Twitter Turns Your Photos Into Ads With Promoted Stickers

New Branding Tool – `Promoted Stickers’

Twitter followed Snapchat with the addition of applying stickers with embedded hastags and the business reasoning appears that brands would be capable of providing stickers with their own built-in hastags in order that one could promote for them, enabling them in tracking your stickered tweets.

The initiative of the company’s Promoted #Stickers had been announced in a blog post recently with Pepsi since the special partner as well as the choice was available to `select dealers with accomplished accounts. They are inclined to advertisers as a big opportunity for brands in driving brand affinity together with raising an awareness of their message - `happy brand-affinity driving’.

The search of Twitter of becoming a profitable business which could be utilised by some of the biggest brands in the world is in progress and recently the company has introduced a new branding tool known as `promoted stickers’.

Twitter has named that `promoted stickers’ though basically they are branded sticker, subtly branded stickers. The roll-out is said to be a part of PepsiMoji campaign, which is the soft drink maker launched, providing users in 10 markets admission to custom Twitter stickers.

Stickers Innovative & Searchable

At the moment it is enabling advertisers in providing sponsored sticker that would be appearing up front in the list of stickers which the users could place on their photos. Twitter states that at the moment, `brands could design four or eight stickers such as accessories together with other props, in order that users could add to their own photos.’

Featured in the #Stickers library would be the promoted options, which would provide brands with an opportunity of raising awareness and drive the brand affinity through Twitter. The stickers of Twitter are said to be somewhat innovative where each one is searchable.

As per Twitter, it tends to make it easy for people in creating conversation regarding events and get the experiences of what tends to happen at the moment. #Stickers tend to act as visual hashtag which means that photos with the brand’s sticker could be linked and discovered by anyone who seems to tap your brand’s sticker.

Offering Advertisers Sponsored Stickers

Twitter had reckoned out of making money from a feature cloned from Snapchat less than two months back and is now enabling advertisers in offering sponsored stickers which would be appearing up front in the list of stickers that the users could place on their photos.

The new ad format was recently kicked off with sponsorship from Pepsi that had paid for eight custom stickers, out of which six are strange smiley faces; one is a trophy and just one that has a Pepsi logo on it. Twitter would be permitting advertisers to purchase either four or eight custom stickers at a time which would be appearing in the featured section that tends to appear first at the time of adding them to a photo.

Promoted stickers, just like all Twitter stickers would also be searchable and hence one would be able to click on the Pepsi graphic to see what purpose people seem to be using it. Up to now, it’s to say, `Hi, I am an advertising executive who worked on this Twitter/Pepsi integration’.

How to Add Bold, Italic and Strikethrough Formatting to Whatsapp Messages

Facebook owned Whatsapp have brought in some cool new features with a recent update. Whatsapp has brought in features to add bold, italics and strikethrough to the messages which were not available before. Some experts believes bringing of such features will help Whatsapp in positioning itself as complete word processing platform which will be direct challenge to the Microsoft Office is some ways. Apart from the word processing related features Whatsapp also brings support for Google Drive which is a Google owned service. It is quite interesting to note that Facebook is allowing users to use Google Drive on the Whatsapp. It has been seen most of the tech giants makes it impossible for the users to use the rivals softwares and services on their apps and devices.

Update the Whatsapp to get these cool features

It should be noted that the Whatsapp available for download on the Google Play Store doesn’t comes loaded with these new features. In order to enjoy new feature you have to update the app to version 2.12.535 on the Android platform. iOS users will have to make sure their running the latest version of 2.12.17 on their devices. Most of the time update gets downloaded automatically if not then get your app updated by going to the respective app stores.

How to use the new features? 

As said earlier the latest update brings three features of bold, italic and strikethrough which can be inserted in the messages. But it is bit tricky to use these as Whatsapp has not provided any dedicated buttons on their app. In order to use bold users will be required to add asterisks at the beginning and end of their text like *bold*. To use italic font users has to add underscore on both the sides of text like _italics_ and to use the strikethrough users will have to add tildes on either side like ~tilde~.

Users can even experiment with various new formats by combing two features like _*bolditalics*_. This particular way will help in getting in both bold and italic style with ease.

The other new feature is the access to Google Drive. Whatsapp now allows user to share their documents from the Google Drive. In order to make use of this feature open the Whatsapp app select on Share followed by Share Document, More, Google Drive. Herein you will be direct to your browser to get permission access to the Google Drive.

