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.

A new month is here, and with it, our monthly newsletter has arrived as well. As we enter the last Q4 of the year, it is even more crucial to keep up to date with the latest digital marketing news and start adjusting our strategies.

So, if you are ready to dive into this new quarter of the year with the latest trends and updates, keep on reading to get the latest insights and advice from us. 

Just a quick announcement for those living in Barcelona, our next event (in Spanish) is scheduled on October 26th, 18.00h @Aticco Verdaguer. For those who can’t attend on-site, we will also have a live-streaming option.

Without further do, we wish you a happy reading!

Digital Marketing News and Updates from September 2022

CONTENT

Search Marketing Updates

• Mobile Search will experiment 5 new changes, according to Google.

• Google includes a new HTTPS Report in Search Console
  

Tech Marketing Updates

• iOS 16 has landed, and with it, the web push notifications for iOS (earlier than expected).

• Meet the new Flodesk Checkout

• Canva Create 2022 surprises with its new features

Social Media Updates

• Instagram announces that videos up to 60 seconds are available for stories

• TikTok is competing to become the leading search engine social media platform

• Snapchat provides voter registration tools ahead of the US Midterms

Updates from Frizbit

• Mark your calendars. A new Workshop about GA4 is scheduled.

• New software updates to the Frizbit dashboard

• It’s a wrap! The replay of the session and event recap for How to Do Retargeting in the Cookieless World are up.

Search Marketing Updates

• Mobile Search will experiment 5 new changes, according to Google

Search mobile experience is definitely getting an upgrade, according to the latest announcement from Google. The company has recently listed 5 upcoming changes worth learning to increase your search possibilities on mobile devices.

1. Say hello to Google Search Shortcuts:
   
   

   Source: Screenshot from Google Blog Post
   

   As we know, users can search on Google beyond typing their queries. However, although the possibility of this has always been there, few are fully aware of it. From searching through Google Lens uploading pictures to humming songs, the search experience is just so much richer nowadays.

   Well, Google has decided to amp up the experience and introduce more tappable solutions. For the moment, this update is only available for the Google app on iOS and is here to compete directly with the native Safari browser.
   
2. Predicted results are coming from the results in the search bar:
   

   Source: Screenshot from Google Blog Post

   This feature is expected to roll out in the upcoming months, but Google has shown that they are committed to improving the navigation for users. 

   The new feature aims to shorten the search time spent when doing a query by suggesting the most suitable solutions right away. This plays a significant role in SEO to match and guide the users in the right direction, working seamlessly with the algorithm.

    

3. Refined queries:
   

   Source: Screenshot from Google Blog Post

   
   Following the previous update, Google is enhancing the search for queries with recommended words to tap on. Again, we believe having a clear SEO strategy can boost your company to be associated with the most common related searches.

   While the user types his/her query, Google with start recommending associated and common words to that search to make it more relevant and specific.

    

4. Welcome to the Google Web Stories:
   

   Source: Screenshot from Google Blog Post

   This update aims to make the mobile searching experience a more pleasant one through the integration of visual layouts. However, this rollout also gives credit to content creators and positions them as a valuable source for content search. 

   As stated by the company:

   “So, we’re also making it easier to explore a subject by highlighting the most relevant and helpful information, including content from creators on the open web. For topics like cities, you may see visual stories and short videos from people who have visited, tips on how to explore the city, things to do, how to get there and other important aspects you might want to know about as you plan your travels.”

   This feature will be displayed as a widget in the search results, in which the users will be able to expand further, if interested.

5. Visual Search Feeds will be a reality:With the clear goal in mind of enhancing searchability navigation, Google aims to bring a visually harmonic experience by combining text, images, and video in mobile searches. The feed is expected to look like the following example:
   

   Source: Screenshot from Google Blog Post

   As aesthetic as it looks, the next big question is what happens with the traditional ranking system? This new search layout puts all media at the same level, so it will be safe to say that visuals and graphics will become as relevant as the main content for upcoming searches.

   Google has stated that creating aesthetic searches is going a step further into the mobile navigational experience:

   “We’re also reimagining the way we display results to better reflect the ways people explore topics. You’ll see the most relevant content, from a variety of sources, no matter what format the information comes in — whether that’s text, images or video.”

• Google includes a new HTTPS Report in Search Console

  

Source: Adobe Stock

 

Google has announced a new rollout to identify which sites are HTTPS and which ones aren’t, all accessible from Google Search Console. Unfortunately, the new integration will still need a few months to be completed, but it is undoubtedly a functionality that users have been requesting.

As the company stated in its blog: 

“One of the common requests we heard from you was to provide more information regarding the HTTPS status of the site and make it easier to understand which pages are not served over HTTPS, and why not,”

Why does this matter? How can it be useful?

Both marketers and SEO professionals can benefit from this new feature, given that it will help to map out which URLs from the same site are indexed as HTTPS or HTTP. 

HTTPS doesn’t only serve a secure navigation purpose, but also, as announced by Google in 2014, it is a recognised ranking signal. The report will also help to prevent common errors that prevent pages from being served as HTTPS by addressing the exact cause of failure. 

Lastly, this report will certainly come in handy as, according to the Core Web Vital from Google, using HTTPS increase the metrics ranking for UX. 

To recap, both in providing secure navigation to the users and for better ranking possibilities, this report is an outstanding addition to Google Search Console.

 

Marketing Tech

•  iOS 16 has landed, and with it, the web push notifications for iOS (earlier than expected)

Today as Safari 16.0 ships for iOS, macOS Monterey and Big Sur — lots of you are asking about Web Push.

Yes, real Web Push is coming to macOS Ventura in Oct. 100% web standard based. No Apple Developer Program membership required.

Read all the details:https://t.co/RYGjmoJUrQ

— Jen Simmons (@jensimmons) September 12, 2022

Earlier this year, we published an article highlighting what this rollout could actually mean for the ‘cookieless’ retargeting world. We finally have some dates to mark on our calendars for the release on MacOS Ventura in October 2022.

Let’s recap what web push notifications or browser notifications are: These are alert-messages types working on an efficient opt-in basis. Users get asked for permission to receive time-sensitive alerts without compromising their personal data.

What do we know so far about the update?

1. It will be available for all users, regardless if they have or not an Apple Developer Program membership.
2. Apple rolled out this update ahead of its original expected date, which was appointed to be in early 2023.
3. It will use the same Apple notification service powering Native Push on all iOS devices.

If you want to be ahead of time and prepare for when push notifications are ready to be used on iOS (iPhone), get in touch with us for a personalised demo

• Meet the new Flodesk Checkout

Source: Flodesk

Flodesk has slowly worked on its branding positioning as one of the most visually pleasant and straightforward email marketing platforms in recent years. By providing high-performance experiences to their users, they have partnered with Stripe to bring to live Flodesk Checkout.

