Facebook Immediate Future

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Letting your friends know where you are to have an impromptu meet-up is a nice idea and something that a number of social networks have tried, with varying success. Facebook views Snapchat’s implementation of the feature as one of the better examples of how it should be done. Given that…

A recent Facebook study using eye-tracking and device-tracking has found that TV viewers are also looking at their smartphones 31% of the time, most often at a social app. More than half of participants’ mobile time was devoted to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. There…

It’s been 4 years since Facebook bought the messaging app WhatsApp for a whopping $22 billion, and so far the app has remained ad-free. However, that is about to change in 2019, as WhatsApp plans to roll out targeted ads to its more than a billion users. A…

At first glance, the news of the Facebook Messenger assistant M being able to translate French could be a little underwhelming. French translation isn’t a feature that most users are crying out for. But what makes this announcement a little more interesting is how this translation functionality is being used,…

Remarketing can be a powerful tool to engage and retain your audience, but are you thinking enough about it? Often it’s the best performing campaign line within our social strategies, gaining clicks from users who have already engaged with your brand in some way – whether this…

Facebook has decided to rename its Canvas ad format and along with the name change come a few new features. If for some rare and unexplained reason you haven’t heard of Facebook Canvas, here’s a recap: “Facebook Instant Experiences, formally known as Canvas, load instantly, they’re mobile-optimised and designed to…

Reports have emerged of a new standalone app being worked on by Instagram. Tentatively known as IG Shopping, the app will allow users to browse products and services from retailers that they follow and purchase them directly from within the app. Instagram has declined to comment on…

Recent news that Facebook has been in discussion with some of the biggest banks in the world has caused a bit of consternation. On the face of it, a site that is concerned more with frivolous messaging shouldn’t also be the place where you go to deal…

Approximately 2 billion people use social media. Figures are expected to grow as mobile device usage and mobile social networks gain more traction. With customers using social media 24/7, and on such a variety of platforms, what was best practise last week might not work today. Keeping up…

We all enjoy reminiscing on the good old days. Remember how much fun life was before you had to work on being an adult? Roller-skating while being pulled along by your dog, running through a meadow full of wildflowers, discovering the lost city of Atlantis with your best buddy Flipper.

As the fake news saga continues, Facebook announced on Friday that it’s removing the Trending section from its site. The tool for discovering trending news stories first launched four years ago and, since then, has grown gradually unpopular and was often criticised for jeopardising the legitimacy of the feed. In…

At immediate future, we love data. And, we know that data is at the heart of effective social media strategy and relevant content. This week, there have been a couple of announcements on the Insights that Facebook have on offer. With GDPR looming over the digital world, Facebook retracted some…

71% of businesses advertise on social media. And even more businesses plan to start. Work and social media can go hand-in-hand if you take the right approach. In our most recent Serious Social, we spoke about how social media stands on legs of communication and networking.

Facebook never really had an issue with advertisers. While mainstream media highlighted how some have opted to pull spend, by and large, Facebook remains the juggernaut it is because of the truck loads of money pumped into the business by marketers. Additionally, Facebook never really had an issue with members.

It looks like Facebook-owned Instagram has a new little trick up its sleeve! As reported by TechCrunch, a bit of snooping inside Instagram’s Android app has revealed a string of code that mentions “music stickers”. Although one can only speculate (Facebook refused to comment on the subject),…

We’ve heard plenty about the Facebook platform this year. The F8 Conference was Facebook’s chance to bring it back and tell users, (and the world) what the future has in store. In light of recent news, data privacy and GDPR plays an enormous part! What will Facebook offer…

We’re serious about social media. That’s why data analytics and insights get us excited! For a while now, we’ve been drumming into everyone that Facebook and video content are harmonious. So, as we’re all using video, we bet you’re itching to know what Facebook have done with its…

While there was truckload of new features announced at the Facebook F8 developer conference, one of the things that hasn’t had a great deal of coverage, might be very interesting for marketers. Groups have existed on Facebook for a good length of time and while the option hasn’t exactly been…

JD Wetherspoons has announced its exit from social media. You’re bound to have plenty of questions. Why come off social media? Will it hurt the brand? How about the long-term? Should other brands follow suit? We’re giving you the answers in this Serious Social. As a single-brand operator, the…

Facebook’s Paid Media proposition is changing. After the data breach, and with GDPR coming up, it’s clear why they’re doing it. But, if you use Facebook for advertising, you’ll want to know what’s changing and how. As a Facebook partner, we’ve got all the finer details. In this week’s…

