😮 Apps cut off in Facebook Groups - is it time for an alternative? // Meta AI assistant & labeling images

| SOCIAL SCOOP | You are receiving this Social Scoop email newsletter as you subscribed via my website and / or via my Social Scoop Facebook Group. If you prefer to STOP receiving emails from me, you can simply unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email. I'd love it if you could please not report as spam. Thank you! 😊🙏 Greetings {NAME}! Well, Meta has done it again... in the company's usual uncommunicative, confusing manner, Facebook Group Admins and Developers are left in the dark as to what exactly is happening. 🙊 In a Developer blog, Meta buried an announcement that the Facebook Groups API would be deprecated (shut off) starting April 22nd. What does that mean? It means NO MORE scheduling or publishing content into your Facebook Group via ANY third-party app. 😳 Meta cuts off third-party access to Facebook Groups, leaving admins and developers confused This affects any live-streaming app as well. (Except, there may be a workaround if you use a custom stream key, but it's finnecky and you can't see comments nor display them on screen). Sigh. What a hot mess, eh? I did a ton of investigating myself for several days to try and get to the bottom line of this mega issue. I wrote up [an explanatory post](=) on my Facebook Page - would you like to check it out and join the conversation? Plus, several Facebook Group app developers got the attention of TechCrunch who wrote up [this article]() to try and draw attention to the matter. TC also states the story is developing and that they are waiting for commentary from Meta. Hmph. 😧 The moment I hear any clarification on this matter, I'll be sure to update you! Should you consider alternatives to a Facebook Group? Social Media Examiner [revealed]() this week that they are about to move the Social Media Marketing Society member community OFF of Facebook Groups to an alternative platform. Specifics will be revealed shortly; I'm not at liberty to say... yet! However, I did think this was an interesting move. SME's main reason cited is, "...Facebook is deprioritizing group posts in the Feed. And that makes it much harder to connect with fellow marketers." To be clear, the SMM Society is a paid group and all member content is housed in a separate platform. But the community aspect is in a private Facebook Group. It's been two years since I created a supplemental community myself - [Mari Smith's Superstars](=) - proudly built on the [Mighty Networks platform](). I just love their UI & UX. (My primary reason for starting a separate community is to share about my passion project: the amazing and life-changing Human Design System!) Yes, it takes a bit of retraining to ensure people know where to go and how to configure settings to their liking. But it can be a wonderful oasis away from the cacophony of social sites. Lol! And now I've started leading my [courses]() through MN as well. Of course, to be clear, I'm a big fan of creating an additional / supplemental community on what I call a 'non-Zuck' platform. Lol. There's room for both/and. I've no intentions of stopping using Facebook Groups! (I'll be the last one to leave. I'll be the one shutting off the lights. Ha! 💡) [Mari Smith Superstars](=) Meta is building a 'world-class AI assistant' + will label AI-generated images "Meta has been a pioneer in AI development for more than a decade," [declares]( the company. Just in case you were in any doubt about Meta's abilities to innovate. Lol. Here are several AI related updates of note: - Meta recently [announced]( they will soon start clearly labeling images that users post to Facebook, Instagram and Threads when they can detect industry standard indicators that they are AI-generated. - Meta has a [major goal](=) to "build the most popular and most advanced AI products and services" including a world-class AI assistant for ... basically EVERYONE in the world. - Meta started rolling out a 'Write with AI' [prompt]() when you go to make a post. It seems to be starting with Android users for now. Do you have the feature yet? - AI Stickers come to Messenger. You might've seen these in your IG & FB Stories? Now the same/similar feature is rolling out inside Messenger chats. The stickers are fun... I guess. Who knows how much use they'll get. In Messenger, when you generate an AI Sticker, the prompt you use is included in the message to your friend(s). That's all for today! You're welcome to reach out to me anytime. You can reply to this email. Plus, come connect with your fellow marketers in my wonderfully supportive [Social Scoop Facebook Community](=). Cheers 'til the next time! Mari Smith CEO, Mari Smith International, Inc. Premier Facebook Marketing Expert Top Social Media Thought Leader Author, The New Relationship Marketing P.S. I'm so pumped to head back to San Diego from February 11th to 21st. (My hometown for 24.5 years until I moved to Ashland, Oregon summer last year!) First, I'm treating myself to a full week vacation, meeting up with my dear sister and brother-in-law again as they pass through SoCal on their travels. Then I'm speaking at the annual [Social Media Marketing World conference](. 🏝 See you there if you're going! (And see you in the Facebook Group if you're attending virtually!). I'm just relieved it looks like all the rainstorms will have calmed down and we'll be able to enjoy sunny and mid 60F's! ☀️ Okay this is probably not San Diego... ha, but it's a close representation. 😉 If you have any questions or feedback, you can reply directly to this email. If you prefer not to receive any emails from me, click to [Unsubscribe]( from all communications, including my Social Scoop newsletter. Mari Smith International, Inc. 1467 Siskiyou Blvd #7 Ashland, Oregon 97520 United States (858) 215-3001 Manage how we communicate with you, [update your preferences]( anytime.