#but the algorithms continue to feed me content that brings it out

[sophsicle]

imagine going to bat for a billionaire. embarrassing.

[violet-moonstone]

ranting about internet "media literacy" -- started angry but mellowed out as I continued writing:

highly tempted to start writing dark romance and monster romance to piss off the growing amount of people who feel the need to proclaim their judgments about stories that are obviously meant to be outrageous fantasies and not models for realistic or healthy relationships

cannot imagine being so boring that you think everyone's fantasies have to be safe and sanitized

sounds miserable

remember when there was a moral panic about violent video games? and how we collectively looked back on that and said "wow that's wild. clearly the issue is either with kids playing games they're not old enough to play, or with people in general not being adequately taught how to recognize and avoid emulating harmful behaviours they see in media. surely censoring media isn't the solution, but good education and proper parenting is."

and then remember how we decided to forget all of that and do the exact same thing with books?

if you are concerned about readers not having adequate media literacy and being easily affected by what the they read, then address the media literacy instead of just complaining about the fact that there are books with things in them that you don't like! show people how to recognize harmful tropes so that (if they want to) they can still engage in them without unconsciously normalizing harmful behaviour.

to me, reading dark fiction is like riding a rollercoaster. It's a simulation of a dangerous experience without the actual risk (assuming the ride has been built and maintained properly) -- the vast majority of people don't want to be flung into the air without any safety precautions -- so we make sure people are safe so they can briefly experience simulated danger before coming back down to the ground, nice and safe. Some people hate rollercoasters because they're scary, make them nauseous, or even seriously trigger them -- those people should absolutely not go on rollercoasters. Some people might experience the thrill of the rollercoaster and want more and engage in dangerous activities to feed that desire -- this is an example of someone who needs support to make sure they stay safe and don't hurt others, but that doesn't mean rollercoasters should be banned

that being said, I do think there's an issue with the way the internet works now that's contributing to this moral panic

while I'm glad that more people are becoming aware of kink, bdsm, and dark fantasies in fiction and that those topics are being explored more by writers who can gain exposure through the internet...that higher exposure also means bringing something niche into the mainstream that a lot of people refuse to wrap their heads around

part of the problem is that the internet has become too universal. yes, there are certain places you can go for niche topics -- you can follow specific blogs and forums that focus more on intentional online community than algorithms -- but on platforms like youtube, tiktok, and instagram, it is extremely easy for people to just stumble onto things they never intended /wanted to see without warning

at the very least on a lot of reddit forums and properly tagged works on archive of our own, you have to pass a warning telling you about what you're going to see (and people still complain about it but whatever) but on other platforms, you're kind of just presented with stuff with no context -- including people who are either not willing to learn about that context or not old/mature enough to even be seeing that content who are just going to go with their immediate reactions

P.S. -- I lied. I mostly want to write monster erotica because I think it's hot

[8figurehustler]

Why Influencers Won’t Make A Lasting Fortune | 💰💰💰

Let’s be honest—being an influencer looks like the dream. Free stuff, brand deals, followers hyping you up, and money just for posting a cute pic or trendy video. But here’s the thing that nobody talks about enough: influencing isn’t built to last.

Don’t get me wrong—some influencers are making big money right now. But if we’re talking about long-term, generational wealth? I have a strong belief that most of them won’t get there. Here’s why

1. Trends Fade. Fast.

The internet moves at lightning speed. What’s trending this week? Forgotten next week. Whether it’s dance challenges, aesthetics, or audio clips, things go viral and die out just as quick. That’s the whole point in a trend, it’s momentarily.

If your whole income depends on staying relevant and trendy, then you’re basically building your future on shaky ground. The second your content stops hitting, the money slows down too. You’d have to constantly chase trends which sometimes can result in you having to change your aesthetic or niche, which then results in having to bring in a whole new audience.

2. They Don’t Own Anything

Let’s not forget—Instagram, TikTok, YouTube… none of these platforms belong to the influencer. One algorithm switch, one random suspension, and boom—your visibility and income are gone. Just like that.

It’s risky to build your entire career on a platform you don’t own or control. You’re literally playing by someone else’s rules. Remember when TikTok shut down for a day and all the influencers had a meltdown, some of them moved to instagram or blue or X, they had to find a new platform to continue working but think about it, what if there was no other alternative…then what happens?

3. Brand Deals Are Short-Term

Sure, brand deals pay well. But they’re not guaranteed. They come and go based on your numbers, engagement, and how “hot” you are in the moment.

That means your income isn’t steady—it’s based on how many brands want to work with you right now. And let’s be real, brands move on fast when you’re not the current It Girl.

4. It Doesn’t Scale

Influencing ties your income to you. Your time. Your energy. Your appearance. Your ability to keep showing up and performing online.

There’s only so much of you to go around, and there’s only so long you’ll be able (or willing) to keep up the grind. If you stop posting, you stop earning.

5. No Real Assets

Unless an influencer turns their platform into a business—think products, services, investments, or digital assets—they’re not building anything that can survive without them.

Attention fades. And when it does? If there’s nothing solid behind all the hype, there’s nothing left to profit from.

So What’s The Move?

If influencers want to really build wealth, they have to stop treating influence like the end goal. It’s just a springboard. Use the attention to launch something bigger—like a brand, an online business, a product line, a faceless digital asset—something that can outlive the trends.

For example, a few influencers who utilised their fame instead of surviving off it. Look at Huda Kattan: she didn’t rely on clout, she built Huda Beauty, which she fully owns. Emma Chamberlain used her online fame to push Chamberlain Coffee and her podcast, barely even posting anymore unless it’s to market her businesses. Charli D’Amelio branched into TV, she appeared on Dancing With The Stars; Addison Rae moved into acting, music, and film; Jackie Aina started her own luxury candle line.

You’ll notice a lot of viral names start to fade from your feed—but that doesn’t mean they’ve fallen off. It means they took their attention and turned it into something real. They’re building wealth off-screen, and that’s the real flex. Because pretty posts and paid ads are cute for now, but real wealth? That’s about ownership, strategy, and building something that lasts after the spotlight fades.

Read Why I Would Choose Faceless Digital Marketing Over Becoming An Influencer

Start monetising your pinterest, through paid ad, affiliates and more : click here

Grow your pinterest account to a million monthly views in less than 6 months and get it ready for digital marketing : click here

[zeondraws]

Getting a bit nostalgic

I still remember when this came out, I was on an island while covid was going on. I got super excited watching this. To think rectangular vehicles could be entertaining to watch.

Not sure what specifically makes me wonder about it tonight. Maybe it's just because I am dealing with my negative thoughts so much again. Battling my demons each day

I just look at this and think, this brings me joy. To think that these busses slowly dragged me into getting more invested and interested in them. Atleast I think it helped me greatly to deal with daily life and my art. It gave me some purpose when it comes to my life goals.

There were so many factors at play around this time period two years ago. I felt lost, not knowing what to do. Quite frankly I still feel a bit lost but I gained a goal. Something to look forward to. Because I already achieved one of my long term goals, I have a job at a place I always wanted to be. Now I need another goal so that I can look forward to something and enjoy the moment more.

I feel scared as I usual do, to be honest I either worry about? Being unable to achieve the goal duo to my mental state maybe? But it's mostly because I worry alot of being replaced. It's something common thrown around current workplace environments in general. I worry about being replaceable in everything. It's duo to my childhood.

I just want to have some purpose in life. Daydreaming about silly things, wanting to show child me that I can do the things she always wanted to do. Things she worried about not being able to achieve. I daydream about silly stories about imaginary characters because it makes my day feel better. And I want to put something out in the world for people to enjoy. So that their days could feel nicer, since becoming an adult made me understand alot of the struggles people have. And I just wanna be here to put a smile on people's faces. It's just hard when my own mental health struggles at times. But through the pain I try to put my emotions on a canvas. And this helped me alot recently. Art feels like my therapy.

