š”Teen Scene: Where are they hiding from Momās Facebook invites?
This is Creators Corner, the only newsletter that gives you that last day of school feeling. Every single day. Hereās what weāre serving up today: Teen Scene: Where are they hiding from Momās Facebook invites? (Spoiler: Mostly on YouTube) Google Gets Its Video Ads Homework Right (And Then Dumps More on Us) Instagramās FINSTA Flirt: Introducing āFlipsideā
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The Creators Corner
This is Creators Corner, the only newsletter that gives you that last day of school feeling. Every single day.
Hereās what weāre serving up today:
Teen Scene: Where are they hiding from Momās Facebook invites? (Spoiler: Mostly on YouTube)
Google Gets Its Video Ads Homework Right (And Then Dumps More on Us)
Teen Scene: Where are they hiding from Momās Facebook invites? (Spoiler: Mostly on YouTube)
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Newsflash, parents: forget the milk carton, your teens are missing from a different place ā the land of endless cat videos and questionable mukbangs, aka YouTube. A new survey from Pew Research revealed that a whopping 93% of U.S. teens are glued to the platform, making it the social media champ by a mile (sorry, TikTok, your dance routines canāt compete with ASMR whispers).
But wait, thereās more! Nearly half of these digital residents claim to be āalmost constantlyā online, which, translated from teenager to adult, means they probably know more about TikTok trends than you know about your retirement plan. (Donāt worry, we wonāt tell Social Security you said that.)
Deep dive: While YouTube reigns supreme, the landscape is shifting faster than a kid trying to avoid chores. TikTok and Instagram still snag a decent chunk of teen attention (63% and 59%), but Facebook and Twitter are suffering serious FOMO, with usage at 33% and 20% respectively. Itās like watching your grandparents try Snapchat ā adorable, but slightly tragic.
Creators corner: So, what does this mean for the content creators who fuel these internet playgrounds? Some say itās a gold rush back to YouTube, a chance to reclaim the hearts (and eyeballs) of Gen Z. Others see a wider disconnect ā advertisers are throwing money at Instagram and TikTok like itās going out of style, while teens are busy vibing to Minecraft tutorials and conspiracy theories on YouTube. Talk about a mixed tape!
The bottom line: The teen internet is a wild place, folks. But one thingās for sure: if you want to connect with your offspring, maybe skip the Facebook poke and try dropping a comment under their favorite YouTuberās latest video. Just donāt ask them to explain āYeet.ā Trust us, you donāt want to go down that rabbit hole.
Stay tuned for more updates, delivered with a healthy dose of sarcasm and zero judgment (probably).
P.S. We accept dogecoin tips. No questions asked.
Google Gets Its Video Ads Homework Right (And Then Dumps More on Us)
Gif by rotomangler on Giphy
Remember that assignment Google got on video ads? Yeah, they crushed it.Theyāre bringing Video Reach Campaigns (VRC) to the whole class ā YouTube Shorts, in-feed, and in-stream, all hanging out together in Google Ads. And not just for fun, these kids are getting results. Tests show up to 54% more reach and 42% cheaper costs compared to solo in-stream VRCs. Talk about a power couple!
But Google isnāt just handing out Aās. Keep your eyes peeled this month because theyāre pulling out the red pen for business verification. Get ready for a pop quiz ā Google might randomly pick your company to face the test. Donāt worry, though, theyāll provide a study guide with step-by-steps, common mistakes, and even practice questions. At least theyāre not changing the grading rubricā¦ yet.
Meanwhile, in the land of social media popularity contestsā¦ Apple released its 2023 app report, and guess whoās the new cool kid? Temu, the shopping app that sprouted legs on Black Friday, snagged the #1 spot for free iPhone apps. CapCut, the TikTok BFF, isnāt far behind at #2. Looks like Facebook, the once-undisputed prom king, is getting dumped ā teen usage has plummeted from 71% to 33% since 2015. Ouch.
The moral of the story? Pay attention to the rising stars, both in apps and demographics. Who youāre trying to reach is changing faster than trends on TikTok, so keep your radar tuned and your content mix flexible. Remember, the coolest campaigns adapt, not adopt.
No word on extra credit for making memes about Googleās verification pop quiz. But hey, a laugh a day keeps the content stress away, right?
Instagram is testing a new feature called āFlipsideā that lets users create a private side of their profile where they can share more candid and personal photos with a select group of friends. This is essentially a way to productize āfinstasā ā the slang term for alternate Instagram accounts where people post their real-life photos, as opposed to the more polished photos they post on their public Instagrams.
Remember the FINSTA Frenzy?
The term āfinstaā entered the mainstream discourse a few years ago and even became the subject of a line of congressional questioning when a U.S. Senator asked Instagramās head of global safety if they would ācommit to ending finsta.ā This led to a wave of online mocking, but at the heart of the question was the concern that younger Instagram users, like teens, were setting up private accounts outside of their parentsā knowledge.
Flipside to the Rescue?
With Flipside, Instagram could make it easier for users to share photos and videos with a private group of friends, without having to create a separate account. This could be a good way for teens to share photos with their friends without their parents seeing them.
How Flipside Works
To get to a userās Flipside, you would swipe down on their profile. The company has confirmed that Flipside is still an internal prototype and has not yet entered public tests.
Flipside vs. the Competition
In addition to saving users the hassle of setting up an alternate account, Flipside could also challenge rival social apps designed for close friends, like BeReal and Locket. These apps are popular with teens because they allow users to share more candid photos with their friends.
The Future of Flipside
Instagram hasnāt said if or when Flipside will launch publicly, but it would be an interesting addition to the app. It could increase engagement as users went in search of their friendsā Flipside, and then browsed a second set of posts.
Overall, Flipside is a clever way for Instagram to capitalize on how people already use the app. It could be a big hit with teens.
