Weekly Marketing Rundown - February 16th, 2024

Weekly Marketing Rundown - April 19th, 2024 Hi everyone, In this week's edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown, we'll talk about new updates to Meta Ads, premium placement ads for YouTube shorts, and more. Let's dive in.  Meta Ads Updates from This Week - Meta is introducing 'Instagram Profile Reels' as an ad placement. This would have ads show up within the reels feed of public Instagram accounts.  - You can now access Region-wide reports for Advantage+ App Campaigns - A new Facebook group reporting preset, including statistics such as 'Join group requests' and 'Cost per join group request' For more on this, click the link below: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bramvanderhallen_facebookads-digitaladvertising-digitalmarketing-activity-7185907985959768064-lAw4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop Premium Placement Option for Ads on YouTube Shorts YouTube is enhancing its advertising offerings with the introduction of "YouTube Select Shorts," a new feature designed to help advertisers secure prime ad placements alongside the platform’s top-performing Shorts content. This option allows brands to specifically choose their ads to appear with the best Shorts in five distinct categories: Entertainment, Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle, Food & Recipes, Gaming, and Automotive. This targeted approach gives advertisers greater control over their Shorts promotions and maximizes exposure to viewers within specific interest niches. YouTube reports that Shorts now attracts 2 billion logged-in users each month For more on this, click the link below: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-launches-premium-placement-option-for-shorts-ads/713524/ Threads Expected to Have Ads This Year Meta is set to introduce advertising on Threads, its text-based platform and rival to X, earlier than anticipated. Industry insiders have revealed that marketers could start buying ads on Threads as early as the second half of this year, according to information shared with ad executives. This development marks Meta's continued expansion of its advertising landscape just over a year after Threads was launched. While the specifics of how these ads will be integrated into Threads remain under wraps, discussions so far have focused more on the timeline of the rollout rather than the exact details of the ad placements. For more on this, click the link below: https://digiday.com/marketing/metas-threads-expected-to-have-ads-this-year/ The European Data Protection Board Issues Guidance Impacting Ad Platforms The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has released new guidance with significant implications for adtech giants like Meta and other large platforms operating in the European Union. The guidance addresses the contentious issue of "consent or pay" models used by some platforms to obtain user consent for data processing. Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has been requiring users in the EU to consent to being tracked and profiled for ad targeting purposes since November 2023, or opt to pay a monthly subscription fee for ad-free services. However, the EDPB views this binary choice as potentially problematic, citing concerns about an imbalance of power between individuals and data controllers. Despite Meta's claims that its subscription model complies with EU laws, the EDPB's opinion challenges the notion that the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) explicitly sanctioned such models. The Board emphasizes that the CJEU's ruling did not focus centrally on subscription models and suggests that Meta's interpretation may be flawed.  The EDPB's guidance as of now is simply an opinion, though it is certainly possible that the EU makes that opinion law before too long.  For more on this, click the link below: https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/17/edpb-consent-or-pay-opinion/?guccounter=1 Thanks for reading this edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown! For more up-to-date insights in digital marketing, make sure to follow us on our social media channels using the link below.  https://linktr.ee/kavanahmedia Author: Sean Ralls Article Published: April 19th, 2024

Weekly Marketing Rundown - April 12th, 2024 Hi everyone, In this week's edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown, we'll talk about changes to search trends with young adults, Meta's new info hub for developers, and more. Let's dive in.  Gen Z Increasingly Using Social Media as a Search Engine Gen Z is increasingly turning to social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube for their search needs, marking a significant shift from the Google-centric approach favored by millennials. This generation, having grown up in the era of social media, finds social platforms more relatable and quicker to provide answers. According to research from YPulse, only 46% of young adults aged 18-24 start their searches on Google, compared to 58% of those aged 25-39. Meanwhile, 21% begin their searches on TikTok, and 5% on YouTube. This change in search behavior presents a challenge for Google, a company still largely dependent on ad revenue from search results. The move towards social media is attributed to these platforms becoming more than just a space for connecting with friends; they've transformed into a rich source of varied information. Google's response to this shift has been to enhance its AI-driven search features and introduce new tools to keep younger users engaged. The company recently expanded its AI-powered Search Generative Experience and reported high satisfaction scores from the 18-24 age group. Google also launched features that highlight forum results, such as those from Reddit, and a 'Follow' option for personalized updates on chosen topics. However, dissatisfaction with Google's search results is growing, particularly due to the prominence of low-quality, well-optimized content in search rankings. This problem is potentially exacerbated by the rise in AI-generated content, blurring the line between genuine content and spam. As generative AI continues to evolve, these challenges highlight the need for search engines to adapt to changing user preferences and the growing reliance on social media for information discovery. For more on this, click the link below: https://www.axios.com/2024/04/11/google-gen-z-search-engines-tiktok-youtube Meta Launches New Info Hub for Developers Meta is introducing a new hub aimed at guiding developers on complying with rules and regulations while using its API. The “Responsible Platform Initiatives” hub encompasses a variety of explainers and guides designed to assist developers in creating apps that are safe, compliant, and respectful of user data privacy. The hub is positioned as a tool to help developers understand and mitigate risks associated with data breaches and compliance with data security standards. Additionally, it offers guidelines on appropriate data usage and user privacy, ensuring developers