In this week’s Serious Social, we’re updating you on the Instagram changes and the latest on Facebook’s fallout! Shoppable posts. What can they do for you? Online retailers won’t want to miss this – you can tag and link products in your Instagram photos! This is really streamlining the…

Over the last week, we’ve heard a lot about the data breach between Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. 300,000 users shared their data and, as a result, 50 million users had their data taken without their express consent. Mark Zuckerberg has finally made his statement. You can see it …

Wanna know how to thrive on Facebook in 2018? Here’s what Facebook’s second algorithm change means for brands. It focuses on prioritising content from friends and family, so it’s no surprise that has sparked huge concern, interest and conversation for brands. Publishers, marketers and news outlets will have lower…

You don’t have to be a social media expert to know that Facebook is transitioning into a much more video orientated platform, and ever since the launch of Facebook’s on demand video service, Watch, last summer, brands and advertisers have been waiting with bated breath to see if it had…

Facebook and Instagram are increasingly being used in the consumer holiday planning process. According to a recent survey commissioned by Facebook, 68% of Millennials found ideas and inspiration for their most recent trip on Facebook, and the same goes for 60% on Instagram. Travel advertisers on Facebook won’t have to…

Knowing when to post on your social channels is a constant challenge. It depends on many factors – first and foremost, your audience. Which time zone and countries are they in? What does a normal day look like for them? Are they mobile users or desktop users?…

The all-consuming Leviathan which is Facebook has seen an opportunity for continued growth. You may have already seen the out of home advertising, where Facebook shows its alignment with micro businesses, your local barber, a small florist and the like. Now, to complement that messaging, Facebook has…

Anniversaries are a great opportunity to celebrate the high points from the last year. They also give brands an opportunity to devise a social campaign to make strengthen their brand messaging and appeal to a particular audience. For optimum success, they’re best celebrated alongside a news story, launches, initiatives, products,…

Last week, Mark Zuckerberg made a bold statement about his plans for 2018. With the aim to fix and improve the social network, he stated that big changes will be made to Newsfeed. The algorithm will now prioritise user posts over public content, such as posts from businesses, brands…

While social media companies are often dragged over the coals as a result of how they handle their platform content, their responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals or how they contribute to the countries they operate in through taxes, there doesn’t seem to be much commentary yet on their suitability as…

Snapchat have now made it possible to create your own AR lens. By launching a new desktop app that can be used on both Mac and Windows, Snapchat intend to make it easy to create AR objects and experiences on top of the geo-filters we all love! Snapchat have come a…

It seems like Facebook wants to take over the internet, and every week there seems to be a development that brings it one step closer. This week the giant’s giving Snapchat a break and is focusing on video once again. Since the launch of its TV proposition (a damp…

Do you remember when Facebook was still competing with other social networks like MySpace and Friendster? Back then, any cute feature that was a fun way to interact with other on the platform could give a network an edge over the competition. The ‘poke’ was a nice way to let…

So, a six-year-old can now be on Social Media? Yes, you read that right! Facebook have released an App that targets parents with children younger than 13. This is Facebook’s first product aimed at children and they are not the first to focus on this large, untapped audience. Whilst it…

Facebook is an incredible platform for raising awareness of causes and being a means for people to donate to those causes. We often hear heart-warming news about stories spreading across social and raising enough money for life-saving operations, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and reuniting families. Yesterday was #GivingTuesday and Facebook upped their…

The battle of good over evil has been fought since the beginning of time. It’s a war that will continue, a never-ending arms race where one side gains dominance with a new weapon until the other side nullifies the advantage and turns the tide. While nefarious forces have been blamed…

In recent months, video content has bloomed. We’re seeing more of it than ever and it’s hugely successful as a content form across platforms. So, Facebook are rising up to the demand and success of video and taking on YouTube with their new Creator app. What can…

It seems like new features are being added to social media platforms every day. People are spending more time on their mobile devices like phones and laptops, on social media, and less time reading the daily paper or watching the TV. Traditional news platforms are becoming less popular, and news…

Now that the festive season is upon us, the sound of a call centre will never be music to an irate consumer’s ears. Whether it be a product query, a refund or to simply ask a question, watching those seconds turn into minutes, into tens of minutes on your mobile…

If you still haven’t considered including Instagram as part of your Paid Ad spend, I’m hoping by the time you’ve finished reading this, you’ll change your mind. From its launch in October 2010, Instagram has become one of the most popular Social media channels with 800 million active users.

