Posted by Cameron Francis
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15 May , 2022
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Weekly Marketing News
This Week in Marketing #TWiM
- YouTube Shorts Now Hits More Than 30 Billion Views Per Day
- Twitter Accidentally Miscounted Users For Three Years
- YouTube Expands’Key Moments’ Analytics to Mobile App, Launches New Live-Stream Cross Promotions
- Twitter Accidentally Miscounted Users For Three Years
- LinkedIn To Change How It Ranks Content
- Astra WordPress Updated Theme Offers Stronger Performance
- TikTok Has A New Way For Advertisers To Reach Users
- Meta To Expand Ad Formats And Tools For Small Businesses
- Performance Max Campaigns Drives Growth In Google Ads Revenue
- Meta Expands Reels With Monthly Challenges And Monetisation
- YouTube Live Streamers Can Now Redirect Viewers To Other Channels
- Google Ads Launches New Performance Max Features
- Google Launches A New Certificate For Digital Marketing
- Survey Indicates In-Office Workers Least Happy
- Major Improvements In The New WordPress 6.0 Details Revealed
- PPC Survey: Adoption of Google Ads automation high despite marketers being unhappy with the recommendations
- Google to use Customer Match lists for Optimised Targeting, Smart Bidding
- Microsoft Advertising to roll out Auto-generated remarketing lists
- Facebook Removing a Range of Location Tracking Tools
- Meta Shares New ‘Culture Codes’ to Help Advertisers Improve Performance of Promotions
- TikTok Replacing ‘Discover’ with Expansion Test of New ‘Friends’ Tab
- Meta Updates Reels To Incentivise Creators With Better Monetisation Options
- Pinterest Launches New ‘TV Studio’ App as it Expands Live Commerce Offerings
1). YouTube Shorts Now Hits More Than 30 Billion Views Per Day
YouTube’s viewing data has been impressive in 2022, with short video clips hitting 30 billion views in Q1. This is up four times from last year! As part of this impressive growth, YouTube has announced that they are testing ads within Shorts which will finally allow creators to monetise their work and make money off the platform.
However, YouTube’s move to put ads in Shorts isn’t just motivated by an eagerness to increase views. It was actually prompted by YouTube missing its revenue target which is why they have come up with a solution that could also increase creator earnings significantly. That makes it a win-win!
This means YouTube creators get paid from the Shorts Fund to make short videos in a similar manner to creators on TikTok. YouTube currently has a fund that pays creators for popular content, even though those creators might not be members of the partner program. However, ads could significantly increase the income-earning potential of these creators making it a very attractive proposition.
2). Twitter Accidentally Miscounted Users For Three Years
Twitter recently announced its quarterly earnings and in the process, revealed that it had been accidentally inflating active user numbers since 2019. Apparently, this was caused by an additional feature launched in March 2019 which allows people to link multiple separate accounts together. As a result, there was an overstatement of mDAU from Q1 2019 through Q4 2021.
This error caused Twitter to incorrectly estimate that there were between 1.4 and 1.9 million extra users per quarter during that period of time. Twitter also reported that there were 229 mDAUs in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of over 10 million in the last quarter, and an increase of 15.9% from quarter one of 2021 – believe it or not! However, none of this is said to have affected the impending acquisition by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
3). YouTube Expands ‘Key Moments’ Analytics to Mobile App, Launches New Live-Stream Cross Promotions
The YouTube Studio app is an incredible tool for content creators who want to make great-quality videos on the go. However, with “Key Moments” data coming in, at last, mobile users will be able to get even more insights into their video content, any time, anywhere.
Key Moments is a new addition to the YouTube Analytics desktop version and makes it easier than ever before for you to plan your YouTube strategy. With comparative charts and other analytics readily available, Key Moments allows content creators instant access to relevant live data.
YouTube is now also providing new video player capability. This will enable users to easily check out specific segments of each video based on the Key Moments charts.
Further to this, YouTube is making it easier for influencers and channels to work together. They recently rolled out cross channel live redirects, which will allow more collaborative promotion in the app. Influencer partnerships may find these new analytics tools valuable too and will be made available to all creators over the coming weeks, so keep your eyes open for updates!
