Digital Download #2

The Digital Download is a recap of the latest in digital news from around the web. The focus is on communications and marketing trends, but includes a heathy dose of technology and gadgets. Sign up below to receive the Digital Download as an email newsletter.The Facebook Newsfeed Bias?What?We've known for a long time that Facebook is filtering our news feed based on an elusive algorithm. Mostly it is based on what kinds (humorous, news, etc.) of content you interact with and spend the most time with, the people that you engage with most often and the type (photos, videos, text) of posts that you are most drawn to. But we learned today that Facebook may also be using human filtering to determine the content you see. And humans are biased, in Facebook's case they are politically biased towards the left.Why you should care:Facebook is an important platform for connecting with people who like your brand, but this is a good reminder not to put all your marketing eggs in Facebook's basket. Ultimately, Facebook controls what is seen and by whom. Diversify your marketing efforts and try to build an audience you own through an email database. Getting Creative With Snapchat FiltersWhat?Geo-filters on Snapchat are a way for users to customize and localize their shared moments on the platform. In February, Snapchat launched the ability people, brands and businesses to create basic custom geo-filters. Last week, Taco Bell worked with Snapchat to offer a one-day-only taco filter for Cinco de Mayo. While this certainly was more involved than uploading artwork through the Snapchat website, the success of the Taco Bell taco-head filter demonstrates that users will engage with branded content when it is done exceptionally well: 224 million views in one day. Meanwhile on the other end of the "involvement" spectrum, a college student has been using a custom Snapchat filter to land his dream job.Why you should care:Custom Snapchat filters are attainable by anyone, not just the big guys with $1 million budgets for a single day campaign. They are still novel enough to get a brand noticed when its cool filter is discovered by those coveted young Snapchat users. Get in on it now before every Tom, Dick and Harry is doing it and it is no longer differentiating to be there. Video Content Creators Look to AmazonWhat?As of yesterday, Amazon users can upload original content to its Video Direct platform, a platform that promises to compete with YouTube. Just like YouTube, Amazon will offer ad supported videos, sharing revenue with the content creators on the same terms as YouTube. And creators will have the option to put their content behind subscription paywalls to earn even more money.Why you should care:The popularity of video content only continues to grow, meaning standing out is getting harder. With more video platforms available come additional ways to stand out from the crowd and earn additional revenue. For Your EntertainmentNothing makes me smile more than James Corden's Carpool Karaoke. Whether it is J-Lo texting Leo DiCaprio or George Clooney jumping in the backseat, I am always satisfied. When you need a light-hearted break, head over to the playlist on YouTube and prepare to be entertained.