What Facebook's Approach to Snapchat Can Teach Brands

April 01, 2017 by Taylor Wiegert in Facebook

Facebook’s record of copying Snapchat is well-documented. When Mark Zuckerberg was turned down in his bid to acquire the platform, Facebook went to work. It launched competitive apps, Poke and Slingshot, both of which failed. Then came disappearing messages in Messenger, followed by the most blatant copy of a Snapchat feature up until that point, Instagram Stories, which took one of Snapchat’s most iconic features and essentially ripped it off. Now, we have WhatsApp Stories and, the latest, Facebook Stories.

Bots are On Notice and It Matters

March 09, 2017 by Taylor Wiegert in Bots, Messaging, Facebook

Chatbots are in the midst of a reset. I’ve been bullish on their potential in the past, but Facebook Messenger bots are failing 70% of the time when it comes to following through on user requests. That’s not good, even though bots have seen a meteoric rise on the platform, hitting more than 30,000 bots available on Messenger alone in September of last year. But with bots not working and not delivering, why bother with them at all for both brands who have invested in creating them and users who have been frustrated in using them?

It's Snapchat's Game and Everyone's Playing

February 23, 2017 by Taylor Wiegert in Snapchat, Facebook

Snap Inc. is set for its upcoming IPO, and there is ample speculation around whether or not it has what it takes to be the next Facebook success story or the next Twitter disappointment. That’s for the future to decide, but what is true today is that no matter what happens, Snap Inc., through Snapchat, has already made its mark.

The platform become a language of its own among teens who learned to essentially speak Snapchat as they shared their everyday moments through text, video, photo, emoji and any combination of those. It was this that caught the attention of every other platform, but none were more interested in what Snapchat was doing than Facebook. And when they couldn’t acquire Snapchat, they copied it.

Today, Facebook’s suite of platforms have each taken a page or several from Snapchat’s set of features. From animated masks on Facebook to ephemeral stories on Instagram to disappearing messages on WhatsApp. Facebook may not have acquired Snapchat, but Snapchat is certainly a huge part of Facebook.

Be Aware of the Algorithm, Not Driven By It

February 03, 2017 by Taylor Wiegert in Facebook, Video

Facebook’s algorithm changes at the platform’s whim depending on what it wants to accomplish. The latest change flies in the face of deeply held ideas of what works online. Common knowledge is attention spans are short, which means content should be as well. Facebook aims to upend that.

Facebook as a Video Destination and Opportunities for Storytelling

December 14, 2016 by Taylor Wiegert in Video, Facebook

A recent update to the Facebook mobile app shined light on a major pivot by the social network. Now, there front-and-center is an all new video tab. The tab takes users to a dedicated feed featuring videos from Pages users follow along with content Facebook thinks they might be interested in.

Going Live's Getting Better

October 21, 2016 by Taylor Wiegert in Facebook, Periscope, Twitter, Video

Live video is everywhere right now. Twitter’s live streaming NFL games, platforms have been streaming Presidential debates and more and more brands are getting in on the live streaming game. 79% of marketers say they definitely will or might invest in live stream video advertising. That’s huge for technology that was only on the fringes a year ago.

What’s with the hype? Now, live video is mainstream. Users can open Facebook on their phones and immediately be served up live video. Live video has finally achieved scale, and people are embracing it. They watch live streams three times longer and comment ten times more than they do with regular video.

Beyond that platforms are rewarding live streams. Facebook emphasizes live stream content in their algorithm, creating potential for brands to organically reach customers, connect with them in a live and authentic way, and potentially drive preference.