Tag: twitter

Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s product availability markup, Facebook’s new Ad reporting tools, Instagram’s new story layouts and more…

1. Google showing product availability markup in image search results

Google is displaying the availability of products on image search results page. The feature was spotted by Hamburg-based digital marketing consultant Frank Sandtmann, who noticed the feature in English, German and Polish image search results. [Source: Search Engine Land]

2. Facebook Introduces 3 New Ad Reporting Tools

Facebook is rolling out new tools to assist advertisers with analyzing campaign performance to make it easier for advertisers to measure ad performance across accounts, channels, and publishers. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

3. Instagram Now Testing New Layout Options for Instagram Stories Frames

Instagram has begun limited testing of a new ‘Layout’ option in Instagram Stories which enables users to select from a range of presentation styles for their visuals within a Stories frame. [Source: Social Media Today]

4. Yahoo Shopping aims to stand out in commerce discovery with Rakuten cashback reward

Verizon Media is offering Yahoo Shopping and Yahoo Mail users access to exclusive cashback rewards from more than 50 online retailers through Rakuten, including Nordstrom Rack, Nike, Disney and Bed Bath & Beyond. [Source: Search Engine Land]

5. Snapchat Cameos edit your face into videos

Snapchat is preparing to launch a big new feature that uses your selfies to replace the faces of people in videos you can then share. It’s essentially a simplified way to deep-fake you into GIFs. [Source: TechCrunch]

6.Google Brings New Features to ‘App + Web’ Properties in Google Analytics

Google is upgrading the new App + Web property in Google Analytics, which allows users to measure multiple websites and apps. It will allow people to measure data across their app and website all in one place. It’s designed to help site owners better understand users’ journeys across the two platforms. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

7. Pinterest Trends gives marketers a view of the top U.S. searches on the platform

Pinterest Trends will offer set of keyword trend data, specifically around the categories it caters to such as food, home and fashion. More insight into search queries and trends can give brands a better understanding of the content and campaigns that may perform well on (and off) Pinterest. [Source: Search Engine Land]

8. Google Launches ‘Google Shopping 100’ to Highlight Trending Products Based on Search Data

Google Shopping 100, the data collection has its own mini-site and provides some interesting, and potentially valuable insight into what the key product and consumer trends were over the course of 2019. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. BERT is rolling out to Google search in over 70 languages

BERT, the natural language processing algorithm that launched on English language queries in October, is now coming to over 70 languages globally. It is designed to better understand the intent behind a user’s query, and Google has said that 10% of all searches are impacted by the BERT update. [Source: Search Engine Land]

10. Google Ads Now Includes Location Extensions Automatically

Location Extensions will be activated in Google Ads. Google will now link your Google Ads account to Google My Business location and then show location extensions in your ads. [Source: Practical Ecommerce]

December 13, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s optimization score for display campaigns, Facebook’s photo transfer tool, Twitter’s survey tool & more…

1. Google extends optimization score to Display campaigns

The campaign optimization score that Google Ads shows for Search and Shopping campaigns is now available for Display campaigns. Scores will be available at the campaign level, and a combined account-level score now encompasses Search, Shopping and Display. [Source: Search Engine Land]

2. Facebook tests tool that lets users transfer photos to Google and other platforms

Facebook is testing a new tool that gives users the ability to move photos and videos between Facebook and other platforms, the company announced in a blog post on Monday. The test is initially rolling out with support for Google Photos, with other platforms to follow in the coming months. [Source: MarTech Today]

3. Twitter Expands Access to Brand Survey Tools to Help Brands Understand Ad Effectiveness

Twitter’s looking to help brands better understand their tweet campaign performance by giving more advertisers access to its ad response survey tools, in order to glean more insight around their promotions. [Source: Social Media Today]

4. Snapchat Publishes New Guide for Auto Marketers on the Platform

Snapchat recently published a new ‘Auto Playbook’, which is full of stats and tips on how to utilize Snapchat’s various ad and outreach options to connect with potential auto shoppers through the app. [Source: Social Media Today]

