Welcome to a new edition of our monthly newsletter on the latest digital marketing news, insights, and updates.

This month, Google was the main character in the search marketing field.

As we previously announced, the AI industry is taking up more space and could potentially become a threat to Google. To stay ahead, as we expected, Google is moving forward by developing conversational AI into its search engine!

On the other side, we are thrilled to share a sneak peek of the improved Frizbit dashboard. With the latest update, segmentation has become a powerful tool for retargeting and driving sales.

We’ll see what the coming months bring for AI and the search field. In the meantime, if you don’t want to miss the latest updates on MarTech and social media, be sure to read the full blog.

Digital Marketing News & Updates from April 2023

CONTENT

Search Marketing Updates

• Google reveals the ideal number of products on a page for better rankings

• Google reveals how it detects fake reviews of local businesses

• Conversational AI is coming to Google’s search engine

Tech Marketing Updates

• AI arrives to Shopify

• YouTube has introduced AI-powered music ad solutions that target Gen Z

Social Media Updates

• TikTok’s sister App “Lemon8” is gaining traction and might become the alternative app in the U.S. for short-format content

• Instagram is developing a text-based social network called Barcelona (in competition with Twitter…?)

• On LinkedIn Premium Member Profiles, LinkedIn has added new CTA buttons

Updates from Frizbit

• Product update: New Improved Dashboard

• Frizbit attends the EU Startups Summit

Search Marketing Updates

1. Google reveals the ideal number of products on a page for better rankings

SOURCE: DEPOSIT PHOTOS

If you are an eCommerce manager or owner, stay tuned, because this first piece of news is just for you.

John Mueller, from Google, recently provided insight on how many products should be listed on a page for optimal ranking purposes.

The conversation was brought up by a user who asked in Mastodon social website.:

“@johnmu do you prefer an extensive product range (e.g. 30 products) on a page because offering many products is a ranking factor? Or, would you prefer a smaller and more specific product range (e.g. 2 – 3 products) which contributes conversion more (less choice stress) in terms of E-E-A-T?”

Rather than providing a specific number, Mueller suggested considering the question from a different perspective.

This different perspective comes quite aligned to the new “Experience” focus that resonates so much with Google lately.

Mueller suggests considering usability testing when determining the optimal number of products to display on a page for improved rankings.

The truth is that no theory or formula can define it better than your actual clients. And according to Jenny Cove, a UX researcher at Google, the key insights regarding usability testing are:

1. Ask people, ideally not friends or family, to use your product with the desired tasks you want them to do
2. Watch closely what happens when people are using it
3. Identify touchpoints that are critical
4. Modify and test again

In summary, there isn’t an ideal number of keywords that Google prefers. This may sound counterintuitive in the context of SEO, but Google now has a lot more signals related to the user experience, such as the review system algorithm.

 2.  Google reveals how it detects fake reviews of local businesses

SOURCE: DEPOSIT PHOTOS

Google has published a report detailing how it catches fake business reviews and fake profile accounts.

Google published a blog post announcing an update to their machine learning systems. This update is intended to catch and remove more fake reviews, fake business listings, and fraudulent contributed images and videos.

As a result, automated systems and human review teams removed over 200M photos and 7M videos and blocked or removed over 115M reviews (20% YoY increase).

So the question here is, how does Google catch user contributed spam?

As part of its efforts to detect and eliminate fake and fraudulent content, Google has developed new machine learning models.

These models examine user-contributed content for unusual patterns, including identifying those previously unseen before.

As mentioned by Google:

“We’ve long used machine intelligence to help us spot patterns of potential abuse, and we continue to evolve our technology.

Last year, we launched a significant update to our machine learning models that helped us identify novel abuse trends many times faster than in previous years.

For example, our automated systems detected a sudden uptick in Business Profiles with websites that ended in .design or .top — something that would be difficult to spot manually across millions of profiles.

Our team of analysts quickly confirmed that these websites were fake — and we were able to remove them and disable the associated accounts quickly.”

Google reviews new content before it is posted to its Maps system to prevent the submission of fake or fraudulent content. Additionally, they use a machine learning model to scan published content and catch any fake content that may have slipped through the initial reviews.

Thanks to these new systems, spam is now blocked faster and with greater accuracy than in 2021.

Furthermore, Google has announced that it is now scanning images to detect content overlaid on them that is intended to redirect phone calls away from a business and toward the scammer’s phone number.

They also use a system called “intelligent text matching” to identify misleading content, especially if the content contains bots, duplicate content, or similar word patterns.

 3. Conversational AI is coming to Google’s search engine

SOURCE: ADOBE STOCK

During an interview, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that the company plans to integrate conversational AI into its search services in response to increasing competition.

This announcement was made during an interview with The Wall Street Journal in response to increasing competition from AI chatbots like ChatGPT and other business pressures.

As we mentioned in our last month’s blog post, with the emergence of GPT-4 and other search AI models, it was impossible for Google to lag behind in the game.

Even though they were optimising their search experience at multiple levels, the truth is that conversational AI could be one of the best approaches to simulate human-like conversations.

Let’s take a look at the current market.

Microsoft has already integrated ChatGPT-like technology into its search engine, Bing, which poses a challenge to Google’s core business.

Bing users can now engage in extended conversations with the language model, leading to increased usage.

This is a problem for Google, as search ads are its primary source of revenue, generating $162 billion last year. For every percentage point gained in the search market, Microsoft expects an additional $2 billion in revenue.

Having said this, it is clear that the decision from Google to implement conversational AI supposes a shift in the industry, and by doing so, Google intents to remain a leader in the search market.

So, what actions are being taken?

Pichai revealed that Google will continue refining its standalone Bard chatbot with new AI models and is still searching for the right market.

Marketing Tech Updates

 1. AI arrives to Shopify

Source: Shopify

Writing product descriptions for eCommerce sites can be a time-consuming and challenging task since it requires providing accurate and detailed information about your products while making them sound compelling and attractive to potential buyers.

The main goal of product descriptions is to convince customers that your products are the best choice for them, and it is essential to invest time and effort in creating high-quality and engaging descriptions.

Fortunately, with the help of AI tools like Shopify Magic, writing product descriptions can be a breeze. Shopify Magic uses advanced algorithms to analyse your products and generate descriptions that are not only accurate but also engaging and persuasive.

By taking advantage of AI-powered software, you can save time and effort while also increasing your sales and attracting more customers to your eCommerce site. And we are loving that the same feature is available to use on-the-go with unlocking productivity whenever it’s most convenient for you.

We love this Shopify update because it is intuitive and fun to use. By providing a few details about your product or the keywords you want to rank for in search engines, the tool automatically generates a product description for you on the product setup page in your store’s admin.

2. YouTube has introduced AI-powered music ad solutions that target Gen Z

Source: Deposit Photos

YouTube, the video-sharing platform owned by Google, has introduced two new AI-powered features to help brands advertise to Gen Z through popular music.

These new features aim to position YouTube as a strong platform for music and a one-stop-shop for brands that want to use music to connect with younger audiences.

After this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, YouTube released an announcement describing itself as the “ultimate destination for content during festival season, especially among Gen Z, who use the platform to share and engage with videos ranging from performances to outfit inspiration, vlogs, and more”

These two updates are:

1. Gen Z Music
2. Leveraging Shorts

The first of the new features announced is Gen Z Music. It uses AI to identify songs that are popular among Gen Z users on YouTube. Advertisers may be surprised to learn that hit songs from Cindy Lauper have become a favorite among some Gen Z users on the platform.

The second feature is designed to help brands use Shorts, a short-form video feature similar to TikTok that was introduced by YouTube in September 2020.

As YouTube states:

“Gen Z uses short-form video to participate in pop culture, discover new hits, and engage with their favourite musical artists”

YouTube Shorts has amassed over 1.5 billion monthly logged-in users and over 50 billion daily views. YouTube suggests that its upcoming Trending Music on Shorts feature will strategically place ads within popular, music-themed Shorts videos with the help of AI.

As a result, YouTube will be piloting Trending Music on Shorts in the coming months.

YouTube is familiar with AI; the platform has used algorithms for some time to personalize user feeds. However, as the announcement shows, the brand intends to rely more heavily on technology to connect advertisers with key audiences.

 Social Media Marketing

 1. TikTok’s sister App “Lemon8” is gaining traction and might become the alternative app in the U.S. for short-format content

Source: Lemon8z

As the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok faces scrutiny from lawmakers in Washington, its creators are looking for alternative platforms to share their content with American audiences.

One such platform is Lemon8, which is gaining popularity among U.S. content creators and viewers.**

Lemon8 offers similar features to TikTok, such as the ability to create and share short videos, but with a focus on fostering a positive and safe community.

So, what’s the hype with Lemon8?

By using Lemon8, content creators and viewers can avoid the controversies surrounding TikTok and enjoy a fresh, new platform to showcase their creativity. 

With its growing popularity, Lemon8 may become a viable alternative to TikTok for those who are concerned about privacy and security issues.

ByteDance marketers sent a message to creators inviting them to become a launching creator on their new Lemon8 platform before it officially rolls out in the United States. The message stated that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, will be using the same recommendation engine that helped TikTok succeed.

The app’s layout resembles a combination of Pinterest and Instagram. It encourages people to share posts on topics such as health, fashion, and travel. Despite Washington’s push to ban TikTok, the China-based company introduced the app to the U.S. in February and ramped up marketing efforts in late March. This suggests that the company was not deterred by the ban and is determined to succeed in the U.S. market.

However, one concern remains: how much can the platform change in terms of users’ privacy data?

Lemon8 is a social media platform like Instagram, which collects information on its users. Additionally, it shares the same ownership structure as a subsidiary of ByteDance. According to Lindsay Gorman, a former tech adviser for the Biden administration, the same political issues that arose with ByteDance are likely to arise with Lemon8.

 2. Instagram is developing a text-based social network called Barcelona (in competition with Twitter…?)

Source: Twitter Alex 193A

It was reported early last month that Meta was taking into account the growing discontent among Twitter users. Having said this, Meta has been playing around with text-based features and is set to believe that it is creating its own alternative to Twitter, which could attract users who are dissatisfied with Twitter and are seeking a new platform.

As Meta stated to Platformer in early March:

“We’re exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates. We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests.”

The project, initially codenamed ‘P92’, is speculated to target Twitter users who are looking for an alternative due to the various changes at the app under its new owner, Elon Musk.

This has led to comparisons with Twitter’s style. However, it seems that the project is moving ahead, with Meta’s new text-based social app, ‘Barcelona’, slowly taking shape, as reported in this tweet.

Source: Twitter Alex 193A

As shown in this image shared by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, an internal prototype of a separate app is being pitched as “Instagram for your thoughts”. The release date listed is just a placeholder at this stage and we don’t know when it might be launched.

However, the concept appears to be a text-based feed of posts that aims to tap into the rising popularity of private messaging in a more expanded and accessible format.

Given Meta’s history of acquiring features from competitors, this doesn’t come as a surprise. In fact, earlier this year, Instagram launched the text feature ‘Notes’ inside the app.

On the other hand, Meta has also developed Channels, which works similarly to broadcasting messages to followers. So we could say the previous moves, indicate the clear interest from Meta in text-based platforms.

Here’s what we know about the Barcelona project so far:

1. Barcelona will be a separate app that uses your Instagram credentials to log in.
2. As shown in the above screenshots, Barcelona will also use your Instagram ID as your username in the new app.
3. Posts on Barcelona will have a maximum length of 500 characters.
4. Barcelona will be decentralized, although it’s not entirely clear what that means in a Meta context yet.

 3. On LinkedIn Premium Member Profiles, LinkedIn has added new CTA buttons

Source: Social Media Today

LinkedIn has recently made an update to its Premium Member Profiles by adding new CTA buttons, which are designed to give users more options and opportunities for engagement.

The new feature for LinkedIn Premium subscribers allows them to add a custom call-to-action (CTA) button to their profile. Profile visitors will be directed to their LinkedIn profile’s URL by clicking this button.

We believe the biggest benefit would be for creators who are interested in building their own brand.

As mentioned by **Ora Levit, head of Growth at LinkedIn:**

“For many of our Premium Business subscribers, their LinkedIn profile is crucial for connecting to new business opportunities. That’s why we’re starting to roll out a new Custom Button that provides the option to add a personalized call-to-action to their profile.”

It is important to note that this feature is specific to Premium Business users, which is slightly more expensive than Premium Career, the cheapest of LinkedIn’s premium packages. To access the new ‘Custom Button’ option, go to your profile settings.

There are six preset call-to-action options available with this feature:

1. Visit My Store
2. Visit My Website
3. View My Portfolio
4. Visit My Blog
5. Request A Consultation
6. Sign Up for A Demo

So, What is the real impact of this new rollout?

To put this into perspective, only about 6% of LinkedIn members currently pay for LinkedIn Premium, which is a fairly good take-up rate for a social media subscription service. Comparatively, Snapchat+ is used by 0.33% of Snap users, while Twitter Blue is used by 0.26%.

This could help you to attract more direct traffic from your LinkedIn profile, with a wider range of marketing options available to you.

The latest update on this roll out is that currently, LinkedIn Premium subscribers can access the Custom Button, which will be rolled out to more members soon.

Updates from Frizbit

1. New Product update: New Improved Dashboard

In collaboration with our technical team, we recently released an exciting new product update: the new and improved dashboard.

This new update offers a more visual and efficient way to customise campaigns, allowing for easy segmentation and filtering by brand, category, colour, in stock segmentation, and more.

One of the most significant benefits of this update is the ability to filter by device and user information, including timezone, city, and country, and browser. This added functionality allows for more precise targeting, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

At Frizbit, we understand the importance of providing our clients with the tools they need to succeed in a competitive digital environment. With this in mind, we are constantly working to improve our platform and offer innovative solutions that empower our clients to achieve their goals.

This new dashboard is just one example of our commitment to excellence, and we are confident that it will make a significant difference in the success of our clients’ campaigns.

If you’re looking for a powerful and easy-to-use cross-channel marketing automation solution that helps you reach your marketing goals, enquire a demo here.

With our advanced features and user-friendly interface, we make it easy for businesses of all sizes to engage their audiences and drive conversions.

2. Frizbit attends the EU Startups Summit

The summit organised by EU-Startups, was a two-day event that brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders from across Europe to discuss the latest trends and innovations in the startup ecosystem.

Our CEO & Co-founder, Ata Gür, attended the event representing Frizbit, and we were thrilled to be a part of the summit.

During the event, we had the opportunity to network with other startups, participate in informative panel discussions, and showcase their innovative technology to potential investors and customers.

Overall, this experience was valuable for us, and we are looking forward to attending similar events in the future as we continue to grow our business.

This month marked the end of the first quarter of the year in a particularly exciting way for digital marketing enthusiasts.

The digital marketing news and updates during March were exciting, especially in the search and AI industry.

An AI clone named Dolly – yes, like the cloned sheep – has appeared to democratise large language models. On the other hand, ChatGPT-4 has launched, positioning itself as a threat to Google with its multimodal model, and Google has announced a new core algorithm update to spice things up in the search field. 

The marketing technology field has seen its share of updates with the introduction of new features for two of the most relevant tools for marketers and managers: HubSpot and Salesforce.

These updates are exciting, and to stay ahead of the game, you’ll want to read the full article.

Digital Marketing News & Updates from March 2023

CONTENT

Search Marketing Updates

• Google Rolls Out March 2023 Core Algorithm Update

• OpenAI GPT-4 becomes multimodal and positions as a threat for Google

• Introducing Dolly: A New Open-Source ChatGPT Clone

Tech Marketing Updates

• SalesForce Spring 2023 release

• Hubspot rolls-out new functionalities relevant for managers

Social Media Updates

• TikTok might get banned in the US due to data and security concerns

• LinkedIn adds new features for B2B marketers

• Meta Launches New Reels Ad Options as it Embraces Evolving Consumption Shifts

Updates from Frizbit

• New Product Update: new segmentation features

• Frizbit attends the e-Show Barcelona 2023

 

Search Marketing Updates

1. Google Rolls Out March 2023 Core Algorithm Update

Source: Pexels – PhotoMIX Company

Google has announced the start of its March 2023 core algorithm update rollout, and naturally marks the beginning of search marketing this year. We understand that these updates can have a major effect on search rankings, which is why staying informed is essential. 

Please keep in mind that core updates may take several weeks to fully implement, and search rankings could change over that period. It will be impossible to determine the full impact of the March 2023 core update until the rollout is closer to its end. So we can predict this will be an ongoing topic.

What do we suggest having in mind with this update?

Google is well-known for its algorithm updates, which it introduces regularly to improve its understanding and ranking of content.