At IF, we’re all about creating a meaningful connection between the Ad products of Social platforms and the marketing strategies of our clients. Ever since Snapchat went public, it’s been really interesting to see a delay in waiting for them to launch a decent, competitive Ad proposition. The evidence…

Last year Facebook disabled the use of ad blocking software. This meant that the big question was whether Facebook was still a viable social network, bringing people closer together or a multi-million-dollar advertising platform. The answer may be a muddy mixture of both. Rather than being able to login and…

Facebook steps up its game with another feature for video marketers. Advertisers can now buy video ads that will only be served when people are viewing a video. This should increase the chances of viewers watching your content! Shortly after Facebook revealed its video service, Watch, the company didn’t waste…

Here’s a great example of a social media channel listening to the needs of businesses today! Finally, we are able to see if our content works, measure the brand’s organic presence and optimise accordingly, all within the Instagram app. Since the introduction of business accounts last year, the new development…

How do you take your news? Rolling in the morning on BBC? Heading straight to your favourite news site? In your hands with the ink leaving smudges? The days of exclusively consuming your news from the TV or a newspaper are dwindling for all age groups, no matter the preference.

The online consumption of Sports Online sports viewing has been growing significantly and as consumer attention gets scattered across multiple platforms and devices, it is interesting to understand what major marketing players are doing to follow suit. Trends A positive problem? Opportunities arise for advertisers as a need for engaging…

Facebook’s been busy trying to conquer everything and everyone it seems in the last 7 days taking on everyone from Netflix, Google and Internet service providers. As well as updating its core platform and back end metrics all in the aim to diversify and improve its product offering. Check…

Lost for words? Using emojis in your marketing campaigns has now become the secret ingredient to success. Yes, we are now seeing emojis daily in all social media activity, it’s the talk of the town! Yet, only a few brands have yet successfully included emojis in their Facebook marketing campaigns.

Want to join a Facebook group in the not so distant future? Well, get ready for a quiz. But why? I hear you ask. Well, Facebook is ramping up its admin tools to help admins certify users that seek access to join their group. To access this new feature group admins…

Facebook is mixing things up and exploring avenues to make businesses and publishers pages more interactive, with the addition of moving cover images. Well, first of all, I am just glad I am not writing a blog on the topic of…

Facebook has been testing yet another story feature for its mobile proposition in selected countries, and it is currently opening it up to a few more. This could be an indication that the feature will soon be launched globally, but there hasn’t yet been an announcement…

The paid advertising landscape is changing and this time it’s all about video. Two big announcements have rocked the video world… Facebook is introducing mid-roll video ads Youtube is scrapping 30 sec pre-roll video ads in favour of 6 sec – 20 sec. It’s clear to see that Facebook is…

It’s safe to say that the use of visual content is going to stick and there is a wealth of data that can be used to support the benefits of this type of content. On average, visuals perform 4.4 x better than text-based content and as social media marketers, we…

Facebook is adding a ranking algorithm that identifies sensationalised, fake, misleading posts The platform has a new way of categorising Pages that considers whether that page is posting spam or trying to game feed by doing things like asking for likes, comments or shares to determine whether a post…

It will come as no surprise that since Microsoft’s take-over of LinkedIn, the software giant wants to take on the big guns. Microsoft has been waiting years for the opportunity to successfully enter the social media game. Instead of taking the Google approach and trying to make a social network…

I think about the future of social media often. I wonder where it’s all going. The pace of technological change is beginning to outstrip our capacity to make sense of the world around us and it’s only going to accelerate further. Tech begets tech. The devices we create help us…

Social media is at its peak, it couldn’t be a better time to grow your business online and reach new audiences. It’s no longer an option, but rather a must for every business looking to expand. In a world where social media channels are rapidly being launched and developed, we…

Streaming video content from mobile devices to TVs has been around for many years and the big players such as YouTube have taken the lead. Facebook now wants a piece of the action with the inclusion of video streaming on your TV through popular devices such as Apple TV and…

The quality of Periscope’s live streams is about to skyrocket thanks to the launch of Periscope Producer. It’s a bold leap forward for the Twitter-owned live-streaming platform which, until now, broadcast content exclusively shot on mobile devices. Periscope Producer allows content creators to stream highly polished video…

Planning events? Opening a pub? Going for a charity run? Then Facebook might have made your life easier with its new release: a standalone app for Facebook Events! And you are not alone. Facebook claims that over 100 million people use Facebook events every day, which is a number that…