5. Google My Business phone support has ended, but help from the experts has not

Google has officially shut down its phone support for Google My Business, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get quality support. The best way to get GMB support is through the Google social media channels. [Source: Search Engine Land]

6. Facebook Adds New Measures to Enforce Targeting Restrictions on Potentially Discriminatory Ad Types

Following on from its efforts to limit discriminatory audience targeting in ads related to housing, employment or credit opportunities, Facebook has this week announced two new measures to further enforce its additional rules and provide more transparency into its process. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Quora testing lead gen forms for advertisers

Quora, the question-and-answer knowledge sharing platform, is rolling out lead generation forms for advertisers in a beta test, the company announced on Wednesday. A new Zapier integration is designed to bring leads into marketers’ CRM systems. Users can share contact information with businesses right from the ads without leaving Quora. [Source: MarTech Today]

8. Twitter Launches New Privacy Center to Better Communicate Platform Rules and Processes

The new Privacy Center facilitates direct connection to the platform’s rules and policy documents, as well as your personal data settings and privacy tools. It also includes links to related regulatory documentation, including the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act, and an overview of updates to Twitter’s terms and processes. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. Podcorn launches self-serve podcast advertising platform

Podcorn, a marketplace where brands can connect with podcasters, has launched a self-service platform that allows advertisers to create podcast ad campaigns based on budget, ad creative and podcasts that best align with their brand. [Source: MarTech Today]

10. Facebook updates crisis response tools, adds WhatsApp integration

Facebook is expanding Crisis Response, its disaster-reporting and communications feature that’s been used in 300 crises in more than 80 countries. The company is announcing several new features, including WhatsApp integration, support for first-hand information sharing and an expansion of its “Data for Good” tools for things like better disaster and displacement maps. [Source: TechCrunch]

December 6, 2019
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’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’s New Design for Call-Only Ads, Facebook’s New Types of Interactive Ads, Snapchat’s expanded ad length & more…

1. Google Ads Changes the Design of Call-Only Ads

Google is rolling out a new look for call-only ads which is said to help drive higher quality leads. The updated layout for call-only ads displays the business’s phone number at the top, while business name and headline is now placed below the phone number in smaller text. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. Facebook Rolls Out New Types of Interactive Mobile Ads

Facebook is giving advertisers access to new types of interactive ads, including AR ads and video poll ads. One of the ways in which the company is helping advertisers embrace this trend is through introducing video poll ads. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

3. Snapchat Expands Ad Length Limits, Announces New Ad Formats

Snapchat announced a range of new ad and content updates designed to maximize audience attention and provide advanced options for marketers. The company is now looking to allow ads of up to three minutes in length in selected formats, up from the 10-second limit which has been the core threshold on the platform. [Source: Social Media Today]

4. Facebook to Officially Start Hiding Like Counts on Posts

Facebook will begin hiding like counts on posts in a test that begins September 27th in Australia. Given how the company is treating like counts on Instagram, this test could very well expand to other countries. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

5. Google Adds New Video Campaign Options, Including Home Screen Ads on YouTube

Google is launching some new options to help marketers better manage their video ad campaigns and reach consumers where they’re most active. The company is adding new TrueView ads in the YouTube Home feed, a tremendous opportunity for any advertiser looking to drive more, high value conversions. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Pinterest’s New ‘Shop the Look’ Ads Can Feature Multiple Products in a Single Ad

Pinterest is introducing a new format for ‘Shop the Look’ ads which allows retailers to feature multiple products in one ad. ‘Shop the Look’ ads are inspired by Pinterest’s organic pins of the same name and allow advertisers take up to 25 items in one image. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

7. Google Ads Introduces Improved Keyword Recommendations

Google Ads is updating optimization scores by improving the relevancy and quality of keyword recommendations. The panel will only suggest recommended keywords if they’re estimated to drive additional traffic beyond existing keywords. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

