Google will configure GA4 for you
I got an email from Google, it told me that if I don’t switch to GA4 it’s going to do it for me.
Now I’ve been using GA4 for almost a year but it seems that there are still a lot of people putting off installing it.
On July 1st the old analytics will stop collecting data. So if you don’t want to be suddenly thrown into the new world of GA4, if you want to push all the buttons and see how it works, change now, before there’s no alternative.
There is an option to opt out of GA4 in the email plus a link for more info that leads to… an inaccessible Google Doc. I’m beginning to wonder if it was a fishing email…
Search engines go all AI
If you haven’t used Chat GPT yet it’s only a matter of time until your curiosity gets the better of you.
It’s a great tool for brainstorming, researching, editing, and of course writing. It’s based on machine learning which is a subset of AI.
And it’s a worry for search engines. Will we want to spend minutes surfing the web for answers to our questions when Chat GPT can give us those answers (if not always accurate) in a matter of seconds?
Google has been fast to react, launching its own version of Chat GPT called ‘Bard’. From the screenshots it looks like you will be able to ask a question and it will provide a written answer before linking to sources from search results.
It’s not just Google that’s getting in on AI. Bing is embracing Chat GPT too.
https://searchengineland.com/microsoft-bing-search-chatgpt-392789
Chat GPT subscription
They hooked us with their amazing free tool. Now Chat GPT are about to offer a subscription service.
In return for $20 a month you’ll get:
Good access even during peak times.
Faster response times
Priority access to new features and improvements
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Particularly the access during peak times. But sadly the service is only going to be available to people in the US to start with.
Boo, hiss…. If you are in the US and have $20 to spare you can join the waitlist for access here: https://share.hsforms.com/1_-FpF2GTRJORIb83N3aK7Q4sk30
https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt-plus/
Get a headstart on Google Analytics 4 & understand the lingo with the GA4 phrase book
Pay for your Twitter API
What parts of your business aren’t you monetising that you could?
It looks like Elon Musk has been asking himself the same question, and the latest answer is the API. The API is part of Twitter that connects it to third-party apps, like schedulers.
Now Twitter will charge for access to it. This could be a move to deter spambots and other dodgy apps from getting access to Twitter. Or it could just be a money-making scheme.
Will we see the cost of our social media management tools go up as a result of this? Probably.
https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/01/twitter-to-end-free-access-to-its-api/
Twitter biz verification could cost 1k per month
You’ll soon be able to impersonate a big business if you have $1,000 dollars to spare.
That’s the monthly fee Twitter is expected to charge businesses to get the gold verified checkmark.
When paid verification was launched there was a rash of accounts impersonating big brands. One, in particular, crashed the share price of a large Pharma company.
I’m sure Twitter has learned its lesson. But even though 1k is enough cash to put a small business off verification, it may not be enough to deter activists who want to attach brands.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/4/23585612/twitter-gold-checkmark-business-subscription
WhatsApp Status gets an upgrade
WhatsApp status got an update this week.
What even is that? Status is similar to stories on Instagram and Facebook. You add them, they remain for 24 hours then disappear.
The update adds new ways to post a status. You can use a voice message and share a link with a preview.
You can also select an audience for your status and those who do see it can react with an emoji.
People who have an active status will also get a pretty avatar ring.
It’s all very Instagram but it could be a useful way for business accounts to share updates, new products and behind-the-scenes magic.
Could Instagram be about to charge for verification?
If you suddenly discovered a competitor who had found a new way to monetise their audience, would you follow their lead?
I mean… who’d have thunk that people would pay for Twitter verification? But now it’s clear that people will, other networks may jump on board.
That’s what a tiny bit of code spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi suggests. Found hidden on Instagram it shows that the network has at least considered it.
