GU Live Lunch – Ep 162

Join Christina, Mark, Kim, Nicole and Molly as they talk about what has caught their eye in the world of Social Media and marketing this week.

Here are the snippets:

01:29 – It’s the launch of Threads! Meta’s rival app to Twitter, and we’re all a little overexcited today. Since the launch at midnight, the internet has gone crazy for Threads, with 10 million downloads in the first 7 hours – crazy stuff!

02:33 – Already, there have been news articles warning that Threads is a ‘Target for scammers’, but like every social media app or website – if we’re not being careful we can easily be fooled!

04:29 – Many users can’t find Threads when they search in their App Store, we had the same issue. Users may need to visit the charts and look for Top Free Apps – unsurprisingly, the shiney new platform is number 1.

05:27 – Christina gives us a quick run-through of how it all works, from how the information from your Instagram page is imported, to notifications and follow requests.

08:11 – We debate whether we think, or how quickly, will it become another app you have to enter a paid subscription. We think it’ll be a while before that happens, or even a few months until we start to see adverts in our feeds.

10:28 – “A confused mind wont buy” – we chat about why we think Twitter has failed to monetise the app, and Nicole shares why she thinks Meta has picked the right time to launch Threads.

15:13 – Since the launch just a few hours ago, Mark tells us his Twitter app has now left the front page of his phone screen for the first time in as long as he can remember. This prompts a conversation around app organisation. Who is organised? And who is all over the place?

18:23 – Social media used for good: Kim shares a story of how she proved how powerful social media is. Following a recent theft from an elderly member of the community, through the power of Facebook, Kim manages to raise all the money stolen and then some! A brilliant tale of how social media platforms can be used in a positive way.

25:08 – “Do you ever wish you could go back and start a social media platform from scratch?” is the question Christina asked us. We reflect on Facebook memories, baby photos and cringe-worthy night-out selfies!

27:50 – Back to Threads – Hashtags are currently not searchable, and neither is trending content. Users are given the option to choose ‘hidden words’ to block any of those from their feed, and we also have the option of Light or Dark Mode. We figure out how to share your profile and how the new platform integrates all your personal information, such as bio, links etc, directly from Instagram.

32:57 – Other social media news. We touch on the ability to download and save Instagram Reels, much like TikTok. This is in an effort for Instagram to increase engagement on Reels – every download will be counted as a ‘share’.

37:02 – Pinterest is currently testing a new system where they’re going to scan your emails to understand your interests, and we’re really not sure about this one!

41:01 – Instagram is adding the capacity for users to now include up to 3 collaborators on any feed post or Reel. We’re going to test this out – tune in next week to find out if/what the benefits are.

43:11 – Next week’s event is just around the corner. Darin Adams from Keap will be joining us to share what the top marketers and agencies are doing right now.

See you next week!