Hootsuite launches social media video Integrations

Hootsuite integrates video via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

hootsuite

Social media platform Hootsuite has announced video integrations with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Now organisations can manage their videos from a single platform, reducing complexity and increasing reach across social to improve customer engagement..

According to the company, ‘in the ever-changing digital landscape, video has shifted from a nice-to-have tool for marketers to an integral communication channel for businesses’. It cites that in 2015 Facebook more than doubled its video view sto eight billion, tweets containing video receive more than twice as many RTs as those without and the time users spend watching videos on Instagram has soared 40% in the past 6 months.

From the Hootsuite platform, users can approve, schedule, and publish videos across social networks. The video integrations also allow users and companies to monitor comments and collaborate to manage multiple accounts so that they can respond faster to customers’ enquires.

While investing in videos is a good first step, just posting videos is not enough to make an impact with audiences. To truly get the most out of video, businesses need to use social to increase its reach and credibility. According to a new online survey conducted by Hootsuite, 58% of respondents are more likely to watch a video if it has been shared by friends or family on a social network.

“Our new video integrations with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram underscores how crucial video is to organisations as they evolve their digital transformation strategies. These integrations will better support our clients who are investing in video for broad appeal, promotion and education to really engage and grow their audience,” said Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite.

All of this is very interesting, but I prefer TweetDeck to Hootsuite, but if it wasn’t for either platform, then Twitter would not be the so-called force it is today. The future is clearly video; brands and companies need to start acting quickly or they will be left behind.

How to opt out of appearing in Google online ads

google_adsGoogle is important, Google isn’t particularly evil, but like any internet behemoth it has to be monitored so it doesn’t take the piss.

To that end, if you don’t manually opt out, then Google can use your image in any advertising that it does. We are happy for Google to help discovery our profiles and improve our authority, but using our images for their advertising is one such example of taking the mick.

So here is how you opt of it: Continue reading

A look at international social network growth

By regular contributor Lloyd Gofton, Liberate Media MD, who tweets here

bii-top-global-social-properties-4We often hear about the never-ending growth of the big Western social networks. User number announcements for Facebook and Twitter are now international news, but this is only the tip of the iceberg.

In the West we usually assume that social networks revolve around U.S culture, but that is far from the case. Global social network data tells us a much more interesting story, and this post delves into the key figures from BI Intelligence’s global social media census 2013. Continue reading

US gangs use social media to daunt, flaunt and taunt

This post is by regular contributor and US hip-hop technology legend Mike Johns, who tweets here and is heading up iAM DIGITAL: MUSIC & TECH Symposium at this year’s CTIA

Instagram gangbangingWe’ve seen how social media has played an important role in creating cause awareness, inciting revolutions, and toppling Government regimes.

However, who could have ever imagined that these powerful tools would be used by US gangs across America? In cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, gang members often use Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media outlets to spread vitriolic ‘diss’ messages and encourage rival gangs to respond. Continue reading

Children are only three clicks away from inappropriate or adult content on YouTube

Safer-Internet-Day-600x400Today is Safer Internet Day and some disturbing research results from Kaspersky Lab highlights how crucial that YouTube gets its ‘suggested videos’ act together.

Examining YouTube’s ‘suggested’ videos that sit visibly alongside children’s TV programmes such as Peppa Pig, Rastamouse and Dora the Explorer, researchers found that on average users are just three clicks away from content suited to an adult audience. Continue reading