#Subscription value analysis

[inkskinned]

i think a lot about exactly 1 thing from the roman empire: the concept of bread and circus. the idea was that if your population was fed and entertained, they wouldn't revolt. you are asking us to give up our one small life, is the thing - for under 15 dollars an hour.

what would that buy, even. i am trading weekends and late nights and my back health. i am trading slow mornings and long walks and cortisol levels. i am trading sleep and silence and peace. for ... this. for what barely-covers-rent.

life really is more expensive right now. you aren't making that up. i make almost 3 times what i did 5 years ago, and despite an incredibly equal series of bills - i am still struggling. the most expensive line item i added was to own a dog. the money is just evaporating.

we were okay with it because it's a cost-benefit analysis. i could handle the customer harassment and standing all day and the manager's constantly changing temperament - i was coming home to hope, and my life planned in a blue envelope. three hours would buy me my dog's food for a month. i can give up three hours for him, for his shiny coat and wide, happy mouth. three days could be a new mattress, if i was thrifty. if i really scrimped and saved, we could maybe afford a trip into the city.

recently i cried in the car about the price of groceries.

business majors will be mad at me, but my most inflammatory opinion is that people should never be valued at the same place as products. your staff should not be a series of numbers in an excel sheet that you can just "replace" whenever you need something at that moment. your staff should be people, end of sentence.

it feels like someone somewhere is playing a very bad video game. like my life is a toy. like someone opened an app on their phone and hired me in diner dash ultra. they don't need to pay me well or treat me alright - they can always just show me the door. there is always someone more desperate, always someone more willing.

but i go to work and know i could save for years and not afford housing. i am never going to own my own home, most likely. i have no idea how to afford her ring, much less the wedding. my dog doesn't have his own yard. everything i love is on subscription. if i lose my job, i have no "nest egg" to catch my falling.

this thin life - they want me to give up summer for it. to open my mouth and throat and swallow the horrible hours and counted keystrokes. they want me to give up mountains and any non-federal holiday. to give up snow days. to give up talking to my mom whenever i want. to give up visiting the ocean and hearing the waves.

bread and circus worked for a while, actually. it was the kind of plan that would probably now be denounced by republicans as socialist commie liberal pronoun bullshit.

but sometimes i wonder if we should point them to the part of the history book that says: it worked until it didn't.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Parker Molloy at The Present Age:

A new Media Matters report confirms what many of us have suspected for years: the right absolutely dominates online media. And it's not even close. According to their analysis, nine of the top ten online shows are right-leaning, with a total following of more than 197 million subscribers and viewers across platforms. The only left-leaning show to crack the top ten? Trevor Noah's "What Now?" with 21.1 million followers.

Overall, right-leaning online shows have amassed nearly 481 million followers across platforms — almost five times more than the 104 million followers for left-leaning shows. On YouTube alone, right-wing channels have racked up 65 billion views compared to 31.5 billion for left-leaning content. These numbers are staggering, but they're not an accident. They're the result of a deliberate, well-funded strategy to colonize the digital media landscape with conservative voices. While left-leaning creators struggle to cobble together sustainable business models through Patreon donations and merchandise sales, right-wing personalities are frequently backed by billionaire money that allows them to build sophisticated media operations with professional production values and massive marketing budgets.

This isn't just about politics — it's about money, power, and the future of our information ecosystem. The Kochs, the Mercers, the Thiels, the Murdochs, the Uihleins — these aren't just wealthy families; they're kingmakers who understand that investing in media is investing in political power.

[...] Perhaps the most insidious aspect of this takeover is how right-wing content has seeped into supposedly non-political spaces. The Media Matters analysis found that 72% of online shows with an ideological bent that self-identify as non-political are actually right-leaning.

[...]

This infiltration of supposedly non-political spaces works precisely because it doesn't present itself as political propaganda. It's just bros talking about life, making jokes, and occasionally hosting a presidential candidate or anti-trans activist. And behind many of these seemingly independent creators? You guessed it — conservative money.

In contrast, progressive online media operates in a funding desert. While right-wing creators enjoy the backing of ideologically motivated billionaires, left-leaning voices must navigate a fragmented landscape of smaller donors, subscriptions, and advertising — all while competing against the right's well-oiled promotion machine.

Major progressive donors simply haven't prioritized building a comparable media ecosystem. George Soros, the right's favorite boogeyman, has primarily focused his giving on policy organizations and civil society groups, not media entities that could counter the Shapiros and Rogans of the world. Similarly, other wealthy liberal donors have directed their resources toward traditional political campaigns, issue advocacy, and established nonprofit journalism rather than investing in the creator economy.

Even when progressive funders do support media, they often impose restrictions and expectations that make it difficult to build large, sustainable audiences. While conservative backers give their content creators freedom to be entertaining, provocative, and commercially viable first, progressive funding often comes with strings attached around messaging, issue focus, and measurable policy impacts.

The approach means left-leaning creators are forced to prioritize substance over style, nuance over engagement, and education over entertainment — all while operating with a fraction of the resources available to their right-wing counterparts.

[...]

If progressives want to compete in the digital information space, they need to get serious about building and funding an ecosystem that can rival the right's dominance.

This doesn't mean mimicking the dishonesty and extremism that characterizes much of right-wing media. But it does require acknowledging some uncomfortable truths: entertainment values matter, production quality matters, marketing matters, and yes, money matters. Progressive donors need to take a page from the conservative playbook by making long-term, substantial investments in digital media with fewer strings attached. They need to fund not just serious policy content but also entertainment, comedy, sports, and lifestyle content that can reach beyond the already converted. More importantly, they need to recognize that building media power is not secondary to political organizing — it's an essential prerequisite. In an era when a single podcast host can reach more people than all the major cable news networks combined, media isn't just about informing people about progressive policies; it's about creating the cultural and informational environment where those policies can even be considered.

The right understood this decades ago when they began building their media apparatus. They knew that owning the megaphones was just as important as having something to say into them. It's long past time for progressives to learn the same lesson. The alternative is accepting a future where the digital public square is permanently tilted toward conservative voices — not because their ideas are more popular, but because they were willing to pay for the microphones.

Former Media Matters For America employee Parker Molloy wrote in her The Present Age column that the right-wing dominance on online media platforms is hurting left-leaning content creators and the Democratic Party at the ballot box.

[spaghettioverdose]

My biggest question about the independent artist thing basically boils down to "so what?"

The way that I have come to understand it, bourgeois and petit bourgeois are bad because they exploit the labor power of others. Independent artists own their tools (though often they have to use a subscription service for art programs or they can be revoked as digital media often is), but they are not exploiting anybody through their ownership of these tools. Is that not what the entire goal is, to place the means of production into the hands of the people using them? It does not seem fair to decry independent artists as petit bourgeois for the simple act of owning tools and being paid either on a monthly basis by a collective or through taking payment for creating art that the payer wants to be created.

Marxist class analysis is not moralist. Petit-bourgeois and bourgeois aren't "kinda bad" and "bad". Marxism doesn't care whether or not someone is evil. That's not what this is about. The purpose of class anlysis is to understand class interests and how they affect the economy and politics. A marxist might personally believe that Jeff Bezos is evil but that is irrelevant to their analysis.

Most marxists don't really care that much about independent artists, because they aren't a very significant economic sector, but it is a topic that comes up repeatedly on this website.

You are not required to exploit workers to be petite-bourgeois.

Marxists do not seek to create a society where everyone is a small producer with their own means of production, but rather one where the working class collectively owns the means of production.

I will refer you to to my other posts: 1 2

I will also refer you to the following works: The Principles of Communism, Wage Labour and Capital, Value Price and Profit

[daddyduncan69]

One of my recent posts got a few comments about media literacy being dead and Neil being an unreliable narrator so I want to clear some things up.

