Meet me halfway
Just Another Day in Social Media. 😉
Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️ Today, I'm sending some love to comedian and actress Leslie Jones, who had to fight NBC last week in order to be able to continue to share her love of the Olympics. Jones, who is known for recording television coverage on her phone and adding her own (amazing!) commentary to the videos, put out a call to her social community for help after NBC (the official U.S. Olympics broadcaster) began to block her posts. NBC Sports said the error was actually due to a "third-party issue" and not copyright, but whatever the reason, we're glad she decided to keep posting.
Monday is Family Day! I'll see you back here on Monday, Feb. 28th.
Here are today's top stories:
Video hasn't killed this writer (yet)
Gen Z shows LinkedIn some love: WSJ
YouTube hints at new features in 2022
And swiping right on dating apps
Read on ⬇️
Learning to love video
When I announced my on Jan. 17th, I really just wanted to see if I could get comfortable on camera. But this social experiment has taught me much more than I expected. Since I'm almost at the halfway point (time flies!), I thought I'd share what I've learned so far.
Space Jam
I would call myself a digital hoarder. And by that I mean that I tend to save everything — every email (just put in a folder, amirite?!), every video, every photo and meme. But the problem is that I don't always organize the assets, and they end up clogging up my phone and computer. So early on in the process, I learned pretty quickly that I needed to make more space to create videos. I deleted quite a bit, and that seemed to help. But I still need to work on organizing what I want to keep. Also, when I bought my phone three years ago, I did not really consider storage. I aim to fix that in the next few months.
Planning Ahead
In the first week of the experiment, my goal was to create videos the day before I needed to post. But then client work got really busy, and by the second week, everything started to fall apart. I was filming videos in the evening, and sometimes not really taking the time to think strategically about whether what I was posting was any good or not. This was driving me crazy, and I eventually realized that I needed to do a bit of video prep, including thinking about themes and the content I wanted to share, and then batching (aka, filming a bunch of videos that I could post throughout the week). I still like the idea of being flexible and posting as needed, but the batching really does help because the daily video creation was a bit draining.
Making Edits
I'm still trying to understand the best ways to (easily!) creatively edit videos. When pressed for time, I create very simple videos that I can upload to Instagram Stories. If I'm feeling more creative, I use the TikTok app and cross-post to Instagram Reels (which the algorithm hates, btw). I've also been experimenting with a video-editing app called CapCut, but I feel like I'm only scratching the surface so far on that app. For my next 30 days, my goal is to learn more about video editing so I can be a bit more creative.
Feeling the Love
In the first few weeks of the experiment, I was pleasantly surprised by how many Instagram friends shared their support and love with me. It was amazing, because I'm used to managing negativity on social for brands. It really made me feel like you were all rooting for me. And overall I do feel more comfortable on video now. But I think the 60 days was a good length of time, because at 30 days, I feel like there is still a lot to learn. Here's to the second half of the experiment!
UPCOMING WEBINAR
SOCIAL SNACKS
Gen Z is Showing LinkedIn Some Love: WSJ
The Wall Street Journal recently interviewed LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky (now almost two years in the role) about where the platform is at right now. And according to Roslansky, Gen Z is starting to warm to the professional network. Part of that is related to the fact that platforms like Facebook and Twitter are becoming more problematic. In response to the influx of new users, LinkedIn is responding with new features, like giving the users the ability to filter out political content (only available in the US right now). LinkedIn is also investing heavily in the ability to host live audio and video events right in the platform. You can also now add a short introductory video to your profile by creating a Cover Story. Perhaps it's (finally) LinkedIn's time to shine?
LinkedIn Is Having a Gen Z Moment. Its CEO Told Us Why and What's Coming. (Exclusive) | WSJ
YouTube Hints at New Features in 2022
2022 has just started, but YouTube's Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan is already hinting at new features we can expect to see on the platform this year. Below are the highlights, but feel free to dig into the full blog post.
YouTube's "Shorts" (essentially a competitor to TikTok) will get new video effects, editing tools, and ways to make money, such as shopping directly from a Short
Expect collaborative livestreams that "allows creators to go live together and create even more interactive streams for their audiences"
In 2022, creators will be able to set channel guidelines "so they can better shape the tone of conversations on their channel."
Expect more shopping opportunities, including shoppable videos and Live Shopping
And (of course) watch for new features related to NFTs, blockchain and the metaverse
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ICYMI
🔴 Meta's Oversight Board publishes first public policy opinion; asks Meta to remove sharing private residential information when it's publicly available [Oversight Blog]
🔴 TikTok is banning misgendering, deadnaming and content promoting disordered eating [The Verge]
🔴 Twitter misses earnings expectations [CNBC]
🔴 Messenger announces split payments, vanish mode, and more [Messenger Blog]
🔴 Snapchat brings Black British history to life in AR [Snapchat Blog]
APP-LIKE
Swiping Right on Dating Apps
While it might feel like we're more divided than ever, many are still hopeful and looking for love. Global usage of the dating apps Tinder, Hinge and Bumble collectively grew 17 per cent in January 2022, compared to three years ago, according to mobile app analytics firm, Sensor Tower. Tinder still has 72 per cent of the market share, but Bumble and Hinge have seen their audiences grow significantly over time. Wishing everyone safe and happy connections!
HAPPY-ASAURUS
Falling For This Video
If you need to cleanse your feed or timeline, I've found the video to do it. An Instagram video of four-year-old Aubrin Sage snowboarding in her dinosaur snowsuit with a microphone on got lots of love on social (70,000+ likes and counting). "I won't fall...Maybe I will...that's ok...Cause we all fall." ❤️
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