At the risk of negatively impacting your blood pressure, there are a few things that our industry needs to figure out – not the least of which are mitigating fake news, and relying on social networks for accurate metrics. We have a couple articles that address those touchy topics this week, and a few that highlight new features within Instagram and Google that could have an impact on your business. That said, don’t forget to check out the last article to help put some things in perspective (and hopefully lower your blood pressure) as well!
Engadget: Instagram Sees Shopping As the Next Step in Its Evolution
Instagram continues to add features, including shopping tags that allow consumer brands to tag products in photographs with a link to purchase. In an obvious challenge to Pinterest, it will be interesting to see how much traffic Instagram will be able to drive to eCommerce sites, and how this update might change the platform’s approach to content.
Mobile
The Verge: Google Launches Real-Time Data for Restaurants and Bars
Just in time for the holidays, Google is now aggregating location history from mobile devices to let us know how busy our favorite restaurants and bars are in real time. While extremely convenient for those of us looking for a drink or bite to eat, the real question is how real-time data might impact foot traffic for bar and restaurant owners.
AdNews: Only Independent Measurement Can Restore Confidence in Facebook
The news of inaccurate or “over-inflated” advertising metrics from Facebook left many advertisers and brands questioning the validity of Facebook’s metrics across the board. As large social networks continue to move away from “social” and more toward publishing and advertising, the obvious next question is “do we need an independent measurement system?”
TechCrunch: Most Students Can’t Tell Fake News From Real News
Following the election, Facebook has been under the microscope regarding fake news circulating on the social platform. A recent study outlined in this article tells us 82 percent of today’s students can’t decipher fake news from real news. The takeaway for brands? It’s more important than ever to be transparent with your online content (and, particularly, branded content) strategies.
Giving Thanks
Entrepreneur: Want to Feel Happier? Give Thanks All Year Round.
It’s safe to say we all feel fortunate to have a holiday dedicated to giving thanks. But on the heels of the election, and especially for those of us who work daily on Facebook and Twitter and have to manage the blood pressure implications of doing so, we offer this simple reminder: take a minute to write a thank you letter, start a gratitude journal, or maybe just flash a simple smile at people more often. It’ll make us all a little happier.
