Krista Neher

Sep 11 2017

September 2017 Digital Marketing News Updates

Boot Camp Digital’s September 2017 Digital Marketing News Updates include the latest and greatest from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat, Google, and more. Don’t miss the section on innovation if you want to be on the cutting edge of what’s coming!

Facebook News

• Facebook Launches Facebook Watch – Facebook Watch allows people to watch shows on Facebook. This is a clear move for Facebook to get more into episodic video and become a single platform for engaging audiences. it will be interesting to see if this takes off from a consumer perspective. Think of this as Facebook for Podcasts. Early testing from Mashable showed higher engagement in episodic content vs. one off videos.
• New Study Shows Facebook Engagement Dropping – A study shows that engagement rates on Facebook are declining… but the real thing that you need to consider is the cause. Is it an algorithm update, a drop in promotion (or promotion focused on engagement) or a shift in content strategies? While we don’t have causal data in this study if could certainly be interesting to take note of this if you manage a Page.
• Facebook Deprioritizes Slow Loading Pages – Is your Page slow to load? This could impact your visibility on Facebook. Facebook wants consumers to have a good experience, and waiting for a slow site to load kills the experience. Now links to slow loading sites can get even less visibility in the newsfeed.
• Facebook Allows Users to Capture 360 Videos – 360 video can now be captured directly from the mobile app making it easier to use this new video feature to engage your audience.
• Facebook Reduces Video ClickBait – Facebook is cracking down on videos aiming to drive fake clicks. If you have been investing in the “image as a video strategy” now is the time to stop. As a side note, this is why it is best to invest your time and effort into sustainable strategies vs. tactics that don’t work for long.
• Facebook is Working on Smart Glasses – If you were hoping these would go away after Google Glass disappeared think again. SnapChat has their Spectacles and now Facebook is filing patents for glasses….
• Facebook Gives More Control to In-Stream Video Ads – These ads (which I personally find really annoying) now come with more controls around where they appear.
• Branded Content Partners Can Now Boost Posts – This functionality could be a breakthrough in content marketing with influencers as partners can now boost posts as well.
• Facebook Updates Clicks and Impressions Reporting – Under pressure to become more accurate, Facebook has announced an update to how they report clicks and impressions. Importantly they are removing unintentional clicks so advertisers won’t pay for these in the future.
• Facebook Algorithm Update Further Reduces ClickBait – ClickBait articles are those containing headlines specifically aimed to drive clicks – usually in a highly annoying way. The new update will reduce exposure of these headlines in an effort to encourage better content on Facebook.

LinkedIn News

• LinkedIn Expands Partner Program – Making it even easier for marketers to use third-party tools to extend their effectiveness on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has a number of new third-party partner tools that can access even more of the API across analytics, ads and audience management.
• LinkedIn Rolls out Native Video – This makes it look and feel more like Facebook. LinkedIn is a little late to the video game with other major networks focusing on video for a few years. That being said, video on LinkedIn could be an effective way to reach your audience. In the announcement LinkedIn also hinted at LInkedIn Live in the future….
• LinkedIn Shows Active Status in Messaging – Thinking of hiding and avoiding people on LinkedIn? Think again. The new active status update shows you who is active on LinkedIn.

Twitter News

• Hashtags are 10 Years Old – Debuting on Twitter 10 years ago hashtags (#) are now a part of every day communication. Happy Birthday Hashtags!!!

Instagram News

• Instagram Launches Comment Threads – Comments can now be threaded making conversations easier on Instagram.

YouTube News

• YouTube Rolls Out Breaking News Feature – YouTube will now show breaking news throughout the platform. This shows their interest in becoming a more relevant video content site.

SnapChat News

• Snapchat Ads Manager Looks Like Facebook Power Editor – Snapchat ads manager looks like Facebook Power Editor – making it easy to create and manage more complex ads. SnapChat has been investing heavily in ads lately – expect to see even more.
• Brands use Instagram Stories Twice as Often as SnapChat – While SnapChat is investing in their ads platform, the reality is that Instagram is far ahead of them. Especially since Instagram ads are connected to the Facebook power editor. SnapChat is at risk of becoming a nice network if they continue to be out maneuvered by Instagram.
• SnapChat makes Acquisitions in Location and Data – SnapChat has purchased Placed and Zenly — signaling where it is looking for growth in the coming year. The acquisitions are in data and localization – suggesting SnapChat will be investing in these areas.

Search News

• 57% of Search Traffic is now Mobile – According to new data. Also, mobile rankings are often different vs. desktop rankings. Be sure that you have a solid mobile user experience if you want to rank for the majority of searchers who are now mobile.
• Google Adds Video to Maps Listings – Continuing the trend of video growing in importance online, Google Local/Map listings now support video. If you have a great promo video be sure to add it to your listing.
• Google Ads 6 Second Silent Video Previews to Search – Google adding this features shows that video continues to be a vital tool and this will likely drive more clicks to video results. Get your YouTube Video strategy going now!
• Google Launches Q&A In Map Search – You can now ask and answer questions in maps. They are also encouraging local guides to share experiences. Pay attention to any Q&A regarding your business.

Digital Advertising News

• Adwords Mobile Gets Upgrade with Clickable Extensions – Get more from your mobile ads with new clickable ad extensions. This can make your mobile ads even more actionable and meaningful.
• Adwords Landing Pages Page + Mobile Optimization Check – Adwords new Landing Page section allows you to view the effectiveness of your landing pages. In addition, landing pages will be automatically scored for mobile effectiveness.

Innovation News

• New Nielsen Study on Content Consumption – A new study by Nielsen shows apps and podcast consumption by age group. Not surprisingly Millennials consume tons of content. Check it out to see where you audience is and what content you may want to create.
• Consumers Want Better Content – Probably not surprising, but a new study shows that in email marketing, consumers want less promotion and more information. A solid content strategy can help resolve this.
• Could a Bad Digital Experience Kill your Brand? YES – A new study shows that poor website and app experiences can actually decrease brand loyalty and lead to negative word of mouth. If you have a mediocre digital experience the time to fix it is NOW.

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