Welcome back to the Weekly Buzz, where we walk you through the week’s biggest headlines in digital marketing and beyond.
On today’s agenda: Meta and Amazon introduce a new seamless shopping experience just in time for the holiday season; a prominent LGBTQ+ group says goodbye to Twitter/X over platform safety concerns; LinkedIn phases out carousel posts and other features; and we’re ending things with some Friday Fun.
Let’s dive in!
Meta teams up with Amazon for seamless in-app shopping experience on Facebook and Instagram
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has partnered with Amazon to bring a new shopping experience to social media users. This collaboration allows customers in the United States to seamlessly connect their Facebook or Instagram accounts with their Amazon account. Once linked, users can shop for select products advertised on these social platforms and check out using their Amazon payment information without leaving the Facebook or Instagram app.
Users can access real-time pricing, Prime eligibility, delivery estimates, and product details on specific Amazon product ads on Facebook and Instagram. This streamlined approach enhances the convenience of online shopping.
But consumers aren’t the only ones who win—this partnership benefits both Meta and Amazon. Meta gains valuable data from Amazon, enabling better ad targeting and optimization. It allows Meta to tailor ads and product pages based on user information, such as Prime membership status, ensuring a personalized shopping experience. Additionally, this collaboration bypasses challenges related to Apple’s App Tracking Transparency policy, creating a closed-loop performance engine.
This arrangement opens up new avenues for transactions on large discovery platforms for Amazon. While Amazon has experimented with its own social apps like Spark and Inspire, this partnership with Meta provides a substantial user base, leveraging Facebook and Instagram’s extensive reach.
The timing of this collaboration is notable as TikTok, a significant player in social media, has also ventured into e-commerce with TikTok Shop. With TikTok’s growing influence, Meta’s partnership with Amazon signifies a strategic move to compete in the evolving social commerce landscape.
The Trevor Project leaves Twitter/X over concerns of increased hate and lack of moderation
The Trevor Project, a prominent LGBTQ suicide prevention organization, has decided to close its account on X, formerly Twitter, due to rising hate and vitriol targeting the queer community on the platform.
The organization, dedicated to suicide prevention and 24/7 counselling for young LGBTQ individuals dealing with mental health challenges, cited Twitter/X’s diminished commitment to content moderation as a significant factor contributing to an unsafe environment for LGBTQ youth.
The Trevor Project has made the decision to close its account on X.
— The Trevor Project (@TrevorProject) November 9, 2023
Read our full statement here. pic.twitter.com/3rWt6Xfz1S
Online hate has a tangible negative impact on the mental health of LGBTQ young people, and the Trevor Project’s decision reflects its commitment to protecting this vulnerable community. Despite concerns about hate proliferating in its absence, the organization believes suspending its account is the right course of action.
The Trevor Project will maintain its presence on other mainstream social networks like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Under Elon Musk’s leadership, Twitter/X has rolled back several moderation policies, including those designed to protect LGBTQ individuals, leading to the departure of significant accounts from the platform over the past year. The Trevor Project’s exit reflects the challenges posed by the platform’s evolving content moderation policies.
LinkedIn phases out carousel posts, profile videos, and in-image links
LinkedIn has announced the removal of carousel posts, profile videos, and its in-image linking option, with these changes taking effect starting December 14th, 2023. This move also includes the removal of previously posted carousels and the deactivation of in-image links. Users who embedded clickable links within images or videos will find that these links will no longer work. However, content will remain, and external links can still be shared in post descriptions.
The decision to remove these options was initially communicated in June and is believed to be driven by limited user interest. Carousel posts, in particular, had gained popularity for generating engagement among many LinkedIn users. While these native posting options will be removed, users can still create carousels through a workaround process involving uploading PDFs with each page representing a separate slide.
Profile videos, introduced in 2021, and clickable links in images, added in August of the previous year, are among the features being phased out. LinkedIn has provided a deadline of December 11th for users who wish to request a copy of their profile video or files from their carousel posts. These changes are essential for users to consider when planning their LinkedIn content strategy.
Friday Fun
POV: It’s your first time seeing snow 🥹
@peterandmarie @PETER ROCK CBM. Seeing snow for the first time in Canada 🇨🇦❄️🥶 #firstsnow #seeingsnowforfirsttime #ugandanincanada #canadawinterlife #interracialfamily ♬ original sound – Peter & Marie 🇺🇬🇨🇦
