Five things worth sharing from the last week or so, brought to you by a different member of the Browser Media team every Friday.
This week’s My Five is by Kerry.
1. Twitter has been “accidentally” inflating user numbers for three years
Twitter has announced that due to an error that arose from people being allowed to link multiple separate accounts together, it has been miscalculating the number of monetised daily active users since 2019, with between 1.4m and 1.9m additional users per quarter being reported during this three year period.
Surprisingly it’s not the first time this has happened. Back in 2017, it realised it had been overstating its user figures by between 1m – 2m users for three years.
What makes it worse, is that the announcement was tucked inside a press release of its earnings for Q1 2022, rather than being an announcement in its own right.
2. Elon Musk considering ‘slight’ Twitter fee for commercial users
After being invited to share plans for the platform by MPs, Elon Musk has stated that Twitter may charge a ‘slight’ fee for commercial and government users following his takeover of the social media platform.
Twitter will always be free for casual users, but maybe a slight cost for commercial/government users
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2022
It will be interesting to see what the world’s richest person considers to be a ‘slight’ charge, and probably more importantly, how it will define commercial users. Although it’s very much still a maybe at this point, it’s not the kind of news you share unless you’re 90% certain you’re doing it.
Despite this, a survey from Search Engine Land revealed that 58% of marketers think Musk owning Twitter will be good for brands, marketers and users.
3. Google Ads introduces new Performance Max features
Google has announced new features available as the migration to Performance Max begins.
The three new features will be rolled out in the coming weeks, and include a new customer acquisition goal type, consumer interest insights, and a one-click upgrade tool.
Customer Acquisition goals were already available elsewhere in Google Ads, but the addition of customer interest insights is worth looking into. This update will allow you to see search themes that are driving conversions. The upgrade tool is being rolled out in phases and you’ll get a notification in your Ads account when it’s available to you.
Performance Max campaigns are replacing Smart Shopping and Local campaigns by September 30 2022.
4. LinkedIn introduces a new website link feature
LinkedIn is in the process of enabling users to add website links on profiles that have enabled creator mode. The link will appear at the top of users’ profiles.
Sitting just beneath the user name and description, and above the number of followers and connections, users will also be able to customise the link text.
The feature is already available to some users, with it being rolled out to everybody shortly. LinkedIn claims its goal is to increase visibility for a creator’s business, personal website, online store or event.
It’s also just an ideal way to get extra clicks and traffic to your site from LinkedIn, but make sure you have creator mode switched on first.
5. What the duck?!
If you’ve never seen a duck run a marathon before, feast your eyes on the video below.
Look out for the speed finish at the end, and the well-earned medal.
Wrinkle Finished the Marathon! ??#goodnews #cute #marathon #duck pic.twitter.com/N4IF9CJbv0
— seDUCKtive (@WrinkleTheDuck) April 30, 2022
