Video Previews Can Boost Downloads, So Why Do Only 10% of Apps Use Them?

App developers have to do quite a lot to get people to download their apps from various platforms. One of the most useful things that come to mind is creating a video preview of the app because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing customers to see whatever it has to offer.

According to a recent analysis, it turns out that apps on the Play Store are far more likely to have preview videos than those that are accessible on the Apple App Store. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that there are around 362,000 apps on the Play Store that currently offer video previews.

If we were to zero in on the App Store, there were only about 70,000 apps there that did the same. One reason for why preview videos are less prevalent on the App Store is that Apple makes it a little difficult for developers to upload videos in the first place. Regardless, tens of thousands of apps have still decided to push ahead with this type of advertising with all things having been considered and taken into account.

One thing to mention here is that gaming apps tend to have a higher proportion of preview videos. That makes sense since users will be more likely to play a game than might have been the case otherwise if they can get a glimpse of what the gameplay as well as the storyline might end up looking like.

Around 45% of apps that contained video previews across both the Play Store and the App Store were games. However, small scale apps with fewer than a thousand ratings were also fairly likely to use them since they need all the help that they can get to compete with larger app developers with a stronger foothold. About 75% of apps with fewer than 1,000 ratings were found to have preview videos, so the benefits of using them are quite apparent as far as they are concerned.

H/T: Appfigures

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

This Researcher Claims He Cracked The Code To Making Tweets Go Viral By Observing The App’s ‘For You’ Algorithm

A couple of months back, Ryan Broderick, a writer and researcher who claims to work online on a chronic basis noticed something interesting about Twitter.

He says that there was a clear engagement linked to his tweets and one specific one had to do with the saying, ‘fell off a cliff’.

Moreover, he shared with the world how he had his usual engagement on the app, and with 60,000 followers, they adored sending reactions whenever he posted something.

On an average basis, a man named Broderick says he loves to talk about the web in his newsletter which is dubbed Garbage Day. And he’d get around a few hundred to 1,000 retweets across his posts in a week’s time or similarly seen every alternative week. And it’s not something new, it was like that for a few years.

He started to write again and soon, his work got recognition and a feature across Substack. Now, he’s working as one of Buzzfeed’s top reporters but then in 2020, he was terminated from his job for engaging in plagiarism. But he refused to comment on that news.

He says that figures and stats aren’t something that he enjoys speaking about a lot as he dubs them lame. But when Elon Musk bought Twitter, he saw how his retweets fell to just 5 on every tweet. And if he was really giving it a push, it probably reached 10.

In the same way, Musk lamented more about his engagement and was believed to have fired one of his workers over it.

Clearly, the writer was not happy with such low engagement stats. He felt dispirited regarding the matter and the fact that he was a freelancer meant that he was doing everything on his own and Twitter really helped him market things the right way.

On that note, he wished to seek some alternatives and even thought about giving up. Then a lightbulb struck to take a look at how Twitter’s ‘For You’ tab was doing after getting unveiled by Musk in January of this year. It was a lot like the Explore page on the Instagram app or For You as seen on TikTok.

Then in February, Musk also introduced a new feature called block counts and how that was affecting the algorithm. So on that note, this writer gave the app another shot and wanted to pay close attention to the viral tweet pattern.

After making a few tweaks to his own posts and habits of sending out tweets, the writer opted to publish one tweet that employed several methods. It worked, he was getting his engagement back and we’re talking 1500 retweets and 500,000 views. Meanwhile, his second one got 8000 retweets and some 13 million views.

The hypothesis was published in his newsletter on the app and got 600 retweets with 1 million views. It even came on Twitter’s page dubbed ‘For You’. Interestingly, all of the topics that got viral fame were very basic and evergreen.

His theory is that the For You algorithm was launched with accounts that came with tags for popular Twitter Topics. This was a sorting tool that the app rolled out in 2019.

He also noticed how the app was putting a lot of content that had already reached viral fame on display. This might be one reason why people were seeing these same tweets. It entailed some quotes and trending topic tweets too.