Sometimes I notice I am really passionate about the things I find interesting, where I talk looooong texts such as this one explaining my thoughts.

I just really find busses interesting, they helped me go through the toughest times and put a smile on me when I needed one. I can't imagine how I'd go on about my daily life without wondering what to draw next with them. My art felt like it had no real goal before this.

I made this today

First time I have these planetary labs pictured in one image as a summary. I get the feeling I am getting closer to what child me wanted to do.

(context this image is part of my bus story "Offworld" I'm trying to develop and turn into smth animated)

I just hope that busworld will be fun, I am a bit afraid to showcase my stuff to people but there is only one way to go.

Because I often feel drained whenever I go through youtube or other social media platforms because I know I won't find the type of bus content I want. If I want change I gotta do it. And I have to smth on youtube soon, Instagram's algorithm makes it so hard to reach a new audience. How do I want to showcase my work to people if Instagram feeds them the same stuff over and over again and makes people fed up with the app?

I gotta do etsy at some point aswell. I still have to look through the legal aspects but I think there should be some way.

(the amount of Volkswagen beetles sold as prints is chaotic, it's always this vehicle, school bus, routemaster or some random old bus)

I'm about to drop asleep, I had so many more thoughts about busses. Just feels weird at times thinking "Wait am I drawing this rectangular vehicle as a cat right now?.... *continues drawing*"

Also I really wish I could visit a bus manufacturer and just look at concept vehicles and art, please just once-

[thecpdiary]

Why Mental Health lags behind and needs our attention

I have been struggling and dealing with my mental health for as long as I can remember. I still continue to blog about mental health on my website, @TheCPDiary, but sadly on the socials, mental health is still lagging behind and in the popularity stakes and needs our attention. If you see this tweet, please say hi!

There are several reasons why mental health accounts on social media lag behind other types of accounts.

This is what I think:

Stigma:

There is still a significant stigma surrounding mental health issues, and many people may be hesitant to follow or engage with mental health accounts on social media, due to fear of judgment or discrimination.

Misconceptions:

There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about mental health and some people may view mental health accounts as very negative, compared to other types of content on social media. There also seems to be an 'it won't happen or affect me attitude' that I've got my act together, but that's not true. Mental health can catch at any time, which can tip you into illness. The cancer stats are startling. It used to be 1:4 it's now 1:2.

The reality: cancer kills.

But when it comes to mental health, the way I see it, we're just talking about what we deal with, while trying to find solutions. It's what my blog @TheCPDiary does. I find a way through, around a situation, I explain, clarify, justify, bring understanding and find an acceptance on everything I write about. Where I need to research, I also research so my more factual blogs are up to date.

Lack of awareness:

Many people may simply not be aware of the mental health accounts that exist on social media, or they may not prioritise mental health content in their social media feeds.

Lack of funding and support:

Mental health organisations and advocates may not have the same level of funding as other types of accounts or influencers, which can limit their reach and impact on social media platforms.

Algorithm bias:

Social media algorithms may prioritise certain types of content over others and mental health accounts may struggle to gain visibility and engagement due to this bias. Again, if you see this tweet, please say hi.

Lack of resources:

Mental health organisations and advocates may not have the same resources, time, and expertise to create and maintain engaging social media content compared to other types of accounts.

As you can see there are many reasons. It is important to continue to address mental health and increase awareness and support for mental health accounts on social media because those accounts can help reduce the stigma, and bridge the gap.

There is only so much I can do. Please help me to help you. OR if you know someone who is struggling with mental health, please pass on my information, link and help to get word out on mental health. Dealing with mental health is not scary, it's necessary and it can save a life, YOUR LIFE.

Please note: The CP Diary is something I continue to fund personally and am happy to do so. In 13+ years I continue to provide help to you the reader, free of charge. The socials are an important aspect too, I would be grateful for more support on there.

Link follows:

https://thecpdiary.com

I would be grateful if you could please retweet, help me to spread the word on mental health.

[imaginearyparties]

I received this message last night, but as I blocked the anon who sent it, I don't have the original ask. I didn't think that I was going to respond at all, but there are some lingering thoughts about it that I'd like to speak to.

I'm appalled by the assumption that I don't leave feedback on Ao3 or Wattpad. Of course I do. I leave comments on fics on every platform I consume them on. I am also imperfect - I don't have the time or energy to leave an effusive comment on every fic - but I leave a one sentence comment. I leave kudos. I let them know that I enjoyed.

I do consume free content on other sites without engaging with it. The difference is that on Youtube or TikTok, the content I'm consuming is compensated. My viewing of it feeds an algorithm that then promotes it to other users. My viewing of it allows the creators to become members of their respective platforms' creator fund. My viewing of it enables these creators to get sponsorship deals that can then literally pay for things. When I consume free content on other sites without interacting the creator is getting paid. Their labor is being compensated.

It is illegal to monetize fanfiction. To attempt to make money off of it would bring about lawsuits from the corporations that own the characters and universes we write about. It would destroy sites where fanfiction is hosted, as it has in the past. We attempt sometimes to get something in little ways, like a patreon or a ko-fi, but these operate as systems of donation because any other method of payment is illegal. (You can go to the ko-fi link in my bio and see that nobody has donated to it. I'm not asking anyone to.) So you see, my content isn't like other free content you access on the internet. The only way I get anything out of my work is through interaction.

Of course I write for myself. But do not be so naive as to believe that I post it on the internet for my own validation. I could very well write my pieces and keep them to myself, or only share them in a discord server of friends who I know will appreciate it. I post them online to share them with a wider fan community who also love the characters. I post them online to get feedback. Yes, I am deliberately baiting reactions. I am creating art; its purpose is to make people feel things, and I'd like to know if it's effective. I am no more entitled to feedback than you are to an endless stream of free content that you, admittedly, have the option of not engaging with. But to assert that I am somehow being greedy or obtuse speaks to your lack of understanding of how this works. Or perhaps it is indicative of your callous disregard for the art that you so readily consume.

Imagine a painter friend of yours shows you their new work that they are excited about. They present it to you, all excited and hopeful. You stare at the painting impassively. You don't smile, you don't react.

Your painter friend's face falls. "Do you like it?" they ask.

"You showed it to me for free," you reply. "I don't owe you anything."

No, reading my work is not a debt to be paid in forced reaction. I did not say that I was owed feedback, nor did I "demand" it. It is absurd to assume that this was my intention. It is equally absurd to act as though fan creators are benevolent art martyrs who should expect nothing in return for their work but the supposed satisfaction of a job well done. It is absurd to think that readers play no role, that this is not a symbiotic relationship between artist and art consumer.

If you do not want to accept responsibility in this relationship, that is your choice. You are right in that regard; I can not control your behavior. But do not expect me to continue on as though nothing is amiss. Do not act as though I should be grateful for every little scrap I am given and never speak up for myself. And do not tell me that I have no right to my feelings ever, but specifically in regards to the diminishing returns of the labor I am doing.

We are not here to die on the swords of your indifference in perpetuity. Press the fucking reblog button.

[kkpwnall]

hey kk why are you on tumblr if you’re 30something

because i’m a bad person and for the money idk why does anybody anything?

but for a real answer and to assume the best from your question, that it’s meant genuinely and not some ageist gatekeepy bullshit: it’s because i’ve been on this site for time immemorial, since the naughty aughties, 20xx, and through all its ups and downs, it’s the one that continuously brings me the most joy. where i can meet and interact with people who like the same stuff i like, and it’s got the best community vibes.

of all the socials, it’s also got the best filtering, blocking, and content moderation tools hands down, bar none. so it’s easy to still follow people you like but just not see content you don’t jive with. it’s easy to dip out on discourse. on tumblr, you are the algorithm, you curate your feed and what you see, and you control how you share it. and it’s all super easy to do!! they don’t hide these tools from you!! sure things died down in the Great Porn Purge, and i’ve taken breaks from the site here and there over the years, but it’s honestly the only social media that keeps actively trying to be a better place for its users. i unironically really love this site.

it’s not that deep, i’m here because it makes me happy.

