“I would have gotten away with it, if it hadn’t been for those pesky kids”, said almost every Scooby Doo villain ever. Those clever boffins at Facebook might be muttering something similar into their chai lattes at the latest social media bombshell – they’re no longer the world’s number one downloaded app. 

According to 2020 data from analytics platform App Annie, that honour now belongs to Chinese upstart TikTok. It has one billion users worldwide, including more than 100 million in the United States alone. 

So, what is the secret behind TikTok’s sudden boom in popularity? Well, it has proved massively popular among younger users, with some truly eye-popping content doing the rounds. 

Like Facebook, it’s proved itself to be a relatively easy platform for businesses to post content and grow their brands among a receptive and fairly affluent audience using nifty engagement solutions and immersive formats. 

It’s also given even the oldest social media hands a chance to flex their creative muscles. Who knew razor-sharp editing could be so much fun? 

Add into the mix last month’s move allowing post videos up to three minutes in length, tripling the previous cap, and we reckon Facebook will have to do a bit of work to catch up – which means more goodies possibly coming our way. Naturally, when they drop, we’ll make sure you’re the first to know. 

We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the 42 Club, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community, the Organisation for Responsible Businesses and the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket. We help companies who are all fingers and thumbs with their social media grow their business and brand. Book your free strategy call here.

If social media was a soap, we think it would be Dallas: impossibly wealthy warring clans constantly trying to get the upper hand on each other (though maybe without all the big hair and shoulderpads). That’s certainly the case with Facebook, which has unveiled some of its new tools for the future, after Apple’s latest move on data privacy.

In case you haven’t been watching, (we’ve all been a bit distracted by Gareth Southgate’s lads – come ON England) Apple is working on a little something called App Tracking Transparency, which makes all app data tracking an opt-in choice for consumers.

Facebook doesn’t like it, but rather than cat-fighting in a fountain or stepping out of the shower and saying it’s all a dream, it’s decided to go with the flow and get creative.

Dan Levy, VP Ads & Business Products said in a blog post that Facebook is trialling an option in News Feeds that allows users to tap to browse content from businesses on topics such as beauty, fitness, or clothing, as well as “explore content from related businesses”.

The platform is also looking to improve where adverts are placed, based on the content users are watching – so if you’re hooked on a travel video, you’ll see ads for hotels.

More importantly for small businesses, Facebook is working on a new badge specifically for us micro heroes that will be visible under the main ad field. It aims to capitalise on consumer demand to support smaller, local brands. Amen to that, we say.

Levy said there are also changes afoot for Facebook Marketplace, as shop and product listings are set to be expanded using the topic/business discovery feeds, and that Shops listings will be extended to Marketplace.

Alongside all that, Facebook Pay tools will be enhanced to make the buying process as seamless as possible.

It might not be as dastardly as JR, but you can’t take your eyes off Facebook for long, as it can sometimes make big changes walloping brands that have come to depend on a particular level of referral traffic or business from its tools.

And when it happens, we’ll be the first to let you know.

We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the 42 Club, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community, the Organisation for Responsible Businesses and the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket. We help companies who are all fingers and thumbs with their social media grow their business and brand. Book your free strategy call here.

As a business owner, time is as precious a commodity as money, and combining both to the best effect when creating ads can sometimes feel like trying to turn water into wine. To make sure you end up with a lip-smacking Chablis rather than a vin de table you wouldn’t use as petrol, here’s our top 10 creative apps to make your content sparkle, as recommended by Facebook. 

Ripl

They say: Layer animated templates on top of photos

We say: This creative app not only makes videos from your own photos (so you get the shot you actually want), it’s customisable, can be linked to all your social media accounts and enables scheduled posting. What’s not to love?

Videoshop

They say: Combine photos and videos, experiment with stop- motion, resize and edit videos

We say: Embrace your inner Steven Spielberg with this smart editing tool. Add your own soundtrack or sound effects, include subtitles or merge several videos into one, and then share them across your social media contacts. 

Unfold

They say: Create stories with multiple photos

We say: If you want to give your ads and videos a sophisticated edge, then look no further. Unfold offers a range of cool templates and curated fonts. There are filters and effects too, but think Vogue rather than Snapchat. 

Mojo

They say: Create stories from video templates

We say: It’s the only one on our list that’s NOT Android compatible, but the easy-to-download, customisable creative app comes with more than 50 templates and text styles. They’re updated every month, so your content will always have a fresh feel. Like the others, you can share your creations to all social media platforms. 

Adobe Spark Post

They say: Transform photos with design and animation templates

We say: Even if you’ve never held a video camera in your life, you can make smart ads using your own photos or animated stickers from GIPHY. There’s a range of customisation options available, so you can play around and find the effect that best suits your business. Boooooom.

Adobe Photoshop Mix

They say: Cut and combine images

We say: Once you’ve mastered Spark Post, this is probably your next step. You can cut out and mash-up bits of different images, as well as blend layers and apply looks, whether you’re using an Apple or Android device. Excitingly, the app also integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud, giving you access to tools including Photoshop and Lightroom. 

Boomerang

They say: Create short looping videos

We say: There is so much fun to be had with this Instagram app, once you get started you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Simply film a moving object or take a video selfie, then hit one button and the software does the rest: creating a mini looped video from 10 photos that you can share on Facebook and Instagram. 

Plotaverse

They say: Add motion to still images

We say: WOW. There’s no other word for the stunning effects this app can help you create. It’s all about stopping social media users in their scrolling tracks with the hypnotic movements in ads using this app. If you’re looking for something completely different, this is it. 

Quik

They say: Animate your photos to music

We say: Well isn’t this nifty? You can combine up to 75 of your own images or video clips with your favourite tunes (or over 100 free songs from the app) and voila – instant shareable content. It’s customisable with text overlays, you can choose from 23 themes and it automatically turns on the audio when it hears voices. Smart. 

Facebook Ads Manager

They say: An all-in-one tool for advertisers of any experience level. 

We say: So, you’ve made your content, but now what? If you’re looking to run a campaign across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger or Audience Network, then this is a good place to start. There’s help with everything from creating ad campaigns to monitoring how they’re faring.

But don’t worry. If it all looks a bit complicated, book a discovery call with us at 24 fingers and we’ll guide you every step of the way.