Daily Minute Master Series – April 22, 2019

Social Media

Instagram Tests Hiding Like Counts to Reduce Focus on Vanity Metrics

Instagram is experimenting with the removal of like counts from posts, with only the creator able to see their total number of likes. It’s an interesting experiment – Instagram, in particular, has become known for the way in which users focus on portraying a perfect image of themselves, often distorting reality for the sake of likes and shares. Various studies have also linked Instagram usage to mental health concerns. According to a survey conducted in 2017, Instagram is “the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing”, with the platform contributing to higher levels of anxiety and depression, among other issues. Given the evidence, it is worth the experiment – if Instagram can somehow reduce the emphasis on portraying only your best moments, that’s something to be encouraged.

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Snapchat’s New Creator Profiles are Now Appearing in the App

Some users have now reported seeing the new format of profile in the app, with influencers being given a different layout that appears when you tap on their profile name and/or image. Over the course of its existence, Snapchat has, for the most part, insisted that influencers should not get special treatment. Snap’s mission is to connect friends, and in that respect, it’s put a premium on “authenticity”, and treating everyone equally, regardless of their perceived status. But over time, Snap’s neglect of influencers has become problematic. For prominent users, social media has become their job, it is how they grow their personal brands, forge revenue partnerships and expand their footprint. The Creator Profiles are another way that Snap could look to improve on this front. At the Snap Partner Summit, the company showcased how Creator Profiles would be used to better promote digital artists who post new Lenses and visual tools. It may not seem like much, but this is a critical element for Snapchat’s future growth. Snapchat needs to improve on this front – and evidence would suggest that it is – but with other platforms offering better, more evolved influencer programs, Snap needs to work harder to maintain a better connection, and provide improved opportunities.

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Marketing

Google Posts can now highlight customer testimonials in some countries

Google has announced that Google Posts in select countries now supports the ability to highlight customer testimonials. Specifically reviews with 4 to 5 stars can showcase positive reviews left for your business. Google Posts are an excellent way to bring more visibility to your Google local listings in Google Maps and Google web search. It helps you showcase your business, highlight deals, new ideas, events and so much more. It is worthwhile for local businesses to check out Google Posts and now, with this new feature, you may be able to highlight your happy customers!

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AMP WordPress plugin now supports Stories

Google has just brought AMP Stories support to WordPress publishers via its latest AMP plugin update. Publishers looking to create AMP Stories will need to have the latest version of the Gutenberg plugin installed since the Stories editor relies on features not included in core versions of WordPress. Gutenberg is a page editor created by WordPress to make adding multimedia content simpler. It’s required to create AMP Stories because it makes use of Gutenberg’s rich media management architecture. Enabling AMP Stories to be created via a plugin allows content marketers and producers to take advantage of its visually rich, interactive format without the technical barriers of learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

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