[keevansixx]

Tumblr+ is a bad idea, but i understand why they are pushing for it?

Ok, how many of us have lived through the purges, watched as they nuked from low orbit all the artistic smexiness in a bout of puritanical fervor, while leaving the bots and blatant unfettered to rampage across this lovely hellsite free range and unchecked? Doing nothing while the shitiness of humanity is allowed to harass and threaten people for posting their hot takes (regardless of whether they are right or wrong)?

yeah, some of us have watched all that has transpired.

This is nothing new....

When you view past the staff statements, all the carefully crafted wording and corporate speak, all that remains is greed, pure and simple....

for some of us, this is a safe haven, a refuge from the rest of the clusterfeck that is known as social media. where individuals can post their innermost thoughts, creative ideas, and feelings to the ether. If the stars are aligned in their favor, while the word gods shine favorably upon thee, and the image deities smile in dank approval, we find other like minded souls piloting their own ships within this digital night that meet briefly to share a like, comment. or reblog before moving on to other horizons. In it’s simplicity, tumblr is almost the last bastion of creative thought left in the entirety of the world wide web. 

for others, tumblr is just yet another extension of their social media psyche, dragging all their real world baggage into it’s pages, hoping that someone out there may offer a solution to their own personal problems (or at least stroke their egos or biases to orgasmic bit) . Activists abound, and are shouting from the digital rooftops “look at me! See! See the violence inherit in the system, help help, i’m being oppressed!”” While the darkest ugliness in certain parts of humanity responds with vile poison and vitriol to ideas that do not agree or align with their own...committing the oldest of digital sins, in the newest of ways. Sad....but i digress.

Tumblr, to it’s corporate and wall-street taskmasters, is not greatly profitable in it’s current form. Sure, they get a little bit of money here and there from all the boring unremovable ads sprinkled throughout everyone’s feeds...but that’s just it. ad money keeps the lights on and the hamster wheels turning in the server rooms, and maybe a pot of coffee or box of stale doughnuts in the break room to keep the hamsters happy, but in the end it’s just enough to keep the site barely alive, while ensuring the devils get their deep pockets full of due.

The question everyone is asking themselves, but don’t know it yet, is...

To just Whom does tumblr+ benefit the most? 

It’s certainly not for the fan-fic artists who create art based on someone else’s works. certainly not for the shit-posters who reblog all the weirdly wonderfully funny and bizarre things the world web has to offer. certainly not for the fanfic writers, who craft the continuing stories of their favorite properties they do not own. definitely not for average joe or jane blogger who basically repost everything that crosses their feeds because they enjoy that stuff immensely, and want to share it all with everyone who follows them. Certainly not for I, who basically just comes here to post fictional stories from pregenerated prompts, whatever pops into my head, and a few reblogs from things that catch my fancy.

So who does that leave? In the Immortal words of Sherlock Holmes, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, ”When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

For a few original tumblr artists, this may be a boon (but i doubt it). why would you settle for a middleman to get paid for your original art, when you could sell to a direct market off site for prints/merch straight to the customer and making bank? Seems counterintuitive to me to allow a site to step in to earn money off your hard work and creativity. Plus a paywall cuts you off from potential customers who may be interested in your works, but will not pay tumblr just to view your works....kinda shooting yourself in the foot going plus.

Tumblr+ is being built for all the clout chasers that think they will benefit from a blue plus mark (just like on twitter and instagram, go figure) banking on human vanity and obsessive compulsive disorder to bring in the money. (that’s right! buy that blue + mark ya little cash monkeys...spend, spend for that social credit! muahahahaha!)

The other reason is Porn. (don’t laugh...the internet you enjoy today was built on the metaphorical backs of the porn industry. every internet innovation enjoyed in the past 35 years was created, tested, and tried first somewhere to deliver, watch, and enjoy porn. sure it got started on university campuses, but the porn industry made it take off like a rocket to push product) Tumblr can’t beat it...they have consistently shown they are incapable of removing all the raunchy naughty bits from this site. If you can’t beat them, join them. Put all the adult content behind a paywall, set the price, and watch the money roll in as humans just can’t resist watching a good fluff n’ tickle. Set the booby algorithm phasers to “paywall”!  Wanna see that statue of Venus de Milo, or the statue of David? gonna have to pay that monthly fee to see. “Oh, but you’re just an artist drawing artistic nudes as a hobby? too bad! behind the paywall you go too. We want our cut of the share regardless how you may feel about it.” 

basically Tumblr is trying to change the clientele....facts. They hope to draw in the same demographics that make sites like reddit, twitter, instagram, and others profitable to the corporation, at the expense of the long term users that made this site the unique thing it is today. 

but hey, what do i know, i’m just a messed up monkey with an opinion, take it all with a huge grain of salt and live your best life possible....but the cards are not in tumblr+’s favor. 

Everyone has got an opinion on this, that’s all well and good. If you agree/disagree that’s fine too....just remember to be kind in all things, show the wisdom and grace of the best of humanity, take a deep breath before responding, and reply with the best of yourself as you can muster...after all, you’re only human....Ook ook. 

[fytheuntamed]

Today is the one year anniversary of this blog! I still remember how nervous I was to make it, unsure if anyone would even find it in the sea of other blogs, and now here we are! One year later and all of you have brought me so much happiness anytime you reblog, like, comment, send asks, send messages, use my tag, etc! It makes me very happy to be a part of this little corner of tumblr and I just have to say that you guys are some of the funniest and sweetest people I have ever seen in a fandom. Also, the talent?? You guys are constantly inspiring me with your creations and I know I’m not the only one.

Please check out the faq if you have any questions and please continue to interact with this blog to your heart’s content ❤️

I’m also planning on doing a prompt event in the fall, so please check out that post here and let me know your thoughts!

I’m also going to be posting and replying to a whole bunch of asks that I’ve received over the....months (whoops!) under the read more. (if you have an ask that i answered, i’ll @ you below)

@yllylia​, @lan-xichens​, @fabfuckingfour​, @vexingcosmos​, @felinesomnambulist​, @nikosomething​, @thirdofjune​, @briee-elle​, and a whole bunch of anons!

I tend to not publish asks like this so as not to spam this blog’s followers with unrelated content, but know that I see them and that they make me very happy ❤️❤️❤️

thank you so much!! i haven’t made a new wardrobe edit in a while due to how time consuming they are to make, but i will definitely make more in the future! messages like this are honestly a huge part of what keeps me creating, so thank you ❤️❤️❤️

A while back I posted about having graduated and the anxiety of looking for a job given what’s going on in the world; you guys were so supportive of me, so thank you for all the kind words and encouragement you guys sent my way ❤️❤️❤️

I honestly had so much fun making pride icons for all of you and my brain still does a little “!!!” when I see someone in my activity feed who’s using one of them. So thank you to everyone who is using them and I’m glad you guys enjoyed/are enjoying them! Also....the first time in three years that you’ve changed your icon, and it was to the one I made you?? That’s the biggest compliment ever, anon, thank you 😳 😳

i want to thank everyone for their understanding in regards to this blog being something i do as a fellow-fan, therefore there will inevitably be times where i disappear for a day or so or simply don’t reblog/post much content over the course of the day because i’m busy with real life stuff. at the end of the day, i run this blog because i love the untamed, so even though it’s a lot of work (more than one might think), i do it because i love it and i want to share my love and other people’s love ❤️

love received!! i'm really glad my blog can bring you some happiness ❤️❤️❤️

thank you all for your kind words and support!!

