Platform 5: This week’s most important social media changes
This week’s most important social media changes including Facebook ads targeting expats
Let’s dive into what’s changed in the last seven days
This week, Facebook added another dimension to the ways an advertiser can reach their audience, expanding their ads targeting expats. Rapidly growing video streaming app Meerkat adds a ‘light follow’ feature, Facebook Messenger app allows for direct money transfers, and Twitter and LinkedIn make new respective partnerships with Rhapsody and Careerify.
Let’s dive in…
1. Facebook expands ad targeting expats
Facebook have expanded their ad-targeting options allowing advertisers to target the 92 million ex-pats on the platform. “Marketers can now connect with expats living within a given country (like expats living in Brazil) and expats originating from a specific country (like people born in Brazil living abroad),” Facebook explains. The feature is available globally via all Facebook ad interfaces and is particularly useful for the Travel and Tourism industry.
Read more about Facebook expat targeting.
2. Meerkat continues to make waves
The latest update from video streaming app Meerkat, which allows users to tweet a link to live-stream to viewers, is their addition of the ‘light follow’ feature. This feature allows users to follow others without following them on Twitter. Users simply attach their Twitter username to the end of the domain (http://meerkatapp.co/liana_neri). This can be shared across any network and will take people to a yellow web page with a big ‘follow’ me on Meerkat. This could possibly suggest the apps’ future intentions to become a stand alone platform.
Read more about Meerkat’s ‘light follow’ update.
3. Facebook Messenger app allows for money transfers
Facebook Messenger app is rolling out a free money transfer feature in the US. Users can attach a debit card to their Facebook account to pass money through messaging without leaving the app. As well as this, the latest version of Messenger 4.0 for Andorid includes new features such as the ability to create groups, forward messages, create conversation shortcuts, and free voice calling.
Read more about Facebook Messenger app money transfers and the Facebook Messenger app 4.0 Android new features.
4. Twitter allows full length song streaming for free
Twitter has partnered with online radio site Rhapsody, allowing subscribers to share full-length tracks on Twitter that any user, including non-subscribers, can listen to. The feature is already available on mobile devices and uses Twitter Audio Cards that were introduced last year.
Read more about Twitter’s song streaming.
5. LinkedIn buys Careerify
LinkedIn has purchased Toronto based company Careerify who develop referral software for employers, further expanding its data recruitment business. It is believed that two of Careerify’s existing products will be closed down, while a third, Careerify’s employee referral software, will remain open without LinkedIn taking on any new customers.
Read more about LinkedIn’s Careerify purchase.
Back again next week for the next top five social platform changes. Head over to the Thinking Section for previous posts.