The week in social: Snap buys Placed, Facebook Live Audio, and Vimeo interaction

Snap Inc. purchases analytics startup Placed

Early this past week, Snap Inc. purchased the analytics company Placed in an effort to bolster the measurement capabilities for ad types on the platform such as Snap to Store, which allows Snapchat ad marketers to see how their ads translate to physical in-store purchases. For now, the acquired company will continue to run indendently, and the company still has the mission of finding better ways to measure offline effectiveness of online ads.

Facebook introduces Live Audio for Facebook Live

One of the most often-demanded features from broadcasters, Facebook is making available an audio-only version of Facebook Live for users on Android. This provides opportunities for broadcasters who want to reach users who have lower bandwidth connections, or broadcasters who are more traditionally audio-only podcasters. An additional benefit to the new feature is that the same Android users will be able to tune into an Audio broadcast while their device is locked, and while using other apps, similar to how traditional podcasts work.

Periscope now allows users to connect accounts to Facebook and Google

As a way of helping find more contacts and potential audience members, Periscope now allows its users to connect to their Facebook and Google accounts. Users can add connections that they have on these networks, and are also able to use the log-in credentials from either to access their Periscope account. One last new feature allows Periscope users to now share their live streams to Facebook. These new features are presently available through iOS or on the web.

More information on AdWeek.

Vimeo aims to increase video engagement with new interaction features

Vimeo has launched a number of new tools for video creators to utilize that will help them engage with viewers in new ways. Among these include updated end screens which are available to premium users, allowing for specific call to action buttons, mobile-friendly cards, which function as overlays that a user can tap to go to any specific online location, and email capture forms, which are for Vimeo Business users and provide opportunities to create leads of our video viewers. Users with premium accounts can activate these features by going to the settings page from the main videos page.

More information on Vimeo Blog.

WhatsApp gets new filters, albums and shortcuts

In an effort to drive more visual feature use on the platform, WhatsApp has introduced a host of additional options as of earlier this week. Chief among these are visual filters, which function in the same way they do on other core social and messaging networks, and are able to be applied on photos, GIFs, and videos. Additionally, when users send multiple photos (four or more now), WhatsApp will organize them into a tiled album-based view, while still allowing users to tap on individual photos to view them in full screen. Lastly, a feature helpful for fast-paced group chats, users can now reply to specific messages by swiping them across the screen, which will take the message in question and place it right above the text the user types in the dialog box.

Facebook eases the creation of Canvas ads with additional template options

One of Facebook’s most design-heavy ad options, the Canvas ad, now has additional template that advertisers can leverage to make the creation of them a little bit easier. The templates come with specific business objectives in mind, and are labeled for ‘Get New Customers’, ‘Sell Products’ and ‘Showcase your Business’. All users have to do when they choose a template is add their content into it, and Facebook’s ads manager will build the ad.

More information on Facebook Business.

Snapchat Spectacles can now be purchased throughout Europe

Snapchat is expanding the places where people can buy Spectacles, starting with Europe. Anyone throughout the region can now purchase them online, or through a physical vending machine if they can get access to one. The vending machines will be placed across key cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, and Venice, but they are set to move around various locations and cities throughout Europe in the coming weeks and months.

More information on TechCrunch.

Facebook Live video gets closed captioning

In order to increase accessibility of Facebook Live video, the company is now allowing users to turn on automatic closed captioning. Facebook made the announcement in a news room post, while also sharing some additional stats about Facebook live; the feature has seen a 4 fold increase in viewership, and 1 in 5 videos that are uploaded to Facebook are live broadcasts.