nikosomething: i’m glad you think my tagging system is neat lmao because sometimes i feel like it’s a total mess due to my many tags, but the reason i include so many tags with each post is so that it’s easier for you guys to find the specific content that you want to see! the search function on this blog’s desktop theme actually works really well, so i encourage you guys to take advantage of my copious tagging habits to find the niche content you’d like to see. (For example: wondering if i’ve ever reblogged something that involves jin ling and....bunnies? just put ‘jin ling’ and ‘bunnies’ in the search bar and you’ll have your answer!)

all: One of the biggest goals I have for the blog is to a, spread the love, and b, get content creators noticed! I feel like tumblr’s algorithm gets worse everyday, making it harder and harder for content creators to get their content noticed, which is incredibly disheartening and frustrating. So! I do my best to find this content and reblog it, because what I’ve found is that posts don’t get 0 notes because they’re bad, but simply because no one has seen them. And i know i’ve said this before, but folks, if you value awesome, free fan-content, let creators know!! reblog their posts!! leave comments and tags!! it makes a huge difference. thank you for noticing my efforts on this front ❤️❤️❤️

lmao i’m glad i’m helping you get your xichen fix, anon. i don’t think i can claim credit here, as these days i mostly reblog the gifs that people tag me in, but thank you nonetheless ❤️❤️

[didanawisgi]

“After I wrote Why it's time for a new social networking platform and how to make it successful, I was contacted on Twitter by an account I'd never heard of. The account was Minds, and they invited me to give its social networking platform a try.

Minds was launched five years ago by Bill Ottman; since then, the site has continued on in the shadow of the Facebook juggernaut. With a nod to irony, a large portion of Facebook users complain about the service on a daily basis--some even go so far as to say they'd leave Facebook if only an alternative existed. It seems that alternative does exist.

Case in point: Minds is surprisingly similar to Facebook in layout and features, though Minds isn't a simple clone of Facebook. Minds offers much of what I detailed in my previous article about a new social networking platform.

It's open source and transparent.

It offers free and paid accounts.

Its ownership and management enforce no political or social bias.

User data is not monetized.

It offers all the features users are accustomed to.

It minimizes hate speech without infringing upon free speech.

Minds uses cryptocurrency that users can earn and spend. The earned tokens can be used to boost posts, and a paid user account costs five tokens per month. The paid account earns users features like:

Access to exclusive content;

The ability to become verified; and

The ability to banish all the boosted posts from their feed.

Users earn tokens by:

Posting;

Commenting;

Receiving upvotes (similar to Likes on Facebook); and

Inviting others to join the platform (referral link).

So my curiosity was piqued. I created an account and began to poke around. After a few days, I drew the conclusion that Minds could very well be that social networking platform we've all been waiting for. To that end, I reached out to the CEO of Minds, Bill Ottman, to ask the questions that were on my mind about the site.

Jack Wallen: What made you start Minds?

Bill Ottman: I have always considered it an absolute necessity and historical inevitability that a free and open source social network rises up to become competitive with the proprietary tech titans. The top global communication platforms of humanity need to respect the freedom and voice of the community; otherwise, we end up where we are with a status-quo of surveillance, algorithmic manipulation, and exploitation. We knew we could not possibly be a sustainable network without building an independent social engine from the ground up, totally non-reliant on big tech APIs.

Jack Wallen: What is it that the likes of Facebook and Twitter are doing wrong?

Continuously audit configs and get alerted if a device is out of compliance. Be able to remediate vulnerabilities through bulk config deployment. Help prevent unauthorized network changes through change delegation, monitoring, and alerting.

Bill Ottman: There's minimal transparency with regards to both governance and software. Proprietary software should not be acceptable from our top networks, as it is impossible to audit. Their content policies are essentially indecipherable, inconsistent, and subjective. They prevent you from reaching your audience with hidden default algorithms. We are not anti-algo, but believe users should decide if they want to use them or not. They pretend to care about your privacy, offering a number of visibility controls, but ignore the ability to be invisible from them.

Jack Wallen: What is it that Facebook and Twitter are doing right?

Bill Ottman: The UX and design is excellent. Clearly they have brilliant developers and product designers who are able to build out robust features from live streaming to messaging services all interoperating cross-platform. They have vast resources to make acquisitions and deeply understand the functionality that people want. Unfortunately, the foundation of everything is upside down.

Jack Wallen: Explain, to the uninitiated, what sets Minds apart from other social platforms?

Bill Ottman:

We try to push the boundaries with radical transparency with open source code and even financials.

We are community-owned from an early stage with over 1,500 users who actually own stock.

We have implemented revenue-sharing and monetization tools to help people earn money, both fiat currency and crypto.

We believe that you should be rewarded for your contributions to the network and the engagement that you drive.

We don't require any personal information and encrypt any given.

We want to minimize hate speech with free speech, not censorship. In fact, we launched a whole initiative about this at https://change.minds.com. Research shows censorship may in fact cause greater polarization and radicalization than facilitation of legal civil discourse.

Jack Wallen: What made you opt to go the crypto route?

Bill Ottman: Prior to moving to Ethereum, we had a centralized virtual currency called points. This was one of our most popular features, as 1 point=1 view and could be used to Boost posts for greater reach, which people were losing on Facebook at alarming rates. You earned points for many types of engagement. Once Ethereum emerged we saw every reason to migrate the wholereward system to it, as this allows the token economy to become decentralized where users can hold their tokens in their own wallets and transact on-chain, which provides greater transparency as well.

Now, users can accept fiat (via stripe), Bitcoin, Ether, and Minds tokens which are ERC-20. The crypto community typically adheres to values aligned with internet freedom. You can't and shouldn't run everything on a blockchain , but we are committed to the P2P route everywhere that makes sense and isn't an impossible UX. Providing people with options and control is paramount. Do I want to publish this post to an immutable distributed system or not? That's a choice we want to provide rather than forcing a particular path.

Jack Wallen: How will Minds deal with some of the issues that have faced other platforms such as hate speech and groups that espouse such speech?

Bill Ottman: We launched the Change Minds initiative with our advisor Daryl Davis, who famously deradicalized over 200 members of the KKK through open discourse, basically, befriending them. This human approach, based in free expression and civil dialogue, is much more aligned with our values and peer-reviewed research than blanket ban policies. The goal is to provide a breeding ground for changing minds via civil discourse as Daryl has proven can work, even if it takes years. We also built a jury system for the appeals process to bring the community into the moderation structure. Our approach is long-term and synced with the First Amendment. We care a lot about building tools for people to not see anything they don't want to see as well as reporting truly harmful content. We think policies involving censorship should be data driven. What actually works?...”

[shirlyntann]

Blog 7: Curation and Taste on Pinterest

In this week’s reading, Curation and Taste on Pinterest, Liu posits that Pinterest is a modernized version of traditional public curation and personal collection ways such as the museum and scrapbooking. Similarly, Pinterest users are able to customize their own boards by pinning content that suits their tastes and having the freedom to name their own boards. These boards and pins are then made known to other users, businesses and Pinterest itself, which also promotes social curation. However, this is also the reason why the boundaries between curation and collection are getting blurred. While Pinterest emphasizes on personal collection and individualization, the structure of the platform concurrently promotes curation through which users’ personal boards are easily accessible and visible to the public. Liu also brings up how the “discovery-based” navigation also contributes to public curation as the technology and business relationships formed by Pinterest determines the type of pins users will see on their discovery/home page. This then limits the limits the type of content users can be exposed to, thus contradicting Pinterest’s motto of “being yourself and being authentic”. Additionally, Pinterest also enforced several restrictions against inappropriate content that are violent, hateful, offensive, etc. Lastly, Liu also talks about the loss of individualism. Despite Pinterest being a platform that aims to promote individualism, many of the users are “subject to the tyranny of majority taste”.