8. Google Ads Lets Users Set Up Conversion Tracking During Campaign Creation

Google Ads is now letting users set up conversion tracking during the campaign creation process. Now, users can save time and ensure conversion tracking is set up immediately with an extra step added to the campaign creation process. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

9. Twitter Launches ‘Twitter Next’ Strategy Team to Help Brands Maximize their Tweet Campaigns

Twitter’s looking to provide more assistance to brands looking to maximize their on-platform efforts with the launch of ‘Twitter Next’, a new, strategic arm of Twitter Marketing which will provide a range of insights and advice to selected business partners. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. Google Ads Smart Bidding Now Supports Store Visits Optimization

Google is giving advertisers the ability to test incorporating store visits into their smart bidding strategies for select search and shopping campaigns. This is accomplished by enabling the campaign-level conversion setting. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

September 27, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Ad’s New Bidding Strategies, Instagram’s New Messaging App, Facebook’s Playable Ads Preview Tool and More…

1. Google Ads Introduces Seasonality Adjustments for Smart Bidding

Google Ads is rolling out seasonality adjustments for smart bidding for search and display campaigns. Smart bidding strategies set bids automatically to help advertisers improve the performance of their Google Ads campaigns. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. Instagram is Developing a Separate Messaging App Called ‘Threads’

After shutting down its standalone messaging app ‘Direct’ earlier this year, Instagram is reportedly working on a new iteration of the same. Instagram’s latest weapon on this front is a new messaging app called ‘Threads’ which will look to focus on building stronger, more constant connection between smaller, enclosed groups. [Source: Social Media Today]

3. Facebook launches tool to test, preview Playable Ads

Facebook has launched a Playable Ads Preview tool for mobile app developers that will let them test and validate Playable Ads before they create a mobile app ad campaign around it. The tool checks to see if the Playable Ad files meet Facebook’s specifications and if the call-to-action is implemented correctly. [Source: Marketing Land]

4. Instagram is Doubling Down on Stories Ads

Instagram is literally doubling down on stories ads in a test that will show back-to-back ads to some users. The company is simply gathering feedback for now, and the focus of the app will remain on the user experience. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

5. Facebook introduces new policies for political, social issue ads ahead of 2020 elections

Facebook has updated its ad policies for political advertisers and anyone running electoral or social issue ads. The new policies, which include new disclaimer requirements for political advertisers and updates to the company’s list of social issue topics in the U.S. [Source: Marketing Land]

6. LinkedIn Launches New Insights Hub to Provide Additional Audience Insights

LinkedIn has launched a new element of its ‘Success Hub’ marketing data and insights platform, which aims to provide additional information on specific audiences and verticals, in order to help better inform marketing decisions and understanding. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Twitter Tests New, Larger Image Tweet Carousel Ad Format

Twitter began testing a new carousel ad format for app install campaigns, which would give advertisers the capacity to add multiple, larger images to their collections. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. Facebook Makes Changes to Housing, Employment, and Credit Ads

Facebook is requiring that advertisers use a new process when buying ads related to housing, employment, and credit. These special ad categories have now restricted targeting options in Ads Manager. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

9. YouTube CEO Outlines the Platforms “Four R’s” Content Policy to Uphold its Policies

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has re-stated the company’s commitment to enforcing platform rules, and rewarding creators, via a key set of tenets that it’s using to improve its processes. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. Facebook’s Testing a New Screen-Sharing Option for Messenger

Facebook is testing a new Messenger video option which would enable you to share your phone screen in a Messenger chat, as opposed to using the camera. [Source: Social Media Today]

August 30, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Ad’s Smart Bidding Strategy, Facebook’s ‘Off-Facebook Activity Tool’, Twitter’s New Video Ad Bidding and More…

1. Google rolls out maximize conversion value smart bidding strategy

Google Ads’ new smart bidding strategy is lined up. Maximize conversion value is now available in all Search campaigns which aims to optimize for the greatest conversion value within budget. [Source: Search Engine Land]