It’s no secret that Mark Zuckerberg is trying his hardest to tap into developing world markets. In 2015 Mark hosted a town hall, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk about Facebook’s ‘Internet.org’ program now named Free Basics. A year on from that meeting and India regulators banned the…

A goldrush of sorts is happening in the tech world amidst rumours that Twitter could be up for sale and the list of potential suitors for the channel is growing by the day. It’s hard to tell at this point who the serious contenders are. However, this hasn’t stopped the…

The trouble with paid social is tracking the customer journey from click to brick. Facebook thinks it has the answer to this problem and is in the process of revamping its offers program. Core updates include: Bookmark: People can easily claim an offer on mobile or on desktop and it will…

It would appear that Mark Zuckerberg is pulling out all the stops in an effort to combat the meteoric rise of Snapchat, first with Instagram Stories and now with a standalone iOS app, Lifestage. The USP employed to capture the hearts and minds of Gen Y is that the app…

Facebook ups the ante by adjusting its aggregator to reduce the annoying and misleading news feed articles. After an extensive study reviewing tens of thousands of headlines, Facebook cracks the code by identifying the tell-tale signs of clickbait. Look out for the top two traits and don’t be fooled! Curiosity…

It’s no secret that Facebook is killing it when it comes to the roll-out and monetisation of video on its platform. The platform’s second quarter earnings, which were published last month, revealed that more than 1.1 billion people are currently using the platform each day and ad…

On the 29th June 2016, Facebook announced it was going to tweak its News Feed (Edgerank) algorithm to prioritise content from family and friends over brands and publishers. “The goal of News Feed is to show people the stories that are most relevant to them. Today, we’re announcing an update…

If you haven’t worked out that the current Facebook hoax is just that – a hoax – then you might wanna take down the scaremongering posts that you shared. Yes, just like the celebrity death rumours that always do the rounds on social media, that 7-year old Facebook hoax is…

Continuing its foray to crush its competitors in the live video market, Facebook has made another enhancement to its Live Video feature. The platform recently rolled out a visual and interactive map that allows users to snoop-in on and discover live video content, from around the world. Before the recent update,…

In the past it was not uncommon for businesses to block access to social media sites from work machines in an attempt to curb frivolous use during office hours. Even in recent times social has been seen as a drain on employee productivity instead of the incredibly useful tool it…

Chances are your social timeline is featuring a lot of commentary around new Facebook features. Some being available immediately others with defined development roadmap. But why the sudden flurry of comms. Well, for the unaware, Facebook has just closed their annual developer conference – F8. The annual gathering in San…

Firstly, it’s a bit of a stupid phrase really isn’t it – curiosity killed the cat. I’m sure some stupid cats have died but if we were curious enough to confront a moving car on a busy road then I am sure we would too… If you ain’t moving then…

With infinite streams of visual content dominating the majority of social platforms, we are all more than aware of the highly visual nature of online communications. However, this can often leave the visually impaired marginalised from the online experience. Facebook wants to change this. In an effort to help the…

The moment social marketers have been waiting for has finally arrived. The 20% text rule on Facebook adverts has changed. I can hear the cheers from here. Don’t pop open the bubbly just yet – let’s look into the details first. So what has Facebook actually said?…

It’s 7pm and you’re still at the office. A posting plan for your company’s social channels stares mournfully back at you. You’ve read phone books that are more exciting. It’s okay, you reason, we’re a B2B brand. Our audience is time-strapped. Professional. They want facts, not fluff. “Out there” content…

The Social Media industry is constantly evolving, and March 2016 has been no exception. It’s been a busy month for all the top social media sites but no more so than Facebook. Here’s a breakdown of the latest news, updates and gossip around Facebook. Video Metrics Update: New Daily Video…

Everywhere you go right now the digital marketing world is talking about ‘moments’… Google have their ‘micro-moments’ story, brands are high-jacking moments everywhere to meet their marketing objectives and reach relevant audiences, heck, Twitter even added a new section to the platform called moments – and let’s face it: if…

From 12th April, Facebook gears up to expand its Instant Articles offering to all publishers in the world, no matter how small or large. To simplify the process, the social networking giant unveils a WordPress plugin, that’s free for all to use. Even more, advanced coding skills aren’t required! So…

Last Spring, in a bid to increase the number of users, Facebook announced its plans to start letting brands and businesses use its Messenger app to handle customer service issues. Then, having reached over 700 million monthly active users last summer, they went public with their…

As the minefields of social advertising get ever more complex and essentially a very far cry from simple tweet or post boosting we must move toward to putting audience first, defining your objectives and monitoring closely to optimising your targeting as you go. All very good practice, yes, but what other,…

