Marketing in the Digital Age: News Round-Up (week ending Mar 15, 2019)

First Party Auctions (sounds more fun than it is)- Google changes its ad bidding strategies, Twitter “Stories”, and free access to Google’s Marketing Live Event streaming for the first time ever.

Google Switches to First Party Auctions for Ad Buys

Summary: Google is switching to a highest price wins the bid to place ads across their Ad network. Previously, they employed a second-price model, in which that advertiser would only pay a penny more than the runner-up bid. As a buyer, in theory, you could bid an astronomically high amount and only a penny more than the person who bid second lower than you. Now, you pay what you bid. Although seemingly straightforward, it leaves a lot of questions on the optimal bid amount.

Opinion: This is like the equivalent of Instagram being down for a day for Google Ad buyers. Buyers (including yours truly) will have to adjust pricing to get it to an optimal rate. Bid shading (which is like a compromise for first party auctions) sets a fair price by the vendor (and also seems a little like a fox guarding the henhouse).

Twitter Developing “Stories”

Summary: Twitter has released its own version of Facebook/IG Stories. When you swipe left on your Twitter feed, you’ll be taken to a camera to capture content. There aren’t additional stickers or filters yet, but they are likely to come.

Opinion: I feel like all socials are going to look the same in about 2 years. What is going to be the differentiator? These platforms did once have separate strengths (like Twitter for live events, Instagram for visuals, etc.), and these are strengths that should be developed over convergence.

Google Streaming Marketing Event

Summary: Google announced it will stream its Google Marketing Live Event for the first time ever. As explained by Google "Did you know that searches for "best” have increased by 80% in the last two years? For example, in recent third-party research, we saw that some people spend over 50 days searching for the “best chocolate” before making a decision.

Google Marketing Live is happening on May 14th - register now to discover how to take action on new consumer insights like these and learn about the latest digital marketing products from Google. For the first time, we'll also be live streaming 8+ hours of additional content from the event. Engage directly with product managers through live Q&A, learn new best practices, and get an inside look at how our latest products are developed."

Opinion: Sign-up! Courtesy of the best blog ever. ;)

5 Tips for Effective YouTube Marketing

5 Tips for Effective YouTube Marketing in 2019

1. Use keywords and Call-to-Actions:

   • Like its parent, Google, YouTube is a search engine for videos. As so, in order to be found, tag with relevant keywords related to your video/brand. If you’re a yogurt company with a video about your product, tag with relevant keywords like “yogurt”, “yogurt cake”, “yogurt instant pot”, “milk”, “dairy” etc. There are various keyword tools online to help you with this, like KeywordTool.

   • Include a call-to-action (CTA) like subscribe for more videos, visit our website (www.) to learn more, etc. You can also include links to your website, social media, and key relevant links in your “About” section.

2. Set a Style and Tone for your Channel

   • With good brand planning, it’s important to set a style and tone for your channel. Ideally, this would be done before you start posting content. If you’ve already started, make an effort to concentrate on a centralized tone going forward. Some questions that can help you with that:

     • Who is our audience? What are our target demographics?

     • How do we want to open and close our YouTube videos?

     • What should our CTA/CTAs be?

     • What tone do we want to convey to our videos? Hip and friendly? Sleek and professional?

     • What types of videos do we want to make? Tutorials, Q&As, traditional advertisements?

     • Do we want to incorporate comedy into our videos?

     • Who will be creating our video content? Do we want to hire an agency or professional videographer?

3. Keep Corporate and Consumer content separate:

   • Generally, it’s better to keep corporate intent and consumer content separate for your followers. Investors may be looking for one type of content while fans of the brand may be looking for videos about the brand.

   • However, I do think there is an art to this that can encompass both that takes into account your brand’s style and tone.

4. Use various video types

   • It helps to use various forms of videos to post instead of the same style over and over again. For instance, you can mix it up with Q&A, office highlights, top 10 lists, unboxing videos (big with kids now), guests, etc.

5. Don’t Aim to go Viral

   • First and foremost, make good content that is relevant for your brand. Setting out to “go viral” sometimes misses what’s actually best for your consumers and brand itself.

Article source: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/5-tips-for-effective-youtube-marketing-in-2019/546708/. With comments from Sipra Thakur.

Marketing in the Digital Age: News Round-Up (week ending Dec 14,2018)

See you in January 2019 for more Marketing in the Digital Age!