What is it, and how can it benefit you?

It might be one of the simplest and most visually aesthetic ways to sell online. Their advantage is that you don’t need to create a fully operating website to sell.

With this rollout, you can:

1. Build a sales page
2. Build a checkout page
3. Build a delivery page
4. Publish a functional payment gateway page
5. Integrate payment methods with Stripe.

Of course, while keeping the great CRM and email marketing functionalities from Flodesk.

 

•  Canva Create 2022 surprises with its new features

Source: Canva

 

Canva Create 2022 came in with tons of new functionalities. It is positive to affirm that the platform is evolving and growing with its audience needs to become the new one-stop-shop for all visual needs. Yet, by remaining accessible to non-designers. 

From the Frizbit team, we have highlighted 3 of their recent updates:

 

1. Video Background remover:
   

   Source: Canva

   In the same way that removing the background from a picture was possible for non-designers with Canva, now the platform brings a whole new level to video editing. Video background removal is now possible, just under one click. This is an outstanding development, considering that not even professional tools can get done the same job with that ease.

    

2. Creating websites is now accessible to everyone:
   

   Source: Canva

   This rollout allows users to create responsive websites with both desktop and mobile previews. Again, everything under the same mission of making design accessible to everyone. Choosing from beautiful templates and customising it was never so easy to bring a website to life
   
   

3. Canva Docs (Beta Version coming soon):
   

   Source: Canva

   
   Canva announced their Canva Docs development, aiming to create visual docs in an entirely collaborative environment. The main standout characteristic is that these documents are meant to work on building richer media documents. As in opposite to the other existing text-based document with a difficult media integration option. The rollout already has a waiting list for when its Beta version becomes available.

   
   

 

 Social Media Marketing

• Instagram announces that videos up to 60 seconds are available for stories

Source: Instagram

The well-known video updates from Instagram continue their course over the last months. The newest announcement revealed that now videos of 60 seconds will no longer be split into 15-second segments in the app.

The new feature has already started rolling out in September by showing a pop-up notification to users. 

So, can this have an entirely positive experience for content creators?

• Pros: Content creation through stories for promotions, selling content or engaging could be easier for creators, easing the work to split the content.
  
• Cons: Users typically scroll through stories to get the information they are looking for as fast as they can, meaning that engagement might actually drop.

Instagram has confirmed the new Stories video expansion to TechCrunch, explaining that:

“We are always working on ways to improve the Stories experience. Now, you’ll be able to play and create Stories continuously for up to 60 seconds, instead of being automatically cut into 15-second clips.”

 

• TikTok is competing to become the leading search engine social media platform

Woah…! TikTok has increased video description character limit to 2,200 characters!

This is huge for creators and massive in terms of TikTok’s plans for becoming a search engine pic.twitter.com/kGhnL97uUM

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) September 23, 2022

The video platform is clearly evolving into a wider version of itself, leaving behind being considered only as an entertaining social media platform. 

According to Matt Navarra, TikTok has increased the maximum length of its captions from 300 characters to 2,200. Although the company describes the update as a space to express more details about creations, the truth is that it leads the platform to become more competitive as a search engine social media platform, especially for Gen Z.

This update allows content creators to include keywords that will improve the discoverability of their content in search. If we take into consideration that TikTok is already recognised for having one of the most accurate algorithms, then this entitles TikTok as a leading search engine social media platform.

 

•  Snapchat provides voter registration tools ahead of the US Midterms

Source: Snapchat

Snapchat has shown a history of educating its users and providing in-app tools to build youth engagement in political events. For instance, in 2020, the platform helped 1.2 million users to register to vote and play a part in what resulted in the largest youth turnaround in decades. 

The platform reaches 90% of the 13-24-year-olds, giving the opportunity to empower and educate the youth about the importance of participating in the democracy. 

2022 couldn’t be any different from previous elections periods aiming to build youth civic engagement, so they have developed some tools:

1. Allow Snapchatters to register to vote
2. Allowing 16- and 17-years-old Snapchatters to pre-register in selected states.
3. Community building to reach out to friends who haven’t registered yet
4. Creation of Voting 101 Hub: an in-app training on how to register to vote, becoming a poll worker, and so much more.
5. Curated Map stories 
6. Safeguards to review the content and prevent misinformation 

 

Updates from Frizbit

This monthly newsletter comes with some outstanding updates from the Frizbit team! 

We have a special invitation for those interested in evolving with Google Analytics 4, some product updates and past-events recap.

 

• Mark your calendars. A new Workshop about GA4 is scheduled.

  

 

In partnership with Jevnet, Aticco Workingspaces and the Barcelona Growth Marketing Group, we have designed a new workshop to skyrocket your digital marketing skills.

As some of you might already know, the traditional UA (Universal Analytics) platform is phasing out in less than 9 months, meaning that data and traditional measuring will come to an end.

So what solution do you have at your fingertips? The answer is short: migrating into Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible.

We have come to realise that there is still some hesitation and doubts around the new platform. Having this in mind, we’ve created this event in Spanish to equip marketers with all the relevant information about the new software.

Event details:

Date: October 26th 2022

Where: Aticco Workspaces Verdaguer for our friends based in Barcelona and streamed online for those who can’t attend live.

Time: 18.00h to 20.30h

Workshop Facilitator: Michele Sforza, Senior Account Manager at Jevnet

Language: Spanish

Book your spot here

•  New software updates to the Frizbit dashboard

In the last few months, we have been working on improving the experience and added value for our customers on the platform. Currently, our product could integrate different channels such as web push, email and SMS to provide seamless messaging strategies. However, in order to improve and reach a wider audience, we are developing the WhatsApp channel as a retargeting medium without ads.

The update is still under development, so elements such as images included in the message are not yet available. However, we have prepared an example as a preview of what is to come.

Among the hyper personalisation possibilities, you can have the following:

• User name
• Name of the specific product
• Price of the selected product
• CTA
• Product image (coming soon

From the Frizbit team, we are excited about this new launch as it will generate more possibilities to reach and bring back more users at different points of their customer journey.

If you’d like to know first-hand what these new software updates can mean for you and your business in bringing customers back, you can get in touch with us for a personalised demo.

•  It’s a wrap! The replay of the session and event recap for How to Do Retargeting in the Cookieless World are up

 

On the 22nd of September, we hosted our first event after the summer break, and we must admit it felt like a great way to come back to the routine. As usual at our events, we enjoyed -which was maybe – the last open terrace networking session of the year with some mandatory beers.

If you work in/with the digital marketing industry, you might be aware of the constant changes that we frequently face. During the event, our main goal was to demonstrate to our attendees that entering the cookieless is less scary than what we could imagine. There are alternative ways to do retargeting without ads or third-party cookies.

