Arash Amini’s Post

I've always said it, but if you aren't using social at some point in your user journey, you're most likely missing a HUGE opportunity. This latest release from TikTok highlights just that, and how many users discover new brands on their channel (and social in general tbh) Although Search may get all the glory with the final conversions, the path to purchase almost always sees social in the user journey at some point; usually very early on. https://lnkd.in/enFnskNN

Here is a list of every social platform with over 100M Active Monthly Users: 1. Facebook - META - US - Launched 2004 - 3.070 billion 2. Youtube - GOOG - US - Launched 2005 - 2.504 billion 3. WhatsApp - META - US - Launched 2009 - 2 billion 4. Instagram - META - US - Launched 2010 - 2 billion 5. WeChat - TCEHY - China - Launched 2011 - 1.343 billion 6. TikTok - ByteDance - China - Launched 2016 - 1.582 billion 7. Facebook Messenger - META - US - Launched 2011 - 1.01 billion 8. Telegram - UAE - Launched 2013 - 950 million 9. LinkedIn - MSFT - US - Launched 2003 - 930 million 10. Snapchat - SNAP - US - Launched 2011 - 800 million 11. Douyin - ByteDance - China - Launched 2016 - 755 million 12. Kuaishou - China - Launched 2011 - 700 million 13. Weibo - China - Launched 2009 - 586 million 14. QQ - TCEHY - China - Launched 1999 - 554 million 15. X (Twitter) - US - Launched 2006 - 550 million 16. Qzone - TCEHY - China - Launched 2005 - 517 million 17. Reddit - US - Launched 2005 - 500 million 18. Pinterest - US - Launched 2009 - 498 million 19. Quora - US - Launched 2009 - 400 million 20. Tieba - Baidu - China - Launched 2003 - 300 million 21. JOSH - VerSe Innovation - India - Launched 2020 - 300 million 22. Microsoft Teams - MSFT - US - Launched 2017 - 300 million 23. Skype - MSFT - US - Launched 2003 - 300 million 24. Threads - META - US - Launched 2023 - 275 million 25. Viber - Rakuten Group - Cyprus - Launched 2010 - 260 million 26. Xiaohongshu - China - Launched 2013 - 200 million 27. imo - PageBites - US - Launched 2007 - 200 million 28. Twitch - AMZN - US - Launched 2011 - 180 million 29. Line - Naver - Japan - Launched 2011 - 178 million 30. Likee - Bigo Live - Singapore - Launched 2017 - 150 million 31. Discord - US - Launched 2015 - 150 million 32. Vevo - US - Launched 2009 - 150 million 33. Picsart - US/Armenia - Launched 2011 - 150 million 34. Tumblr - Automattic - US - Launched 2007 - 135 million 35. Amount of people with NO internet access currently - 2.6 billion people If you wanted something to remind you how dominant META is in this market. Here it is.

Why do smart media buyers focus on one platform? It's not what you expected to hear! There's a lot of discussion in the world of media buying about whether you should become an expert on several channels or just one. Imagine yourself as a ninja who throws ads all over the internet in place of stars. Which would you prefer—to be a multi-platform juggernaut or a one-platform wonder? Think of becoming a grandmaster chess player by mastering Meta. You are familiar with every tactic, counter, and move. Your ads are unrivaled. Unmatched ROI: that's you. But hold on! What about Google's constantly evolving algorithms and the dances on TikTok? That's where your ability to be a "buddy" comes in handy. While it's not necessary to be a Google whiz or a TikTok sensation, being familiar with the platform does help. Create a few accounts, carry out a few simple campaigns, and maintain a light touch. The best thing about this strategy? You concentrate on excelling on a single platform and keep a few useful extras in your tool belt as a backup. So, to all of my media buying colleagues, let's agree to be experts at one and friends with others. I mean, isn't the main purpose of life to have one best friend? P.S. How do you feel? Wonder of one channel or master of many? #Digitalmarketing #googleguru #mediabuying #metaads #metaadexpert

