Anyone who has visited China, or is aware of its social media “Great Wall”, will know that sites including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, are all blocked. Now, the government has forced even further regulations, issuing restrictions on its mobile messaging services.

News has reached us at The Practice, that Apple has just appointed a new digital marketing director. Musa Tariq, Nike’s former global senior director of social media and community, is set to take up what we imagine to be an exciting role. But with Apple traditionally having a very limited social presence, just what could this appointment signal?

Picture messaging apps are booming, with Snapchat leading the way amongst users. With Facebook launching Slingshot last month, and Instagram poised to launch Bolt, just why are these apps so popular, and how can we expect this market to grow?

As regular watchers of BBC news, we at The Practice were interested to notice that in recent times, the organization has been imploring viewers to share their comments via services such as Skype and WhatsApp. With more and more companies reaching out to their audiences through private social channels, we were interested to explore the benefits.

As we mentioned in an earlier blog post, Pinterest isn’t just for voyeurs imagining their dream homes and holiday destinations, it’s also a useful tool for discovering a minefield of information. But when it comes to marketing, users are looking to see this information presented coherently and creatively. So just how innovatively are brands using Pinterest today? We at The Practice were keen to find out, and share our predictions for what we might see next.

Although one of the best business networks out there, LinkedIn is often underused as a marketing tool. But for B2B organisations in particular, the platform can offer huge benefits when it comes to making connections, communicating, and conveying expertise.

Just last month, Facebook once again updated its News Feed algorithm- this time, to determine how we respond to video content.

Just last week, Tag Heuer, part of the LVMH group who own other luxury watch brands including Hublot, announced that its sales director had left the company to join Apple. This is the latest move proving just how likely it is that Apple’s new iWatch is expected to be launched very soon.

This past month, the world has watched in horror as militant action threatens Iraq. With fundamentalist group ISIS and its affiliated jihadists determined to spread their message, social media has played a crucial role.

It seems as if this year’s Wimbledon is the most social to date, with organisers using new social media tactics and technology to draw viewers. For those, (including The Practice team), sadly not in attendance, the move will help connect the event’s global audience like never before.