Also, in the way things are shifting, leaving third-party cookies behind is no longer an option or a choice, but rather a necessity. In our event, we teach you how to do it seamlessly.

Having said this, if you couldn’t join us at the event or simply would like to refresh what you’ve learnt, we have created two options for you:

? If you’d like to learn more about the right strategies, channels and have a deep understanding of the cookieless world, you can find all the necessary information here:

Read all the info from the blog 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 for you:

Watch the replay of the event here (In Spanish)

We welcome September after a slower summer season with our monthly newsletter. During August, while most professionals enjoyed a well-deserved break or had a slower-business season (at least in Spain), the rapidly changing marketing landscape kept its usual pace.

Let’s start this back-to-school and back-to-business season with the most recent and relevant digital marketing news and updates.

Keep reading to find out the latest insights from the digital marketing world.

Digital Marketing News and Updates from August 2022

 

CONTENT

Search Marketing Updates

• Meet the new Helpful Content algorithm by Google

• Google sets the race for Local and Smart Shopping campaigns to shift into Performance Max campaigns

• Do you have an international SEO strategy in place? Google Search Console will remove its International Targeting report

   

Tech Marketing Updates

• Introducing Shopify Collabs: the new digital solution to connecting creators with Shopify businesses

• Canva gets one step closer to becoming the one-stop-shop for visual needs with Whiteboards

Social Media Updates

• LinkedIn introduces the ability to pin comments under posts

• Podcasts steps firmly into the YouTube platform

• Twitter is testing professional account options, which include shopping & link features

   

About Frizbit

• Save the date, a new workshop is coming up on September 22nd [Event held in Spanish]

   

Search Marketing Updates

• Meet the new Helpful Content algorithm by Google

 

As announced in the blog of the company, Google is rolling out a new algorithm for its search engines. While many eCommerce stores are still struggling with the recent Product Review Update, Google is determined to provide a more human approach to online navigation. And clearly, this update demonstrates so.

So far, there are many reactive opinions about this new update going around in the SEO industry. Most of them are implying that with this new update, the SEO era will come to an end. Some experts are arguing that the new algorithm will devalue the content written for SEO purposes. However, all that this update aims for is to favour the content written for people by people.

So, what can you expect from the new roll-out? Contrasting with the previous update, which only affected certain pages of a website, the new Helpful Content algorithm has the potential to impact all pages within a site. 

As Google describes it, this update aims to:

“Tackle content that seems to have been primarily created for ranking well in search engines rather than to help or inform people.”

What else do you need to know about the algorithm?

• A new signal ranking is coming out for both new and existing websites.
• It will start rolling out in September
• Google is prioritising expertise and added-value rather than simply summarising content from other posts.
• Undefined niche categories in publications might classify a site as unhelpful.
• If Google detects that users aren’t finding what they truly need, it might affect the ranking of the site.
• Writing about trends outside your niche or industry might get classified as an effort to classify higher in the rankings, rather than providing value.
• Removing unhelpful content will increase the possibility of ranking in a higher position

 

So what can we learn from this update?

First things first, the SEO era will not come to an end. It is definitely taking a new direction towards a more streamlined practice, connecting humans with humans. 

This new update isn’t either devaluing the SEO practices, but rather is an open invitation to content creators to incorporate conscious practices into creating content with people in mind.

 

Google sets the race for Local and Smart Shopping campaigns to shift into Performance Max campaigns

Earlier this year, Google announced that its Local and Smart Shopping campaigns would embrace changes and turn into Performance Max campaigns. In their announcement, Google provided clear deadlines for this placement, with it being September 2022. 

To understand the relevance of this update, let’s get back to the basics: what exactly are the benefits of the Performance Max campaigns?

Performance Max campaigns use Artificial Intelligence combined with automatisation to maximise the performance based on a specific conversion goal. 

So conversion, performance, AI, and automatisation are in one place? Yes! And the benefits don’t just stop right there. These campaigns encompass all Google properties such as YouTube, Gmail, maps, search discovery, and display. Ultimately, you are able to track the customer journey a client does when searching for a product or purchasing online.

Now that we’ve covered the basics and we are well aware of the tight deadlines Google is giving, let’s break down the official news.

In August, Google released a tool to self-upgrade both Local and Smart Shopping campaigns with just one click. The trick with this update is that although you can do it with a simple configuration setting, it won’t be available for all the merchants yet. 

So, how can you know if you’re eligible for the self-upgrade?

If your campaigns were compatible with the upgrade, it is likely you have received a notification with a link or that you are able to find the option through the Google Ads Dashboard. If, on the contrary, that wasn’t your case, your Local campaigns won’t update to Max Performance until 2023.

Now, the next big question is: What happens with the old campaigns?

We do recommend that you use the self-upgrade option as soon as you are eligible. The reason is that all the old self-upgraded campaigns will keep all the historical performance data and your chosen settings.  

Although having this option is great for analysis and reporting purposes, all old campaigns will be automatically set to “Removed” status. This means that no edits, nor reactivation, will be allowed.

 

• Do you have an international SEO strategy in place? Google Search Console will remove its International Targeting report

 

The International Targeting report has been deprecated, and will be removed from Search Console soon. We continue to support hreflang and our recommendations for managing multilingual and multiregional sites still stand. https://t.co/yz4lsHhXhO

— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) August 24, 2022

If you own a multilingual or multi-regional website, stay tuned because Google has officially announced that its International Targeting report will be removed from Search Console by September 22nd.

Many are the questions that have arisen with this announcement, such as:

• Where will the hreflang-tags errors be found?
• Can you target a specific country manually with a .com domain?
• Will hreflang continue to be supported?

While Google hasn’t announced what will happen with the hreflang errors found in websites through the report, they have stated that hreflang tags will continue to be supported by Google Search Console. In fact, as they quoted in their tweet, Google will continue to support multilingual and multi-regional sites with their standard recommendations still. 

So, how can you help Google understand your site if you support different languages or locations?

1. If you are managing a multilingual or multi-regional site, you can optimise Google Search results directly from your website
   
2. If you manage multiple sites for different languages, make sure you are reporting and telling Google about each of these variations. By doing this, Google will appoint the corresponding variation to the right user.
3. If your website shows certain content based on the location or language of the user, Google might not be able to crawl, index or rank all the content for the specific locale.

With this update, certainly, manually targeting countries or the preference of the language from users might become a harder practice. We believe that by doing this, Google continues to strive in its fight against SEO-done content and keeps moving towards a more human navigation experience.

 

Marketing Tech

• Introducing Shopify Collabs: the new digital solution to connecting creators with Shopify businesses.

With creators and brand experiences in mind, Shopify has rolled out its Collabs. It’s a win-win for both creators that can sustain their activities with brands they love, and for brands that can reach new audiences.