So as you can see, there are several things to consider when posting a tweet, and this theory is a great start for those that wish to use it at their disposal.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

The choice of GIF is associated with how one may communicate

The U.S.-based Brigham Young University recently conducted a study to identify different kinds of GIF users. Graphics Interchange Format, commonly known as GIF, are short scenes that are usually shared during a conversation to make it more engaging or better depict how one is feeling. Communicating through GIFs has become common as people of all ages use them according to their needs. According to the university’s communication professor, Scott Church, GIF senders can be divided into 3 categories, namely, enthusiasts, referentiality, and searchers.

Starting with the first type, Scott said that enthusiasts are well familiar with their GIFs. They send them to make the other person laugh, as they use it as a mode of expression. These kinds of people prefer GIFs over the use of emojis. Scott shared the thoughts of one of the enthusiasts. According to that person, GIFs can be used to restore lost communication. The professor further added that these types of users would keep themselves updated with trending topics and would later share their knowledge in the form of GIFs.

Moving on to the second type, referentiality. For them, Scott revealed that these are the people who use GIFs as a tool to reply to the GIFs they received from the other user. They believe that by doing so, they can match their style with the person they are communicating with. Referentialists may believe that if a GIF is found to be related to any entertainment show or game, others will find it hilarious. They may also use it as a way of getting out of awkward discussions. One of the referentiality expressed their views by saying that whenever they would find themselves in a position where replying was a must, even if the message itself was awkward, using a GIF would be their way out.

And lastly, the picky GIF users, also known as “searchers,” are the ones who would set sail to find that perfect GIF that goes with the topic under discussion. However, searchers would use GIFs only when the discussion is not serious. They would scroll down to find what they need.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

PC Industry Facing a Slump? IDC Predicts 4.2% Decline in Global Shipments for 2023

In a surprising development for the tech industry, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) has predicted a decline in PC shipments in 2023. According to a recent report, the IDC expects global PC shipments to decline by 4.2% year-over-year in 2023.

This comes as a shock to many in the industry, as PC shipments have experienced steady growth in recent years, driven in part by the pandemic and the increasing need for remote work and learning. However, the report suggests that this trend is unlikely to continue in the coming years, with the market set to experience a downturn.

One of the key factors behind this decline is the ongoing shift towards mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. As these devices become increasingly powerful and versatile, many users are finding that they no longer require a traditional PC for their computing needs.

Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, and NEC are the top OEMs in terms of global PC deliveries, according to IDC. Of these, shipments from Dell (+6.4%), HP (+1.2%), and ASUS (+24.3%) increased in 2022 compared to 2021. NEC (-22.7%) and Lenovo (-3.2%), on the other hand, reported a fall in shipments in 2022.

In addition, the report highlights several other factors that are likely to contribute to the decline in PC shipments. These include a slower pace of technological innovation, a shift towards cloud-based computing, and a growing demand for more portable and lightweight devices.

Despite these challenges, the report also suggests that there are still opportunities for growth in certain areas of the PC market. For example, the gaming and high-performance computing sectors are expected to continue experiencing strong growth in the coming years, driven by the increasing demand for high-quality graphics and processing power.

Overall, the report from IDC is a sobering reminder of the challenges facing the PC industry in the years ahead. However, it also highlights the need for continued innovation and adaptation, as manufacturers and developers seek to meet the changing needs of consumers and businesses alike.
While the decline in PC shipments may come as a shock to some, the industry is already taking steps to adapt to these changing trends. Whether through the development of new technologies or the focus on niche markets, the PC industry will likely continue to play an important role in the tech landscape for years to come.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

MIT study suggests that more sharing on social platforms may lead people to care less about accuracy

The U.S.-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently concluded the study it has been working on to highlight that social media users find it difficult to either share a news story or decide whether it is true or fake. According to the institute, even if the users decide to share the news or not, it will decrease their capability to judge the authenticity of the content.

