Markestic Monthly

2021 April

This month was also full of news and updates to various platforms in the world of digital marketing. Let’s dive into this month’s findings!

Every news starts with a short summary with the key points, however, if you are willing to dive deeper into a certain topic, you can always find an additional link for further reference.

1. Facebook to introduce Brand Safety Exclusions

Search Engine Land

Facebook has been testing options for marketers to make brand safety exclusions on their ads. This enables advertisers to limit where their ads will appear in the news feed – they can mark whether they want to appear alongside Social Issues, Politics or criminal news – with a possibility of more topics to come later. Today, brand safety and authenticity is becoming more and more important, therefore it will be useful for brands to have a saying if they want to appear along sensible content.

Read more about Facebook’s newest test update.

2. Dynamic Streaming Ads coming to Facebook

Facebook for Business

Dynamic ads are now available for streaming platforms. In a recent Facebook update. This will enable users to search through a streaming providers’ library on their feed. This works just the way Dynamic Product Ads work – from one huge library.


Read more about Dynamic Streaming Ads. 

3. IGTV ads are rolling out in more countries

Facebook for Business

IGTV is Instagram’s version of video-platform – before its launch, users could only upload 1-minute long videos. They have been testing IGTV ads in the US for quite some time, and now they are introduced in the Uk and Australia as well – and after that, in more regions. The IGTV ads will appear after the user has opened the video, and will be mobile-optimized and up to 15-seconds long.

Read more on IGTV ads. 

4. Content Publishing & Intellectual Property Protection update

Facebook for Business

From now on, copyright owners will have the option through Rights Manager to claim ad earnings from copyrighted content that is published by another page. On the other hand, now creators can use content owned by someone else without it being taken down.
On the other hand, Facebook has made some updates to its IP (Intellectual Property) Protecting Tool as well. Advertisers can apply for this feature, and with the help of the Protecting Tool, they can search through search and monitor ads – if they find content that infringes their IP rights, they can report that.

Read more about Facebook’s move to protect copyright.

5. Recent Google Updates

Video experiments: YouTube now lets you experiment with your video ads! You can test various components of an advertisement to see which one drives the better results: how big should be the text? Where should you place the Call-to-Action? Read more to find out how you can set up Video experiments.
New Summary View in Google Ads: A new summary view was introduced in Google ads, in order to help small businesses navigate on the platform. Creating campaigns has also become easier. Read more.

6. 4 COVID era trends that are likely to stick with us

Think with Google

In the last 12 months our everyday lives turned upside down, and while there’s a chance that we might get back our normal lives soon, there are some things that will probably stay with us in the long term. Brands had to adapt to the change in consumer needs at a very fast pace, and some of these developments are actually becoming an important part of the buyer’s journey. One of these is the implementation of AR into the ecommerce journey – for example, choosing a lipstick online based on your skin tone. The pandemic also boosted the interest towards local businesses, and due to global movements, searches for racial justice peaked – and these consumers will be more connected to the world around them. It also made people move out of their autopilot mode in their everyday lives and appreciate the values that different brands have – therefore brands are more likely to embrace their values. And last, but not least, this last year has changed everybody’s way of thinking, and marketers behind brands and customers are closer than ever.

Read more on this topic. 

7. Pinterest Trends suggest people are craving to get outdoors

Search Engine Journal

In the last year, traveling has become a rare privilege, and after 12 months, people are more eager to get out and explore the world than ever before! Pinterest search trends suggest a never before seen demand, over 60% growth year over year. Pinterest also provides descriptions and more insights on various travel personas – they distinguish 8 of them. Search trends suggest that rural tourism and outdoor activities, like hiking are booming.

Read more about travel-related search trends on Pinterest.

8. YouTube trends of 2021

HubSpot

YouTube is at the core of the digital marketing strategy for a lot of businesses and it’s one of the platforms that saw a huge growth in user engagement over the last year. So, what will be the trends defining 2021? One of them is definitely the demand for short-form videos – although YouTube is typically for longer content, last year YouTube Shorts was introduced in India, and now it’s launching in the US as well. But on the other hand, longer videos are still in high demand – but they also need to be engaging for the viewers! When it comes to content, viewers crave videos that are reflective of their daily life, and authentic to their current situation. As for marketers, the Audio Ads announced in november could have a high potential, and more and more of them will leverage it. If you want to keep up with the current trends on YouTube, there are several tools to do this: for example, the most obvious are Google Trends, or Google Keyword Planner. They provide valuable insights into your customer’s interests.

Read more on HubSpot’s thoughts on YouTube trends in 2021.

9. Why do Search Rankings Fluctuate?

Search Engine Journal

A lot of times if you want to check where you rank on certain keywords on a Search Engine Results Page, you will see very different results, and Search Engine Journal asked an SEO expert to answer the question: why could that be? First of all, search rankings can have many reasons to fluctuate, and that’s perfectly normal, there’s no need to check them every hour – once a week is perfectly fine! A competitive industry and keyword can be a reason for fluctuation, and if you search for a keyword too many times, you will be suspicious for Google, and will see a very different SERP than your customers. So, you don’t need to worry – and there’s no need to check your rankings every other minute.

Read more on the fluctuation of Search rankings on Search Engine Journal.

10. A Day in the Life of Your Data

Apple

The question of user privacy is one of the trending questions of the digital world in 2021. This article by Apple shows you how different apps can track your data through your day and how certain companies use that data later on. The example is a father and daughter’s trip to the playground. The article also tells about how Apple is trying to keep user data safe, and what other things they are working on in this field.

Read more on how your day can be tracked.