are updated on the evolving privacy landscape. This initiative is a response to past challenges faced by Meta, particularly highlighted by the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2016, where it was revealed that excessive user data was accessed and misused. Following this, Meta faced a record $5 billion fine by the F.T.C. for privacy violations and significantly tightened its data access policies. The new hub represents Meta's efforts to provide controlled system access while maintaining user data safety. This includes the recent rollout of a series of video tutorials to help developers navigate the Meta developer platform and adhere to the requirements for accessing Metadata. The Responsible Developer Hub is a crucial part of Meta’s broader strategy to ensure responsible usage of its platform, providing developers with the necessary resources to navigate Meta’s system requirements effectively. For more on this, click on the links below: https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2024/04/10/new-developer-platform-resources/ https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-launches-info-hub-ensure-developers-operate-rules/712865/ Insights into YouTube's Algorithm (HootSuite) Algorithms on all digital platforms have made significant shifts in the last few years, and YouTube is no exception. The YouTube algorithm is designed to provide personalized content for each user, with its recommendations based on several key elements. These include the user's previous video interactions, such as videos they’ve enjoyed, topics or channels they frequently watch, and common viewing patterns among users. For instance, if a user watches a detailed video about a specific topic and interacts with it through likes or comments, the algorithm will likely recommend more content in that vein. Statistically, this personalized approach has led to a diverse range of homepages for users, with content varying dramatically based on individual preferences and behaviors. Essentially, two users could use an identical search query and have different videos pop up in their results due to differences in their on-platform behavior.  In terms of performance metrics, YouTube's algorithm evaluates whether people actually watch the recommended videos, the duration of their viewership, and the level of engagement through likes, dislikes, and survey results. Region-specific factors like language and time also influence recommendations. With the rising popularity of YouTube Shorts, which see nearly 70 billion daily views, the algorithm’s approach shifts slightly. Shorts' recommendations depend on user engagement and history, but watch time is less significant than in traditional YouTube videos. The focus is on the variety of content as users swipe through, and a secret threshold determines what counts as a meaningful view. For creators, quality and storytelling are crucial for Shorts. The algorithm also considers user interest in similar Shorts content. YouTube's data shows that quality content in Shorts can initially gain significant attention, but popularity can fluctuate based on audience reception. As YouTube continues to evolve, it aims to further integrate Shorts with its broader platform, reflecting a growing trend toward short-form, vertical video content. For more on this, click to read the link below: https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-the-youtube-algorithm-works/ Snapchat Partners with Snowflake and AppsFlyer to Build Private and Effective Ad Solutions Snap has unveiled a new partnership and integration with Snowflake, positioning itself as a key mobile platform partner for Snowflake’s Marketing Data Cloud. This integration will introduce Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), including Snowflake Data Clean Rooms, to offer encrypted, privacy-safe, and effective advertising solutions and signal measurement for advertisers. The Snowflake Marketing Data Cloud enables organizations to streamline complex marketing technology architectures, delivering improved customer experiences and maximizing return on investment. It allows marketers to work from a unified customer view, utilize privacy-preserving collaboration, access native AI capabilities, and employ leading marketing and advertising data applications to manage their entire marketing lifecycle. The integration with Snapchat, rolling out in the upcoming months, will simplify the implementation of Snap’s Conversions API (CAPI) for Snowflake clients, enabling quicker setup and seamless sharing of targeting and conversion data to enhance Snapchat campaign performance. In addition to Snowflake, Snap is also excited to partner with AppsFlyer on a privacy-focused measurement solution. This collaboration will provide Snapchat advertisers with a deeper understanding of Snap’s performance within Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) attribution for iOS campaigns. Leveraging PETs such as Data Clean Rooms and advanced encryption, Snap becomes the first and only AppsFlyer partner to implement this level of privacy encryption. Early tests of this new measurement solution showed a significant increase in iOS conversions and a decrease in cost-per-app-install for Snap campaigns, according to AppsFlyer. Following this success, Snap is exploring the expansion of this solution to other MMPs. Snapchat has also enhanced its CAPI signal solution, accessible to any advertiser on the platform, with global expansion through third-party providers and improvements like easier setup, better support for Dynamic Product and Travel Ads, and richer data integration. These updates have shown substantial improvements in purchase attribution and cost efficiency. In the near future, Snap plans to release an improved version of its Event Quality Score (EQS) to provide more precise signal health insights and personalized recommendations for advertisers. These partnerships and enhancements underscore Snap’s commitment to helping advertisers maintain effective campaign performance while prioritizing user privacy. For more on this, click the link below: https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/blog/future-proofing-your-ads-on-snapchat New Meta Ads Updates from This Week Here are a few of the most notable Meta Ads updates from this week: - You can now include a website link when creating a Reminder Ad - Meta is introducing the ability to opt into receiving notifications on Messenger about your ad or ad account. Be careful if you decide to opt into this. There has been a large amount of scam messages hitting people's inboxes claiming to be from Meta, in some cases even from verified accounts that had been hacked.  For more on this, click the link below: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7183444871213424644/ Thanks for reading this edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown! For more up-to-date insights in digital marketing, make sure to follow us on our social media channels using the link below.  https://linktr.ee/kavanahmedia Author: Sean Ralls Article Published: April 12th, 2024