Facebook, the social media giant, has recently announced a series of updates to its video features, aiming to enhance the user experience and offer more creative tools for content creators.
The platform has started rolling out updates that will bring more Reels editing tools to the Feed, making creating dynamic videos easier.
The new tools include seamless editing, more clip-editing tools, and enhanced audio. Users can now layer and time creative elements to create the perfect reel, speed up, reverse, or replace their clips, and mix the right sound into their videos by exploring and adding music and audio clips, recording voiceovers, and reducing unwanted noise.
“Whether posting a video for friends and family to see, or trying to reach people who share similar interests, our video editing tools will make it possible for people to express themselves in new ways via Reels or long-form videos.” – Facebook.
These updates are a significant step for creators to produce more engaging and high-quality content, which could potentially attract a larger audience and increase their visibility on the platform.
All Videos in One Place on Facebook
The Video tab, previously known as Facebook Watch, is now the one-stop shop for everything video on Facebook, including Reels, long-form, and Live content.
The Video tab will feature a personalized feed that recommends all types of video content and new horizontal-scroll reel sections highlighting recommended reels.
Consolidating all video content into one place will likely make it easier for users to discover new content and for creators to reach a wider audience.
However, it remains to be seen how this change will impact the visibility of individual creators and whether it will lead to a more competitive environment.
Engage with Instagram Reels on Facebook
Facebook has also made it possible to view and write comments on Instagram Reels that have been recommended on Facebook without needing to switch between apps.
This feature could potentially increase the reach of Instagram creators and allow users to enjoy the best of Instagram and Facebook Reels in one place.
“The ability to watch Instagram Reels on Facebook has helped many Instagram creators reach more people – even for creators who don’t have an active Facebook profile.” mentioned Facebook in a blog post.
While this feature is undoubtedly convenient for users, it may also blur the lines between the two platforms and could potentially lead to a dilution of the unique characteristics that make each platform appealing.
Overall, Facebook’s video updates seem to be a positive development for creators, offering them more tools to create engaging content and potentially reach a larger audience.
However, as with any change, it will be important for creators to adapt to these new features and find ways to use them to their advantage.
As Facebook continues investing heavily in video, it will be interesting to see how these changes evolve and impact the creator community.
For now, creators should take full advantage of these new tools and experiment with new ways to engage their audience.
Recently, TikTok released their first-ever “What’s Next: Gaming Trend Report,” a goldmine of insights for content creators.
TikTok has become a hub for gaming culture, with over 3 trillion views on gaming content in 2022.
As Rema Vasan, Head of Global Gaming Business Marketing at TikTok, puts it, “TikTok has truly become the place where gaming culture and entertainment intersect, giving gamers from every walk of life the opportunity to find their community, as well as discover, connect, and create in exciting new ways.”
Key Trend Forces
The report identifies three key Trend Forces underpinning TikTok’s culture and content:
Actionable Entertainment. Gaming audiences on TikTok don’t just passively consume content. They bring gaming to life uniquely, from fan edits and animations to cosplay. The report highlights two key signals that reflect this trend: Home of the #GameEdit: Gamers on TikTok are leveraging their creative skills to share engaging fan edits that drum up hype and awareness for the characters and titles they love. Bringing the Game to Life: New technologies on TikTok, like voice filters and AR effects, make it easier for users to blur the lines between in-game universes and real-life scenarios.
Making Space for Joy. Humor and content highlighting the relatable joys of being a gamer win over the TikTok community. The two key signals that reflect this trend are: Playful Ideation: On TikTok, gamers, and developers are on a level playing field, making connecting and sharing ideas a fast new norm to unlock creative opportunities. From Winning to Welcoming: By showing that there’s no right or wrong way to be a”gamer,” TikTok inspires meaningful joy and a sense of belonging among diverse audiences.
Community-Built Ideas. Gaming culture on TikTok is an open space where different passions collide, and gamers actively exchange ideas. The two key signals reflecting this trend are Endless Replay Value: When the storyline ends, gamers turn to TikTok for limitless inspiration to keep the fun going through community challenges and creative modes. Gaming as a Lifestyle: Gaming has become a broader dedicated lifestyle or aesthetic, unlocking new opportunities for crossovers with diverse interests such as fashion, home decor, food, etc.
