72% of Retailers Are Planning Price Hikes Due to Inflation

Inflation is impacting the entire global economy, but none are feeling the pressure more than retailers. GetResponse recently released Impact of Inflation report, and it gives a clear overview about sentiments among researchers during the current period of inflation. Perhaps the most eyebrow raising statistic in this report is that 72% of retailers are planning to increase their prices due to rising costs spurred by inflation with all things having been considered and taken into account.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that 89% of retailers have been facing ever rising supply chain costs themselves. Hence, they might not have any choice but to increase prices because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping them continue to turn a profit. 45% of retailers cited higher freight prices, 33% highlighted a scarcity of raw materials, 22% are concerned by unpredictable sentiments among buyers, and 19% are having trouble predicting how much demand they might see.

23% of retailers said that they are not facing issues with their supply chain, but in spite of the fact that this is the case the vast majority of them are still feeling the burn. Much of this damage is being seen in the shape of decreased sales, with 46% of retailers reporting that sales have dropped in the first half of 2022. 32% have seen the same number of sales, and interestingly 22% reported that their sales have gone up.

60% of retailers plan to cut costs by switching to an entirely ecommerce oriented system by selling online. 28% said that they will keep the ratio the same, and only 9% will continue to sell purely through brick and mortar stores.

One thing to note here is that 51% of retailers are also planning to offer discounts, and this might help to ease the burden on consumers by leveling out the prices at the end of the day. We are headed for a long, dark winter, and many retailers might not make it on the other side. Take a look at below charts for more insights:

Read next: This New Study Reveals How Brand Loyalty is On the Decline
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

70% of SEO Experts Aren’t Perfectionists, New Survey Shows

Search engine optimization has turned into a massive industry because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing brands to push their websites to the top of search engine rankings with all things having been considered and taken into account. Search engines are known to be finicky, and often the goalposts move whenever the company behind the search index makes changes to the algorithm. SEO experts need to be on their toes to keep up with this ever shifting landscape.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, a recent survey conducted on Twitter by Marie Amelie White showed that the vast majority of SEO professionals don’t think of themselves as being perfectionists. Around 69.8% of the nearly 500 SEO professionals who responded to this survey responded “No” to the question of whether or not they were perfectionists, and with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that this is essential due to how many changes occur.

SEO professionals can’t afford to be perfectionists since there are simply too many things that they need to take heed of. Additionally, there are a variety of ways in which SEO can be implemented, and there are numerous justifications for each technique including their adequate performance for the most part. In spite of the fact that this is the case, it appears that over 30% of people working in the field of SEO, or 30.2% to be precise, are still perfectionists although they might suffer burnout if they keep sweating the little things.

It must be acknowledged that this is an ad hoc survey that only represents the opinions of a small subset of SEO experts who came across this survey, either because they follow the person that posted it or because someone they are connected with responded to it. Still, it shows that SEO professionals are more focused on results, and that they leave perfection at the door due to how difficult it can be to achieve and how much of a distraction its pursuit can be.

Read next: The Most Sought-After Skills For Social Media Managers In 2022 Revealed
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

New Report Shares The Bitter Reality Of Being A Video Creator On Facebook

What comes to your mind when you hear the name Facebook? Well, as a user, you’ll just think of it as an app. But for so many others, it’s a platform to create content, establish audience connections, and hopefully generate revenue.

But we’re not quite sure if many have been successful at achieving all of those aspects. Just ask one video creator on the app named Mike Stallone.

He first began putting up Reels in March of this year because that’s what Facebook wanted. In case you aren’t aware, Meta is promoting short-form content like Reels so as to achieve the same success and revenue as fellow archrival TikTok.

So after just one month of Mike posting, he was invited to join Facebook’s Reels monetization program. The offer seemed great, after all, he would be paid for his hard work.

But bitter reality struck when Mike accepted the offer, only to learn that the button for Reels that he had was no longer present. Instead, the app went as far as slapping his page with the tag ‘limited originality’.

This label is commonly employed by the app to creators that it feels lack creativity or original thoughts behind the content produced. They think you had zero roles in making the content. But that really struck out as shocking to Mike.

He said that everything on his page was his and he had personally gone to great extremes to shoot them too. So what was going on here?