These updates aim to provide increasingly relevant and high-quality search results. However, they also bring changes to how Google evaluates and ranks websites. As a result, SEO professionals and website owners must stay informed and adapt their strategies accordingly.

As we await more information on Google’s March 2023 core algorithm update, there are a few key takeaways to keep in mind:

• Allow time to work its magic: it can take days or even weeks for Google’s crawlers to fully assess the web.
• Measure organic traffic: Make sure to monitor your site’s organic search traffic and keyword rankings. These metrics can help you determine the impact of the update and identify potential areas for improvement.
• Don’t write for the rankings: Delivering quality content that is tailored to your target audience’s needs is essential. The goal of these updates is to provide the best search results for your users.
• Optimise your site for rankings: Technical aspects such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, and proper indexing have a significant role in determining your overall ranking, so pay attention to the fine details.

 2. OpenAI GPT-4 becomes multimodal and positions as a threat for Google

Source: OpenAI

On March 14th, the new multimodal version of OpenAI GPT was launched. It’s safe to say that if Google wasn’t already wary of this popular AI tool, they have even more reason to be now.

What does it mean to OpenAI CPT-4 to integrate a multimodal model? 

Multimodal AI refers to the ability to process various types of input, such as video, images, and sound. In machine learning, the term “modality” refers to the different forms of input, including text and senses like sound, vision, and smell.

As GPT-4 states:

“We’ve created GPT-4, the latest milestone in OpenAI’s effort in scaling up deep learning. GPT-4 is a large multimodal model (accepting image and text inputs, emitting text outputs) that, while less capable than humans in many real-world scenarios, exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks”

What are some of the improved capabilities of GPT-4?

• GPT-4 is more reliable and creative than GPT-3.5
• GPT-4 is able to handle much more nuanced instructions than GPT-3.5
• The distinction between GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 is subtle in casual conversation, but becomes apparent when the complexity of the task reaches a sufficient threshold
• GPT-4 can handle text and image inputs, which means users can assign any language or vision task they want, not just text-only tasks.
• GPT-4 appears to work across all languages.

Below, you can find an example of what adding this visual inputs to OpenAI GPT-4 can bring to the table:

Source: OpenAI

Undoubtedly, this is where GPT-4 steps stronger, thanks to its exceptional ability to incorporate inputs in a more natural language through the integration of this multimodal model. Over the last year, we saw Google striving to implement a more human-like Search in 2022, using different tools such as Google Lens, etc.

3. Introducing Dolly: A New Open-Source ChatGPT Clone

Source: Databricks

Dolly and clones are two words that historically have pared well together, and in this case is no different.

Databricks, an enterprise software company, recently released a new ChatGPT clone called Dolly. The clone is named after the famous sheep that was the first mammal to be cloned. The Dolly Large Language Model (DLL) is another step forward for the open-source GPT Chat.

Open Source Large Language Models in AI Development

Source: Databricks

 

The Dolly Large Language Model (DLL) is the latest addition to the open source AI movement, which aims to provide greater access to technology so that it is not monopolized and controlled by large corporations. 

One of the driving concerns behind this movement is that businesses may be hesitant to hand over sensitive data to a third party that controls the AI technology.

The Open Source Model

Dolly was created from an open-source model developed by the non-profit EleutherAI research institute and Stanford University’s Alpaca model, which was in turn created from the 65 billion parameter open-source LLaMA model developed by Meta.

LLaMA, which stands for Large Language Model Meta AI, is a language model trained on publicly available data. According to a report by Weights & Biases, LLaMA can outperform many top language models, such as OpenAI’s GPT-3, Gopher by DeepMind, and Chinchilla by DeepMind, despite being smaller.

What happens with an Open Source model for AI?

Open source in AI offers several advantages, including cost-effectiveness and the ability to customize to fit a company’s specific needs. Collaboration between developers is encouraged, leading to better AI solutions. Innovation and experimentation are promoted, resulting in better AI algorithms and solutions. Transparency is also provided, allowing for better scrutiny of algorithms and code.

However, open source AI also has its disadvantages. Security vulnerabilities and malicious attacks can occur, and the quality of code and algorithms may be lower than that of commercial AI developers. Ongoing maintenance is necessary, and fragmentation can occur if different teams and developers are working on different versions of the same project. Inaccuracies may also arise with open source AI.

Comparing ChatGPT and Dolly, databricks mentioned:

“We evaluated Dolly on the instruction-following capabilities described in the InstructGPT paper that ChatGPT is based on and found that it exhibits many of the same qualitative capabilities, including text generation, brainstorming and open Q&A. Of particular note in these examples is not the quality of the generated text, but rather the vast improvement in instruction-following capability that results from fine-tuning a years-old open source model on a small, high quality dataset.”

Marketing Tech Updates

 1. SalesForce Spring 2023 release

Source: Deposit Photos

Salesforce, the leading cloud-based CRM platform, has been helping businesses grow and succeed for many years by organizing and managing customer data. With over 100 new features and updates released, Salesforce continues to be the top choice for businesses of all sizes.

Recently, Salesforce rolled out its spring update, which included a number of exciting new features. In particular, we were impressed by the following:

• Use Lightning Web Runtime (LWR) to build faster and cheaper websites:
  The B2B LWR template enables easier customization of storefronts. Additionally, the improved functionality and performance of the framework results in faster run times and more personalized experiences for customers.
  

• Salesforce Payments now works more seamlessly:
  Quick payment processing is essential for ecommerce businesses. Salesforce’s new payment framework makes the process smoother and requires less backend coding. It is more user-friendly and allows for third-party payment providers to be integrated into the checkout process. A new click-and-go function streamlines the checkout process for customers.
  

• Salesforce CMS now supports approvals, viewing, and restoring including: the ability for consultants and contributors to create, edit, and view content in their workspace, and for other users to approve or request changes. Additionally, users can now view and restore previous versions of content, track changes, and revert to older versions if needed.
• Metrics and analytics:
  Sales Analytics now has better filters and quicker access to data. This lets you find what you require without going through unnecessary data. Sales managers and reps can see which sales strategies work best, which products are doing well, and find things to improve.
• The Account Engagement Optimizer can assist you in:

1. Identify ways to improve your marketing automation system, such as optimizing sales processes and email campaigns, to increase ROI.
2. Identify risks to your marketing automation system to improve overall marketing. For example, the Account Engagement Optimizer may flag campaigns where click-through rates are below industry averages and prompt changes.
3. Prioritize recommended changes based on what’s most important. These suggestions will help your team focus on changes with the biggest impact.

2. HubSpot rolls-out new functionalities relevant for managers

Source: Deposit Photos

If you are a business manager, it is likely that you are a HubSpot user. The tool has been publishing more comprehensive monthly updates outside individual portals, such as the “What’s New in HubSpot’s Software” page. We are here to tell you about the 5 latest updates that might come in handy.

1. Marketing Campaign custom properties (beta):
   Organise your campaign information and assets more efficiently by creating custom properties for Marketing Campaigns. The once-limited Marketing Campaigns feature now behaves like other standard CRM objects (i.e., contacts and deals), eliminating the need for complex naming conventions to store campaign information in the name.
2. Check bot filtering status to track campaign engagement more accurately:
   Check if your email engagement metrics are accurate by verifying if bots are being filtered out. Look for the new Bot Filtering setting on the email post-send page. If your email engagement metrics are different after migrating to HubSpot, toggle this switch on and off to see if bots were the reason for the higher engagement numbers in your previous system.
3. List releases: Create a random sample, clone and restore static lists, and filter releases based on ‘has/has not completed’:
   If you conduct A/B testing, personalise actions for specific lists, or randomly select contest winners, the new beta release enables you to create a random sample of any list. This feature eliminates the need for previous workarounds and potential errors from exporting and importing spreadsheets, and allows you to choose a percentage or count of list members to add to a new static list.
4. Coloured deal tags (beta):
   Use the new beta feature for coloured deal tags to prioritize your constantly changing deal pipeline boards.
5. Easier social media publishing and email replies on mobile (beta):
   The new HubSpot mobile app features help your team create and edit social media posts on the go. Additionally, the new beta release lets you send and reply to emails within the app. This ensures timely, tracked emails and enables all team members to see the latest conversation and context for the record, regardless of the device used.

 Social Media Marketing

 1. TikTok might get banned in the US due to data and security concerns

Source: Deposit Photos

We can say that 2023 has been an eventful year for TikTok. In January, due to data security & privacy, the company was already facing legal consequences in the EU. 

The focus is currently centred on the US, where nearly two and a half years after the Trump administration threatened to ban TikTok in the country unless it divested from its Chinese owners, the Biden administration is now doing the same.

What are the concerns around TikTok?

Explained in two words: data privacy/security.

Recently, there has been growing concern regarding the use of TikTok and its potential impact on data security. Many are worried that the app is collecting sensitive user information and sharing it with the Chinese government. Some worry that the Chinese government could use the app to spread propaganda to a US audience. 

The fundamental concern behind both is that any company doing business in China may ultimately be subject to Chinese Communist Party laws, with all its implications.

Lawmakers have renewed their scrutiny of TikTok due to its ties to China through its parent company, ByteDance. This comes after a report last year suggested that US user data had been accessed multiple times by China-based employees. TikTok, however, has disputed this claim, and why wouldn’t they?

What has TikTok said about the accusation?

At a Harvard Business Review conference earlier this month, TikTok CEO Shou Chew reiterated the company’s commitment to address lawmakers’ concerns:

“The Chinese government has actually never asked us for US user data,” Chew said, “and we’ve said this on the record, that even if we where asked for that, we will not provide that.” Chew added that “all US user data is stored, by default, in the Oracle Cloud infrastructure” and “access to that data is completely controlled by US personnel.”

The real question here is, is TikTok truly a threat to national security in the US?

One of the biggest fears is not being able to have full control over the matter. 

China’s national security laws compel companies under its jurisdiction to cooperate with various security activities. However, it is difficult for the public to verify the extent of this cooperation. 

And although TikTok doesn’t operate in China directly, its parent company, ByteDance does. There’s a potential leverage the Chinese government may have over them. 

Overall, privacy and security researchers have found that TikTok’s app is not inherently malicious or spyware, but there are concerns about the relationship between TikTok and ByteDance with the Chinese government.

 2. LinkedIn adds new features for B2B marketers

Source: Deposit Photos

Some exciting updates are coming to the platform for marketers and B2B owners that are regular users of the platform. Aside from the long-awaited native scheduling feature, LinkedIn has released some interesting updates regarding the company pages.

1. Native scheduling: You will be able to choose what day and time you want your post to go live when you compose it on the web. With LinkedIn’s native post scheduling option, you can plan your posts up to three months in advance.
2. Get the most reach for job listings: Company pages can now share an automated post when they add an open job listing, which helps maximize exposure and reach.
3. Audio Events: LinkedIn is introducing audio events for Company Pages, providing another way to engage with your on-platform audience. With this new feature, you can make professional connections via audio events or listen to industry-specific discussions with leaders in your field. This addition could be valuable given the platform’s user base, even if broader interest in audio options has decreased.
4. Connecting businesses together: As of now, Company Pages will have the ability to follow other pages in the app, giving you another way to stay informed on relevant industry trends in real-time.
   

 3. Meta Launches New Reels Ad Options as it Embraces Evolving Consumption Shifts

Source: Social Media Today

Meta is advancing its advertising options to help businesses grow even further by leveraging Reels’ growing popularity on Facebook and Instagram. Recently, Meta introduced some new ad video options, allowing advertisers to take advantage of short-form video clips to maximize their promotional opportunities.

Firstly, Meta is introducing Click-to-Messenger ads within Facebook Reels. This will enable businesses to drive traffic directly to DMs via Reels clips. Click-to-Messenger ads in Reels will include a large CTA button to drive contact via private chat. This feature capitalizes on the increasing popularity of short-form video and private message interaction.

Secondly, Meta is making WhatsApp Conversion optimisation available for Facebook Reels Ads. This addition further enhances the capabilities of Reels Ads for businesses.

As mentioned by Meta:

“Typically, we show Click to Messenger ads to people who are most likely to initiate a conversation with a business on WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram. With this update, advertisers who use the Sales, Engagement or Traffic objectives to add a “Send Message” button to their Facebook Reels ads will now give people an option to start a conversation in WhatsApp right from the ad.”

What’s the possible impact for businesses from these updates?

More social media users are now sharing content in DMs instead of public news feeds, causing a major shift in online interaction. A recent survey by Meta showed that almost 50% of Reels viewers contacted a brand through DMs after seeing its short-form video content.

Meta’s broader vision to maximise its business messaging opportunities is also reflected in adding WhatsApp to the mix. This is an area where Meta still holds a significant lead over its competitors.

Meta is also making the Ads on Facebook Reels post engagement objective more widely available, which will provide another means to measure reactions, comments, and likes, and compare them to engagement from other ads or campaigns.

As a result, the Meta In-Stream Reserve video ad product is being retired from its in-Stream video options due to the growth of short-form video options.

Updates from Frizbit

1. New Product Update: new segmentation feature

Source: Pexels | Luis Gomes

We strive to continuously enhance our customer experience, and one way we do so is by constantly improving our marketing automation platform.

Our technical team have recently deployed a new version of database, which enables to segment users also “excluding” them based on any behaviour. This capability has been present for a long time on our triggered campaigns, however we needed to wait this update to have it on any type of campaign.

This not only creates the ability to create specific and impactful campaigns, but also allows our clients to target users who have not yet completed desired actions.This new product update also permits “user merge”, which allows our customers to track users on cross devices.

User merge is particularly useful when considering the increasing number of devices individuals now own, making it more difficult to track users and consolidate data. By merging user data, we can better understand user behaviour on cross-device and provide more personalised experiences.

Additionally, this update allows us to enhance our data analysis capabilities, giving us greater insights into the effectiveness of our campaigns and how to improve them moving forward.

 

2. Frizbit attends the e-Show Barcelona 2023

As Frizbit team, we attended the e-Show Barcelona 2023, the largest event for eCommerce and Digital Marketing in Barcelona. 

During the conference, we participated in a variety of workshops and seminars, gaining valuable insights into topics such as cookieless strategies for 2023, mobile commerce, hyperpersonalisation, social media marketing, and customer experience optimization

We also had the opportunity to network with other industry professionals, establishing new connections and paving the way for future collaborations.

Overall, our attendance at e-Show Barcelona 2023 was an enriching experience that has provided us with a wealth of knowledge and inspiration!

 

Digital marketing is an ever-evolving field that is constantly changing with the latest trends and technological advancements.

It’s been an exciting month, especially in the Search Marketing field. We’ve noticed a lot of activity, thanks in part to the role of AI. Even Google Search has incorporated AI, and we’re happy to share that Google has addressed concerns about whether AI can negatively impact a site’s ranking. Spoiler alert: it won’t! But for all the juicy details, make sure to go through the blog post.

As a marketer, it is essential to stay updated with the latest news and updates to stay ahead of the competition. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the most significant updates and news from the digital marketing world in February 2023.

Digital Marketing News & Updates from February 2023

CONTENT

Search Marketing Updates

• Google sheds the light about AI Content in Search Results

• Google updates its 2023 Product Reviews

• The new era for Google Search powered by AI is here

Tech Marketing Updates

• Pinterest launches their own learning platform for Pinterest Ads

• Amazon Ads plans to step their game in 2023 with AI

Social Media Updates

• Instagram has launched a new feature called ‘Channels’, which allows accounts to broadcast DMs with their audience

• Meta is quickly rolling out verified subscriptions

• Instagram’s co-founder comes out with a NEW social media app, Artifact, which is going to be like a TikTok – for text

Updates from Frizbit

• Frizbit attends the Mobile World Congress 2023

 

Search Marketing Updates

• 1. Google sheds the light about AI Content in Search Results

Source: Deposit Photos

Google has clarified its stance on AI-generated content . As a result, it provides guidance to ensure that high-quality content that prioritizes people ranks well.

There’s a whole tendency revolving about different AI tools specifically made for content marketing. Going beyond how useful or helpful it would be for different businesses, the question that has always remained at the back was what about SEO factors when actually using AI to create content?

In response to the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content in search results, Google has recently released a statement clarifying its approach to such content. As a company with a longstanding commitment to valuing high-quality content, regardless of whether it was created by humans or machines, Google’s ranking systems prioritize content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

This E-E-A-T was their latest system update, and without doubt Google’s emphasis on E-E-A-T underscores the importance of original, high-quality, people-first content. Creators who aspire to succeed in search results must produce content that showcases their expertise, experience, and authoritativeness while being trustworthy to users. By doing so, creators can ensure that their content ranks well, providing users with helpful and informative content to make informed decisions.

In summary:

• Google prioritizes high-quality content, regardless of whether it is generated by humans or machines.
• Google advises publishers to produce helpful, people-focused content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
• Using automation or AI solely to manipulate rankings in search results is considered a violation of Google’s spam policies.

