The Engagement Rate ❤️

An industry bulletin for influencer marketing pros.

⏰Quick overview

• FTC’s throws more warnings to influencers about paid content

• TikTok: the app for the NEWS?

• Meta is monetizing the decline of Facebook

• Apple boycotts X

A note from our sponsor:

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The FTC warns influencers to disclose when they’re paid to be sweet on aspartame

The FTC warns health influencers on TikTok and Instagram for not disclosing payments from the American Beverage Association and The Canadian Sugar Institute. The influencers, including Adam Pecoraro, may face fines over $50,000 for unclear disclosures. The FTC emphasizes the need for transparent sponsorship disclosures and gives recipients 15 days to outline future compliance.

TikTok is the go-to NEWS app

Facebook still tops, but TikTok emerges as news hub: According to Pew Research, while Facebook remains the go-to for news, overall reliance on social media for information is dipping. TikTok, however, is bucking the trend, gaining traction as a news source. This shift prompts scrutiny, given TikTok's ties to the Chinese government and concerns about potential content influence.

TikTok's news clout sparks worries: Pew's report flags TikTok's rising influence in news consumption. Questions linger about its connection with the Chinese government and potential content control. While evidence is inconclusive, the report amplifies existing debates on TikTok bans in various regions.

Who's consuming news where: Pew's demographic insights reveal interesting patterns — women dominate news consumption on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, while men gravitate towards Reddit and YouTube. Beyond TikTok, social media's role in news consumption remains steady, with Facebook maintaining its lead, signaling potential implications for TikTok's sway, especially among younger audiences.

📲New on socials

• TikTok adds in-stream AR effects creation flow.

• YouTube launches new experiment to support AI music creation.

• Snapchat publishes new data showing app facilitates more positive user experiences.

• YouTube loosens monetization restrictions on depictions of breastfeeding and ‘sensual dancing’.

• TikTok adds metrics to provide further insight into how ads drive conversion.

• Instagram launches new creation tools for Reels and Stories.

• Threads launches initial test of Topic Tags in posts.

How Meta is monetizing the decline of Facebook

Meta's mashup magic: Instagram, the lovechild of TikTok and Snapchat: Meta's cooking up a storm, blending Instagram into a TikTok-Snapchat hybrid. Threads, a Twitter-Instagram combo. Facebook playing double duty as Craigslist and Reddit. And guess what? WhatsApp's the VIP guest, according to Mark Zuckerberg.

WhatsApp's moolah mystery: Meta's plan to cash in on privacy: Meta's taking on a challenge: making money from WhatsApp's private vibe. No ordinary ads here. Meta's got paid tools for businesses and a slick "click-to-message" ad strategy. It's like turning a zen garden into a bustling marketplace, but it's raking in $10 billion.

Meta's chess move: Brands, advertise on Facebook, party on WhatsApp: Meta's playing a high-stakes chess game with its brands. Picture this: brands paying Meta to advertise on Facebook, all to lure users into cozy chats on WhatsApp. It's like Meta's saying, "Hey, we know you love Facebook and Instagram, but WhatsApp is where the real party's at." Smart move or risky business? Brands are caught in the middle, trying not to miss out on the action while Meta orchestrates this diagonal dance of advertising and platform dominance. Can Meta keep the social media kingdom intact, or is this a risky bet on a shifting landscape? Stay tuned.

👀Overheard

• 🏎 WhatsApp announces new sponsorship deal with Mercedes F1 team. The deal will see the Mercedes team post exclusive content in the messaging app.

Apple boycotts X

Major advertisers, including Apple and IBM, pulled ads from X (formerly Twitter) after Elon Musk's controversial endorsement. This marks the platform's most significant ad backlash since Musk took over a year ago. Media Matters highlighted ad placements next to far-right content, deepening advertisers' skepticism. Musk's blame game failed to sway brands, prompting a "thermonuclear lawsuit" threat. X, already losing advertisers, faces an existential challenge due to heavy reliance on big brands. Musk's diversification efforts haven't made X profitable, making its future uncertain amid unilateral ad suspensions.

🔥Trending…

The origin of the ‘Nokia tune.’Sure, you can find out from the Nokia Wikipedia page that the famous ringtone comes from Spanish classical guitarist Francisco Tárrega’s 1902 composition “Gran Vais.” But this TikTok from Alexandra Whittingham was a much nicer way for me to learn that fact.

@alexandrawhittingham

I wont rest until this piece gets the recognition it deserves 💪 #classicalmusic #fyp #nokia #guitartok

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🔗LINK: How OnlyFans top earner Bryce Adams makes millions selling a sex fantasy.

🔗LINK: YouTube previews AI tool that clones famous singers — with their permission.