From conferences to books and a plethora of blog posts, we are obsessed with targeting Millennials – especially through social media. But there is a hidden gem on social media. A demographic that at best is being ignored and at worst stereotyped. “Wake up to the social savvy seniors, or…

Many of you might be surprised to read that the seemingly infinite hoard of Facebook users click the iconic “like” button more than 6 billion times a day, driving the relentless social machine that is rapidly absorbing the Internet. This, however, was not enough for Facebook’s chief product officer Chris…

Bill has been a busy man, appearing on Facebook feeds up and down the country, leading by example with his behaviour and etiquette. His dedicated Facebook page has 1.5 million fans and counting. Now you may or may not want to “be like Bill” – his memes definitely split opinion.

Sharing third party content is a major part of social media, as I’m sure you’re aware from the countless Buzzfeed lists of ‘things that only kids born in the 90s with Ninja Turtles as parents who watched Friends and grew up in a village will understand’ that appear on your…

Facebook is rapidly becoming the all-singing-all-dancing internet within the internet it has been aiming for for years. Here are a few functions Facebook products have that you might not know about: PAGES Pages is one product by Facebook that has…

When I was writing this I did think to myself ‘aren’t we all sick of talking about post-millennials?’ But upon a bit of pre-Xmas digging and realising that these tech-savvy go-getters were going to save Christmas by vowing to spend more than ever before and…

New services like Facebook’s Instant Articles and Snapchat’s Discover allow publishers to host and monetise content on third-party social media platforms, without the need for users to click through to their site. Media publishers are currently uploading content on social media platforms in the hope users will click back to…

Everyone loves a list. Which is just as well considering it’s that time of year when people publish the most lists. Whether it’s lists of the best music or books from the year; lists of predictions for the coming year; or lists of Christmas gift ideas for your partner’s uncle’s…

On the first day of Christmas, whilst the rest of us were getting excited about opening the first door of our advent calendars, powerhouse couple Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, announced the birth of their first child, Max. And if this wasn’t enough excitement for two of Silicon Valley’s highest…

Obviously the wave of attacks in Paris on Friday November 13th shocked and saddened the world, with the ensuing wave of social dedication on Twitter ranging from sympathies for the victims (#PrayForParis and #PortesOuvertes) to support for the actual attackers (#ParisBurns #باريس_تشتعل…

Earlier this month, Twitter changed its popular Favourite function from that little yellow star to a red heart, at the same time renaming it to Like. As we know, Twitter users generally do not initially like change, but embrace it in the end. But this particular change has far deeper…

Mission from ‘M’, just in. You must infiltrate popular social media networks with highly dynamic content, and engage your targets where possible, as the Spectre network makes a worldwide offensive. You’ll have ‘paid’ support from Q branch in the form of cutting edge channel technology and the…

Apps have revolutionised speed-reading through displaying single words in rapid succession. These apps are based on a method known as Rapid Serial Visual Presentation, or RSVP. It’s nothing new and has been documented in cognitive psychology since the early 1970s, but with the rise of mobile and apps, its popularity has…

Facebook has announced it will be partnering with Eutelsat, a French satellite internet operator, to transmit internet connections to offline parts of sub-Saharan Africa from late 2016. Although it now claims a mindblowing 1.5 billion monthly active users, Facebook has long been looking to emerging markets…

Social media levels the playing fields to building a brand in the modern age. The ability to be able to connect with the world at the click of a button means that with the right message/product/offering anyone can build a brand. As an individual, talented musician using YouTube to get…

Whether you are a budding blogger, a professional journalist, or just trying to ramp up your brand’s content portfolio, Facebook’s latest content offering could prove a useful app with which to familiarise yourself. For years, tabloid newspapers and radio stations have been citing celebrity comments prised from verified Twitter handles.

In recent weeks there have been a few big stories surrounding Emoji that represent the turning of the tide as more and more social platforms adopt them as the future. Firstly Twitter have sold the first of their new offering “Admoji” or custom Emoji, to Coca-Cola to promote their…

August is gone with the wind. With it go Notting Hill Festival, Reading 2015, V Fest, National Burger Day and summer. Relive the glory days of balmy summer evenings, sizzling barbeques and 30+ degree weather (sort of) by having a read through our top five IF blogs for August.

Apple’s recent announcement that it was going to be embracing ad blocking software has sparked some serious social debate and birth of the hashtag #adpocalypse. The move by Apple has brought into spotlight the morals and ethics behind the media industry and am sure will bring about another shift because…