Twitter Blue launches in Canada

It’s not everyday that Canadians get early access to new products and features launched by social media giants but that’s exactly what happened this week when Twitter launched its first ever paid subscription for users in Canada and Australia only on Thursday.

Twitter Blue will cost $3.49 per month and comes with the ability to preview and revise Tweets before they go live for public consumption complete with an “Undo” button to retract Tweets within 30 seconds of publishing. Take that autocorrect!

Other subscriber-only features include “Bookmark Folders” for organizing your saved content and “Reader Mode” which stitches threads into continuous articles for a cleaner reading experience.

Paying customers will also have access to dedicated support, Twitter says.

Thinking of giving Twitter Blue a try? Let us know how it goes. We’d love to hear your take on the new features and whether they make sense for your brand. Find us on Twitter @atcontentlabs or email us at info@contentlabs.ca.

WhatsApp Business updates at F8

Not to be outdone by Twitter, Facebook also announced updates to WhatsApp Business at its virtual F8 Refresh conference this week. First and foremost, getting access to WhatsApp Business just got a whole lot quicker. It used to take weeks for a brand to get on the platform and that time has been cut down to five minutes or so via a new online sign-up process. The platform will also allow businesses to send new kinds of notifications to consenting users, including back-in-stock messages and other business updates. The chat service is also making it more convenient for consumers to respond to businesses with a menu of 10 pre-populated responses to choose from.

The future of events is hybrid

At this stage in the global Covid-19 pandemic, most of us have become seasoned virtual event attendees and have probably sat through more dull Zoom calls with technical difficulties than we care to count. But if you’re lucky enough to have participated in a well-executed, thoughtful and engaging virtual event, then you know how valuable an experience it can be; offering live connections with like-minded people at a time when meaningful interactions are hard to come by.

For brands, virtual events can offer flexibility, expanded reach and lower costs than in-person events. And for these reasons, they won’t disappear, even as the vaccine rollout continues and physical distancing requirements are eased.

“While many of the changes in business practices last year were a direct result of Covid-19, some innovations will stay with us even after the pandemic lifts,” says Doug Kelly, president of SJC’s Strategic Content Labs. “Among them will be the continued growth of virtual events and conferences.”

According to studies and industry experts, the future of events is hybrid. One study reported by emarketer reveals that in 2021, the majority of marketers and event planners worldwide (42 %) are moving to a hybrid approach with face-to-face interaction and a virtual component. Thirty per cent are planning virtual events in lieu of in-person events in 2021.

For more insights and tips on how to plan a lively and shareable event of your own, head over to the website of our parent company SJC.

50th Annual Junos

On the topic of virtual events, we’ll be watching the 50th Annual Junos this weekend and taking notes. The live stream from a handful of iconic music venues across the country starts Sunday at 8 p.m. ET and features performances and appearances by The Tragically Hip featuring Feist, Jann Arden, Ali Gatie and Tate McRae, Jessie Reyez, Justin Bieber, JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels, Kardinal Offishall, Maestro Fresh Wes, NAV, William Prince featuring Serena Ryder and more. Check out the list of nominees and event details here.