DIGITAL TRENDS: 9/5

TotallyHer.com: Native Content

© 2014 Media Storm LLC, All Rights Reserved

What is it? TotallyHer.com is joining the ranks of sites that are making the switch from display ads to offering native content only.

How does it work? TotallyHer.com is Evolve Media’s latest site which features top stories across Evolve Media’s variety of female-oriented sites, as well as a mix of native content from brands. While Evolve Media isn’t getting rid of display ads on all of its sites, the company believes that this approach for TotallyHer.com will differentiate the site as a place known for premium content.

Opportunities? Evolve Media’s mix of sites receive 35MM monthly unique visitors. As audiences become smarter concerning display advertising, it is becoming increasingly important to create content that is engaging and visually appealing in order to boost engagements, interactions, and views.

Twitter : Algorithm-driven Feed for 2015

© 2014 Media Storm LLC, All Rights Reserved

What is it? Twitter is currently looking to introduce an algorithm-driven feed in 2015, which could greatly impact the platform’s advertisers and users.

How does it work? Twitter currently displays tweets in reverse chronological order and users only see tweets from accounts they follow. Twitter believes that serving tweets based on time “isn’t the most relevant experience for the user,” and that an algorithm-based feed will help deliver the best content on a specific topic for the user. Twitter is planning on implementing this change gradually, and may decide to make the algorithmic feed a separate opt-in experience, rather than the default.

Opportunities? The move to an algorithm-driven feed could potentially affect advertisers in a variety of ways. Brands with large Twitter followings may have to spend more for the same amount of reach. Alternatively, if a brand’s tweet was “favorited” by someone who didn’t decide to follow the brand, there is still a chance that the algorithm would serve tweets from the brand to that user again. From a real-time marketing standpoint, an algorithm may mean that brands would have to pay to have their real-time tweets distributed to a certain number of people.

Snapchat Pushes Snapchat Stories

© 2014 Media Storm LLC, All Rights Reserved

What is it? Snapchat has begun to “occasionally” send out push notifications when friends’ Snapchat Stories have been posted.

How does it work? Snapchat Stories have been a huge hit on the platform and have become more popular than Snap messages with over 1 billion views per day as of June, partially due to a growing community of users who have become “Snapchat celebrities.” This is a bit surprising as users had to seek out Stories rather than receive notifications that there were Stories available to view. Now, Snapchat has begun to push out Story notifications to users, which fundamentally changes the unobtrusive nature of Stories.

Opportunities? Snapchat’s Story notifications may be a sign that the platform is planning to make Stories an independent product that doesn’t need direct snaps to get by.