Monah Mahmoud

For a few weeks now, KFC in France has been goading its loyal social media base with threats it was set to launch a new menu item – a bucket full of beef to rival its chicken mainstay. “We decided to make peace with lovers of #beef, so we’re launching the #BeefBucket soon!,” the company claimed on its Facebook and Twitter accounts. Apparently, KFC loyalists were so infuriated by the thought of a meaty interloper on their beloved chicken menu that an online petition was started amid threats of boycotts. However, the whole thing was revealed as a prank – albeit a rather bizarre one – with the company using Valentine’s Day to release an online video that reassured diners of the brand’s commitment to all things poultry as we see the fake Beef Bucket get dynamited. A voiceover guy – presumably the Colonel himself – reveals: “Today is Valentine’s Day, so I decided to tell the world that I refuse to cook anything else but chicken, “Even if cooking beef could ha...

After announcing it back in September, and rolling out an initial test with selected users last month, Twitter is now bringing it's new 'Sparkle' button to all users, which will enable everyone to easily opt out of the algorithm-defined feed and see the most recent tweets from those they follow first. As demonstrated here, the new button will be present in the top right of the app, where the tweet compose button used to be. When you tap on it, your timeline will switch to show the latest tweets, as opposed to those the algorithm defines as the most likely to be of interest. Tap it again, and you'll go back to "Top tweets" - the algorithm-determined feed. The option will begin rolling out to iOS users from today, with Android and web to follow soon. Twitter's algorithm has long been a cause of frustration for users, with some arguing from its initial implementation back in 2016 that an algorithm ranking of tweets runs totally in counter to wh...

2018 has flown by, and we're now fast approaching the new year. In this post, I wanted to give you all a simple breakdown on how you can get ready for 2019 with six steps that you can take to strengthen your social media strategy.  It's important to update and upgrade your strategy in alignment with the latest trends and shifts. Hopefully these notes will help you stay on track, and in line with the evolving digital landscape. 1. Review How You Current Use Social Media The first step in strengthening your social media strategy, at any point, is to review how you’re currently using social media. Really take a step back here - remove yourself and get an outsiders perspective. You can ask yourself the following questions: Which social media networks are you currently on? Are they still relevant to your brand goals? Which social media networks are driving the most relevant traffic or conversions for you? Which social media networks are a time suck? As hard as ...

Are you thinking of adding Snapchat into your 2019 social media marketing strategy? The formerly ephemeral content app hasn't had the best 2018, going by the headlines, but there is still a lot for marketers to like about the app, particularly given its popularity with younger users. And the platform is evolving - more recently, Snap has started to add significant improvements for advertisers and marketers, making it an even more appealing proposition. It's not for everyone, not all businesses will benefit from marketing via Snap. But there are many who will, and given the performance results some brands are seeing, it may well be worth a look. If Snapchat is on your radar, then this infographicfrom Make a Video Hub is worth a look - it outlines a range of key platform stats to help you focus your Snap ad efforts.

Instagram has added a new option that will enable users to restrict the audience for their Instagram Stories content. Now, if you want to share your Instagram Stories in a more private group, you can, which could encourage users to more freely - and regularly - share quick updates. As shown above, the new option enables users to create lists of specific groups of friends, which will then appear as sharing options when you go to send your Stories (you can see the 'Close Friends' group icon at the bottom of the final frame). This means you no longer have to share all your Stories with everyone, which, as noted, could open up the option for more use. As per Instagram: " Only you can see your close friends list and no one can request to be added, so you can feel comfortable adjusting it at any time. When you share to Stories, you’ll see the option to share with just the people on your close  friends  list. If someone has added you to their list, yo...

The global e-commerce industry surpassed 10% of all retail sales in 2017. Growing four times quicker than retail as a whole, by 2020 it is forecast to drive half of all retail growth. 1. MENA e-commerce market is worth $8.3 billion, with significant room for growth In 2017, e-commerce in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) reached $8.3 billion, with an annual growth rate of 25%. It is forecast to hit $28.5bn by 2022, with a penetration rate of total retail sales of 7% with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Egypt accounting for 80% of the region’s e-commerce market. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the most advanced e-commerce market in the region, with a penetration rate of 4.2%, similar to that of Turkey and Brazil. Saudi Arabia (KSA), at 3.8%, closely follows the UAE and together they represent 60% of the e-commerce market in the region.   “This is primarily due to consumer digital readiness and the rising availability of online product selection in the...

It's taken a while, but Facebook is now rolling out its promised 'time spent' dashboard within its main app, enabling users to track the time they're active on Facebook each day, and set prompts to limit their use. As you can see from the above screenshots, the new dashboard is available within the functions listing, and through it, you can see your total time spent, set daily reminders, and change your settings to make better use of your time. The options are very similar to what Instagram launched last week, which are part of the broader 'digital wellbeing' push within tech circles that's been initiated in response to a range of reports about the potential negatives of overuse of digital platforms. Facebook itself commissioned a report  which  found that passive engagement on social can lead to negative mental health impacts. That finding puts Facebook, as a business, in a tough position - on one hand, it needs to make you come back to the platf...