4). TikTok Publishes New Guide for Collaborating with Creators on Ad Campaigns
TikTok is a great way to connect with your audience and foster an authentic relationship. The app is expected to reach more than 1.5 billion users this year, which means there are plenty of opportunities for you to promote your brand. Working alongside established creators can help elevate marketing efforts even further.
To help with this, TikTok has released a new guide to help you work more effectively with its creators. The tips and tricks outlined in this guide provide some key insights into why it is beneficial for your company or organisation to work with TikTok content creators. This includes more specific ways that you can improve campaign performance by collaborating together with a creator.
Download the guide here…
5). LinkedIn To Change How It Ranks Content
With the recent updates to LinkedIn’s algorithm, users will have greater control over what content appears in their feeds. They can block certain categories of posts from appearing and customise how much personalisation is shown when answering questions or connecting with other people on the network.
LinkedIn has made changes to their algorithm that prioritise activity in a user’s network. The news feed will show more targeted posts and actions, rather than just comments or useless posts members might not find useful.
The new changes mean that companies will not be able to use “growth hacks” anymore in order to attract a large audience. Instead, creators need to focus on creating high-quality content and driving engagement in order to attract their desired audience.
6). Astra WordPress Updated Theme Offers Stronger Performance
Astra is a WordPress theme used by nearly 2 million websites. Recently, version 3.8 was released with many UI and design improvements on the backend as well as the front end, making it easier for designers to create websites while delivering faster performance.
Astra also works well with all major page builders like Elementor, WooCommerce, Beaver Builder, Divi, SiteOrigin, Visual Composer and many others. One of the many reasons for the popularity of this theme is the ability to import starter templates that are ready-made and compatible with different industries and uses.
With numerous improvements to site performance, among other design functions, Astra continues to prove itself as one of the most popular WordPress themes in the market.
7). TikTok Has A New Way For Advertisers To Reach Users
TikTok announced a new way for brands to advertise their products – TikTok Pulse. This contextual advertising solution gives the top 4% of videos preference in being seen by people who have liked the video or followed the creator, which means more engagement from consumers looking specifically at the content you produce.
By allowing you to choose the category in which your ads are shown, you have the ability to engage with groups that are the most relevant to you.
When it comes to individual creators, TikTok’s platform is extremely diverse. Whether they are advertisers or public figures, the company has decided to embark on its first revenue share program. Individual creators as well as media publishers with at least 100,000 followers will be eligible for the new program.
8). Meta To Expand Ad Formats And Tools For Small Businesses
With Meta’s new tools, you can tap into the power of Facebook and Instagram for your small business. These enhancements are made to help businesses drive higher quality leads by identifying ways they might be able to connect with customers who might not be so familiar with them.
At the moment, these items are all being tested by Meta. On May 19th they will be hosting an event called Conversations where participants can discuss their findings and innovations with other like-minded individuals in attendance. Participants have also been able to test out new features such as visual information added into Instant Forms for more personalised experiences on mobile devices.
9). Performance Max Campaigns Drives Growth In Google Ads Revenue
Google’s recent earnings call was one of the company’s most successful periods in years, with Performance Max campaigns playing a large part. Performance indeed seems to be maxing out as revenues grew more than 50% year-over-year and reached $68 billion during Q1 alone.
Google is betting on increased performance with its new Performance Max campaign, which seems to be a key reason for search growth. With this upgrade replacing traditional types such as Smart Shopping and Local campaigns it’s not surprising that they’re investing heavily in these areas where user engagement can lead directly toward higher conversion rates.
10). Meta Expands Reels With Monthly Challenges And Monetisation
Meta has introduced new incentives to help content creators produce Reels. The video platform will provide original short-form videos with monetary rewards, giving audiences an opportunity for interactive experiences on Facebook’s social media site.