What This Means for Creators
For creators, these insights provide a roadmap for authentically and effectively showing up on the platform.
The community embraces brands that experiment and create a more fun and engaging experience on TikTok. Creators should also lean into playful, humorous content that shows they don’t take themselves too seriously.
Moreover, creators should consider becoming part of the larger community, helping users see new sides of their brand.
As the report suggests, “77% of global TikTok users say they like it when brands come up with new challenges, trends, or memes for others to join in with.”
TikTok’s 2023 Gaming Trend Report provides a wealth of information for creators looking to make their mark in the gaming community.
By understanding these trends and adapting to them, creators can find success on the platform and connect with their audience meaningfully.
Amazon Prime Day 2023 was a landmark event in the e-commerce world, setting new records and redefining the potential of online retail.
Amazon reported that the first day of Prime Day, July 11, was the single largest sales day in the company’s history.
This is a significant milestone, demonstrating the growing popularity of Amazon’s Prime Day event.
Doug Herrington, CEO of Amazon Stores, said, “The first day of Prime Day was the largest sales day in Amazon’s history, and Prime members saved more this year than any other Prime Day event.”
This statement underscores the immense scale of the event and the value it provides to Amazon’s Prime members.
The Rise of Independent Sellers
One of the most noteworthy aspects of Prime Day 2023 was the success of independent sellers.
According to Amazon, the event was the largest ever for independent sellers in Amazon’s stores, with their sales growth outpacing Amazon’s retail business.
This promising trend indicates a healthy ecosystem where small and medium-sized businesses can thrive alongside Amazon’s retail offerings.
Top-Selling Categories and Products
Amazon offered more deals than any past Prime Day event, with Home, Fashion, and Beauty emerging as the top-selling deal categories.
Some of the top-selling deals included the Fire TV Stick, LANEIGE Lip Glowy Balm, Apple AirPods, and Bissell Little Green Portable Deep Cleaner. The diversity of these top-selling products reflects Amazon’s global customer base’s wide range of interests and needs.
Prime members saved over $2.5 billion across millions of deals during Prime Day 2023. This figure is a testament to the value proposition of Amazon Prime, which offers members exclusive access to deals and savings.
The ‘Buy with Prime’ Feature
A new feature that caught my attention this Prime Day was ‘Buy with Prime.’ This feature allows U.S.-based Prime members to shop directly from participating brands’ websites while enjoying the benefits of their Prime membership.
According to Amazon, merchants who participated in Prime Day activities saw a 10x increase in daily ‘Buy with Prime’ orders and an 8x increase in daily revenue from those orders during the Prime Day event period.
This suggests that ‘Buy with Prime’ could be a game-changer, offering a new way for brands to engage with Amazon’s vast customer base.
With this, it is safe to say Amazon Prime Day 2023 was a resounding success, setting new records and offering unprecedented savings for Prime members.
The event’s success can be attributed to a combination of factors, including a wide selection of deals, the growth of independent sellers, and innovative features like ‘Buy with Prime.’
It is exciting to see how Amazon continues to innovate and shape the future of online retail and how other events pan out.
Meta has recently announced that the popular online platform Roblox is coming to Meta Quest, starting with an open beta that will be available in the App Lab in the coming weeks.
This move is expected to significantly impact the virtual reality (VR) landscape, offering new opportunities for both developers and users.
The Integration of Roblox and Meta Quest
Roblox, a platform hosting millions of user-generated games, boasts an average of over 66 million daily users.
Integrating Roblox with Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro, and the upcoming Quest 3 will expand the platform’s reach, adding to its vast community that spans mobile devices, desktops, and Xbox.
“The open beta is a great opportunity for the Roblox developer community to optimize their existing games for Quest and build new ones for VR while gathering input and feedback from the Quest community.” said Meta in a Blog post
The open beta will provide the Roblox developer community with a unique opportunity to optimize their games for Quest and build new ones for VR. This will allow developers to experiment, learn, and iterate on VR experiences before Roblox fully releases on the Meta Quest Store.