Influential marketing has played a big part in the development of brands. In most cases, it helps to boost the awareness of a brand or increase the sales of a product or service. We can agree that nowadays, it is a crucial part of any digital marketing strategy.

This is a free initiative in which brands can:

• Communicate that they are open to collabs
• Detail the brief and description of the brand to match with the perfect creator
• Build stronger and real partnerships with creators
• Announce specific products to be promoted by collabs 
• Send gifts to creators
• Track reports and analytics by the performance of the influencer

Collabs will work on an application basis to ensure that brands connect with the right audience. 

As stated by Kabbara, its Director of Product, in the article of the company:

“For Shopify merchants, Collabs is a new way to find potential customers at a time when it’s never been more difficult or expensive,” Kabbara continued. “By giving merchants the ability to discover and partner with creators that align with their brand, they can tap into the power of community-driven commerce to reach consumers in new and meaningful ways.” 

For the time being, Shopify Collabs will be available only in the US and Canada.

 

 Canva gets one step closer to becoming the one-stop-shop for visual needs with Whiteboard

Canva is living up to its name with its newest product release. The online visual and creative platform surprised everyone with the brand-new feature Whiteboards.

This feature includes pre-made templates to brainstorm and express ideas visually by non-designers. It’s bringing creativity to the fingertips of the day-to-day user. 

One of the most loved features is the possibility of collaborating online with others. This property comes in handy nowadays that remote working is more common. 

From Kanban templates to all types of diagrams and mapping options, Canva is building limitless spaces to bring your ideas to life.

What are some of the best usages you can have with the new rollout?

• Create dynamic presentations that expand in a limitless space.

• Conduct workshops with experience and timing in mind.

• Create Customer Journey and general mind-maps while collaborating online with others.

As Canva states in their blog:

“Great things happen when people come together to bring their ideas to life. There’s truly no limit to what you can do with Canva Whiteboards, which is free for our global community and available on the web, desktop and mobile.”

 

 Social Media Marketing

• LinkedIn introduces the ability to pin comments under posts

LinkedIn has rolled out a new feature that enables all users, both company pages and personal profiles, to pin comments under a thread. To pin a response, simply access the three dots menu, and become ready to place the best responses on the top.

How can this update be useful to you?

With LinkedIn being a social media platform in which getting awareness and visibility tends to be easier than other channels, this new functionality has the potential to elevate the engagement of your publications and get seen by many others.

We firmly believe that this new update will boost interactions and can become a great tool to build personal branding in this social network.

 

Podcasts steps firmly into the YouTube platform

 

The long-format video platform is slowly introducing a dedicated section for podcasts. YouTube is updating itself to provide podcasts with its own dedicated section. 

YouTube has decided to make the best out of a common malpractice of users publishing static content on a dynamic and video-based platform (A.KA. Podcast videos on YouTube). Truth be told, most podcast producers would update their episodes despite sometimes displaying only a picture with the audio behind it. 

Although YouTube hasn’t formally announced the new platform changes, many users have found it while navigating within the platform. Some have even documented how to access the dedicated section.

To access the update, just go to the Explore tab, which will display the menu options, including the podcast. Then click the option of ‘Podcast’ and get ready to support your favourite content creators. 

 

Does this mean YouTube will also raise the fight for podcasts in the industry? 

What we know about this update is that it is slowly being tested and rolled out by countries. It is also known that podcasts are being displayed by subcategories to ease the navigation of the user.

There are 9 podcast categories to suit the need of the customers and help them explore the vast content. These categories are:

1. Popular episodes
2. Popular podcast playlists
3. Recommended (Based on your Subscriptions and History)
4. Popular podcast creators
5. Comedy
6. True Crime
7. Sports
8. Music
9. TV & Film

It does seem that this rollout is the start of something bigger than merely performing changes in the layout of the platform. YouTube knows its market advantage and has taken the first steps into the podcast industry.

 

• Twitter is testing professional account options, which includes shopping & link features

 

These sure are exciting times for professional accounts on Twitter. The platform has announced that a new set of features are being unlocked exclusively for professional accounts. 

Twitter is committed to helping businesses, brands, and creators to have a strong online presence and this new shopping and custom links functionality seems to be hitting off the ground.

 

? We’re going global! Now, any professional around the world can add a Location Spotlight to their profile to help customers find their biz location and get in touch faster. And☝️it has a new Google Maps integration to help customers with directions. pic.twitter.com/Uw5oLdJWXU

— Twitter Business (@TwitterBusiness) August 4, 2022

 

Let’s review what these two new profile spotlights are about. The first one would be the Location Spotlight has rolled out globally. This update aims to help any business owner to become visible to their customers with even a Google Maps integration for directions. 

 

But this isn’t all this new spotlight feature can do for your business. It also includes updates such as displaying business hours and direct contact methods to bring customers closer to businesses. Among the contact options, you can set up to be contacted by phone call, text message, direct Twitter message, and email.

 

 

Last but not least, the Shopping Spotlight is perhaps the most exciting update for professionals and their sales goals. Unlike the previous update, this functionality is available only to qualified accounts, mainly in the US. 

So what’s exciting about this update?

Those qualifying accounts will be entitled to a dedicated section at the top of their account profiles to display their products. The spotlight will act as a catalogue for easy access to purchase products without having to leave Twitter.

As Twitter describes this update:

“This is a feature that allows us to explore how shoppable profiles can create a pathway from talking about and discovering products on Twitter to actually purchasing them. “

The update doesn’t stop here. Twitter is actually developing a product management platform to create a seamless experience in showcasing products. This development will mainly assist business owners to create their own catalogues in-line with the right display in the app.

 

About Frizbit

• Save the date, a new workshop is coming up on September 22nd [Event held in Spanish]

 

We are delighted to announce that we are back with our offline events in Barcelona after a well-deserved summer break. In this event held in Spanish, we will review the strategies to perform retargeting without using third-party cookies.

Despite the delays from Google in fully implementing the cookieless era, we know the change and upcoming challenges are imminent. So, what better way than to actually get your hands on a theory-practical workshop to get ahead of the game?

If this event already sounds like you, keep reading to find out the details about this exciting workshop. 

During the event, you will learn what these types of alerts really are, and you will discover everything they can do for your e-Commerce to bring your customers back. 

In addition, you will explore this channel, which besides being innovative, is aligned with the new data privacy restrictions and third-party cookie limitations that will come into force by 2024.

Of course, after-work, and networking could not be missing in this workshop, so besides learning about best practices and tips to implement them, you will also be invited to enjoy some free beers on a nice terrace in Barcelona.

If you are not in Barcelona but still would love to attend the event, we got you covered! For those who can’t make it physically to the event, we will have a live broadcast for the workshop. To access the broadcast, register through the link below and choose “Watch Online – Remote”.  We will email you the live link on the day of the event.

