with the release of its FTC mandated privacy report and more information about how News Feed ranking works.

As I noted last week, to be fair to the company, some of the negative reporting about Facebook probably is cherry-picking the worst aspects of complex situations to fit a narrative of 'evil Facebook'.

For example, The New York Times report on Facebook's PR efforts to make itself look better was interesting but little of it was truly controversial. Even the supposedly shocking news that it was pumping positive stories about itself into users' feeds was in truth little more than a limited test of a clearly branded box, in three US cities.

Those PR efforts (as had previously been reported) included apologising less and removing Mark Zuckerberg from the direct heat of having to discuss controversies publicly. In practice, it's not necessarily the best approach. Zuckerberg this week mocked negative reporting about Facebook by picking on a silly error in one of the silliest stories about him over the past year. It's just a bad look.

So is this Facebook's big tobacco moment? Or will it weather the storm and get back to business as usual? The controversy certainly isn't going anywhere, even if an ad boycott probably won't work.

The Oversight Board wants answers on Facebook's moderation of VIPs, and the Wall Street Journal's whistleblower could go public.

Even if some of the bad press it gets is overblown, Facebook really does need to show it's taking its true failings seriously. For example, 40% of teenage girls with body image issues on Instagram is probably still a very large number! As I said last week, this is a cultural and structural issue at the company, and change needs to come from the top.

As many of the product updates Twitter teased months ago begin to roll out, yesterday the company revealed more, building on the creator and monetisation push it began earlier in the year.

Some of the plans are pretty straightforward. The tip jar feature (which saw a limited launch earlier in the year) is rolling out to all iOS users worldwide now, with Android to follow in the next few weeks. And support for Bitcoin tips should come as no surprise to readers familiar with Jack Dorsey's cryptocurrency obsession.

But beyond that there was a creator fund! Yes, Twitter was the last holdout from throwing money at creators to develop content on its platform. However, it's a bit different here, as TechCrunch explained:

Twitter views its creator fund as one not aimed at rewarding creators for the content they produce... but rather at helping creators get started with audio productions on Twitter Spaces.

“The goal of it really is to provide that technical and marketing expertise,” noted Twitter Product Lead for Creator Monetization, Esther Crawford. “We think of it as kind of a stopgap solution. We want to onboard these folks into other long-term monetization features. But we want to give them an initial boost,” she said.

So don't expect a chunk of cash just to do a live podcast on Spaces. The people who do that kind of thing tend to have Twitter audiences anyway (hello!).

One other announcement was more unexpected. Just like Instagram has been spotted dipping its toe into the world of NFTs, Twitter could soon let you showcase NFTs you own on your profile. This seems like a vague plan for the time being, so don't expect it to launch soon.

There were updates on other upcoming features too, but the one that I'm really looking forward to is recorded Spaces. We've still got "a few months" to wait for that one, sadly.

As you'll remember, Facebook really wasn't happy about Apple's changes to ad tracking. If you work in an agency that handles social ads, you've probably seen the impact first hand, but now Facebook has opened up about how it's affecting its own business.

As Axios explained:

Facebook said Wednesday that changes to Apple’s new privacy terms will continue to cause headwinds for its ads business in the third quarter.

Why it matters: Facebook doesn’t typically provide these types of updates outside of earnings calls. The update signals to investors that the company is seeing numbers in the current quarter that reinforce previous warnings about impact from Apple’s changes.

Don't expect Facebook's relationship with Apple to improve any time soon.

But if you work with social ads, there is at least a little good news. Facebook said Apple's changes led it to underreport ad conversions by around 15% in Q3, so things might not be as bad as they first looked in your dashboard.

🔨 Tool of the week

This Mac app is a useful tool to have in your arsenal. It's a native drag 'n' drop image resizer for social media and the web.

👀 ICYMI...

Stories you need to know about:

Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp:

The new Portal Go works without a power cable, and the Portal+ has been updated with a focus on work use cases.