Our advice? Rely on storytelling and experiences to enrich your content. While the latest developments might help you save time and even enhance your skills, there’s one thing AI will never be able to replace: telling your story or sharing your knowledge from your own unique perspective.

•  2. Google updates its 2023 Product Reviews

Today we released the February 2023 product reviews update, which applies to these languages globally: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish. It’ll take ~2 weeks to fully roll out. More here: [https://t.co/YpNnK97G3O](https://t.co/YpNnK97G3O)

— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) February 21, 2023

The upcoming update, which will be rolled out next week along with the product reviews update guidance, will be implemented globally and applied to 11 languages.

What did this roll out include?

First, note that if your site is affected by this update, Google is well-known to affect rankings when roll-outs are happening, however it doesn’t mean that they are necessarily permanent.

Source: Adobe Stock / Thaspol

The Product Reviews System, as announced by Google in February 2023, is designed to improve the quality of product reviews that appear in search results. Its purpose is to identify and remove content that is deemed “thin” or lacking in substance, such as those that only provide brief summaries of products without offering any valuable insights for consumers. Instead, the system aims to surface more in-depth product reviews that are based on actual experiences and research.

By doing so, Google hopes to provide users with more helpful and informative content that can assist them in making informed purchase decisions. The system works by analysing various factors, such as the length and depth of the review, as well as the credibility and authority of the website or author.

This update makes special emphasis on the words “product review system”. While it might seem like a light change, it completely changes the focus of the update, taking Google’s guidance away from product reviews update.

One of the new sections in the updated guidance for the Product Reviews System explains:

“Periodically, we improve how the product reviews system works.When we do this in a notable way, we share this as a “product reviews update” on our Google Search ranking updates page.”

So, what’s the main goal of the Product Reviews System?

Overall, the implementation of the Product Reviews System represents a significant shift in how Google prioritizes content in its search results. It underscores the importance of providing high-quality, informative content that can truly add value to users. So, if you’re a content creator or website owner, it’s essential to ensure that your product reviews are comprehensive, well-researched, and provide genuine value to your audience.

•  3. The new era for Google Search powered by AI is here

Source: Pexels / Photomix Company

Google is introducing new AI-powered features for seach to Google Lens and Multisearch, making searching easier and more efficient.

It has been announced that Google will use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its search features, as a response to Microsoft Bing’s enrichment its algorithm with its partnership with ChatGPT as we mentioned last month.

The impact of ChatGPT was significant, especially in terms of disrupting the Search Engine market. With its advanced natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT has revolutionized the way people search for information online.

Moreover, ChatGPT’s ability to understand the context and nuances of language has made it easier for users to find the information they need, even if they don’t know exactly what they’re looking for.  As a result, ChatGPT has had a profound impact on the search engine market, and is poised to continue shaping the future of online search.

Throughout the history of Google’s search technology, artificial intelligence has played a crucial role in improving the company’s ability to understand foreign languages. As a result of further investments in artificial intelligence, Google has expanded its understanding of information to include images, videos, and even context from the real world.

Google is using this intelligence to improve the search experience in the following ways:

• Search your screen with Google Lens: Google is now using AI in a new way through its Lens feature. This feature has become increasingly popular, with over 10 billion monthly searches. With the latest update, users can search for information directly from their mobile screens using Lens. Soon, Android devices will be able to access this technology globally.
• Multisearch: Google has introduced a new feature called multisearch, which allows users to search with images and text simultaneously. This feature is available globally on mobile devices in all languages and countries where Lens is available. For example, if a user is searching for “modern home office ideas” and comes across a desk that they like but in the wrong material, they can use multisearch to add text such as “wood” to find what they’re looking for.
• Location and proximity: for all searches, Google has also added the possibility to search at local levels, which will make it much efficient for users to find what they are looking for in their proximity.

Google is constantly striving to make its search experience more natural and visual. With the AI race heating up, it’s likely that we can expect more from the search giant in the coming months.

Marketing Tech

•  1. Pinterest launches their own learning platform for Pinterest Ads

Source: Pinterest Academy

Pinterest has just released the latest edition of Pinterest Academy, a powerful and interactive e-learning platform that covers everything advertisers need to know in order to effectively engage and inspire their target audience on the platform.

Different from other existing platforms, Pinterest confidently claims that they offer advertisers a unique and valuable differentiation.

Sharpen your pencils ✏️

It’s time to enroll in Pinterest Academy, our new e-learning platform guaranteed to give you a best-in-class ads education.

Get started today 👉 https://t.co/9edIFeHY4Upic.twitter.com/iEXB0EsTyU

— Pinterest Business (@pinterestbiz) February 13, 2023

This is mainly given that usually the users arrive to the platform with a clear intent and are actively seeking to shop, making Pinterest an ideal destination for advertisers looking to connect with potential customers.

More than a social media channel, Pinterest has become a visual search engine in which users often visit Pinterest early in their decision-making journey. This positions Pinterest as the perfect place to discover new ideas for both purchases and activities, so ads are both expected and welcomed on the platform.

So, why Pinterest Academy?

The Pinterest Academy courses provide valuable guidance on a range of Pinterest ad formats, including how to use measurement tools and a deep dive into specialty subjects. This includes an explanation of why Pinterest is worth your time. You’ll also learn how to use the Trends tool, whose trends on Pinterest are proven to take off faster and last longer than anywhere else on the internet.

As Stacy Malone, head of global business marketing at Pinterest, said:

“We created Pinterest Academy to help brands, agencies and marketers alike harness the unique intent and buying power of people on Pinterest and understand how to unlock the full potential of their campaigns on the platform. Only on Pinterest do people come with the clear intention of discovering the things that add value to their real lives, so they welcome content from brands that help them do just that. In today’s uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to connect with your audience where it matters, and Pinterest Academy will teach marketers how to do that effectively.”

• 2. Amazon Ads plans to step their game in 2023 with AI

Source: Deposit Photos

AI is here to elevate almost every corner on the digital world, and Amazon Ads could be no different. Can Amazon make the most of its own capabilities with AI-powered marketing recommendations?

Amazon’s advertising business is expanding and the key to its success is delivering ads that consumers actually want to interact with. According to The Drum, the company is committed to investing resources in developing its video advertising capabilities, based on the consumption habits of users.

Given Amazon’s increasing collection of video content, it’s no surprise that the company is expanding its video ad capabilities to meet the growing demand for this format.

According to Heaton-Armstrong, the Vice President of EU Sales at Amazon Ads, Amazon’s sponsored display options are deliberately created to offer advertisers a variety of choices in the video ad arena.

This means that brands can deliver a wide range of immersive video ads, including tutorials, demos, unboxing, and testimonials, while also being able to accurately measure their campaign’s performance with standard sponsored display metrics.

This comes as a fantastic news as we mentioned in our 2023 Digital Marketing Trends, proximity and transparency are demanded by customers to make better informed decisions. In our opinion, video ads definitely can have a bigger impact and engagement on desired audiences.

 Social Media Marketing

•  1. Instagram has launched a new feature called ‘Channels’, which allows accounts to broadcast DMs with their audience

Source: Instagram

Let’s begin with the basics: what exactly are broadcast channels?

Broadcast channels are a public, one-to-many messaging tool for creators to invite all of their followers into and engage with their most interested fans.

As Instagram states:

We’re always exploring new ways to help creators directly reach their audience and form deeper connections with their communities.

Broadcast channels can be used by creators as a casual and efficient method of updating their followers.

With the ability to share text, photos, videos, and voice notes, creators can easily provide their followers with the latest updates and behind-the-scenes moments. Additionally, creators can create polls to crowdsource fan feedback, allowing them to gather valuable insights from their audience. It’s important to note that only creators can send messages, while followers can react to content and vote in polls.

In the next few months, Instagram will be introducing even more features to help you connect with your fans. These include the ability to bring another creator into the channel to discuss upcoming collaborations, collect questions for an AMA using question prompts, and much more.

With these new possibilities, we are confident that creators will find exciting and innovative ways to engage with their fans.

Some alternative uses of how you can use this new feature:

• Free trainings or challenges with your community
• News and updates on your industry
• Product or services launches
• Community building with guest speakers

•  2. Meta is quickly rolling out verified subscriptions

Source: Meta

 

Meta Verified, a new paid verification subscription service, is being rolled out by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, as announced in a confident update on Instagram last Sunday.

Meta has announced its entrance into the paid subscription market, following in the footsteps of Twitter and Snapchat. The company will offer an additional tier of exclusive features and increased post reach for a monthly fee. The move is expected to be a successful one, as Meta continues to innovate and provide new opportunities for its users.

So, are these actually good news? Should people be able to pay for additional reach, which is not disclosed as an ad? Does it de-value the blue checkmark? So far, both Snap and Twitter have earned millions from their programs, and Meta could also generate a significant new revenue stream.

Unlike Twitter Blue, this subscription also includes an increase for reach and visibility, making it almost compulsory for companies wanting to thrive in into the digital space.

It’s worth noting that purchasing verification instead of earning it raises questions about the level of exclusivity that can be achieved through this service, similar to Twitter Blue. Additionally, it’s important to consider how natural communication can be when accounts gain exposure purely by paying for it, rather than being genuinely exceptional through their content.

Can anyone apply to the Meta Blue Verification subscription?

• Users must be at least 18 years old
• Users should meet minimum account activity requirements
• Users should submit a government ID that matches their profile name and photo.

The finer details:

It is important to note that at present, businesses are not eligible to apply for Meta Verified. Additionally, users will need to go through the application process again if they wish to make changes to their profile name, username, date of birth, or profile photo.

•  3. Instagram’s co-founder comes out with a NEW social media app, Artifact, which is going to be like a TikTok – for text

Source: Artifact

The launch of a new social app by Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger is imminent. Though initially, its focus will be more on content specifically than social elements, at least in its early stages.

Introducing ‘Artifact’, the innovative app that combines articles, facts, and artificial intelligence to provide you with a personalized and curated news experience. With a focus on your interests and engagement, Artifact is designed to be your go-to source for staying informed and up-to-date.

So how does Artifact work?

The app provides users with a curated list of articles from a variety of publishers, ranging from major news organizations such as the New York Times, to small-scale blogs with niche topics.

With a simple tap, users can select articles that interest them and Artifact will subsequently recommend similar posts and stories, similar to the way TikTok’s For You page algorithm improves over time with user interaction.

It is clear that this new app has been strategically launched to capture the attention of Twitter users who have become disheartened with Elon Musk’s changes to the platform. With its advanced features for highlighting relevant news content, it is poised to become a valuable alternative for those seeking to stay up-to-date on the latest developments.

Artifact will be highly selective in choosing the publishers and content that make it onto the app. They stated they will not tolerate posts that promote falsehoods and will remove them without hesitation.

The app is currently accepting sign-ups exclusively through their waitlist.

Updates from Frizbit

• 1. Frizbit attends the Mobile World Congress 2023

As Frizbit team, we attended the Mobile World Congress 2023, the world’s largestevent on telco industry, held in Barcelona, Spain.

This year’s event brought together top industry leaders, forward-thinking innovators, and passionate technology enthusiasts from around the globe to showcase the latest mobile technologies and trends.

During the event, there were several trends that caught our attention. First and foremost was the development and implementation of 5G technology, which promises to revolutionize the way we use mobile devices and connect with the world around us.

Additionally, there was much discussion about the growing importance and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on various industries, with many experts predicting that it will become even more pervasive in the coming years. As we left the event, we could not help but feel excited about the possibilities that these new technologies and trends offer for the future.

Our Barcelona team had the unique opportunity to exchange ideas with other industry experts, attend informative sessions and workshops, and proudly showcase our cutting-edge, AI-driven marketing automation platform.

We are honored to have been a part of such a thriving event and to have had the chance to share our innovative solutions with a global audience.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates on our latest developments and upcoming events!

From new products to strategic partnerships, this month has been a busy one for digital marketing.

During January, the social media updates definitely caught up our attention. On one side, Twitter is introducing a new model of membership to earn the verification status (A.K.A. exclusivity has a price point in today’s world). 

On the other side, there’s a big controversy towards privacy data and cookies settings with the two giants, TikTok and Meta. We’ve said it multiple times before and is that the cookieless future is approaching sooner than we might think, and this recent news is proof of this.

With so much going on in the industry, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest news. That’s why if you wish to stay up to date with the latest news, keep on reading to find out how is the year starting off in the digital marketing world.

Digital Marketing News & Updates from January 2023

CONTENT

Search Marketing Updates

• Microsoft Bing comeback with the partnership of the year with ChatGPT

• An answer from Google on how long it takes to recover from algorithmic penalties

• Twitter launches a beta Search Keywords for ads to all advertisers

Tech Marketing Updates

• The number one marketing channel for business leads remains email according to the new white paper from Sopro

• ChatGPT alternative, launched by startup Andi

• Twitter adds payment for Twitter Blue

Social Media Updates

• Meta launched their VR app which allows you to connect your heart rate (and collecting data about it)

• YouTube Shorts monetizing is (finally) being introduced in Feb of 2023

• The EU is putting their foot down & questioning TikTok’s regulations

Updates from Frizbit

• A renewed virtual home for Frizbit launching soon!

 

Search Marketing Updates

• 1. Microsoft Bing comeback with the partnership of the year with ChatGPT

Source: Real answer from OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Credit: Shane Burke

Generative-AI comes strong as mentioned at top digital marketing trends for 2023, and the recent news is just proof of it. Aside from the controversial conversations, AI is bringing to the table for digital marketing professionals, it now has entered the search marketing landscape.

In a blog post, Microsoft said that it planned investments in the deployment of specialized supercomputing systems to accelerate OpenAI’s AI research and integrate OpenAI’s AI systems with its products while “introducing new categories of digital experiences.” 

How would the integration between Microsoft Bing and ChatGPT work? 

By including artificial intelligence from OpenAI, it would allow Bing to answer search queries with complete and structured sentences rather than the traditional listing of links. By doing this, users would finally get more humanlike answers to questions, competing directly with the widespread knowledge directory that Google is known for. This partnership comes as no surprise, given that since 2019 Microsoft has been a solid investor in the AI business. 

One thing is certain is that this new update will improve the user experience by proving more accurate results by understanding the context the user is searching from.

Although it is unclear whether the service will be powered by the current version of GPT, this new feature might actually represent a threat to Google and impose a significant competitive advantage on Bing.

•  2. An answer from Google on how long it takes to recover from algorithmic penalties

Source: Deposit Photos

Google has revealed how long it takes for a site to become eligible to rank again after content quality issues are fixed. However, as enlightening as it sounds, the new office-hours format from Google doesn’t allow for follow-up questions, resulting in ambiguous answers.

The original question quoted: 

“…if a website gets algorithmically penalized for thin content, how much of the website’s content do you have to update before the penalty is lifted?”

With the new helpful content guide, the addition of experience to the E-A-T ranking system and other recent search updates, it is only natural for content owners to worry about new penalties and restrictions. And although this concern might be the same one that other thousands of creators have, it lacks context. And there, is exactly where the interpretation of the response from Google becomes critical.

The answer Google provided was:

“Well, it’s generally a good idea to clean up low-quality content or spammy content that you may have created in the past. For algorithmic actions, it can take us several months to reevaluate your site again to determine that it’s no longer spammy.”

The short answer we get from that question is that it takes months for Google to reevaluate the quality of a site. As a result, fixing all low-quality content should be a priority. Following that, it may take a few months to regain visibility in the search engines.

The main big whole about this penalty lies in the fact that assessing quality, in general, is not very easy, as the judgement needs to come from a place of impartiality comparing that website in regard to other sites online.

As a reminder to watch the quality of your content, in this video, Aurora Morales, transparent policy responsible at Google, indicated that:

“ The sites that don’t meet the monetisation or organic search guidelines might face being removed from the Search index and have their ads disabled”

•  3. Twitter launches a beta Search Keywords for ads to all advertisers

Source: Deposit Photos

Twitter is introducing a new ad unit called Search Keywords Ads, which allows advertisers to pay for their tweets to appear in search results for specific keywords. The company has been testing the ad unit for a few months now and has seen an increase in click-through rates over standard Promoted Tweets.

Search Keywords Ads are similar to promoted tweets, but with the added benefit of appearing in search results. Now, as we see it from a digital marketing point of view, the biggest advantage for businesses is that by exposing sponsored tweets to users searching for specific keywords, advertisers can reach a wider audience.

Search Keywords Ads are a new Conversion ‘campaign objective’ in the Twitter Ads interface.

