PAPER APP: OVERVIEW AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR SOCIAL BRAND MARKETERS

Ryan Morris Director Social Strategy and Content Programming LiveWorld @morrisryanc SUMMARY

With the new Facebook Paper app, you could say Facebook is doing what LiveWorld has been doing all along these past 19 years: Using the human touch, scaled by technology.

Available February 3, 2014 on the Apple iPhone solely, Paper is the latest mobile social experience offering from Facebook. According to Facebook, Paper is “a new app that helps you explore and share stories from friends and the world around you.”

In brief, Facebook is taking some of their current product features (shareable news and status updates) and repackaging them, with a slight twist. The process of repackaging is not new territory for in addition to the algorithm used to push the social company, as they have taken content to user News Feeds, a human other fully integrated features (such as curation team will also be responsible for the ability to IM with others via Facebook) selecting content which will appear in the and created a standalone app for mobile different content source categories users devices (). However, can choose from.

To social marketers the immersive app may cause concern as it does not currently support any type of paid advertising. a human curation team However, there is still a play for brands, as posts can still show up in the of will also be responsible Fans. The operative word here is can, since over the last several months Facebook has for selecting content throttled back visibility of organic brand posts in Fan feeds. THE FACEBOOK PAPER APP, EXPLAINED

Before delving into how brand marketer efforts are affected by the new app, a brief overview of Paper’s capabilities is needed.

The Paper app is divided into two sections: 1 The first section is the Facebook News Feed, where users find stories from Friends and sources they follow. The way users interact has changed (swipes in place of taps), but the content is still the same, as are the abilities to Like, Share, and Comment. 2 The second section involves various content sources across 19 categories, including:

• Headlines: News content from typically larger • Planet: Content from news, blogs, and media companies, such as the New York Times, Daily Beast, and CNN individuals with an environmental focus

• Tech: Content regarding the latest technology • All City: Fashion, art, and culture with a developments from large and smaller content younger, cosmopolitan emphasis sources • Well Lived: Currently trending fashion, travel, • Enterprise: Business related content, including design, and art feature stories, editorials, and trends • Family Matters: Content related to parenting • Pop Life: Content curated around pop culture and family life for mothers, fathers, and adult children • Score: Sports news and commentary from journalists, fans, and athletes • Cute: As Facebook describes it, “Adorable animals, cuddly babies, and all things awwww- • Creators: Content from designers and artists some”

• Flavor: Recipes, reviews, and stories about • LOL: Videos, photos and written stories from food comedians, individuals, and even major TV networks/Movie Studios • Exposure: Photos, stories, and interviews from and about photographers • Glow: Fashion and style from major to independent content producers, focused on • Ideas: According to Facebook, “A daily in- the female audience depth look at one standout idea, event or • Home: Design, decorating, DIY, and inspiration personality” content for personal dwellings • Pride: News, commentary, photos, and video • Equalize: Content focused on women’s issues, with an LGBT focus rights, and advancement

It should be noted that any of the 19 categories may offer content as brief as a status update from a single individual. For example, the day after his Super Bowl XLVII win, Seattle Seahawk Malcolm Smith posted the following status update, “I’ going to Disneyworld!! No literally, I am. #StillInShock.” This piece of content appeared in the Score category shortly after Paper’s launch. WHAT THE PAPER APP MEANS FOR SOCIAL MARKETERS

Facebook explains the way the Paper app organizes content as follows:

“Your Paper is made of stories and themed sections, so you can follow your favorite interests. The first section in Paper is your Facebook News Feed, where you’ll enjoy inspiring new designs for photos, videos, and longer written posts. You can customize Paper with a choice of more than a dozen other sections about various themes and topics—from photography and sports to food, science and design. Each section includes a rich mix of content from emerging voices and well-known publications.”

Since Facebook has divided content into 19 otherwise may have gone overlooked has a categories ranging from news to cute cat better chance of going viral on Facebook. photos, brands will need to reinforce efforts However, with the human selection process to produce even more engaging, relevant, now a part of the equation, there are no entertaining, and newsworthy content the guarantees brand content (such as a blog Facebook Algorithm ranks. However, marketers entry or engaging photo) may necessarily won’t just be creating content that aims to get make it’s way into one of the 19 categories. It a heavier ranking with the Facebook algorithm is probably safe to say it is even less likely—if, to end up in user’s devices—they’ll also need at all—status updates from a brand will end up to pique the interest of the human curator as in the one of the 19 categories. well. In order for brands to keep the interest of their With the curation team hand-picking content Fans with status updates, it appears the user’s that the Facebook Algorithm may not have News Feed section will be the sole place to picked up on, new, unique content that engage via the app. IS THERE A BRAND RISK OF AUDIENCES MIGRATING TO THE PAPER APP?

For brands in the retail, pharmaceutical, finance and other non-news oriented industries, it will become more important than ever for them to have a solid, well thought out blogging strategy, as links to news and blogs appear to be the best way to end up in one of the 19 topic categories. For instance, if a home improvement brand wants to sell more closet organizers, they should produce highly engaging, unique blog entries with the aim of appealing to the Home category audience. A tactic to promote the blog entries via the traditional status update is still recommended as part of their content plan. The blog entries themselves will need to stand apart from other entries that just explain the brand has closet organizers to sell. For example, the brand may want to consider using the topic of closet organizers as a backdrop to a comedic video, which parodies the improvement of a husband and wife relationship—all due to finding serenity with the $45.00 product.

SUMMARY

Facebook will continue to highlight and connect the human experience for the foreseeable future. Brands will need to continually focus on the human aspect of the content curating process and Facebook algorithm changes. The Paper app is just the beginning of more human interaction as Facebook evolves. ABOUT LIVEWORLD

LiveWorld is a social content marketing company providing solutions to improve relationship marketing, customer support, and market learning through engagement, moderation, and insight. We bring a human touch scaled by technology that creates value out of user content and provides big cost savings.

By providing software and services, LiveWorld delivers a full range of social media solutions. Fortune 500 brands use our solutions to engage their clients in a way that’s social, personal, and direct, yet affordable and sustainable on a large scale.

Our proprietary technology empowers people to moderate and respond to user comments, and to analyze data in context with human intelligence and sensitivity. LiveWorld is a trusted partner of the world’s largest brands, including the number-one companies in retail, CPG, pharmaceutical, and financial/travel services.

For our clients, we develop strategy, create and publish content, engage customers, moderate content, manage crises, and glean insight from social media.

LiveWorld is headquartered in California, with offices in New York City and San Jose. Learn more at www.liveworld.com and @LiveWorld. Contact us at [email protected] or call us at 800-301-9507.

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