Today in Digital Marketing - Is That Meta in Your Conversation or Are You Just Happy to See Ads?

Starting point is 00:00:00 It's Monday, July 17th. Today, Meta says it's listening to its users, only not the way you think they are. How scammers are redirecting phone numbers from Google, TikTok gains a third and commerce-powered feed, and Amazon has found its biggest cohort in cat ladies. I'm Todd Maffin. That's ahead today in digital marketing. Meta may soon turn conspiracy theories into reality. The company has filed for a patent that would do what everyone has believed they've been able to do up until now, listen to users, then target them with ads. The tech, called user identification with voice prints, captures a user's voice to identify them and authenticate them on social networks.

Starting point is 00:00:46 It could be used as part of a two-factor authentication system alongside passwords or other biometric scans. But Meta's intentions go beyond authentication. According to the filing, these voiceprints could let the company provide customized content to the identified users. For instance, if the system detects users speaking, it will tailor content to match their interests, specifically in advertisements. That means that if you speak within range of Meta's system while it's capturing

Starting point is 00:01:17 audio, you might see ads on your Facebook feed about what you'd talked about. And by the way, not just you, but others in the room who happened to have been speaking during the audio capture. What's interesting here is that even though this is a patent application and not a feature announcement, Meta went out of its way to say that users would be able to opt in or opt out of the tech

Starting point is 00:01:39 within their privacy settings. It also says voice prints wouldn't be shared with third-party systems. Here's your sign to check your Google listing to make sure your business phone number is correct. Scammers are now targeting some companies by changing their phone numbers on Google Maps, essentially redirecting calls intended for that company to them, the scammers. This appears to be exploiting a feature in Google Local Listings, which lets regular users suggest changes to a business's profile. Usually, this is used for things like store hour errors

Starting point is 00:02:14 or people reporting that a business is closed. Presumably, a number of people would need to suggest the same change. Google usually emails the company with the listing, saying it'll make the change unless they cancel it. But that email in a large company, like, say, a major airline, might go unnoticed amidst the layers of administration. That might be what happened to Shmuley Evers yesterday. He posted about this on social media. His Delta flight was canceled, and he searched Google for the Delta customer service number, he found the number, or at least a number, on Delta's business listing. After reaching who he thought was Delta,

Starting point is 00:02:51 he asked to get on another flight. The representative was overly eager to help him. But red flags started popping up after the call disconnected, as they called back from a different number, a number from France that came up as DTI Publishing on caller ID. But the imposter got Evers to reveal his confirmation number and name and then was able to look up his trip details on the Delta website. They offered an alternative flight leaving later in the evening but needed him to confirm. Quoting Evers, he texted me a screenshot of a flight detail from Newark, asked me to confirm via SMS, red flag. I thought about it and texted him back to go ahead, still thinking I'm talking to Delta.

Starting point is 00:03:31 He then asked me to call him. He said he has to cancel my original reservation and I have to pay for the new one. This is when I asked him where he was located. And he said Rochester, New York. When asking him where that's located, he said two hours south of NYC, unquote. Recognizing the deception, Evers refused to provide payment over the phone. Then with a search, he found that scammers had replaced the customer service numbers listed for multiple major airlines, including Delta, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Air France.

Starting point is 00:04:08 Evers has put in a request for Google Maps to replace the scammers' numbers with the correct phone numbers. We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told us, quote, suspending the malicious accounts involved and applying additional protections to prevent further abuse, unquote. They also said last year they stopped 20 million attempts to create fake business profiles. TikTok keeps trying to get into e-commerce in the U.S. This time, the app is testing a new shop feed with some users alongside its following and for you tabs. The new tab connects consumers directly to TikTok shop. It is the latest e-commerce experiment on the platform,

Starting point is 00:04:52 aiming to prompt more purchase behavior, inspired by the success of in-stream shopping among Asian markets. While in-stream commerce has become a significant income stream for the Chinese version of TikTok, Western consumers have been more hesitant to combine their social media and shopping experiences, preferring physical shopping or dedicated apps instead. Do you have business insurance? If not, how would you pay to recover from a cyber attack, fire damage, theft, or a lawsuit? No business or

Starting point is 00:05:25 profession is risk-free. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen. Brands on Instagram's Twitter killer, Threads, are starting to see a promising start on the platform. According to a new study by Be Zen. likes per post. But as Social Media Today points out, it's likely still too early to draw any firm conclusions about the platform's potential for brand growth. On the other hand, SensorTower reports that engagement in the app remains relatively low, with data indicating time spent on the app has actually declined nearly 60% since launch, and overall engagement remains significantly lower than time spent on Instagram

Starting point is 00:06:25 or Twitter. But the momentum for Threads isn't over yet. According to a new report from Data.ai, the app has already achieved one-fifth of Twitter's weekly active user base worldwide. It estimates Threads now has more than 150 million downloads, which is five and a half times faster than Pokemon Go, which held the record for the largest app launch title until now. And pivoting to Twitter just for a second, your brand's DMs are now on VIP mode. For any profiles with direct messages set to open, as your companies might be, the platform recently automatically switched controls to only allow message requests from verified users. You can switch it back, though. You'll have to go into your settings and select allow message requests from everyone.

Starting point is 00:07:18 Video is still getting clout on Facebook. The platform added new video focused features today, including new discovery and editing tools. It's also mercifully putting out of misery its Facebook watch branding and just calling it video with a tab that will contain all of its video formats in one place in a scrollable vertical feed, including reels, long form content and live content. And the company's bringing reels editing tools to the Facebook feed, meaning users can add audio, text and music to videos more easily on the app. It's also rolling out editing features like the ability to adjust speed, reverse or replace a clip. And it's also introducing support for HDR videos on Reels.

Starting point is 00:07:58 Facebook has also updated its audio features with options to reduce noise and record a voiceover on top of a video. And finally, while the hot ticket sale items during Amazon's Prime Day tend to be massively discounted electronics like laptops and earphones, this year, a different kind of item clawed its way to the top. The company revealed its best-selling items during its Prime Day campaign, Temptations Cat Treats. So it looks like cat ladies, after all, have all the purchasing power. Okay, I'm sorry. All right, I get it.

Starting point is 00:08:37 I'm sorry. Friday was a busy day at the agency, and I also had a root canal to go through. Let me tell you, though, I will say this. The meds that they give you ahead of time, well, the meds that they at least give the anxious people ahead of time, work like a hot damn. It wasn't a sedative, per se. I remember everything. I never thought this would happen, but I actually fell asleep during the procedure. I fell asleep during a root canal for about 30 minutes, which is a lot better than I thought was going to

Starting point is 00:09:11 happen anyway. But I definitely lucked out. I'm Todd Mappin. See you tomorrow. We'll be right back. and boots. So when you do, always make sure you get cash back from Rakuten. And it's not just clothing and shoes. You can get cash back from over 750 stores on electronics, holiday travel, home decor, and more. It's super easy. And before you buy anything, always go to Rakuten first. Join free at Rakuten.ca. Start shopping and get your cash back sent to you by check or PayPal. Get the Rakuten app or join at Rakuten dot C-A. R-A-K-U-T-E-N dot C-A.

Today in Digital Marketing - Is That Meta in Your Conversation or Are You Just Happy to See Ads?

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