Tag: Social Media Marketing

Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s custom service list in GMB, Twitter’s testing new features, Pinterest’s support for small businesses & more…

1. Google Lets Businesses Add a Custom List of Services to GMB Listings

An update to Google My Business will allow service-based businesses to specify the types of services they offer to customers. Google My Business will provide a selection of suggested types of services. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. Twitter tests new conversation features from twttr prototype, rollout planned for 2020

Twttr, the prototype app Twitter launched earlier this year, has been testing new ways to display conversations, including through the use of threaded replies and other visual cues. Now, those features have been spotted on Twitter.com, giving the service a message board-like feel where replies are connected to original tweeter and others in a thread by way of thin, gray lines. [Source: Tech Crunch]

3. ‘Pinterest Shop’ Supports Small Businesses This Holiday Season

This year, it’s good to be a small business; especially if you are one that gets to be featured on Pinterest Shop, Pinterest’s new online marketplace for small merchants. According to Marketing Dive, “the rollout of the feature is timed ahead of Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30, an annual occasion that urges people to support local businesses during the holiday rush.” [Source: Social Media Today]

4. Snapchat Usage Projected to Grow Over 14% This Year

Snapchat is projected to grow more than anticipated by the end of this year as the company is making a comeback following several years of disappointing user growth. The fastest growing demographic for Snapchat is users aged 12 to 17. The number of users aged 35 to 64 is also growing in double digit percentages. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

5. AWS makes it easier to add machine learning prediction models to your martech tools, dashboards

Amazon is bringing its machine learning capabilities to more business analysts and developers. The company announced that Amazon Aurora, Amazon Athena and Amazon QuickSight users will now have access to machine learning prediction models that can easily be integrated into various applications and business intelligence dashboards. [Source: Martech Today]

6. Twitter halts plan to remove inactive accounts until it can memorialize dead users

Twitter has followed up with more details surrounding its plan to remove inactive accounts over the coming months. First, the company says the process “impacts accounts in the EU only, for now.” That important tidbit wasn’t made clear when the news broke on November 26th. But far more important is that Twitter has recognized that it can’t go around deleting accounts until it finds a way to preserve the accounts of people who’ve died. [Source: The Verge]

7. Truecaller to foray into credit business in early 2020: Co-founder Nami Zarringhalam

Truecaller plans to use its payments platform to foray into credit business early 2020, turning it into a complete fin-tech company, co-founder Nami Zarringhalam said. [Source: Mint]

8. DAA introduces CCPA opt-out mechanism similar to ‘ad choices’

As the CCPA deadline approaches, there are multiple companies offering tools for compliance. The latest comes from trade group Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA). Conceptually similar to ad choices, The DAA will enable online users to opt out of the sale or transfer of their personal data “across all of the DAA participating companies integrated into the new tools, from a single website or app.” [Source: Martech Today]

9. Google Maps the dominant local search tool, followed by Facebook and Yelp

It’s not a secret that Google Maps has solidified its place as the dominant entry point for local search. In fact, a new consumer survey from Brandify found that 77% of respondents use Google Maps to find “near me” business information well ahead of other sites. [Source: Search Engine Land]

10. WhatsApp Spotted Working On Snapchat Cloned Feature

A month ago, WABetaInfo revealed that it had spotted a new WhatsApp feature called disappearing messages in the beta build 2.19.275 of the Android app. The feature is reportedly in the works, and it has now been named as Delete Messages in the latest beta build 2.19.348 update. This upcoming feature enables users to set chat messages to be detached after a particular period of time. [Source: IBT Times]

November 29, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up:Google’s Limitation On Political Ads, Facebook’s New Dynamic Formats, Snapchat’s Extended Play Commercials and more…

1.Google to start limiting political advertisers’ targeting reach

Google will start placing more restrictions on the targeting ability of political advertisers trying to reach voters. The move means political advertisers will no longer be able to target voters based on their political affiliation or public voter records. However, they will still be able to target voters based on age, gender and zip code. [Source: The Drum]

2.Facebook Can Now Deliver Ads That Are Dynamically Tailored to Each User

Facebook is rolling out new advertising features that use machine learning to dynamically customize ads for individual users. This gives advertisers the ability to serve personalized ads when they may otherwise lack the time and resources required to deliver personally relevant ad experiences. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

