#and you need to access settings and turn off mature filter to view it </3

[ickyguts]

man tumblr rly bustin my balls rn 💔

[animayze93]

Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips From Expert Technicians

Helpful Air Conditioning Tips For Maintaining Your AC Unit

Spring is here, and it’s time to get your air conditioning system ready to handle the hard work of summer. When it gets hot, your ac unit is a blessing for sure. No one is comfortable when they are sweltering in the heat. Central air is one thing most of us tend to take for granted until it stops working, and these Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips are sure to help.

An air conditioner’s coils, filters, and fins require consistent maintenance for the unit to work efficiently and effectively during its lifetime. Ignoring necessary maintenance ensures a steady decline in air conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases.

By keeping your airconditioning system maintained, you can not only extend the lifespan of the unit, but you’ll also save money on energy while also expanding its lifespan. This in turn will save on costly early replacement. Inadequate maintenance can spell the death of your airconditioning system over time. By allowing your ac filters and coils to get dirty, you can cause the system to not work at peak efficiency. Then the compressor or fans are likely to fail prematurely.

Air conditioners need a bit of love and attention to ensure that the ac unit operates at the highest efficiency. The best time for maintenance is just before you start using the system to cool down the house.

Set out below, we will look at some of the most common air conditioner maintenance tips to keep your home cool and comfy.

AC Maintenance Tip #1 – The Importance of Changing Your Filter

A new filter helps optimize airflow, which keeps the air conditioner running efficiently. This enables you to avoid potentially costly repairs later on. Your basic air filter needs to be changed every 30 days, while the thicker pleated filters typically have a longer lifespan. Noting replacement dates on your calendar will help remind you to change your filters on a regular schedule.

The filter in your HVAC system ought to be changed a minimum of four times a year. If you live in a dusty part of the country or have pets in the house, you may consider changing your filter more frequently. Always make sure that you replace the filter with a new filter that has the same airflow rating. Be mindful of air purifying filters or HEPA filters as they can drastically reduce the airflow in your ac system. Because of the reduced airflow, the indoor coil can freeze.

Locate the filter housing on the indoor furnace/air conditioner. Quite possibly, you might need a screwdriver to turn the latch and open the filter housing door. You then need to remove the old filter and insert the new filter. Be sure to match the airflow direction arrows on the filter with the arrows on the unit. Close and latch the door.

AC Maintenance Tip #2 – Clean your condenser

Important: Shut Off Power First!

Because there is high risk of working around electrical power. And the fact that the air-conditioner’s parts move and can be dangerous, it’s essential to turn off power to the system entirely. On the exterior condenser/compressor, search for an outside shut-off box near the device or turn the power off at the breaker box.

Another essential maintenance step is to keep your condenser cleaned. A thorough spray with the garden hose once a year or more often if needed will help dislodge grass clippings, leaves, dirt, and other debris to improve airflow. Although these ac units are designed for outdoor installation and most can handle a spray from the hose, be sure to check your owner’s manual first or consult an HVAC professional. It is most vital to turn off the power at the circuit panel before cleaning. And leave it off for at least half an hour after you’re done. Rain doesn’t typically wet the fan motor inside the condenser, but the hose spray might. Don’t try to clean your condenser with a brush. The the fins are easily bent. Bending the fins impedes airflow and reduces efficiency.

Remove All Visible Debris From The AC Unit

Remove the fan cage on the outer condenser/compressor unit. Using a wrench or screwdriver, remove the fasteners and lift the enclosure or fan grille off the top of the ac unit. Clear out all accumulated leaves and other debris from the interior by hand or with a wet/dry vacuum. On the exterior condenser/compressor, open and remove the fan cage from the unit. Also, while using a screwdriver or wrench, remove the fasteners as well and lift the fan grill or cage away from the top part of the ac unit. This action can be done by hand or with a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. This will remove all leaves and various other caked-on debris from the interior.

Clean And Straighten Bent Fins

Take off the outer covers and use the brush attachment on a shop vac to eliminate all caked dirt. Then, spray a gentle stream of water from your garden hose; spray the water through the fins from the inside out to eliminate any built-up dirt or debris in between the fins. Never use a pressure washer because extreme pressure can harm the fins. If the fins are filthy, utilize a commercially available fin cleaning spray (offered by your local home-improvement store; (read and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Aligning The Fins

Bent fins can significantly decrease the efficiency of your ac unit. Considering that any decrease in airflow via the fins can reduce efficiency, it is crucial to carefully straighten bent fins using a butter knife or a readily available fin-straightening device. Be very gentle so that the tubing embedded within the fins is not damaged.

AC Maintenance Tip #3 – Keep Area Around Air Conditioner Condenser Clean

Keep the surrounding area around the condenser clear of weeds and keep lawn furniture and other items at least a few feet away. This will promote good circulation around the unit and allow easy access for service personnel.

Many people plant shrubs around their condenser to hide it from view and help it blend into the landscaping. Growing plants around the condenser can be a great idea. However, if you decide to have shrubs around your condenser, keep them trimmed back so that you have at least a couple of feet of clearance around the unit on all sides. Your air conditioning unit has to breathe freely to operate at maximum efficiency. But properly positioned shrubbery serves more than a decorative function. It can also shade the condenser from the hot sun to protect the finish, improve efficiency and even help prolong the life of the unit. Evergreen shrubs are best for this purpose because they don’t lose their leaves in the winter.

Advanced Planning Is A Great Air Conditioning Tip

If you’re going to plant new shrubs, look into the future and keep the mature size in mind as you determine planning locations, and remember to leave enough space in the back of the unit for accessibility. Do you have pets that spend a lot of time in the yard around the condenser? If so, it is recommended by experts to install a protective fence around the unit. Protective fencing will help keep both your pet and your condenser safe. Choose a fencing material that won’t impede airflow. And be sure to include a gate and leave enough clearance around the unit for accessibility.

If you cover the condenser in the winter to help keep it clean, the best way to go is to only the top of the unit to allow for adequate airflow through the sides, thereby preventing moisture buildup, which can damage the unit. Be sure to remember to remove the cover before you turn on the air-conditioner in the spring. It’s also crucial to be sure your outdoor unit is indeed an air conditioning condenser and not a heat pump because you should never cover a heat pump.

Check The Level Of The AC Pad

If the condenser unit is out of level, it can cause the condenser to fail earlier than its natural life span.

Over time, the platform upon which the condenser unit sits can begin to lean as the soil settles beneath it.

Check the condenser for levelness and use rot-resistant shims to bring it back to the proper height. But, if you have a heat pump system, it’s okay if the pad slopes slightly away from the foundation of the house to allow for defrosting in the winter.

Clean A Plugged Evaporator Drain

Inside your home, warm, moist air from your residence’s inside is circulated through the evaporator coil. The cold coil takes in warmth from the air, cooling it before the air is flowing back into your home. The moisture buildup in the air condenses on the evaporator coil’s surface as liquid water, trickling right into a pan below. The water moves into a drainpipe tube that is generally routed right into a cellar floor drainpipe, utility sink, or outdoors from the pan.

