The social media behemoth revealed intentions to discontinue Facebook News for users in the US and Australia in early April, underscoring Meta’s continued efforts to disassociate itself from news and political material. Following the company’s removal of the News tab in Germany, France, and the UK last year, this decision was made.
When the News tab was introduced in 2019, it was intended to collect headlines from smaller, local media together with larger, international news sources. This way, users would have a dedicated area on Facebook to read news material. But Meta appears to be strategically moving away from emphasising news and political material on its platforms, based on its recent activities.
News organisations can continue to post and promote their stories and websites on Facebook, just like any other individual or organisation, and users will still be able to read links to news pieces, according to Meta. On the other hand, the News tab will be unavailable.
This move is a part of Meta’s larger strategy to reduce the amount of news and political content on its platforms, which comes after years of criticism for the way it handles false information and worries about how it can exacerbate political polarisation. A representative for Meta, Dani Lever, underlined that this action is consistent with the company’s continuous attempts to modify its strategy for handling political content in response to user input.
“This change does not impact posts from accounts people choose to follow; it impacts what the system recommends, and people can control if they want more,” Lever said. “This announcement expands on years of work on how we approach and treat political content based on what people have told us they wanted.”
Additionally, Meta has made it clear that this move has no bearing on its network for fact-checking and reviewing disinformation. The firm acknowledges that disinformation continues to be a concern, particularly as other elections and the US presidential election get near.
According to Meta, the percentage of users in Australia and the US who use Facebook News decreased by more than 80% in the previous year, despite the fact that news material makes up less than 3% of what users view in their feeds globally.
But for many users, social media sites—especially Facebook and Instagram—remain important places to get news. According to a recent Pew Research study, half of US adults acquire news from social media at least occasionally. The most popular site is Facebook, where three out of ten US adults routinely get news.
As Meta continues to navigate the complexities of content moderation and user preferences, the decision to sunset Facebook News serves as a reflection of the company’s evolving strategy, prioritizing user control and tailoring its approach to political content based on feedback from its user base.
Mark Zuckerberg, the ingenious mind behind Facebook, recently celebrated the platform’s 20th anniversary on February 4th, marking a remarkable journey since its inception in 2004. Over the past two decades, Facebook has grown into a global phenomenon, serving as a cornerstone for connection and communication across the globe.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Zuckerberg took a moment to reflect on this incredible journey, sharing a poignant montage video capturing pivotal moments from Facebook’s evolution. Set to the emotive melody of Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” the clip takes viewers on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, from early snapshots with collaborators like Eduardo Saverin to cherished moments with his wife, Priscilla Chan, and former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg.
However, alongside the celebration of milestones, the anniversary also prompts reflection on the tumultuous chapters in Facebook’s history. The well-documented fallout between Zuckerberg and Saverin, as depicted in the 2010 film “The Social Network,” serves as a reminder of the complexities inherent in entrepreneurship and friendship. Legal disputes over share allocation and fund management further underscore the challenges faced along the way.
Nevertheless, Facebook’s enduring impact cannot be denied. With over 3 billion monthly users as of 2023, the platform continues to experience steady growth under Zuckerberg’s visionary leadership. As Zuckerberg aptly captions, “20 years in. Still at it,” the sentiment reflects an unwavering dedication to innovation and advancement. With Meta, the parent company of Facebook, leading the charge, the future holds boundless possibilities, signaling that the best is yet to come.
In recent times, Meta has undergone a remarkable resurgence following a challenging period, experiencing significant growth in revenue and profits driven by strategic cost-cutting measures. Reports indicate that the company’s stock has reached record highs, surging approximately 20% after Meta’s quarterly results surpassed Wall Street’s expectations. Consequently, co-founder Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth, tied to Facebook, saw an impressive increase of $27.1 billion, now totaling $169.5 billion. This surge catapults him to the position of the fourth wealthiest individual, surpassing even Bill Gates, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
In essence, Facebook’s 20th anniversary not only marks a milestone in the platform’s history but also serves as a testament to the resilience and innovation that have characterized its journey thus far. As the company continues to evolve under the umbrella of Meta, the possibilities for connectivity and technological advancement remain endless, promising an exciting future for users worldwide.