Taking up the issue to the admins of the app using his LOC tag, which is exclusive to those who monetize via YouTube and Instagram, he appealed against the decision. Interestingly, he failed to get any form of a reply.

This issue isn’t new. We’re talking a good five months have passed and until now, zero response from the Facebook team has come. But let’s just say that the video creator here has lost out big time. He has made zero money but Facebook has managed to grab a hold of 7 million views from his video content.

Many think that Facebook’s tool has really gone wrong here. The company announced in 2018 that it was launching its Rights Manager. This was designed to ensure all videos uploaded onto the platform would enter the database and be scrutinized to prevent plagiarism.

If you’re the content creator, you get to select what happens to the person copying your content. And those options entail taking a share, taking the whole revenue, or simply requesting the user to take down the copied content.

Another notable case worth a case belongs to one of the biggest content makers of the app, Hashem Al-Ghaili who has nearly 33 million fans on the app. He has been suffering from similar issues thanks to the same Facebook tool.

And according to Hashem, the matter is definitely concerning as Facebook is yet to fix the issue and as a result, thousands of creators are suffering.

Sometimes, videos are even flagged for similar reasons like using stock images, and once flagged, creators’ revenue is halted.

Yes, you get the chance to appeal the decision but as you can see here, it’s actually in vain. Mike Stallone is yet to get any response.

Matters really get foggy with time. Yes, you get the chance to raise disputes but you could never end up having them solved or perhaps solved at a very very late time.

Data proves how so many smaller firms and creators get affected the most. Big publication houses do have teams to solve issues faster but not everyone is entitled to such privileges.

Facebook even has a lawsuit in this regard as some feel they’ve been penalized unlawfully. Clearly, the matter is major and very unfair we believe.

H/T: Fossbytes

Read next: Facebook Struggles To Maintain Its Ranking On The List Of Top 10 Apps As Young Users Lose Interest
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

British Teenagers Prefer TikTok Over TV, While YouTube Dominates American Teenage Users

The nature of content consumption has changed considerably these past few years, and there are two apps in particular that have contributed to this trend. The first of these apps is YouTube, with the video streaming platform quickly becoming a hub for content that is often available free of charge. YouTube also connects viewers directly to content creators and enables influencers to monetize their content by selling merchandise and receiving other forms of direct financial support.

Another app that has changing how people consume content is TikTok, and with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that the majority of British teenagers apparently prefer the short form content app to watching television. A study conducted by the British media regulator Ofcom showed that people between the ages of 15 and 24 spend 57 minutes a day watching content on TikTok, which is four minutes more than the same demographic spends watching TV shows.

What’s new in the nation’s media habits? Our study today found…🧵

📺 TV viewing among younger generations has fallen by two-thirds in 10 years to 53 mins per day

📈 TikTok reaches 35% of adults and 66% of 15-24s online.

🕐 Young adults spend almost an hour on TikTok each day

— Ofcom (@Ofcom) August 17, 2022

Additionally, streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are replacing TV among younger users. These companies have seen their revenues increase by 27% year over year which is increasing the rate of cable cutting in the UK and other regions with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Coming back to YouTube, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center showed the 95% of teenagers based in the US watch YouTube daily. Only 67% use TikTok, which suggests that the new app might not have the same level of dominance in America as it does in various other parts of the world.

Two apps that used to be really popular are Facebook and Twitter, but in spite of the fact that this is the case they have both seen dramatic declines in usage among younger demographics. Facebook’s usage has dropped from 71% in 2015 to just 36% in 2022, and Twitter’s decline, though less severe, is still concerning with it going from 33% to 23% in the same period. Teenagers are preferring different apps from older generations which might impact the social media landscape.

Read next: What Do People Really Search For Online And Why? New Survey Highlights Top Ten Secret Search Topics
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

VPNs See Increased Popularity Among Russians in 2022

A virtual private network might seem gimmicky to those that live in nations with free internet access and no unnecessary restrictions, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it can be a useful tool for people who are suffering under authoritarian regimes. It turns out that Russians are using VPNs much more frequently in 2022 because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping them circumvent government attempts to restrict access to sites that might reveal the truth to their citizens.

