Stop Guessing, Start Knowing: The Social Media Tools You Need for 2025

Keeping track of your performance and campaigns on social media platforms is important to maintain your presence. It helps you in making better decisions for your brand and profile. Being aware of your analytics also allows you to check where you stand in comparison to others.

Many social media analytic tools are available to analyze social media performance. Each one of them offers its own set of features to provide users with better analysis of their social media activity.

For starters it is important to note that various analytics tools offer unique paid features for brands, but newcomers or startups can start with basic built-in tools like Facebook Insights or Instagram Analytics. For more advanced needs in 2025, here are the top social media analytics tools to consider:

HubSpot

HubSpot is the best choice if you are running huge business-related campaigns on social media. On HubSpot, users can conveniently do all types of marketing.

Its features include media management tools, detailed reporting and web traffic.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social can help big companies to lay down their strategies effectively. It offers competitive reports, which show your comparative position on social media. It also offers management tools, detailed reporting and hashtag tracking tools.

Google Analytics

If you are just interested in finding out the traffic inflows to your website, Google Analytics is a good option. The tool provides data that allows users to know what content and which social media platform attract the most traffic. Moreover, its demographic depiction of data allows users to make better decisions.

Keyhole

Keyhole provides analytical data about brand trends. It is a great tool to find out about the perception of people about your product on social media.

Its main features include competitive analysis, social media trends and management tools.

Rival IQ

Use Rival IQ if you want to know about how successful you are on social media and about benchmarks. Plus, Rival IQ provides users with detailed reporting, competitive analysis and social listening tools.

Buffer

Buffer provides not only social media management/scheduling tools, but also paid versus organic reports, detailed reporting and white label reports. Social teams focusing on content management should prefer Buffer app to others. One thing that hasn’t changed about Buffer is that their free plan still works like a charm.

Hootsuite

Almost all types of businesses employ Hootsuite for analysis of their social media presence. The tool offers management tools, detailed reporting and competitor reporting. Moreover, it also allows repurposing of top-performing posts on the platforms. A downside of this tool is the lack of a free tier for extended basic testing.

Brandwatch

It is a social media and influencer marketing tool that allows users to engage at the speed of social. It provides great social listening tools, benchmarks and marketing tools.

Sendible

Sendible has a user-friendly dashboard. The tool offers management tools, automatic postings and tracking of multiple campaigns.

SEMRush Social

SEMRush Social is used across all major social media platforms for social media management and analytics. This tool also offers in-app social postings.

Tailwind

Tailwind is specially designed for visual-focused platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. It provides management tools as well as detailed reporting about your social media performance.

Selecting the right social media analytics tool is key to refining your strategy, optimizing performance, and staying ahead of competitors. Whether you're a startup using built-in tools or an established brand leveraging advanced analytics, the insights gained will help you make data-driven decisions for sustained growth.

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by Ehtasham Ahmad via Digital Information World

Global VR Shipments Decline, Meta and Apple Face Shifts in Consumer Preferences

According to Counterpoint's Global Extended Reality (AR/VR) Headset Model Tracker, the global VR headset shipment has declined 4% YoY and 16% QoQ in Q3 of 2024. Tethered VR headset segment saw a big drop in Q3 2024 at 50% and it is the primary reason for decline of VR headset shipment this quarter. Despite the decline, Meta is still dominating the global VR market at 65 shares this quarter, but it still saw some decrease in its shipments as compared to previous quarters. The reason was decrease in sales of Meta Quest 3 because consumers wanted to buy a cheaper headset, Meta Quest 3S.

Apple Vision Pro saw a double growth in its shipments because it was launched in Europe, China and APAC. But there are predictions that Apple is going to see a decline in shipments of Apple Vision Pro in Q4 2024. In H2 2024, total shipments of Apple can be 90% international sales. Now we have to see once the data gets shared. Pico also released its latest Pico 4 Ultra in Europe and China and this helped in the 6% QoQ growth of this headset, but there was a 2% decrease YoY in global shipments of the same model. China was really anticipating Pico 4 Ultra because it can be used in entertainment projects and large-space VR tourism.

There was a 29% decrease in Sony’s YoY shipments but when its PC adapter launched, its QoQ shipments increased because of the hype around this VR model and the promotional campaigns in Europe and North America. DPVR also saw a good growth with 14% QoQ increase and 67% YoY increase. Shipments of VR headsets that had MR capabilities increased to 80% from just 6% in Q3 2023. It is also expected that it can increase to 90% in Q4 2024.

Many VR companies are testing different features on their latest headsets to stand out in the market, with Apple also testing OLED displays on its Vision headset. It will be cost effective too, but won't make the experience for users bad. There are some industry advancements in Snap’s Spectacle’ 24 AR glasses and Meta’s Orion AR glasses. AR+AI smart glasses are going to see some growth in late 2024, which will gain momentum in 2025. Many of the companies are now working on AR+AI glasses and we are sure that we'll see some new products within next year.