Step into the digital world with confidence as Meta Platforms Inc. leads the charge to protect young users on Instagram and Facebook! Amid growing concerns from lawmakers and parents about the dangers lurking online, Meta is taking decisive action to ensure your teen’s safety.
In a groundbreaking move, Meta is implementing stricter default settings for direct messages, revolutionizing online safety for teens. Say farewell to unwanted messages from strangers or even other teens they don’t follow! Meta’s crackdown ensures your teen’s digital sanctuary remains secure.
But that’s just the beginning of Meta’s commitment to safeguarding teens. Not content with merely pausing unwanted DMs, Meta is empowering parents by requiring approval for teens under 16 (or 18 in select regions) to adjust their DM settings. This hands-on approach puts control firmly back in parents’ hands, enhancing online safety like never before.
This monumental step follows Meta’s journey through tumultuous scandals and legal battles, reaffirming their unwavering dedication to protecting minors online. From whistleblowers to congressional hearings, Meta has weathered it all, emerging stronger and more determined than ever to champion the cause of online protection for minors.
But Meta’s mission doesn’t end there! They’re doubling down on their commitment to teen safety with the introduction of an ingenious feature designed to filter out potentially harmful images from messages. This cutting-edge technology acts as a digital shield, ensuring that your teen encounters only positivity and safety in their online interactions.
As Meta continues to lead the fight for a safer digital space, parents can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their teens are in good hands. Stay tuned as Meta unveils its arsenal of safety measures, transforming social media into a haven where teens can thrive and connect without fear. Your child’s online safety is Meta’s top priority, and they’re leaving no stone unturned in their quest to make it a reality. With Meta by your side, your teen’s digital journey just got a whole lot safer.
In a seismic shake-up within the tech realm, Sheryl Sandberg, the dynamic force behind Meta’s success, has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley with her unexpected departure from the Meta board.
Sheryl Sandberg, the influential force behind Facebook’s digital advertising prowess during her tenure as Meta’s Chief Operating Officer, is embarking on a new journey. Less than two years after bidding adieu to her executive role, Sandberg has announced her departure from Meta’s board, scheduled for May.
In a recent Facebook post, the 54-year-old architect of Facebook’s business model expressed confidence in Meta’s strength and strategic positioning for the future, signaling that the timing is right for her to step away. Despite leaving the board, Sandberg emphasized her continued commitment to the company as an adviser.
Having relinquished her role as Meta’s operations chief in June 2022 after a remarkable 14-year stint, Sandberg, who originally joined Facebook from Google in 2008, remains a pivotal figure in the company’s history. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO and founder, expressed anticipation for “a new chapter together.”
Once the right hand to Zuckerberg, Sandberg weathered numerous controversies during her tenure, including the handling of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the role of the Facebook platform in the 2021 Capitol riot, and persistent concerns about user data mining fueling the platform’s lucrative advertising business, which accounted for 97% of Meta’s $117 billion turnover in 2022.
A Harvard alumna and the author of the influential 2013 feminist manifesto “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead,” Sandberg is not merely a tech executive but a champion for gender equality. Her Lean In Girls charity, spawned from her manifesto, educates teenagers on leadership skills.
As she bids farewell to the Meta board, Sandberg, with a net worth of $1.9 billion, according to Forbes, and a significant history of Meta stock sales, leaves an indelible mark on the company’s trajectory, opening a new chapter in her multifaceted and impactful career.
The Metaverse is in the news a lot right now. If you’re an internet user, you’ve probably seen the term “metaverse” at least once in the past few months. It’s a term associated with a new vision of the internet that was brought to light by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta.
