• Roku is testing its own Wi-Fi extender to improve streaming reliability.
• Snap closed above its debut IPO for the first time since March 2018.
• Netflix launches a mobile-only plan in India for less than $3 bucks a month.
• Google adds “Request a Quote” button to business listings in search results.

The social media landscape is always changing.

Remember when Facebook was only open to college students? Nowadays, our parents are all over it.

As marketers, it’s important to pay close attention to the up and coming platforms to determine if they’re worth your time and money.

Check out 4 new(ish) platforms below and a few tips on how to navigate them.

1. TikTok: TikTok allows users to upload short videos that play on repeat. Think Vine and Musica.ly combined. With over 500m monthly active users, TikTok is gaining some serious steam. 60% of the app’s monthly active users are 16 to 24 year-olds.
2. Caffeine: Caffeine.tv, a platform built by ex-Apple designers, allows you to create live broadcasts for friends and followers. The broadcasts show up in a feed where you can give an emoji reaction or respond with comments. Caffeine is still really fresh to the scene. The number of users is unspecified, but it’s reported that Caffeine has over $140m in investments. If live-streaming is your game, you should check out Caffeine.
3. Lasso by Facebook: Lasso is basically a TikTok knockoff targeted at younger folks. Users can upload short videos with music overlays and filters. Over 70k downloads have been accounted for to date.
4. Houseparty: Houseparty is a group video messaging app that allows video chats that can host eight users at a time. The app started as Meerkat and rebranded to Houseparty in 2016. There are over 20m users. Creative uses could include “influencer” house parties, hosted games and more.

Keep in mind that it’s important to balance the old platforms with the new.

Ask yourself the following questions before you go all in.

• How many actives users are on the platform?
• Are other publications talking about it?
• Do older platforms have a similar tool and bigger user base?
• What type of content could you post to the new platform?

Here’s one for all you freelancers and side hustlers.

This freelance calculator reverse engineers your pricing structure by asking your desired income.

It’s simple and free to use. Give it a try.

Old Spice is encouraging guys to stop being lame.

The new ad spots are centered around guys being rescued from lameness by their bros. Example: falling asleep at 8pm next to a baby monitor.

Check it out.