101 News Podcast Season 2 Episode 3
Welcome back to the 101 NEWS podcast, the podcast within a podcast bringing you the latest news and updates from the Marketing world.
If you haven’t subscribed already, then what are you doing? Our fortnightly podcast is the one-stop shop for all things social and marketing.
Our main podcast also has a lot of content covering some fantastic tips, hacks and other bits to help you accelerate your strategy.
This week, we will be covering the latest on the US TikTok ban, Meta’s AI Influencers and the lowdown on paid social media ads.
Updates on the US TikTok Ban
The latest in the US TikTok ban is that Joe Biden is waiting to sign a bill that gives Chinese owners, ByteDance a mere 9 months to sell their stakes. If they fail to do so, TikTok will be banned in the US.
It could take several years before the app is blocked in the US, as legal action from ByteDance, likely to the Supreme Court, would delay the process. The new legislation allows the company nine months to sell TikTok, with an additional three-month grace period.
There is also the small matter of who would be able to buy and operate it – the price would likely be in the tens of billions – meaning there would be few potential buyers. If it is not sold in time, the app could then be blocked in the country – the US says this is because it is concerned TikTok could be used to spy on Americans or to spread propaganda.
We will, of course, keep you posted with updates as and when they arise.
Meta’s AI Influencers
Meta’s latest brainwave is virtual chatbot versions of famous people and influencers. September 2023 saw Meta unveiling an in-stream chatbot experience, enabling users to interact with AI bots who replied ‘in the style’ of various celebrities.
Fast forward to now, and they have revealed that they’re looking to expand this initiative by enabling IG influencers to create their own AI bot of themselves.
According to the New York Times, this technology aims to enable creators with larger followings to interact with fans, whilst decreasing the amount of work required to personally respond to messages and comments. Do you think this is a good initiative? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
The Lowdown on Paid Ads
A lot of people unfamiliar with paid social ads may have a love-hate relationship with the phenomenon. Advertising to the masses on social media sounds like a fool-proof idea, but navigating the world of paid ads can sometimes seem near impossible.
The crucial thing to keep in mind if you plan on creating some social media ads, is that results are not instant. Many people fall at the first hurdle thinking that their ads will lead to more sales and engagement straight from the bat, but this isn’t the case.
Paid socials do work, but they need time to marinate. With paid ads, You can gain more website traffic, generate new email sign-ups and direct people to a specific product or service all through social media ads. The most popular and used platform to advertise on is Facebook and Instagram, with the umbrella term being called ‘Meta Ads’.
To ensure you’re reaching the right audiences, paid socials let you define your audience (or they will create one for you based on your current following/engagement).
If paid social is something you’re interested in dabbling in, head over to our blog where we extensively cover the ins and outs of social media advertising. Better yet, get in touch with an expert (we’d be more than happy to help).
Meme of the Week
This week’s meme of the week is dedicated to a painting called The Advocate, painted by French artist Honore-Victorin Daumier. It depicts an advocate arguing his case before the judge, whilst his client expresses a feeling of being unabashed and defiant – smirking and smiling.
It has gone viral on TikTok, with users sharing funny captions in the form of photo slides (the first slide being a “Your honour, *insert crime committed here*” and the second slide showing the smirking client, admitting to the crime.
That concludes this week’s roundup!
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I have been Ren, and you can hang out with me directly on Instagram at renslavin – otherwise, we’ll catch you in a fortnight.
