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In the News   

Hot Off the Press 

• WhatsApp Delays Privacy Policy Update in Order to Further Address User Concerns
  • In a rare deviation from its strategic plan, Facebook has announced that it will delay a planned update to both the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for WhatsApp, after users raised significant concerns as to how the change would impact their personal data and information.
• Google’s Fitbit Acquisition is Official
  • Following regulatory scrutiny on both sides of the pond, Google announced that it has completed its acquisition of wearables pioneer Fitbit. As part of the deal, Google agreed to not use Fitbit data for ads for 10 years — which the Commission reserved the rights to extend by another 10 years. Google also agreed to maintain third-party developer access to Android APIs, in order to maintain some competition.
• Instagram’s Testing an Option to Unhide Total Like Counts on Posts
  • According to a new discovery by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Instagram’s currently testing a new option which would enable users to hide or unhide like counts on their posts. That would enable users to display their total like counts for each post once again, which Instagram removed for most users back in 2019 as part of an initiative to support audience wellbeing.
    
• Snapchat Wants You to Post. They’re Willing to Pay Millions
  • Similar to TikTok and other TikTok-inspired apps and features including Instagram Reels, Spotlight is a stream of endlessly updating content (or, more precisely, an algorithmically curated feed of vertical videos). The same things that are popular on TikTok are popular on Spotlight: dancing videos, prank videos, challenges and tutorials. The primary difference on Spotlight is the absence of public like counts or comments. And when videos go viral, the creator makes money, even if they are not influencers.
• What Social Networks Can Learn from Public Spaces 
  • In the aftermath of the Great Deplatforming of the past week, we’ve seen a thoughtful debate over the power and limits of taking away a person’s ability to post online. It’s a blunt but powerful tool for punishing people who would use your platform to incite violence or commit other crimes. But building healthy, happy communities requires much more than removing their worst users.
• Inside Clubhouse, the invite-only voice social network taking Silicon Valley by storm 
  • Clubhouse might still be in beta, but it is already being touted as the next big thing in social media. After wooing Silicon Valley, the iOS-only app exploded in India last week. Learn what it is, how to get an invite and what to do once you’re inside.
• LinkedIn Launches Free Advertising Courses on LinkedIn Marketing Labs
  • Learn more about best practices and how to leverage LinkedIn’s Advertising Platform by heading over to LinkedIn Marketing Labs. LinkedIn has launched six new courses, organized into Basic and Intermediate learning paths, to help advertisers gain the skills they need to achieve their marketing goals on LinkedIn.

Creativity 

Out of the Box 

• Top 25 Books to Unleash Your Creative Potential
  • Books have the power to uncover worlds we never knew existed. Whether they speak directly about creativity or not, books are a gem trove of motivation and inspiration just waiting to be tapped. Take a look at this list of creative books for creative people that are sure to ignite the imagination.
• These 3 Cognitive Biases Can Kill Innovation
  • The biggest myth about innovation is that it’s about ideas. It’s not. It’s about solving problems. Nobody cares your ideas; they care about the problems you can solve for them. If you find a meaningful problem, the ideas will come. The problem with ideas is that so many of them are bad.
• The Marketer of 2021
  • What skills will marketers need to hone to thrive in 2021? Learn how 100 industry professionals from organizations like Monster, Publicis, and Amnesty are adapting as we head into the new year. 58% of marketers said not having the right idea is a major issue. Looks like we all need to make time for creative thinking.

• Funny Tweets & Social Media Examples from 17 Real Brands
  • There are quite a few factors that go into what makes a brand “followable” in social media. Think about it from the follower’s perspective: Why do you choose to ‘Like’ or follow certain brands on social networks like Facebook and Twitter? It could be because they share valuable, educational content that appeals to your interests and needs. Or it could be that they give you access to exclusive deals, coupons, or other promotions. Or maybe they’re just fun to be around.

Tricks of the Trade 

Tips and Tricks 

• How to Create an Effective LinkedIn Marketing Strategy in 2021 [Infographic]
  • Seems simple enough by now, not everyone knows how to make LinkedIn work for them. As one of the most important B2B social media platforms, it is important that we figure it out.
• The 21 Best Instagram Marketing Tips for 2021 (Cheat Sheet)
  • With an advertising audience of more than 16 billion people, Instagram offers dramatic reach for brands. 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business. And it’s not just consumer products that benefit. More than 36% of B2B decision-makers use Instagram when researching new products or services.

• 21 Influencers Share Top Tips for 2021 Digital Marketing
  • 2020 was anything but predictable. But what can we learn and apply to our digital marketing and communications strategies in 2021? Here’s how 21 influencers answer this question: What one piece of marketing advice would you offer to brands as we head into the new year?   

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