The details:

When: September 22nd

Time: 18:30 (registration opens) until 21:00 

Where: Aticco Verdaguer, Barcelona

Workshop Facilitator:  Ata Gur, CEO & Co-founder of Frizbit

 

You can register for free here

Summer is mostly a slow-work season for most businesses, but it doesn’t mean that changes and new dynamics aren’t going on in the digital marketing landscape.

If you are experiencing less workload, it might be a good time to revise and adjust your marketing strategy with the latest updates. Marketing can be as amusing and effective as we want it to be.

So, are you ready to start off a great month ahead with the latest digital marketing updates?
We sure are! Let’s dive into the content.

Digital Marketing News and Updates from July 2022

Content

Search Marketing Updates

 

• Google reveals the strategy behind the Title Tag

• Google shares six tips for a better eCommerce searchability

• Google rolls out a product review algorithm update

   

Tech Marketing Updates

• Google to delay the cease of third-party cookies to 2024 (again!)

• Squarespace introduces Fluid Engine

• Shopify allows eCommerce stores to sell on YouTube

   

Social Media Updates

• YouTube spills the tea on its Shorts format 

• Say hi to reels stepping strongly into Instagram.

• “Follow me”: the new TikTok update aiming to help small businesses

   

About Frizbit

• The Dream Tech-Stack for eCommerce Roundtable Recap

• Save the Date! A new workshop is ready for you on September 14th. [Event held in Spanish]

   

Search Marketing Updates

 

• Google reveals the strategy behind the Title Tag

 

Google made an announcement in its Central Search documentation guiding users on how to use title tags for better rankings. No changes were introduced, but what’s better than getting more clarity on this demanding topic?

If you work in the marketing field, you might be well aware of the relevance of the title tags and SEO as they display directly on the search results pages. 

Previously, there was a big confusion about the word “headline” that Google used in its previous guideline. The usage of this word caused a lot of confusion among users, as it wasn’t clear whether Google was making reference to the HTML components (H1-H6) or the title of the page. 

 

Let’s review some key changes:

 

Title tags are essential for anyone trying to position their content in front of the right audience. As Google mentions, this piece of content is often the first one people see and use for deciding whether they want to visit a website or not.

We are certain this renewed, and clarified documentation will be of good use. Hooray Google! 

• Google shares six tips for a better eCommerce searchability 

  

  Google Search Console / Adobe Stock

If you run an eCommerce business, then this news is just right for you. Google recently published a video on its official YouTube channel sharing six tips for enhancing searchability. 

Standing out from other sites is often one of the main pain points for eCommerce sites. In its video, Google suggested three main pillars to pivot your content strategy:

• Use visual resources to engage the customers with your product
• Display prices and availability, so it is easier for users to compare sellers
• Get social proof that increases trustability

 

Now, let’s dive into the six pieces of advice Google announced to be eligible for special presentations in the search results.

1. Pay close attention to how you are writing the Title Tag, so Google doesn’t overwrite it.
2. Include high-quality images to ease the decision purchase process.
3. Structured data helps Google better classify websites and makes them eligible to be displayed as rich results. Make sure your product has the essentials: Product title, description, images, ratings, price, and availability.
4. Be transparent with your pricing. If dropping prices and availability might incur in the product page to be eligible for a special price drop presentation in the search results.
5. Identify products that you sell with product identifiers, such as the GTIN identifiers. Applying this advice increases the chances for a product to make it eligible for listings like the carousels.
6. Make the best out of the Google Business Profile. If your business also moves into the offline space, this is a must for your business.

Increasing your chances of being eligible for special listings was never so accessible to everyone. Make sure to implement the given tips by Google to make the best out of this online tool.

 

• Google rolls out a product review algorithm update

 

Today we released the July 2022 product reviews update. We’ll update our ranking release history page when the rollout is complete: https://t.co/sQ5COfdNcb

— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) July 27, 2022

Social proof has never earned so much relevance for business as it has today. A good review might boost your sales and even get you sold out. On the other hand, what can a bad review do to your business? The harm is unimaginable.

If that’s the latter is your case, keep on reading because there are still chances to improve in the ranking lists.

In July 2022, Google confirmed their new product update – part of the fourth series of updates – targeting low qualities reviews has rolled out. This update will be ongoing for three weeks, starting out on July 27th.

What are the new updates for search rankings?

The new update includes a change in its algorithm, which is designed to reward reviews that truly stands from a point of view instead of just showing descriptive information.

Google is now looking out for the reviews, and they want to see they are transparent, that the product has indeed been tested before, and that it is real.

How does this affect you? If you are a website that has reviews on its product page, focus on giving incentives to create user-generated content. Rewriting the content that already exists on the web won’t make it anymore. Google is prioritizing reviews that can truly help to build a more trustworthy online space.

Some of the elements that reviews can include are original photos, specifics about the usage benefits of the products, and comparisons, among others.

If you are interested in learning more about this update, see the developer’s Google page.

 

Marketing Tech

• Google to delay the cease of third-party cookies to 2024 (again!)

               Google Chrome / Pexels

Third-party cookies have been a trendy topic this year. At first, the online world trembled with the announcement of the cookieless era approaching soon. Many platforms started preparing for it to be still able to provide businesses with aligned retargeting solutions. So, you’ve been there, informed yourself properly, done your part, prepared your cookieless strategies, but when is this so-called cookieless era coming along?

The original announcement indicated that the cookieless era would start by 2022, and back then, it got pushed back to 2023. We get it, life happens, and perhaps they needed a bit more of time to readjust this large update. Now, six months away from the fearly date, Google announced on the company blog that they are postponing it and phasing them out in 2024.  Hmm, Google? What’s going on here?

What’s the main reason behind this new extension?

Google is still testing out its Privacy Sandbox initiative -the new solution for delivering retargeted ads in a more conscious way.

The Vice President of Google’s Privacy Sandbox stated:

“The most consistent feedback we’ve received is the need for more time to evaluate and test the new Privacy Sandbox technologies before deprecating third-party cookies in Chrome…

This deliberate approach to transitioning from third-party cookies ensures that the web can continue to thrive, without relying on cross-site tracking identifiers or covert techniques like fingerprinting.”

It almost seems as if despite this new regulation, Google is still having in mind not to affect the large number of businesses relying on cookies to thrive their businesses. The current testing phase has been ongoing for a few months. However, testers, developers, and marketers agree that it is still far from being efficient and ready.

How can this update benefit you?

The good news is that now Google is considering performing a gradual transition from third-party cookies to implementing the Privacy Sandbox settings. A trial version of the Privacy Sandbox API is currently available to developers. Starting from August, the API, and trial phase, will be available to millions of people globally.