Impact on the VR Community
Roblox’s integration with Meta Quest will impact the VR community significantly. With over 15 million active experiences and counting, Roblox is set to offer a vast library of content for the Quest community to explore.
Furthermore, Roblox automatically publishes some experiences that use default player scripts to support VR devices. This means that the Roblox VR library will be seeded with high-quality content from day one.
“And because Roblox is cross-platform, you’ll be able to connect, play, and hang out with friends across Xbox, iOS, Android, and desktop helping to make VR more social than ever before.” announced Meta
The cross-platform nature of Roblox will also make VR more social than ever. Users will be able to connect, play, and hang out with friends across Xbox, iOS, Android, and desktop.
Safety Measures
Roblox on Quest will be available for people ages 13 and up. Parents can use existing Meta Quest parental supervision tools to help create a level of safety and supervision that’s right for their family.
This ensures that while the platform is expanding its reach and capabilities, it is also taking into account the safety and well-being of its users.
Integrating Roblox into Meta Quest is a significant step forward in the VR landscape. It provides new opportunities for developers to create and optimize VR experiences and offers users a vast library of content to explore.
The move is expected to make VR more social and interactive, further enhancing the VR experience for users. However, as with any new development, it will be interesting to see how this integration evolves and what impact it will have on the future of VR.
YouTube is rolling out video title suggestions and expanding its demographic survey to the UK.
These updates are part of YouTube’s ongoing efforts to improve its platform and provide equal opportunities to all creators.
Video Title Suggestions
YouTube is introducing a new feature that will be available on the details page on Studio Desktop within a few hours after uploading eligible videos.
The suggested titles are generated based on the video’s transcript and description. This feature aims to provide inspiration for video titles, saving creators time on brainstorming.
“We’re introducing a new feature where you’ll be able to see suggestions or a video title on the details page on Studio Desktop. This is available within a few hours after upload for eligible videos. Video title suggestions are created based on the transcript and description from the video itself. The goal is to help you find inspiration for a video title. By saving you time on brainstorming video titles are optional, and you can always change the title or use a suggestion as a basis for further iteration,” mentions Connor
These suggestions are optional, and creators can always modify the title or use the suggestion as a starting point for further iteration.
However, YouTube reminds creators that they are still responsible for their video titles and must ensure they comply with all YouTube policies.
In 2021, YouTube launched a voluntary survey where creators could provide information about their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity.
This survey aims to help YouTube identify potential gaps in its systems that might impact a creator’s opportunity to reach their full potential.
“We want to make sure our systems do not reflect unintentional bias and make sure we offer equal opportunities to any creator or artist community. Our existing process is limited cuz we only have information about content, not identifying information about the creators themselves.” mentions Connor in the announcement
YouTube is now expanding this voluntary survey to creators in the UK. In the coming weeks, UK-based creators will have a setting in the studio where they can add demographic information related to their YouTube channel if they choose to do so.
The expansion of this survey is part of YouTube’s commitment to ensuring its systems do not reflect unintentional bias and offer equal opportunities to all creator communities.
By introducing video title suggestions, YouTube provides a tool to help creators save time and potentially increase their video visibility.
Expanding the demographic survey to the UK is a significant step towards ensuring equal opportunities for all creators.
As YouTube continues to evolve, it’s clear that the platform is dedicated to supporting its creator community.
Amazon Prime Day, a global shopping event exclusively for Prime members, has been a game-changer since its inception in 2015.
Over the years, it has evolved into a significant event that offers exclusive deals, supports small businesses, and promotes Amazon’s products.
The Genesis of Prime Day
Amazon introduced Prime Day on July 15, 2015, to celebrate the company’s 20th birthday.
The event spanned nine countries: the U.S., the UK, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Canada, and Austria. On this day, customers bought more items than on Black Friday 2014, Amazon’s biggest Black Friday ever at the time.
Over 34.4 million items were ordered across Prime-eligible countries, with 398 items ordered per second.
Its Importance
Prime Day is more than just a sales event; it’s a global shopping phenomenon. On Prime Day 2022, customers purchased over 300 million items worldwide, and the event tends to increase ad conversion rates.
Prime Day serves a longer-term importance to Amazon by driving new members to its $119 annual free-shipping program and tightening existing customer relationships.