With time, mold and algae can accumulate and also potentially clog up the drain hose. If the drain is either flowing slowly or not flowing at all, it will need to be unclogged. A clogged drain can either trigger damages by spilling out all over the floor or, if the unit is equipped with a drain float, cause the system to quit cooling to avoid flooding.

Locate Drain Line Exit

First things first! You will need to locate where the drain line leaves the evaporator coil enclosure. Under normal circumstances, the drain is usually a one-inch PVC pipe. Follow it to the end of the pipe, where it drains out. Most times, the line drains outside near the condenser unit. In other circumstances, it can drain into a floor drain in the basement or a utility sink or, in the case of a unit located in an attic, down an outside wall.

When you have found the drain line location, use a wet/dry vacuum to clear out the drain. Be sure to take out the paper filter from the wet/dry vacuum so as not to wreck the filter. Hold the tube of the wet/dry vacuum to the end of the drain line. You can utilize duct tape or hold a cloth around the gaps. Then turn on the vacuum cleaner for a couple of minutes, then turn it off. This process will remove the drain of any growing organic matter.

Maintenance Tips For Central Air Conditioning Systems

While these simple DIY steps will help keep your AC system in top running shape, keep in mind that there are upkeep things, some maintenance tasks that just a qualified HVAC technician will certainly have the ability to do. For example, a slow leak in the refrigerant line in your air conditioner system can result in costly compressor failure. However, your average homeowner does not have the equipment or necessary skills essential to inspect the refrigerant levels properly.

Clean Air Ducts Are Essential

Also, the importance of clean ac ducts and proper airflow cannot be overstated. These are essential to a well-functioning system, but most homeowners lack the necessary skills, tools, and equipment for the work. The bottom line takeaway? While some airconditioning recommendations are twice a year, a savvy homeowner can do simple tasks and maintenance. However, it’s still essential to have an a/c specialist technician inspect the system periodically. The recommendation by experts is twice a year: Spring and Fall.

A professional inspection also helps to catch and to resolve most minor problems before they have a chance to morph into a significant and expensive ordeal. These ac maintenance tips will help you keep your air conditioner at peak operating condition!

These helpful air conditioning maintenance tips have been provided by Blake Heating and Cooling Griffin GA

The Article Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips From Expert Technicians was found on https://limitsofstrategy.com

The Article Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips From Expert Technicians First Appeared ON : https://gqcentral.co.uk

The post Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips From Expert Technicians appeared first on OldiCom Marketing.

[anakinsbugs]

Helpful Air Conditioning Tips For Maintaining Your AC Unit

Spring is here, and it’s time to get your air conditioning system ready to handle the hard work of summer. When it gets hot, your ac unit is a blessing for sure. No one is comfortable when they are sweltering in the heat. Central air is one thing most of us tend to take for granted until it stops working, and these Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips are sure to help.

An air conditioner’s coils, filters, and fins require consistent maintenance for the unit to work efficiently and effectively during its lifetime. Ignoring necessary maintenance ensures a steady decline in air conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases.

By keeping your airconditioning system maintained, you can not only extend the lifespan of the unit, but you’ll also save money on energy while also expanding its lifespan. This in turn will save on costly early replacement. Inadequate maintenance can spell the death of your airconditioning system over time. By allowing your ac filters and coils to get dirty, you can cause the system to not work at peak efficiency. Then the compressor or fans are likely to fail prematurely.

Air conditioners need a bit of love and attention to ensure that the ac unit operates at the highest efficiency. The best time for maintenance is just before you start using the system to cool down the house.

Set out below, we will look at some of the most common air conditioner maintenance tips to keep your home cool and comfy.

AC Maintenance Tip #1 – The Importance of Changing Your Filter

A new filter helps optimize airflow, which keeps the air conditioner running efficiently. This enables you to avoid potentially costly repairs later on. Your basic air filter needs to be changed every 30 days, while the thicker pleated filters typically have a longer lifespan. Noting replacement dates on your calendar will help remind you to change your filters on a regular schedule.

The filter in your HVAC system ought to be changed a minimum of four times a year. If you live in a dusty part of the country or have pets in the house, you may consider changing your filter more frequently. Always make sure that you replace the filter with a new filter that has the same airflow rating. Be mindful of air purifying filters or HEPA filters as they can drastically reduce the airflow in your ac system. Because of the reduced airflow, the indoor coil can freeze.

Locate the filter housing on the indoor furnace/air conditioner. Quite possibly, you might need a screwdriver to turn the latch and open the filter housing door. You then need to remove the old filter and insert the new filter. Be sure to match the airflow direction arrows on the filter with the arrows on the unit. Close and latch the door.

AC Maintenance Tip #2 – Clean your condenser

Important: Shut Off Power First!

Because there is high risk of working around electrical power. And the fact that the air-conditioner’s parts move and can be dangerous, it’s essential to turn off power to the system entirely. On the exterior condenser/compressor, search for an outside shut-off box near the device or turn the power off at the breaker box.

Another essential maintenance step is to keep your condenser cleaned. A thorough spray with the garden hose once a year or more often if needed will help dislodge grass clippings, leaves, dirt, and other debris to improve airflow. Although these ac units are designed for outdoor installation and most can handle a spray from the hose, be sure to check your owner’s manual first or consult an HVAC professional. It is most vital to turn off the power at the circuit panel before cleaning. And leave it off for at least half an hour after you’re done. Rain doesn’t typically wet the fan motor inside the condenser, but the hose spray might. Don’t try to clean your condenser with a brush. The the fins are easily bent. Bending the fins impedes airflow and reduces efficiency.

Remove All Visible Debris From The AC Unit

Remove the fan cage on the outer condenser/compressor unit. Using a wrench or screwdriver, remove the fasteners and lift the enclosure or fan grille off the top of the ac unit. Clear out all accumulated leaves and other debris from the interior by hand or with a wet/dry vacuum. On the exterior condenser/compressor, open and remove the fan cage from the unit. Also, while using a screwdriver or wrench, remove the fasteners as well and lift the fan grill or cage away from the top part of the ac unit. This action can be done by hand or with a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. This will remove all leaves and various other caked-on debris from the interior.

Clean And Straighten Bent Fins

Take off the outer covers and use the brush attachment on a shop vac to eliminate all caked dirt. Then, spray a gentle stream of water from your garden hose; spray the water through the fins from the inside out to eliminate any built-up dirt or debris in between the fins. Never use a pressure washer because extreme pressure can harm the fins. If the fins are filthy, utilize a commercially available fin cleaning spray (offered by your local home-improvement store; (read and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Aligning The Fins

Bent fins can significantly decrease the efficiency of your ac unit. Considering that any decrease in airflow via the fins can reduce efficiency, it is crucial to carefully straighten bent fins using a butter knife or a readily available fin-straightening device. Be very gentle so that the tubing embedded within the fins is not damaged.

AC Maintenance Tip #3 – Keep Area Around Air Conditioner Condenser Clean

Keep the surrounding area around the condenser clear of weeds and keep lawn furniture and other items at least a few feet away. This will promote good circulation around the unit and allow easy access for service personnel.