The success of Whatsapp over the years

Whatsapp has become the world’s largest messaging service with its whopping over a billion million member count. It does faces competition from other messaging platform like Snapchat, WeChat, BBM but their numbers are nothing compare to the Whatsapp. It was purchased by the Facebook in 2014 after paying an incredible sum of $19 billion and Facebook has been running successfully aside it own Messenger app without any problems. The major changes introduced in Whatsapp under Facebook are the introduction of blue tick read receipts and the voice calling.

Vine Appears to Have Verified a Fake Beyoncé Account

According to the reports, the recently verified Beyoncé account, which was opened four days ago on Vine, appears to be fake. The account was suspended on Sunday afternoon, but until that time the account was able to get nearly 40, 000 views on the single video posted, this is the same video, which was posted by the star on her Instagram account. However, all this was after the welcoming tweet links to the video-sharing network were tweeted by employees of Twitter and Vine.

This also included Vine’s head of production. All these people later went on to delete their tweets. Therefore, the main question that remains is as to why the company Vine, verified a fake account. At present, the company was not reachable to respond to any of this issue and this issue clearly highlighted a loophole in the Vine’s verification process that has easily hackers to fake a Beyoncé and also get her green badge.

The verification process

The Vine has two ways of verifying their users, one of the ways is a manual process and the second one is by authenticating the user with the Twitter account (which owns Vine). If a user tries to open a Vine account by making use of their Twitter account, there Vine account will get automatically verified.

Once the verification has been completed, the user can change their Vine account to whatever they like. This method was used by Ross Miller to create a perfectly verified account for Vine for his Twitter super-friend Taye Diggs.

He just had to borrow the username that is used by Diggs for his Instragram account, he changed the profile photo on Vine and over: Verified account for Taye at Vine, at least working till it gets suspended.

On a boarder security scale, it is really a big loophole which requires immediate attention and needs to be fixed soon. Twitter as more than 100000 verified people and the verification bug is grabbing for attention. This loophole can easily make impersonator to fake an account for American singer. Reports have clearly indicated that the account created for Beyoncé has been already identified to be fake.

About Vine: 

Vine was founded in June 2012 by Rus Yusupov, Colin Kroll and Dom Hofmann, it provides the sharing services for a short-form videos. Microblogging website Twitter has acquired it in October 2012 before the official launch of website.

Features of Vine: 

If you love to record and edit vedio, so Vine if perfect platform for you. It allows all users to record and edit short vedios, which is of five- to six-second-long clips and later with the help of revine you can share it with other followers. Popular Vines have a feature to revined automatically and all of the Vines can be published or shared on other social networking sites such as; Facebook and Twitter. If you wan to browse the videos of others, so all you need to install a Vine's app where you will get the option of groups of videos by trend or theme or popular videos.

New Social Media That Pays Its User

Every little thought, idea, experience, interaction goes up as status in the social media. Social media defines the progressive individual in the era of technology. Everyone is connected to one social media or the other. A recent social network called bubblews believes that the users who are a part of this network should also receive a part of its revenue.

THEIR HISTORY: 

In the year 2012, an initial version of this network was launched. The version launched was primarily in the form of a beta or test mode. According to the owners, in 2012, there were 2 million visitors to the site from all over the world and with almost ten of the thousands of them posting at the site regularly. From the test version, the company launching bubblews received a capital of about $ 3 million. The owners are now planning to use that capital to launch their developed version.

WHATS NEW ABOUT BUBBLEWS? 

According to their owners, Zuccari and Dixit, the other social networking site currently present in the market claims to be a free zone while they keep a track on their user’s history and earns profit from them. Bubblews will be a little different from the other sites. If a user writes a minimum of 400-character post, tracing the personality of the user is not that difficult. This way, every user is not just a cookie that the programmers spy on but an identity the owners could keep a track about.

Every post is made public. This way the site will be the home of active interactions between several individuals on topics ranging from sports to wars. Anyone at any point of time could follow and participate in a discussion.

The version that is to be launched is in English but other languages are under work. This is because the test version was not only used by users from United States but also from places like Canada, Brazil, Philippines, Britain and India.

THE IDEA BEHIND THE CONCEPT? 

This is probably the first social networking site willing to share its revenue earned from the advertisements among its users. This is mainly because the owners believe that every time an user is posting something on a social networking site , they are pouring a piece of their heart and that must be acknowledged.

The users are unlikely to become rich for they will receive one per cent per interaction and only receive cash payouts after earning a credit of $50. But the initiative must be acknowledged.

The owners believe that the network is not just the place where user stay connected to have fun but we also find students struggling to buy books, organizations trying to raise money for social endeavours and single parents doing their best for their children. This initiative is for all of them.

A survey that was taken up has shown over 62% of the respondents is willing to try the latest version of bubblews!

