Digital Marketing

Twitter is taking a new approach to “humanize” its business partners’ customer service-based “Direct Messages.”   Twitter’s new feature – “Custom Profiles in Direct Messages” – allows businesses to better emphasize the human element in private conversations, as well as more clearly indicate when a bot is speaking, according to Twitter.   

The increasing use of smartphones has drastically impacted the consumer's path to purchase — and the momentum continues.   Most online U.S. consumers (60%) now use mobile technology for shopping, and two thirds (67%) searched online for additional product information, according to “The Consumer Technology Association's (CTA) Path to Purchase Using Mobile Devices Market Research report.”  

A disruptive retail climate and underperforming categories took their toll on HSN during the fourth quarter.   HSN’s net income was $43.5 million for the quarter, or 82 cents per share, ended December 31, 2016, compared to $59.7 million for the same period last year. This exceeded analysts’ estimates of 74 cents per share.  

HSN’s feature, “The Beauty Spy,” uses social media to introduce shoppers in the United States to new, emerging and exotic beauty trends. Now it is coming to the small screen.   The program, which can be seen on HSN’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and SnapChat, will become a monthly program appearing exclusively on HSN — a move that will deliver a multi-platform experience to viewers.  

Snapchat users may be in the market for a new gadget to share their pictures — a new way to purchase it.   Snap, the parent company of the SnapChat messaging platform, launched a new e-retailing site, Spectacles.com, which highlights brightly colored, whimsical video-recording sunglasses, ReCode said.    

Specialty retailer Bow & Drape is putting a new spin on how it sells its cheeky merchandise.   The brand, which lets shoppers customize pun-inspired apparel, is rolling out sample sales on Instagram, Glossy said.   

T-Mobile’s digital loyalty program just got more valuable.   The company’s “T-Mobile Tuesdays” app delivers free gifts and dis-counts to its users each week. Through its partnership with Excentus, the wireless provider now features a 25-cent-per-gallon “Fuel Rewards” discount code within its weekly rewards rotation.   

Retailers may have a new way to spread the word about their job openings.   Facebook now allows businesses in the United States and Canada to post available positions on their company pages or in the new “Jobs on Facebook” bookmark. Facebook users can also see job posts in their news feed, and alongside other posts on Facebook’s business pages, the social network said.