  • Facebook has a new CTO incoming. Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth is taking on the role when Mike Schroepfer steps down next year. [The Verge]

  • Facebook Marketplace has a problem with scammers. [ProPublica]

  • Facebook has been warned that Ray-Bay Stories' small warning light might not be sufficient privacy protection when recording. [TechCrunch]

  • Facebook has handed VR art app Quill back to its creator. [Engadget]

Twitter:

The lawsuit alleges that investors were misled about user engagement metrics.

  • Twitter verification requests are now available to all users globally. [@verified]

TikTok:

China wants to reduce kids' time online, but a 40-minutes-per day limit on the Chinese version of TikTok could seriously hurt ByteDance's bottom line.

  • Kids as young as nine can easily see Covid-19 misinformation on TikTok, according to a new report. [Protocol]

  • TikTok users' obsession with the Gabby Petito case have sparked debate about whether they're helping or not. [BuzzFeed News]

  • TikTok rewards staff based on parent company ByteDance's six culture principles. [Insider $$$]

  • TikTok has released more details of its upcoming TikTok World event, taking place this coming Tuesday. [Social Media Today]

And the rest…

So now it seems we know why Snapchat cut back on its creator cash bonanza.

  • Tough laws haven't stopped online misinformation spreading widely ahead of Germany's elections. [New York Times $$$]

  • Disney is training its biggest fans to become influencers. [AdAge $$$]

  • WeChat will let rivals link to their service on the platform for the first time in years as the Chinese government seeks to combat 'walled gardens' on platforms. [Bloomberg $$$]

  • LinkedIn is notifying some users of an measurement issue that impacted their ads. [Adweek $$$]

  • Women are more likely to leave negative comments on social media images of plus-sized models if the image already has negative comments, a study has found. [The Independent]

  • Roblox is to start verifying the age of teenage players. [The Verge]

  • Clubhouse has hired a head of entertainment partnerships. [Adweek $$$]

  • Twitch and music publishers have reached an understanding in their dispute but there's still no licensing deal. [Engadget]

  • TwitchCon will return in 2022 with IRL events in Amsterdam and San Diego. [TubeFilter]

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📈 Chart of the week

Pew's latest media research has some interesting nuggets...

🌟 New feature of the week

Have your Facebook A/B testing dreams just come true? Read more details here.

🔍 Insights

Social media data, insights and reports to give you an edge at work:

  • Planning a Christmas campaign on TikTok? The company's new holiday guide could help. [TikTok for Business]

  • How can you tap into trends on Pinterest? The company wants to help. [Social Media Today]

  • Want to understand ecommerce and brand opportunities on TikTok? The company has published an explainer. [Social Media Today]

  • What kind of user response should you expect from a TikTok ad? The company has shared some research. [Social Media Today]

  • What's the best way to become a thought leader? LinkedIn has done some research. [Social Media Today]

  • What are the 'dos' and 'don'ts' of Facebook for publishers? Check this guide. [Journalism.co.uk]

  • How has talk of climate change evolved on Twitter? The company wants to help you understand how users are discussing it, with a new mini-site. [Social Media Today]

📲 Quick hits

Updates, experiments, and useful info snippets:

  • Facebook is limiting the spread of content that "may trivialize themes around suicide, death or depression." [Facebook Newsroom]

  • Facebook 'Community Awards' are being testing to boost engagement in Groups. [Social Media Today]

  • And images have emerged of the Community Awards on offer. [@wongmjane]

  • Facebook Groups now show moderation alerts for new posts submitted for approval. [@MattNavarra]

  • Facebook has a new hashtag picker. [@MattNavarra]

  • Facebook has been spotted offering in-app podcast search. [@whimchic]

  • Facebook has added a Reels shortcut in its main app. [@MattNavarra]

  • Facebook is launching new cookie controls in Europe. [Facebook Newsroom]

  • Instagram is still working on a 'favorites' feature. [@alex193a]

  • Instagram's unreleased 'Collectibles' feature now has a section to help you manage digital wallets. [@alex193a]

  • Instagram is developing the ability to have product stickers automatically appear in your Shop highlight, lasting for more than the 24 hours of the Story they're in. [@oncescuradu]

  • Instagram could soon let you add sound effects to Reels. [@alex193a]