Read next: eSIM Awareness Rises, But Reluctance Keeps Adoption in Check
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

eSIM Awareness Rises, But Reluctance Keeps Adoption in Check

According to Counterpoint’s Consumer eSIM Awareness Survey, 35% of the respondents are aware of eSIM. This shows that eSIM is slowly being adopted even though there are no efforts from network operators and eSIM vendors to raise awareness about this emerging tech. The survey also found that respondents who are aware of eSIM are also owners of eSIM compatible devices which means that compatibility is a big factor in awareness of adoption of eSIMs. The survey was conducted among 3,535 respondents from countries like Germany, Japan, US, Poland, France, UK and Canada. The survey also found that 39% of the respondents of the survey are using eSIMs on their devices. This shows that even though people are aware of eSIM and know its importance, there is still low adaptability of eSIM.

Research Director at Counterpoint, Mohit Agrawal, said that there are very clear advantages of eSIM like its flexibility and multi-SIM functionality, but it seems that people are still not using it. Using eSIM is a great way to not use multiple SIMs in a single device because eSIM can do the functions of two or more SIMs at a time smoothly. The survey also revealed that 61% of the respondents say that they do not prefer eSIM as their SIM connectivity option, showing people's reluctance. As there are also device compatibility issues in the adoption of eSIM, many people use their SIM cards or hybrid models as they use devices that are not compatible with eSIM. By continuing efforts to raise awareness about eSIM, some individuals might reconsider their perspective on the technology.

The respondents who use eSIMs agreed that their eSIM adoption process was smooth and friendly and only a small number of people said they find the eSIM adoption process difficult and complex. The biggest challenge eSIM vendors are facing is lack of promotion and awareness about eSIM. If efforts are made for the awareness and adoption of eSIM, it can result in mass adoption but it still seems impossible. Research analyst at Counterpoint, Siddhant Cally, said that eSIM adoption can become more widespread if it starts getting compatible with budget mobile phones as they are currently dominating the smartphone market. 90% of the respondents who are currently using eSIM said that they are satisfied with it and this means that once there is awareness about eSIM and people start using it, they will be satisfied with this change.

Read next: The Future of Social Media: Meta’s AI Personas and the Shift Toward Digital Engagement
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

AI-Powered Replies and Business Platform Connectivity Arrive on WhatsApp iOS

WhatsApp Beta for iOS 24.25.10.84 update is here. The messaging app has added two features, AI replies and connection for business platforms. Earlier, WhatsApp had announced these two features for WhatsApp business app for Android and it was about time that iOS got these features too. This new update for iOS will surely facilitate business owners who manage their businesses through WhatsApp business app. Soon, WhatsApp business users on iOS will be able to connect their business app to AI. AI integration will happen on WhatsApp business after users will scan a QR code which will activate AI on the app.

AI replies is a handy feature for WhatsApp business because sometimes customers message out of business hours or when a team member is unavailable, so AI can help reply to the customers in the meanwhile. Sometimes there are also some frequently asked questions for which the replies are almost the same, so the AI integration can reply to those frequently asked questions too. Another thing is that AI replies on WhatsApp business can also provide customers all the information in detail and can even give them answers according to the customers’ needs and wants. In addition to that, AI can also tell customers prices and specifications of the products and services, which can facilitate customers in their decision making process.

AI replies will automatically become inactive when the business decides to answer them manually so there is a smooth transition between the queries and replies. Customers will be informed beforehand that they are being AI assisted so transparency remains. As AI answers may not always be accurate, businesses can provide Meta their feedback so the company can improve their AI so the businesses can run smoothly.

Another feature that WhatsApp for iOS is getting is the business platform connection feature which will allow users to connect their Business Platform to their WhatsApp Business app. This way businesses will be able to manage both of their accounts on each platform simultaneously. After scanning the QR code, businesses will have the option to share their six month chat history to WhatsApp business which will provide important context to customer interactions. These two new features are available for some beta testers right now and will be soon available for other users through WhatsApp update on App Store.

Image: WABetaInfo

Read next: The Future of Social Media: Meta’s AI Personas and the Shift Toward Digital Engagement
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Postpone TikTok Ban Ahead of Inauguration

With just days until his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump has requested the Supreme Court delay a law that could ban TikTok in the U.S. The law, scheduled to take effect on January 19, 2025—just one day before Trump’s inauguration—has been described by his legal team as “unfortunately timed.”

In an amicus brief submitted to the court, Trump’s attorney, D. John Sauer, argued that the incoming president should have the opportunity to address the issue “through political means.” The brief emphasized Trump’s extensive experience in dealmaking, citing his ability to negotiate a solution that balances national security concerns with preserving TikTok’s presence in the United States. Sauer’s filing also referenced Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, as a testament to his understanding of digital platforms and their implications.

