Month: December 2024

  • Albania bans TikTok for a year: digital safety and child protection in the spotlight

    Albania bans TikTok for a year: digital safety and child protection in the spotlight

    From Albania’s drastic ban to Italy’s preventive measures, the debate on social media’s influence on youth resurfaces

    Albania and TikTok: an unprecedented ban

    Albania has taken a bold step to counter the negative influence of social media on youth by banning TikTok for one year. This decision, announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama, follows a tragic event: the killing of a 14-year-old student after an argument allegedly influenced by TikTok content.

    “For one year, we will shut it down completely for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania,” Rama stated, emphasizing the urgent need to enhance school safety. Local data reveals that Albanian children represent the largest group of TikTok users in the country, heightening parental concerns.

    A fragmented European approach

    While Albania takes an extreme stance, other European countries like France and Germany focus on targeted restrictions for minors. Globally, Australia has implemented some of the strictest regulations, banning social media for those under 16.

    China’s approach, the home country of TikTok, provides an intriguing contrast. The platform promotes educational content and “wholesome” values, limiting access and usage time for young users. This reflects the government’s tight control over the internet, social media, and gaming.

    Italy: prevention and digital education

    In Italy, the debate on online child protection remains active, but without drastic measures like Albania’s. The 2017 law against cyberbullying and the PEGI guidelines for video game classification are tools in place to safeguard minors. However, there are no time restrictions on smartphone or social media usage, leaving prevention efforts to focus on education and dialogue within families and schools.

  • Instagram: new features for broadcast channels

    Instagram: new features for broadcast channels

    Instagram introduces the option for creators to enable replies in broadcast channels, boosting engagement with time-sensitive prompts and advanced analytics.

    Broadcast channels become interactive

    Meta has revamped the broadcast channel feature on Instagram, allowing creators to turn one-way communication into a dialogue. Followers can now reply to messages and comment on posts within channels. This update, officially announced by Meta, represents a significant shift from the original design, which limited interaction to emoji reactions.

    Additionally, creators can spark conversations through prompts, time-sensitive questions or cues designed to encourage active participation. For instance, a prompt might ask: “What’s your favorite dish from local cuisine?” Responses can be text or photos and remain active for 24 hours, with the option to like contributions from other users.

    How the new options work

    Despite these updates, creators can still choose to keep replies disabled for their channels. Enabling this feature is straightforward: select “Channel Controls” and toggle “Allow members to reply to messages.”

    This flexibility allows creators to control the level of engagement they want, ensuring better audience management. Moreover, prompts help create direct and engaging conversations, increasing follower participation.

    New metrics and personalized tips

    To support creators, Meta has introduced advanced analytics tools, including data on total interactions, shares, and poll votes. These metrics provide detailed insights into content performance, helping creators better understand their audience.

    Instagram also offers personalized suggestions to enhance engagement, such as sending frequent messages or exclusive behind-the-scenes content. These tips aim to optimize channel management and strengthen the bond with followers.

    An Instagram exclusive

    While Messenger and WhatsApp also support broadcast channels, these new features are currently exclusive to Instagram. Meta has yet to confirm whether these updates will roll out to other platforms, hinting that Instagram could serve as a testing ground.

  • Google Analytics integrates Customer Match to improve remarketing

    Google Analytics integrates Customer Match to improve remarketing

    A step towards more effective advertising campaigns thanks to the integration of first-party data.

    Customer Match in Google Analytics: a new frontier for Remarketing

    Google has launched Customer Match for Google Analytics Audiences, introducing a major innovation in the field of remarketing. This integration allows companies to use first-party data, such as email or phone numbers, to create more targeted and effective campaigns, in a context in which traditional methods, such as third-party cookies, are losing relevance.

    How Customer Match integration works

    When a user completes an action on your site, their first-party data, such as an email or phone number, can be collected and securely sent to Google. This encrypted data is then integrated into your Analytics audiences, improving your ad campaign targeting capabilities.

    • Secure: Google uses advanced encryption standards to protect the confidentiality of your data.
    • Automated setup: Customer Match data synced with Analytics connects directly to your Google Ads accounts, reducing the need for manual steps.

    The main advantages of Customer Match

    • Greater reach: Customer Match increases your reachable audience, even without cookies.
    • Smart optimization: Campaigns using Smart Bidding or optimized targeting automatically leverage Customer Match data.
    • Operational efficiency: No more manually uploading customer lists to Google Ads; simply enable the integration in Analytics.

    Why Customer Match is important

    The use of first-party data is becoming crucial to adapt to the new rules of the digital market, increasingly oriented towards the protection of privacy. Even if Google has postponed the abandonment of third-party cookies, the ability to manage first-party data represents a significant competitive advantage.

    Considerations to keep in mind

    • Automatic inclusion: Smart Bidding automatically includes Customer Match lists, but you can turn this off in your settings.
    • Where to use: Customer Match is currently available for YouTube and Video Action campaigns, with support for Search Ads coming soon.
    • Limitations: Customer Match does not apply to manual bid strategies.

    How to enable Customer Match in Google Analytics

    • Set up collection of user-provided data in Analytics.
    • Link your Analytics account to Google Ads or other Google advertising platforms.
    • Enable personalized advertising; no need to enable Google Signals for remarketing.

    Analytics and Google Ads: a perfect synergy

    Customer Match integration in Google Analytics makes audience management easier than manually uploading data to Google Ads. This solution is an effective strategy to optimize advertising campaigns and achieve better results.

    First-party data continues to be key to customer growth strategies. With Customer Match, Google Analytics offers a powerful tool to improve advertising campaigns and succeed in an increasingly privacy-oriented world.

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