Digital Marketing: latest News from the World – January Part 4

Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing: latest News from the World – January Part 4

Welcome to our blog, where innovation meets strategy in the dynamic realm of digital marketing! In this post, we’ll examine the latest developments and emerging trends that are transforming the digital landscape. From recent updates in social media algorithms to AI-powered marketing techniques, these changes offer exciting possibilities for brands and marketers.

Get ready to learn how these advancements can revolutionize your campaigns, broaden your reach, and boost your ROI. We’ll analyze the key developments shaping the future of digital marketing, offering detailed insights to help you stay ahead in this rapidly evolving field. Don’t miss this comprehensive look at the current trends and news that are at the forefront of digital marketing!

social network

TikTok back in operation in the U.S. after Trump promised to delay banning it

Digital Marketing

On Saturday night, U.S. users trying to log into the app were met with a message saying that, due to the enactment of a law banning the app, TikTok could not be used “for now.”

“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the message stated.

The notice appeared after the social networking platform warned that it would “shut down” on Sunday unless outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration guaranteed that the ban would not be enforced.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he will “most likely” give TikTok a reprieve from the 90-day ban once he takes office on Monday.

“The 90-day extension is something that will probably be done because it’s appropriate,” Trump told NBC News on Saturday.

This Sunday, Trump specified that he will issue an executive order on Jan. 20 to delay implementation of the law.

The Chinese-owned company explained that the guarantee offered by Trump was the reason it decided to reinstate the service.

The White House had said Saturday that it is up to the incoming administration to take action.

“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the coming days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Users reported that the app was also removed from the Apple and Google app stores in the United States, and that TikTok.com was no longer showing videos.

Law banning social network goes into effect

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law banning the app in the country unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sold the platform by Jan. 19.

This sale did not occur.

The law, passed in April last year, required ByteDance to sell the U.S. version of the platform to a neutral party to avoid an outright ban.

TikTok challenged the law, arguing that it violates the free speech protections of its 170 million users in the country. But the U.S. high court ruled that it does not.

In the hours leading up to the social media platform’s shutdown, content creators posted videos to say goodbye to their followers.

Creator Nicole Bloomgarden told the BBC that not being on TikTok will mean a significant pay cut for her.

Another user, Erika Thompson, said the platform’s educational content would be the “biggest loss” to the community.

Social Network

Instagram introduces major changes and makes a terrible mistake

Digital Marketing

Instagram has seen the need to act urgently due to the TikTok situation and, unexpectedly and in a hurry, has released an update with important new features. In total there are three changes and additions that come to bring a good turn of effect, but that have also generated negative opinions and criticism among users.

Instagram is acting in a hurry in case they have to accommodate millions of users who are left without access to TikTok in the United States. Therefore, they have introduced changes that come to put their Reels system closer to what ByteDance’s application provides to its users. Whether Instagram has made a good decision or not, will be something that will be noticed in the coming weeks.

Goodbye to privacy and anonymity

One of the changes introduced by Instagram is a new section in which we will be able to see the videos on which our friends have commented or liked. While right now Instagram’s algorithms already send us some of these videos to our feed with the intention of trying to increase interaction with the app, from this moment on, this section will bring together absolutely everything. Instagram says that its intention is that the social network stops being just a place where you consume entertainment content and ends up becoming a place where you share that content with friends.

However, perhaps Instagram should be reminded that some time ago they already had a feed that was eliminated in which we could see the full activity of the people we followed. And if they removed it, possibly there was a reason. In general, many users are concerned about the loss of anonymity that we are talking about and that it is no longer so safe and private to use the social network. After all, there could be people starting to think more about what they comment on and what they like. In fact, some are already commenting and explaining that, for fear of losing that privacy or exposing themselves to bullying, they are opting to change the I like by putting a bookmark in the browser on the publications or videos they like. Perhaps Instagram will have to think, once again, if this idea is really the one they want to introduce on their platform in view of the fact that they already eliminated it in 2019.

Two more new features

The other two changes have not aroused criticism, at least not so much. One of them is the change of the thumbnails of the Stories, which go from having the classic square format to a vertical rectangular one. Instagram recognizes that the square design has been a trademark of the company for years and that it had become a hallmark, but also explains that, these days, a vertical design makes more sense. He argues this consistently by mentioning that most of the content, both videos and photos, are now in vertical format. Hence, it makes sense that thumbnails should also have this format so that images do not appear cropped in an annoying way as was happening. Possibly, it will not be a change that will take long to get used to, although there are many users who are requesting the return of the classic design.

Finally, the other new feature is the introduction of Reels that can last up to a maximum of 3 minutes. This leaves behind the 90 seconds that were available so far and that Instagram now considers insufficient to enjoy a good experience. But it is obviously a change motivated by the TikTok situation, especially considering that Instagram said a few months ago that they would not increase the time of the videos so as not to lose the identity of its platform. In the end, they have given their arm and it remains to be seen what impact it will have.

META

Meta to introduce AI-created virtual users in its social networks

Digital Marketing

The conspiracy theory of the dead internet, an absurd and unfounded claim that the web no longer creates human content and that it is in fact a world populated by bots that interact with each other, could end up becoming a reality. Meta has announced that it is going to create users through artificial intelligence, bots with their own personalities that will interact with humans, as well as putting an AI tool in the hands of humans to build new characters.

With the metaverse project silenced and in decline, the company led by Mark Zuckerberg is looking for the same as always, a concept that has a name in English, engagement, which is the holy grail of the Internet: the commitment, the engagement of the Internet user on a website or platform. The more time a user spends online, the more interaction they have, the more data they generate and the more advertising they are offered. For the company, the more money comes in.

