LinkedIn begins testing ‘Stories’ feature
The immense success experienced by Instagram and Facebook Stories, by following in Snapchat’s footsteps of allowing users to post content that will disappear has prompted LinkedIn to jump onto the bandwagon. Currently, they are testing the feature internally. Stories spread for a good reason: They offer a lightweight, fun way to share an update without it having to be perfect or attached to your profile forever.
Twitter too gets into ‘Stories’ with ‘Fleets’
Twitter becomes the latest to start testing their own version of ‘Stories’ that will disappear after 24 hours. The microblogging site finally adopts a feature made popular by Snapchat, and adapted across most social media platforms. Fleets can be accessed on visiting the user’s public profile. But unlike tweets, they can’t receive likes or show up in Search or in Moments. They are also non embeddable.
TikTok-parent Bytedance launches music streaming app Resso
After being beta tested in India and Indonesia, Bytedance has launched Resso. It allows users to comment on songs and share lyrics on social media. Resso already has more than 500,000 downloads on Google Play. Resso will be competing against YouTube Music, Spotify, JioSaavn and Apple Music among others.
Aadhaar-enabled payment services backed by Airtel Payments Bank
Customers with Aadhaar-linked bank accounts can now make transactions at over 2,50,000 points of Airtel Payments Bank in the country using either their Aadhar number or their virtual ID. AePS allows online interoperable financial transactions at a point of sale through the business correspondent of any bank using Aadhaar authentication.
UPI payments service in India from PayPal
Close on the heels of WhatsApp receiving the NPCI’s go-ahead to launch UPI payments, US payments company PayPal is set to roll out UPIpayment service of their own. It set up a legal entity in India only in November 2017. PayPal expanded its relationship with Uber and will be processing their payments in Europe, Brazil, India, and across the Middle East.
Pledge of $1mn in free in-app ads for women entrepreneurs by Tinder
Location-based dating service Tinder announced the eligibility criteria for the same: Companies under 3 years old founded by at least 50% women; who have raised less than Rs 35 crore in equity financing. Also, who actively target Gen-Z and millennial audiences in India. Over 90 per cent of Tinder’s community is between the ages of 18-30, and for any women-owned business aimed at that cohort, the ads are intended to support their business, their network and help them speak directly to potential consumers.
Social Commerce empowers Women Sellers across India
A new wave of customers from smaller towns and cities are attracted towards social commerce sites which are hosted by local language interfaces. These new formats help women entrepreneurs push their products via chat or videos and get the customers’ trust in them. Fashion, beauty, and home categories, which have a large selection, continue to be the top-selling segments with orders priced on an average at less than Rs 1,000.
