Key Takeaways:
Updates to Google ads editor and Facebook will help you automate more of your ads.Connect with your customers on Instagram this spring by scheduling your lives and utilizing Partnership Inbox.
Have your voice heard with LinkedIn’s new Podcast feature.
TikTok is rolling out all the stops to ensure marketers can be successful this year.
The only constant about the internet is that it’s always changing and social media is certainly no exception. With constant platform updates, new features, and new rules, no one can be expected to always be up-to-date on every platform change. That’s where we come in. Social media is an integral part of your digital marketing, so it’s important to understand how you can best make use of what it offers to improve your brand reach and customer acquisition.
What’s New with Google Ads?
In 2021, Google generated 209.49 billion dollars from ad revenue alone. There’s no shortage of businesses advertising with Google Ads, so staying up-to-date is key for successful marketing. Introduced just last month is Google Ads Editor v2.0. The new version will allow for marketers to create and edit performance campaigns directly in the Google Ads Editor as well as automate common tasks and much more! The popular search engine is also releasing a new visual search layout for mobile devices, presenting photos of the searched item at the top of the results to help consumers find exactly what they are looking for. The change is still in the works, but you can try it out on your own mobile device by searching up trial searches like “hand tattoos” or “game room design” on your smartphone. These changes may be able to improve click rates and site traffic. If you’re unfamiliar with Google Ads, get to know the basics before diving in so you can get the most out of your marketing efforts.
Moving Forward with Meta: Facebook and Instagram Updates
Facebook is making things a little bit easier for marketers this spring. The rollout of Meta Advantage will allow for the automation for parts of your manual campaigns and Advantage+ for the automation of your entire campaign! Additionally, Automated Shopping Ads will roll out shopping campaigns later this year. Marketers can expect to be able to automate the optimization of ad creation, targeting, placement, and budgeting. While most of this is just simple rebranding, these changes can help increase return on ad spending and reduce costs to businesses. Get the most out of your Facebook Ads by getting them to work for you!
Changes are also being made on the Instagram side of Meta. For example, while you may already be seeing this change, product tags will become available for all US users over the next few months, which will change the game for small businesses looking to be discovered organically. Businesses can also schedule their Lives right on their profile as of January, giving customers a better chance to interact directly with businesses as live times can be clearly displayed on a business’s page. Finally, say goodbye to missed opportunities caused by a full inbox! In case you missed it, late last year the Partnership Inbox rolled out, displaying partnership messages under “primary” rather than “requests.”
“Is This Thing On??”: LinkedIn Introduced Podcasts
As of February, LinkedIn now has a podcast network where business can host shows about their business, helping brands get closer to their target professional audiences. Along with facilitating connections, LinkedIn also introduced Event ads and Boosted posts back in May of 2021. If you missed the update, no worries! Now, your posts can be directly promoted from your brand’s page. The posts can only be “boosted” one time, but nevertheless, the update will allow for brand owners to broadcast messages to a larger audience without any new marketing tools.
TikTok But Make It Business
Everyone’s favorite short-form video app is coming out with several new updates that can be useful for marketers, so throw on your favorite swim cap and let’s dive right in! First, search ads are rolling out right now! While keyword targeting is not yet available to advertisers, TikTok search ads give advertisers a great opportunity to get their product in front of potential customer who specifically are searching for products of that genre. Second, videos with 10-minute maximums are also rolling out (very slowly, as is TIkTok’s specialty) to users. While longer videos might not be necessary or even desired at times, the longer option presents businesses with an opportunity to keep viewers engaged longer and eliminates the need for multiple-part series. Finally, TikTok will become shoppable in 2022 with a one-click checkout feature. This update will likely cause a huge increase of purchases from influencer videos and make the shopping experience easier for customers.
Overwhelmed with all these changes and not sure where to start?
Work with a Marketing Mentor to explore the opportunities the latest platform changes can provide to your business.