Firstly, media literacy isn't dead becuase it cannot die. Also, I am not a big fan of fear mongering. Humans have always sought to understand and communicate with each other about the things we create. It is a skill that can be taught and should be practiced. There is no one right way to do it. And, while I think the education system fails so many of us (something something to make us easier to control something something), I also think that there are tons of resources to help us learn without the need for an official "teacher". So, instead of pessimistically saying is it "dead" (especially on someone's textual analysis post, like... are you saying I prove it's dead becuase I don't have media literacy? are you agreeing with me and therefore proving yourself wrong? do I not count for some reason? i don't think I get it), engage in discourse about media that you love. And I mean actual discourse, not just fighting on social media about whether or not everyone should "like" your favorite character. Ask yourself "what is the effect of this rhetorical device in the text?" "is the text trying to make me like or not like this character? is it working, why or why not," (do not ask "why did the author do this?" because that is not relevant nor are you a mind reader). Take free online Literature classes from colleges that help you learn how to analyze. Invite others to do it with you. Join or start a book club. Engage in various types of media, not just YA, fantasy, fiction, etc. Consider kindly rebutting or offering a counter point to other people's interpretations, bringing actual textual evidence to back up your points. Use Google Scholar to access free scholarly articles to see academic prospectives on various medias that are not just from social media or blogs. Your local library may even have subscriptions to paid sights like JSTOR or collections of essays that would let you access articles that are otherwise behind a paywall. All of these things can help improve your own media literacy and, in turn, will help improve the media literacy of the people around you.

Secondly, the point of my other post was NOT that Neil is an unreliable narrator. I've seen a lot of people make this claim so I wanted to chime in. Unreliable narrators are marked by a few characteristics, some of which are exaggeration, detachment from reality, naivety, and deception of the reader. I don't believe Neil falls into any of these categories. I would be open to arguments that claim he does, but it would be hard to sway me because I can't find any textual evidence to support it. This is an important distinction to me because the larger claim I make in that post is that ALL narration, 1st person, 3rd person, omniscient, limited, etc is biased- all of it. It is CRUCIAL as readers to identify a narrators biases and consider the text through that lens. If you aren't practicing doing that (or only doing it when the narrator is "unreliable") you can easily fall into the trap of saying "well Neil says Kevin is a coward so he is", which is obviously an issue in the grand scheme of textual analysis. However, you can also easily fall into the trap of saying "Neil is an unreliable narrator because he is wrong about things/lies to people/has trauma so you can't trust him". I believe that Neil tells us as the reader the truth in his narration almost 100% of the time, Neil just lies to the other characters 24/7. So, as readers we should take what he says in his internal monologue at face value but question the motives behind his dialogue with other characters.

Anyway, that was a long winded, probably boring monologue about critical textual analysis. I devote maybe 16 out of my 18 waking hours to thinking about this, so thanks for hanging in there to read it all. I just care so deeply that we as a culture continue to grow these skills without shaming those who haven't had the same opportunities to learn how to do it or making the act of learning how to feel hopeless or doomed.

[pedropascalunofficial]

Pedro Pascal invests in subscription diagnostic service

Kevin Hart, Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal invest in Function Health

Function Health, a health platform company, has secured $53 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz and a few A-list celebrities, the company said Tuesday.

The company sells a subscription-based service that allows consumers to undergo more than 100 lab tests and then provides analysis on their heart health, potential signals for cancer, thyroid issues, hormone levels, risk for Alzheimer’ disease, kidney health and other diseases. Function uses in-house clinicians and some from telehealth company SteadyMD to write clinical insights based on the lab work. A doctor will call a patient if there is an emergency indicated within the results.

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which has had a busy few weeks in digital health, led the round. Other investors included actors Matt Damon, Zac Efron, Pedro Pascal and Kevin Hart along with former and current NBA stars Joel Embiid and Blake Griffin, former NFL star Colin Kaepernick, podcast host Jay Shetty. 

The company has 50,000 subscribers and a waiting list of more than 200,000 people, said CEO Dr. Mark Hyman. He attributed those numbers to word of mouth and him mentioning the company on his podcast, which ranks in the top five of Apple’s health and wellness podcasts. Hyman said the company will use the $53 million to start traditional marketing and make the platform more user-friendly.

Function charges $499 for an annual subscription but is looking to expand into enterprise contracts with self-insured employers and insurance companies. The company does not accept insurance.

“We're very focused on getting into highly insured, large Fortune 500 companies and payers as well as Medicare and Medicaid,” Hyman said. “We’re focused on those markets because we believe we can show them our value proposition.”

[garvet]

For as long as G53U could remember, the world had been full of magic. Probably ever since he'd reached for a sleek, shiny air analyzer—bright as cartoon candy���and licked it, saying, “Sweet.” Of course, the analyzer itself wasn’t sweet. The sweetness was the sensation of ions on the surface of his sensors. He learned to distinguish them by their names and properties a little later. Metals, synthetics, gases—everything spoke to him. The world sang, and he could guess the words, putting them together into spells. At first, only in his mind.

After the first Augmentation phase, when he moved into the training group for future systems analysts, he was given access to manuals and reference books from the company feed. Pretty soon, he learned all of them. The only books relatively available to his group were those on engineering and systems maintenance. Part of that contained magic, too.

When G53U first met a construct—brought to the class for analysis—and was able to touch it, it felt like falling into a vat of syrup. The incredible synthetics it was composed of made G53U dizzy. If he’d had the right words to describe it, he could have laid out all the top-secret information about the manufacturing company on the training console. All the connections between artificial tissues and mechanical parts obeying the electronic code. It was mesmerizing.

But for the super-secret chemistry and code, he lacked the words. Even so, he promised himself then and there that he would become the greatest wizard in the world.

After the second and third stages of augmentation, everything became clearer and simpler. The knowledge he lacked, he learned to steal. What he couldn’t steal—samples, tools—he bought. By that time, he had a maintenance job and a small income. He reduced the filtration and air quality levels in his living module to the bare minimum, ate once every two days, and supplemented his lack of nutrition with free syrup from the company coffee machine. Synthetic coffee was given to employees in almost unlimited quantities (four cups per shift), so he lived on it. And it was worth it. One day, he managed to buy a tiny container of strange synthetics. It was love at first touch—a connection to other worlds, endless possibilities.

He dove headfirst into them, surviving on little sleep. Systems analysis and work by day, reading scientific journals and writing his own papers by night.

He made contacts with other scientists. This left him with even less money for food. Sending data bundles through the wormhole, receiving bundles from the far ends of the galaxy—it all cost. He wouldn’t have lasted long if his new friends hadn’t picked up some of his regular expenses. They paid for his one-year subscription to send and receive data bundles and sent him invaluable equipment he could barely fit into his module. The miracle was becoming real. They even offered to buy him out from the company.

He spent several days dreaming that he’d be free to listen to magic in a spacious, real laboratory, without fear, discussing his discoveries with colleagues, changing things, creating, exploring. But it didn’t work out.

“Nothing,” his contact, Ratthi, said—a recent PhD who lit up the world with constant optimism. “Wait a few days, we’ve got a backup plan.”

In a few days, G53U was set to undergo the last augmentation stage. That would raise his value to sky-high levels, shutting off any chance of escape. He’d be the company’s systems analyst forever.

“Sure,” he told Ratthi. “Let’s try the backup plan. No rush.”

After the surgery, he didn’t realize what was happening at first. The world was silent, its voice replaced by the hum of the feed. G53U froze, then calmed down, figuring it was a post-op effect. But the silence didn’t go away after a day or two. The words of the world no longer formed into magical incantations. He clutched the tiny container of strange synthetics in his hand—and felt nothing.

The world was empty.

If there was still magic in it, G53U could no longer hear it.

They advised him to consume more sweets to help his brain adapt to the new conditions. He dutifully drank syrup with a bit of coffee added. It didn’t help.

When his friends managed to buy his contract for a week, sending him to Preservation as part of the backup plan, he still hoped the magic would return. Sometimes, when he drank his oversyruped synthetic coffee, he thought he could still hear the song of the world—right on the tip of his tongue.

[collapsedsquid]

That’s a concept which is a little bit narrower than just “disposable income” (typically meaning after taxes) or even “post housing costs income”.  The income concept I’m thinking about here is one that’s familiar to me from having done analysis on debt management companies in the 00s – the firms that used to advertise on daytime TV that they could get you out of debt trouble by drawing up a Creditors’ Voluntary Arrangement. At the heart of the CVA system in England was the idea that you needed to rewrite the debtor’s household budget.  You’d start with the fixed charges necessary to provide a “decent life”, give a small allowance for everyday purchases, and then the rest would go to debt service for a few years, after which the balances were written off.  I’m interested in the real value of that “small allowance”, or its equivalent for solvent households. I’m also interested in the fixed charges.  These obviously included housing costs and a standard figure for food and clothing; they also included mobile phone bills.  One of the great debates of the time when I was really into this used to be whether Sky Sports subscriptions were a necessity for a football fan, and lots of CVAs ended up ruling that they were (the debtors’ representatives successfully argued that if they weren’t taken into account, the debtor would end up spending all their disposable income).