Meta’s latest update to its Reels Play bonus program includes many changes that will help content creators generate more revenue from their videos. One major addition is the introduction of challenges on Facebook that has enabled video makers access to unique insights into how viewers interact and engage in order for them to unlock new opportunities within this platform. The introduction of gamified earnings allows creators to participate in a series of continuous challenges in which money is awarded for completion.
Further to this, Meta will be enhancing the revenue-sharing programs and advertising that have already been established through in-stream ads. It appears that this has been introduced in response to video streaming giant TikTok’s announcement of TikTok Pulse, which is also a revenue-sharing plan in which ads are placed alongside popular content.
11). YouTube Live Streamers Can Now Redirect Viewers To Other Channels
YouTube live streamers will now be able to take advantage of a new feature that is similar to Twitch raids, but with one major difference. With cross-channel redirects on the platform, you can send your audience to a live stream on another channel when your stream is over.
YouTube streamers have been using live redirects to protect their streams from being interrupted by cyberattacks. Twitch raids, on the other hand, offer no such protection which means it can be used for malicious purposes like sending audiences across to different channels where they can spam the creator or launch abusive attacks.
When you use the live streaming feature on YouTube, your stream will be automatically redirected to another channel when someone else starts broadcasting. This is not only great for helping out other YouTubers but also guarantees that viewers can watch as much content from this person’s playlist without having any interruptions in between clips.
12). Google Ads Launches New Performance Max Features
Google recently announced that they will be phasing out Smart Shopping and Local campaigns by the end of Q3 2022 in favour of Performance Max ads. This new type of advertising provides more benefits than before, so it’s no wonder advertisers are showing a lot of interest in switching over.
Google announced there will be three new features that they will be introducing in the coming weeks which are consumer interest insights, customer acquisition goal type and a one-click upgrade tool. These features will be helpful for learning what’s working best with potential clients so you can make strategic decisions about where your advertising dollars go next.
Here is a summary of the three new features:
1). Customer Acquisition Goal
Although the Customer Acquisition goal type might be new to Performance Max, it’s not necessarily new to Google Ads.
Customer Acquisition goals were previously available with Smart Shopping campaigns. With the migration being forced across to Performance Max, Google has now made this available for that particular campaign type.
This will allow the goal type to do one of two things:
- Bid for new customers that maybe be similar to your existing customers
- Focus the optimisations only on new customers, while maintaining cost efficiency
2). Customer Interest Insights
In the coming weeks, Google will be introducing Customer Interest Insights on the Insights page in Google Ads. This will allow the user to determine which search themes are driving conversions.
This is a game changer as currently, these insights are not available in Performance Max campaigns.
The final insight that is being applied to Performance Max are the diagnostic insights. This will be able to show you any potential setup issues that might be preventing your ads from displaying
If an issue is identified by Google, a suggestion will be listed to assist in solving the problem.
3). One-Click Upgrade Tool
Google is introducing the upgrade tool in phases. Over the coming weeks, you’ll receive a notification in your Google Ads account once the one-click tool is available for use in your account.
You can gain access to this tool via the Recommendations page and also the Campaigns page.
The release will begin with the Smart Shopping campaign and starting in June, you will be able to apply it to upgrade Local campaigns.
When using the tool to migrate, your existing campaigns will become a new, separate Performance Max campaign. All budgets, learnings and settings from any previous campaigns will be transferred across.
With these new features, Performance Max promises to find the perfect balance between inventory and advertising. If you haven’t yet tried out this campaign format for yourself, give it a go today!
13). Google Launches A New Certificate For Digital Marketing
Google has announced the launch of a new career certificate in digital marketing and ecommerce in an effort to help job seekers and employers acquire the necessary skills to be successful in online business.
The new certificate is endorsed by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (the 4A’s) and the American Advertising Federation (AAF). In addition, Google promises to give every US business up to 500 Google Career Certificate scholarships to help upskill their employees.
Google is offering a new certificate program that will train job seekers on how to locate customers online, sell various products or services and perform marketing analytics. The three-month-long course doesn’t require any previous experience or degree nor does it take up too much time so can be completed part-time.