4 Social Media Tips For A Jolly Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time for sharing. That’s great news for social media addicts, because there’s nothing they love more than sharing stories of rambunctious holiday parties and snapshots of their wintertime vacations. But carelessly using social media during the merriest time of year might put your newly acquired presents at risk, or even put you on bad terms with the very same friends and family you celebrated with. If you want to avoid committing a major social media faux pas this holiday season, keep these four simple tips in mind. 

1) Know Who You’re Sharing With

Has your online friends list become a little bloated because you simply can’t say “no” to a friend request? Blindly accepting every request that comes your way might make you feel like a digital social butterfly, but it also allows lots of people you don’t know to see all your updates and cool photos. Including people who have a reputation for engaging in some pretty shady behavior. Cull the crooks and thieves from your friends list by running your online connections through a public records database like CheckMate. Just by searching for a name,  you can see if someone has been arrested in the past, and what they were busted for. If you spot an uncouth character on your friends list, you’ll know to “unfriend” them.

2) Don’t Share Photos Of Other People Without Permission

We live in a hyper-connected age, and not everyone is necessarily cool with having their photo posted on a social media site. If you upload an especially embarrassing photo, there’s even the risk that it will go viral and get posted on major blogs. Don’t hurt your friendship because a goofy picture of your bestie landed on Buzzfeed. Ask permission before you upload pictures of your friends and family.

3) Don’t Share Your Holiday Haul

Did you get a flat screen TV, a next-gen gaming system, and a brand new snowboard? While it might be tempting to show off just how generous your friends and family were this year, posting pictures of your gear and gadgets is a bad idea. While people might be impressed with all your new stuff, so will crooks looking to steal some goods. Some cybercriminals scour Facebook to see who posts the priciest stuff, just so they can discover the best target for burglary. Avoid becoming a victim—don’t brag about your gifts on social media.

4) Make Use Of Security Settings

There’s no reason to show off your holiday revelry to people you didn’t invite. Especially if there was a good reason you didn’t invite them. Fortunately, most major social media platforms allow you to be selective about who sees your posts. On Facebook, just click where it says, “public” right next to the “Post” button. Select “Custom,” then enter the names of the people you want to see your posts. Only the people you select will see your status update, and people who aren’t on this list won’t see anything. It’s a great way to share the fun without making anyone else feel left out.

Jack Idone is a blogger living in Irvine, California. He writes about social media and online security.

Top 5 Social Media Security Blunders

Security has become so advanced these days, there are thousands of different options when it comes to keeping safe and secure. However, even after going to all the trouble to make our property as secure as possible we still manage to put ourselves at risk via social media. Burglars and criminals can use social media as a way of identifying targets, and people are quite happy to openly advertise their homes. If you use social media regularly then there are a few simple rules you need to follow. Here are our top 5 social media security blunders.
1. Going On Holiday
If you are planning on going on holiday any time soon it’s important that you don’t boast about it online. Telling all your friends you are going skiing next week or off to an all-inclusive resort for two weeks might seem like a good idea at the time, but it could attract some unwanted attention. You are telling the world exactly when your house will be empty and burglars could be round your house as soon as you set foot on the plane.
2. Home Alone
Some celebrities have had bad experiences using social media and telling people they are at home alone. Helen Flanagan tweeted on the popular social media site Twitter that she was home alone when her boyfriend at the time Scott Sinclair was away. Shortly after this tweet her house was burgled. If you are going to be at home alone don’t post about it on social media. Consider making your profiles private if you are concerned about this.
3. Planning A Party
There have been countless reports in the papers about people advertising house parties on Facebook and other social media sites. Refrain from creating a Facebook event about a house party as this information could get into the wrong hands, even if you make a private event people still talk. House parties arranged via social media have resulted in hundreds of people swarming to the house party location and trashing the place. This is especially true amongst teenagers and young adults.
4. Disclosing Your Location
Do not under any circumstances post anything about your location online. This doesn’t just mean your address and information about where you live. Don’t post things about where you plan to go and what you will be doing at specific times. Otherwise people will know exactly where you are and it’s not safe. Consider removing locating targeting from your social media profiles as these can be used to track your whereabouts.
5. Talking About Valuables
Just got a brand new HD TV? Try and resist posting updates about it on social media. Don’t advertise your most expensive possessions to criminals. Then they will know what prize possessions you have and may decide your house is worth targeting. This is especially true around the holiday seasons.
Whilst we agree social media is a great of connecting people it has unfortunately also meant an increase in cybercrime.
Neil Maycock is a security advisor for MDS Security. He loves to blog about home and business security issues.