What’s MGHappening in Social Media: Dec. 11, 2018

TechCrunch – Facebook is testing a new feature that allows sellers to go live with the intention of demonstrating a product, similar to a QVC presentation. The test, which is currently live in Thailand, notifies fans of a certain page that it will be going live to “showcase products and connect with customers.” Like any live broadcast on Facebook, users can engage with questions and comments during the broadcast. Users can then make a purchase and complete payment via Messenger. (Full Story)

Variety – Facebook has been exploring ways to generate more use of Facebook Watch since the service’s creation, and the latest attempt has involved making three TV shows available on the platform. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly have all been syndicated to Facebook Watch; however, they are not gaining much traction with fewer than a million views combined in their first week on Watch. Nearly half of the 949,000 views were for one episode of one show (season 1, episode 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). (Full Story)

CNBC – After holding the top spot in the tech category of Glassdoor’s best places to work list in 2018, Facebook slipped to seventh heading into the new year. Facebook’s year of scandals is being blamed as the cause for the steep decline, with employee satisfaction falling from a 4.6 to a 4.3. This year is the first time Facebook’s score has trended down since 2015, and the report suggests that while many people once wanted to work for Facebook, there are now many employees ready to leave due to the continuing scandals that have hurt the company. (Full Story)

Mashable – For many Instagram users, a glitch appeared last week causing scrambled gray bars to appear over images on the platform. Some people figured it for a new filter, and while some people panicked that their phone was broken, most people found it laughable. Instagram was uncertain of the cause behind the issue, but they acknowledged fault and worked to fix it fairly quickly. (Full Story)

AdWeek – A new study from social media management platform Socialbakers has identified various trends as to how advertisers are seeing results on Instagram compared to Facebook. A significant finding showed how overall engagement on Facebook is declining, while certain categories are seeing improved engagement on Instagram. Facebook’s prioritization of meaningful conversations on the platform earlier this year is what lead to the decline; the Cambridge Analytica scandal was not found in correlation. (Full Story)