Patrick Kulp says, “Twitter is following Facebook into the automated customer service game. The social network just rolled out new welcome message and dropdown response features for advertisers that are reminiscent of Facebook’s recent branded bots push. The former allows brands to add an introductory message to any direct-message conversation that will set the terms of the customer service exchange before a user makes the first move. The latter feature, called “quick replies,” supplements those messages by giving customers a cookie-cutter list of possible responses when... [...]

Patrick Kulp says, “Twitter is following Facebook into the automated customer service game. The social network just rolled out new welcome message and dropdown response features for advertisers that are reminiscent of Facebook’s recent branded bots push. The former allows brands to add an introductory message to any direct-message conversation that will set the terms of the customer service exchange before a user makes the first move. The latter feature, called “quick replies,” supplements those messages by giving customers a cookie-cutter list of possible responses when... [...]

AOL team says, “Love is a complicated thing. We can’t always put our finger on why we love who or what we do, but we’re all looking for that feeling (and bonus points if our love relationships are reciprocal). Brands work this relationship magic on us, too. It’s just like the dance we do with a prospective partner — they have to hook us in, make us happy and keep us engaged for the long haul. The courting phase    Now more than ever, our attention is hard to capture, and it’s even harder to keep. The brands we love best have become relationship gurus when it comes to drawing... [...]

If you are a Kindle author, or if you want to be, then check out the free course on Udemy, called Kindle Mastery – 10 Hacks For A Successful Kindle Business. The author is an experienced teacher, and in this course, there are 17 lectures on marketing on the Kindle platform. Sign up while the course is still free.  [...]

Shaun Quarton says, “If you use WordPress regularly, you probably have a good handle on how everything works. However, a little digging is required to access WordPress’ functionalities in full. You might not realize there are plenty of “hidden” WordPress features – some more hidden than others. In today’s post, I’m going to uncover 20 of these hidden WordPress features, so that you can get the maximum from the world’s most popular CMS. This post is primarily targeted at WordPress beginners. If, however, you consider yourself to be a WordPress dab hand, you might still learn... [...]

Patrick Kulp says, “Publisher malaise towards ad blockers doesn’t seem to have lessened consumer appetites for downloading them. Ad blocking usage jumped 11 percent in the past year, according to a new report from Adobe and anti-ad blocking firm PageFair, bringing the total number of global users from 198 million to 220 million. The yearly study is widely cited as the definitive measure of the global ad blocking industry, despite the fact that it seldom holds good news for those who make a living online. The researchers behind it project an even more pronounced spike next year —... [...]

Raymond Wong says, “Now that you’re done lusting over jet black iPhones, it’s time to turn your attention toward Google. You know, the guys who make Android and Chrome. And what a bonanza the company reportedly has in store for Oct. 4. Traditionally, Google uses its I/O developer conference in the spring to talk developer-y things like frameworks, announce new versions of Android or skydive in to show off new moonshots like Google Glass. Then, in the fall, the company unveils new Nexus phones and sometimes new Nexus tablets, as well as Chromebooks either under its Pixel brand... [...]

Karissa Bell says, “Facebook appears to be working on yet another Snapchat-like experience. New screenshots of what look to be one of the social network’s many experiments show the company is working on a new feature that allows groups of friends to privately share photos and other updates that disappear after 24 hours. Called “quick updates,” the experience was first noticed by Tiffany Zhong, an analyst at venture capital firm Binary Capital, though other users have reported seeing the test as well. Quick updates lives in the main Facebook app behind the new smiley face... [...]

Patrick Kulp says, “Snapping an image of a coffee mug? How about adding a filter with a Starbucks logo to really complete the picture? That sort of scenario may soon be possible on Snapchat, according to a patent application the company filed in January of last year. The document, made public last week and first spotted by Business Insider, details the social network’s potential plans to offer special filters based on the objects its technology is able to recognize in a given image. For instance, the company explains, a shot of the Empire State Building might trigger the option of... [...]

Jason Abbruzzese says, “A positive thing to say for Yahoo: it has become consistent. The downside is that it has been consistently disappointing. Yahoo missed its profit projections in the second quarter of 2016, surprising just about nobody. The company’s stock barely budged in after-hours trading. The company’s revenue did surpass expectations at $1.3 billion, but it came at a cost. Its traffic acquisition costs more than doubled, taking out a big chunk of that income. CEO Marissa Mayer pointed to Yahoo’s lower costs as a bright spot. “With the lowest cost structure... [...]