2. Facebook’s ‘Off-Facebook Activity Tool’ disconnects user ad targeting data from profiles, doesn’t delete it

Facebook is rolling out an Off-Facebook Activity tool that allows users to see a summary of the apps and websites that have shared their user data with Facebook and gives them the opportunity to clear the information from their Facebook accounts. [Source: Marketing Land]

3. Twitter Launches 6-Second Video Ad Bidding, Providing New Options for Video Marketers

Twitter is launching a new video ad option in the form of 6-second video ad bidding, which will see advertisers only charged if and when their video ad is in view for six seconds. [Source: Social Media Today]

4. Google AdSense, AdMob rolling out system updates for preventing ad spend on invalid traffic

Google is making system updates to fight invalid traffic and suspicious activity on its ad networks, the company announced on Wednesday. It will also give AdSense and AdMob publishers more information when ad serving is restricted as a result of these new measures. [Source: MarTech Today]

5. Google Ads Lets Users Add Filters to the Overview Page

Google Ads is introducing filters to the Overview page. The Overview page is the first place users land on after logging in. That means everyone interacts with this page at some point while using Google Ads. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

6. Facebook Looks to Launch WhatsApp Payments in Indonesia

Facebook clarified that India was not part of its initial rollout plan, which may be due to concerns around cryptocurrency from Indian regulators. WhatsApp is now also in talks with multiple Indonesian digital payment firms over plans to offer WhatsApp Pay in that market. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Google Search Console Shows New Image Search Data for AMP Pages

Google has started to show data in Search Console related to a new image search feature introduced last month. Data will be tracked for images that appear on AMP pages and interacted with via Google’s new ‘swipe to visit’ feature, which is exclusive to AMP. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

8. Google’s lightweight Go search app is now available worldwide

Google has started the global rollout of its lightweight Go search app. As well as being designed to work on low-powered devices, the app also has a few features that the company says are designed for the needs of emerging markets. [Source: The Verge]

9. Google Ads to remove accelerated ad delivery option next month

Google Ads announced a coming change to ad delivery options. The accelerated delivery option will be removed and standard delivery will be the only option for Search and Shopping campaigns, as well as for campaigns with shared budgets. [Source: Search Engine Land]

10. Google announces three big changes for developers on Google Play Store

Google has made some silent changes for publishing new Android app on the Google Play store. The company has made it mandatory that all new Android apps would need at least three days for approval. The other two new changes will make it difficult for developers to have an accurate launch date for new games or future apps. [Source: The Times of India]

August 23, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Display Ad’s parallel tracking, Twitter’s new desktop experience, Snapchat’s Netflix-Like Homepage and More…

Logicserve Digital brings to you a curated round-up of important digital marketing updates this week. For further queries, you can write to us at newsbulletin@logicserve.com

1. Parallel tracking for Google display ads: Mandatory as of July 31

Google extended parallel tracking to display campaigns. Parallel tracking will soon be the standard method for handling third-party click measurement. It will be coming to video ads later this year. [Source: Marketing Land]

2. Twitter Announces Full Rollout of the Platform’s New Desktop Experience

Twitter has announced that it’s now rolling out the updated experience to all users. The new Twitter for desktop includes a range of updated features including direct messages all in one place, make twitter yours, more of what’s happening and more. [Source: Social Media Today]

3. Snapchat Testing Netflix-Like Homepage for Shows Featuring Stars, Influencers

Snapchat is testing a new feature to let users binge-watch original content on its app. The short original clips are integrated into the ‘Discover’ section of Snapchat, but the company is now planning to let users swipe over from the Discover page into a dedicated ‘Shows’ section. [Source: Gadgets 360]

4. Google closes Chrome Incognito Mode loophole to improve privacy

Google is beefing up Chrome’s Incognito Mode. The company confirmed that it is closing an API-related loophole that made it possible to detect when people were privately browsing in Chrome. [Source: Marketing Land]