What is Metaverse?
The metaverse is augmented reality or virtual reality that helps make connections. It’s called Web 3.0, which will allow users more autonomy and control over their online creation, identity, digital assets, and more. In the Metaverse, we can literally do whatever we want in our own 3D avatar.
Metaverse is a mixture of two words “meta” which means beyond and towards which is “universe”. The metaverse can be collectively described as the now existing virtual universe or 3D version of the Internet. To give an idea of the metaverse in simple terms, consider the example of a science fiction series or movies such as Player One or Altered Carbon, the metaverse being generally experienced as a “walk-in” digital internet reality. . Only, here the metaverse is not limited to only games, but it will continue indefinitely as in the real world.
It will be in phase with our real world and the “users” of this parallel digital world will no longer have borders. People have now started experimenting with the metaverse and it is changing the meaning of the internet and the virtual space.
How is the Metaverse Changing the Internet World?
The Metaverse is technically a new, advanced infinite version of the internet that allows users to experience virtual reality. Currently, for technophiles, the metaverse is synonymous with nirvana. It is a place in a digital world where your digital avatar can exist and participate in any activity to do. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has made “marriage” a very physical activity, which requires everyone’s virtual presence. In the midst of the pandemic, the couple chose to get married and hold their wedding reception in the metaverse, with all the guests and digital avatars of the bride and groom present and involved in an activity that people usually do at physical weddings or real.
The concept of online shopping has been taken to the next level, with brands such as Balenciaga and Gucci taking their apparel launches and fashion shows to the metaverse. Gucci also designed the pair of digital sneakers for hypebeasts to try out and it was accessible to the masses for a certain amount of money. Metaverse has great monetization potential and takes brand marketing to another level. Clothing brands like American Eagle have already joined the metaverse to push their brand forward. American Eagle has created a virtual space where virtual avatars of people can try on and buy the brand’s clothing.
Similarly, workspaces can be created in the metaverse to give an office vibe to employees working from home. Metaverse is a wealth of opportunities for NFT enthusiasts. People are feeling the wave of opportunity that the popularity of Metaverse brings with it. NFT collectors are flocking to the opportunity to buy or acquire virtual land and space and other collectibles that can fetch big bucks. The metaverse is also contributing to real-time interactions, with people now able to experience things like going to a theme park or watching movies in a virtual space. Concerts by DJ Marshmello and Ariana Grande have already taken place in the Metaverse. The two artists have collaborated with the game company to conduct their concerts in virtual reality.
Social media platforms such as Snapchat, Meta, and Instagram have also reached out to their long-term vision of building the metaverse. They have introduced 3D user avatars which allow users to express themselves in their own way. Through these avatars, users can perform a variety of activities in the virtual space or the social space.
Online games are one of the main and oldest assets of the metaverse. Games are the biggest investors in the Metaverse in virtual reality or augmented reality. Games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and others already give users the metaverse experience, where players all do things in their custom digital avatars and experience things that aren’t possible in the real world. Games are probably the closest to the idea of the Metaverse right now.
Simply put, Metaverse is the successor of internet advancement that will surely change the current internet experience for the next one.
Meta launched 3D avatars on Instagram Stories and Facebook Direct Message (DM) in India on Tuesday. The parent company of Facebook has also introduced updated avatars for Facebook and Messenger with customization options. These avatars feature new facial features that allow users to change their appearance with virtual characters on these platforms. The updated avatar also includes assistive devices for people with disabilities. To move into the metaverse, the company is adding 3D virtual avatars to its platform.
The social media giant through a press release announced the addition of 3D avatars to Instagram Stories and DMs, and the launch of updated 3D avatars on Facebook and Messenger in India. This update allows users to create a virtual version of themselves. With 3D Virtual Avatar, users can choose from multiple options like perfect facial features, body type, clothing style to create their virtual self. Virtual avatars can be used as stickers, news posts, and Facebook profile pictures.
Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships at Meta India, said: “We introduced over a hundredth of combinations when we launched our updated avatars last year. We continue to add more options to give people even more ways to express themselves.
The updated avatar includes new facial shapes and accessories for people with disabilities. These include cochlear implants and hearing aids in different colors. This also includes wheelchairs that will appear in stickers on Facebook, in Messenger chats, and in direct messages on Instagram. The company has also updated the look of avatars to match users’ facial features and appearance. Meta said it has added some options to certain face shapes and skin colors. The company plans to bring more customization options to the Avatar version later this year.
This is how you can create your 3D avatar in Meta, Messenger and Instagram.
-For Meta, open the app and go to its Menu -Scroll down to Avatars and tap “Edit your avatar“
Facebook will offer you many options to customize your Avatar, including dresses, face shapes, eye shapes, hairstyles, etc.
-Customize your Avatar to your liking and create it. -The next step is to share your newly created 3D Avatar -Go to Avatars -Tap the “Share to Feed” option at the bottom -Share your avatar on your feed
For messenger and Instagram, you can do the same thing by tapping on your profile picture and then tapping on “Avatar” and then repeating the steps mentioned above.
This is how you can send stickers of your avatar in Messenger chats:
-Open the messaging app and touch a conversation to open it -Tap the stickers to see your avatar sticker pack. -Choose a sticker you want to send and tap on it to send it.
The year 2020 was not a normal one in any sense. It changed the way we used to see the world around us. With the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic destroying leaps and bounds, it not only affected our lives but our livelihoods too. Businesses ranging from smaller to larger ones faced difficulties. It was the period when many big firms filed for bankruptcy, but not all was dull and gloomy. Every crisis comes with its share of opportunities too, what matters is how well we are prepared for those challenges or we have a rigid outlook towards our lives and business.
It was always believed that digital marketing was the game of the future and will surely have a big impact over the coming decades. What the Covid pandemic has done is that it has acted as a catalyst and it resulted in almost all companies moving digital, the degree of that movement might vary for sure, but it did happen.
The reason why we are calling 2020 a watershed year is because it has trumpeted all our previous conceptions about marketing and advertising. Mainstream media and television advertising or Newspaper ads were believed to be the major source of attracting consumers, and spending on digital media was considered a luxury. But that is not the case now. We will show you with data how that is the case in the next section.
What should the metric be to consider that digital marketing is booming and is the thing not only of the future but also of the present times. The metric is how many customers are interacting with the digital medium now versus what was the number before the pandemic hit. And the number is astounding!
The average share of customer interactions that were digital before Covid was roughly in the zone of 15-20%. So, every 1 out of 5 customers was interacting digitally and guess what, that figure has climbed up like anything. It has gone up to in the range of 55-60%. That means a three times increase in the number and quantum of customers that are interacting digitally. This signifies how important is to have an effective and strong presence online. Digital marketing is one such tool to understand that.
During the times when various industries and sectors were struggling even to cope with normal day-to-day finances and regular cashflows, few sectors boomed up like anything. The one obvious sector is the Pharmaceutical sector, but the one sector that emerged with flying colours is the Technology sector. There were various reasons behind this phenomenon but one of the chief reasons was their understanding of digital tools. In this blog, we will see through data how there has been a jump in their revenues and will compare the pre-covid and post-Covid scenarios we will also see why and how companies are switching to online applications and are making use of this breakthrough technology to propel their business.
We will be seeing the data for the big 4 as they are called to understand how Covid-19 Pandemic has brought a radical shift. The four companies we are going to analyze are Google, Amazon, Facebook (Now called Meta) and Apple – GAFA as they are popularly called at times.
