10 Yetis Insight- Social Media Round-up: Bids for Twitter, Snapchat name change, Facebook for work and Twitter moments for all!

Happy Friday everyone, here’s this week’s latest news update in all that is social media coming from Rhodri, hope you enjoy!

Who’s eying up Twitter?

There has been speculation mounting recently that Twitter could soon be sold. It’s unclear yet if this is just a rumour but there have been reports of Twitter’s board looking to engage in talks with potential buyers including Salesforce, Google, Verizon and Microsoft. Nothing is a certainty yet, but some have suggested that if the sale was to go ahead, the deal could take place by the end of the year.

Unusually, there is another brand considering buying the social media platform… Disney?! Google is the most likely candidate out of the aforementioned brands however Disney is potentially looking to make a bid due to the possible opportunities the platform possesses with regards to video distribution and reaching audiences around the world. This comes after Twitter launched their live streaming capabilities in which they partnered with the NFL. If Disney were to go through with the purchase, it could mean that Twitter may soon end up being re-invented as a content distribution network that includes social media features. Very interesting!

Snapchat is now Snap

Snapchat has changed its name…..To Snap (not such a big change). But they are also expanding into new markets and moving forward as a ‘camera company’. The picture messaging app will be known by the original Snapchat name but as an offshoot of ‘Snap Inc’. They have also now launched a new product, ‘Spectacles’, which keep the snapchat ethos of sharing video/picture content online. Spectacles is glasses that have a built in wireless camera that allows you to record up to a days’ worth of footage from one charge, but it only has a 30 second filming limit for each clip. Images and videos from the Spectacles will be synched wirelessly to the users Snapchat app allowing them to be shared on social media. They are said to give a more human perspective and allow the user to take ‘circular’ video achieving a 115 degree field of vision. The spectacles are already being compared to the Google Glasses, but cost much less at around £100 compared to £1000. Snap’s targeting and branding is aimed towards a younger age group meaning the Spectacles are predicted to perform much better. Good Luck Snapchat!... I mean Snap.

Facebook launches Facebook at Work:

Facebook is set to launch their ‘Facebook at Work’ platform next month. This is a ‘work’ version of Facebook that operates separately to your personal page. It will allow employees to interact within their workspace and let them discuss business without the distractions of their normal social posts. The idea is that the layout is essentially the same as regular Facebook so people will be able to easily navigate the tools because they are already familiar with the interface.

Facebook at Work plans to charge companies a rate per active user rather than a flat rate per company. It is still unknown how much this will be but this means that it could be very lucrative for Facebook when used within big businesses, and at the same time if it is not used that much by a company’s staff, there will be a lower charge.

The system is essentially the same, featuring profiles, newsfeeds, groups and messaging for people within the workplace. The main concern for Facebook is that it is seen as a social platform and people may shun the idea of using it for work, with many already worried about employers watching them online.

Twitter Moments for everyone

Twitter has now expanded the use of their Moments feature so that everyone can use it. As of this week, all users can now create individual story timelines. Twitter moments essentially allows users to construct and tell stories consisting of various tweets and media.

When the feature was first launched back in October 2015 it was mainly used to keep up with unfolding news stories like sports updates, world events and global conversations between celebrities or world leaders. In August of this year, Twitter introduced Moments to brands, partners and influencers, and at the time promised it would soon be available to all. They are now making good on that promise, rolling out the feature on the iOS device version and on the web to allow everyone to make their own moments.