For now, these campaigns will optimize only for conversions to advertiser websites, and they require the integration of the Twitter Pixel or Conversion API (CAPI) to maximize relevance. pic.twitter.com/xCowp8yvfL

— Twitter Business (@TwitterBusiness) January 25, 2023

Advertisers can find Search Keywords Ads as a new campaign objective within the Twitter Ads interface. As the company states in the tweet above, the new Search Keywords Ads objective is designed to drive conversions to advertiser websites.

Twitter says that this new ad unit is designed for advertisers who want to reach people searching for specific keywords on its platform, rather than just those searching for anything in general. 

With this specific approach to promoting ads, Twitter Search Keywords will become soon the new favourite platform to advertise. This can potentially be a significant revenue generator for Twitter, which the company needs as its user growth slows down and it struggles financially. 

Marketing Tech

•  1. The number one marketing channel for business leads remains email 

Source: Deposit Photos

If you were thinking about ditching email marketing in 2023, here is your reminder to remain cross-channel starting with this medium.

Email remains the top marketing channel for business leads, as revealed by Sopro’s new white paper The State of Prospecting 2023.

The white paper also reveals that 77% of B2B buyers prefer to be contacted over email – more than double any other channel. This preference for email is consistent across all industries and regions, with 90% of respondents stating that they prefer to receive communications via email, compared with just 3% who prefer social media channels such as LinkedIn or Twitter.

As Ryan Welmans, CEO and Co-Founder of Sopro states: 

“What this report does show is that the personal touch is still very much valued, whether that is a bespoke email, a face-to-face meeting or hosting a webinar or event to share information and knowledge. The personal approach is very much essential when it comes to marketing and engaging with new customers.”

Despite this high level of preference for email among buyers, marketers believe that other channels are more effective at generating leads than email: 59% believe that PPC (pay-per-click) advertising is twice as effective at generating new business prospects than email; 54% feel paid search ads are twice as effective; while 51% say the same about social media advertising in general.

• 2. ChatGPT alternative, launched by startup Andi

Source: Screen Shot of the author

The company building the next generation of search announced today that, following a months-long stealth period during which it attracted 50,000 users by word of mouth, Andi is now available to everyone.

If you’ve never heard of Andi, we are sure you won’t forget it, as Andi is the new chat GPT alternative app with Gen Z in mind. Targeting the same primary audience, the platform becomes then a direct competitor to TikTok and provides users with content that they can engage with directly through the app, without having to leave it.

As Andi co-founder, Angela Hoover said:

“Gen-Z hates Google. To us, search is broken. We live on our phones in messaging apps with visual feeds like TikTok and Instagram. Traditional search engine results are overwhelmed with ads, SEO, spam and clutter. We hate the invasive, creepy ads, and how Google is Big Brother and surveils everything. Gen-Z is so desperate for an alternative that we’re using TikTok as a search engine.”

What makes Andi different from ChatGPT?

As we mentioned before, this platform takes the interests of Gen Z, therefore it provides a much richer visual and conversational experience on mobile. It’s more human-like and has the full potential of becoming a strong competitor for other search engine platforms.

On the other hand, while some AI search tools deliver inaccurate information, Andi is different in this area too. Its generative AI searches for relevant information from multiple sources, filters out low-quality results, summarizes them into concise answers and even links back to those sources, so you can read more if you want (or not). 

Regarding data privacy, it is also quite progressive and aligned with the current trends as it currently doesn’t log or track the queries, giving users the power to remain completely anonymous. P.S. …don’t say we didn’t warn you about the cookieless future coming ahead!

As Gen-Z enters the marketplace as consumers, this app can become relevant if you want to rank higher for this type of user. The app is great as it is designed for those who tend to prefer mobile devices over other forms of communication and information gathering, this is a convenient way to get quick answers on the go.

• 3. Twitter adds payment for Twitter Blue

Source: Twitter Blue

If you are a Twitter Blue Fan, now you can lock in your paid verification checkmark for a whole year. Exclusivity now is a price to be paid thanks to this subscription, where aside from getting verified, once you are approved, you can enjoy early access to new features from the app.

Although this surely has a positive impact on those accounts, creators and businesses dreaming about the blue verification, it also generates an overall feeling of discontent in regard to actually earning and becoming notable, rather than just paying for it.

Having said this, and to mediate possible objections, Twitter assures that all the paid subscribers will get early access to all the features, however, they claim to maintain the blue mark exclusive for those accounts that meet the eligibility criteria.  

Even though the company has made it clear that still eligible filters apply, there’s some ambiguity to this initiative. With this, now the blue mark might have two meanings, and there’s no way to distinguish between both.

After the update, it can mean that the brand previously earned it by standing out and being authentic, but it can also mean that the account applied and paid for it. 

Regarding its business model, prices differ from Android to iOS (in order to avoid the 30% increase in app fees in Apple) and by region, too. For the moment, the release is only available in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand. 

Source: Twitter Blue

The real question here is, is it really worth paying for a distinction that is no longer entirely exclusive? Does it really give you a higher status, not earning it by merit? 

 Social Media Marketing

•  1. Meta launched their VR app which allows you to connect your heart rate (and collecting data about it)

Source: Meta

Meta has launched a new feature for its Quest VR headset, allowing you to connect your heart rate.

The company is adding two new fitness-related features to the Meta Quest. The first is Health Connect integration, meaning Android users can finally sync their Quest workout data automatically.

The second new feature allows you to link your Quest Move VR workouts to Google Fit without having to do anything (it’s unclear if there will be an iOS version). This means that when you finish one of these workouts in the app, it will automatically export all of your stats into Google Fit where they can be viewed by other apps like Strava or Runkeeper. Say hi to indirectly unauthorised data sharing.

It all sounds great, more integration to keep everything connected and running smoothly. However, what happens with data privacy? 

Let’s mention that with these integrations you’ll also be agreeing with Google’s terms of service, as well as any other third-party fitness or health app you connect through Health Connect. You might be providing access rights so that these companies could potentially use personal information from the profiles of users.

•  2. YouTube Shorts monetizing is (finally) being introduced in Feb of 2023

Source: Deposit Photos

YouTube is finally launching monetization for its short-form content. The program will launch in February 2023 and will be available to all creators with 1,000 subscribers or more and 10 million Shorts views 

As per YouTube:

“Starting February 1st, 2023, monetizing partners will be able to earn money from ads that are viewed between videos in the Shorts Feed. This new revenue sharing model will replace the YouTube Shorts Fund.”

The challenge with short clips is that you can’t directly monetize them through pre- or mid-roll ads like regular video uploads, so YouTube has been working on a solution. This is a significant development for creators in the space who have been waiting for this feature since it was announced last year.

On the other hand, this update also positions YouTube Shorts one step closer to TikTok competing to target content creators, as contrary to TikTok, the platform does share the revenue directly with creators.

•  3. The EU is putting their foot down & questioning TikTok’s regulations

Source: Deposit Photos

The EU is putting their foot down & questioning TikTok’s regulations. 

TikTok is causing speculation over security in the US for months now and has recently been fined by France for manipulative Cookie policies, the EU is putting their foot down & questioning TikTok’s regulations.

It is suspected that TikTok, whose parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in Beijing, can provide sensitive data from private citizens to the Chinese government and spread communist propaganda through its algorithm of recommendation.

While TikTok has vigorously contested these claims, a relentless series of media revelations have added fuel to the fire, pushing the app into a national security realm.

A special revelation comes after TikTok admitted that several staff members had accessed the data of two journalists on the platform to contain a media leak. According to CNN, TikTok also stated that “the individuals involved misused their authority to access TikTok user data,” adding, “This is unacceptable.”.

Adding up to the previous statement, TikTok said in that same privacy update that certain company employees outside of Europe would be permitted “remote access” to European user data, including China within these regulations. This was justified since the company is operating a “global platform designed to share joyous content”.

As a solution, in addition to complying with strict security controls and approval protocols, workers will manage this data in accordance with the EU’s landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

TikTok has certainly put its best efforts into managing the situation, but one thing is certain and is that with younger generations accessing the platform, it comes greater responsibility in managing the data protection and privacy of all the users.

Updates from Frizbit

• 1. A renewed virtual home for Frizbit to launch soon!

 

2023 has started with many things happening behind the scenes at the Frizbit backend.

We have started this year being quite busy and excited as we are refreshing our digital home (a.k.a. website) and we are sure you are going to love it. 

Our brand has evolved and with it, our capacity to impact different industries and our website will reflect just that. This new change is part of the many updates we have envisioned for this year, and as always keeping our customers in mind is the main motto behind our updates.

Stay tuned for more information about this project launching soon!

Top Digital Marketing Trends for 2023 for marketers and eCommerce Managers

Digital marketing is the most effective way to reach potential customers and increase brand awareness. In 2023, brands will have to prepare for a global cost of living crisis as consumers become more discerning about the products and services they purchase. 

So, how to take advantage of the latest digital marketing trends in 2023?

Any marketer will need to make sure that their message and content marketing strategy exhibits as transparent, genuine, and stay relevant to the video and behavioural trends of the users. We will go more in detail, however for the 2023 digital marketing trends, we can see two clear tendencies. First, the usage of artificial intelligence for business development, and also we have identified that all the marketing efforts should take the direction towards influencer marketing, user-generated content and video content.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve this year and create a significant digital marketing strategy, then keep on reading.

Top Digital Marketing Trends for 2023

1. Artificial Intelligence and the launch of GPT-4

2. Video Trends in 2023

3. User experience and Machine Learning

4. Influencers & User-generated content

5. Say goodbye to third-party cookies

6. SuperApps

7. Conversational Marketing

8. Generative-AI

 

1. Artificial Intelligence and the launch of GPT-4

There’s no doubt that AI is a game-changer for digital marketing. When it comes to content, you can use it to automate the process of generating ideas and creating new pieces. The technology has been around for quite some time now and can be used for everything from content curation to optimization. It also offers a lot of potential when it comes to assisting in the creation process itself. It can be especially helpful if you’re short on time but still want a high-quality result, or if you are hit by the famous writer’s block.

In 2023, it will be the norm to use AI to create content. This means that companies will be able to create videos, ads and other content with minimal human input, a valuable tool for marketing teams. While there is still room for development, here are some of the things that this technology comes in handy:

• Content marketing: Producing graphics and media
• Sales and Marketing: emails, drafts for blog posts and creating service or product descriptions 

Now, this trend comes in alignment with the launch of GPT-4. Let’s see what this is all about. GPT-4 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4) is an innovative tool that can automate many marketing tasks, making it a must-have marketing tool for any digital marketing agency or business.

The model was developed by OpenAI, based on online content that is used to train deep-learning models. It can be used for a wide range of tasks, including answering questions, summarizing text, translating texts, generating codes, and generating conversations. OpenAI hasn’t revealed yet a launch date for GPT-4, but one thing is for sure and is an update and trend for marketers to be excited about.

2. Video trends in 2023

Videos were already a big thing for social media marketing since 2021, but in 2023 they’ll be even more important than they are today. We predict that short-form video will dominate all other types of content because of its high engagement rates, cost-effectiveness for marketing budgets and the ability to reach multiple platforms (including TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Pinterest). 

As one of the consumer trends is for users to keep looking for more immersive customer experiences, we can expect the 2022 live shopping social media marketing trend to continue to grow in 2023. This automatically positions the needle towards content creators and influencer marketing, which can help brands to convey the so-desired authenticity value. It is no secret the power of influencers over brand engagement: Reviews from creators are trusted, and engagement is often higher than for brands. 

Another way for B2B marketing professionals to adjust their social media strategy is to pay close attention to the number one social media platform for b2b: LinkedIn. The platform is seeing huge success with video and is launching new ways to create long-form within. In fact, in 2023, LinkedIn Live will become a more accessible tool as B2B video content improves in quality.

What are some of our tips?

• Keep your content short in the 15–30 seconds
• Make your users rewatch your content: surprise twists, magic tricks, transformations and reveals, and of course fast-paced content strategy
• Use captions including “Wait for it” or “Reveal at the end” to retain attention throughout the video
• For brands to become closer to their users in 2023, we advise them to use original sounds such as a voiceover or remixed song that becomes popular

3. User experience and Machine Learning

Sales and marketing teams should incorporate artificial intelligence into their strategies. In 2023, users are craving personalised experiences. As a matter of fact, most algorithms and AI in digital marketing are designed to optimize for one thing alone-creating a better user experience. 

In 2022, the search engine optimization (SEO) updates were focused on providing users with the most useful content with the roll-out of the helpful content update, and even enhanced their search engine through a powerful visual search with Google Lens. In 2023, we expect nothing less than a more human approach to search results. By focusing more on customer experience, you can beat the algorithms and delight your customers.

What can you do?

• A great tip is to incorporate into your marketing ways to address customers by their names, previous purchase behaviours and preferences. You can achieve this by retaining customer data via cookieless strategies such as web push notifications.
• Create a digital marketing strategy that is cross-channel. For this, we advise the usage of marketing automation solutions to enhance your marketing channels such as email marketing to target the right user, at the right time, through the right channel with the right message.

4. Influencers & User-generated content

One of the marketing trends to watch is the marketing campaigns that focus on using user-generated content. We said it before and is that with the current global and economic crisis, customers will be more intentional with how they spend their money. Therefore, one of the new ways to get that desire to be relevant to consumers is through content that engages, and what better way to do it than with influencers?

Many platforms like Shopify, Pinterest, and TikTok are working hard to create opportunities in which intentional and quality content is created through creators. This year, valuable content will be created only if the influencers are aligned with the values of the brands to create content.

What can you do?

Look for new opportunities to incorporate influencer marketing into your marketing plan. Focus on experts that provide value and substantial knowledge to make the content relevant. Study your competition and decide which influencer can carry the messaging of your brand in the right direction.

5. Say goodbye to third-party cookies

During 2022, we talked heavily about Google phasing out third-party cookies and what it could mean for businesses and marketing professionals. This was one of the marketing trends that made the marketing world tremble. We are sure this trend will keep on existing in 2023 and beyond, as privacy and data protection are becoming relevant matters of consumer trends.

Digital marketers will be affected by this development this year, as it will limit the ability of companies to send personalised advertisements. Consequently, many business marketing strategies will have to be modified.

Paid advertisements have benefited significantly from cookies because they make it possible to target audiences based on very specific user interests. However, it will be much harder to provide personalised ads if 3rd-party cookies stop being used.

Instead, start implementing first-party cookies strategies or also known as cookieless strategies instead. These are great mediums to develop more personal strategies and one-on-one marketing tools.

This shift also means that Google Analytics will switch from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4. Consequently, if you use Google Analytics, you should start migrating to the new version now before July 1, 2023, when Universal Analytics will be retired.

6. SuperApps

Marketers in 2023 should pay attention to superapps. This is a concept of apps that combine multiple features into one. They simplify your life by making it easier for you to manage different aspects of your life, be it for business or personal use.

The WeChat ecosystem is an example of a superapp, as it combines chat and cashless payments with taxi booking and even telecom services under its umbrella. What’s more? It also has games!

Superapps have allowed companies to go beyond their traditional verticals (for example, retail), which makes them more flexible and adaptable in today’s rapidly changing world. In addition, they can use the data collected through the app to improve their products or services – which will eventually contribute positively towards consumer satisfaction levels too.

7. Conversational Marketing

One of the top marketing trends in 2023 is conversational marketing. In the online marketing landscape, people are craving closer relationships with the companies they purchase from. Conversational marketing is a type of marketing that reduces the gap between customers and brands by creating the possibility of instant communication.

One of the most common ways that business and digital marketers are implementing is the usage of chatbots or WhatsApp buttons directly on their sites. This opens the door for companies to remain closer to their users by supporting and assisting customers when they need to.

It is common for people to complain that their bandwidth isn’t sufficient to respond to conversational marketing messages. Fortunately, automated chatbots and their marketing can help with this problem by providing pre-programmed responses to common user questions. Conversational marketing allows companies to connect better with their audiences, you just have to adapt and make it relevant.

What to do if you wish to incorporate Chatbots in your digital strategy? First, make sure that the content is relevant. Prototype and test multiple times until the customer journey is smooth. Remember to give easy access to a human representative to avoid frustration for users.

8. Generative-AI

With generative AI and other foundation models, assistive technology is taking on a new level, application development time is being reduced, and non-technical users are gaining powerful capabilities.

Generative AI is poised to change the game for businesses in a big way. By learning from existing data, this technology enables companies to create original content and revolutionize industries. With generative AI, many previously human tasks can be automated, thereby increasing efficiency and productivity, decreasing costs, and creating new opportunities. Technology can therefore be leveraged effectively by businesses in order to gain a significant competitive advantage. 

One great example is Lexica, the generative-ai platform that is capable of creating eye-catching images from desired keywords. Its power and potential are truly amazing and for the sake of this post, we decided to create our cover image using it. The results? We loved how well-aligned was created. What we liked the most is that you can receive a tailored and unique product according to your preferences in just a matter of seconds.

