📡 Stickiest social networks; and scrolling.
Welcome to this week’s Pulse!
Hope you had a great week, too! I’ll keep it short this week. Just a big thanks to everyone who replied to the last issue. I really appreciate your kind words.
Now, scroll - but not too fast.
- Ben
📰 News
An explosive report in The New York Times this weekend sheds new light on the apparent targeting of Twitter accounts by “state-sponsored actors” three years ago. This comes in the wake of the confirmed death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Friday, two weeks after he disappeared in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Apple’s next event is in Brooklyn at the end of October, and its invitations have MANY MANY different versions. Here’s what to expect from the event: new iPads and Macs.
YouTube’s mini-player on desktop is finally here, and so is its ‘Subscribe’ button for embedded videos. Better late than never, right? #QualityOfLife
Luxury manufacturer Vertu returns with Aster P smartphones. Watch the video below 👇
Vertu Aster P: Titanium Alloy Frame. Leather-backed. Handmade in England.
🧠 Insights
Stop the Scroll - Credit: Marten Bjork on Unsplash
Creating Social Ads That Drive Awareness, Engagement & Action
Whether new to the industry or building on years of experience, it’s easy for businesses to fall into the trap of employing ineffective social media advertising practices.
Having a strategy for your social media ad campaign is always the key, and according to Sprout Social, the top three most engaging ad content include being entertaining, offering a discount, and teaching something.
Read more on SproutSocial.
Credit: Doug Chayka on The New York Times
A Future Where Everything Becomes a Computer Is as Creepy as You Feared
More than 40 years ago, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft with a vision for putting a personal computer on every desk.
But now, the industry has a new goal: not a computer on every desk nor a connection between every person, but something grander: a computer inside everything, connecting everyone - and that’s creepy as…
Read more on TheNewYorkTimes.
📊 Statistics
Stickiest Social Media Platforms - Credit: Verto Analytics
Which Social Media Platforms Are Most Engaging?
While Snapchat may lack Facebook’s massive user numbers, its efforts to create an engaging app continue to show signs of success. While Facebook’s 69% stickiness still tops the list, Snapchat racks of a 43% stickiness rating, placing it comfortably ahead of larger competitors like Google Hangouts (37% stickiness) and Instagram (35% stickiness).
Read more on VertoAnalytics.
❗️ Stickiness is Verto’s measure of user engagement, comparing daily users to monthly users.
Gen Z & Their Aesthetic Boards - Credit: Pinterest
Generation Z & Their Love for Aesthetic Boards
Gen Z is often referred to as one of the most unique, values-driven generations. They see identity as fluid and care about social impact, with 56% considering themselves socially conscious, according to #Pinterest.
There are over 37 million aesthetic related boards on Pinterest, with Gen Z’ers searching for “aesthetic” 447% more than #Millennials. Through aesthetic boards like witch, grunge and love, Gen Z is finding their identity.
Witch Aesthetic +281%, 3.1X more than millennials
Grunge Aesthetic +262%, 6.3X more than millennials
Love Aesthetic +351%, 2.6X more than millennials
Art Aesthetic +353%, searching 3.3X more than millennials
Writing Aesthetic +241%, searching 7.0X more than millennials
As Gen Z curates these boards to find their inner selves, they provide a unique look into emerging subcultures and passions.
Read more on Pinterest.
Almost 4.2 billion humans are online! - Credit: Hootsuite & WeAreSocial
Q4 2018 Internet Report
The next billion doesn’t seem so far anymore.
Millions of people across Africa and South Asia came online for the first time in the past three months, with almost all of these new users accessing the internet solely via mobile devices.
Read more on TheNextWeb. Download all the slides from SlideShare.
📱 Tools & Apps
Instagram Story Templates by Kapwing.
Isometric Love: Cute isometric objects for designers.
Grammarly for better writing.
🎧 Audio Stimulation
Drown the Noise.
Here’s a playlist with about 9 hours of non-distracting music for you to drown the noise and improve productivity! Listen now.
🎮 Fun Stuff
It’s that spooky time of the year again - and this is a as real as it gets!
Scary AF https://t.co/7Q7KLRL78S
This is not goodbye...
See you next week. In the meantime, remember:
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