Google
The parent holding company is Alphabet and Google as they say is omnipotent and omnipresent. We are surrounded by products of Google – be it a search engine, web browsers, Maps, etc. Not only these services are offered by Google but they form the bedrock for many other companies too and many startups rely on their mapping services as the base infrastructure. SO how does Google earn money? It is mainly through advertisement and Google ad-sense is one such powerful tool. In this background, Digital marketing becomes very important.
So what was the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Google’s performance? We can sense that it must have increased with more online interactions as we saw previously in the Blog, but how much? And if yes, then with what parameter are we to check that it has increased and by how much? We have tried to keep it as simple as possible so that all our readers can comprehend the importance we are trying to highlight. We have selected the parameter of Annual revenue and have chosen 4 calendar years – 2 of them pre-covid and 2 of them post-covid we will compare the data and see how the performance has been.
As far as Google is concerned, the revenue has been pouring in greatly and that has been made possible because of more users being at home and looking for information and videos and everything related to the pandemic ultimately it resulted in more traffic and more business.
In the year 2018, the annual revenue for Google stood at 137 Billion USD. We are taking this number as the base for our further comparison. In the year 2019, this rose to 161 billion USD, showing a year-on-year(YoY) growth rate of 17.5%.
In the first quarter of 2020, covid-19 hit us on a global scale and companies started adapting to the entire gamut of operations so some fluctuations were anticipated. All the employees had to work from home suddenly, and as expected it had an impact. In 2020, the annual revenue of Google came to 182 billion USD, showing a 13% increase over the previous year, this came at a time when other sectors were struggling and firing people from their jobs in anticipation of lesser revenues and as you are seeing, Google posted revenue of more than 182 billion USD. The most critical part is coming now, the year 2021 which will show the real impacts of the pandemic how things started to stabilize a bit and how the increased participation of users and their interactions resulted in. Were they mere interactions or it resulted in growth in revenue too? And it did beyond leaps and bounds.
For the year 2021, Google posted annual revenue of a whopping 258 billion USD, an increase of 41% increase over the year 2020. And just for understanding the nature of growth and to gauge the quantum of the jump, in the year 2018 where the annual revenue was 137 billion USD, it increased to 258 billion USD in 2021, once the pandemic started to settle a bit and that’s an increase of 60% in the revenue numbers. Now, we hope you can appreciate the potential of digital marketing and how that can result in great revenue and benefits.
This is not only limited to Google and it was no outlier, the next we are seeing is Facebook, which is now re-named, Meta.
Meta
Facebook has been one of the most used social media platforms, and now the group owns Instagram and WhatsApp too. Facebook also earns almost all of its revenue through advertisement only, so how was it impacted during covid-19. It will be a nice indicator of how the online traffic that increased resulted in more ad revenue and turn overall revenue for this technology giant based out of the United States.
In 2018, Facebook as it was called then, posted annual revenue of around 56 billion USD. And in 2019, it rose to around 71 billion USD, this was the normal year and in that it showed a promising growth rate of 26%. In 2020, the pandemic’s peak year in terms of impact, it posted annual revenue of 85 billion USD, and as we saw with Google too, the annual YoY growth rate dipped a bit and it was 21%, but the year 2021 was one of the best for Facebook in terms of revenue, at least. The social media giant posted annual revenue of 119 billion USD for the year 2021, and it showed an increase of 38% over the previous year. And when we try to see the performance of Meta as a company from the pre-covid year to the post-covid year, it has risen beyond expectations. Meta has shown an amazing 68% rise in revenue from the year 2018.
Now we know you have your jaw-dropping and is appreciating of the magic of digital marketing. But hold back on your seats, we have 2 major giants to look over – Apple and Amazon.
Apple
Apple as we know it from the times of Steve Jobs – the great marketing genius. Apple is known for its quality products and services and it has been operational in a number of countries ranging across continents. It has a premium segment and let’s see how it has fared in the last 4 years which comprises both pre-covid and post-covid.
