30-minute TikTok uploads are coming
TikTok’s max video runtime continues to increase after users spotted the option to upload 30-minute clips this week. An image shared on Threads by social media consultant Matt Navarra showed the new half-hour option in the latest beta version on iOS and Android. It’s hard to fathom now but TikTok once had a paltry 15-second limit. Short form is the platform’s bread and butter, but longer content is now viewed as better for increasing engagement and time spent on the app. Just last October, TikTok experimented with 15-minute videos. How long will videos be in another two years?
Zoomers are LinkedIn’s surprise social champions
LinkedIn continues its evolution from a core business and employment-focused platform to something with broader mass appeal, thanks to a surprise uptick in Gen-Z users. New data reported in businessinsider shows Zoomers are driving user growth; they are expected to account for 13.7% of MAUs by the end of 2024. Three-quarters of the 78.6m users in the US are millennials or older but a shift is under way. Ad revenues in the US are also expected to soar 14.1% to $4.56bn this year.
BeReal courts celebs and “notable people”
BeReal’s initial launch was as far away from the glitz and glamour of celeb life as possible but things are changing. The platform renowned for its down-to-earth, authentic content now wants to serve videos from famous people. This week, the French social media app unveiled RealPeople and RealBrands. The former will provide “unfiltered, unedited and unscripted moments” from big names. It sounds like an interesting concept but will it take off? BeReal still has a healthy number of DAUs – 23m at last count, but that is down from a reported 73m at its peak.
Nobody can guarantee you traffic, sorry!
Google’s search expert John Mueller posted a timely reminder on X this week; making specific changes to a website will not always lead to an uptick in traffic. One user on Elon Musk’s social media platform asked for advice about a boss who wanted clarity on whether removing certain parameters on a site would boost traffic. Muelle’s response? “Nobody can guarantee you traffic, sorry”. This short, pithy statement is a reminder that you can estimate the impact of SEO but never guarantee a performance improvement.
Google Search Ad fraud a problem for big brands
Scammers are becoming more ambitious and targeting the biggest brands via Google Search Ads. 75% of large corporations in the US and UK say they have been the victim of identity theft. The consequences? Significant financial losses and a loss of confidence in affiliate marketing initiatives. Google says it has invested “heavily” in enforcing policies that protect advertisers. It added: “In 2022, we removed over 5.2 billion ads, restricted over 4.3 billion ads and suspended over 6.7 million advertiser accounts.”
Online chatter about a new Google algorithm update
Finally, is there another ranking algorithm update rolling out? News site Search Engine Roundtable has reported volatility in Google SERPs between January 23 and 24. Online chatter also suggests something is afoot, with comments on WebmasterWorld highlighting notable drops in traffic. Google hasn’t made an official announcement yet. After a flurry of major updates at the end of last year, we are still waiting on the first core update of 2024.