As a frequent user of Pinterest, myself, I definitely agree with Liu that Pinterest curates the type of pins we would want to see and limit us from the many different categories out there. Our home page will be filled with pins that are recommended by Pinterest and even if we use the search function by typing in words such as “aesthetics”, “flowers”, and the ones that appear on our feed are those that are deemed to suit our preferences. Liu feels that such features of Pinterest, are going against their main goal of fostering individualism and customization and merely feeding public curation. However, I disagree with her as I think that these pins are only recommended to us because we have established our taste and preferences based on our previous activities. These recommended pins are actually contributing to our personal preferences. I also think that such algorithms are very beneficial and convenient. I no longer have to spend a lot of time searching and scrolling for pins that suit my preferences and instead get exposed to even more pins that are of my interest.

Furthermore, I think that Liu has an overly pessimistic view of Pinterest members. The way she portrays them reminds me of our week 5 reading about the culture industry where people are seen as passive consumers. I do not agree with Liu that Pinterest users are just passively taking in the content suggested to them and just following the trend. For example, I use Pinterest to look at room decors and inspiration. Previously, my aesthetic was pastel and bright rooms, hence my discovery page was filled with pastel room decors. However, over time my preference changed to more minimalistic rooms, and rather than to continue consuming the pastel room décor content, I can easily change my feed and algorithm by searching “minimalistic room décor” or “white bedroom inspo”. This will then change and customize my entire discovery feed to a new one that suits my current taste. Especially in today’s culture and generation, people are all about finding themselves and not conforming to trends and norms. Hence, Pinterest users are not passive consumers but have the ability to customize their own Pinterest account to suit their taste and preferences.

[brookeblough]

Dead by TikTok

THE COMMUNITY

The community I have chosen to analyze is that of people who play the game Dead by Daylight (DBD), and specifically those who take to the app TikTok to converse with the community.

In the words of the official Dead by Daylight website, “Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical multiplayer horror game where one player takes on the role of a brutal Killer and the other four play as Survivors,” (Game).

Because of the fact that there are two sides of the game that can be played, there are a lot of differing opinions in the community. Killer players think that survivor players should play a certain way, survivor players think that killer players should play a certain way, and those who play both mostly just wish everyone would shut up. Often, either side of the argument doesn’t even agree with their own side.

One thing that the community usually comes together on is to criticize the developers of the game. DBD is made by a fairly small independent development team, and they are still often making changes and adding updates to the game. Of course, there will likely never be a time where every person who plays the game is pleased, so this is often a topic of discussion (or more likely disagreement).

Every few months, the developers also add a new killer and/or survivor to play as, and with these come more perks as well (more about this later). This brings even more ground for discussion and disagreement as players argue over whether the killer is too strong or too weak.

I chose to play on one of the common assumptions held by players of the game in choosing one of my posts and how I captioned it. This requires a bit of background to really understand it.

In the game, there are multiple different survivors that can be chosen to play as. Each of these come with 3 of their own unique “perks” which give the survivor an ability during the match. However, as one continues to play the game, these perks become unlocked through leveling characters and then can be applied to other survivors as well. So, basically, once you have played the game for a couple of months, all survivors end up with all of the same perks and so they all can be played exactly the same.

This being said, one assumption that the community still holds is that a certain “type” of player tends to play a specific survivor. I usually play as the character Meg. “Meg players” are usually known for running around, making dumb decisions, and getting their team killed. While I would argue that this is not always the case, I found a gameplay clip of my own where I did fall into this “Meg player” stereotype.

So I decided, “why not?” and decided to play into this and post the clip to TikTok.

@_bekoorb

when you get way too confident for no reason 😅 who’s your least favorite killer? ##dbd ##dbdclips ##dbdvideos ##deadbydaylight ##streamclips ##streamer

♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod

The video shows me being saved by another player, and then running us both straight to the killer. I ended up getting away, but the other player did not.

I chose to use the caption “Your real mistake was following a Meg,” to further speak to this assumption. I thought this was a clever way to start a conversation with the community, even if it just gave them an excuse to make fun of the way I played. I believe that if the video had gotten more views, it would have been enjoyed by the community.

MY CONTRIBUTION

Over the course of posting in this community, my posts received on average about 7 views, with only 2 or 3 likes on each. None of my posts received any comments. Additionally, the comments that I left on other posts did not receive any interaction. I guess, if there was a pattern, it was that no one really saw my posts.

Having spent a lot of time on TikTok in my free time, I used my knowledge of the app to attempt to break into the algorithm. First of all, I used trending music on the app as background noise for my videos because posts with these audio sounds are more likely to be promoted.

When I say “promoted”, I mean showing up on other users For You Page. This is basically the front page of the app, and where a large majority of users spend all of their time scrolling. This is really the only way to find new content on TikTok.

Other than using trending background music, I also designed the captions of my posts to the community. I used hashtags such as #dbd, #dbdclips, and #deadbydaylight in order to cover a range of different hashtags while still covering the same topic. I also tried out adding a question into the caption so that if anyone did stumble upon my post, they would have something to respond to.

I also attempted to use up to date trends in the content of my videos posted. For my first one, I used a trend of not actually speaking but using pop up text-to-speech on the screen. This is the one that I mentioned earlier, but here it is again:

  @_bekoorb

your real mistake was following a meg ##dbd ##dbdclips ##dbdvideos ##streamer ##streamclips

♬ Elevator Music - Bohoman

 This was something that I was seeing a lot in trending videos, so I decided to try it out and see if it would be promoted, but it unfortunately did not work out how I wanted it to.

Something that I learned about this community in this process was how difficult it can be to break into it. You really have to be consistent in posting and interacting, and it is mostly left up to luck whether people end up seeing it or not.

I also learned that despite the fact that the DBD community is very opinionated, through my time analyzing this specific community I actually found that on TikTok the focus was usually not that of opinion. Most of the posts that I saw and interacted with have been funny, entertaining, or informative. Sometimes there will be posts giving tips or strategies on the gameplay, but a lot of the time the clips on TikTok are highlight videos.

Because of this, for one of my posts I decided to try to fit into the “highlight videos” category. I found a funny moment from a time that I was playing the game, and again added some trending background music to it. I also edited text on the screen so that it would pop up as I was speaking it, which I thought added a level of comedy.

@_bekoorb

when you get way too confident for no reason 😅 who’s your least favorite killer? ##dbd ##dbdclips ##dbdvideos ##deadbydaylight ##streamclips ##streamer

♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod

In this post, I also added a question to my caption so that if my post was viewed, my audience would have something to respond to. THE PLATFORM

Something interesting that I found was that TikTok users almost always use hashtags in their posts. However, I’m not sure this really accomplishes much. It’s possible that it makes the post more likely to show up on someone’s feed who often watches or likes videos with that hashtag, but something I found is that it is very difficult to find new videos using the hashtags.

In the same way that I found it difficult to find posts to comment on in order to interact with this community, others were unable to find my posts in the hashtags.

If you do search a hashtag with the intention to find new content or new users, you won’t find much. This is because the posts under a certain hashtag are listed in order according to how popular they are, and there is no way to change the order. This basically means that if you are looking for new videos, you won’t find them there. The only place to find new content is on your ‘For You Page’, and that is pretty randomized and mostly shows popular videos as well.

This means that in order to gain views and followers, most of the time you have to already have views and followers.

It’s like when an entry level job requires a year of past experience. If I can’t get hired because I don’t have experience, how am I supposed to gain the experience?

This further solidifies the fact that the TikTok algorithm favors only content that is already popular. The people with the most followers and views continue to have their videos promoted, and they basically control the format of the app from there.

 I don’t think this is all bad. Sure, the platform very much favors already popular content so it is difficult for newcomers to gain any sort of traction on the app. But on the other hand, I believe this puts less stress on trying to become “popular” and more emphasis on making posts for fun and as a creative outlet. Of course, I’d argue that there is a little part in all of us that would like our posts to become popular, but that doesn’t always have to be the point.  

