The number of people using messaging apps is set to hit two billion by 2018, so it’s no wonder brands want to get in on the action. Major tech players are touting chatbots as the next big thing, but can they really revolutionise online interactions, or are they just part of an industry-driven pipe dream?

If you’ve sung along to Carpool Karaoke, or been mesmerised by a 30-second Tasty recipe, then you’ll know just how engaging video content can be. Video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic by 2017, but how can brands best harness this visual medium to engage people online?

Private messaging is an ideal medium to do the obvious – open a dialogue and conduct a conversation. In fact, 59% of all US social sharing now occurs in private channels. But while people are happy to chat to their mates on platforms like Facebook Messenger, how can brands get involved?

At some point, most people will have found themselves looking through someone's Instagram feed without commenting or engaging with it. Canvas8 spoke with Ruoxu Wang, Fan Yang and Michel M. Haigh, authors of ‘Let me take a selfie’, to understand how lurking affects our self-esteem.