The first half of 2022 is proving to be a watershed for VPNs. In 2021, it was estimated that around 3% to 9% of the Russian populations utilized VPNs. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this proportion has increased to just under 24% in 2022, or 23.94% to be precise. 35 million Russians downloaded VPNs in the past six months with all things having been considered and taken into account.

A major event that might have sparked increased VPN usage among Russians is the blocking of social media sites in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Facebook and Instagram were both banned, so many Russians took to VPNs to maintain their connection with their social profiles.

Ukraine is also seeing rising VPN usage, joining the top ten rankings in 2022 with a market penetration of 9.62%. The country with the highest level of VPN usage is the UAE with 25.72% market penetration, although this oil rich nation has seen fewer users relying on them. In 2020, the majority of UAE residents, 61.61%, used VPNs due to the highly restricted nature of the web in that country. This has decreased a lot over the past two years.

The top ten list of VPN using countries contains a smattering of Middle Eastern nations, with Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Ukraine rounding off the bottom of the list and also being the only European nations in it. Russia is only surpassed by Qatar and the UAE in terms of VPN usage.

Read next: A Global Overview of Internet Prices and Speed
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Enforcing Data Privacy Can Increase Revenues According to This Survey

Data privacy has become a hot button issue because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up ensuring that personal user data doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. TripleBlind recently did a survey that showed the financial benefits that firms could obtain by emphasizing improved privacy for all of their users. According to this survey, 94% of Chief Data Officers had the opinion that data privacy could boost their revenues for the quarter.

It is estimated that 25 billion gigabytes of data is generated each and every day with all things having been considered and taken into account. Businesses that receive this data have a duty to manage it responsibly, and with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that a majority of CDOs felt that proper data regulation protocols could help them become more competitive in the market.

Some experts suggest that privacy enhancing technology might allow businesses to share data without harming their profit margins, but in spite of the fact that this is the case CDOs seem hesitant to take the risk. Around 60% of CDOs stated that collaborators might be tempted to modify the data that they receive, and since they don’t have control over how they use the data they might prefer to keep it on their own servers instead of spreading it around.

This is an especially big concern for healthcare providers, with 86% of them raising concerns about how such sensitive data might be used if it is shared. However, one industrial sector that is a bit more positive about data sharing is the finance niche. Over half of respondents who work in this field felt that they could improve revenues by as much as 20% by sharing data, although they are in the minority when we take a wider view that incorporates various other sectors.

This goes to show that prioritizing user data is in a company’s own best interests, and it is rare to find consumer regard and the bottom line coinciding so perfectly.

Read next: Study shows shoppers are more likely to buy products from brands that offer a personalized experience
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

YouTube is Trying Out A New Feature On The App That Will Help You In Navigating New Content

YouTube is trying out a new feature on the app that will help you explore new content according to your preference. Right now YouTube is only testing this feature that will replace the explore page with a navigation panel that will recommend you new content. When you click on the explore button on the top left side of your screen, a lot of recommended videos in different categories show up.

But when this explore button will change into a navigation panel that will show you videos in different categories such as trending, music, movies, sports, etc. only. This means you will not get random videos on the explore page, but instead only the categories from where you can choose what to watch.

YouTube will also change the way you will open the navigation panel. Right now, to explore different videos you have to click the "explore" button on the top of the app. But YouTube will change it into a three horizontal bars button and you can either click on it or swipe from the left towards your right to get to it. This navigation panel will only function when you are on the home page.

When you open the navigation panel, you will see different categories being lined up. They consist of trending, music, movies, live, gaming, and sports. You will have to click on them to see videos of the relevant category. This feature will be initially available on YouTube for android. The users are yet to say anything about this feature as it is not available for use now and is only being tested by UI on android.

As YouTube is one of the best apps on android, YouTube is also working on other features that will make their users' experiences on the app more fun. The final decision to make this feature permanent on the app will only be based on users' remarks. YouTube is hoping for a good response as they have many other new features up their sleeves. Last month, YouTube also added a "looping a video chapter" on the app and another thing they added was the "video zoom feature" for its premium users. This feature lets users zoom the video up to 8 times.

H/T: AC / Telegram

Read next: YouTube Launches Automated Watermarks For Shorts Content To Limit Reposts On Other Apps
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World