For creators, this means a larger audience to tap into and more potential for earnings.
Logie’s Prime Day Collection
This year, Logie has provided creators with a Prime Day collection to help boost their earnings. By providing a curated list of products that will have amazing deals during Prime Day, Logie allows creators to plan their promotions accordingly. This is advantageous for several reasons:
Increased Earnings: All the products that sell from the Logie’s Prime Day collection will pay creators 5x to 20x what Amazon Associates is paying, offering the best ROI during Prime Day.
Ease of Use: Creators can easily create a new collection on their Logie’s collection page, add the ASINs from the Google sheet provided by Logie, and share the link to the collection. This makes it easy to promote the products and earn commissions.
Flexibility: Creators will be able to add or remove products from the collection anytime, providing flexibility to adapt to changes in product availability or audience preferences.
Reach: Creators are able to share the link to their collection anywhere if they have added their go. Shopping URL to the Amazon Associates allowed websites. This allows creators to reach a wider audience and maximize their Prime Day earnings.
As we kick off Prime Day 2023, it’s clear that this event will continue to evolve and make its mark in the retail industry.
In the ever-evolving social media landscape, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, recently made a significant move.
Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta, unveiled the inner workings of the AI systems that rank content on Facebook and Instagram.
This move towards transparency could have far-reaching implications for creators and users on these platforms.
Decoding AI Systems: A Double-Edged Sword?
Meta’s AI systems, as explained by Clegg, predict the value of content for each user, influencing what they see on their feeds.
While this personalization has been a cornerstone of Meta’s platforms, unveiling the AI’s inner workings could be a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, this transparency can empower creators. Understanding the mechanics of content ranking can help them tailor their content more effectively, potentially increasing their reach and engagement.
However, there’s also a risk of manipulation. With the AI’s workings laid bare, there’s a potential for misuse, with creators possibly gaming the system to their advantage, which could lead to an inauthentic user experience.
User Control: A Step Towards Empowerment or Overload?
Meta’s move to give users more control over what they see is a significant step toward user empowerment.
The release of 22 system cards for Facebook and Instagram, providing information about how their AI systems rank content, is a commendable move towards transparency.
However, this increased control could also lead to information overload for users. While some users may appreciate the ability to customize their feeds, others may find the process overwhelming.
Striking a balance between user control and user experience will challenge Meta.
The Impact on Researchers: A New Era of Openness
Meta’s commitment to transparency extends to the research community as well. The upcoming roll-out of a new suite of tools, including the Meta Content Library and API, will provide researchers with unprecedented access to publicly-available content across Facebook and Instagram.
This move could herald a new era of openness in social media research, providing researchers with a wealth of data to analyze and understand user behavior and content trends.
However, it also raises questions about privacy and data security that Meta must address.
Meta’s move towards transparency and user control is a significant step in the social media landscape.
It can empower creators, users, and researchers but raises questions about potential misuse, information overload, and data security.
As we move forward, it will be interesting to see how Meta navigates these challenges and what impact this will have on the future of social media.
Amazon Prime Day, a highly anticipated event for shoppers worldwide, presents a unique opportunity for creators to boost their earnings.
This year, Logie has provided creators with a Prime Day collection to help boost their earnings.
The Importance of Prime Day
Prime Day is more than just a sales event; it’s a global shopping phenomenon.
On Prime Day 2022, customers purchased over 300 million items worldwide, and the event tends to increase ad conversion rates.
Prime Day has become an important sales event in the eCommerce calendar, and it’s easy to assume that creators can harness Prime Day’s powerful earning potential.
Prime Day serves a longer-term importance to Amazon by driving new members to its $119 annual free-shipping program and tightening existing customer relationships.
For creators, this means a larger audience to tap into and more potential for earnings.
Logie’s Prime Day Collection
Logie’s Prime Day collection presents a unique opportunity for creators. By providing a curated list of products that will have amazing deals during Prime Day, Logie allows creators to plan their promotions accordingly. This is advantageous for several reasons:
Increased Earnings: All the products that sell from the Logie’s Prime Day collection will pay creators 5x to 20x what Amazon Associates is paying, offering the best ROI during Prime Day.
