POV

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26.01.21

January Digital Marketing News

Tanya Spence-Kelly

Digital Marketing Account Executive

Snapchat is developing a new Events feature

In a nutshell

Focussing on the light at the end of lockdown, and hoping that in the not-too-distant future we’ll be able to meet up in person, Snapchat is developing an event-facilitating feature. Users will be able to add event details to a ‘sticker’, attach this to their Snap and invite their friends to join.

Those who RSVP ‘yes’ will be able to chat with other attendees, and any photos or videos snapped during the meet will be automatically uploaded.

What does this mean?

Snapchat's new feature looks set to not only enable meetups between friends, but also facilitate local brands. On the potential for brands, our digital strategist, Sarah Lewis, says “They may wish to hold an event or run an offer that's exclusive to Snapchat users who visit one of the brand's stores, for example. Using a branded geofilter too, will help to promote the initiative and show where it's taking place." Start thinking about how this new feature could work with your social media strategy.

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YouTube launches new hashtag search page

In a nutshell

Following in Twitter and Instagram’s footsteps, YouTube has introduced a hashtag grouping feature. When a hashtag is searched or clicked beneath a video, the user will be taken to a search results page filled with content marked with the same hashtag.

What does this mean?

This update is likely to benefit both video creators and searchers. Creators could enjoy increased exposure, while searchers will able to view a curated selection of content all in one place.

So how should marketers make the most of this feature? Simply use relevant hashtags on your videos to ensure they appear in appropriate searches. This gives your content a better chance of being discovered. But remember it can be overdone; if a video has more than 15 hashtags, YouTube won’t pay attention to them.

Our paid social experts predict that once Clubhouse opens to more and more people, it will allow businesses to create accounts. It may not be long until marketers will be able to start advertising on the platform, diving into the world of audio-based social media marketing.

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LinkedIn Stories introduce swipe-up link

In a nutshell

Following in Twitter and Instagram’s footsteps, YouTube has introduced a hashtag grouping feature. When a hashtag is searched or clicked beneath a video, the user will be taken to a search results page filled with content marked with the same hashtag.

What does it mean?

This update is likely to benefit both video creators and searchers. Creators could enjoy increased exposure, while searchers will able to view a curated selection of content all in one place.

So how should marketers make the most of this feature? Simply use relevant hashtags on your videos to ensure they appear in appropriate searches. This gives your content a better chance of being discovered. But remember it can be overdone; if a video has more than 15 hashtags, YouTube won’t pay attention to them.

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Google’s December 2020 Core Update

In a nutshell

Several times a year, Google updates its search algorithm to deliver on its promise of presenting users with relevant search results. These updates often have a visible impact on site search performance, causing ranking fluctuations. As a result of the December update, the most volatile industries across both desktop and mobile were health, real estate, law and government.

What does this mean?

In his recent iX point of view piece, SEO analyst Dan Jellyman advised that Google claims there isn’t always something to fix following ranking drops. “We know those with sites that experience drops will be looking for a fix, and we want to ensure they don’t try to fix the wrong things… there might not be anything to fix at all.”

If you are looking to make site improvements, focus on content quality, something Google algorithms continually reward.

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Apple’s iOS 14 update and what it means for Facebook

In a nutshell

In June 2020, Apple announced that iOS 14 will contain an update that prompts users to opt in if an app on their device wants to use their data. Until now, users would be automatically opted in by agreeing to the app’s T&Cs, but the new update will make it clearer to the user that their data, such as their location and browsing history, is being used, giving them the option to say no.

What does this mean?

This Apple update will hit Facebook the hardest. “It’s likely that Facebook's own targeting options will become less accurate and potentially less valuable because the platform relies on data from user behaviour on other sites to build them”, says paid social director James Mortimer. “However, the update won’t impact audiences that are built inside Facebook itself, which includes groups like users who engaged with organic content such as watching videos or followers on Instagram. Targeting these groups will remain just as effective because Facebook can identify these users.”

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Google Ads latest match type changes

In a nutshell

As a result of Google’s ability to identify intent behind search queries, they are choosing to simplify keywords and soon phrase match will expand to cover additional broad match modifier (BMM) traffic. As a result, Google will be phasing out the BMM keyword match type.

The ‘merge’ of match types has come as Google moves increasingly towards smart bidding advancements. As smart bidding relies on having access to as much data as possible this is a move towards further empowering the automation and machine learning through consolidating campaigns and merging match types. The move away from the traditional PPC accounts having a high volume of campaigns each split by keyword theme and match type. The advantage of which was to directly control spend in specific keyword areas.

What does this mean?

The account as it currently stands will not be impacted, as existing BMM's can continue, however new BMMs moving forward will need to be uploaded as phrase match. As this is rolled out we will monitor very carefully how traffic, CPC's and SQR's are impacted.

Apple’s iOS 14 update and what it means for Facebook

In a nutshell

In June 2020, Apple announced that iOS 14 will contain an update that prompts users to opt in if an app on their device wants to use their data. Until now, users would be automatically opted in by agreeing to the app’s T&Cs, but the new update will make it clearer to the user that their data, such as their location and browsing history, is being used, giving them the option to say no.

What does it mean?

This Apple update will hit Facebook the hardest. “It’s likely that Facebook's own targeting options will become less accurate and potentially less valuable because the platform relies on data from user behaviour on other sites to build them”, says paid social director James Mortimer. “However, the update won’t impact audiences that are built inside Facebook itself, which includes groups like users who engaged with organic content such as watching videos or followers on Instagram. Targeting these groups will remain just as effective because Facebook can identify these users.”

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