Many people plant shrubs around their condenser to hide it from view and help it blend into the landscaping. Growing plants around the condenser can be a great idea. However, if you decide to have shrubs around your condenser, keep them trimmed back so that you have at least a couple of feet of clearance around the unit on all sides. Your air conditioning unit has to breathe freely to operate at maximum efficiency. But properly positioned shrubbery serves more than a decorative function. It can also shade the condenser from the hot sun to protect the finish, improve efficiency and even help prolong the life of the unit. Evergreen shrubs are best for this purpose because they don’t lose their leaves in the winter.

Advanced Planning Is A Great Air Conditioning Tip

If you’re going to plant new shrubs, look into the future and keep the mature size in mind as you determine planning locations, and remember to leave enough space in the back of the unit for accessibility. Do you have pets that spend a lot of time in the yard around the condenser? If so, it is recommended by experts to install a protective fence around the unit. Protective fencing will help keep both your pet and your condenser safe. Choose a fencing material that won’t impede airflow. And be sure to include a gate and leave enough clearance around the unit for accessibility.

If you cover the condenser in the winter to help keep it clean, the best way to go is to only the top of the unit to allow for adequate airflow through the sides, thereby preventing moisture buildup, which can damage the unit. Be sure to remember to remove the cover before you turn on the air-conditioner in the spring. It’s also crucial to be sure your outdoor unit is indeed an air conditioning condenser and not a heat pump because you should never cover a heat pump.

Check The Level Of The AC Pad

If the condenser unit is out of level, it can cause the condenser to fail earlier than its natural life span.

Over time, the platform upon which the condenser unit sits can begin to lean as the soil settles beneath it.

Check the condenser for levelness and use rot-resistant shims to bring it back to the proper height. But, if you have a heat pump system, it’s okay if the pad slopes slightly away from the foundation of the house to allow for defrosting in the winter.

Clean A Plugged Evaporator Drain

Inside your home, warm, moist air from your residence’s inside is circulated through the evaporator coil. The cold coil takes in warmth from the air, cooling it before the air is flowing back into your home. The moisture buildup in the air condenses on the evaporator coil’s surface as liquid water, trickling right into a pan below. The water moves into a drainpipe tube that is generally routed right into a cellar floor drainpipe, utility sink, or outdoors from the pan.

With time, mold and algae can accumulate and also potentially clog up the drain hose. If the drain is either flowing slowly or not flowing at all, it will need to be unclogged. A clogged drain can either trigger damages by spilling out all over the floor or, if the unit is equipped with a drain float, cause the system to quit cooling to avoid flooding.

Locate Drain Line Exit

First things first! You will need to locate where the drain line leaves the evaporator coil enclosure. Under normal circumstances, the drain is usually a one-inch PVC pipe. Follow it to the end of the pipe, where it drains out. Most times, the line drains outside near the condenser unit. In other circumstances, it can drain into a floor drain in the basement or a utility sink or, in the case of a unit located in an attic, down an outside wall.

When you have found the drain line location, use a wet/dry vacuum to clear out the drain. Be sure to take out the paper filter from the wet/dry vacuum so as not to wreck the filter. Hold the tube of the wet/dry vacuum to the end of the drain line. You can utilize duct tape or hold a cloth around the gaps. Then turn on the vacuum cleaner for a couple of minutes, then turn it off. This process will remove the drain of any growing organic matter.

Maintenance Tips For Central Air Conditioning Systems

While these simple DIY steps will help keep your AC system in top running shape, keep in mind that there are upkeep things, some maintenance tasks that just a qualified HVAC technician will certainly have the ability to do. For example, a slow leak in the refrigerant line in your air conditioner system can result in costly compressor failure. However, your average homeowner does not have the equipment or necessary skills essential to inspect the refrigerant levels properly.

Clean Air Ducts Are Essential

Also, the importance of clean ac ducts and proper airflow cannot be overstated. These are essential to a well-functioning system, but most homeowners lack the necessary skills, tools, and equipment for the work. The bottom line takeaway? While some airconditioning recommendations are twice a year, a savvy homeowner can do simple tasks and maintenance. However, it’s still essential to have an a/c specialist technician inspect the system periodically. The recommendation by experts is twice a year: Spring and Fall.

A professional inspection also helps to catch and to resolve most minor problems before they have a chance to morph into a significant and expensive ordeal. These ac maintenance tips will help you keep your air conditioner at peak operating condition!

These helpful air conditioning maintenance tips have been provided by Blake Heating and Cooling Griffin GA

The Article Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips From Expert Technicians was found on https://limitsofstrategy.com

The Article Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips From Expert Technicians First Appeared ON : https://gqcentral.co.uk

This post Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips From Expert Technicians first appeared on https://walrusvideo.com

[pogueman]

iOS 11 review: 99 hits, 1 miss

Every year, Apple (AAPL) introduces a new iPhone model. That’s cool for anyone in the market for a new iPhone.

But every year, Apple also introduces a new iPhone operating system—the software you look at and tap on all day long. Today’s the day, and the new software is called iOS 11.

In general, it’s terrific. Apple’s coding elves have cleaned up a million annoyances, swept out a million cobwebs, and tightened up a million processes. The typography has become more unified across apps, too—you see a lot of this:

Apple’s various apps display more consistent typography.

As usual in the development of a mature operating system, there aren’t many big-ticket new features. But here’s what’s new in iOS 11.

The new Control Center

For such a tiny device, there are an awful lot of settings you can change—hundreds of them. That’s why Apple invented the Control Center: a panel that offers quick access to the controls you need the most.

In iOS 11, the Control Center has blossomed into the magnificence of adulthood. Now you decide which controls should appear on it, as you can on Android phones. Your list of available buttons is much longer than it ever was before. And you no longer have to hunt among multiple pages to find the one you want; the Control Center is once again a single screen. If you’re a true Control freak, it even scrolls.

The new Control Center is as tall as you want it to be (left, in an unrealistically full condition). You customize it in Settings (right).

In many more cases than before, you can hard-press or long-press one of these buttons to open a sub-panel that offers even more controls.

Here are the buttons that have always been there: Airplane Mode, WiFi, Bluetooth, Brightness, Volume, Rotation Lock, Do Not Disturb, Music playback, Airplay (send audio and video to an Apple TV), Flashlight, Camera, Calculator, Timer, and Airdrop (send files, pictures, and other data bits to another Mac or iPhone).

Now, though, there’s a much longer raft of options. You can choose which buttons you want to appear on the Control Center, and in which order. The first three in particular are incredibly useful:

Notes. This is a big, big deal. The idea is to give you immediate access to Notes, so you can jump in, no matter what you were doing, to write down something quickly: a phone number someone’s giving you, dosage instructions your doctor’s rattling off, or a brainstorm you’ve just had for a million-dollar product. In Settings, Apple has provided a bewildering array of controls over what access you (or a passing evildoer) has to your Notes when you open the Control Center from the Lock screen.

