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!