Disruption hits the New York Times, the real story behind Apple Pay, Facebook makes privacy changes (again), Twitter makes it easier to deal with abuse, the quiet success that is Medium, going viral with audio, Uber takes a beating but bounces back and Lyft bounces higher, dark social and its impact, creating a culture of content, the reason it's hard to recognize genius, why PR is best left to the professionals and more, it's This Week in Digital.
A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.
Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, business, digital communications and marketing in order to keep leaders up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in your job. And now you have the option of just subscribing to this newsletter if you wish.
If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links by subscribing to the This Week in Digital Magazine.
Two notes:
Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, business, digital communications and marketing in order to keep leaders up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in your job. And now you have the option of just subscribing to this newsletter if you wish.
If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links by subscribing to the This Week in Digital Magazine.
Two notes:
- Because of last week's holiday, there are more articles in the Flipboard magazine than could be accommodated here; please be sure to check it out.
- In the last few weeks, a section on Audio has been added, owing to the increased attention on podcasting and other audio content.
And if you wouldn't mind answering a simple, one-question survey about this weekly update, it would be greatly appreciated.
Industry
- The New York Times is going through some
layoffsbuyouts. Here's a view of disruption from the inside by David Carr. (NY Times) - It may surprise you to learn that industrial behemoth General Electric gets new media - unless you've been following their extraordinary exploits. (WSJ - subscription required; alt: Google the article in an incognito window)
- A new role for authors: as Chipotle copywriters. See how the stories get from their brains to your bags at the fast food darling. (NY Times)
- Don't try this at home: tech PR is a job best left to the professionals. (PRNewser)
- Apple Pay is not a battle for cashless payments; it's part of the battle for identity. (TechCrunch)
Platforms
- You've probably already told off a friend or two about the copy-and-paste Facebook Privacy hoax that's making the rounds this week. Still, it's probably wise to have a deeper understanding of what the recent Facebook Privacy setting changes mean. (SoMeLaw Thoughts)
- If you use Facebook Ads - particularly the Power Editor - here are four improvements to the platform you should be aware of. (Econsultancy)
- While working on a deal or deals, the CFO of Twitter inadvertently made public a message that was meant to be a DM. Twice. The question is whether this was an intentional leak or simply a misuse of the platform. (Business Insider)
- Twitter released an improved way to block and report accounts that abuse and harass. (The Verge)
- In a move to make itself relevant in the digital era, Polaroid is launching Socialmatic, its $299 instant camera that connects to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter via wifi. And true to form, it comes with a lens on the back for selfies. (CNN Money)
- Six brands that are killing it on Instagram include National Geographic, GoPro and Intel (yes, B2B brands can be relevant on Instagram). See what separates the great from the good. (Mashable)
- IKEA is experimenting with creating an online catalog with Instagram accounts. (Mashable)
- Tumblr is growing in active users faster than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or Pinterest. (Inc.)
- Don't forget about Medium. It's a really strong platform for writers that is clean, well integrated with social channels, and full of interactivity. And it's getting big. [Does that mean we'll have to call it Large one day?] (Medium)
Collaborative Economy
- Uber
- Uber has raised another $1.2 billion and is now valued at $41 billion. It has pledged to become smarter and more humble [which admittedly would require the existence of some humility to begin with] as part of its internal changes. (Business Insider and Uber)
- Could any of this sudden self-reflection be the result of a dip in business due to the negative press about the company in the last two weeks? (re/code)
- Even so, a survey indicates that half of Uber drivers are likely to drive less for the company after the revelations. (Forbes)
- A case for why Uber beats government-regulated bodies every time. Hint: two years to agree on the wording on a foam-padded poster is not part if its business plan. (Medium)
- Lyft
- Undaunted, Lyft is having some of the best weeks in its history. (TIME)
- The company just named Kira Wampler as its new CMO and Brian Roberts as CFO. (Bloomberg)
- Joel Comm - communications professional who documented his life as an Uber driver - insists that it's people, not technology, that matter in the sharing economy. (Huffington Post)
- Airbnb recently held a conference for some 1,300 hosts; in case you needed proof, here's what Airbnb understands about culture that of Uber doesn't. (HBR)
Audio
- Going viral isn't just for memes, videos or cute gifs. More evidence that audio is having a renaissance. (NPR)
- In an effort to boost more premium subscribers, Spotify is offering three months of its Premium service for $0.99. This is a clever move in association with the holidays, as app downloads will spike and, like heroin, users will get hooked on the service cheaply. (Mashable)
- Much like House of Cards on Netflix, it may turn out that the Serial podcast will be responsible for the legitimization of podcasting (including profitability). (KDVR)
Metrics / Measurement / Big Data
- Hubspot redesigned its blog. Using data. (Hubspot)
- There are market research professionals for a reason. One of them is to prevent do-it-yourself research from leading people astray. (Research.)
- Did you know that many of the ads served on the web never appear on a screen? Or that vertical ads perform better? Check out the five factors of ad viewability. (Think with Google)
- Not all social media activity is measurable; "dark social" accounts for far more activity than consumers give it credit for. (MediaPost)
- Here's a handy guide for the uninitiated: how to use Twitter Analytics. (SHIFT Communications)
Legal / HR
- Apple is part of an antitrust class action lawsuit that claims the tech giant deleted songs on iPod owners' devices from competing music services without permission. (WSJ Digits)
- Flickr is taking a little heat after selling photos of users who didn't secure their rights. (WSJ)
- Working virtually is not always easy; if you manage or are part of a virtual team, here are some tips for getting it right. (HBR)
Content
- The culture of content is an important factor in planning your content strategy. Driven by people, processes and inspiration, it's important to set the tone in order to get strong results. The Altimeter Group has a report out on the topic. (Top Rank Blog)
- It's never too late to start a blog; if you're just starting out there are still some things to consider, such as broad vs. niche, growing your audience and how to think about SEO. ({grow})
When You Have Time: Essential Reading / Listening / Watching
- Not every CEO is created equal, and that's certainly the case on social media. The Seven Attributes of CEOs Who Get Social Media lays out some common threads in their personalities, including insatiable curiosity, connecting rather than promoting, and having an OPEN (Ordinary People, Extraordinary Network) mindset. (HBR)
- Amidst all of our advances in data, ad technology, automation and the like, we've lost something. How to make social human again. (Digiday)
- One of Seth Godin's books was called Linchpin. It was about the people who make connections in organizations (and I'm proud to have been called out). Now you can learn how to become a connector through Seth's online course at Skillshare. (Twist Image)
- What's coming next? SHIFT's series on the Future of Marketing is a good way to find out. And the latest installment with Tamsen Webster is a gem. (SHIFT Communications)
- The Biggest Reason It's Hard to Recognize Genius. (Contently)
Put another way:
"Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius." [click to tweet]
- Sherlock Holmes
Image credit: Âtin (Flickr)
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