14). Survey Indicates In-Office Workers Least Happy
With an increase of employees heading back to the workplace following the pandemic, it has been found that lack of flexibility in return to the office policies are having a negative impact on employee experience scores.
The Future Forum quarterly survey found that more than one in three workers (34%) are working full time at their desk. This is the highest percentage since they began tracking this data back in June 2020 and reflects an erosion of remote work culture across organisations. Hybrid employees were in the middle, with fully remote workers scoring higher on all categories.
We have worked with remote teams for over 10 years and found a smooth transition when we closed our office in 2021. Tools like Basecamp, Time Doctor and Discord help us manage our entire team effectively while we all work remotely from around the world.
15). Major Improvements In The New WordPress 6.0 Details Revealed
WordPress 6.0 takes a big step forward with its new, intuitive user interface that makes it easier than ever before for individuals and businesses alike to create content or design websites of their very own.
Theme developers are excited about the new style presets in WordPress 6.0, which allow them to change a website’s look and feel with just one click. This is potentially one of most important changes coming soon for sites built using the latest version of this software.
The global style switcher is also an essential feature for WordPress theme designers. It makes it easy to change how your website looks and then offers different custom JSON files that let users switch between design options on the fly.
Overall, there are numerous features that have been either improved or included with WordPress 6.0, so make sure you check it out and see the improvements for yourself.
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/05/03/page-creation-patterns-in-wordpress-6-0/
16). PPC Survey: Adoption of Google Ads automation high despite marketers being unhappy with the recommendations
The global PPC industry is constantly evolving, and now there’s a survey to uncover what the experts think about their most pressing issues. 500+ people from around the world shared insights on how advertising through pay-per click (PPC) platforms can impact your business.
The findings of this research cover search marketers’ biggest concerns, top priorities and spend data. The information also provides insights into the most pressing trends in paid search including adoption rates for automation tools like Auto-applied Recommendations.
Lastly, advertisers are looking for better performance tracking. People have become more interested in the effects of their ads and how well they’re performing rather than just focusing on simple conversion statistics like number or dollars spent per lead.
17). Google to use Customer Match lists for Optimised Targeting, Smart Bidding
Google’s Customer Match list is getting smarter, with more ways to use it. The shift from how advertisers are applying their customer lists today means that they will have less work on hand in order for campaigns to run smoothly and efficiently – which should lead to higher conversion rates.
Customer Match lists will not be used together with manual bidding strategies. However, advertisers can still utilise bid modifiers in order to manually adjust bids and maximise their return on investment (ROI). If you do not want Customer Match data applied automatically or when Smart Bidding is enabled for your account then you can choose to opt out at the ad level.
The ability for advertisers to utilise more signals in automation is a good thing. The power of being able to curate what lists are or aren’t utilised should be a boon. However, as you will need to take time to opt out, make sure that the proper Customer Match list is being used.
18). Microsoft Advertising to roll out Auto-generated remarketing lists
Microsoft announced some exciting new updates in May that are sure to be popular with advertisers. The most notable being an extension of their advertising cash back incentives and the addition of Auto-generated remarketing lists. Both were introduced this year as part of Microsoft’s commitment towards providing quality customer service for all brands on their platform.
You may also see a new notification in your Microsoft Advertising account. This is for those looking to “get started with remarketing, or you’re already using it and want optimisation.”
Advertisers are going to love the new features, especially now that they can target subdomains. Exact auto-target URLs will also come with more fine-tuned targeting compared to just “URL contains.” This is great news if you want specific adverts instead of generic ones.
19). Facebook Removing a Range of Location Tracking Tools
The recent changes to Facebook’s location services have led to the quiet implementation of a new way for users. These include the depreciation of several local-based functions in an app, including Nearby Friends and weather alerts along with your historical locations recorded through History Logs.
Meta’s decision to stop providing services for these features after May 31st 2022 will result in the deletion of all your data, even if you had enabled it previously. By August 1st this year, any information collected through Facebook or apps about yourself (including email addresses), won’t be used anymore and deleted.