Going to start a charity where we fight debt by teaching underprivileged men how to pirate sports broadcasts

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Democracy Docket

This is the full version of what's included in our premium membership — on Mondays, Marc often recaps and provides his thoughts on the weekend's news in politics, law, democracy and elections. This one is on us, but upgrade now to always get Marc’s exclusive insights and analysis directly to your inbox.

Recently, I started writing to you on Mondays about the biggest democracy news of the weekend. Typically, this involves some outrage by the administration or a significant court development. This weekend, however, the biggest democracy news took place not in a courtroom, but in a ballroom in Washington, D.C., and in scores of soirees celebrating the media.

The White House Correspondents' Dinner’s stated purpose is to raise money for scholarships and recognize the genuine talents of its members. In recent years, however, the dinner has largely become a forum for the D.C. elite to celebrate themselves.

During the Clinton, Bush and Obama presidencies, the coziness and inside jokes between the media and the White House raised eyebrows but were largely excused as a harmless, if cringeworthy, tradition. This year, however, the event was different.

This weekend exemplified just how diminished the legacy media has become in the age of Trump. He has mocked them, dictated their access and replaced them with right-wing outlets. In a final act of disrespect, he even pressured them to cancel their entertainment while his administration largely boycotted the event, instead throwing their own events and parties.

Trump came into office attacking the media and has never stopped. Indeed, just last week, the Department of Justice stripped journalists of protections from subpoenas. Yet, in his keynote address, the head of the Correspondents’ Association went out of his way to emphasize that the assembled media are not “the opposition.”

Since Trump’s reelection, we have seen a steady decline of legacy media and a rapid growth of independent outlets. Those who cover the news industry tend to focus on the former — for understandable reasons — but disconnecting it from the rise of independent news sources misses the bigger story.

The public is tired of media outlets treating politics and democracy like a sporting event with two equally meritorious sides. They don't want to consume media produced by people who fail to view themselves as avowedly pro-democracy, and in opposition to those trying to destroy it. Legacy media isn’t declining because people no longer value news; it’s because they value it more than ever.

That's why readers are willing to pay more for the content of a single independent journalist or commentator than they are for an entire newspaper subscription. It’s why YouTube news creators and podcasters are attracting audiences in the millions — and growing. And it's why Democracy Docket has more than tripled its audience size since Election Day.

I did not attend any of the weekend festivities. I have no interest in sitting in a room with people who believe their job is to stay neutral while the administration is deporting two-year-old American citizens. I do not want to share cocktails and canapés with those who will not stand up, full-throated, against attacks on law firms, universities, nonprofit organizations and, yes — media institutions.

I did not start Democracy Docket in 2020 to be part of a club or attend parties. I founded it to reject false neutrality and to be unapologetically pro-democracy.

If that is what you value as well, I’m glad you found us! To our premium members, thank you for your continued support. To our free subscribers, we hope you enjoy the work — and consider upgrading if you can. UPGRADE NOW TO SUPPORT OUR TEAM

The Weekend’s ToplineAcross industries, Trump’s attacks on democracy have taught us an important lesson: smaller is better. Small law firms have resisted Trump’s efforts more aggressively — regardless of ideology — than large ones. I suspect that small liberal arts colleges will also weather this era better than large research universities. And, of course, smaller independent news outlets are outpacing the declining legacy giants.

I expect this trend to continue for the next three years. It has the potential to reshape many industries—and society itself. Pay attention. 

Heroes of the WeekendWhen the lawyers at Democracy Forward and the ACLU brought their first lawsuit challenging the illegal removal of migrants to a Salvadorian gulag, too many on the left stood back. They worried that this was the wrong fight to pick, that it was playing into Trump’s hands. Since then, public opinion polls have proven this concern wrong. The American people may want more controls on immigration, but they also support due process and rule of law. 

For being willing to lead in this fight, Democracy Forward and the ACLU are worthy heroes.

Siren of the Weekend 🚨 New reports suggest that children who are U.S. citizens are being illegally deported. A Trump-appointed federal judge in Louisiana wrote that there is a "strong suspicion that the Government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process."

We also understand that not everyone is able to make this commitment, which is why our free daily and weekly newsletters aren’t going anywhere!

Democracy Docket, LLC 

250 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 400

Washington, D.C., 20009

[businessmarketreports]

An Overview of UK Home Small Domestic Appliances Market: Trends and Insights

The UK home small domestic appliances (SDA) market has seen significant growth driven by evolving consumer lifestyles, technological innovations, and a growing focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. From kettles and toasters to handheld vacuums and smart kitchen gadgets, SDAs are becoming indispensable in UK households.

Buy the Full Report for More Category Insights into the UK Home Small Domestic Appliances Market

Download a Free Sample Report

Here’s an analysis of the key trends and insights shaping the market in 2024.

1. Market Size and Growth

The SDA market in the UK is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4-6% from 2023 to 2028, driven by post-pandemic shifts in home-based lifestyles.

Rising disposable income and increasing interest in premium and smart appliances are fueling demand.

2. Key Consumer Trends

a. Smart and Connected Appliances

Voice control integration (via Alexa, Google Assistant) and IoT-enabled SDAs are gaining traction.

Popular products: Smart kettles, Wi-Fi-enabled coffee makers, and robotic vacuum cleaners.

b. Health and Wellness Focus

Growing interest in air fryers, blenders, and juicers as consumers focus on healthier lifestyles.

Increased demand for air purifiers and humidifiers due to rising concerns over indoor air quality.

c. Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

UK consumers are prioritizing eco-friendly appliances with lower energy consumption, such as energy-efficient kettles and low-wattage irons.

Brands offering repairable and recyclable products are seeing stronger loyalty.

d. Compact and Space-Saving Designs

Urban living and smaller households drive demand for multi-functional and compact SDAs, such as 2-in-1 steamers or combination microwaves.

3. Product-Specific Insights

Kitchen Appliances

Coffee Machines:

Premium brands like Nespresso and De’Longhi dominate, with demand for bean-to-cup and pod-based machines increasing.

Air Fryers:

Brands like Tefal and Ninja lead as air fryers become a household staple.

Consumers prioritize larger capacities and multi-functionality.

Cleaning Appliances

Robotic Vacuum Cleaners:

Growing adoption of smart robotic vacuums from brands like iRobot and Eufy.

Consumers value mapping technologies and self-emptying features.

Handheld Vacuums:

Brands like Dyson continue to dominate the cordless vacuum segment, driven by innovations in battery life and suction power.

Personal Care Appliances

Growth in electric toothbrushes, hair dryers, and grooming kits, driven by brand diversification and targeted marketing.

4. Retail and Distribution Trends

E-commerce Boom:

Online channels like Amazon, Argos, and Currys are witnessing robust growth, fueled by convenience and competitive pricing.

Omni-Channel Experiences:

Retailers are integrating digital and in-store experiences, such as AR demos for products.

Subscription Models:

Brands offering subscription plans for products like coffee machines and vacuum filters are seeing higher customer retention.

5. Competitive Landscape

Key Players

Dyson:

Leader in cordless vacuum and air purifier segments, with a focus on cutting-edge design and functionality.

Ninja:

Dominates the air fryer market and continues to expand into other SDAs like blenders and multi-cookers.

Philips:

Strong presence in personal care and kitchen appliances, with a growing focus on energy efficiency.

Breville:

Known for kettles, toasters, and sandwich makers, with a strong mid-market appeal.

Market Share Dynamics

Premium brands like Dyson and Nespresso dominate the high-end segment.

Mid-range brands (e.g., Tefal, Morphy Richards) maintain steady growth by balancing affordability and quality.

New entrants offering smart or niche eco-friendly solutions are gradually gaining market share.

6. Challenges and Opportunities

Challenges

Economic Pressures:

Inflation and rising energy costs may deter discretionary spending on premium SDAs.

Supply Chain Disruptions:

Component shortages and logistical issues continue to affect manufacturing and delivery timelines.

Opportunities

Sustainability:

Brands investing in energy-efficient and recyclable products are likely to capture eco-conscious consumers.