Screen Recording. So weird: It’s a Control Center button for a feature you can’t trigger in any other way. There’s no app, no Settings page that even mentions Screen Recording otherwise. The idea, of course, is to let you record videos of what’s happening on the iPhone screen—with narration, if you like. It’s fantastic as a teaching tool, if you want to capture some anomaly to send to tech support, or to demo your new app. You see a 3-2-1 countdown, which is intended for you to get out of the Control Center and get into whatever app you’re trying to record. The finished video winds up in your Photos app with all your other videos—with pristine quality and smooth motion, ready to send to your admirers. It’s awesome.

Do Not Disturb While Driving. This important new iOS feature prevents notifications, calls, or texts from lighting up your phone or making it ring whenever you’re behind the wheel and in motion. Usually, you’ll want it to turn on automatically when you’re driving; this button is primarily useful for turning DNDWD off—when you’re in the passenger seat.

Cellular Data on/off. Great if you’re worried about your monthly cap.

Stopwatch, Alarm. One-tap shortcuts to these modules of the Clock app.

Accessibility Shortcuts. Magnifier, Zoom, VoiceOver, AssistiveTouch, and so on.

Apple TV Remote. In case you’ve lost the physical one.

Guided Access. Opens the on/off switch for Guided Access, otherwise known as “kiosk mode.” It locks the phone into one particular app, so that (for example) your toddler can play around without wreaking any real havoc on your phone.

Low Power Mode. Here’s a one-touch way to manually switch on the battery-saving feature known as Low Power Mode.

Turns the entire phone into a powerful illuminated magnifying glass.

Text Size. There are all kinds of ways to make text bigger and more readable on the iPhone’s screen. But this new Control Center option gives you a more immediate way of making adjustment—say, when you suddenly find yourself on some web page done up in 3-point type. Tap to see a vertical slider, whose segments indicate increasingly larger type sizes.

Voice Memos. The Voice Memos app is handy for recording speeches, interviews, song ideas, and so on. What’s not handy is the long slog to get into the app and start recording. No more! Tap this button to open the Voice Memos app, where another tap begins the recording. Better yet, a hard-press on this Control Center button produces a menu that lists your three most recent recordings (for instant playback)—and a New Recording button.

Wallet. Here’s another way to jump into your Apple Wallet—usually because you want to pay for something with Apple Pay.

Storage Help

Another category of new features is designed to assist with the chronic problem of running out of room on the iPhone:

Camera app. iOS 11 invites you to adopt new file formats for photos (HEVC) and videos (H265), which look the same as they did before but consume only the half the space. (When you export to someone else, they convert to standard formats.)

Storage optimization. The idea: As your phone begins to run out of space, your oldest files are quietly and automatically stored online, leaving Download icons in their places on your phone, so that you can retrieve them if you need them.

Siri updates

Apple’s done some work on its voice assistant, too:

A new voice for Siri. Apple says that the new male and female voices sound more like actual people; to me, they just sound younger. Here’s a snippet of each.

Siri translates languages. Siri is trying to catch up to Google Assistant. For example, it can now translate phrases from English into Chinese, French, German, Italian, or Spanish. You can say, “How do you say ‘Where’s the bathroom?’ in French?” It works surprisingly well—she nails the accents.

Siri is now a polyglot! She can translate for you.

Siri understands followup questions. Siri now does better at understanding followup questions. (“Who won the World Series in 1980?” “The Tigers.” “Who was their coach?” “Roy Williams.”)

A lot of misc

The rest of iOS 11 falls into the category best called, “Everything else.” Little nips and tucks like these:

A file manager! A new app called Files lets you work with (and search) files and folders, just as you do on the Mac or PC. You can tag them, search them, sort them, view them as a list or as icons. The Files app shows the contents of your iCloud Drive, as well as your Box and Dropbox files (!!). You can select files (but, alas, not folders) to share with other people.

For the first time, iOS has a “Finder” or a “Windows Explorer.” Manage, file, sort, search, copy, and delete files here.

Redesigned apps drawer in Messages. All the stuff they added to Messages last year (stickers, apps, live drawing) cluttered up the design and wound up getting ignored by lots of people. The new design is cleaner, with only two icons eating up your text-typing space instead of three.

App Store. The App store gets a big redesign. One chief fix is breaking out Games into its own tab, so that game and non-game bestseller lists are kept separate.

One-handed typing. With a tap on the little globe key, you can opt for a narrower keyboard huddled against one side, for easier one-handed typing when you’re carrying coffee. (You can now zoom in Maps one-handed, too.)

Hiding among the keyboard choices (left) are new left- and right-hugging mini-keyboards (right).

Quicker transfer. When you get a new iPhone, you can import all your settings from the old one just by focusing the camera on the new phone on the old one’s screen.

Improvements to Photos. The Photos app offers smarter auto-slideshows (called Memories). Among other improvements, they now work even when you’re holding the phone upright.

Improvements to Live Photos. Live Photos are weird, three-second video clips, which Apple introduced in iOS 9. In iOS 11, you can now shorten one, or mute its audio, or extract a single frame from that clip to use as a still photo. The phone can also suggest a “boomerang” segment (bounces back and forth) or a loop (repeats over and over). And it has a new Slow Shutter filter, which (for example) blurs a babbling brook or stars moving across the sky, as though taken with a long exposure. (I still don’t really get Live Photos.)

Swipe the Lock screen back down. Confusingly enough, you used to see your notifications on two slightly different screens. There was your Lock screen, and there was the Notifications screen (swipe down from the top of the screen). Now, it’s all the same screen. Swiping down from the top brings back the identical list of missed notifications—and even the wallpaper and time—that you’d see on your Lock screen. Makes a ton of sense.

Smarter typing suggestions. When you’re typing, the auto-suggestions above the keyboard now offer movie names, song names, or place names that you’ve recently viewed in other apps. Auto-suggestions in Siri, too, include terms you’ve recently read. And if you book a flight or buy a ticket online, iOS offers to add it to your calendar.

AirPlay 2. If you buy speakers from Bose, Marantz, and a few other manufactures (unfortunately, not Sonos), you can use your phone to control multi-room audio. You can start the same song playing everywhere, or different songs in different rooms.

Shared “Up Next” playlist. If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, your party guests or buddies can throw their own “what song to play next” ideas into the ring.

Lane guidance. When you’re driving, Maps now lets you know which lane to be in for your next turn, just as Google Maps does.

Indoor Maps. The Maps app can now show you floor plans for a few malls and 30 airports.

iCloud file sharing. Finally, you can share files you’ve stored on your iCloud Drive with other people, just as you’ve been able to do with Dropbox for years.

iPad Exclusives

Many of the biggest changes in iOS 11 are available only on the iPad.

Mac features. In general, the big news here is the iPad behaves much more like a Mac. For example, you can drag-and-drop pictures and text between apps. The Dock is now extensible, available from within any app, and perfect for switching apps, just as on the Mac. There’s a new Mission Control-type feature, too, for seeing what’s in your open apps—even when you’ve split the screen between pairs of apps.

Punctuation and letters on the same keyboard. Now, punctuation symbols appear above the letter keys. You flick down on the key to “type” the punctuation—no more having to switch keyboard layouts.

Pencil features. If you’ve bought Apple’s stylus, you can tap the Lock screen and start taking notes right away. You can mark up PDFs just by starting to write on them. A new feature lets you snap a document with the iPad’s camera, which straightens and crops the page so that you can sign it or annotate it. Handwriting in the Notes app is now searchable, and you can make drawings within any Note or email message.