3.Snapchat’s new ad format lets advertisers extend 6-second non-skippable ads

Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, has announced the launch of a new video ad format: Extended Play Commercials. The new, mid-roll ad type maintains the 6-second non-skippable format – but offers advertisers the ability to extend the runtime beyond the 6-second mark for up to three minutes. [Source: Marketing Land]

4.Twitter is now testing the ability to schedule tweets using its web app

Twitter has announced that it is now rolling out an ‘experimental’ feature, which will allow users to schedule tweets. Twitter revealed this via TweetDeck’s account. The tweet revealed that the feature is currently being tested only on Twitter’s web app. [Source: First Post]

5.Facebook’s latest experiment is a meme-creation app, Whale

Facebook’s NPE Team, a division inside the social networking giant that will build experimental consumer-facing social apps, has now added a third app to its lineup with the launch of meme creation app Whale. Currently, the app allows users to decorate photos with text and stickers in order to create memes that can be shared to social media or texted to friends. [Source: Tech Crunch]

6.Facebook to pull location from ad set when creating new Lookalike audiences

Facebook is testing the removal of the location field that advertisers use to create Lookalike audiences – Facebook’s tool for reaching new audiences based on how they compare to existing customers. In the test, Lookalike audiences use locations from ad sets – eliminating one extra step in the targeting setup process. [Source: Marketing Land]

7.Google Ads intros ‘restricted data processing’ capability for CCPA compliance

Google will offer restricted data processing to enable businesses to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). With restricted data processing enabled, Google will act as an affected business’ (advertiser, publisher or partner) data processing service provider. [Source: Martech Today]

8.Twitter Adds New ‘Conversation Insights’ to Media Studio

Twitter has added a new ‘Conversation Insights’ element to its Media Studio tool, which provides more specific data on your tweet mentions, who’s mentioning you, and filters to provide additional information on the types of accounts engaging with your profile. [Source: Social Media Today]

9.Google Search Console adds Product results filters to performance report

Google announced it has added new filters to the performance report within Google Search Console to show you how well your product results are doing in search. Google now captures and displays click and impression data when rich results display based on your use of product rich results markup. [Source: Search Engine Land]

10.Facebook Adds New Options for Brands to Control Ad Placements

Facebook has announced a new set of brand safety tools which will enable businesses to better control where their ads appear across Facebook’s various ad delivery networks. [Source: Social Media Today]

November 22, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Chrome’s Warning For Slow Pages, Facebook’s New Fundraising Tool, Instagram’s New ‘Reels’ Mode and more…

1. Chrome May Warn Users of Slow Pages Before They Click

Google Chrome announced a plan to introduce badging as a way to encourage publishers to improve site speed. Google proposed a contextual menu on links that will tell users, before they click, that a site is slow. The goal is to reward fast sites. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2.Facebook Rolls Out New Fundraising Tools and Options Ahead of Giving Tuesday

Facebook has announced a new set of fundraising and cause awareness tools to assist non-profits in boosting their activity. Facebook is adding its fundraising stickers to Facebook Stories. Facebook is also expanding its charity donation tools within gaming live-streams. [Source: Social Media Today]

3.Instagram Goes After TikTok with New ‘Reels’ Mode

Instagram has launched a new feature which aims to replicate the key functionality of rising app TikTok. But rather than taking on parent-company Facebook’s usual tactic of launching a separate app, Instagram is adding its new ‘Reels’ feature as an element within Instagram Stories, using the app’s scale to try and beat TikTok at its own game – and blunt its potential to take away younger users. [Source: Social Media Today]

4.Facebook Releases New Overview of Content Removals, Fake Profiles and Enforcements

The Social Network has released its latest Community Standards Enforcement Report, which outlines all the content removals and actions it’s taken as a result of posted material that breaks its established rules. [Source: Social Media Today]

5.Google expands Local campaigns inventory, BOPIS offers for Shopping campaigns

The new features, including new Maps inventory for Local campaigns, are rolling out over the coming weeks. Shopping campaigns are also getting updates for brick-and-mortar promotions and optimization. [Source: Search Engine Land]

