Weekly Marketing Rundown - June 27th, 2024 Hi everyone, In this week's edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown, we will discuss Meta's industry dominance, AI influencers, GDPR, comment sections and WhatsApp. Let's dive in! Meta's Apps Continue to Dominate Download Charts Meta's suite of apps, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, continues to lead the download charts, solidifying their position as the most popular social media platforms globally.  For advertisers and marketers, this trend underscores the fact that Meta’s advertising platform is still very much a viable platform for digital engagement projects, regardless of growing competition. Thousands of seekers around the world are connecting with disciple-makers around the world daily via Meta’s platforms and  if you are able to advertise on Facebook and/ Instagram in your context we highly recommend it. For more on this, click the link below: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/metas-apps-continue-to-dominate-the-download-charts/719702/  TikTok Ads Get a Boost from AI-Powered Influencers TikTok is leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance its advertising strategy by creating AI-powered influencers. These virtual personalities are designed to engage users and promote products in innovative ways, offering brands a unique method to reach their target audience. As AI continues to advance it brings unique opportunities to us utilizing digital engagement to find seekers. For example, AI is extremely useful in secure locations where actual people and their identities are not able to be utilized. One can utilize genuine testimony for an ad, but use a AI personality to protect the real identity of the person. AI can boost our content creation and online responding capabilities, however, there is also great risk. As AI personalities become more widespread in usage the desire for authentic human content and interaction will likely increase. Kavanah Media partners in several locations have attempted to utilized chat bots, but never got any significant traction with contacts until a real person took over messaging.  We should utilize AI whenever it is beneficial, but we should strive to not lose genuine human connection that is so important in finding seekers. For more on this, click the link below: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/style/tiktok-ads-ai-influencers.html Google Updates EU Consent Rules for Customer Match Ads Google has announced changes to its EU consent rules for Customer Match ads, requiring advertisers to obtain explicit consent from users before targeting them with personalized ads. This update aligns with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and aims to enhance user privacy and data protection. Advertisers must now ensure that they have collected and documented user consent before using Customer Match data for ad targeting. This change necessitates adjustments in how advertisers manage their customer data and obtain permissions. As Google continues to shift it’s systems in order to comply with these restrictions advertisers should ensure their ads and websites are in compliance. For more on this, click the link below: https://searchengineland.com/google-eu-consent-rules-customer-match-ads-443491  Gen Z and Online Comment Sections A recent study has revealed that Generation Z increasingly relies on online comment sections as a trusted source of news. This demographic values the immediacy and diversity of perspectives found in comments, often turning to these sections for real-time updates and community insights. While the context of this study is specific to the Western world, the implication that the comment section cannot be ignored is universally applicable. It is essential not to overlook the significance of comment sections in our efforts to engage seekers globally. For more on this, click the link below: https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-most-trusted-news-source-online-comment-sections-google-2024-6  WhatsApp Adds In-app Dialer WhatsApp's new in-app dialer, currently in beta testing, allows users to make calls directly without needing to save contact numbers. Accessed via a floating button in the Calls tab, this feature not only simplifies calling but also enhances security by reducing the need to store personal information on users' devices. Users can dial unsaved numbers and choose to save them as contacts or opt for messaging instead, all without cluttering their address books with unnecessary entries. For those of us utilizing WhatsApp in our digital engagement strategies this is a huge plus, but also a potential risk. Users not having to save contact info is both more secure for them, for teams and local responders managing systems in secure locations, however, this also means that the one receiving the calls may not see any information about who is calling them.  For more on this, click the link below: https://www.androidauthority.com/whatsapp-rolls-out-a-new-in-app-dialer-to-beta-testers-3454446/ 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: Yari Soto and Cody Adams Article Published: June 27th, 2024

