The consumer tech industry is being increasingly shaped by social
apps, particularly on mobile devices. While tech in general can be a
fast moving current, the world of social is in changing in a way that
can be overwhelming. This is because social media is shaped by human
communication, and human innovation as the source of content will always
be a catalyst for change. Also, social is the domain of younger people,
as a leading indicator for many of the relevant social networks of the
future. They can be a funnel for advertising dollars, which again, is a
big driver for change. Here is a collection of some of the latest trends
and developments from the world of social and mobile apps.
Instagram Bolt
Facebook
is starting to appear quite desperate to create an app that rivals the
stickiness of new entrant Snapchat. Their latest effort is via one of
their acquisitions, Instagram. Instagram Bolt is currently being rolled
out in a limited set of geographic markets, but it boasts a number of
features that make its targeting of Snapchat quite clear.
Will this latest effort be the app that moves into Snapchat’s space?
VK.com: The Company That’s Beating Facebook
Another
area of Facebook’s struggles are in the challenging and unique Russian
market. The story of Facebook in Russia is a textbook case of the first
mover advantage in the world of social networks. A company that is
roughly double the size of Facebook in Russia is one that few people
outside the country have heard of: VK.com. But with Russians being one
of the most engaged social media audiences in the world, it is a site
that should not be ignored by the tech industry.
Facebook’s Internet.org Initiative
Despite
some isolated struggles, Facebook is also experiencing some triumphs.
Not content to rest on the laurels of a billion users, Facebook has
launched an initiative to address the needs of the poorest 4 billion
people in the world who don’t have access to the Internet. While there
may be other far more pressing issues facing the world’s poorest people,
Internet.org, a Facebook initiative is looking to at least level the
playing field of information. Most recently the organization launched a
mobile app in Zambia that offers users free access to the Internet. And
there is the promise of much more to come.
Snapchat Stories and Marketing
Snapchat
appears to be the social app that is gaining the most media attention
of late, and it is because it is engaging with young people at a time
when Facebook is losing its teenage users. Snapchat recently lunched a
feature called Snapchat Stories, which has transformed the app into a
service that can create audiences and engagement in the same way as
Twitter and Facebook. This shift has caused Snapchat to become the
platform for a number of power users that engage their audiences with
branding partners. Snapchat represents an early, growing opportunity for
brand engagement with a very sought after market: teens.
The Rise of Snapchat Clones
The
popularity of Snapchat has given rise to many, many clones. Not just
Facebook, in the form of Instagram Bolt, but with large tech companies
like Apple. Why has this little messaging app with what seems like a bug
as its main feature created such a stir among its competition? It may
have something to do with the introduction of constraints into the
creative process. Find out more about the ripples that Snapchat has sent
through the tech industry, and whether any of the new, competing
offerings are poised to take over.
source: about.com