TikTok’s legal team has also raised concerns over the timing of the ban, describing it as potentially disruptive and advocating for a delay to allow further dialogue. The company has sought to engage with policymakers to resolve the government’s national security worries, a sentiment echoed by Trump’s legal filing.

This marks a notable shift in Trump’s stance on TikTok compared to his first presidential term. In 2020, he actively pursued a ban on the platform, even suggesting that Microsoft could broker a deal to acquire TikTok in a way that would benefit the U.S. Treasury. However, his position has evolved in recent years. Speaking to CNBC in March, Trump criticized the idea of banning TikTok, arguing that it could inadvertently strengthen Facebook, which he has labeled “an enemy of the people” and a competitor to his own platform.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments regarding the TikTok ban on January 10, 2025, just days before the law’s enforcement. The outcome of this case may determine whether the incoming administration will have the chance to broker a deal that avoids a ban while addressing concerns over national security.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Unchecked Sharing of Political Content Fuels Misinformation on Social Media

A new study published in Nature Human Behavior finds that most of the social media users share posts without reading and confirming the whole content. The analysis was made on 35 million Facebook posts and it was found that 75% of the users didn't engage with the post completely before sharing it. The aim of the study was to find out how and why people share posts on social media without reading them first. To investigate all of this behavior, the researchers took a dataset of 35 million URLs shared on Facebook from 2017 to 2020. The researchers focused on 4,617 domains from The New York Times, CNN, BBC, Fox News and their URLs during the four year period.

The research included two areas – the patterns of sharing content related to politics and sharing content without clicking on it or reading it completely. A machine learning classifier separates political content from non-political content with the help of keywords used in them. Different user behaviors from political views like neutral, liberal and conservative were analyzed to find if there was some connection between the political views of users and the content they share without reading it. Among all the URLs which were analyzed, 75% of them were shared without checking the full content and the trend was stronger in the content related to politics. The URLs which had incorrect or false content were also likely to be shared more than the content with correct and true information.

Users simply glance at the highlight, blurb and the news network the content was shared by and hit the share button which then spreads misinformation to other people too. The researchers also found that the content which had more politically extreme information was more likely to get shared without being clicked or read completely. Users shared the content which aligned with their political beliefs the most and that's why their shared content was biased. Conservatives share links five times more than liberals before completely reading them, and this shows a concerning trend about how social media users are engaging with posts.

The study has some limitations too like how the study was only done on the basis of aggregated data and not on individual behavior, and the study also just focuses on Facebook. If we need to know more about user behavior when it comes to sharing content without reading or clicking on it, we need to analyze different social media platforms as well as behavior of users individually and on different devices.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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OpenAI Eyes For-Profit Model Amid Strategic Discussions with Microsoft

Tech giant OpenAI appears to be on the move to transform into a ‘for-profit’ company amid serious discussions with top investor and software giant Microsoft.

It’s a move that many saw coming for a long time and also one that tech billionaire Elon Musk wished to block from day one. But from what can be seen in new reports published by The Information, it’s finally happening.

Both tech giants have been conducting discussions since the start of October about restructuring the entire AI firm. It’s no surprise that Microsoft is in on the deal as it’s already invested a whopping $13B in the company.

One source familiar with the whole matter was quick to delineate more about how most discussions revolved around four leading topics. This entails details about the equity stake that Microsoft holds if the software giant will continue to be the sole cloud provider, the timeframe Microsoft can maintain rights over OpenAI’s intellectual goods, and if the company will carry on and take close to 20% of the overall revenue.

While both companies are staying rather hush on the matter, it’s definitely not any major secret at this moment in time. The tech giant made it clear how it hopes to replan the entire ‘for-profit’ company that will not be controlled by the nonprofit board.

When asked to detail more about the report, the representative for OpenAI said the company is just focusing more on bringing benefits to all. They hope to work alongside the board to make sure that they’re in the best position to succeed with that mission. Remember, nonprofit is still the core of the company’s main objectives and it hopes to continue with that.

Meanwhile, the entire process of restructuring does not come too easy for the tech giant. That’s all thanks to Elon Musk and his legal woes that keep holding this company back.

The tech billionaire and Tesla CEO wants to prevent OpenAI from converting into a for-profit organization. His lawyers argued that it needs to be barred from getting benefits of a wrongful deal which includes very sensitive data through its partnership with Microsoft.

On the other hand, the company is also making room for more sales personnel in what it feels is the new paradigm shift inside the corporate AI sector. Remember, the is continuing to sign new documents with different industries like health, law, manufacturing, and more.

OpenAI wants the world to know that AI is the future and that’s why a shift is necessary. They are achieving that by unlocking some wonderfully unique and new working ways.

Image: DIW

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World