Coming this fall

Two major features didn’t make the cut in the initial release of iOS 11. They’re coming, Apple says, in an update later this fall:

Person-to-Person payment within the Messages app. Now, you can send payments directly to your friends—your share of the pizza bill, for example—right from within the Messages app, much as people do now with Venmo, PayPal, and their ilk. (Of course, this works only if your friends have iPhones, too.) When money comes to you, it accrues to a new, virtual Apple Pay Cash Card; from there, you can send it to your bank, buy things with it, or send it on to other people.

Messages in iCloud. Your entire text-message history gets auto-synced to all your new Apple devices. (In the old days, when you bought a new iPhone and opened Messages, it was empty.) This feature will also mean that that huge, multi-gigabyte hunk of Messages won’t have to sit on your phone, eating up space.

There are also dozens of improvements to the features for overseas iPhones (China, Russia, India, for example). And many, many enhancements to features for the disabled (spoken captions for videos and pictures, for example).

Hits 99; misses, 1

Almost all of these touchups are improvements, but one is decidedly not: If iOS sees you using dictation, it puts away the keyboard. It assumes that you’re going to want to keep dictating.

Well, guess what, dingbat? You always have to correct things that dictation misinterpreted. Always. And you can’t do that without the keyboard.

What this means is that after every round of dictation, you have to tap a tiny keyboard icon to bring back the keyboard. 1,000 times a day. They broke something that didn’t need fixing.

So what’s the overarching theme of the iOS 11 upgrade?

There isn’t one. It’s just a couple hundred little fine-tunings. All of them welcome—and all of them aimed to keep you trapped within Apple’s growing ecosystem.

More from David Pogue:

iPhone 8 reviewed: Nice, but nothing to buzz about

How Apple envisions life without a Home button

The $999, eyebrow-raising iPhone X: David Pogue’s hands-on review

iOS11 is about to arrive — here’s what’s in it 

MacOS High Sierra comes this fall—and brings these 23 features

T-Mobile COO: Why we make investments like free Netflix that ‘seem crazy’

How Apple’s iPhone has improved since its 2007 debut

David Pogue, tech columnist for Yahoo Finance, is the author of “iPhone: The Missing Manual.” He welcomes nontoxic comments in the comments section below. On the web, he’s davidpogue.com. On Twitter, he’s @pogue. On email, he’s poguester@yahoo.com. You can read all his articles here, or you can sign up to get his columns by email. 

[laurelkrugerr]

TikTok vs. Snapchat: A guide for marketers

TikTok is having a moment. Whether you use the app already or have spotted TikToks popping up on other social platforms, it’s clear that TikTok isn’t just another fleeting trend. It’s here to stay.

Yet it’s easy to see how someone not familiar with TikTok (ahem, your boss) might dismiss it as a Snapchat reboot. Worse, they might assume content from Snapchat can be repurposed on TikTok.

The two platforms share similar features (and yes, similar audiences) but their value offerings are entirely different. TikTok is a video sharing app for short clips set to music while Snapchat is a photo and video messaging app centered on ‘Stories’ and other short-lived formats. Each platform offers unique ways to connect with audiences if used the right way by the right type of brand.

If you’re not sure where your brand fits in – or if it even fits in at all – you’re in the right place. Below is a simple guide that highlights key differences between TikTok and Snapchat along with essential considerations for brands looking at either app as a potential marketing agency channel.

At a glance…

Launched: 2011

Core features: Video and image capture, Story creation, text and video chat, camera filters, lightweight editing tools, AR ‘Lenses’, Discover tab, (Snapchat-native content covering user interests and subscriptions), Snap Maps

U.S. demographic: Primarily Millenials, with 78% of internet users aged 18-24 on the platform. Roughly 61% of Snapchat users are female and 38% are male*

Who users follow: Friends, celebrities, publishers

Daily active users: 218 million globally*

Total downloads: 75 million globally* in 2019

Revenue: $561 million in 2019*

Some brands using Snapchat: Taco Bell, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Burberry, Target, MTV

Launched: 2017 in China, 2018 internationally

Core features: Video capture, powerful editing tools, filter effects, creation prompts (reactions, hashtag challenges), sound library, ‘For You’ page (TikTok’s algorithm-based discovery feed)

U.S. demographic: Primarily Gen Z. 41% of users are between ages 18-24* and 27% between 13-17. Approximately 60% of TikTok users are female; 40% are male.

Who users follow: Content creators, celebrities, brands

Daily active users: 41 milliongobally*

Total downloads: 738 million globally* in 2019

Revenue: $176.9 million in 2019

Some brands using TikTok: Chipotle, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Guess, ESPN

The basics: TikTok

What it is. TikTok is a rapidly growing video-sharing app that launched in 2017 by Chinese tech company ByteDance. In October 2018, TikTok was the most downloaded app in the U.S. and reached a record 1.5 billion downloads globally at the end of 2019.

How it’s used. Users create and post short, looping videos set to TikTok’s massive library of music and sound bites – often with humor or talent as the focal point. TikTok isn’t necessarily the place for serious life updates or connecting with friends. Instead, users rely on TikTok for entertainment and follow creators with quality content. Common TikTok videos include choreographed dances, lip-syncing, hashtag challenges, reaction videos, and cringe-worthy content.

Audience. The app has rapidly become a Gen-Z favorite, with 42% of users between ages 13-16 actively using the app. Users create and post short, looping videos set to TikTok’s massive library of music and sound bites – often with humor or talent as the focal point. 

Advertising. TikTok’s ad product is still in its early days. For now, advertising is only offered on a CPM basis (cost per thousand impressions) as TikTok’s self-service ad platform is still in beta. Ad units currently available include:

In-feed native video ads

Brand takeovers (a full-screen ad that appears when a user first opens the app)

Hashtag challenges

Branded filters

Topview ads (similar to brand takeovers but uses in-feed content)

Influencer brand partnerships

READ: TikTok 101: A primer for brands

The basics: Snapchat

What it is. Snapchat is a mobile messaging app for sharing text, photos, and videos with friends. It launched in 2011 under the premise of sharing photos with a 10-second expiration, but has since evolved to focus on ephemeral video content in the form of Stories and curated ‘Discover’ series.

How it’s used. Snapchat offers a way for users to keep up with friends, relevant news, and popular trends. A big draw is the ability to capture ephemeral content and publish it as a Story for followers to see and engage with for up to 24 hours. Snapchat has been investing heavily in AI and AR capabilities (or ‘Lenses’) to give brands and users more immersive creative abilities – like object scanning, try-on effects, and 3D environment interactions.

Audience. The platform is most popular among millennials and currently claims around 218 million daily active users (DAUs).

Advertising. Snapchat offers a range of advertising options through its self-serve ad platform, from standard Snap Ad units that appear between stories to ads that use branded filters and AR lenses. Snapchat also has an e-commerce component with shoppable ads, personalized targeting, and a native checkout feature.

READ: Marketing Land’s original guide to Snapchat

TikTok and Snapchat: Content comparison

Samsung x Snapchat (Snap Ads format):

The marketing questions: Which platform is best for my brand?