6.Instagram’s test to hide like counts expands to the US and across the globe

Instagram, which has been running a test to hide like counts on posts in seven different countries, announced today that it is expanding the test globally. This follows an announcement last week that the test would be expanding to the US as soon as this week. [Source: The Verge]

7.LinkedIn adds Data Validation to Sales Navigator

LinkedIn launched Data Validation, a feature designed to help users manage their contacts and ensure they have the most up-to-date contact data. Data Validation will automatically flag contacts who are no longer with the company listed in users’ CRM. [Source: MarTech Today]

8.Microsoft Advertising talks intelligence, UI updates, audience solutions in SMX keynote

The growing complexity of the consumer’s digital footprint means advertisers need to understand the advanced technologies and innovations that drive meaningful brand engagement. Microsoft is setting out to help reimagine how advertisers serve customers and grow your business, deliver more engaging customer experiences that unlock new revenue and fuel future growth. [Source: Search Engine Land]

9.Snapchat Publishes New Insights into Snapchat User Buying Behavior [Infographic]

Snapchat has published a new research report which looks at how Snap users research and purchase, and how brands can connect with them via the app and if you’re looking to reach younger audiences, it’s worth taking note. [Source: Social Media Today]

10.TikTok Tests Social Commerce Links in Videos

TikTok continues to race towards full monetization with a new test of options to add links into user bios and eCommerce URLs directly into uploaded videos. [Source: Social Media Today]

November 15, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s Expanding Shopping Ads, Facebook’s New Logo, Pinterest’s Renewed Mobile App and more…

1. Google Expands Shopping Ads to Over 50 New Markets, Adds New Features

Google is expanding shopping ads and introducing new features to help advertisers target shoppers worldwide. The new features are multi-country feeds, automated feeds and new merchant center experience. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. Facebook Unveils New Logo With Unique Branding for All of its Products

Facebook updated its company branding with a new logo that appears with different colors to distinguish each company it owns. The company says the new branding is designed for clarity – to make it clear that it’s the parent company of many popular apps. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

3. Pinterest Launches a Refresh of Its Mobile App

Pinterest has updated the look of its app for iOS and Android with a renewed focus on personalized recommendations and a more efficient use of space. The most obvious change when opening the app after the update is the reduced space around pins. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

4. Google Adds New Visual Ad Options for YouTube and Google Images

Google announced two new visual ad options for YouTube, and a new shopping ad option for Google Images, expanding your opportunities for direct consumer connection via these surfaces. [Source: Social Media Today]

5. YouTube Launches a Redesign of its Desktop Homepage

YouTube updated the design of its desktop homepage and the homepage of its apps on iPads and Android tablets. The company has added the option to add to queue on desktop – simply hover the cursor over a video and it can be quickly added to your list of videos to watch next. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

6. LinkedIn Adds New Language Translation Settings to Broaden Usage Capacity

LinkedIn has added two new language translation options in order to better facilitate on-platform communication. It will automatically translate it to English – but now, when you tap on the ‘Rate this Translation’ prompt at the bottom of the post, you’ll be able to find additional translation options under ‘Language Settings’. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Google Finally Launches the Anticipated Page Speed Report in Search Console

Google is rolling out the highly anticipated page speed report in Search Console that was shown off earlier this year. The company’s new page speed report pulls data from the Chrome User Experience Report and automatically groups URLs into the categories of “Fast,” Moderate,” and “Slow.” [Source: Search Engine Journal]

8. Google Rolls Out New Extensions for YouTube Ads

Google is introducing new extensions for YouTube ads, which are similar to the extensions for search ads. Like Google’s search ad extensions, the extensions for video campaigns invite users to take additional action beyond the traditional ad click. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

9. Facebook Expands Access to Brand Collabs Manager, Adds New Insights to Creator Studio

Facebook announced some new additions to its publisher tools, including expanded access to its Brand Collabs influencer discovery and connection database, and new metrics within its Creator Studio dashboard. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. Google Ads Editor Gets New Features & Support For New Campaign Types

Google Ads Editor has been updated with support for new campaign types as well as several new features. The new features are searchable errors, shared negative keyword lists, condensed edit pane, image names and maximize conversion value for search campaigns. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

November 8, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Ad’s Lead Form Extension, Facebook Messenger’s new features, Snapchat’s New Drawing AR Option and more…