Weekly Marketing Rundown - July 26th, 2024 Hi everyone, In this week's edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown, we will discuss the new WhatsApp username feature, Meta AI, Google Privacy Sandbox, and more. Let's dive in! WhatsApp Introduces Username Feature for Web Client WhatsApp is developing a new username feature for its web client, allowing users to create unique usernames. This update aims to enhance user privacy and make it easier to connect with others without sharing phone numbers. By using usernames, users can communicate more securely, as their personal phone numbers will no longer be required for initial contact. The username feature is expected to integrate seamlessly with WhatsApp's existing interface, providing an additional layer of convenience and security. This move aligns with WhatsApp's broader efforts to improve user privacy and expand its feature set to meet evolving user needs. This feature could allow teams to communicate without revealing their personal phone numbers, reducing the risk of their contact information being misused or targeted by unwanted entities. By using unique usernames, teams could safely connect with local communities, supporters, and organizations, ensuring their personal details remain protected while carrying out their important work.   For more on this, click the link below: https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-is-working-on-a-username-feature-for-the-web-client/ Meta AI Expands Language Availability and Features  Meta AI has broadened its language support to include Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, and more, making it accessible in 22 countries. This expansion is part of Meta's latest updates, which also introduce the new Llama 3.1 language model. The updates include a beta tool called "Imagine Me" that allows users to create and edit images with prompts. Additionally, Meta AI's new features include the ability to create and modify images across Meta's platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Users can also utilize the AI for tasks like math problem-solving and coding on WhatsApp or Meta's website. Meta plans to update its AI technology bi-weekly, promising more features and languages in the future.This feature could benefit teams by enabling more effective communication with diverse communities. Additionally, enhanced language accessibility can help teams overcome language barriers, allowing them to share important information and resources with their audience.   For more on this, click the link below: https://www.engadget.com/meta-ai-is-now-available-in-spanish-portugese-french-and-more-150051715.html?guccounter=1 WhatsApp Partners with National Trading Standards to Combat Online Scams WhatsApp has teamed up with National Trading Standards to enhance public awareness about online scams and provide tools for users to protect themselves. The partnership emphasizes the importance of privacy settings, two-step verification, and using the Privacy Checkup tool to stay secure. Recent data shows a persistent risk of scams, with many people likely to encounter fraud in the coming years. This partnership involves the launch of new initiatives and campaigns on social media to educate users on how to identify and avoid scams. At the same time, WhatsApp encourages users to report any suspicious activity to authorities to combat digital fraud. This collaboration could provide protection against fraud and digital threats to teams working in diverse and often vulnerable environments, ensuring the security of their personal and organizational information while carrying out their global mission work.   For more on this, click the link below: https://about.fb.com/news/2024/07/whatsapp-teams-up-with-national-trading-standards/  Malaysia and Singapore Enhance Regulation of Social Media Platforms Malaysia and Singapore are intensifying their regulatory oversight of social media platforms, including Facebook, to better control the spread of misinformation and enhance cybersecurity. These efforts are driven by concerns over the impact of false information on public safety and the integrity of political processes. Both countries are implementing stricter laws and guidelines to hold social media companies accountable for content shared on their platforms. In Malaysia, the government is pushing for amendments to its Communications and Multimedia Act to impose heavier penalties on social media platforms that fail to curb the dissemination of fake news. Singapore, on the other hand, has introduced the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), which grants authorities the power to demand corrections or removals of false content. These measures reflect a broader trend in Southeast Asia towards increased digital regulation to safeguard national security and public trust in online information. The increased regulatory oversight of social media platforms by Malaysia and Singapore can benefit teams by providing a safer digital environment. These measures can help control the spread of misinformation and enhance cybersecurity, thus protecting teams from online threats and the potential dissemination of harmful false information.         For more on this, click the link below: https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Cybersecurity/Malaysia-and-Singapore-tighten-oversight-of-Facebook-others  Google Introduces Privacy Sandbox to Enhance Online Privacy and Ad Efficiency Google is preparing to phase out third-party cookies in its Chrome browser by the end of 2024, marking a significant shift in how user data is tracked and used for ad targeting. The initiative, known as the Privacy Sandbox, aims to develop new technologies that protect user privacy while still enabling effective advertising. One of the key components of this initiative is the Topics API, which replaces cookies by categorizing user interests based on their browsing activity. Advertisers can then target ads to users based on these broad interest categories without tracking individual users across websites. This change addresses growing privacy concerns and regulatory pressures, aiming to balance the needs of users, advertisers, and publishers. By reducing reliance on invasive tracking methods, Google hopes to create a more privacy-conscious web environment. However, the transition poses challenges for advertisers accustomed to the granularity of cookie-based tracking. As the Privacy Sandbox technologies are rolled out and refined, the advertising industry will need to adapt to new methods of targeting and measuring ad effectiveness without compromising user privacy.   For more on this, click the link below: https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/22/24203893/google-cookie-tracking-prompt-ad-targeting-privacy-sandbox 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: Yari Soto and Cody Adams Article Published: July 26th, 2024