Since I’m on a flight back to NH and I have time… here’s your recent marketing and social updates you NEED to know: 🖼️ Instagram users in the US can now create AI versions of themselves. 📈 Snapchat reaches 850M users, with 11 million premium subscribers in Q2 and an ad revenue increase. 📊 Google introduces new reporting and genAI tools to Performance Max. 💰 Meta’s ad revenue in Q2 increased to $39 billion, thanks to AI, with family daily active people at 3.27 billion in June 2024, up 7% year-over-year. 📉 Pinterest added only 4 million new monthly active users in Q2, a huge drop in platform user growth. 💼 Microsoft reports a 10% revenue increase for LinkedIn and strong user engagement growth in Q2. 🔍 Google Ads hit by a major reporting glitch, exposing competitor data. 🛡️ U.S. Senate passes landmark bills to protect kids online. 🤝 Pinterest and LinkedIn team up with publishers to sell ads. 📈 Amazon Ads services revenue grew 20% YoY in Q2, reaching $12.77 billion. 🎧 Disney and Spotify partner with Yahoo for audio ads. 📲 TikTok launches a new app center for businesses, providing easy access to marketing tools. 💸 TikTok is spending $20 million a month at OpenAI through Microsoft. 📈 Threads App reaches 200M monthly active users. 🔄 Instagram is getting rid of ‘Posts count’ from Profile Page. 🔍 Meta under investigation for running hundreds of ads for cocaine, opioids, and other drugs. 🤖 Celebs are out, Business AIs are in. Meta is developing AI bots to help businesses with transactional engagement. Lastly here’s two interesting statistics, I know Tanya Thompson will appreciate this! On the talk of influencer marketing: 🛍️ 70% of Aussie 18-to-29-year-olds have purchased a product after seeing it being used by an influencer. As well as 55% of Gen Z have made an online purchase while browsing social media. Sources in the comments 😁 ⬇ Follow me Kyle Cioffi for weekly updates!

TikTok is a goldmine—if you know the game. A year ago ↳I helped a DTC brand go from almost invisible to generating $50K within 6 months—just through TikTok Shop. It wasn’t magic. It was strategy. ↳This brand was struggling. They had great products but were stuck. ◘Their videos? Boring. ◘Their visibility? Nonexistent. ◘Their sales? Flatlined. But within 90 days, they were dominating TikTok. Their store became a sales magnet. And guess what? ↳It wasn’t luck. TikTok isn’t just another social platform. It’s a fast-paced, trend-driven ecosystem. You can’t afford to wing it here. ↳Here’s how we turned it around: 1. Trendy products, trendy content. We created videos tied to viral challenges and trending hashtags. It kept their brand front and center. 2. Show-stopping visuals. Every video had high-energy music, transitions, and captions. 3. Algorithm hacking. We posted daily, replied to every comment, and drove engagement. 4. Urgency-driven offers. Flash sales made their audience act fast. ↳Their TikTok shop blew up. Engagement soared. Sales skyrocketed. ◘Analyze what’s trending NOW. ◘Batch-create 30 days of thumb-stopping videos. ◘Post with purpose: frequency, timing, and interaction. It’s not guesswork. It’s repeatable. ↳TikTok is moving fast. Are you? If you’re tired of watching others win, DM me "TikTok Sales" now. Let’s make your TikTok shop the next big success story.

OPINION || Okay, so are we all up to speed about this TikTok ban in the US? 🤦♀️ Articles about it have tickled my thinking. The New York Times reports say that there are concerns about the Chinese government accessing sensitive user data via TikTok (which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance). This prompted the US government to pass new legislation banning TikTok from the US, unless it’s sold to a US government-approved buyer ✅ ByteDance has responded to this by saying they’d never sell the application as they’d be selling their algorithm off to someone else. As a trendspotter, I wonder what would happen if they sold? 💡 Would it not thwart how algorithms work forever? Patterns of opportunities could present itself: which social media giant would be the highest bidder? And how would such a bidder innovate their own product once they’ve seen the workings of the TikTok algorithm? Surely a new kind of manifestation would happen among social media platforms, inviting everyone to change lanes and innovate, trickling down to how content creators would monetize and make a success on each platform. If I owned TikTok and sold it, it would trigger many weird or wonderful things to happen. If I owned it and allowed it to be banned instead, I’d keep its workings a trade secret and apply its algorithm to other digital products I make, essentially re-creating success over and over 💰. Would you sell your app to a government-approved buyer, if you were in the decision-making seat? 👀

Interesting findings from data.ai (by Sensor Tower) latest Q2 2024 Social Media App Trends report. Trends, suggesting where marketers should focus more or consider adjusting their advertising strategies 👇 > Game publishers have been increasing their ad spend on TikTok more compared to other industries, indicating that they find it an effective way to reach their target audience. > TikTok DAUs remained flat as growth has become more difficult to foster amidst rising competition in the short-form video space. > TikTok saw the sharpest decline in US DAUs (-5% YoY) as it also has come up against saturation and heightened competition. > US Facebook users spent almost a third (30%) of their time on Reels. This was up 8ppts from Mar’24 and 15ppts from Jan’24. (This suggests that Meta is heavily pushing and suggesting short-form video content to Facebook users.) Reel is the way to go 💃 > If TikTok is banned in the US, users will likely migrate to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. > Temu & Shein are the second largest advertisers (by spend) on Facebook, only behind Amazon.