The new lever that Meta wants to exploit is artificial intelligence. If bots can already act in their responses as if they were people, why not have them go out there and interact with people? If it’s about getting people to spend more time (still) on social networks like Facebook or Instagram, the project is to create artificial users that engage real ones more.

The announcement was made in the Financial Times by Connor Hayes, vice president of generative AI product at Meta. “We expect that, over time, these AIs will actually exist on our platforms in the same way that accounts do,” the executive said. Avatars “will have bios and profile pictures, and will be able to generate and share AI-based content on the platform … that’s where we see this all going,” he advanced.

One of Meta’s priorities, in the constant struggle to attract the attention of younger users, is to make its apps “more entertaining and engaging,” so they are looking at how to get more interaction with AI on their platforms.

Artificial intelligence is already used on networks such as Facebook, Instagram – and much more so on TikTok – to decide what content to offer a user. The introduction of artificial profiles that simulate being real is a novelty that goes further in the active search for prolonged user interaction.

The creation of such artificial characters raises questions about potential problems. In a company that has extensive psychological profiles of its users, a bot can use techniques programmed into it to manipulate the behavior of real humans for a particular purpose.

As a preview of Meta’s approach, Zuckerberg’s company has acquired an X-like social network called SocialAI, in which each real human user interacts only with bots playing different characters. Its creator, Michael Sayman, who previously worked at Meta, has announced that he is returning to Meta “to help build the future of Generative AI as the next chapter in this journey.”

Artificial intelligence

Trump pushes Stargate: $500 billion for AI

Digital Marketing

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday an ambitious investment of up to $500 billion in the private sector, aimed at developing an artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the country.

This project, dubbed “Stargate,” will be driven by companies OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle, and will begin with an initial investment in data centers in Texas, with plans to expand to other states.

During his statement at the White House, Trump emphasized the importance of this project in creating hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs and strengthening the country’s position in the face of growing competition from China in the technology arena. “We want this technology to stay in our country. China is a competitor and we want it to stay here,” the president said.

Following the announcement, the leaders of the companies involved, Masayoshi Son (SoftBank), Sam Altman (OpenAI) and Larry Ellison (Oracle), appeared before the press to detail their commitment to Stargate.

According to Son, each company will initially invest $100 billion, with up to $500 billion to be committed over the next four years. This effort seeks not only to advance artificial general intelligence (AGI), but also to generate significant economic benefits for the United States and its allies.

Son described the start of the project as “the beginning of a new era” for artificial intelligence, highlighting potential advances in areas such as medicine, which was also underscored by Trump mentioning that this investment could facilitate a cure for cancer. Oracle, known for its leadership in data centers and energy efficiency, will join SoftBank and OpenAI as a major technology partner.

Since the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI in 2022, there has been a notable increase in investments in AI, leading various industries to integrate this technology into their products and services. In this regard, OpenAI has stated that Stargate represents a crucial opportunity to secure U.S. leadership in AI and contribute to the reindustrialization of the country

The project also has strategic implications for national security, as it will enable the U.S. government to better protect its interests against external threats. The first data centers will begin construction in Texas, while other potential sites for more campuses are being evaluated as the necessary agreements are finalized.

In addition to OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle, companies such as NVIDIA, Microsoft and Arm have joined as key technology partners in the project. This collaboration builds on previous relationships between OpenAI and these companies.

Latest Tech and Digital Marketing Updates

📌Google requires JavaScript. They have confirmed that they now require JavaScript to block bots and scrapers. This directly affects SEO tools that crawl search results.

📌Instagram’s new editing app. They have introduced a new app for editing videos, under the name Edits.

📌Product diversification. Although Primark already offers homewares, it has now decided to open its first home-only store in Belfast, strengthening its positioning in this market.

📌Instagram increases the duration of Reels. Until now, they had a maximum duration of 90 seconds. Well they have doubled it, now you can create Reels of up to 3 minutes.

📌X and Bluesky are betting on the vertical format. Taking advantage of the uncertainties with TikTok in the US, they have launched new features that allow users to explore and customize video feeds, entering the short content market.

📌Mess of the week. A Pakistani airline launched an ad promoting the resumption of its flights to Paris. The problem was that the image they designed shows a plane that appears to be heading towards the Eiffel Tower. Some users have criticized it because it reminds them of 9/11. After this, the airline apologized and deleted it.

📌Elon Musk Vs. Sam Altman. The first big fight of the Trump era. They have debated on X over the announcement of the Stargate project. Musk accused Altman of not having enough capital to fund it and called him a “con man.” Altman responded with a diplomatic tone, defending the viability of the project and highlighting its positive impact for the country.

📌Trump holds Tiktok’s future. The U.S. president has made it clear that TikTok’s future in the U.S. involves the sale of at least 50% of its business, or its definitive closure.

📌Google has updated its Circle to Search tool on Android with new AI-powered overviews, the feature can now provide expanded details about products, brands or even competitors.

📌Users click ChatGPT links. A report confirms that people interact with links in AI-generated search results such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. So yes, they generate traffic and increase sales.

📌Advertising on a first division team. The president of Celta de Vigo, announced in the program La Revuelta that they will wear their logo on the shirts during the next match. Great collaboration.

📌You don’t like them? Well, take 17 tons. After receiving some criticism that their fries tasted like “shoe soles”, KFC has revamped their recipe and in their new campaign they apologize and offer free fries for their app users.

What do you think?

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