Customization:

Offering customizable products (e.g., personalized coffee settings or modular vacuum components) can differentiate brands.

7. Future Outlook

Smart Home Integration:

Growth in smart home adoption will drive demand for IoT-enabled SDAs.

Health and Wellness Products:

Continued interest in products supporting healthy lifestyles, such as air purifiers and low-fat cooking appliances.

Sustainability Leadership:

Companies embracing circular economy principles will gain a competitive edge.

The UK small domestic appliances market is poised for steady growth, underpinned by consumer preferences for convenience, sustainability, and technology-driven innovation. Players who align their strategies with these evolving trends will be best positioned to thrive.

[sprout24live]

Guide to Running a Successful Social Media Agency

Table of Contents:

1Chapter 1

2Chapter 2

3Chapter 3

4Conclusion

5FAQs

In this comprehensive guide, I share insights on establishing and growing a successful social media agency. It covers identifying your niche, creating a solid foundation, and effectively packaging services to attract clients. The guide also delves into strategies for running successful social media campaigns, understanding your audience, and creating engaging content. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of team building, expanding client base, and staying ahead of industry trends. This resource is invaluable for anyone looking to launch or grow a social media agency.

Connor Reynolds  May 1, 2024 174 0

Sprout24 is reader-supportedWe may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through our links. Rest assured, this does not affect the cost of your subscription.

Fed up with reading biased reviews and analysis from SaaS vendors themselves?We understand; they're often just trying to sell their services. That's why we've created this guide – to provide you with a straightforward and unbiased overview.

In the digital realm, where every like, share, and follow counts, it is not surprising that the social media marketing agency has emerged as a game changer.

As the digital landscape reshapes traditional marketing norms, the role of social media agencies is increasingly gaining prominence, acting as a critical nexus between businesses and their audiences.

Why so?

The numbers are impressive, but the real potential lies in the connections, engagement, and relationships built on these platforms.

A social media agency wears many hats – from strategist and content creator to community manager and data analyst. Leveraging their expertise, businesses can tap into the potential of social media, sparking conversations around their brand, engaging with their audience, and driving growth.

Let’s embark on a journey to explore the fascinating world of running a successful social media agency.

Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Starting Your Social Media Agency

1.1 Identifying Your Niche

The answer is your niche.

In the digital marketing world, a “one size fits all” approach rarely brings success. Your agency must have a unique focus that aligns with your passion, expertise, and market demand.

Niches can be industry-specific, demographic-focused, or platform-centric. However, your niche should resonate with you and be something you’re passionate about, as this passion will be your fuel on this journey.

So, whether you’re a fitness enthusiast wanting to help gyms with their social media, or a tech wizard focused on helping software companies, finding the right niche will make your services more targeted, valuable, and sought-after.

1.2 Building a Solid Foundation

An idea without a foundation is like a skyscraper without its base—destined to crumble.

Building a robust foundation for your social media agency involves a deep understanding of your brand, services, goals, and objectives.

Think of your brand as a person. What does it stand for?

What are its values?

What is its personality?

Setting clear goals and objectives is another crucial aspect.

What are you aiming to achieve in the next year?

Maybe it is to secure five ongoing clients or to reach a specific revenue milestone. Having these goals allows you to develop a roadmap for your agency’s growth.

Remember, these goals should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Solidifying your brand, defining your services, and setting clear goals is like building a strong foundation for your agency. These elements are the bedrock upon which the rest of your business strategy will be built.

1.3 Packaging Your Services

Deciding on which services to offer is only half the battle won. The real challenge lies in packaging them attractively, thus appealing to your potential clients.

Think about it from the clients’ perspective – why should they choose your services over others?

What unique value proposition are you offering?

A neat trick is to offer services in bundles, where each package caters to different needs and budgets.

For instance, a basic package could include content creation and basic SEO, a mid-tier package might offer social media management and engagement tracking, and a premium package could provide a complete solution, including paid ad campaigns, comprehensive SEO, and data analytics.

By doing so, you’re not just selling services but solutions that promise results, packaged to meet diverse client needs and budgets.

1.4 Winning Clients

A useful starting point is leveraging your personal and professional network. Reach out to local businesses, attend industry events, join online communities, and let them know about your services.

Remember, word-of-mouth is a powerful tool. Satisfied customers can become your brand ambassadors, bringing in more clients.

Regularly publish blogs and articles on industry trends and best practices. This positions you as a thought leader in your niche, attracting more clients.

Social proof is another powerful way to attract clients. Case studies, testimonials, and client success management stories provide tangible evidence of your capabilities. It helps build trust and credibility with potential clients.

However, the most important strategy for winning clients is delivering top-notch service. Your clients are investing their money and trust in you, and nothing speaks louder than results.

Make their satisfaction your top priority, and they’ll not only stick around but also refer you to others. Building strong, long-lasting relationships with your clients is the real secret to a successful social media agency.

9.5/10

Sendible

Connor Reynolds  July 30, 2024 Social Media Tools

Sendible is a powerful social media management tool that can help your digital marketing team to streamline their social media activities and better engage with your target customers across different social media platforms.

 Deployment: SaaS

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Running Successful Social Media Campaigns

2.1 Understanding Your Audience

So, how do you get to know your audience?

It’s not about guessing or assuming; it is about data-driven insights. Social media platforms are a treasure trove of data.

Leveraging analytics tools like Google Analytics, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social, you can uncover vital information about your audience—demographics, interests, online behaviors, and more.

It’s about knowing what resonates with them, what sparks their interest, what drives them to engage, or what influences their purchasing decisions.

These insights will help you tailor your content, tone, and messaging, ensuring they hit the right chord with your audience.

Remember, understanding your audience isn’t a one-time process; it is continuous. As audience preferences evolve, so should your understanding.

Always be on your toes, ready to learn, adapt, and deliver what your audience truly wants.

2.2 Creating Engaging Content

In the world of social media, content is the currency. It is how you engage with your audience, how you communicate your brand message, and how you drive actions – be it likes, shares, comments, or conversions.

So, how do you create content that not only grabs attention but also incites engagement?

How-to guides, thought leadership articles, fun quizzes, or behind-the-scenes stories?

This is where your audience analysis comes into play.

Quality trumps quantity every time. It is better to post less frequently but provide value with each post.

Always ask yourself, “What’s in it for the audience?”

Ensure your content adds value, be it in the form of information, entertainment, or inspiration.

Don’t forget the power of storytelling. People connect with stories, so weave your brand message into a story. Share success stories, customer testimonials, or your journey, making your brand more relatable.

Lastly, encourage engagement. Ask questions, seek opinions, run contests, or use interactive features like polls or quizzes.

The more your audience interacts with your content, the higher the chances of it being seen by a broader audience, thanks to the algorithms of social media platforms.

Creating engaging content isn’t about luck; it is about understanding your audience, delivering value, and fostering engagement.

If done right, it can turn your social media platforms into bustling communities, driving growth for your agency.

2.3 Monitoring and Adjusting Your Campaigns

Social media isn’t a “set it and forget it” game. It is a dynamic ecosystem that demands constant monitoring and adjustments.

Why?

Because social media trends evolve rapidly, audience preferences change, and what works today might not work tomorrow.

Tools like Buffer, Agorapulse, Sendible, Sprout Social, and Hootsuite offer comprehensive analytics to track these metrics.But numbers alone don’t tell the full story. Dive deeper to understand what these numbers mean.

Are your posts getting good engagement but low click-throughs?

Maybe your call-to-actions aren’t compelling enough.

Is your follower growth slow?

Perhaps you need to be more active in community engagement.

Don’t shy away from experimenting. Try different types of content, posting at different times, using various hashtags. See what works best and double down on those strategies.

And don’t forget to keep an eye on your competition.

What are they doing differently?

Can you learn from their successes or mistakes?

Remember, monitoring and adjusting your campaigns isn’t a once-in-a-while task; it is an ongoing process. The more frequently you check and adjust, the better your campaigns will perform.

After all, the key to winning the social media game is staying agile and ready to adapt.

2.4 Measuring Success

Measurement is the compass that guides your social media journey. It tells you if you’re heading in the right direction or if it is time to pivot.

But in the sea of data that social media provides, what should you measure?

Here are some key metrics to keep an eye on:

Engagement rate is a measure of how much your audience interacts with your content. It includes likes, comments, shares, saves, or click-throughs.

