Threads takes on Twitter… and other digital stories

Ready to delve into the latest news from the marketing sphere? Let’s uncover the hottest digital trends, social news and groundbreaking tech discoveries together…

Mark Zuckerberg looks to deliver a blow to Elon Musk with new Twitter clone named Threads!

In a battle for social media dominance, Meta has released Threads, a microblogging app set to challenge Twitter’s reign. By following a proven strategy, Built by the minds behind Instagram, the app allows users to join public conversations and post text updates up to 500 characters, along with links, photos and videos up to five minutes long. But rather than start an account from fresh, you can sync with your Instagram account in less than a minute, instantly connecting you to accounts and creators you already love!

Meta says they created Threads as a way to ‘enable positive, productive conversations’ and has also given better control over mentions, replies and word filters, which could help many users protect themselves from malicious content, something Twitter has failed to protect users from.

The competition between the two tech giants has reached comical heights, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk discussing the possibility of a physical fight. Users have clamoured for an alternative as Twitter has faced revenue declines and operational challenges since Musk’s takeover.

Despite the rise of startups in the past, like Mastodon and Truth Social, there has yet to be a true rival to Twitter. However, with Meta’s strategic moves and the dynamic terrain of social media, the battle between Threads and Twitter could prove to be a fierce and intriguing one over time. Having only launched today, Threads have already surpassed 3 million downloads by 12pm! Maybe they are proving the potential to mount a challenge to Twitter…

The dangers and delights of using AI for content creation…

In the world of content production, AI is becoming a go-to tool for marketers, according to a deep-dive study conducted by Bynder. Over half of the respondents from major global brands like Spotify, Puma, and Five Guys revealed that they currently utilise AI in their content production processes.

The study sheds light on how content teams leverage AI integrations to streamline workflows and automated tasks such as market research. It’s also being used to create first drafts, optimise content and sense-check spelling and grammar.

The industry has embraced AI for brainstorming ideas, drafting social posts and landing page copy, and even generating attention-grabbing headlines. Notably, AI’s capabilities extend beyond content creation, with applications in tasks such as content reuse, creating tone-of-voice documents, content governance, and translation. 

However, we should also highlight that businesses should only use AI to enhance and streamline content production processes rather than replace them entirely. Automated copy tools have been around for a while, and historically they’ve failed due to the fact they become quickly identified as fakes. Of course, we know this current generation of AI is proving different, but Google still wants businesses to write for real people, so taking the automated approach could potentially damage expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EAT) scores in the future. That’s why it’s so important to make those emotional connections.

But it’s safe to say the future of AI in content operations holds exciting possibilities for making processes more efficient and effective while still harnessing the creativity of human teams.

LinkedIn’s experimenting with monetization opportunities for creators!

Last week, we discussed LinkedIn’s removal of native carousels, profile videos, and in-image links. However, LinkedIn has been actively ramping up its efforts to empower creators on the platform by offering upgrades to its ‘Creator Mode’ tools and features throughout the past year.

Taking it a step further, LinkedIn is now exploring direct monetisation options for its Creator Mode users. Social media expert Matt Navarra has reported that LinkedIn is experimenting with a collaborative posting option, enabling brands and influencers to share insights on ad campaigns.

The goal is for LinkedIn to align itself with other apps that offer creator monetisation opportunities. By allowing ‘Creator Mode’ users to share analytics data with businesses, LinkedIn aims to capitalise on the platform’s existing potential for users to enhance their professional profiles and establish themselves as thought leaders in their respective niches.

This exciting pathway can be used for targeting brand promotion and empowering LinkedIn influencers to generate direct revenue from their presence on the app.

While specific details are still limited, introducing this shared analytics element could be crucial in LinkedIn’s evolution as a monetisation platform for creators, bringing forth fresh brand opportunities. It represents an exciting next phase in LinkedIn’s commitment to supporting creators and presents a promising option for the app’s continued growth and success!