Using data ingested and interactions with users, they can produce original content in response to queries. There are many possible activities generative-AI can engage in, from writing blogs to sketching package designs, writing computer code, and even theorizing about the cause of production errors.

Conclusion

The marketing world changes constantly, so it’s essential to stay on top of the latest digital news. With this blog post, we hope you’ll be able to do just that! We covered various trends in today’s post —from consumer behaviour to social media platforms and more—.

You can use these trends to bring in more revenue, boost your brand awareness and create a stronger customer base. As always, we’d love to hear from you! What are some of the digital marketing trends that resonated with your business? How are you using them to increase sales or improve brand recognition? Let us know in the comments below!

With a new month incoming, the last digital marketing news and updates from December are here. Without a doubt, in the search marketing area, we saw the most interesting marketing news, which comes in handy as we start a new year, and it’s the perfect timing to readjust our SEO strategy.

If we had to highlight one of the updates, it would be the newest addition of an extra “E” to the E-A-T Google quality raters guidelines. We are only going to tell you here that it stands for “Experience” and that it has been placed above the other parameters.

Social media doesn’t step behind, as our favourite newsletter tool, Get Revue, is shutting down in the upcoming weeks, and there’s a whole theory behind it. If you want to find out this, and all the updates, keep reading everything that happened in December 2022 in the Digital Marketing landscape.

Digital Marketing News and Updates from December 2022

CONTENT

Search Marketing Updates

• From E-A-T to E-E-A-T: Google updates its quality raters guidelines

• Google rolls out the December 2022 Spam Link Update

• Google rolls out a new update for its Helpful content impacting globally

Tech Marketing Updates

• Canva unveils Magic Write

• Disney+ with Ads rolls out in the U.S.A.

Social Media Updates

• Twitter shuts down Revue Newsletter: coincidence or consequence?

• Instagram launches notes in the DM’s consisting of 60 characters to share your thoughts with your close friends

• Pinterest ends its Creator Rewards Program for Idea Pins

Updates from Frizbit

• We hosted our annual holiday dinner

• We are switching to Substack

Search Marketing Updates

• 1. From E-A-T to E-E-A-T: Google updates its quality raters guidelines

The Google search quality raters guidelines had a major update, by adding a new “E” to the current E-A-T system. The new “E” is for “Experience”, something that website owners can’t ignore anymore.

In fact, the way it is structured, Google is placing experience on top of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

According to Google, they want to know if every time a user publishes content, that content also demonstrates that it was produced with some degree of experience. Examples of this are having actually visited a place, the actual use of a product, or communicating the experience of a situation lived by someone else.

Google explained the update by making reference that there might be some situations where really what people value most is content produced by someone who has first-hand, life experience on the topic at hand.

As Google stated: 

“If you’re looking for information on how to correctly fill out your tax returns, that’s probably a situation where you want to see content produced by an expert in the field of accounting. But if you’re looking for reviews of a tax preparation software, you might be looking for a different kind of information—maybe it’s a forum discussion from people who have experience with different services.”

What does this mean for business owners?

Producing generic and not valuable content is no longer viable, if you are looking to rank high in SERPs. One action that you can take to certainly add value to your readers is bringing on board guest experts that can truly create meaningful and insightful content.

The following document is already being updated by Google: http://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/hsw-sqrg.pdf  

•  2. Google rolls out the December 2022 Spam Link Update

Today, with our December 2022 link spam update, we’re leveraging the power of SpamBrain to neutralize the impact of unnatural links on search results. The update launches today & will take about two weeks to rollout. Learn more: https://t.co/ACO2Ut8wmi

— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) December 14, 2022

Google has rolled out a December 2022 link spam update, just when we thought the Google Search updates were finished for the year. The update is expected to roll out in two weeks and its effect will have a global impact.

As Google, mentioned: 

“Our launch today, which we refer to as the December 2022 link spam update, will take about two weeks to fully roll out. Ranking may change as spammy links are neutralized, and any credit passed by these unnatural links are lost. This launch will affect all languages.”

SpamBrain, the AI-based spam prevention system launched by Google, not only detects spam directly, but it also detects both sites buying links, and those sites used for passing outgoing links.

What does this mean to you?

This new link spam update might cause ranking declines in Google over the next two weeks. It is important that your links are natural and that they comply with Google’s webmaster guidelines. Invest in improving your site so that it naturally attracts new links over time.

•  3. Google rolls out a new update for its Helpful content impacting globally

There has been an official announcement from Google about ranking regarding the release of the second version of its helpful content system. The incident began on December 5th, but became noticeable on December 6th, according to Google. 

What is new? 

The helpful content update is now a global feature, which makes the system focus on all the languages rather than doing it only in English, as it was a few months ago. Let’s remember that this system was created to detect content that was created for the search engines and not for the real people.

With this, the new algorithm aims to help searchers find relevant, high-quality content. And for this, Google is rewarding content written by humans for humans, especially at a time when AI writing is on the rise.

Regarding the rollout, as is usual with the updates from Google, it should take around two weeks to completely be released.

What to do if you’re affected? 

If this update impacted your content, the first thing to consider is that it might take several months to recover, take in mind that we’re talking about a site-wide algorithm. This means that if Google determines your site is producing a relatively high amount of unhelpful content, primarily written for ranking in search, then your whole site will be impacted.

Having said this, one of your options is to revise the content to see if it matched the guidelines. You can do this through the questions in this post. The other advice Google gives is to remove unhelpful content as if it could help the rankings of the other content.

According to Google:

“Sites identified by this update may find the signal applied to them over a period of months. Our classifier for this update runs continuously, allowing it to monitor newly-launched sites and existing ones. As it determines that the unhelpful content has not returned to the long-term, the classification will no longer apply.”

Marketing Tech

•  1. Canva unveils Magic Write

Canva keeps taking it to the next level, now with its new copywriting assistant for Canva Docs. It’s an AI-based writing assistant called Magic Write, and as it says, it “will help you to get to your first draft, fast”.

Let’s take a look at those words. We should highlight that Magic Write knows its limitations and is offering a solution to ease the so-called “Writer’s block”, and not completely bragging about being able to offer a polished and ready-to-go post.

To use it is just as simple as going into the Docs option, clicking on the “+” option and selecting Magic Write. All you have to do is write a short headline of what it is you want the tool to write about. The AI-based copywriting tool is even capable of rewriting a whole text.

As Canva states:
“Business owners and teams of every kind will be able to supercharge their content. Magic Write excels at brainstorming initial ideas, or drafts for social media posts, press releases, business plans, customer support responses, product descriptions, and proposals which can all be generated at the touch of a button, ready to be proofed and edited. You can even include tone of voice in your Magic Write “brief.”

• 2. Disney+ with Ads rolls out in the U.S.A.

The Disney Plus Basic tier, which is ad-supported, is now available. What’s driving the focus this time isn’t precisely having to watch ads while watching content, but rather its price point and advertising restrictions. As well, unlike Netflix Basic with Ads, at least you are entitled to get access to all the same shows and movies that are on the no-ads tier.

So what does this mean for marketers and companies wanting to advertise in this channel?

Let’s begin with the target audience. Disney has made it clear that despite being mainly family-oriented, the ads can target the adult audience. This happens primarily because the company also mentioned that for shows for preschoolers and profiles of kids, no ads will be shown to protect the younger ones. 

Who can advertise on Disney Plus?

There is no specific information, but it is confirmed that the companies able to advertise will be selected intentionally. More than 100 companies — including P&G, Target, and Starbucks — have agreed to advertise on the platform as well as all the major agency holding companies, including Dentsu, Havas, Horizon, IPG, Omnicom, Publicis, RPA, Stagwell and WPP.

One thing is sure, and it is that Disney has crafted a way to position itself as the number-one choice for families, and has built a reputation for it. This means that they won’t disturb their brand image by adding inappropriate content to the displayed ads. And if we look deeply, it also means that advertising would come with many restrictions, as well as selectivity.

How will it work?

As opposed to other brands that use demand-side platforms (DSPs) or supply-side platforms to automate ad sales, Disney requires companies to purchase ad slots directly from them. 

Our intake is that this new update will be helpful and relevant for those family-friendly brands. This is causing many companies to be excited about the possibility of advertising on Disney+ due to its strong brand identity and loyal user base. Advertising on the streaming platform is particularly beneficial to companies that fall under Disney’s family-friendly brand image. 

Having said this, the pros are clear at the moment. However, what about the cons of advertising on this new platform? Definitely, the limitation of ad slots and ads per show makes it extremely costly to advertise, which could put this channel out of reach for some companies.

 Social Media Marketing

•  1. Twitter shuts down Revue Newsletter: coincidence or consequence?

The controversy continues as Elon Musk is stepping stronger as the new CEO of Twitter. On December 14th, less than 24 hours after the former CEO, Jack Dorsey published his first-ever article in Revue, Twitter emailed all of its users announcing the shutdown of the platform.

The article gave declarations of Dorsey regarding the recent topic development of the #TwitterFiles, in which he specifically wrote: “The current attacks on my former colleagues could be dangerous and doesn’t solve anything.”

Coincidence or consequence, the truth is that the shutdown of the platform came as a disappointment for all the writers and newsletters held there. 

As per Revue:

“From January 18, 2023, it will no longer be possible to access your Revue account. On that date, Revue will shut down and all data will be deleted. This has been a hard decision because we know Revue has a passionate user base, made up of people like you.”

As more profiles that feel like a threat to Elon Musk are getting banned, it is difficult to believe that this action was a mere coincidence. Let’s take a look at the @ElonJet account, which scraped data about the movements of Elon’s jet and tweeted every time it moved. Just before the ban, the account had tracked Musk taking a 48-minute flight from Oakland to Los Angeles. All after he publicly announced he wouldn’t, in doing efforts to support free speech on the platform. 

My commitment to free speech extends even to not banning the account following my plane, even though that is a direct personal safety risk

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 7, 2022

As Revue shutdown, we advise you to take action before the data is deleted permanently. The platform is currently allowing its users to export all the data from their newsletters, including subscribers and past editions of the newsletter. You can export your Revue data after signing in here.

•  2. Instagram launches notes in the DM’s consisting of 60 characters to share your thoughts with your close friends

In order to help users stay in touch with their real-world friends, Instagram introduced a number of new features, among them the new Notes feature. The new addition threatens to become a direct competitor of Twitter. 

Notes allow users to update friends with just text and emojis, adding a different format for social updates beyond images and videos.

Among all the new features being announced, Instagram Notes is perhaps the most interesting since it allows users to communicate with others using only text. Even though that sounds a lot like Twitter, the current implementation has a much different user interface. 

The Instagram Notes function lets users leave notes by going to the top of their inbox, and then selecting the followers who follow them back (aka mutuals) or those in their “Close Friends” list. After that, they will type out the note itself using only 60 characters of text or emojis. For 24 hours, the note will appear at the top of friends’ inboxes and replies will arrive as direct messages.

According to Instagram, people appreciated having a lightweight way to start conversations during testing. Could it also mean a lighter touch for brands to approach customers?

Although the format of Notes is different from Twitter’s real-time feed, its use case may overlap with Twitter’s, since the company describes the feature as a way for users to share “what they’re up to” or ask for recommendations. Today, Twitter asks users for similar input. In the Twitter app, for example, you are asked to share “What’s happening?” Like Notes, there is a limited amount of text you can type. (However, Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, has said it will grow substantially.)

•  3. Pinterest ends its Creator Rewards Program for Idea Pins

The creator rewards program was an effort to keep the content fresh and rotating within the platform. By using monthly prompts from Pinterest, creators were motivated to create content using the idea themes in video format in compensation for direct payments.

As stated by Pinterest:

“The Creator Rewards program will end on November 30, 2022. To all the creators who participated, thank you for your partnership. We’re committed to exploring more ways to help you find success on Pinterest, and we’re looking forward to finding more opportunities to work together in 2023,”

Pinterest is closing the program “to focus on other creator programs and features.” When Pinterest launched Creator Rewards last year, it announced a $20 million investment. The company also invested $1.2 million into its Creator Fund this year, which was launched last year with $500,000 in investment. As part of this program, the social network offers cash rewards and ad placements to help underrepresented creators.

By converting Idea Pins into ads, Pinterest is still running programs like the Creator Fund, “shoppable” Idea Pins, and paid partnerships.

Updates from Frizbit

• 1. We hosted our annual holiday dinner

At Frizbit, we’re all about the team.

We work hard every day to make sure that our clients get the best possible product and service, and our team is instrumental in making that happen. That’s why, in December, we celebrated our annual holiday dinner with the Barcelona team. We went to one of the best rodizio in town and enjoyed good food with an even better company.

We hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and we wish you all the best for 2023 from all of us here at Frizbit.

•  2. We are switching to Substack

This is just a brief notice that our monthly newsletter is changing its virtual home from Revue, that as we mentioned earlier is shutting down, to Substack. This means no changes for you as a reader, and as usual, you will still receive our monthly newsletter with the latest Digital Marketing updates and insights. 

We wanted to give you the heads-up as you might experience a new layout and platform. We are excited to see what 2023 is holding for us, but in the meanwhile, if you miss it, you can find our intake on the 15 trends for eCommerce in 2023.

You can access the previous editions and subscribe at this link.

 

15 eCommerce trends for 2023 & online shopping insights

In the past few years, the e-commerce market has evolved from being merely a brick-and-mortar counterpart to an ecosystem that involves several devices and innovative store concepts. Customers are offered a wide range of new approaches to shopping that have managed to adapt to the new habits and preferences of the consumers.

According to the Statista 2022 eCommerce report, this is a growing field, just by 2022, the worldwide eCommerce sales volume with $3,590 USD billions was higher than the GDP of France, with $2,778 USD billions. By 2027, this figure could reach a total of $6,395 USD billion in sales volume, which by that time is predicted to be even higher than the GDP of the UK region.

Now moving on to the revenue, the total eCommerce revenue forecast from 2022 to 2027 in billion US$ is stated as following:

• China is expected to grow +5.8% according to the compound annual growth rate
• The U.S. is expected to face the largest growth with +18.3%
• The rest of the world is expected to grow by +5.5% 

This understandably positions the U.S. and Europe regions to be those that are expected to grow more than other regions like China from 2022 to 2027.

Having said this, it is clear that the eCommerce industry shouldn’t be taken lightly. In this article, we’ll examine 15 key trends predicted for 2023 that are already changing how customers shop today. 

For 2023, we can expect to see how inflation making consumers research more before spending less, live and social shopping experiences, new payment options like cryptocurrencies and gift cards; cross-border online shopping; on-site personalization powered by AI, the relevance of bringing subscriptions back, how customer service is one of the key strategies to differentiate in 2023, and so much more. 

Without further ado, let’s dive right into the 2023 eCommerce trends and online shopping insights.

15 eCommerce trends for 2023

1. Inflation will make consumers research more and spend less

2. Omnichannel presence will be key to being part of the lifestyle of consumers

3. Live and social shopping is the next big thing

4. New and emerging payment options

5. Cross-Border Online Shopping is on the rise

6. E-commerce will become more personal and in-store shopping will become a social experience

7. Personalised experiences can be used to improve customer loyalty and retention

8. Subscriptions are a great way to keep customers coming back

9. Your Customer Service will be the key differentiator factor

10. Sustainability will become more important

11. Faster and more efficient shipping is a must for eCommerce businesses

12. User-generated content & reviews will become more important in decision-making

13. New generations of consumers enter the marketplace

14. AI will be more important

15. Privacy Settings & Cookies

 

1. Inflation will make consumers research more and spend less

Source: Deposit Photos

As the rise of inflation exceeds the forecasts, it will make consumers be more cautious and price sensitive. This means that they will be more likely to research products before buying them. In fact, in 2022, 45% of online shoppers in the U.S. researched online when planning a major purchase. 

Another consequence that inflation might bring is that consumers may choose to buy less expensive brands than the ones they would have purchased otherwise.

Which preferences do customers have when purchasing online? How can you align with the concerns and likings of your customers?

• 44% indicated customer reviews help them achieve their last decision
• 32% said they prefer to purchase goods from various resellers through the same marketplace
• 25% prefer express shipping
• 21% make major purchases directly via their smartphone or tablets
  

The data stated above are clear actions that you can implement in your eCommerce store to increase customer loyalty and stay in the top of mind of your clients.

It’s also important for retailers to look at ways of engaging with their customers through content marketing so that they can build trust and loyalty with their brand.

This shift toward content marketing will require companies to rethink their strategies for running online ads, as well as how they use email marketing.