In the year 2018, Apple had annual revenue of around 266 billion USD, one of the greatest compared to its peers. Apple is known to be one of the most profitable tech giants in terms of annual revenue it posts. In 2019, due to some hiccups, it went down to 260 billion USD. But since then in the last 2 years of a covid-19 pandemic, it has never looked back, with demands for both PCs and desktops and other devices increasing and companies requiring more devices for their employees working from home and in general too.
In 2020, Apple posted annual revenue of more than 275 billion USD and in 2021, just the last year it rose to 366 billion USD. The results speak for themselves and as they say, when numbers speak, everybody listens. Apple saw an increase in revenue from 266 billion USD to 366 billion USD, an increase of around 100 billion USD with a growth percentage of roughly 40% from 2018.
Amazon
Now the last tech giant which we are looking into is the e-commerce king – Amazon. How has pandemic affected the business and operations of Amazon is interesting to see.
In 2018, Amazon posted annual revenue of 66 billion USD, in 2019 this number rose to 75 billion USD. Now comes the ravaging pandemic, and in the next two years, Amazon posted annual revenue of 105 billion USD in 2020 and 127 billion USD in 2021. The difference is for everyone to see and ponder the difference technology is creating and the business is not as usual as before.
We have seen the difference in the revenue of the big 4 technology giants to understand how the pandemic has created a land shift moment and it can not be random right? If all the big technology giants are doing phenomenally well. So how this is happening, this has happened mainly because of increased traffic over the Internet and not just traffic, the understanding that more traffic can be converted to more engagement and more revenue. There lies the potential of digital marketing as one of the most powerful tools that companies and startups can use to propel themselves in this world of ever-growing opportunities.
In the social media savvy world, business entities have realized the importance of social media advertising to engage their target audience. Facebook is one of the widely used social media platform all across the globe.
Facebook in-stream ads allow the user to deliver videos adverts to people watching videos on Facebook. These adverts only appear on mobile devices and only after 60 seconds of the main video content.
This ad placement allows advertisers to deliver 5 to 15 second non-skipping, mid-roll video adverts to people who are already watching Facebook videos on a mobile device. Advertisers can choose their target audience for in-stream video ads. These customer-based adverts enable viewers of the same video to see different ads in sync with their preferences. Ads only appear on mobile devices and only after 60 seconds of the main video content.
In-stream Ads Eligibility
To qualify for facebook in-stream ads, you must:
1. Approve and comply with partner monetization policies. 2. Post from a page (not a profile) with at least 10,000 followers. 3. Generate at least 30,000 1-minute views on videos that are at least 3 minutes long in the last 60 days. 4. Be at least 18 years old.
Well-placed in-stream ads can have a positive impact on your payouts. There are two options for including adverts in your videos. You can choose your own placements or select automatic placements to have adverts included in natural breaks in your content and amplify your earnings.
Automatic Placement:
Facebook automatically digs our perfect placements for ads by analyzing for natural breaks in the content. This works best when the videos have natural 1 to 2 second pause and is meant to provide viewers best possible experience. It also helps to save time and improve payouts.
You can choose automatic placements at page or video level and enable it on your backlog of eligible videos in Page settings or Creator studio and this will include ads in eligible videos uploaded in past 30 days.
Manual Placement:
Decide where you want to include your ad. If multiple placements is selected, viewers will see adverts in different places, based on what they last watched an ad. Include adverts in places that will not heckle you mid-speech, mid-sentence or mid-scene. This will create poor audience experience.
It is recommended that one follows Facebook to adjust the in-stream ad point when opting for manual placement. Facebook will move it up and down per 10 seconds to provide the best user experience. Just select the box, ‘Automatically adjust in-stream ad placements to enhance the viewer experience’.
When optimizing your videos for in-stream ads, ensure that you are developing the content that allures your target audience and carve them to watch more. Videos need to be 3 minutes or longer and should contain natural breaks or close call per minute or 5 to 6 minute mark.