5. Instagram will now warn users close to having their account banned

Instagram is strengthening its moderation policies today and adding a new alert that will warn people who violate rules when their account is close to being deleted. The alert will show users a history of the posts, comments, and stories that Instagram has had to remove from their account, as well as why they were removed. [Source: THE VERGE]

6. Heard from Google, the biggest trends impacting PPC are privacy and automation

Google is working on ways that they can continue to deliver relevant ads while using the least amount of user data. As privacy concerns mount, and search engines take it more seriously, advertisers will find it more challenging to bring their data about what drives their business into the engines. [Source: Search Engine Land]

7. Twitter launches the ‘Hide Replies’ feature, in hopes of civilizing conversations

Twitter is beginning its test of a change to its service with the launch of a new “Hide Replies” feature. The feature provides transparency because hidden replies are still available for viewing to anyone who wish to see them. Twitter’s goal with the feature is to encourage more civil conversation on its platform. [Source: Tech Crunch]

8. 5% of Google My Business Listing Views Result in a Customer Action

A new study of 45,000 local businesses reveals how customers are finding and interacting with Google My Business listings. The study states that an average business is found over 1000 times per month and conversion rate is 5% for Google My Business listing. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

9. Twitter Announces New ‘LiveCut’ Video Editing and Publishing Tool, Which Will Replace SnappyTV

Twitter has announced the end of its SnappyTV live video editing tool, and the addition of LiveCut, it’s replacement option, which is fully integrated into Twitter’s Media Studio. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. Google may be testing shareable search results snippets

Google is testing the search results snippets with new search buttons, including the ability to share a search result snippet with everyone. If you’re in this Google test, the three icons will be noticeable, one to share, one to open the cache page and one to open the result in a new window. [Source: Search Engine Land]

July 19, 2019
Twitter is Working on a New ‘Replies’ Layout to Boost Engagement
Twitter is reportedly testing a new way of interacting on the microblogging platform. It is experimenting with ways to update how interactions work on the site in order to make it feel more conversational and generate a better level of engagement.

How do the updates look like?

Speaking on the occasion, Twitter’s team presented some snapshots of how the new updates work in ‘reply threading’ and a status indicator to depict whether you are available currently to chat on Twitter.

The snapshots display the replies to be indented and shaded differently. It also shows a green dot coming up on the profile picture in case the users are online and available to converse. To summarise here are the changes –
- Indented responses to individual tweets. This makes it easy to understand which tweet carries which reply when the user is scrolling on the screen
- Shading to denote the different forms of tweets. So your own tweet would be indicated in blue and the original tweeter’s post would be marked in a purple shade
- Green dots to denote an online user who is available to chat. This would be conducive to the engagement inside the platform and generate a better degree of interaction.
What is the audience response?

There has been a mixed response to the new ‘replies’ layout and colour. Some have praised the new update and mentioned that it does indeed help in improving the engagement factor on the plain vanilla layout they are accustomed to seeing on Twitter. Others have not been very encouraging in their critique of these updates. They feel that the design looks cluttered and doesn’t leave much white space on the limited real estate presented by the mobile screen.

Twitter had invited suggestions from users to improve engagement and spark off interactions. Here are some updates that users want to see –
- Enable better usage of the screen space by keeping the original post pinned on the top
- Keep replies collapsible to make optimum use of the screen space
- Determining the number of replies that can be shown in a chain to a post
- Add timestamps just like what is seen on other platforms like Whatsapp
- Add an indicator that the tweeter is ‘typing…’ Similar to what is seen on Whatsapp. This will help the tweeter to confirm that the person is online and is in the process of responding
How will the update boost engagement?

The changes are made intending to propel engagement further and keep the users hooked to the site for longer. So if the user knows that there is a response coming in from an online user, the tendency would be to wait a while to see the response and engage ahead.

While the changes look promising, it is imperative that it consults with users first and get their buy-in to ensure that the outcomes are as per what they expected.

Let us know your views on these changes made to the Twitter interface.
September 5, 2018

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