1. Google Ads Officially Announces Rollout of Lead Form Extensions

Google confirmed it’s rolling out lead form ad extensions in the coming weeks, a feature that was recently spotted in testing. The company has been testing ad extensions that have the ability to capture leads. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. Brands on Facebook Messenger get three new features to better connect with customers

Facebook introduced three new features for Messenger designed to help brands communicate with their customers on the platform: icebreakers for commonly asked questions, updates to Click to Messenger ads, and more options for users replying to messages from a business page. [Source: MarTech Today]

3. Snapchat Adds New, Free Drawing AR Option Within the App

Snapchat is rolling out a new option which will enable users to paint their own 3D AR effects over their face, or anything else, from within the app itself. Users can use the tools in the front or rear-facing camera, enabling you to add new effects to whatever you like. [Source: Social Media Today]

4. Google Shows Paywall Content in Featured Snippets

A member of the search marketing community tweeted his surprise that Google ranked a paywalled web page in the featured snippets. Google’s official description of featured snippets precludes content that cannot be clicked through to be read. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

5. Facebook Launches New Option Which Enables Advertisers to List Ad Text Variants

Facebook added a new option which will enable advertisers to include multiple text variations for their ad copy, which Facebook’s systems will then be able to choose from when displaying the ad to different users. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Facebook Launches ‘Preventive Health’ Tool to Raise Awareness of Personal Health Concerns

Facebook launched a new ‘Preventive Health’ tool, an optional process within its main app which can prompt users to undergo regular health check-ups, based on their age and gender information. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Google Ads Brings New Sets of Data to Shopping Campaigns

Google Ads can now report on cart data for shopping campaigns, tracking all information related to purchases. An ad click on a product may lead to sales of other products, so cart data allows advertisers to see any items purchased after ads are clicked, which products are most likely to convert, and which items are the top sellers. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

8. Facebook Won’t Stop Lies in Political Ads – Here’s What it Should do Instead

Facebook has been under fire in recent weeks over its decision to exempt political ads from its fact-checking process and rules, which essentially means that politicians will be able to run ads on the world’s largest social media platform and say pretty much whatever they want. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. Facebook Announces Program to Help News Sites

Facebook announced a new feature called Facebook News. Given Facebook’s popularity, Facebook News may become a significant source of audience growth for publishers. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

10. Google launches Site Kit plugin for WordPress

Google announced that Site Kit is available globally for WordPress users. Site Kit is a WordPress plugin that allows users to set up and configure Google services to get insights in their WordPress dashboards. [Source: Search Engine Land]

November 1, 2019
6 Marketing Strategies that are Dominating Social Media
With nearly half of the world’s population (45%) active on social media, brands – big and small, B2C or B2B – can no longer afford to ignore social media marketing.

The world of social media is highly dynamic. A viral trend today will become obsolete tomorrow, and new platforms are coming up quickly.

Here, in this guide, we share the top social media strategies that are winning customers big-time right now.

1. Tell a Story with #InstaStories

Brands are constantly looking at various ways to engage with their audience on Instagram. In 2019, Instagram is all about the Stories.
- Nearly 500 million users watch InstaStories daily
- 51% of brands use videos in InstaStories and state that it has better retention
- 15 – 20% of users swipe up on links shared in InstaStories
As the numbers reflect the reach of InstaStories, here are some best practices to create an engaging story that gets your audience to click and convert.
- Make it interactive – run a poll and get users to give their feedback
- Add the relevant hashtags
- Make use of trending stickers and icons
- Add your most popular content to Insta highlights so that it sticks around for longer
- And, don’t forget the right CTAs to get your audience to click
2. Reach out to Hyper-Targeted Audience with YouTube Ads

On mobile alone, YouTube reaches a large number of 18 to 49-year-old users than any other cable channel. From traditional TV ads, brands have now switched to engaging YouTube video ads.

The best part – YouTube makes use of sophisticated algorithms to show ads to highly targeted users who have higher chances of converting. The platform mines tons of data from various sources like YouTube watch history and Google search records. Using this data, brands can now target users precisely, and get higher conversions.

3. Get Casual Users to Convert with Facebook Ads

About 44% of consumers state that Facebook inspired their shopping spree. Savvy brands are using Facebook Ads to increase customer loyalty by offering them the latest information on products, offers, and services.