What’s our advice?

Despite the new extension and delay in the roll-out, the change is imminent. We advise you to stay ahead of the game and start implementing cookieless strategies in your digital marketing approach. The sooner your business and company adapts, the sooner you will be able to get results. 

If you are interested in testing out digital marketing strategies using first-party cookies, you can apply for a demo trial at Frizbit here. 

 

•  Squarespace introduces Fluid Engine

The website design platform is doing efforts to stay up in its game with other competitors such as WordPress or Showit. This month, they started rolling out the controversial Fluid Engine tool available for Squarespace 7.1 version.

Squarespace has been known as a platform that does offer many possibilities, from a blog to even offering an eCommerce set-up for business owners. However, many users were experiencing that if they did not have coding experience, the platform, as useful as it was, wouldn’t make the cut from a design perspective.

On the other hand, Showit has been gaining traction of users with its easy-use web editor with a completely free motion range.

What’s included in this new Fluid Engine update?

Squarespace users will be able to:

• Design a separate page for the mobile version.

• Enjoy an improved drag-and-drop editor experience
• Create dynamic layouts, easing the need for coding

As the CEO and Co-founder of Squarespace,  Anthony Casalena mentioned on the company blog:

“Fluid Engine provides our customers with maximum freedom to easily play with, experiment, and stretch creative limits through an unrestricted canvas, which is guided by an advanced smart grid. Regardless of how you experiment with Fluid Engine, our guidelines and design system will ensure that your website looks good no matter what. “

 

• 
  

  Shopify allows eCommerce stores to sell on YouTube

 

Shopify has partnered with YouTube to bring online shopping to a whole new level. The two leading platforms are joining forces to give merchants and creators more ways to tell their brand stories and successfully sell more authentically.

Shimona Mehta, Managing Director, Shopify referred to these new partnerships on the company blog:

“YouTube has been integral in building the creator economy over the past decade. Shopify has helped millions of merchants quickly start, run, grow, and manage storefronts. By partnering together, we’re accelerating the next evolution of social commerce. Giving creators and merchants more ways to sustainably monetise and build successful businesses, while still authentically connecting fans and buyers.”

How can this new partnership benefit you?

Shopify merchants use YouTube to promote and sell their product offerings in three ways:

• YouTube Live: Merchants can tag and pin products at specific frames during a livestream. Picture-in-picture playback offers the possibility, so consumers can keep watching while they check out.
• Store tab: A new tab will be added to a merchant’s YouTube channel, acting as a product listing to their entire products or selection of them
• On-demand videos: Merchants can show a curated list of products on a product shelf below on-demand videos.

With this update, merchants will be able to seamlessly integrate their online stores into the leading content video platform. This results in being able to reach +2billion monthly logged-in users.

How the future of eCommerce shopping will change? We can’t predict much. However, one thing is certain, and it is that the C2C era is here to stay. Authentically engaging with customers is a necessity for any online business. 

 

 

Social Media Marketing

• YouTube spills the tea on its Shorts format

 

The newest format Shorts in YouTube is bringing lots of conversations to the table. Creators are experiencing confusion as it hasn’t been clear how the algorithm works.

Luckily, in July, the video content platform demystified the Shorts algorithm in a Q&A video that addressed several of the most common questions creators had regarding this new format.

The main questions and topics were:

• What’s the impact of publishing both long and short content formats under the same channel
• Whether it was advisable to separate the Shorts from the long-form video
• If the engagement of the Shorts format has any impact on the longer-form videos

The key takeaways:

• Could Shorts hurt long-form video channels?

YouTube indicated that it represents no harm to your channel engagement. They affirm the demand for shorter form videos is here to stay. Hence, introducing the Shorts formats can actually help to boost channel growth.

• Will YouTube recommend long-form videos if Shorts are part of the strategy?

The short answer is no. Both algorithms work independently of each other. This means that, in the same way that Shorts doesn’t hurt long-term video engagement, it doesn’t have either a positive impact on boosting long-term video recommendations. 

YouTube explains that the main reason behind this behavioural pattern is that users that might prefer shorter videos might not be keen on longer formats, and vice versa.

• Should we create separate channels for Shorts and long-form videos?

Although the company doesn’t state mixing both formats can represent a real problem, they do suggest creating separate channels. The reasoning is simple: create the right content format for the right audience.

As a YouTube representative states:

“Try to group your channels around similar audiences who enjoy the same or similar content. Separate them out when your viewers have totally different interests… If you start building up different audiences with different interests, then consider making a separate channel.”

 

• How many Shorts do I have to publish before the algorithm starts recommending the content?

The company stated that there isn’t an exact number for Shorts to start being recommended. Actually, they mention even the first Short can appear in the suggested videos. 

They clarified that the algorithm for Shorts works similarly to other short-form videos. This means that if your audience shows a preference for the video, it will reach more people. The engagement, as we know, is built over time, and here is no different.

 

• Say hi to reels stepping strongly into Instagram

As is usual now, Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, announced the latest update about the video format content on the platform.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

In the post, Mosseri clearly announces that the king form content of the platform will now be reels. Does that mean that other formats, such as the IGTV’s are disappearing? 

This is also not the first time the platform has done this kind of merge. However, with all the dramatic changes Instagram is trying to implement and with the controversy around the format of the reels, a dramatic response was expected.

Back in 2021, Instagram merged the feed videos with the IGTV videos into Instagram Videos. With Carrousels and single posts, we experienced a similar action, with a merge resulting in static posts. Now, did it mean that any of these formats is fully gone? The answer is no, mostly all these changes have had an impact on the app layout, but not on how it functions.

 

 

The new update is merely a consequence of Instagram replying to the counterpart actions coming from TikTok and Shorts from YouTube. Does it mean long-form videos can’t be published from now on?

According to the company, “new video posts shorter than 15 minutes will be shared as Reels.”

Ultimately, this means that all video formats will be gathered under the same tab and name. However, it doesn’t mean that the option of nurturing your audience with longer-form videos will completely disappear. Actually, it might have a more positive effect given that the IGTVs – that were stuck in your account – now can actually reach a broader active audience.

 

• “Follow me”: the new TikTok update aiming to help small businesses

 

Earlier in July, TikTok announced its new initiative to help small and medium businesses to thrive in real sales and results through the power of storytelling on their platform. 

“Follow Me” it’s a 6-week multichannel educational programme to provide small and medium business owners with the right tools to build a strong community and drive real-world results.

Smaller businesses and entrepreneurs have founded TikTok a fun and easy way to connect with their audiences, build a loyal fanbase and ultimately drive more sales aligned to the new C2C era.

As TikTok explains in their blog:

“We created the Follow Me experience to empower more small businesses to dive into TikTok, so that they can also share their story with the TikTok community and reach their goals.”