Reach and impressions tell you how many people saw your post and how often. If these numbers are low, perhaps you need to adjust your posting schedule, use different hashtags, or promote your posts to reach a wider audience.

Follower growth is a measure of how your audience size is growing. While it is not the only metric to focus on, a steady growth in followers indicates people find value in your content and want to see more.

Conversion rate is the ultimate measure of your campaign success.

If your conversions are low, maybe you need to tweak your call-to-actions or offer more compelling incentives.

Remember, these numbers are just data unless you glean insights from them.

What are they telling you about your audience, your content, or your strategies?

What lessons can you learn, and how can you apply them to future campaigns?

In the end, success in social media isn’t just about hitting numbers; it is about understanding what these numbers mean, learning from them, and using these insights to continually refine your strategies. Because in social media, as in life, the real success lies in continual learning and growth.

9.6/10

Agorapulse

Connor Reynolds  May 26, 2024 Social Media Tools

Agorapulse is a powerful social media management tool that can help your team streamline workflows and boost engagement on your company’s social media pages.

 Deployment: SaaS

★★★★★

More details +

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Growing Your Social Media Agency

3.1 Scaling Your Services

There’s a fine line between growing and scaling. Growth often means adding resources at the same rate that you’re adding revenue, but scaling is about adding revenue at an exponential rate without incurring significant costs.

As you experience success with your social media agency, it is crucial to think about how to scale effectively.

Knowing when to scale is as important as knowing.

How are you turning away potential clients due to lack of capacity?

Is your team consistently overwhelmed with tasks?

Are your existing clients asking for more services that you currently do not offer?

As you scale, focus on your core competencies. You don’t need to be everything to everyone. Identify the services that you excel at and that your clients love, and expand on those.

Outsourcing tasks that are not within your core competencies can also help you focus on what truly matters.

Invest in tools and technology that can automate or simplify your processes. This can include social media scheduling tools, analytics tools, or project management tools. By automating repetitive tasks, you free up time to focus on strategic decisions.

But remember, while you’re scaling your services, never compromise on quality. Quality is what earned you your clients in the first place, and it is what will keep them around as you grow.

3.2 Building a Team

Behind every successful social media agency is a strong, skilled team. As you scale your services, you’ll need more hands on deck. However, building a team isn’t just about hiring more people; it is about hiring the right people.

Start by identifying the roles you need. You’ll likely need social media managers, content creators, graphic designers, ad specialists, and possibly more, depending on your range of services.

When hiring, look for individuals who bring not only the necessary technical skills but also align with your agency’s culture and values. Remember, skills can be taught, but attitude and work ethic can’t.

Once you’ve hired your team, invest in their growth. Provide them with regular training and resources to stay abreast of the latest trends and techniques in social media.

Delegate responsibilities effectively. Make sure each team member knows their roles and responsibilities. Clear delegation not only increases efficiency but also empowers your team, leading to higher job satisfaction.

Finally, celebrate wins and learn from losses as a team. Foster a culture where each member feels valued and part of the bigger picture. After all, the strength of your agency lies in the strength of its team.

3.3 Expanding Your Client Base

Attracting new clients while retaining the current ones is an art every social media agency needs to master. Your client base is the lifeline of your agency, so it is crucial to keep expanding it.

Start by identifying your ideal client.

What industry are they in?

What size is their business?

What are their pain points?

The more specific you can get, the more targeted your marketing efforts will be.

Leverage your existing clients. Word-of-mouth is a powerful marketing tool. Encourage your clients to refer you to their networks. You can even offer a referral program with incentives to make it more appealing.

Content marketing can also help attract new clients. By sharing valuable, relevant content on your website or social media platforms, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your field, attracting potential clients.

Networking should not be overlooked. Attend industry events, join online forums, or participate in LinkedIn groups. The more people in your industry know about you, the higher the chances of getting client referrals.

In the end, expanding your client base is about building relationships. Whether it is with potential clients, existing clients, or industry peers, invest time and effort in nurturing these relationships, and they’ll pay dividends in the long run.

3.4 Staying Ahead of the Curve

In the ever-evolving world of social media, the only constant is change. Trends shift, algorithms update, and new platforms emerge. To stay relevant and successful, your agency needs to stay ahead of the curve.

First and foremost, be a lifelong learner. Social media is a rapidly changing field, and what worked a few months ago might not work today.

Follow industry blogs, attend webinars and conferences, participate in online forums, and learn from other industry leaders.

Tools like Google Trends, BuzzSumo, or SEMrush can help you keep track of the latest trends.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. The best way to understand a new trend or platform is to get your hands dirty.

Try out different types of content, experiment with new formats, explore different platforms. Some of these experiments might fail, but the lessons learned will be invaluable.

So, even if a new trend feels daunting, lean into it. You never know—it might be the next big thing for your agency.

Staying ahead of the curve isn’t just about being the first to jump on a new trend; it is about continually evolving, learning, and adapting to the changing landscape.

It’s about being proactive, not reactive. In the fast-paced world of social media, that’s what sets successful agencies apart.

Conclusion

Final Takeaway

We’ve traversed through the realms of establishing, running, and growing a successful social media agency.

From identifying your niche, building a solid foundation, packaging your services, and winning clients, to understanding your audience, creating engaging content, monitoring campaigns, and measuring success.

And we didn’t stop there. We explored scaling your services, building a formidable team, expanding your client base, and staying ahead of the curve.

Embarking on this journey isn’t for the faint-hearted. It requires dedication, hard work, continual learning, and most importantly, a passion for social media.

But remember, every large agency you admire today once started small. They too faced challenges, made mistakes, learned, and grew. The key is to stay committed to your vision and to continually adapt to the evolving landscape of social media.

Here’s to your journey in running a successful social media agency. May the virtual world of likes, shares, and comments become your playground, and may you create digital magic that wins hearts, minds, and businesses.

Now, go out there and make a difference. You’ve got this!

FAQs

FAQs

What is the first step in starting a social media agency?

The first step in starting a social media agency is identifying your niche. This involves deciding which industries you’ll serve, what social media platforms you’ll specialize in, and what kind of services you’ll offer. Having a specific focus allows you to become an expert in that area and provides a clear direction for your agency.

How can I attract clients to my social media agency?

Attracting clients to your social media agency involves several strategies. You can leverage your existing network, offer a referral program to incentivize current clients to refer you to their networks, create valuable content that showcases your expertise, and participate in networking events or online groups. Remember, building a client base is about building relationships.

What services should a social media agency offer?

The services a social media agency offers depend on its niche and expertise. Common services include social media management, content creation, social media advertising, strategy development, audience analysis, and social media auditing. You can also offer package deals that include a combination of these services.

How can I make my social media campaigns more effective?

Effective social media campaigns start with a deep understanding of your audience. Once you know who your audience is, you can create content that resonates with them. Regularly monitor and adjust your campaigns based on performance, and measure success using key metrics such as engagement, reach, and conversion rates. It is also crucial to stay current with social media trends and incorporate them into your campaigns.

What are the key metrics to track in a social media campaign?

Key metrics to track in a social media campaign vary based on your goals. However, common metrics include reach (how many people see your content), engagement (likes, shares, comments), click-through rate (how many people click on your links), and conversion rate (how many people take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter). Understanding and analyzing these metrics can provide insights into your campaign performance and guide future strategies.

Related Guides:

Unleashing Potential: Spotlight on Hootsuite Competitors

Top Free Alternatives to Hootsuite: Budget-friendly Options

Maximizing Sendible Free Account: A Comprehensive Guide for Users

Sendible vs Buffer: An In-depth Comparison

Migrating to Sendible: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sendible vs Hootsuite: A Comparative Study of Social Management

Comparing Sendible with Top Social Media Management Tools

Unlock Your Social Media Potential: Try Sendible Enterprise Today

Agorapulse Vs Sendible: Unraveling the Best Social Media Management Tool

Guide to Running a Successful Social Media Agency

How do we evaluate the SaaS Products?Manual testing is the process that goes beyond just ticking boxes. Our team start by defining clear testing objectives based on the intended use of SaaS product. Each product undergoes a rigorous user experience analysis, where we simulate real-world scenarios to gauge performance, usability, and reliability. We pay special attention to the integration capabilities, data security, and compliance standards of the SaaS vendor. This hands-on 25 test-point approach allows us to uncover nuances that automated testing might miss, providing a more holistic understanding of the product.