The key to creating Facebook ads that convert is captivating content. Brands are displaying the same content in multiple formats, thereby convincing customers to make a purchase. Remarketing is the biggest strength of Facebook Ads.

4. It’s Ad Time on TikTok as Well

Despite being shrouded in plenty of controversies and bans, TikTok is now stronger than ever before. It’s one of the most downloaded apps on both Google Store as well as Apple AppStore. Out of the 500 million TikTok users, 43% are from India. Brands whose audience are on TikTok are making use of short, catchy video ads on the platform to attract their audience.

5. Videos Exclusively Created for IGTV

Earlier, IGTV was a stand-alone app. Later Instagram moved it as part of the app, making it convenient for users to watch IGTV videos right from the familiar interface of Instagram. Now, Instagram shows previews of IGTV videos to users directly on their feed. And, if they desire, they can tap on it and continue watching the entire video.

Brands are capitalizing on this trend to showcase their products and services to customers who are likely to convert.

6. Go Live with Live Videos

Live videos are a massive hit across platforms, be it Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, or YouTube. Brands are stepping up their video marketing game by using live videos. Interview, behind-the-scenes videos, tutorials, and unboxing videos are some of the popular live video types. 80% of customers prefer watching live videos than reading product reviews or blogs.

The Key Takeaway

Creating a winning social media marketing strategy is not luck. It requires extensive planning. The success of any social media strategy depends on how well it fits the brand and appeals to the target audience. Brands need to keep on refining and updating their social media strategy by embracing new marketing tends to stand out from their competitors.
October 30, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s Adaptive Anchor Banner Ads, Instagram’s New IGTV Series, Microsoft Advertising’s Redesigned Interface & more…

1. Google Launches ‘Adaptive Anchor Banner’ Ads to Better Cater to Varying Screens

Google is launching a new banner ad type which can adapt to varying screen size, helping to maximize performance in line with evolving consumption behaviors. [Source: Social Media Today]

2. Instagram Adds IGTV Series Option to Categorize Videos

Instagram added a new IGTV ‘Series’ option which will enable creators to segment their videos into dedicated collections. The new Series option will help creators better brand their content, and encourage return viewing, by giving their series a dedicated label, along with an on-screen tab which viewers can tap to get notifications of new episodes. [Source: Social Media Today]

3. Microsoft Advertising unveils interface redesign

Microsoft Advertising is redesigning the interface to better align with the update Google Ads rolled out in full a year ago. The new user experience will feel familiar to Google Ads users. You will recognize the left-hand oriented navigation menus that anchor the Google Ads interface and Overview pages with visual charts. [Source: Search Engine Land]

4. Google Ads Rolls Out 2 New Tools for Responsive Search Ads

Google is introducing two new tools for responsive search ads, which are now available to all advertisers in all languages. In addition, responsive search ads can now be set up from Google Ads Editor, the Google Ads API, and the mobile app. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

5. LinkedIn Rolls Out New Format for its ‘Daily Rundown’ Professional News Updates

LinkedIn is looking for more ways to facilitate discussion, and get professionals connecting over key topics. The company has announced that it’s making some changes to its Daily Rundown professional news listings, which users can opt-in to, in order to be sent a key business news overview each day. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Google Ads to Improve the Optimization of App Campaigns

Google Ads is improving the way it tracks the performance of app campaigns. Advertisers with active app campaigns will automatically have their campaigns updated. The new data will also help advertisers make more informed design decisions. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

7. Twitter’s Considering a New Checkmark to Highlight Bots on the Platform

Twitter is looking into putting a label for bots on the plaltform. This could be a good move, and it would definitely help clarify who, or what, is behind each account. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. Google Ads now showing cart metrics for Shopping campaigns

Merchants running Google Ads Shopping campaigns can now see e-commerce cart data in the UI to gain a clearer sense of which products are driving profitable cart transactions. [Source: Search Engine Land]

9. Pinterest Begins Rolling Out an Updated Pin Format

Pinterest has begun rolling out a new Pin format, which includes some minor functional tweaks, and separates each Pin element more specifically. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. YouTube to Sell Artists’ Merchandise Underneath Videos

YouTube has partnered with Merchbar to help artists sell official merchandise on their video pages. This collaboration allows artists with an official artist channel on YouTube to surface apparel, vinyl, and other forms of merchandise underneath their videos. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