What’s your objective? Both TikTok and Snapchat offer top-of-funnel opportunities for brands to connect with audiences. Specifically, TikTok can be effective for driving awareness with user-generated content (UGC) in the form of brand challenges, reactions, or filters.

While there are opportunities for brands to take advantage of UGC on Snapchat, the platform is better for sharing fleeting life moments and surfacing relevant content that the user might care about – like original series or Stories.

Plus, Snapchat’s shoppable and native checkout features can be a big draw for retail brands (especially D2C). The platform also has a hold over TikTok with more mature advertising options, while TikTok’s use for brands is still much more experimental. Don’t expect to find instant success marketing agency on TikTok, especially since it’s driven by users who value humor and fleeting trends (which might not work for all brands).

Consider your audience. Are they young and full of untapped meme energy? Look to TikTok. Tiktok users want a digital experience that’s authentic, homegrown, and downright entertaining. It’s part of the reason why reactions and brand challenges have taken off at warp speed. Instead of standing by and watching social play out from a distance, TikTok users are diving in head-first to leave their mark in near real-time, and brands can lean into that organic content creation process.

Since Snapchat is still a home for the Millenial generation, brands on the platform can capture more conventional, mainstream interests. As a whole, brands with audiences that skew younger should probably be experimenting with both Snapchat and TikTok.

Think about the content. If you’re focused on creating quality content with a traditional brand message, Snapchat is likely the better channel. Brands can get creative with Snapchat’s AR and Lens capabilities while still offering built-in (“swipe-up”) features for a more immersive user experience. TikTok content isn’t concerned with aesthetics or how good something looks, which makes it both a challenge and opportunity for brands. To be successful on TikTok, a brand’s content needs resonate with young users while offering the ability to engage with it.

Brand uses cases

TikTok x Chipotle Mexican Grill. Chipotle’s first viral TikTok challenge kicked off in May 2019 after a customer filmed a video doing a lid flip, which Chipotle then posted to Instagram. The post racked up over a million views, prompting the brand to turn to TikTok to invite customers to try the lid flip trick for themselves with a branded hashtag challenge. The #ChipotleLidFlip challenge received over 104 million views, 111,000 video submissions, and over 59,000 participants during the campaign.

TikTok x e.l.f. cosmetics. Makeup brand e.l.f. also found viral success with TikTok’s hashtag challenge format. With over 3 million organic views of the #elfcosmetics hashtag on Tik Tok, the brand developed its own challenge to engage with the creator-driven community. The brand commissioned a made-for-TikTok music track for its #eyeslipsface campaign, prompting users to showcase their e.l.f. makeup looks set to the song.

Snapchat x Top Gun: Maverick. In December 2019, Paramount Pictures launched an AR-driven UGC campaign with Snapchat’s Cameos feature, in which users could add creative elements to their shots with digital overlays used to promote the film. Snapchat users who were interested in seeing more promo content from the film had the option to watch the entire 2-minute trailer.

Snapchat x Coca-Cola and McDonalds. Snapchat released “Snapchat Scan” in December 2019, and McDonald’s and Coca-Cola were the first brands to jump on board. The feature offers image-recognition so users can scan logos to unlock AR lenses and content. With Coke and Mcdonalds, users simply had to scan the packaging on their food or beverage to gain access to exclusive branded lenses. It’s a key example of how brands on Snapchat can engage users by blending creative content with elements of the physical world. According to Snap’s product marketing agency manager Carolina Arguelles, “using Scan in this way offers so many possibilities for brands – from creating fun, shareable moments, to sharing product information or offering a virtual trial.”

About The Author

Taylor Peterson is Third Door Media’s Deputy Editor, managing industry-leading coverage that informs and inspires marketers. Based in New York, Taylor brings marketing agency expertise grounded in creative production and agency advertising for global brands. Taylor’s editorial focus blends digital marketing agency and creative strategy with topics like campaign management, emerging formats, and display advertising.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/tiktok-vs-snapchat-a-guide-for-marketers/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/04/tiktok-vs-snapchat-guide-for-marketers.html

[riichardwilson]

TikTok vs. Snapchat: A guide for marketers

TikTok is having a moment. Whether you use the app already or have spotted TikToks popping up on other social platforms, it’s clear that TikTok isn’t just another fleeting trend. It’s here to stay.

Yet it’s easy to see how someone not familiar with TikTok (ahem, your boss) might dismiss it as a Snapchat reboot. Worse, they might assume content from Snapchat can be repurposed on TikTok.

The two platforms share similar features (and yes, similar audiences) but their value offerings are entirely different. TikTok is a video sharing app for short clips set to music while Snapchat is a photo and video messaging app centered on ‘Stories’ and other short-lived formats. Each platform offers unique ways to connect with audiences if used the right way by the right type of brand.

If you’re not sure where your brand fits in – or if it even fits in at all – you’re in the right place. Below is a simple guide that highlights key differences between TikTok and Snapchat along with essential considerations for brands looking at either app as a potential marketing agency channel.

At a glance…

Launched: 2011

Core features: Video and image capture, Story creation, text and video chat, camera filters, lightweight editing tools, AR ‘Lenses’, Discover tab, (Snapchat-native content covering user interests and subscriptions), Snap Maps

U.S. demographic: Primarily Millenials, with 78% of internet users aged 18-24 on the platform. Roughly 61% of Snapchat users are female and 38% are male*

Who users follow: Friends, celebrities, publishers

Daily active users: 218 million globally*

Total downloads: 75 million globally* in 2019

Revenue: $561 million in 2019*

Some brands using Snapchat: Taco Bell, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Burberry, Target, MTV

Launched: 2017 in China, 2018 internationally

Core features: Video capture, powerful editing tools, filter effects, creation prompts (reactions, hashtag challenges), sound library, ‘For You’ page (TikTok’s algorithm-based discovery feed)

U.S. demographic: Primarily Gen Z. 41% of users are between ages 18-24* and 27% between 13-17. Approximately 60% of TikTok users are female; 40% are male.

Who users follow: Content creators, celebrities, brands

Daily active users: 41 milliongobally*

Total downloads: 738 million globally* in 2019

Revenue: $176.9 million in 2019

Some brands using TikTok: Chipotle, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Guess, ESPN

The basics: TikTok

What it is. TikTok is a rapidly growing video-sharing app that launched in 2017 by Chinese tech company ByteDance. In October 2018, TikTok was the most downloaded app in the U.S. and reached a record 1.5 billion downloads globally at the end of 2019.

How it’s used. Users create and post short, looping videos set to TikTok’s massive library of music and sound bites – often with humor or talent as the focal point. TikTok isn’t necessarily the place for serious life updates or connecting with friends. Instead, users rely on TikTok for entertainment and follow creators with quality content. Common TikTok videos include choreographed dances, lip-syncing, hashtag challenges, reaction videos, and cringe-worthy content.

Audience. The app has rapidly become a Gen-Z favorite, with 42% of users between ages 13-16 actively using the app. Users create and post short, looping videos set to TikTok’s massive library of music and sound bites – often with humor or talent as the focal point. 