How do we evaluate and benchmark the SaaS products and service effectively?Our evaluation process is data-driven and multi-dimensional. Our team analyze the product performance metrics against industry standards and similar products. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are meticulously examined, including ease of use, customization options, scalability, customer support effectiveness, and innovation. We also incorporate user feedback to ensure our benchmarks reflect actual user experiences and expectations. This comprehensive method ensures a fair and effective comparison of the SaaS products.

How accurate are these comparisons and alternative suggestions of the SaaS products?We pride ourselves on the accuracy of our comparisons and suggestions. Our team expertise, combined with advanced analytics tools, ensures that our data is both current and relevant. We constantly update our database with the latest market trends and user feedback, which helps us provide accurate and timely recommendations. However, it's important to remember that each business has unique needs, and our suggestions are a starting point for their decision-making process.

Why software buyers trust Sprout24 reports and analysis?Our reputation for trustworthiness stems from our commitment to impartiality and depth of research. We don't just skim the surface; we delve deep into each SaaS product capabilities and shortcomings. Our reports are comprehensive, easy to understand, and transparent, explaining not just what we recommend but why. This transparency and thoroughness are why software buyers trust our reports. Our FTC Disclosure explain the sources of funding and revenue of Sprout24 platform, this enable us to curate straightforward and unbiased reviews.

How these reports help in reducing the time to purchase a SaaS platform?Our reports and guides significantly reduce the time to purchase by providing clear, concise, and comparative information. SaaS buyers don't have to spend countless hours researching; they can find all the necessary information in one place. Our Sprout scoring system, user reviews, and feature comparisons simplify the decision-making process, enabling buyers to make informed choices quickly.

How effective is the scoring system and help software buyers in making fast decision?Sprout Score Scale of 0-10 rating is crafted to provide a quick, yet detailed view of a product's overall standing in various categories. This scoring system, backed by in-depth contextual data analysis, allows software buyers to immediately gauge suitability of the product for their needs. It simplifies complexity and enables fast, informed decisions, which is crucial in the fast-paced world of business.

[rizwanlal]

"Earning Money with Real Apps in the World"

In today's digital age, mobile applications have become an integral part of everyday life for billions of people around the world. With the widespread use of smartphones and tablets, the demand for innovative and functional mobile apps continues to grow. This presents a lucrative opportunity for developers and entrepreneurs to monetize their creations and generate revenue through various channels. From premium app sales to in-app purchases and advertising, there are numerous strategies for earning money with real apps in the world.

1. **Premium App Sales**:

- One of the most straightforward ways to monetize a mobile app is by selling it as a premium download on app stores such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Users pay a one-time fee to download and access the app's features and content.

- Pricing strategies may vary based on factors such as the app's functionality, target audience, and competition. Developers often conduct market research and analysis to determine an optimal pricing strategy that balances profitability with user demand.

2. **In-App Purchases (IAP)**:

- In-app purchases allow users to buy virtual goods, additional features, or premium content within the app. This monetization model is commonly used in freemium apps, where the initial download is free, but certain features or content are locked behind paywalls.

- Developers can offer a variety of in-app purchase options, including subscriptions, consumable items, and unlockable content. Effective implementation of in-app purchases requires careful consideration of user experience and value proposition to encourage conversions.

3. **Subscription Services**:

- Subscription-based monetization models offer users access to premium features, content, or services for a recurring fee. This model is popular among app developers in various industries, including media streaming, fitness, productivity, and gaming.

- Subscription services provide a steady stream of revenue and encourage long-term user engagement. Developers often offer multiple subscription tiers with varying levels of access to cater to different user preferences and budgets.

4. **Advertising Revenue**:

- Advertising remains a dominant revenue stream for many mobile apps, especially those offered as free downloads. Developers can integrate various ad formats, including banners, interstitials, rewarded videos, and native ads, to monetize their apps.

- Ad placement, targeting, and optimization are crucial factors that influence advertising revenue. Developers often collaborate with ad networks or mediation platforms to maximize ad fill rates and eCPM (effective cost per mille).

5. **Affiliate Marketing**:

- Affiliate marketing involves promoting third-party products or services within the app and earning a commission for successful referrals or conversions. This monetization strategy is particularly common in e-commerce, travel, and lifestyle apps.

- Developers can leverage affiliate networks or establish direct partnerships with brands and merchants to monetize their apps through affiliate marketing. Effective integration and promotion of affiliate offers require a deep understanding of the app's audience and their purchasing behavior.

6. **Sponsorships and Partnerships**:

- Collaborating with brands, businesses, or influencers through sponsorships and partnerships can provide additional revenue opportunities for app developers. Sponsorship deals may involve featuring branded content, sponsored events, or co-branded promotions within the app.

- Developers can also explore strategic partnerships with complementary apps or platforms to cross-promote each other's products and services. Such partnerships can help expand the app's user base and generate incremental revenue through revenue-sharing agreements.

7. **Data Monetization**:

- Some apps collect user data, such as demographics, usage patterns, and preferences, which can be valuable for targeted advertising, market research, or personalized experiences. Developers can monetize this data by anonymizing and aggregating it to sell insights or ad inventory to third parties.

- Data privacy and security are paramount considerations when implementing data monetization strategies. Developers must comply with applicable data protection regulations and obtain explicit user consent for data collection and sharing activities.

8. **Crowdfunding and Donations**:

- Crowdfunding platforms allow developers to raise funds for app development or ongoing maintenance by soliciting contributions from users or supporters. Crowdfunding campaigns typically offer rewards or exclusive perks to backers based on their contribution levels.

- In addition to crowdfunding, some developers opt to monetize their apps through voluntary donations from users who appreciate the app's value and want to support its continued development and improvement.

In conclusion, earning money with real apps in the world involves a combination of strategic planning, user-centric design, and effective monetization strategies. Whether through premium sales, in-app purchases, advertising, or other revenue streams, developers must continuously innovate and adapt to meet evolving market demands and user expectations. By leveraging the diverse monetization opportunities available in the mobile app ecosystem, developers can unlock the full potential of their creations and build sustainable businesses in the competitive app market.

[mariacallous]

Chrissy Kinsella was looking for a more personalized approach to her health. “You know, what is good for you as an individual may not necessarily be good for the next person,” she says. So she reached for a subscription to Zoe—a personalized nutrition service cofounded by Tim Spector, a celebrity scientist and a genetic epidemiologist at King’s College London. Kinsella paid the £299 ($365) for a testing kit and later received a bright yellow package in the mail: a bundle of vials, patches, and muffins.

By testing, scoring, and monitoring how you respond to different foods, Zoe says, it can help with a whole host of problems. Its personalized recommendations can help you “reach a healthy weight,” “feel less bloated,” and “avoid chronic health issues,” claims its website. The program can even help with menopause, Zoe says.

But doctors are more ambivalent. Sure, getting people to think critically about what they eat can be beneficial, but scoring and monitoring someone’s diet could lead to unnecessary health concerns or even disordered eating. British doctors say they have seen perfectly healthy patients with concerns about their blood sugar control prompted by readings in their Zoe app.

A Zoe starter pack includes a fecal sampling kit, a finger-prick blood test, and a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Participants are asked to take a blood sample before and after they eat a muffin precisely engineered by the startup to contain specific levels of fat, sugar, and proteins. Zoe then runs a blood-fat test to see how each person responds to fat in their diet (prolonged high levels of fat in the blood are a health risk). Combined with blood glucose data (from the CGM) and an analysis of the quality of their microbiome (via the fecal sample), these measurements are used to create personalized diet recommendations, where each item of food is scored on a scale up to 100.

A sugary food, for example, would have a low score for someone whose data shows their body doesn’t control blood sugar levels well; for someone with good sugar control, the same food would be scored a bit higher. Meals, too, are scored out of 100—based on the personalized scores of their ingredients, as well as how those ingredients interact.

