Welcome to another week where we recap some of the big headlines in the world of social media.
Facebook announces changes to its ads manager
Businesses can always do with more insight into Facebook‘s measurement tools and metrics. So, starting this week, Facebook will start to label some of its metrics in Ads Manager, providing more clarity on how they are calculated. The new labels – displaying whether a metric is “estimated or in development” – will now appear as tooltips as part of the Ads Manager reporting table, but also in the customise column selector. They will be available to view on all ads that run on Facebook, Instagram, and Audience Network.
The recent Facebook Business announcement explains the difference between the two metric types.
“Estimated metrics” are those that “are calculated based on sampling or modeling. They can provide guidance for outcomes that are hard to precisely quantify.” Reach is ago old example of such a metric.
On the other hand, metrics in development might be new and/or in testing. They “evolve” as Facebook improves its “ad products and measurement methodologies.” When Facebook launches new ad features it needs metrics to test. These will “determine how to provide the best insights.”
Finally, Facebook will be removing around 20 ad metrics, in July, that marketers have said are “redundant, outdated, not actionable or infrequently used.” Social reach for example – As a metric, it doesn’t “meaningfully” differ from reach. Also, it doesn’t actually indicate a business outcome. Therefore, Facebook is removing the metric altogether.Here, You can find a full list of all the metrics that will be removed.
Twitter launches Twitter bookmarks, an easy way to save and share tweets
Twitter is a (very) busy platform. Our timelines are packed with news, articles and interesting bits of information, and it can quickly become overwhelming. Oftentimes, there is no time to go deeper, click or even read a tweet. So the company is introducing Twitter Bookmarks, its own take on a ‘Save for later’ button.
Twitter Bookmarks will now be part of the list of options you can take on a tweet, directly from your main feed. Simply tap the share icon under the tweet and select, “Add Tweet to Bookmarks”. The Tweet is automatically added to your new “Bookmarks” folder, located behind your profile icon menu. You can view, share and remove tweets from your Twitter Bookmarks menu at any time. And only you can see what you have bookmarked, no-one else.
Twitter announces new measures against automated spam accounts
Following the indictment of 13 people and three businesses for their role in the interference of the US elections, Twitter announced new measures to keep its platform safe and free from spam.
In January, the company announced that it would be making changes to its TweetDeck tool and the Twitter API, limiting the ability of users to coordinate actions across accounts. The changes were announced as part of its Information Quality efforts to ensure it stays “ahead of malicious activity targeting the crucial conversations taking place on Twitter — including elections in the United States and around the world.”
Now, Twitter is sharing further information about these changes and how developers should comply with them in their third-party apps.
Third-party apps should not (and should not allow their users to) “simultaneously post identical or substantially similar content to multiple accounts.” For example, it should not allow a user to select multiple accounts to publish a Tweet. Similarly, applications that “coordinate activity across multiple accounts” to “post Tweets with a specific hashtag” are prohibited. This applies to all Tweets, whether published all-at-once, or scheduled.Twitter still allows one account to Retweet content from another, but – as Twitter notes – “this should only be done from a small number of distinct accounts that you directly control.” Thus, “bulk, aggressive, or very high-volume automated Retweeting is not permitted.” Twitter’s Automation Rules prohibit this, and any such action by be “subject to enforcement actions.”
Third-party apps should not (and should not allow their users to) “simultaneously perform actions such as Likes, Retweets, or follows from multiple accounts.” For example, it should not allow a user to select a specific account to be followed by multiple accounts under his/her control.
Cross-posting outside information (like weather alerts or RSS feeds) is still allowed, but only to one account controlled by a user. Twitter explains that “applications that broadcast or share weather, emergency, or other public service announcements of broad community interest” – i.e. earthquake or tsunami alerts – are still permitted to post this content on multiple accounts.
Facebook tests automatic creation on events pages from posts
Don’t you just hate it when you have to fill in all those boring fields every time you want to create an event on your Facebook Page? Yes, I know you know that feeling. We all know that feeling. It seems Facebook feels you too – or at least it wants to encourage Page Admins to create more events. Yes, that’s probably more like it. Either way, Facebook is now testing a feature that makes event-creation a breeze.
The way it works is pretty simple. As a Page admin, you post as you normally would. Facebook then takes dates, times, and other information from your post, and creates an event for you. You can then review the event to make sure all is good, and boom! You’ve got an event that people will be reminded of if they show interest in it. It is unclear if all Pages currently have the feature, or when it will be rolled out more widely.