2. Omnichannel presence will be key to being part of the lifestyle of consumers

As mentioned above, adapting to the lifestyle and new habits that customers are facing is crucial to stay relevant. That’s where incorporating omnichannel strategies is a tactic that can change your game for 2023. 

What does being omnichannel mean? It is, in other words, activating the synchronization of business data between channels. Its main representation in eCommerce stores is connecting a physical store with its online operations. 

A great example of this is the worldwide beauty store Sephora. The store manages to transfer their online experience and tailored customer practices through their eCommerce apps. Through the app, a customer is able to shop online and retrieve the products in the store within two hours or have an entirely online shopping experience. The store has managed to keep the count of loyalty points gained, whether it was in the store or through the app. It doesn’t stop there as they have also incorporated email marketing and app push reminders for abandoned carts, product deals and offers and restock reminders. They know how to fit into the busy lifestyle of their customers.

But are there other means that we can achieve this? What if I don’t have a physical store? 

Running an entire online store isn’t any inconvenience. For this, playing and incorporating digital customer journeys is the key strategic game plan for your company. If you have been dreaming about reaching your customer through the right channels, at the right time, with the right message, then strategically creating digital flows is your option to go.

Imagine the possibilities of reaching your customer since they merely visit your store. Now picture being able to reach them through their web browsers through type of web push notifications for e-commerce, sending strategic email marketing reminders, and getting even closer through SMSs and WhatsApp messages. This is precisely what Frizbit specializes at, and the results confirm it. By having an omnichannel presence, Frizbit can manage to level up by 8% of your revenue. 

So whether you choose to have a mix of online and offline practices or merely online strategic tactics, being present in the customer journey of your client will be the key in 2023.

3. Live and social shopping is the next big thing

Throughout the year, we have seen and reported various social media updates featuring social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest to bring to life the newest shopping trend of Live and Social Shopping. 

Social media has provided a platform to help consumers share their experiences with friends, family, and followers. Today, consumers can watch videos of products in action and connect with other shoppers in real-time. This allows users to be able to engage with products before they buy them, in order to gain more information about what they’re purchasing.

Live video is also becoming increasingly popular on e-commerce sites as well as social media platforms like Facebook Live or Instagram Stories—both owned by Facebook – which give users the chance to interact with brands through live Q&As or tutorials from influencers such as bloggers or celebrities. Other channels like TikTok and YouTube are connecting fans with content creators and offering special deals for specific products. Pinterest, on the other hand, has even created a weekly series featuring well-claimed content creators featuring their favourite brands, as you can read more on our digital marketing news of October 2022.

As more people start using these features, it’s expected that we’ll see an increase in consumer demand for this kind of interaction between brand owners/retailers and their customers who want personalised advice before making purchases online.

4. New and emerging payment options

As new behaviours arise, adding alternative payment methods can be an excellent option to add on facilities to your customers. It is likely for a customer to abandon a website if he or she can’t pay in their desired way. 

For this reason, offering a wide range of ways to pay can increase conversion rates, especially on mobile devices. For recurring customers, allowing them to save their payment information for a faster purchase experience can also lead to more purchases. 

What trends can we expect?

• Blending online and offline payment methods: paying online but retrieving the product offline
• Virtual currencies for social media platforms: Content creators or accounts with large followings can receive in-apps tips from followers
• Digital wallets are here to stay: Clearly Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay are leading examples in this area. Don’t limit your customers’ methods of payment by not offering them the option to pay with a digital wallet.
• Emerging superapps to run a one-stop shop for lifestyle: The Chinese superapp is the most lively example of this new concept, in which aside from messaging, bank accounts are connecting making it easier to connect day-to-day life services.
• BNPL (buy now, pay later) companies should be a must in your eCommerce: With the current inflation situation, offering this facility might ease the burden of a one-time payment for your clients, such as Klarna or Afterpay. It’s a win-win for brands and shoppers.
• QR Codes everywhere: After the pandemic, interacting with QR Codes got more popular in the West. From menus displaying to placing and paying an order, QR Codes are the new online self-service payment option.
• Other mobile payment solutions: A nice example would be Bizum in Spain or PayPal worldwide.

5. Cross-Border Online Shopping is on the rise

The pandemic led to a big development in online shopping. It forced the lives of people to undergo a much-needed update to find new methods to reach customers. It is precisely the growth of eCommerce possibilities that has incentivized buyers to shop beyond their national borders.

As per a global eCommerce research report published in 2021, three out of four online shoppers (76%) will have made purchases outside their own country in 2021, which represents a significant increase from 69% two years ago.

The main reason customers are keener on cross-border shopping is finding lower prices of certain goods, accessing products unavailable locally, and discovering trending and new products.

How can you adapt to the cross-border trend? 

Cross-border eCommerce has benefited from marketplace efforts to establish an international infrastructure, including efficient online payments, logistics, and warehousing. Online marketplaces focus on building platforms that fit local customer needs. By providing qualitative services, online marketplaces increase trust and act as an important driver for cross-border purchases. 

6. E-commerce will become more personal and in-store shopping will become a social experience

We talked about omni-channelling for 2023, but how to get it right if you want to thrive in the online and offline space at the same time? Let us begin with a spoiler alert: mimicking one another won’t be sufficient. 

The reasoning behind this is that customers have identified the pros and cons of each shopping mode and want to get the best of each of them intentionally. The pandemic left shoppers with both feelings of wanting to leave their homes, but at the same time, it changed the behaviours of customers. 

Ultimately, e-commerce will become more personal, efficient and time-saving, and in-store shopping will become a social experience where personalisation doesn’t play a key role. The former will be used as a research tool and the latter as a means of interacting with others.

The one thing that’s certain is that e-commerce will continue to grow in popularity. With more people having access to the internet, it’s becoming easier than ever before to purchase things online. However, we must not forget that online and in-store shopping has come to serve different purposes, and this is an ongoing trend.

7. Personalised experiences can be used to improve customer loyalty and retention 

The market has reached a stage where differentiation by price, product selection or quality is very difficult to achieve due to the strong competition. Therefore, to increase customer engagement and purchase frequency, merchants are developing strategies to build strong and loyal customer relations. 

Great examples of this are Amazon Prime and Netflix. Through AI, both manage to create personalised interfaces targeting what their customers are likely to prefer. These platforms have managed to create a dialogue with the customer beyond sending out newsletters, which helps to bring loyalty. Actions such as being addressed by your name, and predictions on items that are based on your behaviour, can create an impact. Also, giving exclusive benefits, such as expedited and free shipping, are all effective ways to generate a sense of belonging in the digital landscape.

We’ve already mentioned that one of the expectations and benefits of the eCommerce space is its personalisation possibilities. One of the main differences to brick-and-mortar retail stores is the possibility to provide customers with style advice and inspirational content, as well as a wide range of different products and their versions.

In the hyper-personalization field, Frizbit has great capabilities as seen in the example above, thanks to our AI software development through our web push notifications we are able to create relevant alerts to users addressing them by their first name and target each phase of the funnel. In the example, we have placed a cart abandonment notification, which also manages to remind the user about a specific product. 

Bringing personalised experiences to your eCommerce will influence the purchase decisions that users might take. 

8. Subscriptions are a great way to keep customers coming back

The idea of subscriptions is not a new one, but the way in which we consume and purchase products has changed dramatically in the last few years. By using subscription services, companies can plan for inventory and sales that are already locked in.

Subscriptions were once reserved for services like magazine delivery. Still, now we see them pop up everywhere: streaming services like Spotify and Netflix are subscription-based, as are fitness apps like ClassPass, and meal kits like Blue Apron. 

While these are all different types of subscriptions with varying price points and benefits, they have one thing in common: they convince users that they need or want something regularly enough that it’s worth paying for on an ongoing basis (or at least until you cancel). This makes subscriptions an excellent way to boost sales for companies.

9. Your Customer Service will be the key differentiator factor

With such a saturated market in the eCommerce space, to stand out from worldwide standards, offering a personalised and genuine customer service experience is crucial. Not only will it keep customers happy, but it is a great way to build loyalty and drive sales through positive word of mouth.

With such growing customer service expectations, how can your eCommerce business keep up? According to a study presented by PWC,  73% of consumers prioritise customer experience (CX) when making a purchase decision.

Here are some actions you can take to improve the customer service experience in your eCommerce:

• Adopt a mobile-first approach: Through a website widget or even an app, being present for customers from their mobile devices can allow them to find solutions on the go.
• Personalise your customer service: AI tools could help you address customer service through a personalised approach. Examples of this are addressing consumers by their first name, acknowledging their past purchases, and sending alerts tailored to their preferences.
• Offer omnichannel support: This is a must-have for 2023. Omnichannel support opens up the possibility of reaching wider audiences. A Forrest research points out that around 4 out 5 customers perceive the world as “fully digital” in 2022. Ultimately, this means that customers are expecting your eCommerce to be where they are or where they found you. Some of the most common touch-points are phone calls, social media messages and live chat options embedded in websites.

10. Sustainability will become more important

The rise of the new shopping trend, “recommerce” will bloom in 2023. This trend refers to a shopping model that includes buying and selling pre-owned goods. Sustainability has been playing a key role in consumer preferences and this gives brands the option to tap into this developing market, offering the chance to stand out with their ethical and environmental values and beliefs.

If you are still on the fence about whether this could be a good trend for your eCommerce, a study conducted by ThredUp indicates that C2C and B2B recommerce are expected to grow up to $64 billion dollars by 2024. These numbers indicate the huge potential of the market itself.

Who could be a great match for this trend? 

Such purchases are most often made by the youngest consumers in the age group of 16-24 (81%) and 25-34 (80%) years old, according to a report released by Cuchman & Wakefield. Young people are the fuel that drives recommerce platforms and resale programs. This younger generation is aware of and considers the need to buy sustainable products produced from recyclable materials.

Some big industry leaders tapping into the recommerce trend are Back Market, which offers refurbished technology products by different levels or Vestiaire Collective, which offers a platform for buying and selling designer second-hand fashion goods.

11. Faster and more efficient shipping is a must for eCommerce businesses

As a result of increased competition, consumers are becoming more demanding when it comes to the delivery time of goods, as we are getting used to express delivery services such as Getir or Gorillas. Before placing an order, customers are expecting to know with certainty when the package is arriving. In other words, customers are demanding transparency and reliability in regard to their shipping dates.

According to Shopify, 22% of users abandoned their carts because “there was no confirmed delivery date”, while 32% did so because “the projected shipping time was too long”.  A brand that can’t keep up with its deadlines or provides accurate information, is a brand that risks reputation and might lose customers and sales. 

One of the strategies you can take on to improve your shipping experience is to revisit your supply chain strategy, from how goods are being produced to how goods are being shipped. 

Some actions you can take are:

• Increasing the manufacturing capacity of goods
• Increasing the speed of the supply chain in general
• Improving the collaboration with supply chain partners 
• Decreasing associated supply chain costs

As Leon Hughes, associate partner of Piper Private Equity, states:

“We’ve seen brands opening up distribution centres in alternative countries to help with last-mile delivery and to reduce the travel between manufacturer and doorstep.”

12. User-generated content & reviews will become more important in decision-making

With the current economic situation and over-saturated market, genuine reviews and UGC (user-generated content) will be the key factors for boosting sales. In fact, according to StoryStream, 91% of consumers are more likely to remain loyal to brands they perceive authentic in their marketing.

We’ve already seen above the importance of how reviews are a relevant asset that can move the needle to make customers purchase more. In what regards specifically UGC, 62% of users reported feeling impacted by this type of content, compared to 38% for brand-created assets.

As, Alex Vidya, CEO of StoryStream stated:

“User-generated Content offers key social proof at crucial points of a consumer’s decision-making process – and is something online buyers proactively seek out to inform their purchase decisions.”

Having said this, including these assets in your content strategy and website isn’t an option anymore, but rather a must if you want to appeal to and retain customers.

13. New generations of consumers enter the marketplace

If millennials entering the market already made the world tremble, the newest Gen Z is no different. This generation is shaping the future of eCommerce and online shopping.

This completely changes how eCommerce and marketing strategies should be designed in order to thrive with this arising pool of potential customers. One of the biggest shifts is that they’re looking beyond tangible products and actually trying to understand what it is that makes the company tick. They are looking for aligned values that connect with them and the company they want to support. 

For this generation, luxury has been redefined as they are no longer looking to slap big fancy brands onto their bags or shirts. Luxury is redefined as unique goods to stand out from the crowd. This is definitely different from what millennials have shaped over the years. While millennials seek that kind of showcaser status, Gen Z’s seek items that demonstrate their uniqueness and differentiation

Regarding their shopping patterns, they do enhance omnichannel shopping as they are no longer thinking of separate shopping formats, but rather they shop across all types of formats: pop-up stores, social media shopping, live shopping, traditional eCommerce shopping. 

In other words, in every moment, they interact with the brands they are keen on, therefore being present on different channels and adjusting your content marketing strategy to communicate your values and authenticity is a must to appeal to this younger generation.

14. AI will be more important

In this increasingly fast-paced digital environment, eCommerce businesses strive to improve customization, personalization, and operational efficiency. Using AI is the easiest way to achieve this. 

A report by Mckinsey & Company found that implementing AI can boost eCommerce revenue by 20%. The same report highlights that 27% of respondents saw at least 5% of earnings before interest and taxes to AI. This states that, clearly, the eCommerce sector is the leading adopter of this technology in 2023.

Let’s take a look at Amazon as an example. The company has reported that its AI-powered recommendation system drives 35% of its annual sales.

So what are some changes you can implement in your eCommerce partnering with AI to boost your sales?

• Enhance personalisation with hyper-personalisation in your messages and alerts.
• Introduce the usage of ChatBots to cut down the query resolution time of customers
• Incorporate a recommendation system in your checkout or product page
• Enable voice-shopping
• Intelligent visual research

15. Privacy Settings & Cookies

As you might have heard, third-party cookies have been a hot topic during the last few years as Google has announced stepping away from them in Google Chrome and introducing GA4. What does it mean for your eCommerce? 

A report by Statcounter revealed that 65% of the worldwide population navigates using Google Chrome, so this is definitely an important matter for your company. 

Businesses would have difficulty tracking the online behaviour of potential customers if third-party cookies were removed, which could affect remarketing and retargeting techniques.

We have listed some cookieless strategies for your business could tap into to avoid being affected by this:

• First-party cookies:  They are set by a website a user is currently browsing. Due to their local storage and non-sharing, they enable personalization of the content on that website and adhere to data privacy regulations.
• Google Privacy Sandbox. It protects people’s online privacy while giving businesses the tools they need to market effectively
• Google’s Publisher Provided Identifiers: By using the functionality, publishers can create unique target segments, deploy campaigns using programmatic guaranteed deals or conventional reservations, and increase their advertising revenue.

Conclusions:

As many of you know, the eCommerce landscape is changing faster than ever before. With so many trends taking shape and new ideas emerging, it can be hard to keep up with what’s happening in the industry.  If we had to summarise what 2023 will bring to the eCommerce industry, it would be to become a genuine omnichannel store for customers. 

The future of the retail industry is bright and exciting. With the help of new technologies, retailers are able to go beyond their brick-and-mortar stores and into the digital sphere. For your eCommerce business to succeed and increase sales, you must adapt to one or more of the above trends.

10 Holiday marketing campaign examples & ideas for Ecommerce [2022/23]

Black Friday & Cyber Monday had just passed, and although it might seem that the peak season for sales had just passed, don’t let your guard down as the holiday season continues through Christmas and New Year’s Eve. 

If you are looking to make the most out of seasonal sales and want to give your customers a memorable shopping experience, then this blog is for you. We’ve compiled 10 of the best holiday marketing campaign ideas from some brands that are delighting their customers through their campaigns.

What to expect this holiday season?

Source: Deposit Photos

Before we go any further with the examples, let’s break down what this holiday season might look like for marketers. 

According to the 2022 Consumer Insights report from Google, customers are being more intentional about how they are spending their money. 80% of the customers had researched before making a purchase, while only about 20% had made the purchase on impulse. This might reflect in your campaigns by highlighting the emotional and physical benefits of your offer and showing reviews and comparisons to boost confidence.

The report has also shown that balancing pricing and quality has become a decisive factor when purchasing during the holiday season. In fact, 80% of them also stated that it is important that the products purchased are of the best quality too or that guarantees such as displaying high ratings or offering free delivery and returns also played a key role. 

Now, let’s get to some examples of great holiday campaigns rolling out in 2022

10 Examples of great Holiday Marketing Campaigns

1. Apple: Share the joy
2. Coca-Cola: Christmas always finds its way 
3. Amazon: Joy is made
4. Puma: Email Marketing Example
5. Disney: The Gift
6. Macy’s Holiday 2022 – Speechless
7. Erste Group Bank  #BelieveInChristmas
8. Aldi Christmas Advert: #KevinTheCarrot
9. Lidl Christmas: ‘The Story of Lidl Bear’
10.  Spotify: Your year Wrapped

1. Apple: Share the joy

 

Every year, Apple’s holiday ads are well-awaited, and this year was no different. For 2022 they decided to focus entirely on AirPods Pro using the slogan “Share the joy”, after the roll-out of the Audio Sharing feature.