Advertising. TikTok’s ad product is still in its early days. For now, advertising is only offered on a CPM basis (cost per thousand impressions) as TikTok’s self-service ad platform is still in beta. Ad units currently available include:

In-feed native video ads

Brand takeovers (a full-screen ad that appears when a user first opens the app)

Hashtag challenges

Branded filters

Topview ads (similar to brand takeovers but uses in-feed content)

Influencer brand partnerships

READ: TikTok 101: A primer for brands

The basics: Snapchat

What it is. Snapchat is a mobile messaging app for sharing text, photos, and videos with friends. It launched in 2011 under the premise of sharing photos with a 10-second expiration, but has since evolved to focus on ephemeral video content in the form of Stories and curated ‘Discover’ series.

How it’s used. Snapchat offers a way for users to keep up with friends, relevant news, and popular trends. A big draw is the ability to capture ephemeral content and publish it as a Story for followers to see and engage with for up to 24 hours. Snapchat has been investing heavily in AI and AR capabilities (or ‘Lenses’) to give brands and users more immersive creative abilities – like object scanning, try-on effects, and 3D environment interactions.

Audience. The platform is most popular among millennials and currently claims around 218 million daily active users (DAUs).

Advertising. Snapchat offers a range of advertising options through its self-serve ad platform, from standard Snap Ad units that appear between stories to ads that use branded filters and AR lenses. Snapchat also has an e-commerce component with shoppable ads, personalized targeting, and a native checkout feature.

READ: Marketing Land’s original guide to Snapchat

TikTok and Snapchat: Content comparison

Samsung x Snapchat (Snap Ads format):

The marketing questions: Which platform is best for my brand?

What’s your objective? Both TikTok and Snapchat offer top-of-funnel opportunities for brands to connect with audiences. Specifically, TikTok can be effective for driving awareness with user-generated content (UGC) in the form of brand challenges, reactions, or filters.

While there are opportunities for brands to take advantage of UGC on Snapchat, the platform is better for sharing fleeting life moments and surfacing relevant content that the user might care about – like original series or Stories.

Plus, Snapchat’s shoppable and native checkout features can be a big draw for retail brands (especially D2C). The platform also has a hold over TikTok with more mature advertising options, while TikTok’s use for brands is still much more experimental. Don’t expect to find instant success marketing agency on TikTok, especially since it’s driven by users who value humor and fleeting trends (which might not work for all brands).

Consider your audience. Are they young and full of untapped meme energy? Look to TikTok. Tiktok users want a digital experience that’s authentic, homegrown, and downright entertaining. It’s part of the reason why reactions and brand challenges have taken off at warp speed. Instead of standing by and watching social play out from a distance, TikTok users are diving in head-first to leave their mark in near real-time, and brands can lean into that organic content creation process.

Since Snapchat is still a home for the Millenial generation, brands on the platform can capture more conventional, mainstream interests. As a whole, brands with audiences that skew younger should probably be experimenting with both Snapchat and TikTok.

Think about the content. If you’re focused on creating quality content with a traditional brand message, Snapchat is likely the better channel. Brands can get creative with Snapchat’s AR and Lens capabilities while still offering built-in (“swipe-up”) features for a more immersive user experience. TikTok content isn’t concerned with aesthetics or how good something looks, which makes it both a challenge and opportunity for brands. To be successful on TikTok, a brand’s content needs resonate with young users while offering the ability to engage with it.

Brand uses cases

TikTok x Chipotle Mexican Grill. Chipotle’s first viral TikTok challenge kicked off in May 2019 after a customer filmed a video doing a lid flip, which Chipotle then posted to Instagram. The post racked up over a million views, prompting the brand to turn to TikTok to invite customers to try the lid flip trick for themselves with a branded hashtag challenge. The #ChipotleLidFlip challenge received over 104 million views, 111,000 video submissions, and over 59,000 participants during the campaign.

TikTok x e.l.f. cosmetics. Makeup brand e.l.f. also found viral success with TikTok’s hashtag challenge format. With over 3 million organic views of the #elfcosmetics hashtag on Tik Tok, the brand developed its own challenge to engage with the creator-driven community. The brand commissioned a made-for-TikTok music track for its #eyeslipsface campaign, prompting users to showcase their e.l.f. makeup looks set to the song.

Snapchat x Top Gun: Maverick. In December 2019, Paramount Pictures launched an AR-driven UGC campaign with Snapchat’s Cameos feature, in which users could add creative elements to their shots with digital overlays used to promote the film. Snapchat users who were interested in seeing more promo content from the film had the option to watch the entire 2-minute trailer.

Snapchat x Coca-Cola and McDonalds. Snapchat released “Snapchat Scan” in December 2019, and McDonald’s and Coca-Cola were the first brands to jump on board. The feature offers image-recognition so users can scan logos to unlock AR lenses and content. With Coke and Mcdonalds, users simply had to scan the packaging on their food or beverage to gain access to exclusive branded lenses. It’s a key example of how brands on Snapchat can engage users by blending creative content with elements of the physical world. According to Snap’s product marketing agency manager Carolina Arguelles, “using Scan in this way offers so many possibilities for brands – from creating fun, shareable moments, to sharing product information or offering a virtual trial.”

About The Author

Taylor Peterson is Third Door Media’s Deputy Editor, managing industry-leading coverage that informs and inspires marketers. Based in New York, Taylor brings marketing agency expertise grounded in creative production and agency advertising for global brands. Taylor’s editorial focus blends digital marketing agency and creative strategy with topics like campaign management, emerging formats, and display advertising.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/tiktok-vs-snapchat-a-guide-for-marketers/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/615588552387002368

[scpie]

TikTok vs. Snapchat: A guide for marketers

TikTok is having a moment. Whether you use the app already or have spotted TikToks popping up on other social platforms, it’s clear that TikTok isn’t just another fleeting trend. It’s here to stay.

Yet it’s easy to see how someone not familiar with TikTok (ahem, your boss) might dismiss it as a Snapchat reboot. Worse, they might assume content from Snapchat can be repurposed on TikTok.

The two platforms share similar features (and yes, similar audiences) but their value offerings are entirely different. TikTok is a video sharing app for short clips set to music while Snapchat is a photo and video messaging app centered on ‘Stories’ and other short-lived formats. Each platform offers unique ways to connect with audiences if used the right way by the right type of brand.

If you’re not sure where your brand fits in – or if it even fits in at all – you’re in the right place. Below is a simple guide that highlights key differences between TikTok and Snapchat along with essential considerations for brands looking at either app as a potential marketing agency channel.

At a glance…

Launched: 2011

Core features: Video and image capture, Story creation, text and video chat, camera filters, lightweight editing tools, AR ‘Lenses’, Discover tab, (Snapchat-native content covering user interests and subscriptions), Snap Maps

U.S. demographic: Primarily Millenials, with 78% of internet users aged 18-24 on the platform. Roughly 61% of Snapchat users are female and 38% are male*

Who users follow: Friends, celebrities, publishers

Daily active users: 218 million globally*

Total downloads: 75 million globally* in 2019

Revenue: $561 million in 2019*

Some brands using Snapchat: Taco Bell, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Burberry, Target, MTV

Launched: 2017 in China, 2018 internationally

Core features: Video capture, powerful editing tools, filter effects, creation prompts (reactions, hashtag challenges), sound library, ‘For You’ page (TikTok’s algorithm-based discovery feed)

U.S. demographic: Primarily Gen Z. 41% of users are between ages 18-24* and 27% between 13-17. Approximately 60% of TikTok users are female; 40% are male.