  • Instagram is looking to bring Facebook avatars to Stories. [@alex193a]

  • Instagram is working on letting you view a user's profile while watching their Reel. [@alex193a]

  • Messenger has released Cardi B stickers. [@Messenger]

  • WhatsApp is testing an icon editor to help you make icons from your groups. [WABetaInfo]

  • WhatsApp is working on a new process for reporting messages. [Android Authority]

  • Twitter is working on fixing that annoying thing where tweets disappear as the feed auto-refreshes just after you open the app. [@TwitterSupport]

  • Twitter analytics could soon show a tweet's reach among non-followers. [@nima_owji]

  • Twitter could soon add 'Top Articles' as a feature of its Blue subscription. [@alex193a]

  • Twitter has added Hootsuite, Meltwater, Talkwalker, and others to its official partner program. [Adweek $$$]

  • Twitter is testing an option to pin a reverse chronological feed to your home tab. [@alex193a]

  • Twitter is working on making it easier to search through a user's tweets. [@wongmjane]

  • Twitter has designed seasonal app icons for spring, autumn and Halloween. [@alex193a]

  • Twitter how has a 'discover new Lists' feature. [@TechnicalMJTV]

  • Twitter has a new hashflag to promote Apple's new iPhones' Cinematic mode. [Apple Insider]

  • Twitter is working on a revised page for scheduled Spaces. [@nima_owji]

  • Twitter is working on an option for a reminder to add description text to your images before you post a tweet. [@alex193a]

  • Twitter might change the heart reaction emoji design. [@alex193a]

  • Twitter Spaces hosts will soon be able to rejoin their own Space, rather than having to restart the Space. [@TwitterSpaces]

  • Twitter has updated the TweetDeck beta with the ability to switch between multiple TweetDeck accounts. [@TweetDeck]

  • TikTok is rolling out ‘Live Center’ for creators, a new hub for managing TikTok Live content. [@MattNavarra]

  • TikTok is testing ‘pinned’ videos on profiles. [@MattNavarra]

  • Snapchat will soon be home to an Among Us clone from Zynga. [Engadget]

  • New Snapchat lenses will tell you how to fingerspell in American Sign Language. [The Verge]

  • YouTube now lets you read comments in full-screen video mode. [Android Police]

  • YouTube is testing an official option to download videos on desktop. [Android Police]

  • YouTube has expanded Super Chat and Super Stickers to Malaysia, Kenya, French Guyana, French Polynesia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. [Social Media Today]

  • Discord is testing its own YouTube integration after the video platform forced third-party plugins to shut down. [The Verge]

  • Clubhouse has launched a new way to invite friends to chat, called 'Wave'. [TechCrunch]

  • Clubhouse is working on a new audio clipping tool. [@alex193a]

  • Twitch is working on a 'Creator Mode'. [@alex193a]

  • LinkedIn has updated its lead generation forms integration for Zapier. [Social Media Today]

  • Pinterest will let some US users order groceries directly from its app. [Social Media Today]

  • Pinterest is testing the ability share pins directly to Facebook and Instagram Stories. [Social Media Today]

  • Pinterest's idea pins have a new layout. [@KenSchillinger]

  • Tumblr has expanded its subscription service to be available to all US users. [The Verge]

  • Reddit has launched a brand marketing campaign in London to mark the anniversary of its office in the city opening. [Adweek $$$]

  • Telegram has added features including synced chat themes and live stream recordings. [Android Police]

📖 Weekend reading

"King's seemingly magical editing tricks have captivated audiences for nearly a decade. CNET gets a behind-the-scenes look at how he creates his mind-bending content."

🪑 And finally...

📅 Back next week...

This is the bit where I congratulate you for reaching the end of my newsletter.

But that’s boring.

I had dozens of emails asking for Tinder / Bumble dating updates.

Fair enough.

Goodbye geeks!

— Matt

PS. Want an invite to the Twitter Communities [beta]? 

Say something nice about Geekout on Twitter and I’ll sort you out :)

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This newsletter is edited by Martin SFP Bryant.

Copyright 2021: Matt Navarra Media Ltd

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