October 25, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Ad’s New Ways to Target Users, Facebook Ad’s in Search Results, LinkedIn’s New Features for Companies & more…

1. Google Ads Introduces 2 New Ways to Target Users in Google Search

Google Ads is rolling out two new ways to reach your target audiences in Google Search. The company will be launching affinity audiences and seasonal event segments for in-market audiences. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. Facebook Ads in Search Results Rolling Out to More Advertisers

Facebook is giving more advertisers the ability to place ads in search results. An official announcement states that Facebook Search Results will be automatically included as a placement when running ad campaigns that utilize Automatic Placements. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

3. LinkedIn Rolls Out 3 New Features for Company Pages

LinkedIn is introducing new features designed to help companies stay better engaged with their employees. These updates will help keep employees informed so they can share the latest content from the company they work for. LinkedIn is also rolling out new tools to help companies optimize their pages. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

4. Facebook Launches New ‘Disruptor Hub’ to Outline How Businesses are Seeing Major Growth Online

Facebook has launched a new resource hub for marketers which looks at the key factors driving online business growth, how innovative, disruptive brands are tapping into these trends, and how Facebook’s various advertising and promotion options can help to fuel such. [Source: Social Media Today]

5. Snapchat Introduces a New Ad Unit for Ecommerce Advertisers

Snapchat is rolling out Dynamic Ads – new ad unit designed specifically for Ecommerce advertisers. The company is selling the ad unit as a simple way to create mobile ads at scale while maintaining brand identity through mobile-first templates. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

6. Facebook Publishes New Data on the Effectiveness of Combining News Feed and Stories for Ad Campaigns

Facebook is looking to make it as easy as possible for advertisers to expand their campaigns into Stories also, and the research here suggests that it may well be worth considering. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Instagram Adds New Options to Control Third-Party Access to Your Account Information

Instagram has improved its options to help users better manage which third-party apps can access their Instagram account information, and what specific data they can get. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. YouTube to end support for third-party pixels early 2020

Google has been working with third-party measurement companies to migrate their services into Ads Data Hub. YouTube expects those migrations to be completed early next year. At that time, it will no longer allow advertisers to use third-party pixels on YouTube. [Source: MarTech Today]

9. Facebook Announces Change to Organic Page Impressions, Removal of Gray Verification Badges

Facebook is making a couple of changes to business Pages, which will impact both presentation and data tracking elements. Facebook’s gray verification badges – not the blue ones – are available to all Pages which have verified their official details with Facebook by going through an identification process. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. LinkedIn Gets a New Tool for Planning In-Person Networking Events

LinkedIn is introducing an Events hub, which is a new tool to help users plan in-person networking meetups. The tool allows users to create and join professional events, invite connections, manage events, have conversations with other attendees, and stay in touch afterward. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

October 18, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google AdSense’s Auto ads without code, Facebook’s New Holiday Marketing Tools, YouTube’s Ad Buying Tool and more…

1. Google AdSense publishers can now turn on Auto ads without new code

Google announced updates to Adsense Auto ads designed to make them easier to implement and customize. AdSense publishers will be notified via email when the updates, which will be rolling out over the next several weeks, are live in their accounts. [Source: Marketing Land]

2. Facebook Launches New Tools to Help With Holiday Marketing

Facebook has released several new tools to assist businesses with their holiday marketing efforts. The company will be continually sharing tips, such as customizable story templates, enhancements to messenger and Instagram direct, to help businesses use its services to achieve their holiday marketing goals. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

3. YouTube testing ad buying tool that lets you reserve ad placement 120 days out

YouTube is testing a new Instant Review tool in Google Ads that allows advertisers to reserve ad space on a 120 day-rolling window via an automated process with no minimum spend. [Source: MarTech Today]

4. Google showing mobile ‘search by photos’ option in selected local verticals

Google is starting to show a new option to “search by photos” box in certain local verticals. It appears only in mobile results right now and is distinct from “interesting finds” and “discover more places,” which are also photo-centric boxes in SERPs. [Source: Search Engine Land]