This also has an effect on how communication happens (or doesn’t) on the app. When the posts being shown on peoples feed is often from the same handful of creators, there is not much opportunity to see a variety of opinions or discussion.

Works Cited

“Game.” Dead by Daylight, deadbydaylight.com/en/game.

[robhorninginternalexile]

Feeds and objecthood

The phone seems to demand the feed as a form. The feed capitalizes on the personalized screen interface, the networkedness of the device, its portability, and resolves it all into an experience that encapsulates the pleasures the phone can afford. The feed brings into focus the sort of subject one can become, the sort of subjectivity one can sustain, through the agency of phones.  

Of all things, Michael Fried’s “Art and Objecthood” (which seems as wrongheaded as ever to me as an assessment of “authentic art”) offers a way of theorizing the feed. A lot of what he condemns about the “theatricality” of minimalist art could be applied to the experience of consuming feeds. 

The problem with minimalist works, in Fried’s view, is that they are interesting. And that is a problem because it means they demand a continual renewal of attention; the works make the viewer conscious of the process and the situatedness of the act of paying attention. 

Describing a cube sculpture by Tony Smith, Fried complains that it “is always of further interest; one never feels that one has come to the end of it; it is inexhaustible. It is inexhaustible, however, not because of any fullness—that is the inexhaustibility of art—but because there is nothing there to exhaust. It is endless the way a road might be: if it were circular, for example. Endlessness, being able to go on and on, even having to go on and on, is central both to the concept of interest and to that of objecthood.” And obviously, it is central to the concept of the feed, which is designed to hold our attention through an endless scroll. 

This is part of what Fried calls “theatricality” — the foregrounding of the duration of an experience as a quality in itself. Fried writes that minimalist art’s “preoccupation with time — more precisely, with the duration of the experience — is ... paradigmatically theatrical: as though theater confronts the beholder, and thereby isolates him, with the endlessness not just of objecthood but of time.” The dismaying note in his account of this reminds me of that sense of having lost track of time while scrolling a feed — of getting lost in the seriality, of feeling compelled to keep scrolling without ever attaining anything like a flow state, and without any hope of finally seeing what we are searching for, because we are not looking for anything: it’s an experience of time as “simultaneously approaching and receding, as if apprehended in an infinite perspective.” 

For Fried, the fact of this consciousness about how we are paying attention — the conspicuous unboredom — prevents artworks from having some sort of transcendental presence in themselves. Art is inauthentic in his view if it seems to require an audience — much the way a feed presupposes viewers, though the feed takes it much further and is personalized algorithmically in anticipation of the viewers’ interests. Fried argues that minimalist art “extorts” a “special complicity” from beholders which “demands that the beholder take it into account, that he take it seriously” — it coerces viewers by centering their subjectivity, their view, which activates or completes the work. “Being able to go on and on indefinitely is of the essence,” he writes, and this does the “job of distancing or isolating the beholder, of making him a subject.” But this subjectivity is contingent on objectified experience, on time being made into a consumable commodity. And again, I think the feed is the most conspicuous example of that today. Feeds (like minimalist art, in Fried’s account) constitute viewers as needing to pay attention in this way — as though their subjectivity depended on it. 

Key to Fried’s argument is Tony Smith’s famous account in an interview of driving on the New Jersey Turnpike before it had opened. He describes how there was nothing but “the dark pavement moving through the landscape of the flats, rimmed by hills in the distance, but punctuated by stacks, towers, fumes, and colored lights.” This ghost ride brought Smith to an epiphany:

The experience on the road was something mapped out but not socially recognized. I thought to myself, it ought to be clear that’s the end of art. Most painting looks pretty pictorial after that. There is no way you can frame it, you just have to experience it.  

This statement seems to make Fried lose his mind. It is the epitome of ”theatrical” in his terms, a rejection of artworks in favor of experiences, of works that are not autonomous but are necessarily performed in time. (This seems true of art generally, though, which always has a variable context, and “autonomy” seems always to be a protective illusion of the elites who want to decide which art counts as “real.” The ruse of autonomy is just masking the power they exert over the field of “art” as a form of status.) 

What Smith is talking about makes me think what feeds try to evoke but often only in a negative, FOMO sort of way: a “frameless” experience that got framed by someone who posted it, something that “you just had to experience” directly but which you are now experiencing vicariously. Feeds evoke the nighttime highway’s endless expanses, the sense that one is moving through a limitless stretch of content, always at the center of it all, but with a necessarily myopic view that occludes any glimpse of the totality. One is never compelled to be “present” on the road in the sense that Fried champions; one is always on the way to nowhere in particular. 

The immersiveness of a feed puts one in the midst of the content, the organizing principle of it in a literal, irrefutable way, obliterating the potential autonomy of anything out there. The algorithmic feed especially centers this consuming subject, immersing them in a serial array of content continually provided from ever widening and reconstituting archives, biased toward the immediate and the seemingly spontaneous but in fact composed of reposts, of memetic reiterations, of repeats and conformist mimickry (the “challenges” and borrowed audio tracks of TikTok for instance). It keeps reinscribing discovery as limitation, curiosity as a hermetic feedback loop.

At the same time, as much as this centers the consumer and anchors their sense of self, it provokes a sense of needing to contribute, of needing to reappropriate that experience of the open road and make it the highway for someone else. Immersion in endlessness becomes endless pressure to produce, to make sense of the infinite in a series of posts that try to announce one’s absent presence, one’s ceaseless willingness to participate.

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, mid July to August, 2019

Welcome to my latest summary of recent news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & ecommerce! This covers articles I came across from July 14 to August 24, although some may be older than that.

Tumblr has not been saving all of my drafts correctly, which has led to me rewriting some of this post more than once. (I’m now going to be compiling it elsewhere & pasting it here when done, to avoid this issue in the future.) That, a heavy workload, and some vacation time delayed & truncated this report. 

But the good news is I am now on a more consistent schedule, with more time to read and write. I expect to be getting this back to 3 times a month very soon. 

Are there types of news you would like to see here? Please let me know! Leave a comment below, email me through my website, or send me a message on Twitter.

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES

The priority placement is US search for items that ship free has been around for nearly 4 weeks, and doesn’t seem as disruptive as some feared. Etsy is conscious that non-US sellers are particularly upset about this, and have therefore published a list of things they are doing to help international sellers. (note that most of those things also help US sellers that ship to other countries, 

Etsy’s 2nd quarter results came out on August 1. Everything was up, but not quite as much as some experts predicted, so the stock is down quite a bit. The big announcement was that Etsy will be combining Promoted Listings & Google Shopping ads bought by sellers into Etsy Ads. They are supposed to launch in August, but I have yet to hear of any seller who thought this was a good idea.

3.5 million people worldwide use at least one social media platform. (That’s 46% of the planet’s population.) And more than half of the planet  - over 4 billion people - watch videos online. “[H]alf of all internet users below the age of 35″ use voice to operate their devices, with 43% of internet users worldwide using voice at least occasionally. 

SEO isn’t enough; you are going to have to spend money to be seen, if you don’t already “The last 18 years have been an anomaly. Twenty years ago, if a brand couldn't afford to pay for a newspaper or a radio ad, the media company didn't give the company time to publish a public service announcement. SEO allowed companies to go through a period where they received free listings on search engines like Google and Bing. Sending people to a brand's website is like getting a free television or radio commercial or newspaper ad or billboard at the baseball park in 1984″

Trend watch: both clothing retailers and makeup companies are seeing a drop in sales as their markets shrink. If you sell either, you will want to read both articles, as there are some parallels between the two areas in regard to what is and is not working. 