Google+ to Shut Down Earlier

Summary: After a breach in data where developers inadvertently had access to profile information not marked public for nearly a week, Google is accelerating the end date of Google+ from Aug to April 2019.

Opinion: To the few people who still use G+ (basically, Google employees), you’ll still survive.

Offensive Content on YouTube

Summary: YouTube has increased its efforts to remove offensive content from its hub quicker. using a combination of AI and human reviewers. From July-Sept 2018, YouTube removed 7.8m videos with 81% of those being detected by machines. Of those 81%, 74.5% never received one view. During that time, they also removed 224 comments for violating their policies. Because of that, comments went up by 11%

Opinion: The efforts to remove this offensive content actually increased comments, likely because of the resulting quality and validity of content. Humanity, it is a thing!

Facebook’s 3 Things Marketers Need to Know About AR/VR

Summary: One, AR is already adding to everyday life. On mobile, its dominant device use, people use it scan and translate text and chase imaginary figures around their neighborhood. Two, VR will help people defy distance. VR can transform people to new worlds and even be used to help overcome phobias in a safe space. Three, AR and VR are poised to transform the path to purchase. With the rise of online shopping, people still do want to try on things or see how they look in an environment. AR/VR will allow for that missing piece of integration.

Opinion: As a marketer having worked on AR/VR, this is an exciting integration of technology into our everyday lives. It opens up new opportunities and mediums through which to explore how bets to communicate with customers, and, I think, allow for more personalized communications by being able to allow customers to use the technology in a way that best suits their needs.

Marketing in the Digital Age: News Round-Up (week ending 11.16.18)

The headlines are particularly self-explanatory in this week’s edition of Marketing in the Digital Age.

Instagram Adds Shopping Features

Summary: Instagram unveiled three new shopping features ahead of the holiday season.

1. After tapping a product tag in a Story or on a post in their feed, a user can tap the save icon button which will prompt a “Save to shopping collection” option.

2. Branded videos can include a a hopping icon which will feature products and prices of items in the video.

3. A shop tab will be added for business profiles, which will also users to browse products from the retailers.

Opinion: If I were Instagram, I would go a step further and setup an affiliate sales program to take a small fee from sales originating from the platform to expand revenue. This would require making the links clickable. As a retailer, I would welcome this since it’s a new avenue from which to directly sell via clickable links (another method of paid media).

Netflix Testing Cheaper, Mobile Only Plans

Summary: Netflix is testing out cheaper mobile only plans in order to test out expansion into Asia. The first test is in Malaysia at about $4/month.

Opinion: If a company wants to expand into Asia, mobile plans are the right target given its penetration rate over smart tv’s and laptops. It also allows the company to enter at a more favorable price point in countries where salaries are lower.

Facebook Fundraisers Raised Over a Billion Dollars

Summary: Facebook announced it helped raise over a billion dollars for charities through its fundraising and donate tools. They have over a million non-profits registered in 19 countries that can receive donations directly through Facebook and over 20 million people have donated or started a fundraiser.

Opinion: I thought I would end this week’s edition on the positive that can also come from social media and community giving.

Marketing in the Digital Age: News Round-Up (week ending Nov 9, 2018)

Chat bots to the rescue.

Chatbots Working for you This Holiday Season

Summary: With the holiday season fast approaching, many brands are using chat bots to help with consumer questions. Brands love them because it streamlines efforts from their customer service department for FAQ’s. Consumers love them because the bots are often in places they already are, like Messenger, and can provide advice like gift recommendations.

Opinion: First, where has the year gone?! Second, bots are a great tool in this type of scenario to complement a robust customer service strategy.

#wcwSTEM

Summary: MTV, Facebook, and AdCouncil launched a series of videos on IGTV (Instagram TV) featuring 5 inspirational female STEM role models. The series began this week and will continue every Wednesday for the remainder of the episodes.

Opinion: #wca- woman crush always! This is a great series aimed at encouraging girls to pursue interests and careers in the STEM field.

How to Set Your 2019 Social Media Advertising Budget

Summary: First and foremost, define what your goals are in the space. Is it more traffic, more engagement, more website views? Once you have a handle on this, determine what to project. For example, for more community building, gather your cost per follower (amount spent/amount gained) to get a rough estimate of your acquisition costs. If you want to increase by 25%, do the budgeting math accordingly. For increased engagement, visit previous engagements to see what it will cost you to keep on that path. Website views, use cost-per-click x target visits.

Opinion: This is a good start to break down a good chunk of tools you need to accurately forecast for 2019. You also want to take into account any campaigns that are being built out for your brand alongside any other one-off pushes that may be needed.