What’s new this week in #social 📲 🛍️ SKIMS consistently keeps its finger on the pulse of who's trending. They routinely capitalize through partnerships with buzz-worthy stars and their timely campaigns. 🟩 Lime green hues and lo-fi designs have invited people from every corner of the internet to embrace their inner brat. Charli XCX's most recent album has been dubbed "album of the summer" by social media users across the globe. 🤳 TikTok has just quietly launched its new app "Whee," which bears a striking resemblance to Instagram. ByteDance (TikTok owner) has yet to advertise the platform or comment on their plans for the new app. The timing is curious given the impending TikTok ban. 💬 In a new study from GWI, marketers have found that Gen Z prefers the unfiltered raw opinions that Reddit threads provide. The internet's source of "word of mouth" information is preferred nowadays over polished Google searches. 👩💻 X is including this series in a broader initiative "Originals on X" to drive compelling conversations on the app. 📸 Instagram users can now livestream to smaller audiences, giving the feel of a FaceTime call. 📱TikTok confirmed it’s testing the ability for users to take or upload a photo to find similar products in TikTok Shop — similar to Google image search or Pinterest Lens. ⏯️ YouTube is hoping to reduce the spread of misinformation online with this new feature. 🌎 According to Mashable, "EU regulators are presenting charges on the companies' failure to comply with landmark EU regulation known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Similar to anti-trust laws in the U.S., the regulations demanded Apple and Meta reign in their marketplace dominance by the summer."

There are SO many updates to keep up with in the social media world, so we’ll be keeping you up-to-date with the lowdown each week! 💁🏻♀️ Here’s what’s been happening over the last week 👇🏻 🌟 TikTok is suing the US over the potential ban of the app. 🌟 Threads is testing a new look for link previews which includes a larger font display and bigger link preview images 🌟 Instagram has added new stickers for stories - frames, cutouts, add yours music and reveal. Our personal fave is the reveal sticker. This lets users post a hidden/ blurred story and for your followers to see it, they have to send you a DM. 🌟 Instagram has updated its algorithm! The platform is making 4 changes which are: A new input to ranking that will give smaller creators more distribution, replacing reposts with original content in recommendations, adding labels to reposted content, linking to the original creator and removing content aggregators from recommendations. 🌟 Meta is testing cross-posting between Instagram and Threads. 🌟 Instagram is testing a larger look for story highlights/ 🌟 Meta is rolling out new AI-powered ad tools. 🌟 Instagram is working on ‘Clear’ mode for Reels (like on TikTok)/ 🌟 Twitter could soon be hiding all action buttons in a bid to improve the aesthetics of the platform. 🌟 Twitch has launched its TikTok-style discovery feed.  🌟 Facebook has added a new feature for Groups which allows users to react and comment anonymously. 🌟 61% of TikTok users discover new brands on the app. 🌟 Meta Verified is expanding to more countries and has added more tiers. Businesses who subscribe to Meta Business Plus, Premium or Max will have the ability to add links in Reels, but would you pay the huge $349.99/ month price tag?  🌟 Pinterest has added a Media Buyer Course available to all users (FREE via Pinterest Academy! ) 🌟 X has launched its Grok AI chatbot in the UK but is currently only available to Premium subscribers. 🌟 TikTok and Universal Music Group have come to a licensing agreement. What update are you most excited about? 👇🏻 Make sure you're following for more social media updates next week! 💜

🚫 The potential TikTok ban in the U.S. is the latest update in a turbulent time for Big Tech. In an article for CMSWire, our CMO Scott Opiela outlines why investing in owned properties like email, SMS, and mobile push notifications is increasingly important, particularly as Big Tech thrash continues.📱 📰 Read the full article to see how your brand can prepare for a possible TikTok ban and why it may not be a bad thing for your customer relationships: https://lnkd.in/e8UJuUSN #TikTok #CMO #DigitalMarketing