The removal of these features is leading to a decrease in usage. The reason for this may be that people do not care about these additions, or it could have something to do with data privacy regulations and how they are heading globally speaking. Whatever the case, Meta will lose another slice of its user base.
20). Meta Shares New ‘Culture Codes’ to Help Advertisers Improve Performance of Promotions
The landscape of social media has evolved to the point where content and usage trends are changing rapidly. What was once only seen on traditional platforms like TV commercials or print ads, now applies equally across all forms digital – meaning you can no longer rely solely upon one form for your brand communication strategy!
Meta’s new ‘culture codes’ assist brands to create content that is more engaging and natural-looking by aligning with contemporary social media audiences. The core value here is authenticity and creating pieces that explain what you do just like talking to a friend on an individual level rather than through industry jargon or business-speak.
“We’re seeing a shift away from perfection and polish, and towards a culture that instead celebrates what’s unpolished and real. In a recent report from consumer insights company YPulse, a survey found that 84% of young consumers agreed with the statement that “I like it when content from brands is not perfect” and 79% of them agreed they are “tired of seeing perfect images in advertising.”
Human connection is what people are looking for. As the digital world becomes more crowded, brands need to take time and invest in understanding their audience if they want success online. This includes listening to consumers so that they feel like your company is making an effort to understand them.
21). TikTok Replacing ‘Discover’ with Expansion Test of New ‘Friends’ Tab
Many of you may have noticed a change in your TikTok tabs lately. Some users reported that their “Discover” tab has switched over to become a ‘Friends’ section, showcasing videos posted by friends rather than broader trending content discovery on the app itself.
TikTok has confirmed that they are expanding the change to reach even more users. The tab will also prompt you and ask if you want to connect with Facebook friends, given Meta’s ongoing efforts in slowing down Tik Tok’s growth rate on their platform.
TikTok is testing out the new feature which will allow users to share more personal content. If this proves successful, then it may be able to eat into Snapchat’s market share or even surpass Instagram as people increasingly conduct their social media interactions through TikToK instead of other apps like Facebook and Twitter.
22). Meta Updates Reels To Incentivise Creators With Better Monetisation Options
With short-form video now at the forefront of social media attention, it’s no surprise that all major platforms are working to establish their most appealing monetisation programs in order for top creators to continue posting on these apps.
Meta has announced an update to its Reels Play Bonus program, which will see it restructure payments while adding a new challenge option for Facebook videos. This provides creators with even more ways to earn income.
“As we continue to test and refine the Reels Play bonus programs, we’re making some updates. We’re adjusting how payouts are calculated, aimed at rewarding creators across a range of audience sizes who are making high-quality original content that resonates with people, (which may result in payouts changing for some creators)”
Video is definitely the key to success for any company these days and the platform that can work out an effective monetisation process will most likely take home all of this year’s awards!
23). Pinterest Launches New ‘TV Studio’ App as it Expands Live Commerce Offerings
Pinterest is making it easier and more convenient to live-stream your creativity! The new ‘Pinterest TV Studio’ app will help you with everything from better streaming setups and enhanced editing tools for a seamless experience.
Live-streaming has become an increasingly popular way for people across China and around the world to shop. In 2022, live shopping revenues were expected hit $400 billion which constitutes almost half of all eCommerce spending in America last year! Not only does this give us insight into how much consumer preference is changing but also shows that there seems be no limit on age groups who will use these services as well.
#PinterestTV is here with live episodes weekdays at 3pm PST/6pm EST starting Nov 8. Try something new with @TomDaley1994, chat fashion with @CSiriano, or fix your #PinterestFail with Monica Suriyage. Get ready to tune in: https://t.co/RMpRokrviR pic.twitter.com/fu8auVezYa
— Pinterest 💚 (@Pinterest) November 1, 2021
With the popularity of social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, it’s no surprise that other platforms are jumping on board with their own live-streaming approaches. Pinterest has just announced plans to introduce “thousands” of new features including a dedicated section for shopping. From here, we just have to sit back and see what happens if Pinterest can truly challenge the big boys.
