Krista Neher

Jul 14 2017

Boot Camp Digital’s July 2017 Digital Marketing News Update is packed with the latest and greatest from Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, SnapChat, Twitter, and more! We’ve also recently added a Innovation section that talks about emerging technology and trends.

Facebook News

• Facebook ads new templates to the Canvas Ad Formats – If you’re looking for new creative options in Facebook ads check this out. New Canvas ad formats that can make your ads pop even more.
• Facebook is TESTING the Addition of Descriptions to Cover Images – This is still only a test, but may be rolled out (although there are no plans).
• Facebook Makes Video Chats More Fun – Facebook is making video chats more fun and engaging with new filters and more visual effects. This shows the commitment that Facebook has to the Messenger platform and their continued copying of functionality from SnapChat.

LinkedIn News

• LinkedIn will Write Your Summary for You – LinkedIn will now write your summary for you (for real). “Having 40 words or more on your summary ensures you show up in search results and people with at least five skills listed on their LinkedIn profile receive up to 17x more profile views,” according to LinkedIn. This new tool will help you write a great summary that increases your visibility on LinkedIn.
• LinkedIn Q1 Content Insights – LinkedIn announced their Q1 Content insights – the content on LinkedIn that performs best (based on data!!!). Discover the best content to engage CXOs and which headlines drew the most attention. If you are marketing on LinkedIn this is worth a read.
• LinkedIn gets more Visual with Image Comments – You can now add images to comments on LinkedIn.

Instagram News

• Instagram Stories has 250 Million Users – This creates more competition between Instagram and SnapChat as Instagram continues to copy Snapchat functionality and get traction.
• Instagram Allows Live Videos To Replay – This can make Instagram Live Videos even more relevant since they can be saved to replay.
• Instagram Allows Photo and Video Replies to Stories – This makes stories even more fun and interactive as you can reply with images and videos. This also shows that Instagram continues to innovate around the Stories platform.

Pinterest News

• Pinterest Lens Gets Better – Pinterest Lens can now be used in more categories and has additional features to help you more easily use this functionality.
• What is a Pinterest Lens? – If the update above didn’t make sense to you, check out this link to learn what a lens is. The short story is that a Lens lets you take a picture and find similar content on Pinterest. Cool right?

SnapChat News

• Snapchat Launches Self-Serve Ad Platform – Snapchat announced their self-serve ad platform (similar to almost all other social networks) where advertisers can easily create and run targeted campaigns on SnapChat. They also announced new formats and creation tools. If you’ve been hesitant to advertise on SnapChat now might be the time to start testing.
• SnapChat allows users to add Links, Voice and Backdrops – Links is probably the most interesting here as you can now include links to web pages that open in a SnapChat browser.

Twitter News

• Twitter Launches New Design – Does Twitter look different to you? It isn’t just you! They launched a new design with changes to typography and organization.

Search News

• Google Launches Tab Based Mobile Local Panel – If you have a local business you’ll want to check how your business now looks on Google mobile results. Google is launching a tabbed view making it easier for consumers to navigate through information about your business (and hopefully keeping them on Google vs. sending them to your site. Check that all your GoogleMyBusiness information is up-to-date and review how your business looks in the new format to be sure that you are getting the most from it.
• SEM Rush Releases Ranking Factors – SEM Released their 2017 ranking factors study. If you want to know what most influences SEO rankings check this out.
• Google Search Opens up Job Listings – Search can now be used for job listings and job sites (or anyone) can use structured data to have their listings appear directly in Google Search Results.

Ads News

• Google Ad Blocker Has Marketers Worried – Google announced that it is planning to make an ad filter for Chrome that will block intrusive ad formats. Sick of ads that take over your entire screen? This filter might help. However if you are an advertiser creating these annoying ads you might be in trouble. Some in the industry are concerned that Google shouldn’t have the power to police ads. We’ll keep you informed as the filter actually rolls out.
• Most Hated Ad Types Revealed – A study shows the ads that consumers hate the most. Not surprising they tend to be the most intrusive. Avoiding ads that consumers hate is important to your businesses. If your ad formats annoy people this could translate into negative feelings for the advertiser as well. Check this out to know what to avoid.
• Bing Ads can Now be Mobile Only – Bing announced that advertisers can now opt-out of desktop ads and make their campaigns mobile only.
• Google Stops Using Gmail info For Ad Targeting – Congrats – you have some of your privacy back (sort of). Google will stop using data from Gmail in ad targeting.

Innovation News

• The cost of Influencer Marketing – An interesting study shows the costs of influencer marketing. How much are brands paying for social media mentions across channels from top influencers? If you’re thinking of working with influencers (or already do) check this out to see how competitive you are.
• Google Created a New Website Builder – Don’t have time to create a website? Looking for a small standard website to showcase your local business? Google now has their own website builder as a part of Google My Business. While it won’t be robust, so small businesses looking for a “brochure” site this could be a good solution. Bonus – it links directly to Google My Business listings. This won’t replace more complex websites but can be a good start for smaller businesses with basic needs.
• YouTube Promotes VR Videos with New Tools – VR (Virtual Reality) has been slow to take off (except for video games). YouTube is looking to change this by creating tools to make it easier to create VR. It remains to be seen if consumers have an appetite for this content.
• Adobe Launches AI Powered Voice Analytics – Wonder how people interact with Amazon Alexa or Google Home? Adobe is among the first to attempt to provide marketers with details about how consumers are interacting with Voice.

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