Kinsella, who used the program for a year, says she values the insights it gave on what foods were more suited to her body—now she knows that she tolerates fat well, sugar not so much, and that dairy milk sits better with her than oat milk. Kinsella loved inspecting data about her body, but she admits she became obsessed with checking the app to see what her blood sugar was doing in response to what she ate, courtesy of the CGM. Small, coin-shaped, and usually affixed to the upper arm, CGMs have been a regular appendage of people with diabetes for years now, allowing them to track dips and hikes in blood sugar without needing to prick their finger every time. There’s been a growing trend of companies selling the monitors to people without diabetes for them to track how their body responds to certain foods. Levels and Veri, two other personalized nutrition plans, also use CGMs.

Getting a score of at least 75 every day is the ultimate aim of the Zoe program. This figure is calculated based on what you’ve eaten. But Kinsella found herself ruling out a lot of foods because they wouldn’t get her to that magic number, and she thinks the app encourages this kind of obsessive behavior. “You’re giving people an app that is kind of almost gamified, in that when you hit this magical 75, you get a big green circle. And everybody wants to get 10 big green circles in a row,” she says.

Shivani Misra, a consultant doctor specializing in diabetes in London, has seen an influx of patients at her non-NHS practice who have either purchased a CGM themselves or through the Zoe program, and who’ve become worried they are at risk for developing diabetes—due to seeing either continuously high blood sugar levels or sharp rises and falls.

When Misra formally tests them for diabetes, the results always come back normal. “We shouldn’t be using CGM to diagnose diabetes; it’s absolutely not validated for that,” she says. What concerns Misra is the people she’s seen who are restricting calorie intake and have become extremely anxious about eating carbohydrates. “I really worry about that group, because they’ve just become overwhelmed with the data that they’re seeing, which is completely normal.”

“It’s set up to derive those kinds of behaviors in exactly the people that would be susceptible to it, in my opinion,” she says. The patients who came to her were seeking professional guidance because they felt their anxiety about what the data was telling them had become problematic—in the case of one patient, they felt they couldn’t eat fruit anymore. “I personally think there is some corporate responsibility to make sure that there is adequate safety in place for people,” says Misra.

Federica Amati, a medical scientist and nutritionist and a science communications strategist at Zoe, says that the company has “lots of systems in place for customer service, and for our coaching team to be able to flag if they feel that somebody is not interacting with the app in a healthy way,” she says. “Of course, the fact that there’s a score associated with food is still problematic if you have disordered eating.”

On the potential for programs like Zoe to burden health systems with concerned users, Amati says that the company is putting a task force together to investigate how medical professionals are experiencing Zoe’s influence. “We feel very responsible about it,” she says.

Nicola Guess, a dietitian and researcher at the University of Oxford, says that she has also been approached by patients concerned about their health after seeing their blood glucose spike while wearing a CGM offered as part of a personalized nutrition plan. When she tested these patients to assess their blood glucose control, their results were completely normal. “It’s just making them quite weird about food, and it takes a lot of the enjoyment out of food for no reason whatsoever,” says Guess.

But, says Amati, Zoe didn’t create the worried well, noting that the problem has been an issue for the public health service for a very long time. “For sure, we’ve probably now created a new stream for the worried well to feed into, but I think that that’s a bigger problem than just Zoe.”

There is also a big question mark over how useful personalized nutrition really is. Zoe’s nutrition scores are predicated on the idea that each of us responds to the same food in a slightly different way—thanks, in part, to our microbiomes. But translating this into dietary advice is trickier and less well understood. A personalized diet might tell someone to cut out white bread and eat more leafy vegetables, for example, but is this really more effective than the same advice delivered by a family doctor or a public health advertisement?

“Zoe doesn’t eschew all the normal health advice,” Amati says. “We’re not like, ‘Oh, no, don’t eat more fruits and vegetables’—it sits within the recommendations that we know are very good for the majority.”

There is precious little clinical trial data on personalized nutrition apps, says Duane Mellor, a dietitian and researcher at Aston University in the UK. One study from Israel published in 2015 compared personalized diets generated by a machine-learning algorithm with diets selected by a clinical dietitian. The authors found that people in both groups had fewer glucose spikes after meals—indicating a healthier diet.

But whether personalized nutritional plans really make a difference is something Zoe is studying. Next month, Amati says the company will be releasing the results of a randomized controlled trial, called the Zoe Method Study. The trial involved one group of people receiving the full Zoe product and another group simply receiving standard nutritional advice, plus access to support services through an app. The study aims to test the efficacy of a program like Zoe in improving cardiometabolic risk markers in otherwise healthy people, through testing their resulting levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (a type of fat), as well as measuring other things like weight, blood pressure, glycemic control, and hunger levels.

All of this doesn’t come cheap, and Zoe users have to pay membership fees for continued access to their bespoke scores. Prices start at £59.99 ($73) for a single month and go down to £24.99 ($30) per month for a year-long plan. At those prices, Zoe is aimed squarely at wealthier consumers—a point not lost on columnist James Greig, who wrote about Zoe in the newsletter Vittles.“If our environment really is saturated with poisons, then bespoke services like Zoe are not a scalable solution but a form of private health care that will further entrench existing inequalities,” Greig wrote.

Amati acknowledges that Zoe’s program is expensive, but she says, “The product at the moment is the price it is because the testing we do is expensive.” She says the idea is that, as the techniques and technology become more common, the price will come down accordingly, and that Zoe has plans to work with the NHS and other providers to “become part of the health approach.” In the meantime, the company places focus on communicating health advice for free through forums like social media and podcasts.

Zoe is still proving popular, with over 130,000 people having tried the service so far. Part of the appeal of personalized nutrition is that it goes beyond weight loss to address other concerns people have about their health. Zoe markets its diet as a way to improve energy levels, gut health, and sleep. William Viney, a researcher who has worked on personalized medicine, points out that there are a huge number of people who have health issues that aren’t easily addressed by doctors and mainstream diets. “They know that they’re not like everyone else, and they need to get to the bottom of something,” says Viney. “There is an opportunity to bring information, and with it care, to whoever can pay the price for such a product.”

[dracox-serdriel]

Video streaming was valued at $544 billion dollars in 2023 [source], with $37 billion in revenue [source]. That's 20% higher than the revenue from video streaming in 2022 [source].

Please explain, how is a 20% growth rate in revenue is considered "stalled", let alone "capped"?

Furthermore, from the numbers we do have from 2024, subscriptions to video streaming are still on the rise [source].

And while the ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) from streaming subscriptions is still lower than the ARPU for old fashion pay TV, the revenue from subscriptions is now overtaking the renevue from pay TV [source]. And keep in mind, that's exclusively comparing subscription services - so streaming services that don't require subscriptions weren't included in that analysis.

"The glut of content has devalued the product severely." Hmm, this doesn't seem to be the case at all. We haven't even calculated in things like merchandising yet.

Seems to me like growth hasn't actually stymied - instead, studios are playing a dangerous game - essentially gambling their currently enormous revenue to test the limits on how little new content they need to produce while retaining said profits.

Don't buy into this false narrative. This is not "poor broke hollywood studios trying to figure out how to stay afloat and remain attractive to stakeholders" -- this is the rich and powerful playing what is essentially a game of "content chicken."

Don't blink.

[walkingghotst]

Europe Probiotic Ingredients Market Analysis, Size, Share and Key Segments Poised for Strong Growth in the Future (2022-2028)

The Europe probiotic ingredients market is expected to grow from US$ 989.86 million in 2022 to US$ 1,535.13 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2022 to 2028.

Europe Probiotic Ingredients Market Introduction

For a considerable period, antibiotics have been a standard component of livestock feed, primarily valued for their therapeutic effects. However, growing apprehension regarding the potential link between antibiotic feed additives and the increasing challenge of bacterial antibiotic resistance has prompted several nations to impose restrictions on their utilization. Consequently, in 2006, the European Union (EU) enforced a prohibition on the incorporation of antibiotics as feed additives. This regulatory evolution, alongside escalating consumer demand for safer food production, has spurred the exploration of natural methodologies to influence gut development and overall health. Probiotics, prebiotics, and essential oils have emerged as potential substitutes for antibiotics, with probiotics defined as live microbial feed supplements that positively impact the host by enhancing the equilibrium of the microbial community within the intestine. The legislative measures restricting the use of sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics have further amplified the focus on probiotics as a viable alternative. The term "probiotic" is broadly defined and encompasses products that may contain yeast cells, bacterial cultures, or a combination thereof, all of which stimulate microorganisms capable of modifying the gastrointestinal environment to improve both health and feed efficiency.