The research was based on the responses collected from social media users when they were asked to assess whether certain news content was true or not. On the other hand, when asked if they would forward the news, 35 percent of the survey participants were not good at differentiating news based on its authenticity. David Rand, an MIT professor, and co-author of the study added that asking if people would want to forward content would make them believe the news in which they didn’t have faith in the first place and not trust the news they initially thought was true. Giving it a thought can affect their judgment.

The study suggested that sharing and judging accuracy cannot be done simultaneously without affecting the user’s judgment. Asking people for either of the two things can affect their perception. The whole research was based on two rounds of an online survey, in which over three thousand participants took part. All of them had a social media account, either on Facebook or Twitter. These survey respondents were presented with true and fake news regarding political conditions and the recent pandemic. They were asked separately whether they believed the news or if they would share it with others. Later on, the questions were merged and asked again.

David Rand expressed his views by saying that the patterns of users’ activity on social sites can also affect their ability to assess the news. Partisan leanings were also studied in the research, but the institute didn’t have a proper explanation of the outcomes they received from Partisan and left it for the future. However, the report did suggest that social media sites can be restructured to prevent the spread of fake news content.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Picture Perfect Google Photos Revenue Skyrockets in 2023

In an exciting development for Google, it has been reported that its photo-sharing app, Google Photos, has seen a significant increase in revenue in 2023. According to recent reports from app analytics firm App Figures, the app has raked in hefty revenues in the last year alone.

Google Photos first launched in 2015 as a standalone app, providing users with unlimited photo storage and a range of features, including automatic backup and organization. The app quickly gained popularity, with users praising its ease of use and extensive range of features.

According to the data, Google Photos began 2022 with $6M in net income in the App Store. The following numbers are net, or what Google keeps after deducting Apple's portion.

Net revenue from the App Store increased to $6.4M by August, and it reached over $7.5M by December, a rise of 29% in 2022. It is a significant increase for a feature that comes standard with every iPhone.

To add, net sales from the App Store in January 2023 increased by a staggering 17% from the already high amount in December to $9M.

The report also highlights that the app's user base has continued to grow, with over 2 billion active users now utilizing the platform to store and share their photos.

One of the key factors behind the app's success has been its integration with Google's wider suite of services, including Google Drive and Google One. This has allowed users to seamlessly access their photos and videos across all of their devices, providing a highly convenient and user-friendly experience.

In recent years, Google has also focused on expanding the app's capabilities, introducing a range of new features such as AI-powered search and automatic enhancements. This has helped to set Google Photos apart from its competitors, providing users with a highly sophisticated and intuitive platform for managing and sharing their photos.

The significant increase in revenue for Google Photos is a major milestone for the app and highlights its continued growth and popularity among users. It also underscores the increasing importance of photo-sharing apps in the digital landscape, as more and more users look for convenient and easy-to-use platforms for storing and sharing their photos and videos.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

59% of Young People Spend Over Two Hours a Day on Social Media

Between Instagram and TikTok, young people have no shortage of social media platforms that they can use to stay in touch with their friends and pass the time. In spite of the fact that this is the case, many studies have shown that this can have a detrimental impact that could make mental health among young people far worse than might have been the case otherwise.

With 59% of young people saying that they tend to surf social media for over two hours each and every day, these ill effects could quite quickly start to become more pronounced in the long run. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that almost 75% of young people between the ages of 13 and 24, or 74.3% to be precise, said they felt like they used social media a bit too much.

This comes from a report that was recently published by Amnesty International, and it indicates that young people are well aware of the perils of using social media more often than what would be considered healthy. 93% of survey respondents said that they had been exposed to some kind of disinformation whilst surfing the web, and 86% said that they were forced to block people because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping them see better content.

All in all, teenagers and young adults appear to hate the addictive nature of social media. They have spoken out about how they feel compelled to keep checking it in a rather obsessive way, and they have also outlined some changes that can be made to improve it with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Making better and more transparent privacy policies will be a good place to start. Also, changing the algorithm that often boosts inflammatory and enraging content will also be a decent step to take. Social media companies profit off of addictive design, and it does not seem likely that they’d be willing to make any changes.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World