The “Follow Me” programme will include:

• Different learning roadmaps based on the goals and visitors
• 6-week email series to outline the essential steps to run a TikTok campaign
• A how-to-guide for integrating their brand’s story into their videos
• A guide for setting up a free Business Account
• Access to the Creative Center
• Insights from the Ads Manager and promotion features 

As more entrepreneurs and small businesses integrate digital content strategies, this certainly seems like a winning action from TikTok to give back to their users and community. 

 

About Frizbit

• The Dream Tech-Stack for eCommerce Roundtable Recap

 

The Dream Tech-Stack roundtable is over, and we are proud to announce it was a success. 

During the event, we discussed the trends, industry changes, consumer patterns and behaviours within the eCommerce industry.

For this roundtable, we wanted to create a more enriching experience for the attendees, which is why we brought together two other marketing tech automation startups: Vidjet and Spitche, with their corresponding CEOs and co-founders Baptiste Nicolas and Kevin Markowski. Representing Frizbit, we had our CEO and co-founder Ata Gür on the stage. 

Did you miss out on our latest roundtable or want to grasp the key insights and learnings? You can find a full article disclosing the key takeaways from this lively discussion panel. 

 

• Save the Date! A new workshop is ready for you on September 14th. [Event held in Spanish]

It’s no secret that the future of retargeting as we know it is at risk. That’s why we have created this workshop, where you will learn everything you need to know about web push notifications and how to do retargeting in a ‘cookieless era”,

During the event, you will learn what these types of alerts really are, and you will discover everything they can do for your e-Commerce to bring your customers back. 

In addition, you will explore this channel which, besides being innovative, is aligned with the new data privacy restrictions and third-party cookie limitations that will come into force by 2024.

Of course, after-work, and networking could not be missing in this workshop, so besides learning about best practices and tips to implement them, you will also be invited to enjoy some free beers on a nice terrace in Barcelona.

Register here 

With the first semester and Q2 of the year coming to an end, it is a great idea to review the latest digital marketing updates from June. We hope these new features and news can support you in adjusting your digital strategies to kick-off to a great start in the second semester of the year. 

Are you ready to see what’s been happening in the digital marketing industry? Let’s begin!

 

Content

Search Marketing Updates

• Google Chrome prioritises browsing experience
• Google Ads Manager rolls out new features
• Google reveals only the first 15 MB are indexed and crawled for ranking

Marketing Tech Updates

• iOS 16 to support Web Push Notifications in 2023 on Safari
• Shopify rolls out their Shopify Editions empowering the C2C era
• WordPress 6.0. Arturo is finally here

Social Media Marketing Updates

• The Creative Marketplace: the new Instagram feature to support creators
• Snapchat+: the new paid subscription with new features
• Finding trends on TikTok has never been easier
• Longer content on Twitter might become possible

 Frizbit Updates

• Save the Date! A new roundtable on July 20th is coming up.

 

 

Search Marketing Updates

• Google Chrome prioritises browsing experience

Source: Google

Starting in March, Chrome started making changes that could improve the navigation of users. They had been working on identifying potentially malicious websites and phishing attacks to enhance safety. 

With the purpose of further elevating the browsing experience, Chrome has rolled out a ML model affecting the web push interaction requests. So, what is this all about?

Currently, the subscription to push notifications works under a permission-prompt basis, which might interrupt browsing navigation, based on the time and trigger set on this prompt. Chrome has recognized this risk and taken action to lower the risk of downgrading user experience.

The new update aims for seamless navigation and will use machine learning properties to display the permission prompt appearance. The algorithm will be based on previous behaviours and patterns of users to determine preferences for denying and silencing undesired permission prompts. Based on these patterns on each Chrome user, new push notification subscription requests will be blocked or shown to be granted permission by the user.

Google has announced on their blog that we can expect this feature in their next Google Chrome release, with an ML model that would make these predictions fully on-device.

 

• Google Ads Manager rolls out new features

Google Ad Manager / Prima91

New updates and tweaks are coming to Google Ads Manager. Some of them are exciting, such as the integration with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and optimised pricing.

Details and changes were listed in their Q2 releases notes, and we have gathered 5 of their most relevant updates here: 

 

• Optimised Pricing:
  This update will help to reflect and protect the value of inventories by increasing action floor prices. This option comes enabled by default, but can be easily disabled via network settings.
• Google Analytics 4 Integration in its beta version: The integration of GA4 and Google Ad Manager is now open for web data. This means that any website that decides to pursue this change will make the best out of the analytics tool. To enable this integration, you just need to follow the steps Google provides to link your Ad Manager account to the Google Analytics 4 properties.
• Video Experience Protection: The opt-in “Allow video ads” has been enabled under a block called “Block non-instream video ads”
• Bid rejection: More clarity was added to the “Bid rejection reason” in both reporting and data transfer.
  

• WebView API for Ads: This feature is now ready and will help app developers to unlock the monetisation opportunity in the WebView content. 

It seems as if this year will be an exciting one for Google Ad Manager, given that the company has also revealed it will be introducing new features in the near future.

 

• Google reveals only the first 15 MB are indexed and crawled for ranking

  

  Pexels/Lukas

 

A help documentation guide has revealed that Google’s web crawler only optimises the first 15 MB of the HTML of a page to determine rankings. This means that anything after this cut-off won’t influence the rankings calculations. 

This confirmation certainly left a feeling of uncertainty within the SEO community. However, Google also specified in their documentation their position regarding heavier components such as images and videos. Specifically, they stated:

“Any resources referenced in the HTML such as images, videos, CSS and JavaScript are fetched separately.

After the first 15 MB of the file, Googlebot stops crawling and only considers the first 15 MB of the file for indexing.

The file size limit is applied on the uncompressed data.”

What does this mean for SEO practices?

This update supposes changes both in content and coding placement. To ensure Googlebot can do its job, the important content should be placed in the upper position of web pages. 

It also affects the coding structure, as now the SEO-related information should be placed within the first 15 MB of an HTML. Lastly, videos and images should be compressed and not encoded directly into the HTML.

 

Marketing Tech Updates

• iOS 16 to support Web Push Notifications in 2023 on Safari.

  

PEXELS / COTTONBRO

 

Earlier this month, Apple announced one of their most long-awaited updates for the digital marketing industry: Web push notifications will be supported in their operating system update!

This update is a game-changer for the whole internet industry, as it will enable website owners to reach the missing portion of their web users (up to 20% on a global level and higher in the US and Europe) coming from iOS users that couldn’t be reached before. This actually means that now the 100% capacity of web users is at the tip of our fingers. 

As expected with the history of Apple and privacy settings, this too comes with a trick, but overall we are excited to announce that web push notification clients can expect a 50-100% uplift in the sales generated through this cookieless remarketing channel in the eCommerce industry.

