Welcome back to The Weekly Download! Our team took a brief hiatus to celebrate the holidays and unwind before 2021, but we’re back this week with another digital marketing roundup! In the headlines this week
Social media channels issue user bans following U.S. Capitol violence, Forrester predicts critical business and technology trends in 2021, Facebook deemphasizes likes for creator and influencer Pages, and Friday Fun that’s too cute to miss.
Social Media Platforms Ban Trump Following Storming of U.S. Capitol
Following a violent insurrection and attempted coup at the U.S. capitol Wednesday, some social media platforms have indefinitely banned America’s outgoing president.
https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10112681480907401
According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, this ban is “indefinite,” but will last at least two weeks until President-elect Joe Biden takes office. According to Zuckerberg, while the move is unprecedented, it’s entirely necessary to ensure the “peaceful power of transition.”
As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C., we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy. https://t.co/k6OkjNG3bM
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 7, 2021
Twitter also locked Trump’s access to the platform as a result of “repeated and severe violations” of the company’s Civic Integrity policy.
Many argue that the action comes too little, too late; social media has been a key tool used by the president to disperse harmful disinformation for years.
Forrester Releases 2021 Predictions
After a whirlwind year of ups and downs, many of us are wondering: what’s to come in 2021?
2021 will be the year that every company doubles down on #technology-fueled experiences, operations, products, and ecosystems. Download our 2021 Predictions: https://t.co/G3tW781GKX #ForrPredictions
— Forrester (@forrester) November 2, 2020
According to Forrester, “top companies will cultivate resilience, creativity, customer-obsession, and adaptability. On the tech front, every company — not just the 15% of firms that were already digitally savvy — will double down on technology-fueled experiences, operations, products, and ecosystems.”
Download the report in full here.
Facebook Launches Updated Pages for Public Figures and Creators
Launched this week, Facebook’s latest update affects creators and public figures. The update provides more management options and engagement insights, and also encourages users to follow a Page instead of liking it.
Greater emphasis on following rather than liking means Facebook can provide a more accurate snapshot of each creator’s or influencer’s relevance on the platform, with metrics now showing the total number of people who have actually chosen to get Page updates.
While the update only affects creators and public figures for now, it could be a hint of what’s to come for Pages across the broader platform.
Friday Fun
Your Newest Instagram Obsession: @TheBabyAndTheBody
This insta-mom recreates her model brother’s photos with a little help from her son – and the results are too cute:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_NE2G2BFK2/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Sty_zBDHh/