Ease of Use: Creators can easily create a new collection on their Logie’s collection page, add the ASINs from the Google sheet provided by Logie, and share the link to the collection. This makes it easy to promote the products and earn commissions.
Flexibility: Creators will be able to add or remove products from the collection anytime, providing flexibility to adapt to changes in product availability or audience preferences.
Reach: Creators are able to share the link to their collection anywhere if they have added their go. Shopping URL to the Amazon Associates allowed websites. This allows creators to reach a wider audience and maximize their Prime Day earnings.
Prime Day is a significant event for both shoppers and creators. By taking advantage of Logie’s Prime Day collection, creators will be able to boost their earnings, reach a wider audience, and provide their followers with the best deals.
You can access the Google Sheets with Logie prime day deals here.
Logie has earned a ‘Verified’ partner badge to become an Amazon Ads Verified Partner. This accolade comes a few months after the company initially joined the Amazon Advertising Network. The verification essentially means that Logie has been approved to be in their partner directory to help eCommerce businesses on the platform. Registered partners demonstrate expertise with Amazon Ads products.
Logie is one of the leading influencer marketing companies in the world today. It utilizes big data and cutting-edge AI to match each product to the influencer who’s most likely to sell it – helping raise the bar for brand-influencer collaboration. This innovative approach has drawn notable recognition in the social commerce industry.
Amazon Ads verification is just the latest in a remarkable string of accolades that Logie has earned over the last few years. The company earlier this year presented at the NRF’s Retail’s Big Show, one of the top annual retail events in the U.S. Logie was also admitted into the NVIDIA Inception Accelerator. This is a leading accelerator program that helps startups evolve faster by providing access to expertise and co-marketing. Logie was also among the official sponsors of VidCon 2023 between June 21 and June 24.
“We are proudly now an Amazon Ads Verified Partner. This accolade is just an honor but also a testament to the hard work and dedication our team puts forth every day. It strengthens our resolve to continue to shape the future of digital advertising through artificial intelligence, delivering cutting-edge solutions for both brands and creators. We will continue to keep pushing hard to make sure that Logie is the most trusted solution for Amazon Influencers on Amazon – even as we open our doors to more brands and influencers,” said Tanya Breus, Logie’s Business Development executive.
Twitter is threatening Meta with a lawsuit after the successful launch of Meta’s new Twitter rival, Threads.
The social media giant views the app as a competitive threat, indicating Threads’ impact since its launch.
Accusations of Trade Secret Theft
An attorney representing Twitter sent Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg a letter accusing the company of trade secret theft through the hiring of former Twitter employees. Semafor first reported the letter, and a person familiar with it confirmed its authenticity to CNN.
“Meta had engaged in systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property,” Alex Spiro, an outside lawyer for Twitter owner Elon Musk, wrote in the letter.
In response to reports on the letter, Musk tweeted: “Competition is fine, cheating is not.” This statement underscores Twitter’s stance on the issue, emphasizing the importance of fair competition in the tech industry.
Allegations Against Former Twitter Employees
The letter says that Meta hired former Twitter employees who “have improperly retained Twitter documents and electronic devices” and that Meta “deliberately” involved these employees in developing Threads.
“Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights,” Spiro continued, “and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information.”
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone flatly dismissed the letter. “No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee — that’s just not a thing,” he said on Threads.
This statement contradicts the allegations made by Twitter, setting the stage for a potential legal battle.
The Impact of Threads
In the months since Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, the social network has been challenged by a growing number of smaller microblogging platforms, such as the decentralized social network Mastodon and Bluesky, an alternative backed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
But Twitter has not threatened either with litigation. Unlike some Twitter rivals, Threads has experienced rapid growth, with Zuckerberg reporting 30 million user sign-ups on the app’s first day. As of Thursday afternoon, Threads was the number-one free app on the iOS App Store.
The legal threat may not necessarily lead to litigation, but it could be part of a strategy to slow down Meta, said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond.
Logie streamlines influencer discovery, product distribution, and content performance to drive measurable sales for eCommerce brands. We also equip content creators with the smart tools, brand partnerships, and commission opportunities they need to turn content into income.
