Welcome back to L.A. Connect’s monthly roundup of the hottest digital updates affecting public relations professionals and the industry at large.
This month, the highly anticipated Snap Spectacles arrived. Along with other news from Snap Inc., the new camera glasses came with a lot of fanfare and plenty of user opinions shared online.
Not to be outdone, Instagram announced a lot of updates this month, while Twitter made some adjustments, some welcome and others, like the closure of Vine, were not so well received.
Remember, you could be included! If you or your clients are leading the way with the latest in digital trends and innovations, let us know using the contact information found at bottom of the page.
Snap Inc. Has Landed, Literally
Snapchat’s parent company Snap Inc. made a splash this month with the official release of Snapchat Spectacles. The video camera glasses made their debut via Minion-like vending machines that popped up in surprise locations that saw huge lines waiting to be of the first to own the much-hyped accessories.
The glasses let users record circular video, and sync that video with a special Specs section of Memories through Bluetooth. The user is then able to edit the footage within Snapchat and share it through his or her story.
Also from Snap, a new Snapchat update brought World Lenses to us all. The new feature brings the fun of Lenses from our faces, to the world around us. World Lenses let you decorate your surroundings with fun additions like snowflakes and hearts.
Instagram Makes Things a Little Easier
Instagram and Snapchat stories have seemed pretty similar, but now Instagram may have the edge, especially for marketers. A recent update gives user the ability to tag others in stories with direct links to their profiles.
And perhaps more importantly, verified accounts can now add links to stories that viewers can click through. This change makes it that much easier to drive a casual browser from the social platform, to a purchasing platform.
Another new feature great for brands is shoppable photo tags. The tags, that can be applied to products in photos, provide more information about the item, and include a purchase link to take a user straight to the product page.
Vine is Done
Twitter announced in a blog post last month that it will be closing Vine. While the reason was unclear at the time, many have their theories and the Internet is looking ahead to what’s next.
Some expect that Snapchat will answer the call with its similar time constraints and young audience. But Vine’s cofounders are turning to something new – their own creation, Hype. Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll’s app goes beyond the usual live-streaming game, offering a number of multimedia features from polls to more ways to watch.
Meanwhile, Twitter continues its quest to catch up with Facebook when it comes to customer service, this time focusing on direct messages. Now, brands can use automatic greeting messages and quick replies that offer multiple-choice options to help streamline the process. These feature additions will help brands up their customer service game on the platform by addressing concerns more efficiently.
Are you, or is your client leading the charge in digital? Tell us about it and your work could be featured in our next issue! Send submissions to editor@prsala.org.
