Google For Creators

Beyond Social Media - Google For Creators - Episode 364

BL and David discuss Google’s push to court creators; LinkedIn closes the chapter on Stories; Instagram allows desktop uploads; Journalists prefer Zoom interviews; Australia pitches Chris Helmsworth; A sign language Metallica video; Facebook by another name; Apple’s privacy protection posing; Walmart’s crypto ATMs; and much, much more.

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Block19 Backlash

Beyond Social Media - Block19 Backlash - Episode 356

BL and David discuss the backlash over Culper Precision’s Lego kit for a Glock handgun; Improv Everywhere’s New York city dance party; Google’s test of seller ratings in search; Twitter’s Non-Fungible Tokens; Amazon’s Kindle Vella serialized fiction platform; Twitter’s testing of new conversational features; Instagram’s Reel advertising; BusinessInsider’s clever welcome email; Facebook launching it’s Substack clone, Bulletin; the advent of the college athlete influencer; This Week in Cuba Twitter Space; DiGiorno’s crowdsourced slogan; an Amazon contractor gets fired by bot; emails on packaging; Clubhouse demographics;…and much, much more.

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Blois Olson Interview

Beyond Social Media - Blois Olson Interview - Episode 349

David Erickson interviews Blois Olson, founder of Fluence Media, publisher of seven popular newsletters and a Minnesota politics-focused podcast, and political commentator at WCCO radio.

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Disaster Girl Cashes In

Beyond Social Media - Disaster Girl - Episode 348

BL and David discuss Disaster Girl’s big payday; Nerf’s new chief TikTok officer; Clubhouse’s NFL draft partnership; Clubmarket’s Clubhouse influencer exchange; digital product placement; Spotify’s paid podcast subscriptions; Flipboard flips to sponsored newsletters; vaccination public service tweets; Punch Pizza’s recruiting marketing email; a clever social media and visual communication tactic; Facebook’s failure; slander for profit; Basecamp’s ban; Apple’s privacy sanctimony exposed;…and much, much more.

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Steve Madden Interview

Steve Madden Interview

B.L. interviewed Stephen Madden, VP, General Manager, Haymarket Business Media Group, Editor-in-chief of MM+M, about The Vaccine Project Newsletter, and about what it takes to make newsletters successful.

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Twitter Spaces & IKEA Audio Catalog

Beyond Social Media - Twitter Spaces - Episode 342

BL and David discuss the launch of Twitter Spaces; IKEA’s audiobook catalog; a sweet wine-tasting gig; a tour of American dialects; instant holograms; Taco Bell’s 404 error page; an Ad Council COVID vaccine campaign; Facebook’s newsletter publishing platform; Mark Cuban’s Clubhouse competitor, Firesidechat app; Google’s Key Moments in YouTube videos; LinkedIn throwing shade TikTok’s way; an inclusion video oversight…and much, much more.

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New Social Media Features

Beyond Social Media - New Social Media Features - Episode 340

BL and David discuss how Amazon Prime and Netflix are grokking TikTok; the TikTok trend of creating fake album covers out of random camera roll photos; potential new Twitter features could include super followers, an undo button, and shoppable tweets; LinkedIn’s new freelancer marketplace, Stories for Pages, and Swipe-ups; LinkedIn recommending newsletter subscriptions; YouTube Shorts; Taco Bell To Go concept restaurants; Microsoft’s hacked email servers; …and much, much more.

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White House Valentines Display

Beyond Social Media - Presidential Valentines Display - Episode 338

BL and David discuss Dr. Jill Biden’s White House Valentines display; stellar Thank You page examples; the American Shame Card collection of gun-control advocacy postcards; fact checker bylines; the explosive growth of social audio; Microsoft’s AI voices; Lincoln TV; Duolingo’s singable commercial; Super Bowl Social Media; conference sounds for livestreaming waiting room; Twitter gets into the newsletter game; Google News analytics courtesy of Google Search Console; Norton’s prying eyes and listening ears commercial…and much, much more.

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Fake News & Its Discontents: #Pizzagate Has Real-Life Consequences

Beyond-Social Media - Fake News & Pizzagate - Episode 167

Episode 167: BL and David discuss Facebook’s blocking of a fake news detector; the real-life consequences of the fake news “Pizzagate” story; Uber’s customer tracking; Reddit’s demise at the hand of trolls; LiLou, SFO’s therapy pig (and Instagram star); Netflix’s alien-identifying algorithm; the Local Matters watchdog journalism newsletter; Amazon’s employee-free retail store; BMW’s self-policing cars; the best Christmas ads; the Reuters News Tracer breaking news algorithm; My Starbucks Barista Bot; Google’s emoji-responding Twitter account; and much, much more.

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