social media round up
Social Media Round Up – Free Burgers, Dancing Policemen And An App That Will Read Your Feelings
The newest social network to rear its not-so-ugly head (more on that later) is Polygram. Your LOLs, ROFLs, and Mega-LOLs may never be the same again. Prising its way into an already busy market of photo sharing apps, the artificial intelligence based social network can read your facial expressions. Now you can truly see what people think of your posts. Our need for like-based gratification is about to get a jolt. When you post a new photo or share a video to Polygram, it is able to read the facial expressions of your friends and followers and suggest the most appropriate emoji to reflect their true reaction. Other features include the ability to post images covered with a fog filter that require followers to wipe away the mist to view the image, but not for long enough to be able to take a screen grab (Siren public service announcement: if you don’t want someone saving your photos, don’t share them). No photo sharing app is without its own suite of live filters, but bunny ears and koala noses just aren’t good enough for Polygram. Nope. The app has worked with plastic surgeons to create filters that make you better looking. Frankly it’s about time, there just aren’t enough vain, pretty people on social media, and it’s time they got a bite of the cherry. *eye roll emoji* This week Burger King launched one of its more weird and wonderful marketing strategies stretching the most tenuous of links to flame grilling to breaking point. If a customer can prove on their LinkedIn profile that they have been sacked, or ‘fired’ if you will, from their job, the fast-food giant will hand over a free Whopper meal. You see what they did there, fired, flame grilled, fired… no, we’re not sure either. The idea is to spread some love to people who have lost their jobs. Simply share ‘I got fired I want a free whopper #WhopperSeverance’ on LinkedIn and participants will get a free dinner along with some professional advice (but only for the first 100 participants). What the long-term implications of sharing that you’ve been sacked for the sake of a burger on your LinkedIn profile might be, are yet to be seen. But, hey, as the saying goes, no publicity is bad publicity! Hmm. Notting Hill Carnival is an annual highlight in London, bringing summer to a close. Nonetheless, worries and negative stories associated with the yearly celebration of British-Caribbean culture have a habit of taking over the headlines, detracting from all the overwhelming positivity that really does fill the streets of West London. During troubling times it’s great to see everyone get into the spirit of love, freedom and unity and what makes it even better is when a London police officer truly does steal the show with his impressive dance moves whilst on duty. Notting Hill Carnival filled the bank holiday revellers with many great memories and thanks to social media, even those who weren’t there could enjoy the dancing police officer’s moves! If we were to say there was a drop in Facebook usage, would you believe us? Well that’s exactly what a recent report from eMarketer is claiming – estimating a 3.4 per cent drop in Facebook usage from 12 -17 year olds is on the horizon for next year. It is the first ever estimated decline for Facebook. “Outside of the Facebook-cutters, teens and tweens remaining on Facebook seem to be less engaged – logging in less frequently and spending less time on the platform. At the same time, we now have Facebook-nevers, many children aging into the tween demographic that appear to be overlooking Facebook altogether, yet still engaging with Facebook-owned Instagram,” eMarketer forecasting analyst Oscar Orozco said in a statement. Facebook rival, Snapchat, seems to be benefiting, with a 19 per cent growth in 12-17 year old users in 2017. For the first time, eMarketer also has forecasted Snapchat overtaking Facebook and Instagram for users age 12 to 17 and 18 to 24.POLYGRAM – IT KNOWS WHAT YOU’RE FEELING_
#WHOPPERSEVERANCE_
VIRAL VIDEO: CARNIVAL COPPER_
IS FACEBOOK LOSING IT’S SHINE?_