5. Instagram Updates its Stories Camera with New ‘Create’ Mode to Highlight Creative Options

Instagram’s now rolling out a new format for its Stories Camera, which will make the app’s various Stories tools – including GIFs, Countdown Stickers and Polls – easier to access and apply, direct from the main function bar. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Adobe is redesigning Creative Cloud’s desktop app as a hub for tools and assets

Adobe’s Creative Cloud desktop app, once just a drop-down tab for downloading and updating Adobe apps, is getting turned into an assets library. The new desktop experience will feature tutorials for all apps in one hub. It basically looks like the current Creative Cloud website, but now in a desktop app form. [Source: The Verge]

7. Pinterest Launches ‘Pinterest Academy’ Education Resource for Marketers

Pinterest launched a new set of platform education course for marketers, under the umbrella of the ‘Pinterest Academy’. The new Pinterest Academy offers a range of education courses, and links to various other tools and reference studies, in order to help you get a better handle on how to utilize Pins for your business. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. Google is Testing Search Results Without URLs

Google has slowly been moving away from showing full URLs since the introduction of breadcrumbs a few months ago. The company appears to be testing the complete removal of URLs from search results, displaying only the website name instead. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

9. Facebook’s Adding Post Topics to More Groups, Helping to Better Organize Relevant Discussion

Facebook announced that it’s expanding its post topics tags for groups, which will enable group members and admins to categorize group posts accordingly. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. Snapchat Enables In-Game Purchases for First Time in New Campaign with Adidas

Adidas has launched a new, interactive campaign on Snapchat which, for the first time, will enable users to purchase a product via a game in the app. [Source: Social Media Today]

October 11, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s New Data Security Tools, Instagram’s Branded Content Tag, Microsoft’s Audience Targeting Solutions & more…

1. Google Adds New Data Security Tools, Including YouTube History Auto-Delete and Password Check-Up

Google has announced a new set of data control and security options to help users better maintain their digital presence and avoid potential misuse. The company is adding a new incognito mode to Google Maps, giving the option to hide location history. [Source: Social Media Today]

2. Instagram Adds Branded Content Tags for IGTV

Instagram’s Branded Content Tags are still not available to all users, for those who can access them, they are now also being expanded to longer-form IGTV content. [Source: Social Media Today]

3. Microsoft Introduces New Ways to Target Audiences With Search Ads

Microsoft has new audience targeting solutions combining customer data with new technology to reach customers when they’re ready to buy. The new audience targeting solutions are available now as part of an open beta. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

4. Google Search Console adds Change of Address tool to new interface

Google announced that they have added the Change of Address tool to the new interface of Google Search Console. The change of address feature was available in the old Search Console but was not migrated when Google shut down the old interface. [Source: Search Engine Land]

5. LinkedIn Campaign Manager adds audience targeting logic, demographic forecasts

LinkedIn is adding audience forecasting information directly to the Campaign Manager dashboard and introducing new Boolean targeting logic for building audiences — both available globally. The platform is also introducing new demographic reporting metrics that will begin rolling out to all advertisers over the next two weeks. [Source: Marketing Land]

6. Instagram Launches Product Launch Reminder Stickers and Tags to Capitalize on Audience Interest

Instagram is adding in new features and options which encourage shopping in-app, providing new functionality for users, and new opportunities for businesses to get more out of their Insta presence. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Facebook advertisers can now use Stories ads to start conversations in Messenger

Brands can now drive Facebook, Instagram and Messenger Stories ad traffic to start conversations on Messenger. Users can swipe up on Stories ads that have the new “Send Message” call to action to start a conversation with the business in Messenger without leaving the app they’re in. [Source: Marketing Land]

8. YouTube Adds New Comment Filters in YouTube Studio

YouTube has announced a new set of comment filters within YouTube Studio, which will make it easier for creators and brands to identify key video responses of interest. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. Google Shopping Updated With New Design, Price Tracking, Local Inventory, More

Google has upgraded Google Shopping with a redesign and several new features that make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. The new experience starts with a personalized homepage that includes suggestions for new products, as well as sections to reorder common items or continue previous shopping research. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

10. Google to update GoogleBot’s user agent

Google will update Google’s user agent to represent the version of Chrome that GoogleBot is running. It is important to update any code you may have that may look at the user agent of GoogleBot to support this change going forward. [Source: Search Engine Land]

October 4, 2019

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