Historically, the company has been known for releasing ads that lean more towards the emotional side, however this year they’ve decided to stand out. The ad is upbeat, fast-paced, more dynamic and even less cold than the typical ads.

Why it works: Definitely, this ad goes against traditional and emotional marketing selling, and although it doesn’t bring up tears to our eyes, it surely makes a difference from its competitors.

2. Coca-Cola: Christmas always finds its way 

Coca-Cola is well-known for its emotional holiday ads. During the ad for 2022, they decided to capture one of the most nostalgic yet beautiful feelings of missing a mother during the holiday season.

Why it works: Coca-Cola is keeping loyal to its marketing direction, which sets them as an industry leader in holiday ads. The ad also managed to convey such a range of emotions in just 30 seconds, and finally, the way nostalgia is brought up is done through careful actions that make it heart-warming. 

3. Amazon: Joy is made

‘Joy is made’ is the newest holiday ad from Amazon. It recounts the story of a father’s love for his child and his desire to create a memorable experience for his daughter. He recognises the special attachment his daughter has developed to a snowball, and he then decides to recreate a life-size version of it in the backyard.

Why it works: Undoubtedly, the emotional factor plays a crucial role in this ad. Contrary to Coca-Cola, in this ad, Amazon showcases their platform directly as one of the means to create joy. It links their services with positive emotions.

4. Puma: Email Marketing Example

Just like any other email marketing mail campaign, this one is well-branded for the holidays. It is an incredible campaign as it has everything embedded in one layout showing the discounts available and offering gift cards, gift guides and even a holiday FAQ.

Why it works: Besides the great design and clear offering, it truly understands one of the biggest pains, and it is not having enough time for holiday shopping. The email was designed with a clear audience in mind, one that isn’t hunting deals but simply was too busy during December.

5. Disney: The Gift

#FromOurFamilyToYours is the slogan Disney chose for its Ads series of The Gift. As every year, Disney remains loyal to its style and main audience. This company is the king of emotional marketing, highlighting the joy and magic of being surrounded by family during this season. 

Why it works: It has been using storytelling since 2020 and engaging the audience in a series that is expected year after year. Another relevant point is the powerful vocal support, which yet again, brings the classic Disney flare. On top of that, this ad doesn’t remain digital and emotional, but also follows a social cause. Disney is encouraging fans all over the world to join and donate to ‘Make-A-Wish’ with the promise to match all donations up to $100,000.

6. Macy’s Holiday 2022 – Speechless

The ad relates the classical story and scene for Christmas: a family gathered exchanging gifts next to Christmas gift. The story of just under 30 seconds starts with the husband giving the last gift to his wife. To her surprise, it was a diamond necklace, which left her speechless.

Why it works: The cast is inclusive, giving visibility and representation to minorities, and the company wants to present itself as the best option for choosing gifts. At a time when the economic recession is impacting consumption and discretionary spending, the ad is straightforward and precise.

7. Erste Group Bank  #BelieveInChristmas

This year’s animated advert continues the success of Erste’s previous ads, such as “Henry Hedgehog”. In this spot, the message is clear: togetherness ensures that no one and nothing can steal our joy this Christmas! When it comes to creating such holiday offerings, Erste Group, based in Vienna, has become one of the world’s most successful brands with 225 million views.

Why it works: It is appropriate and takes into mind the current global situation, conveying sympathy and emotion in the same ad. As a society, we are facing a lot of challenges in the present day, and the advert this year addresses how we are all dealing with these challenges.

8. Aldi Christmas Advert: #KevinTheCarrot

For the seventh consecutive year, Aldi has unveiled its Christmas advert featuring Kevin the Carrot from the hit 1990 film, Home Alone. 

As the company states:  it wouldn’t be the festive season without Kevin the Carrot on our TV screens, and this year’s Yuletide performance is sure to get the nation shouting ‘KEVIN!’

Why it works: It brings consistency year after year. People are expecting to see the main character and await an entire year for him. In addition, it doesn’t have a realistic approach but plays with a fantasy element, creating a truly warm and festive sensation. 

9. Lidl Christmas: ‘The Story of Lidl Bear’

The ad tells the story of a Lidl Bear that, without looking for it, became famous through a Lidl jumper and lost its way home with his owner, an adorable little girl. The expressionless Lidl bear has caught the attention of the viewers as it completely breaks the stereotype seen before in other ads.

In the last clip, we see Lidl Bear realise that his fame makes him miss his family. He leaves everything behind, takes his parachute, and surprises his loved ones by making it back for Christmas Day lunch.

Why it works: During the ad, there are also lots of Lidl’s favourite dishes to be seen in the clip. Among other things, the family eats British turkey, Christmas pudding, sausages in a blanket, parsnips, potatoes, cheese, and champagne. This ad remains culturally relevant while evoking emotions through a new way of displaying characters.

10. Spotify: Your year Wrapped

In regard to the new year’s celebration, Spotify never goes unnoticed with its yearly wrapped personalised playlists. One of the most popular end-of-year items this year (and in many recent years) is Spotify Wrapped, where the music service compiles an overview of everything you have listened to this year in various statistical formats, wrapped (yes, that’s what it’s called, is not it?) in colourful, fun graphics. You can see which music categories you followed, get a playlist of your top 100 songs, see where you stand compared to others, and find out what your listening personality is.

Why it works: Year by year it is expected and has huge success in all the social media channels. The reason is simple, it engages users through personalisation reminiscing great memories throughout the year, as a way to celebrate the end of the year. A bespoke summary email evoking good memories is definitely a great strategy to engage with users during the holiday season.

Frizbit recommendations for crafting successful holiday campaigns

Source: Plann / Pexels

Creating goals and objectives for your holiday marketing campaign is essential in order to ensure success. Goals provide direction and motivation, while objectives give you measurable results that can be used to assess the success of your efforts. The real question is how to increase sales in the holiday season without losing the spark.

Next, creating a promotional calendar is an essential step to ensure your business’s success during the holiday season. A promotional calendar outlines all the marketing activities you plan to undertake during specific holidays and helps you stay organized and on track with your goals.

During this stage also make sure to define and select which channels are you going to use. Analyse your audience and which channels typically perform best for your business industry.

Email marketing tends to be the number one chosen channel during this season, and crafting engaging holiday email marketing campaigns can be a challenge too. However, if you are looking to stand out from the crowd, considering alternative channels to (re)target your audience can make a difference in your sales. 

For this, we are talking about incorporating web push notifications in your marketing strategy during the holiday season. We have created a dedicated guide on web push notifications, and we have also created a quick reference guide featuring 7 Christmas campaigns and tips using this channel.

Conclusion:

When it comes to creating a successful holiday marketing campaign, make sure that it accurately reflects your business’s brand and message. For this, defining a clear holiday marketing strategy is essential. If you wish to look further into it, we have a dedicated blog post on Christmas marketing ideas and strategies to build a solid marketing strategy.

Overall, be creative with your content and focus on what sets your business apart from others in the industry. Appealing to emotions, memories, and nostalgia certainly plays a crucial role in most of the best campaigns. Don’t forget to track the success of each promotion so that you can adjust as needed throughout the season if something isn’t working as expected.

The marketing insight and news from November are here! As we head into the last month of the year, there has been a clear trend for a new channel for eCommerce powered by interaction and emotion. Any clue of what we might be talking about? 

During this month, the topic of social media as a new eCommerce channel was definitely relevant. Both giants TikTok and YouTube shorts are taking the leap in this field. Could it be too much of a coincidence that channels with similar content types are trying to incorporate a direct sales experience into their customer journeys?

Keep on reading to find out more about this new trend and, of course, about the other search marketing, tech marketing, social media news and updates from Frizbit.

Digital Marketing News and Updates from November 2022

CONTENT

Search Marketing Updates

• Google releases the ultimate guide to understanding current and retired ranking systems

• Google finally rolls out their new Local search features

• Drive traffic to your eCommerce with the new Google Shopping tab

Tech Marketing Updates

• The new era for ClickUp and Hubspot: the strategic partnership

• Get ready for Notion AI and all its possibilities

Social Media Updates

• TikTok Shop begins rolling out in the United States

• YouTube Shorts has rolled out product features in videos (also just in time for the holidays) 

• Tumblr is back. How can you use it for your marketing strategy?

Updates from Frizbit

• Frizbit exhibited at WebSummit

• Hello, Helsinki: Frizbit was present at Slush

• Client Spotlight!: We welcome Zelucash on board!

Search Marketing Updates

• Google releases the ultimate guide to understanding current and retired ranking systems

Source: Adobe Stock

Good news from Google, just in time before the end of the year! Get ready to readjust your SEO strategy as the company has rolled out the ultimate guide to understanding the current ranking system and discarding old practices.

In the new ranking guide, Google explains which ranking systems it uses to rank search results as well as introduces new terminology, such as highlighting the difference between “ranking systems” and “ranking updates”. In this case, the word “system” stands for a constant concept that is always functioning. And on the other hand, “updates” stands for a one-time specific change to the ranking systems.

With that being said, we will go first through some of the current ranking systems in alphabetical order.

• BERT: Short for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. It allows Google to understand different combinations of words to create different meanings and intent.
• Exact domain system: It ensures that Google doesn’t give higher punctuation to websites with domain names that exactly match a query.
• Helpful content system: A system developed to rank better content created to add value rather than content created to gain or increase traffic.
• Neural matching: A system that aims to ensure Google understands representations of concepts of queries and pages to match them accordingly.
• Reliable information systems: It ensures that reliable information is shown by elevating authoritative pages, demoting low-quality content, and rewarding quality journalism.

Now let’s move to the retired Google Ranking systems.

• Hummingbird: Rolled out in 2013, it represented a significant improvement in Google’s rankings system.
• Mobile-friendly ranking system: It preferred the content rendered specifically for mobile experiences. It has since been incorporated into Google’s page experience system.
• Panda system: Introduced in 2011, this system preferred high-quality content and original content. It is now part of Google’s core ranking system in 2015.
• Secure sites system: Introduced in 2014, this system preferred websites secured with HTTPS. It is now part of the page experience system.

With this update, Google isn’t implying those older ranking systems, such as page speed, rewarding original content, or secure navigation, are obsolete. On the contrary, Google has transformed most of the retired rankings to be part of their essential needs to be met through their core ranking system or Google’s page experience. This ultimately means that meeting these requirements is no longer optional, but a must when creating content to improve the search experience of the users.

• Google finally rolls out their new Local search features

Source: Google Blog

The time has come, and Google is finally rolling out the local search features that were briefly introduced earlier this year. We believe the timing couldn’t be better as well, as it can increase the positive impact for local businesses during the holiday season.

As a local business in the hospitality industry, this update brings to life the feature of searching a restaurant by dish, as well as incorporating new search capabilities built into Google Maps Live view. This means having a possible increase in both visibility and reach results. 

If you own a local store, keep on reading to find out the new functionalities available to elevate your search possibilities.

1. Live view search: For the moment, it is only available for London, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Tokyo on Android and iOS. This feature allows you to find information around you through the lens of your camera. Information includes if a business is open, how busy it is, star rating and even price range.
2. Search restaurants by dish: In the case of restaurants, this update brings up two ways of being found. Restaurants can be found by either the user manually typing their desired dish or conducting a visual search through Google Lens.
3. Accessibility search: Available worldwide, now users can search in Google Maps for wheelchair-accessible, stair-free places.

• Drive traffic to your eCommerce with the new Google Shopping tab

Source: Google Blog

With the goal in mind of supporting merchants to achieve growth, Google Search Console is introducing the new Shopping tab listings. This new feature aims to help online store owners to showcase their products with ease on the shopping tab on Google.

Through merchant listing reports and product structured data, among other features, Search Console is making it easier for merchants to display their products across Google. The company is then helping merchants drive more traffic to their online stores and connect with customers who already have a need/search in mind.

With this update, merchants can easily create a Merchant Center account and ease the process of having to re-verify the website ownership or submitting a product feed. All that is required from you as a business owner is to keep the product structured data up-to-date. The company hopes that speeding up processes will get products quickly on the Shopping tab on Google.

The roll-out will be deployed gradually and only to eligible businesses.

Marketing Tech

•  The new era for ClickUp and Hubspot: the strategic partnership

Source: Adobe Stock

One of the most remarkable CRM platforms: Hubspot, meets productivity with ClickUp. This partnership aims to help customers create more efficient processes and workflows while collaborating across multiple team members.

Yamini Rangan, CEO at HubSpot, mentioned: 

 “Building deeper relationships with customers starts with having a team that’s aligned and working together towards creating a better customer experience. That’s why I’m so thrilled about our partnership with ClickUp, the power of HubSpot + ClickUp enables growing companies to create strong connections at every point in the buyer journey.”

How will ClickUp contribute to Hubspot?

The productivity app enables teams to achieve their deadlines and goals by creating a seamless and collaborative experience that ultimately reflects delightful experiences for its customers. It will be achieved through:

• Two-way-sync between ClickUp and HubSpot. This creates more efficiency in teams as it saves time on some manual tasks, therefore accelerating the customer success workflow.
• Seamless Automations: By collaborating, if a project needs to be handed off, now it can be done automatically while ensuring the best experience for the users.  Also, stakeholders will get to know the status of the project at all times.
• Special deals for Users: If you are a client of either of the platforms, you can enjoy a 20% discount on the previously unused software during implementation.

We believe that by joining forces, the results will be a game-changer for creating powerful results in the experiences for both the front-end and back-end parts when managing and delivering different projects. 

• Get ready for Notion AI and all its possibilities

Source: Notion AI

 

Recently, Notion has been the number one tool for productivity, planning, and organization. From simple planning to complex tracking, Notion has become the platform to do-it-all in one place. 

In its most recent update, the company has announced that now the tool is putting all its efforts into developing what seems to be the most dynamic and powerful writing artificial intelligence assistant.

They state that its development is able to generate any type of content. What can you achieve?

• Blog post: Write the page title, and Notion AI will do the rest
• Press release: Become an expert in PR.
• Poem: Inspired by the Japanese haiku, Notion AI promises to write poems about all topics
• Meeting Agenda: Provide a topic, and Notion AI will outline the agenda
• Job Description: You only need to add the basic requirements
• Pros and Cons list: Consider and evaluate different scenarios 
• Social media posts: The tool provides specific copy for different channels while providing multiple options.
• Sales emails: It can help you to be persuasive and increase your revenue
• Outline: Create structures while staying in your creative flow. 

Besides generating any type of content, the tool has also announced its great capabilities to work as an editor by translating in real-time, summarizing and fixing grammar and spelling.

As Ivan Zhao mentions: 

“For many users in this space, it solves the cold start problem. And even more than that, it saves time.” Notion AI won’t write you a publishable blog post, but it can help you skip the crappy first draft phase and go straight into improving and polishing.”

Zhao also envisions Notion, further than a mere writing assistance tool. As he describes it, the platform already has the potential to be able to answer questions and act as a knowledge database. Could it be the next Google, powered with AI and productivity tools?

The alpha private version started rolling out in mid-November and will gradually release to more users on a waitlist basis.

 Social Media Marketing

• TikTok Shop begins rolling out in the United States

Source: Adobe Stock

TikTok keeps being controversial, as now the social media platform has decided to broaden its lists of competitors and enter the eCommerce and ads space, competing directly with one of the biggest retailers: Amazon.

Having said this, TikTok is rolling out its shop feature in the United States. For the time being, the feature is only available to a limited number of merchants that have been invited to test the social commerce solution.

TikTok is slowly building fulfilment centres in the US, which might indicate that the platform is serious about making it big in the social commerce space. With this, TikTok has also established the benefits that brands are entitled to by selling on the platform:

• A built-in payment system that creates a streamlined customer experience to buy products
• A rich user base that connects merchants with potential customers in a more trusted space
• An algorithm designed to match brands and content with users who find it relevant, which means that products will be visible to people who are most likely to buy.

This new approach isn’t surprising, as TikTok knows the potential it has, the growth it has achieved through the years, and the capabilities of its algorithm that connect people with their interests. This makes it the perfect space for promoting online shopping dynamics.

 

•  YouTube Shorts has rolled out product shopping features in videos

Source: Deposit Photos

Following up with the new social media eCommerce selling trend, Shorts from YouTube is adding shopping functionalities to this format. The shopping features allow users to purchase products while scrolling through the app.

