The week in social: Snapchat Discover, Twitshot, and Spur

Snapchat grows the most in 2014

In a recent report from Global Web Index, Snapchat has claimed to have two records related to its growth in the social space. One, it is the application that over-indexes the most within the teenage demographic, and a second where it has claimed it is the fastest growing app in the social space for 2014. Between Q1 and Q4 of calendar year 2014, the app grew a staggering 57%. Again, the teenage demographic has contributed to this growth, with 15% of teens globally using the app, and the percentage rising in other markets, specifically the US and UK. It remains to be seen if the app will continue its meteoric rise in 2015.

More information on Global Web Index.

Music frontman launches photo-sharing app Spur

Atilla frontman Chris “Fronz” Fronzak, has launched a new application called Spur, a photo-sharing social network, that has potential for content created to be seen by users worldwide, and not be limited to connections or follow groups. One change from other popular apps such as Instagram is that users cannot comment on photos, in an attempt to create a “hate-free” environment. The app currently sits within a crowded marketplace, but amassed over 5,000 users in less than 12 hours from launch.

Snapchat introduces Discover for brands

Following Facebook’s lead in the quest to become a publishing hub, Snapchat has launched Discover, a new way to explore Stories from different editorial teams. The collaboration between media players and Snapchat’s storytelling format allows editors and artists to control what content is influential, taking a step back toward one-way communication where – by contrast to other channels – the power is not with the people to determine what is visible. With ESPN, National Geographic and Cosmopolitan participating in the launch, Discover will allow brands to incorporate full screen photos and videos, long form layouts and ‘gorgeous advertising’ to engage their subscribers. Brands will also be able to sell ads and share revenue with Snapchat within their channels for ultra-targeted content.

More information on AdWeek.

Twitter expected to grow over 30% in 2015

India has become a new market of explosive growth for Twitter, and a report from eMarketer states that the network will grow to over 22 million users in 2015, an over 30% increase from last year. This is part of a continuing trend, as the network grew by 47% in 2012. The report goes on to say that usage will climb to just under 40 million users by 2018. Due to low internet usage country-wide however, only 1.8% of the total population is using the micro-blogging service.

Facebook launches Lift to enhance ad measurement

Facebook is looking to help marketers move beyond last-click attribution to determine the effectiveness of their advertisements with a new product called Lift. Aiming to determine which portion of ad budgets are impacting the bottom line, the tool is positioned as an avenue to limit misattribution, which can lead to a misallocation of dollars. Lift will measure a control group’s tendency to buy a product versus a group exposed to advertisements. Facebook believes this tool could ultimately impact the industry by assisting in the shift of dollars to digital ads overall by demonstrating efficacy.

More information on Adweek.

Mobile now accounts for majority of Facebook ad revenue

In a report recently issued from Facebook investor relations, highlighted showed that mobile is increasingly an important part of the company’s ad revenue generation system, now accounting for 69% of total ad revenue coming in. The report goes on to cite daily average users, with total DAU at 890 million in December 2014, a year over year increase of 18%, and mobile DAU were at 745 million, a larger increase 34% year over year. Monthly active usage was up by similar percentages year over year, and Facebook has shown it is still a dominant player in social networks.

Read more on Facebook Investor Relations.

Twitshot makes tweeting with images easy

On the heels of a 2014 study which shows that attaching an image to your tweet results in an average 35 percent increase in retweets, Twistshot – a website that automatically extracts images from pasted links to make tweets more visual – has released an iOS app to make adding imagery even easier. Twitshot currently has a Chrome extension that enables instant sharing with an extracted image from your browser. The new app moves these capabilities to your iPad or iPhone using iOS 8’s share sheet without the hassle of downloading images. No word on an Android version.

Tumblr introduces long form content interface

Tumblr has recently introduced a series of new tools that will make long-form content creation much accessible for users, likely in a move to compete with user web services such as Squarespace and Medium. The new tools aim to make adding different pieces of content easier; a new photo or video can be added anywhere by clicking a plus button icon, that gives options for which item will be added. The new tools also add a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface, so however a post looks when it is being edited is how it will appear once it is published. The workflow of editing a post has also changed, and shows dynamic options surround content being edited in real-time as opposed to an options tool-bar.

More information on The Next Web.

Facebook introduces Place Tips in New York City

In an effort to provide a test bed of users new useful tips and tricks about where they currently are in the newsfeed while on a mobile device, Facebook has introduced Place Tips. Content will be served when a user is at a point of interest and will include posts relevant to the location, photos, and other relevant tips. Tips will appear at the top of the news feed, and show an expanded view of content if the user clicks on it. The feature is now starting off as a pilot for New Yorkers, and it remains to be seen if it will expand to other major cities in the near future.

Vine Kids application is launched by Vine

A new spin on the popular Vine 6-second video sharing app, Vine Kids has launched earlier this week. The first kid-focused app launched by parent company Twitter, Vine Kids uses animated characters to lead them through the experience of using the app, and the app itself is largely considered a filter for kids who may otherwise be exposed to mature or inappropriate content on the main application. The app is currently only available on iOS and there is no word on whether it will be brought to other platforms.

More information on The Next Web.

Facebook to dominate social conversation during the Super Bowl

In a survey conducted by Fluent, over 5,000 Americans weighed in on which social network they would use to interact with content about the Super Bowl or post about it. 44% percent of respondents said that they would follow along on Facebook, with a much smaller 18% planning to follow along on Twitter. Potentially more surprising, users were more likely to follow along with Instagram than Twitter, at roughly 26%. Based on platforms, of users who responded that they would be following along with the game on mobile, 47% were going to follow along on Android devices, and 40% planned to follow along on iOS.