Happy Tuesday!
We're back with more exciting news and updates for the week in internet marketing! Improve your advertising skills and attain essential digital marketing knowledge by learning about these updates. Firstly, let's look at Instagram's new call-to-action sticker for gift cards and delivery. Then, we go on to see Facebook's new guide on how advertisers should adjust their ad approaches during COVID-19. We'll move on to see YouTube launching their video builder for business ad creation. As well, how platforms are reacting to paid ad budgets getting cut. Lastly, we will look at how location data providers are showcasing real-world analytics tools during COVID-19.
Let's dive in!
Instagram has New Call-to-Action Stickers for Gift Cards and Delivery
Instagram is rolling out a new tool that will help businesses promote food delivery and gift card purchases in their stories. This is what Instagram says about the tool:
"In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and people around the world are facing a new reality.
To help small businesses during this challenging time, we are introducing new ways for people to support them by discovering their gift cards, food order options, and fundraisers on Instagram."
These new stickers will be available from the sticker tray. You can find this by tapping on the square smiley icon on the top right-hand corner. A third-party process gift card purchases and food delivery transactions. You can choose from a variety of supported food partners. After choosing from one of the selected partners, you'll be able to add a direct link to the order page.
Note that only one food order sticker can be added per story. Businesses cannot link to multiple food delivery services in the same story. You can, however, post consecutive stories with different delivery providers in each.
You can use the new sticker however you wish, but the company has some recommendations for using them creatively. If you want to know more, click here!
Facebook Publishes a New Guide on How Advertisers Should Adjust their Ad Approaches During COVID-19
The impact COVID-19 has had on marketers is massive. In this difficult time, it gets pretty tough to know what brands should be saying, as well as the response you should be expecting. There are many factors that come into play and a lot of elements for marketers to consider. To provide some extra assistance on this, Facebook has published a new guide. This guide contains some of the key considerations that advertisers need to keep in mind when measuring the performance of their marketing and advertising campaigns, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The key focus of the guide is the performance impact. Here is how Facebook addresses it:
"As businesses seek to navigate this difficult time, adapt media strategies and determine which marketing activities are most worthwhile, gaining an accurate understanding of ad performance is more important than ever. However, a key issue marketers and strategists face when making these adjustments is that many current behaviours depart from the norm."
Looking to optimize your Facebook ad approach amid the COVID-19 pandemic? It's worth taking a look at this brief guide and considering the various elements which could be impacting your campaign performance.
YouTube Launches Video Builder, a Lightweight Ad Creation Tool for Businesses
Google made its free YouTube video builder available for beta access. The tool lets businesses animate static assets, like text, images and logos, with music and transitions for ads on YouTube.
It also helps businesses with less multimedia experience or resources to generate quick video ads. For more established brands and agencies, it may also be a useful tool for quickly testing new messaging and assets.
Additionally, due to the ongoing pandemic, in-person video shoots may not be an option. Tools such as the Video Builder can be used with existing assets to help brands stay fresh in the minds of their customers, as well as keep them informed.
New Report: Paid Ad Budgets are being Cut, Platforms are Reacting
The latest report by eMarketer has changed its forecast on paid media spending to be even lower than previously thought. The report takes the previously forecasted $28 billion and reduces it to between $25.5 billion on the moderate end of the forecast, and $23.8 billion on the more severe side of things. The range of forecasts pertains to the possible outcomes for paid search marketing.
How did social media platforms react to this?
Social media saw an increase in traffic during the pandemic, but that did not increase sales. The anticipation of how the market could be changing spurred Twitter to take action. While Twitter's actual usage is up, when it comes to paid advertising, "the company is preparing the market for a potential steep drop-off."
It makes sense as marketing and paid budgets are usually the first things slashed in a downturn. This is the current mindset of most of the brands out there.
With many companies being remote for the first time due to COVID-19, you may find yourself struggling to find your footing in this new digital workspace.
Location Data Providers Showcase Real-World Analytics Tools during COVID-19
The whole Coronavirus pandemic has brought the value of mobile location data into public awareness in a very concrete way. Here are a few recent applications and happenings in the space:
Apple Mobility Trends
Apple has released a new Mobility Trends tool that shows the impact of shelter-in-place rules on user movements in multiple countries and selected cities. The data, which the company says is anonymous and aggregated, comes from Apple Maps navigation.
This tool allows users to see how the virus and corresponding lockdowns have impacted walking, driving, and transit compared with a baseline measurement in January. The data is being updated daily.
Google Mobility Reports
Google's reports cover 131 countries and examine visitation and movement patterns in high-level categories, such as retail, grocery, transit and workplace. Google says, "this aggregated, anonymized data could be helpful [to public health officials] as they make critical decisions to combat COVID-19."
To learn more, click here!
Wrapping Up!
There are so many updates coming up to assist internet marketers across the globe during this time of global quarantine. We saw Instagram getting new call-to-action stickers for gift cards and delivery, and Facebook publishing a new guide on how advertisers should cope with the pandemic. As well, a new report by eMarketer out this month has changed its forecast on paid media spending to be even lower than previously thought.
Additionally, we have seen how location data providers showcase real-world analytics tools during COVID-19.