The introduction of innovative features and technologies presents vendors with opportunities to broaden their customer base and extend their market reach within developing regions. This factor is anticipated to be a significant catalyst for the expansion of the Europe probiotic ingredients market, which is projected to experience a robust Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) throughout the forecast period.

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Europe Probiotic Ingredients Strategic Insights

Strategic insights pertaining to the Europe Probiotic Ingredients market furnish a data-centric examination of the industry landscape, encompassing prevailing trends, key market participants, and region-specific nuances. These insights deliver actionable recommendations, enabling readers to distinguish themselves from competitors by pinpointing unaddressed market segments or devising unique value propositions. By effectively leveraging the power of data analytics, these insights assist industry stakeholders, including investors, manufacturers, and others, in anticipating shifts within the market. Adopting a forward-looking perspective is crucial, aiding stakeholders in predicting market changes and strategically positioning themselves for sustained success within this dynamic region. Ultimately, insightful strategic analysis empowers readers to make well-informed decisions that foster profitability and support the realization of their business objectives within the market.

Europe Probiotic Ingredients Market Segmentation

Europe Probiotic Ingredients Market: By Type

Lactobacillus

Bifidobacterium

Europe Probiotic Ingredients Market: By Application

Functional Food & Beverages

Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals

Animal Feeds

Europe Probiotic Ingredients Market: Regions and Countries Covered    

Europe

UK

Germany

France

Russia

Italy

Rest of Europe

Europe Probiotic Ingredients Market: Market leaders and key company profiles

ADM

Novozymes A/S

Chr. Hansen Holding A/S

Kerry Group plc

Lallemand Inc

IFF Nutrition & Biosciences

AngelYeast Co., Ltd

Probiotical S.p.A

Adisseo

Probi

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[sphinxshreya]

Why iOS App Development Services Are Key to Mobile Market Success

Introduction

In today’s mobile-first world, having a robust app strategy is vital for businesses. With millions of users across Apple devices, investing in iOS app development services is one of the smartest decisions companies can make. These services are not just about launching an app—they’re about creating seamless user experiences that build brand loyalty and drive growth.

Why iOS Stands Out in Mobile Development

iOS is known for its premium user base, strong security, and seamless integration with Apple’s ecosystem. Businesses targeting high-value users or needing enhanced security features often prioritize iOS over other platforms. Leveraging iOS app development services ensures that businesses take advantage of Apple’s extensive capabilities, offering sleek UI/UX, faster performance, and better monetization opportunities.

Moreover, iOS apps typically receive better user engagement due to Apple's design standards and strict quality guidelines. This contributes to the creation of apps that are not only beautiful and fast but also intuitive and reliable.

Advantages of Custom iOS Solutions

Not all businesses have the same requirements, and that’s where custom iOS app development comes into play. Custom apps are tailored specifically to a business's operations, customer base, and goals. From CRM integration to loyalty program features, custom-built iOS apps can cater to unique demands and offer a personalized experience.

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From retail and healthcare to finance and entertainment, the use cases for iOS apps are nearly limitless. Enterprise iOS applications can streamline internal operations, while customer-facing apps can elevate brand interactions. Whether it's managing remote teams, offering digital banking, or enabling e-learning, iOS app development services provide tailored solutions for every business need.

Additionally, companies often choose iOS for industries where precision, performance, and security are critical. Apple’s infrastructure supports these requirements with regular updates, consistent APIs, and a mature development ecosystem.

Choosing Between Platforms

It’s a common dilemma: Android or iOS? The answer depends on your target market, budget, and goals. An in-depth analysis like the Android vs. iOS-guide can help you make informed decisions. However, when you need high-end security, fast updates, and affluent users, iOS stands out.

iOS app development services are ideal when you want to reach global markets, especially in North America, Western Europe, and parts of Asia where iOS dominates. It also ensures faster development cycles and early access to the latest features Apple introduces.

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Apple users are known for their high expectations when it comes to aesthetics and usability. That’s why user interface design is a cornerstone of any iOS app project. iOS app development services focus heavily on creating visually appealing interfaces that align with Apple's Human Interface Guidelines.

A good user experience translates into longer session times, better retention, and higher revenue. This is particularly important for apps with subscription models or in-app purchases, where engagement directly affects profit margins.

How to Choose the Right Partner

Finding the right development team is crucial. An expert development partner will understand your business objectives, technical requirements, and user expectations. For insights, refer to how to Find The Best iOS App Development company to evaluate criteria such as experience, portfolio, reviews, and development methodologies.

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Final Thoughts

The demand for top-quality mobile applications is only increasing, and iOS remains a dominant platform. Investing in iOS app development services is a strategic move that opens doors to a premium user base, robust security, and high ROI.

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By incorporating features like custom ios app development, understanding the nuances of Android vs. iOS-guide, learning how to Find The Best iOS App Development company, and following Quick Steps to integrate apple pay on ios app, your app journey can lead to mobile market success.

[sylvietg]

Also, if you look, a couple of pollsters have talked about declining responses.

So, pretend that they have 1000 male voters and 500 female voters in their survey - but they know those two numbers should be the same. What they're doing, instead of trying to continue to contact people until they get the 1000 voters they need is - instead - multiplying the results.

Then, they're multipling the results again from numbers effectively pulled from their ass - and again, Washington Post covered this in detail (I can go pull the article, I'd have to get it outside the pay wall for folks to click and read it - I'm among the hundreds of thousands who cancelled subscriptions to them, but still have access for a few days).

So - they're looking and depending on whose numbers they use, they get a 8% difference in some of their factors - again, using their own numbers - that they're using to multiply their published results. Then, with all this, they're saying they have a 2.5% margin of error.

Then - they're microreporting on shifts within the margin of error that are more likely to be noise in the signal than actual shifts - that is, if the value can be 2.5% higher or 2.5% lower, then if my polls are bouncing back and forth by a percent, that's not actually any movement - that's just noise in the survey. They need it to be movement, so that they can cover it.

But it also means that the margin of error on groups such as Young Black Men is astronomically high, because the survey size is not supportive of the analysis being performed.

Now, I personally think it's very likely that all the coverage is under-estimating votes from actual conservatives. My father has never voted Democrat, ever. EVER. And he voted for Kamala because "Trump and anything connected to him is poison." Watching Moreno's ads, he said, "wow, that guy is a real jackass."

So here's the thing - he voted early, and it's a tally on the Republican side on the early voting because of that - he's registered as a Republican. But, I do not think you're going to see a lot of Democrats choose to vote for Trump.

And so I think that noise is, perhaps, being undercounted substantially even by the more traditionally neutral polling agencies. It is an unusual circumstance where you have a jackass running on shreading the government and pissing on the people, who called the country a garbage can - implying everyone in it is garbage - that is unpopular enough in his own party to drive significant defection.

If you're talking a margin of a few thousand votes, and it's even a handful of Republicans from each precinct who align more with Cheney than Trump - it's eating into his votes. And I don't think any of the pollsters even know how to capture that.

I think also it's a huge mistake not to include third parties in the polls. That's not because I expect the third party votes to be high, but in this specific election - where you could have protest votes on both sides - that data is important to any true analysis of the data.

Because if it's 2% saying Trump or Harris in the binary poll, but who are actually throwing that behind, say, Stein or Kennedy, then that noise is significant to the outcome and can't just be ignored.

Basically, once the names on the ballot are known and finalized, you need to ask the question with all of them - because they'll be up at 1.7%, 2% in some of the tallies - and that's significant enough to matter from an analysis standpoint.

You don't have to cover those individually - you can lump them together into "Other" when discussing the results, but the offers presented need to match the ballot.

And you can see why that's important to polling by Kennedy's lawsuits to be on the ballot in some states, and be removed from the ballot in others. The polls aren't capturing that - and it's significant enough that Trump and/or Kennedy thinks it'll matter. And honestly, it's significant enough to matter.

I don't know who needs to hear this, but it has been a central Republican strategy in the final week before an election to claim that the polls are breaking their way, that a red wave is coming, that Republicans are engaging in victory tours at least since the presidential election of 2000. (That's when I stopped watching CNN regularly, as the network promoted this line despite the fact that Gore would go on to win the popular vote.)

Given that Republicans have, in fact, only won the popular vote once in this period (2004), this is a strategy, not a statement of fact.

Don't sweat the narrative. Vote. Turnout wins, not news stories.