Marketing in the Digital Age: News Round-Up (week ending Nov 2, 2018)

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Instagram Adds “I Voted” Sticker

Summary: Instagram will roll out “I voted” stickers up to two days before the election and on Stories the day of the election on Nov 6. If three or more of your friends use the stickers, then Instagram will create a "We Voted" Story, which will appear at the top of your feed, showing you the posts from everyone who has voted.

Opinion: Vote. Seriously, it’s a right that should be taken with great responsibility. There are people who fight (and die) for this right in other countries.

Twitter Puts #BeAVoter Front and Center

Summary: Twitter is going to remind you to vote via reminders at the top of your timeline with info about the candidates, issues on the ballot, and where their polling place is.

Opinion: Vote. It’s your civic duty.

I’m leaving it with this in this week’s edition because of the critical importance of exercising our right to vote. Your voice matters, your opinion matters, who represents you matters. Read about the candidates and issues and see how they will affect you. Do it over beer/wine with friends, at the beach, inside by a fire, make it fun. And, most importantly VOTE!

Marketing in the Digital Age: News Round-Up (week ending Oct 26, 2018)

Trend of more from less? Twitter and Snapchat both report decline in monthly users but an increase in revenue. LinkedIn finds a way for more people to see content from the non-1%.

Twitter Q3 Revenues Up

Summary: Twitter reported an increase of 29% in revenue year-over-year, including the same increase in advertising revenue as well. They’ve done a better job of removing spam-like accounts at sign up and are introducing efforts to make it easier to follow events, topics, and interests. However, monthly active users have dropped.

Opinion: Although a bit of a ways off, Twitter could go the way of the telephone with this trend—a few people will hang on to it that you can charge more, but the overall numbers are down.

Snap Q3, Revenue Up but MAUs Down

Summary: Snap was in a similar situation to Twitter, up $14.34M above earning expectations, but down nearly 1 million monthly active users. The stock took a beating on this news

Opinion: So what’s the difference between Twitter and Snap? My theory is that Twitter has been (arguably) improving on a situation whereas Snap is facing decline in users without much on the horizon indicating there will be a turnaround.

LinkedIn Algorithm Change

Summary: LinkedIn recently made changes to its algorithm allowing more posts to be seen by the non-1% . Prior to the change, most posts that were seen were produced from the top 1% of content creators, discouraging others from posting because posts wouldn’t be seen. With the new changes, 8% of the feedback is being redistributed from the top .01% creators.

Opinion: Now maybe people will start seeing my LinkedIn posts to this blog!

Marketing in the Digital Age: News Round-Up (week ending Oct 12, 2018)

How Pantene can help fix your #BadHairDay and more in this week’s Marketing in the Digital Age.

Having #ABadHairDay? Pantene Can Help

Summary: Pantene's "14-Day Challenge" invites Instagram and Twitter users to post pictures with the #BadHairDay hashtag to receive a personalized consultation from a Pantene Hair Advisor. The haircare brand has enlisted an "army" of social responders in a new #GreatHairDay Studio to engage with each #BadHairDay post.​ They encourage people to post videos on social media with to be used as ads from “real people” using the product. The brand saw 17x more photos with #BadHairDay than with #GreatHairDay.

Opinion: I am sure the stylists are in need of well-deserved time off after answering that many posts/tweets! The engagement is interesting in that people wanted to share more of the “embarrassing” photos to get advice. Makes sense since there isn’t much interaction needed on a great hair day.

Snap Originals in AR

Summary: Snap will be releasing a dozen new shows catered for their format. It will be leveraging storytelling through an AR focus to make the viewing more interactive. The video will be filmed in a 360-degree format so that the viewer can walk through the scene as if you’re inside of it.

Opinion: Still struggling after the controversial redesign, it begs the question: why doesn’t Snapchat go back to its old format? These videos could be a good addition but still don’t address the fundamental, mass attrition issue.

Facebook Interactions Influence Instagram Feed

Summary: If you like or comment friend’s posts on Facebook, you will be more likely to see this friend’s content on your Instagram feed. Because your Instagram feed is no longer ranked chronologically, a majority of content from friends and family were being missed. Facebook uses machine learning to prioritize what content may be most relevant for you.

Opinion: They are the same company. It’s not rocket science to put one-and-one together to see that they would cross-use data. Especially with the amount of data breaches Facebook has seen, we know they use a lot of data to market.