ETSY NEWS

Etsy purchased musical gear website Reverb for $275 million; it will continue to run separate from Etsy. Etsy stock went up at the time. This is notable because Etsy hasn’t bought much lately; it looks like they are slowly dialing back the panic mode, single-goal approach. Their business acumen has disappointed one commentator [humour].

Etsy is “improving” Etsy shop stats. (Note that the Google Shopping category is apparently for the ads you buy yourself only, not the ones Etsy buys, so you will need to use Google Analytics to look at those hits for the moment.) This seems to be leading up to the launch of Etsy Ads (see above).

Here’s some coverage of Etsy changes in the past few years (not a lot new, with some errors). 

Etsy seems to be ramping up its monitoring of seller customer service factors, as more people are receiving email notifications that their shops are falling below Etsy’s customer service expectations. I expect that any updates in this area might involve the new chat convo thingy: Convos are changing to live chat threads, which you cannot write more than one paragraph for because hitting return sends the message. It’s a mess. (Please forgive my frustration; I’ve already had to deal with over 40 separate convos from one buyer alone.)

There will be a site-wide Labour Day sale August 30-September 2, which Etsy will apparently be promoting. 

Fall fashion trends as promoted by Etsy: apparently silk scarves are in, for all sorts of uses. They also released their holiday trend report (pdf file), which I will summarize next week if I can find the time. It’s worth a look, because they divulge some top search data. You can also listen to the podcast, or read the podcast transcript. 

This article on tiered pricing and increasing your average order value is geared towards people using the $35 free shipping guarantee, but it is also useful for anyone wanting their customers to buy more from them. 

Staff will be using the Etsy Success section of the forum to post weekly tips called “Etsy Insights”. So far, they have been posting each week’s thread in that announcement post, so it is easy to skim and see if any topics are relevant for you. 

They are also asking members to sign up for more research surveys; so far, I am finding it pretty boring, and all of the content on their “hub” page is over a year old. 

The expansion into India saw their domestic listings more than double last year. Free workshops have helped bring many new sellers aboard. 

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES

Google’s John Mu, who does SEO outreach & education, reminds us that “LSI keywords” are not actually a thing. (LSI was a computer method to figure out relationships between words back in the 1980s; no search engine today is using it, as they have real search data on how people relate words to each other, and it just doesn’t give any insight into modern search technology.)

You don’t need tons of backlinks, but you do need good ones. And linking out on your own site is a good idea in many cases [video], as long as it serves your readers. 

Using images that show up on many different web pages can harm your SEO. They used stock photos that showed up on hundreds of pages for this experiment, so it is not likely that using your own image on 5 sites, for example, would be a problem. 

It looks like there was a fairly significant Google update around July 18th; there’s a bit more coverage here. The last 3 large Google updates are summarized & analyzed here. 

Google then released a blog post explaining their core updates and what you should do if you are negatively affected by one. They linked to several SEO websites explaining Google’s concept “E-A-T” (Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness), which is particularly important if you produce blog posts or educational materials.  

Less than half of Google searches now lead to a click on a website result, at least on desktop. Mobile Google searches overwhelmingly do not result in traffic to a website any more. (Note: as I always remind people, the data from these types of studies is always a bit suspect, because they only have a slice of the data, but the provider here probably has the biggest slice worldwide. 

Do you do some simple coding on your website or blog? You will find this beginners’ guide to canonical tags and the different uses of redirects and canonical tags [video & transcript] very helpful. If you are a bit more advanced than that, here’s a good guide to meta tags. 

CONTENT MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA (includes blogging & emails)

Hubspot puts out a lot of good digital marketing guides; check out their “Ultimate Guide to Content Distribution”. Also, they covered how to write a great (& SEO-effective) blog headline, with examples. 

Some stats on current social media usage [infographic]. 

Verizon sold Tumblr to Wordpress owner Automattic. 

Snapchat users continue to increase, as does revenue. They still aren’t profitable, but didn’t expect to be yet. 

Not getting enough traffic on Facebook? Here’s how to get seen by more people there. 

There are ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile to get more sales.

How to get valuable Twitter followers, that is, not bots. (They use Etsy as an example of a well-optimized Twitter profile.) 

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS)

Amazon is making advertising an even bigger slice of its income. 

Digital ad spending is continuing to increase in most areas.

Facebook is expanding its search ads to more businesses; it’s not really clear how it all works, though. The ads must also run as news feed ads. Here are some basic tips on how to get the most out of Facebook’s ad algorithm. 

With Etsy possibly ending the free Google Shopping ads it currently buys for us (see the Etsy Ads announcement above), this might be a good time to look into buying Google Shopping ads for your website; here is your complete guide to setting them up. 

More changes to regular Google ads mean less control for the business buying ads, meaning that exact match phrases are no longer even close. “Google says 15% of its daily searches are new — and advertisers will miss out on these new queries if matching is too tightly controlled. Its machine learning systems, the company says, can infer intent and spare advertisers from creating exhaustive keyword lists in order to get their ads to trigger on relevant queries.”

If you are thinking about paying for ads on Pinterest, you will want to read this starter guide. 

Twitter video ads now have an option to not pay for a click unless people view at least 6 seconds of the video. 

STATS, DATA, OTHER TRACKING

How to use Instagram Analytics to boost your business. (That is written for companies that are larger than most Etsy shops, but there is plenty of good material there.)

ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS

eBay beat earnings expectations in the second quarter. 

Amazon had higher than expected sales but lower than expected earnings in the second quarter. They keep thriving despite low profits margins because they have a massive cash flow. 

Alibaba reported higher than expected revenue and profit for its first quarter ending June 30th. 

Amazon sales on Prime Day (July 15-16, actually 2 days) were greater than last year’s Black Friday & Cyber Monday combined, and also signed up more new Prime members on each than ever before. Other websites also saw a big boost, especially for electronics. 

Amazon forced to amend its seller policies worldwide following German legal action. As of August 16, they will give 30 days notice for standard account cancellations. 

And they have expanded their robot deliveries (still followed by humans, though!)

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE

While buyers do love free shipping, nearly half of US consumers surveyed will choose to pay for shipping in certain circumstances, most commonly when they really want the product. Only 11% said they never buy unless shipping is free. 

When you are trying to sell something, and especially if you want a repeat buyer, make sure you are pitching it to the right target market. For example, people who don’t want to spend a lot of money won’t buy things they can get for free elsewhere. Provide value for the right people. (A lot of this article is pitched at entrepreneurs selling classes and events, not tangible products, but I think there is a lot of value in the explanations.)

MISCELLANEOUS

WordPress is one of the most popular ways to set up your own website; here’s a beginner’s guide to getting started. 

Google beat earnings expectations in the second quarter. Ad revenue was up a lot. Microsoft also had a better-than-expected quarter, but the growth of their search ads and of LinkedIn (which they own) has slowed. 

How to choose colours that will work together well. 

There is a lot of research on productivity; here are 10 things you can do to get more done. 

If you use Chrome, you could really use these Chrome keyboard shortcuts. 

[mcninjakitty]

_The irony in this? You’re on Tumblr. _

Ice Cream  

**Uce Cream **

We’re all pretty familiar with the term “like for like” or “follow for follow” right? It

exists on almost every website you visit. Even in Youtube videos, publishers are

making sure to include that statement in their recordings. It’s a pretty important

sentence, it’s the only way to spread the word about you or your brand. For big

name companies, it’s pretty easy as they’re already well known to everyone,

things like “Like our page on Facebook for weekly coupons!” will get just about

any savvy shopping consumer to hit that thumbs up! For the most part, we all

know that, the social media marketplace was created by big companies to profit

from the internet. And what a glorious decision that was! Schwans grocery store

home delivery!? I never have to leave home again! (seriously!) We’re also

aware that social media network is just an easier way for us to communicate to

each other about Schwans grocery store home delivery! insert sarcasm  _

 I ordered the chicken. Staying for dinner?