Who users follow: Content creators, celebrities, brands

Daily active users: 41 milliongobally*

Total downloads: 738 million globally* in 2019

Revenue: $176.9 million in 2019

Some brands using TikTok: Chipotle, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Guess, ESPN

The basics: TikTok

What it is. TikTok is a rapidly growing video-sharing app that launched in 2017 by Chinese tech company ByteDance. In October 2018, TikTok was the most downloaded app in the U.S. and reached a record 1.5 billion downloads globally at the end of 2019.

How it’s used. Users create and post short, looping videos set to TikTok’s massive library of music and sound bites – often with humor or talent as the focal point. TikTok isn’t necessarily the place for serious life updates or connecting with friends. Instead, users rely on TikTok for entertainment and follow creators with quality content. Common TikTok videos include choreographed dances, lip-syncing, hashtag challenges, reaction videos, and cringe-worthy content.

Audience. The app has rapidly become a Gen-Z favorite, with 42% of users between ages 13-16 actively using the app. Users create and post short, looping videos set to TikTok’s massive library of music and sound bites – often with humor or talent as the focal point. 

Advertising. TikTok’s ad product is still in its early days. For now, advertising is only offered on a CPM basis (cost per thousand impressions) as TikTok’s self-service ad platform is still in beta. Ad units currently available include:

In-feed native video ads

Brand takeovers (a full-screen ad that appears when a user first opens the app)

Hashtag challenges

Branded filters

Topview ads (similar to brand takeovers but uses in-feed content)

Influencer brand partnerships

READ: TikTok 101: A primer for brands

The basics: Snapchat

What it is. Snapchat is a mobile messaging app for sharing text, photos, and videos with friends. It launched in 2011 under the premise of sharing photos with a 10-second expiration, but has since evolved to focus on ephemeral video content in the form of Stories and curated ‘Discover’ series.

How it’s used. Snapchat offers a way for users to keep up with friends, relevant news, and popular trends. A big draw is the ability to capture ephemeral content and publish it as a Story for followers to see and engage with for up to 24 hours. Snapchat has been investing heavily in AI and AR capabilities (or ‘Lenses’) to give brands and users more immersive creative abilities – like object scanning, try-on effects, and 3D environment interactions.

Audience. The platform is most popular among millennials and currently claims around 218 million daily active users (DAUs).

Advertising. Snapchat offers a range of advertising options through its self-serve ad platform, from standard Snap Ad units that appear between stories to ads that use branded filters and AR lenses. Snapchat also has an e-commerce component with shoppable ads, personalized targeting, and a native checkout feature.

READ: Marketing Land’s original guide to Snapchat

TikTok and Snapchat: Content comparison

Samsung x Snapchat (Snap Ads format):

The marketing questions: Which platform is best for my brand?

What’s your objective? Both TikTok and Snapchat offer top-of-funnel opportunities for brands to connect with audiences. Specifically, TikTok can be effective for driving awareness with user-generated content (UGC) in the form of brand challenges, reactions, or filters.

While there are opportunities for brands to take advantage of UGC on Snapchat, the platform is better for sharing fleeting life moments and surfacing relevant content that the user might care about – like original series or Stories.

Plus, Snapchat’s shoppable and native checkout features can be a big draw for retail brands (especially D2C). The platform also has a hold over TikTok with more mature advertising options, while TikTok’s use for brands is still much more experimental. Don’t expect to find instant success marketing agency on TikTok, especially since it’s driven by users who value humor and fleeting trends (which might not work for all brands).

Consider your audience. Are they young and full of untapped meme energy? Look to TikTok. Tiktok users want a digital experience that’s authentic, homegrown, and downright entertaining. It’s part of the reason why reactions and brand challenges have taken off at warp speed. Instead of standing by and watching social play out from a distance, TikTok users are diving in head-first to leave their mark in near real-time, and brands can lean into that organic content creation process.

Since Snapchat is still a home for the Millenial generation, brands on the platform can capture more conventional, mainstream interests. As a whole, brands with audiences that skew younger should probably be experimenting with both Snapchat and TikTok.

Think about the content. If you’re focused on creating quality content with a traditional brand message, Snapchat is likely the better channel. Brands can get creative with Snapchat’s AR and Lens capabilities while still offering built-in (“swipe-up”) features for a more immersive user experience. TikTok content isn’t concerned with aesthetics or how good something looks, which makes it both a challenge and opportunity for brands. To be successful on TikTok, a brand’s content needs resonate with young users while offering the ability to engage with it.

Brand uses cases

TikTok x Chipotle Mexican Grill. Chipotle’s first viral TikTok challenge kicked off in May 2019 after a customer filmed a video doing a lid flip, which Chipotle then posted to Instagram. The post racked up over a million views, prompting the brand to turn to TikTok to invite customers to try the lid flip trick for themselves with a branded hashtag challenge. The #ChipotleLidFlip challenge received over 104 million views, 111,000 video submissions, and over 59,000 participants during the campaign.

TikTok x e.l.f. cosmetics. Makeup brand e.l.f. also found viral success with TikTok’s hashtag challenge format. With over 3 million organic views of the #elfcosmetics hashtag on Tik Tok, the brand developed its own challenge to engage with the creator-driven community. The brand commissioned a made-for-TikTok music track for its #eyeslipsface campaign, prompting users to showcase their e.l.f. makeup looks set to the song.

Snapchat x Top Gun: Maverick. In December 2019, Paramount Pictures launched an AR-driven UGC campaign with Snapchat’s Cameos feature, in which users could add creative elements to their shots with digital overlays used to promote the film. Snapchat users who were interested in seeing more promo content from the film had the option to watch the entire 2-minute trailer.

Snapchat x Coca-Cola and McDonalds. Snapchat released “Snapchat Scan” in December 2019, and McDonald’s and Coca-Cola were the first brands to jump on board. The feature offers image-recognition so users can scan logos to unlock AR lenses and content. With Coke and Mcdonalds, users simply had to scan the packaging on their food or beverage to gain access to exclusive branded lenses. It’s a key example of how brands on Snapchat can engage users by blending creative content with elements of the physical world. According to Snap’s product marketing agency manager Carolina Arguelles, “using Scan in this way offers so many possibilities for brands – from creating fun, shareable moments, to sharing product information or offering a virtual trial.”

About The Author

Taylor Peterson is Third Door Media’s Deputy Editor, managing industry-leading coverage that informs and inspires marketers. Based in New York, Taylor brings marketing agency expertise grounded in creative production and agency advertising for global brands. Taylor’s editorial focus blends digital marketing agency and creative strategy with topics like campaign management, emerging formats, and display advertising.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/tiktok-vs-snapchat-a-guide-for-marketers/