Is it available to everyone yet? Unfortunately, it isn’t. For the time being, it is being rolled out only to eligible creators in the United States, who are able to tag products of their own shops. 

Who can shop, then? Viewers in the United States, India, Brazil, Canada, and Australia. YouTube has stated that it plans to continue expanding its shopping features to more creators and countries in the future.

The eCommerce social news doesn’t stop here. YouTube is also experimenting with an affiliate program, in which creators can earn a commission for products they recommend through their content, both regular and Shorts formats. 

As the company stated:

“We firmly believe YouTube is the best place for creators to build a business, and shopping is a piece of that” 

 

• Tumblr is back. How can you use it for your marketing strategy?

Source: Deposit Photos

 

Tumblr is back, and although its interface hasn’t changed in more than 10 years, they have understood what it is that its audience wants to get from them, and they are not holding back.

In times when we are overwhelmed by how the algorithm is trying to work on other platforms, Tumblr still works with a reverse chronological feed, you see only what you’ve followed, there’s no pressure and feels absolutely free.

Tumblr invites users to post freely, diversely, and as creatively as they’d like to. Currently, there are 135 million monthly users who are enjoying the freedom and feeling relief from traditional social media channels.

With this rapid resurge, how can marketers take advantage of Tumblr?

Although the social media platform might not be suitable for every brand, here are our takeaways for you to audit if your brand is a good match.

1. Tumblr is defined by its culture, not its content type.
2. Understand its chaotic nature and use it to your benefit
3. Be open to a less structured way of selling 
4. Organic marketing is everything, making your user really see more of your posts
5. Be authentic and content relevant

We are sure Tumblr isn’t for every business, but if your industry fits into this platform, we encourage you to take the leap. Connecting with customers has been one of the biggest pillars of eCommerce this year. It’s a natural and organic way of functioning, making it perfect for brands to show authenticity.

Updates from Frizbit

• Frizbit exhibited at WebSummit

  

From November 1st to November 4th, Frizbit attended one of the most claimed events, WebSummit, in which +2000 companies redefining the global tech industry gathered in just one place.

Representing Frizbit, our co-founder & CEO, Ata and our business developer for Spain, Oscar, let the participants at the Summit learn more about Frizbit and how we can help bring your customers back through cookieless remarketing strategies.

From the Frizbit team, we are deeply thankful to Eureka for the opportunity of participating in the startup Alpha track this year under the category Advertisement, content & marketing.

•  Hello, Helsinki: Frizbit was present at Slush

November was a pretty dynamic month, and Frizbit travelled all the way to Helsinki for this.

In this case, our CEO & Co-founder, Ata Gur was at Slush 2022, representing our AI-based SaaS startup Frizbit and our solution helping the e-commerce industry to bring customers back, revolutionising retargeting without ads or third-party cookies.

The event was a great opportunity for connecting startups with relevant potential stakeholders or even just other startups, their unique solutions and proposal. Thanks to ACCIO for the opportunity to join their delegation as a part of the selected Catalan startups.

It was a great opportunity to connect, inspire, and be inspired!

 

•  Client Spotlight!: We welcome Zelucash on board!

We are thrilled to announce that the Argentinian number one reconditioned devices retailer, Zelucash has decided to join the Frizbit family.

Zelucash knew the potential they had with the service and products they were offering, but was also aware of the need for them to expand their reach and be present in a multichannel customer journey. It was then that the solutions Frizbit introduced were the perfect match for them, and after the one-month free trial, they took the leap and incorporated web push notifications into their strategy.  

During this first month, they have generated a database with more than 20000 push notification subscribers. Our platform multiplied their reach as we are capable of targeting both registered and non-registered users.

Happy to have you on board!

If you wish to experience what retargeting without ads can do for your business, get in touch with us for a personalised demo.

The marketing updates from October are here, and as we approach the end of the year, the industry keeps rapidly changing. 

This month, in particular, we want to highlight the updates from Search Marketing as some interesting shifts are taking place. Let us start with the search bar itself, it’s getting an upgrade and becoming more powerful than ever. And we are only talking about surface level here; wait until you read all about the technical changes that are happening now.

If you’re here, you’re open to learning and adapting, so let’s get into it!

Digital Marketing News and Updates from October 2022

CONTENT

Search Marketing Updates

• Google is replacing title tags with site names for homepage results

• The search bar is more powerful than never before

• Google has revealed the ultimate AI SEO Guide

Tech Marketing Updates

• Google to delay Universal Analytics 360 sunset to 2024

• Amazon Ads to roll out video and streaming features for ads

Social Media Updates

• IG will start allowing you to add “topics” to your Reels

• Pinterest is adding the ability to live-stream shop soon

• Big brands have started coming to BeReal, but BeReal doesn’t have a monetization plan in place

Updates from Frizbit

• It’s a wrap: Google Analytics 4 Workshop!

• Product update: WhatsApp abandoned messages now can feature photos

• Client Spotlight!: We welcome Interior’s on board!

 

Search Marketing Updates

• Google is replacing title tags with site names for homepage results

In the last months, we have seen how Google keeps putting all its efforts into improving online navigation, making it either more human or simplified.

This time, having in mind the simplification of the navigation of users, especially for mobile search, Google has removed title tags from the SERP results page. The results are a few words or one-word site name title, simple and easy to skim through. 

We have performed an example searching for “Frizbit” that illustrates the difference between mobile (site name) and desktop search (branded title tag) for you to make the comparison easily.

Now, if we go further about this, it is clear that this completely changes the scope of mobile search. In most cases, if your site name doesn’t state clearly what it is that you do, it might have a negative impact on your search statistics. 

But why is Google applying these changes?

The reasoning behind this choice is that by removing any branded words and therefore leaving only the site name, users will identify easier the website they are searching for. Once again, Google opts for simplicity.

As explained by the company:

“Today, Search is introducing site names on mobile search results to make it easier to identify the website that’s associated with each result…”

For the time being, this update is only rolling out for English, French, Japanese, and German. More languages are expected to be covered in the upcoming months.

What do we recommend?

1. Optimise the meta description with your value proposition
2. Use keywords at the beginning of the description
3. Learn more about the official documentation here

• The search bar is more powerful than never before

  

Source Adobe Stock

Google Chrome has developed some new interesting features for its search bar, including price tracking and search in the side panel. This means a great advantage for both searching, and online shopping as users continue to develop more and more online behaviours. 

Shopping:

 

This feature is a game changer for users who tend to shop online and, of course, for eCommerce stores, too. This update aims to help users save money and time when shopping through the search bar. 

What does it do?

• When users are online shopping, the search bar will now be able to track the price across different online stores at once.
• Email users when the price drops in any of the visited sites

How does it work?

1. When in an online store and after finding the desired product, users will have the option to click on “Track price” at the address bar.
2. Users need to click on “Track price” to start tracking the item
3. When the prices drop, the users will receive an email to the Google Account they are signed in to.
4. To stop tracking a product, users need to deactivate the option manually in the address bar.

Side Panel Search

When you click on one of the results in the SERPs, you will now see this feature in the search bar. Basically, this will display a sidebar in the same navigation window, so users can check the other results of the search while navigating on the website where the user originally clicked.

In summary, this new feature aims to help users compare results in a much faster way through the new side panel, avoiding the use of the back button.

The real question here is, how are these searches going to be measured?

• Google has revealed the ultimate AI SEO Guide.

With all the constant changes within the SEO landscape, many doubts constantly arise. However, we finally have some answers related to the use of AI for content creation purposes.

In October, Google has finally decided to be more specific about the behaviours to be avoided when using AI, and shed the light with its ultimate guide. 

Here you can find the most relevant points from their update and what’s there to avoid:

1. Writing content that has no meaning when put together, but yet is full of keywords.
2. Translated content without any revision before publishing
3. Content generated through automated processes without having in mind the user experience or quality
4. Generated content from source skimming or SERP results
5. Use and combine content from other sources without adding enough added value

What do we recommend when using AI?

• Revise the written content and try to amplify its extension further. In most cases, content written implementing AI is surface-level and brief. Adding more content will add value to the users who are reading.
• When applicable, add an element of personalisation or personal storytelling. People love to hear stories and read about personal experiences.
• Make your content fresh. Normally, IA uses old data to create new content; however, when looked at properly, the content might seem old-fashioned. Therefore, add new statistics and data to make it relevant.

So should you use or not IA when writing content for your brand?

The short answer is, of course, you should use it if it helps you save time and resources. Technology is out there to be used, and Google knows it. In fact, they aren’t banning its use. However, it shouldn’t be an excuse to provide poor user experiences, which is what the company wants to avoid at all costs.

Marketing Tech

•  Google to delay Universal Analytics 360 sunset to 2024

The migration to Google Analytics 4 continues to be a controversial topic, as the company has set up deadlines for when Universal Analytics will cease to operate. However, what happens to those who have acquired its premium version of Universal Analytics 360?

Although undergoing migration is a must for any enterprise that wants to thrive in the digital marketing landscape, many are still resisting to take the shift. Having those in mind who are already paid users, Google has decided to push the cease of operation for UA 360 from October 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024. In this way, the company aims to give enterprise marketers more time to switch to GA4 and transition smoothly. 

We believe that as the new tool is operating but still under development and some bugs need to be fixed, Google Analytics 4 is taking advantage of this extra time to offer a better product suite built for enterprises. 

If you’d like to learn more about what GA4 is, what are the key differences between UA and GA4, key metrics and how to migrate with ease, you can find all the necessary information at the Frizbit blog here.

As Google announced:

“We’re focusing our efforts and investments on Google Analytics 4 to deliver a solution built to adapt to a changing ecosystem. Because of this, throughout 2023 we’ll be shifting support away from Universal Analytics 360 and will move our full focus to Google Analytics 4 in 2024.”

• Amazon Ads to roll out video and streaming features for ads
  

The power of video and live-streaming has arrived to Amazon Ads, and is available from brands of all sizes. As announced by the company during the unBox 2022:

“Our video ad solutions work together and make it simpler for brands to reach relevant audiences at scale, so they can deliver their creative work alongside popular content, engage viewers with delightful experiences and measure and optimise their impact,” said Tanner Elton, VP of US sales for Amazon Ads. “We want to bring the power of video advertising to more brands, no matter their size or level of resources.”

With small brands in mind, this new solution empowers merchants to finally be able to enhance their level of trust by creating easy-to-make campaigns using creative video formats.

If you are a merchant, what type of content can you create using Amazon video ads?

• Live demos
• Testimonials
• Tutorials
• Unboxing
• Product showcase
• Live Q&A

If you are worried about tracking the performance of these new campaigns, this roll-out is easily measurable through the standard Sponsored Display metrics.

Alongside this new launch, Amazon is testing its public beta software Video Builder, in which brands can create with ease videos for their Sponsored Display campaigns from the available templates. The software also includes ready-to-use products and lifestyle photography. 

We are well-aware of the high importance that video formats have been acquiring recently, so we are sure this update will help more brands using the platform to share their stories and products with their customers.

 Social Media Marketing

• IG will start allowing you to add “topics” to your Reels

During the last months, the video format of Instagram Reels has been the main-featured format by the company. As its popularity grows steadily and more users are eager to implement reels into their content strategy, some accounts have experienced a decrease in the expected reach results.

In order to refine and tailor the content to the interest of the users, Instagram has rolled out the “Add topics” feature, which started being tested in September. This categorisation aims to better classify and nurture the recommended content to users. 

As the chief of Instagram stated, the AI for the content recommendation wasn’t working up to the expectations: 

“When you discover something in your feed that you didn’t follow before, there should be a high bar — you should be delighted to see it. And I don’t think that’s happening enough right now.”

With this new functionality, Instagram is clearly adding efforts to compete against the solid TikTok recommendation algorithm. Having said this, classifying the clips by specific topics will certainly allow the content to reach more engaged audiences, bettering the visibility of the accounts. 

• Pinterest is adding the ability to live-stream shop soon

 Source: Pinterest Newsroom

The iconic visual search platform has leaned into the rising eCommerce trend of live-stream shopping in China. Featuring live shopping events, Pinterest is launching ‘Pinterest Tv’

As explained by Pinterest:

“Today we’re announcing Pinterest TV, a series of live, original and shoppable episodes featuring creators right on Pinterest. Pinterest TV episodes are refreshed each weekday and will be recorded and available for Pinners to view on-demand, and save and rewatch later.”

How will it work?

• Set of live and shoppable episodes
• Creators will be featured on Pinterest itself
• TV episodes are refreshed each weekday and will be able to watch later 
• Streaming Monday to Friday on Android and iOS in the U.S.
  

This new initiative will change the scope of the eCommerce landscape as it brings immediate interactions and shopping activity to the platform. In addition to the human-to-human experience, ‘Pinners’ will also enjoy exclusive deals and discounts in the app while broadcasting from their favourite creators.

Some of the brands participating are Patagonia, All Birds, Crown Affair, Melody Ehsani, Outdoor Voices, Mented and more.

We are sure this roll-out could be the next big shift in the eCommerce world, as shown previously in China, it has a huge traction and engagement. It isn’t only immediate and real, but it touches the emotional bases of consumers, sparking the impulse buying behaviour.

•  Big brands have started coming to BeReal, but BeReal doesn’t have a monetization plan in place

If we were to define the new social media platform BeReal in a few words, it would probably be spontaneity and naturality. And what happens is that when such a disruptive platform goes against all the rules, it truly creates an impact.

Some social media users believe that this platform and its use will remain mainly to share personal raw content. However, big brands such as Chipotle, Burrito Palace, Elf Beauty, and Trident, among others, have taken the leap and jumped into the social media channel.

For starters, you can’t buy any ads on the platform, which already makes it unique in comparison to all the other social media channels. Secondly, you can’t find a huge amount of businesses of all sizes trying to cold sell. This, altogether, makes it the perfect place to create connections with other users at an unfiltered level.

Up-to-date, BeReal already has registered over 20 million users, which clearly positions the platform as a possible threat to the now head-of-the-game channels. In fact, with the fear of staying behind TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have replicated the dual-camera feature natively within the apps. In short, the competitors know the potential of the app and are willing to fight to retain the users.

Let’s set the reality here. The new social media channel is rapidly growing, and some brands are deciding to enter the market and appear honest and raw with their audiences. However, despite the incorporation of businesses in the platform, BeReal hasn’t made any statements about its monetisation strategies yet. Although the platform is still in its early stages and monetisation through ads is out of the table, if the platform continues to grow and more brands start to enter the market, the shift will be inevitable.

Updates from Frizbit

• It’s a wrap: Google Analytics 4 Workshop!

  

On Wednesday, 26th October, we hosted our latest event, “Google Analytics 4: Migration, differences, metrics, and the future”. This workshop was led by Michele Sforza, SEM Account Manager at Jevnet and co-organised by Frizbit. Overall, the event was full of good energy and a lot of learning curiosity about this new tool.

At our workshop, we aimed to clarify some of the most frequent doubts and myths about this topic, and for this, we couldn’t have had a better panellist. Having said this, if you couldn’t join us at the event or would like to refresh what you’ve learnt, we have created two options for you:

If you’d like to learn more about what GA4 is, what are the key differences between UA and GA4, key metrics and how to migrate with ease, you can find all the necessary information here.

If, on the other hand, you are more of a visual learner and would like to learn first-hand, then the event session replay in Spanish is here.

Make sure to follow us on our Eventbrite profile to not miss out on any further events. 

•  Product update: WhatsApp abandoned messages now can feature photos

In our previous monthly blog post, we mentioned that we had recently added WhatsApp as a new channel for abandoned carts to offer with our cookieless solutions.  

We believe that this opens the door to new ways to reach customers and keep delivering the right message to the right user at the right time and, most importantly through the right channel.

While hyper-personalisation was already in place, we knew that, just as the saying goes: “images speak louder than words”. Therefore, during the last month, our developers worked on the deployment of adding an image of the targeted product to the bespoke message.

The results? Even more powerful and relevant messages to consolidate omnichannel customer journeys while remaining timely appropriate, and closer to the audience.

•  Client Spotlight!: We welcome Interior’s on board!

We are proud to announce that the French premium boutique interior design shop, Interior’s has jumped on board into the future of retargeting with Frizbit. 

Interior’s, which is a brand of higher-end products, was hesitant at first to implement web push notifications to their eCommerce, as for them, it was relevant to respect, above all, their product image. We followed a one-month risk-free trial, in which they could see by themselves the possibilities of implementing new technologies to their online strategies. 

In their case, we listened carefully to the needs of their businesses and co-jointly worked on developing messages and funnel stages tailored to their niche.
This is only the beginning, and we can’t wait to see the great results that you will accomplish!

Welcome on board!

If you wish to experience what retargeting without ads can do for your business, get in touch with us for a personalised demo.