So why exactly do we constantly find ourselves getting lost on Youtube at night,

posting that sad picture of our salads, or a status update thinking like our

friends could relate to it? A little word called Homophily. (It’s kinda’ little, I

think?) It’s derived from the ancient Greek word Homou, “together” and it’s

known as wanting to seek out people who act and think like ourselves. Pretty

much narcissism, just a fancier word. 

_Feeling the Need _

So, by now you’re probably wondering, “well, what does your fancy word have

to do with me? I like surfin’ the web to pass the time in the john, you know the

deeaal! “Well that’s my point, so does everyone else. See, there’s plenty of

people like us, and it’s that very reason we tend to keep our inner circles close.

We feel as though we may not find others, yet we keep trying. Once we

establish a connection in real life, we find ourselves wanting an online

connection as well, so as to not lose touch, you know? because someone will

definitely act like they don’t know you after going home and then seeing them

the next day. (there’s that sarcasm again) According to Seiter, (n.d.) the feeling

of wanting likes on social media, taps into our primal urges of wanting attention,

creating addictions and what brings us joy.  Social connection becomes

desirable because let’s face it, NO. ONE. WANTS. TO. FEEL. ALONE. Being

alone makes us do and say things that don’t end up benefiting us in a positive

way at all. Feeling lonely however, makes us re-evaluate the way we look at

ourselves, we wonder why we’re alone and why no one approaches us

(Zhivotovskaya, Alloro, n.d.). Maybe it’s our appearance, maybe it’s our

interests, or, maybe our hygiene but you’re too embarrassed to tell anyone

about it so you hope no one notices you smell funnier and funnier every day!

 Social media allows us to develop a digital persona where no one can see the

real us unless we really want them to. It’s those feelings of insecurity that gives

us the need for attention, and who can blame someone who has never had it?

Once you get offered a snack you want the whole kitchen!  

_One in the same. _

_I like it, Do you?_

One like can go a very long way in social media. The algorithms of websites like

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, are specifically designed to constantly monitor

the search and “Like”, “Follow” or “Tweet” of its users. This is how the always

refreshing “feed” of the sites is showing something related to your previous

online history. The concept is, “hey you like this, so does this person. oh wait!

This person does too! Check out how many likes or shares this person got for

liking the same thing! Actually, everybody likes it!” More and more of the same

will pop up on your feed. This phenomenon is known to expand on social

media. It’s the only place where things expand instantly! The more people like

memes of Kermit, the more he becomes a more prominent presence when

logging in. Bisgin, Halil & Agarwal, Nitin & Xu, Xiaowei in (2012) wrote in their

article “A study of Hemophily on Social Media”, that it, [social media] which is

more than just the space for interactions, surpassed all the requirements

needed in terms of growth for reasons unknown. You meet new people online

the same way you meet them in real life. Rad! _

They’re Watching You..Yes..THEY. _

Today, everybody that’s anybody knows now that anything you search

especially on Google , will somehow appear on Facebook as an ad. I mean

really! I was freaking out when I saw the Purple Mattress ad on my Facebook

feed. Like, this isn’t some regular thing on Facebook, why is it appearing now?

OH! It’s because of the Algorithms. Videos, pictures and quotes appear more

based on how relevant they are. If you’re an avid social media user like me,

you’ll recall that Facebook used to just show content from the brands,

companies and big names you liked with the occasional high school friend

posting about their 5th child. Well at a conference in 2018, Facebook founder

Mark Zuckerberg, announced that the algorithms for the site will be set to

prioritize more family and friends (Tien, 2018). The point of online interactions

is to stay connected with family in new ways right? WRONG! What about social

media marketing? (That’s actually a job!) The fact that people hit thumbs up on

the same things makes for an impressive use of resources when it comes to

business. I mean, if I was Target and I noticed that people are liking a lot of

pictures of a puppet of Kermit the frog sippin’ tea in different positions, I would

show them where to buy that exact puppet to make their own hilarious photos..

To share and have people like and go viral and continue the cycle!

_References _

Bisgin, Halil & Agarwal, Nitin & Xu, Xiaowei. (2012). A study of homophily on social media. WorldWideWeb. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220301971_A_study_of_homophily_on_social_media

Seiter, C.,(n.d.) The Psychology of Social Media: Why we Like, Comment and Share Online. Buffer. Retrieved from: https://buffer.com/resources/psychology-of-social-media

Tien, S.,(2018) How the Facebook Algorithm Works and How to Make it Work for You. Hootsuite. Retrieved from: https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-algorithm/

_Zhivotovskaya, Alloro,(n.d.) Why Social Connection is So Important. The Flourishing Center. Retrieved from: https://theflourishingcenter.com/why-social-connection-is-so-important/ _

[innovatedigitalnz]

Is having an email list important?

If you’d said to me a year ago that the most important client list you could have was your email list, I would have laughed and truly thought you were joking. “Email is dead” I would have said, “you’re better off marketing through Google, Facebook, Instagram, Messenger or one of the other huge social networks where millions of potential customers hang out.

But one eye-opening day I was listening to a podcast by Amy Porterfield. She was was talking about the importance of a well nurtured email list and how your email list was the only client list you actually own and have control over. This was a new concept to me, something I pondered over the coming weeks with excited interest. The understanding that your client list is not your own if it is crafted through a social media channel such as Facebook was a huge moment of clarity. If you do not own it, it can be taken away from you.

A history of unexpected change

Thinking about lists that we rely on but don’t own, I remember how easy it was some 20 years ago to manipulate the search results in Google and get websites ranking for any search term we chose. We’d keyword stuff the meta fields and hide text on the page, and add pointless extra text to trick Google into ranking websites higher. At the time we didn’t view this as what became known as “black hat” tactics. It was part of a working strategy to get client websites ranking well and therefore bringing in business for them.

Then came Google’s algorithm changes. In 2011 Google released the Panda update which penalised duplicate, spammy, keyword stuffed websites. This game changing update was quickly followed by Penguin in 2012, which penalised websites for having spammy links. Over successive years, Google changed the face of search engine optimisation and how we optimised websites to rank. Ultimately, all these changes have been for the better, as Google manipulates the rankings to show users the best quality and most relevant content available. However, lots of legitimate businesses crumpled during these years, as they went from first results in Google to nowhere to be found. As the much-enjoyed traffic that these businesses had enjoyed dried up, businesses went from prospering to failing.

Then came the advent of Facebook. Originally created as a space for people to connect with each other, Facebook has become one of the hugest marketing platforms in the world. Businesses work to create a list of “Likes” or “Followers”, nurturing their audiences with interactive, interesting and engaging content. Organic reach for posts was high in the early days – meaning that the people who liked your page had a good chance of seeing your post in their feed. Then, in 2018, Facebook changed their alogorithm to reduce the amount of marketing content that was shown organically in followers feeds. This change forced businesses to opt for paid advertising in order for their posts to continue to reach people.

More recently, businesses and public figures have found their accounts suspended or their post reach penalised when promoting or talking about topics found to be in breach of Facebook’s standards and rules.

The same has been seen with Twitter, Instagram and other social platforms. In 2021, Trump had his Twitter account permanently suspended due to his public stances on the Twitter platform.

So what does this mean for your business?

While marketing on any of these platforms is an integral part of any strong marketing strategy, businesses should be wary of relying solely on building their client lists on these platforms, because at any point they could disappear. You don’t own your customer list on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Google. You can’t download a spreadsheet of all the people you are connected with and contact them external to those platforms. And if those platforms were to shut down tomorrow, or your business be found to be in breach of their policies or standards, those valuable client lists would be gone.

Just 20 days ago, Meta (previously Facebook), warned that it may shut down Facebook in Europe if they could not come to an agreement over the sharing of private data with the EU.

If Facebook were to close here in New Zealand, would you still have a customer list? Would you have other ways of engaging with your customers?

Read the full article here.