Kerry Flynn says, “Remember the days when we talked about how Facebook and Snapchat are competing for these things called views? Yes, we cared about the overall number of three-seconds versus one-millisecond of time people spent on the apps. Forget about those meager numbers. Facebook wants your eyes to be glued for much longer than three seconds. Why? Television has more dollars. On Thursday, Facebook announced longer videos watched through will be given a higher priority in the ranking of the News Feed. Hidden within a jargon-filled, 411-word News Feed FYI (a blog dedicated to publishers... [...]

Freia Lobo says, “Facebook is now making it easier to keep your information private and secure. As part of Data Privacy Day on Jan. 28, Facebook is launching a new version of its Privacy Basics page to help people understand how to take control of their information on the site. The new site is mobile-friendly and redesigned based on user feedback. Facebook is also partnering with state attorneys general, privacy experts and others to help users understand how to manage their privacy online. There are 32 guides in 44 languages on the site, covering topics like managing your privacy, customizing... [...]

Patrick Kulp says, “Facebook can only pop so many advertisements into your News Feed before it drives you crazy. But it needs to keep selling more and more of them to keep up its juggernaut growth. And the company is worried that it could run out of ad space in its News Feed this year. That’s probably why Facebook is now turning to some untapped real estate: its Messenger platform. The company announced Wednesday that it’s testing new ads in Messenger that look a lot like ones you might see in your News Feed. The ads are carousel-style, meaning that users can swipe sideways through... [...]

Adario Strange says, “Earlier this month, I told you about the emerging world of social networking in virtual reality. But lurking on the sidelines of this newly active space is Facebook’s own social VR behemoth known as Oculus Rooms. This is where the strategy behind the marriage of Facebook and Oculus begins to reveal itself. In some ways, the mobile version of Oculus Rooms is as powerful an experience as the Oculus Home app on the higher-end Oculus Rift. Currently only available for Gear VR users, Oculus Rooms first brings you to the same virtual apartment displayed when using the... [...]

Kerry Flynn says, “Twitter has joined Instagram — only six years late to the game. Unfortunately for Twitter, being slow moving isn’t new to the platform that has struggled with product innovation and user growth. But it’s a new year for Twitter, and the company is on a kick to grow, especially in live video and on its core app. The move to leverage Instagram’s 600 million monthly active users to grow its base of 317 million comes just days after Twitter cut its losses by converting its Vine app from a social community to a camera and by selling off Fabric, its developer... [...]

Patrick Kulp says, “Snapchat ads are about to get much more personal. Snap, the company behind the ephemeral image sharing app, will begin letting advertisers use offline sales data like store purchases and loyalty rewards programs to better tailor ads to individual users. The move follows in the footsteps of bigger rivals like Facebook and Google, which have built behemoth ad businesses around their ability to target with pinpoint precision. Both have agreed to similar partnerships with Oracle Data Cloud. Snap had previously long resisted these kinds of tactics; CEO Evan Spiegel famously... [...]

Josh Steimle says, “As Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” He might as well have added that it’s a near certainty that writers will trot out lists of predictions at the beginning of any new year. I won’t exempt myself from that rule, but whereas many are content to predict new trends, I’ll restrict my predictions to those trends I believe are dying, unless they get some major form of life support. 1. Twitter! Will Twitter become the new MySpace? While it may be too early to say goodbye to Twitter, we all know it’s struggling while Facebook and... [...]

Mark Dawson says, “It’s that time when many people look to the year ahead as an opportunity to reassess their goals. If you’re one of those who has always aspired to become a writer but don’t even know where to begin, then this list by the best-selling self-published author Mark Dawson is a good place to start. Mark’s initial venture down the traditional publishing route was a flop. Now he’s part of an entrepreneurial generation of writers who are challenging traditional models and using technology to find commercial success online. Here are his top 10 tips for... [...]

John Raampton says, “Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) never seem to have enough time to do all of the tasks they need to accomplish in a given day. To be successful, CMO have to delegate and make informed purchase decisions. Automation has made the work of marketing teams easier, but with so many tools now available, it can be very difficult to find the perfect option for a department’s needs. Selecting the wrong tools, or being a late-adapter can really set a marketing organization back. In today’s competitive marketplace, it’s more important than ever that CMOs be ahead of current... [...]

Kerry Flynn says, “When you think of the ride-hailing industry in the U.S., two names should come to mind. But while Uber boasts name recognition for starting its own line of “Uber for” startups and a market valuation of a $68 billion, Lyft is the smaller company that claims to be quite satisfied with its place and trajectory. How do you market an underdog? It helps when Uber is almost constantly fighting public relations battles, allowing Lyft to position itself as the warm and fuzzy alternative. In particular, Lyft emphasizes a friendly and supportive approach to both its passengers... [...]