Social networking giant Twitter is set to provide advertising for brands based on TV ad targeting. The ad targeting will allow brands to view analytics highlighting what time and in what location the brands TV ad aired.

The feature, which is only available in the US, was developed through Twitter’s purchase of Bluefin Labs that tracks TV ads. The social platform is targeting the TV ad market as new figures show that last year 32 million users in the US tweeted about TV programming.

Twitter also launched it’s service Twitter Amplify this week, which already works with organisations such as BBC America, FOX, Fuse, The Weather Channel, and Bloomberg.

Amplify will put adverts into users news feeds that will link ads on TV to promotions on Twitter. Currently over 64 percent of users are watching TV while using Twitter.

Source: Digital Trends.

Social network Twitter has introduced new security features for accounts following hacks on high profile accounts such as the Associated Press, The Onion and E! Online.

The site has introduced a two-factor authentication feature for users to login. Twitter will send an SMS to users with a code that has to be entered after entering their password.

This feature is reported to be similar to other two-factor authentication systems such as Google. Users can use this feature by enabling it on their account settings. The feature requires users to have a confirmed email address and a verified phone number.

Apps that users have linked with their Twitter will need a one-time password that is on Twitter’s application page.

Source: Mashable.

BBC 2 and Channel 4 have suffered poor ratings after changes to corporation schedules.

BBC2’s all-hours audience share for the year to date is down to 5.3%, from 6.5% for the same period in 2012.

In the first four months of 2013, Channel 4’s share of total UK viewing dropped to 6.0%, compared with 6.8% during the same time period last year.

Figures reveal that the number of young people tuning in to Channel 4 has dropped too. The station is putting the loss in ratings down to the fact that hit shows such as Homeland and Big Fat Gypsy Wedding specials aired in early 2012.

BBC 1’s decision in January to  ditch afternoon children’s programmes and replace them with daytime shows previously broadcast on BBC2 has also had an impact on ratings. The BBC2 afternoon schedule is now made up of repeats.

It is not yet known what audience share targets Channel 4’s executives have been set for 2013 but they hope autumn programming will improve ratings.

Source: The Guardian

Image: Elevation Networks

The smartphone is a powerful tool that can be used for creating great content for engagement between your business and its customers.

Some of the top brands out there are already using their smartphones to create content to share with their customers on social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine.

Here are the top five tips for creating content on your smartphone.

1. Sharing moments.

Great content for engagement with customers can often come from the basic routine of work such as opening the store in the morning, organising events and talking with employees. Your smartphone allows you to share this with your customers in real time.

2. Sharing stories.

Smartphone users can read interesting articles all the time and bookmark them to share at different times. This can be useful for businesses who want to share articles that customers might find interesting at certain times depending on their product. Smartphones also allow users to share this content easily as most websites can connect with Facebook and Twitter.

3. Sharing audio.

Users can now use their smartphones to record excellent audio to create great content that customers can engage with such as podcasts. Most app stores have several apps that allow users to record, edit and share their audio from their smartphone to their social networks.

4. Sharing videos.

Social networking sites like YouTube and apps such as Vine have made it even easier for smartphone users to create and share great video content with customers. These videos can become part of your businesses marketing campaign and can be shared across your social networks. Your smartphone can also be used with Skype and Google+ to have video conference calls with other employees and customers.

5. Sharing Photos.

Social networks such as Facebook and Google+ have been developing their platforms to highlight users photos because of the amount of engagement they get. Apps such as Instagram have also increased the amount of images being shared. Large brands from the food, motor and fashion industry have all used these platforms to engage with their customers. The tools and the apps on users smartphones makes creating and sharing this content with customers easy for businesses.

If you want to use your smartphone to create amazing content. Then check out Smart Phone Media Maker – How to Create Great Digital Stories here.

Source: Engagement Marketing.

Struggling internet pioneer, Yahoo, has acquired social microblogging site Tumblr for $1.1 billion (cash) in a bid to revitalise the brand.

The combination of the two companies is expected to grow Yahoo’s audience by 50 percent to more than one billion monthly visitors, and to grow traffic by approximately 20 percent.

Tumblr currently has more than 300 million monthly unique visitors and 120,000 signups every day.

The deal has upset many of Tumblr’s loyal fans, fearing the takeover will lessen the ‘cool’ factor associated with the trendy site. However, Yahoo CEO Marisa Mayer promises  ‘not to screw it up’ and says Tumblr founder, David Karp, will remain as CEO.

Source: Wall Street Journal, Irish Examiner

Image: Mac Observer

Content sharing social network Pinterest has teamed up with brands using it’s service to provide more information on pinned products.

The site, which is known for it’s photo-sharing, has added a feature to its service that gives more information on pins instead of just linking the content to it’ source.

Brands such as eBay, Target, Sony and Netflix have all used this new feature by adding information such as product price and reviews. This upgrade to the site makes it easier for users to navigate through pins of interest, while allowing brands to advertise product information.

A new logo appears on pins that have been posted by brands. Pinterest have also launced a new feature on it’s mobile service that allows users to pin content from mobile apps.

Source: Mashable.

Google has announced 41 new features to it’s social network Google+, which will include developments to the stream, photos and Hangouts.

The social network now has 190 million active users according to Google and has developed cross-platform single sign-on for it’s desktop and mobile app. Users can also use hashtags, which are automatically added to posts, to follow different conversations.

The Google+ stream has been redesigned to focus on photos and videos. It has also added animated features such as sliding menus. The stream now appears in up to three columns depending on the screen.

The social network has introduced an automatic back up feature for photos taken on mobile devices with 15 GB available for users to store photos. Google+ also enhances the brightness, contrast, saturation, and focus of users photos, which can be undone by users.

Google has launched it’s Google Hangouts app that allows users to make free video calls. The app also has a stream for each conversation that users have.

Source: Tech News World.

Twitter’s Vine app is quickly becoming one of the most popular social tools for marketers to reach social audiences with unusual campaigns as five Vines are shared every second on Twitter.

New research  has revealed that Vine’s branded 6-second clips that loop are shared four times more often than branded internet videos. Brands from the media, fashion, sport, charity and music industry are all using Vine to share their campaigns on social media.

The research also found that 4% of the top 100 shared Vines compared to 1% of the top 100 shared viral online videos were made by brands.

Check out the brands using Vine here.

Source: Adweek.

Internet giant Google has launched it’s new Google Hangouts app that will enable users to have SMS style streamed chats across PC, tablet and mobile.

The face-recognition video messaging service was only available on app through the Google+ app. The service allows users to add up to 10 people to a chat, while sharing the screen.

The text stream feature of Google Hangouts also has video and photo sharing in it’s chat service. Chats are now integrated across all of Google’s platforms as chats in Google Hangout also appear in users Gmail window.

Photos that are shared in Google chats stay in the stream of the chat enabling users to find their photos quickly through chats they had with other users. Google Hangouts also allow users on the iPhone app to switch between video and chat.

Source: Mashable.

Canadian astronaut Commander Hadfield, who has become a huge success on social micro-blogging site Twitter, is set to return from the International Space Station.

Hadfield has gained over 770,000 followers on Twitter from posting images of different parts of the world from space on the social platform over his five months in charge of the ISS.

The astronaut has also posted what is thought to be the first ever music video recorded in space. Hadfield recorded a version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity, while playing his guitar in the zero-gravity space station.

The video, which was mixed by Hadfield and the Canadian Space Agency, was tweeted by Cmdr Hadfield, before he left the ISS.

If you want to create great social content check out our course Smart Phone Media Maker – How to Create Great Digital Stories here.

Source: The Telegraph.