Bill to Ban TikTok Will Come to U.S. Senate [Content Made Simple]
Issue #296: YouTube and education, silent on social, and more.
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TOP OF THE WEEK
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley wants to ban TikTok nationwide
Quote:
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican and China hawk, said on Tuesday that he would introduce a bill to ban the short video app TikTok in the United States.
TikTok, whose parent is the Chinese company ByteDance, already faces a ban that would stop federal employees from using or downloading TikTok on government-owned devices.
Commentary:
I think I predicted this about a month ago. Now, if course we will see if anything actually comes of this. But a bill needs to be introduced before anything can happen. So it will be fascinating to watch.
THE TRIVIA QUESTION
How many bricks were used in the construction of Cinderella’s castle at Magic Kingdom in Disney World? (Get within 100 and you win!)
Answer at the bottom.
HITTING THE LINKS
Link #1: YouTube Launches Video Program Creating a Pathway to Real College Credits
This is super cool. Glad to see this is happening.
YouTube is kicking off a series of online courses that can progress into earning official, transferable college credits, an initiative aimed at breaking down cost and accessibility barriers to higher education.
The program, called College Foundations, is an extension of YouTube's existing partnership with Arizona State University and educational video company Crash Course, which was launched by internet creators Hank and John Green. The partners have been posting college-related videos for nearly a year on the YouTube channel Study Hall, with nearly 42,000 followers.
Link #2: When should your brand go dark on social media?
Really interesting article here on a very tactical issue for anyone out there who manages a brand/church/org. social media.
Your brand gets nothing out of tossing up organic content on the same day as a mass shooting, or invasion, or major political moment. I promise you, your content isn’t so important that it absolutely must go up that day. I don’t care if you’re launching a major campaign you’ve worked on for years—hit pause. Send the all-staff email, and delay all actions. We. Work. In. Marketing. Our. Content. Doesn’t. Matter.
Link #3: Ad spending on Twitter falls by over 70% in Dec - data
I don’t spend money on Twitter ads, but I can’t blame people for pulling back a bit given everything going on over there.
Advertising spend on Twitter Inc dropped by 71% in December, data from an advertising research firm showed, as top advertisers slashed their spending on the social-media platform after Elon Musk's takeover.
The recent data by Standard Media Index comes (SMI) as Twitter is moving to reverse the advertiser exodus. It has introduced a slew of initiatives to win back advertisers, offering some free ads, lifting a ban on political advertising and allowing companies greater control over the positioning of their ads.
THE FUNNY PART
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Trivia Answer: Zero. It’s not made of bricks. :-)