If you want to learn more about this update and other interesting iOS 16 marketing updates, keep reading here. 

 

• Shopify rolls out their Shopify Editions empowering the C2C era

Shopify / Picsmart

Shopify is one of the most preferred and trusted eCommerce platforms for business owners. They have had a busy year working on new updates that are expected to have a crucial impact on the eCommerce industry by introducing the new C2C era.

The “Connect to Customers” or C2C era is the way Shopify describes the upcoming consumer and market trends within the eCommerce landscape. As the company states on their website:

“We know that brands need new ways to engage with their customers—and that means creating new connections.“

With this in mind, Shopify has decided to bring to life new features that will revolutionise the digital shopping ecosystem. The company has understood the relevance of creating meaningful connections and experiences for clients.

 

Source: Shopify

Having said this, the new updates include +100 changes in:

Finding customers: Within this segment, they have included features such as Shopify audiences, shop cash, Twitter shopping, Dovetale, Linkpop and Marketplace kit.

Converting shoppers: We will experience tweaks and functionalities such as B2B on Shopify, Shopify point of sale, Shopify markets, checkout, shop pay enhancements, discount combinations, and pre-orders. 

Enhancing branding storytelling: Updates within this section are easing the ways business owners can convey their branding on Shopify sites. The updates will enable you to accelerate the development phase by introducing pre-built components and templates. In addition, the new updates enable building products and experiences with NFTs and Tokengated Commerce

Building relationships: Aiming to increase customer loyalty, the new changes will facilitate gathering more accessible commerce insights, one-place marketing automation tools, push notifications, among others.

Tools to better run your business: Shopify has built improvements to enhance the logistic aspects of an eCommerce store. Features will impact supplier-to-buyer logistics, order and inventory management, and global shipping, among others.

Scale and build: Building high-quality stores was never easier. The new updates include third-party apps integrations, functionalities personalisation, an enhancement to data protection, apply and request capital and Shopify balance.

 

• WordPress 6.0. Arturo is finally here

Source: Pexels

One of the most expected releases from WordPress this year is here. This release did not only fix +600  bugs, but it also elevated the CMS experience in the platform.

The 6.0. Arturo version aims to position WordPress as a user-friendly platform to create Open Source websites. With this in mind, the main updates are implemented in enhancements of the FSE editor, which is currently in its beta version. However, there are other relevant tweaks that will result interesting for anyone working with this tool.

The main updates include changes in:

• Styling switch editor: colours, fonts and layouts curated by theme authors.
• Expanded template creation: customising posts, index, headers, pages and other elements will be faster now. They added options such as front page, author, date, category, and tags to build tailored templates.
• Writing improvements: This update will enable users to select multiple text blocks at once to edit them, users will enjoy using keyboard shortcuts to add links, and lastly, typographic styles will persevere through changes in the block.
• Flex-based containers: This feature eases building layouts with dynamic columns and blocks.

We believe these updates will create better experiences for users building websites and also represent great changes, stepping up the game for WordPress among its competitors.

 

Social Media Marketing

• The Creative Marketplace: the new Instagram feature to support creators

Source: Instagram

Instagram remains committed to supporting creators to monetize their content through the app. With this in mind, Instagram has developed multiple tools to help creators build businesses. 

Within the new features, we want to highlight the Creative Marketplace as a channel designed for brands and partnerships to collaborate on branded content partnerships.

The proposal feature will be rolled out as a beta version, and it includes features such as:

• In-app payments
• Discover and search creators based on profile segmentation
• Sending specific project guidelines
• Creators will be able to express their topics of interest for making branded content

Within the statements on helping creators, Instagram also mentioned they have extended their commitment of not taking any fees for any monetisation happening through Subscriptions, Badges, Paid Online Events and Bulletin until January 1, 2024.

 

• Snapchat+: the new paid subscription with new features

Source: Snapchat

Snapchat reappeared with a new announcement: they are adding to their portfolio of products: a new subscription-based service.

The company stated in their blog their reasoning and some details about the update: 

“Today, we’re launching Snapchat+, a collection of exclusive, experimental, and pre-release features available in Snapchat for $3.99/month.  This subscription will allow us to deliver new Snapchat features to some of the most passionate members of our community and allow us to provide prioritized support,”

The membership will include exclusive and pre-release features such as being able to see who rewatched your stories or personalising the icon of the app. The new release didn’t come with many details. However, we know for now that it will be launched in specific countries, starting with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

With this release, Snapchat is joining other social media platforms that are experimenting with subscription-based models for earning revenue, such as Twitter and Telegram.

 

•   Finding trends on TikTok has never been easier

 

✨ TikTok has launched a NEW Trends Discovery tool ?

A new tool to discover the hottest hashtags, sounds, creators, and videos on TikTok pic.twitter.com/Xv94xcTKH2

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) June 3, 2022

TikTok has announced that they have developed a trends discovery tool to help content creators and marketers to stay up to date with the latest trends and topics on the platform.

The tool is located within the Creative Centre of the app and is designed to help users analyse which content performs better than others to get inspired and have a guide when creating content. This new tool can also be used as a medium to increase engagement.

Users will be able to explore trending audio, hashtags, videos and even creators. The update comes with a useful filter search by industry and country, making it relevant for marketing purposes too. 

The new tool seems promising for content creators who will be able to be contacted by brands through a simple click on the platform connecting them through TikTok Creator Marketplace.

 

• Longer content on Twitter might become possible

 

✨ Introducing: Notes ✨

We’re testing a way to write longer on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/SnrS4Q6toX

— Twitter Write (@TwitterWrite) June 22, 2022

 

Twitter has released their beta testing for Notes: a new feature that will finally allow selected users from selected countries to be eligible to publish longer content. 

As mentioned by the company, “The purpose of the tool we are testing is to provide an additional experience for writers on Twitter outside of Tweets,”

The details Twitter has revealed include a length of up to 100 words for titles, while the body of the Notes content is limited to 2,500 words. This is certainly a stark difference from their current 280-character limited posts. With this new update, the edition after publishing would be finally possible too.

This new release aims to be as accessible as possible, which is why Notes will have a unique URL that users can reach regardless if they are logged into the platform or have a Twitter account. 

 

  Frizbit Updates

• Save the Date! A new roundtable to discover solutions for eCommerce from leading experts on July 20th is coming up

 

In this roundtable, we have gathered 3 experts from the most innovative tech startups in Barcelona: Vidjet, Spitche, and Frizbit to come together in this lively event.

Tim, one of the best Growth Consultants and our moderator for this occasion, will take you through a thriving experience to unveil the industry secrets, insights, challenges, solutions, and future consumer trends from these leading experts. We assure you, you wouldn’t like to miss this event.

Staying up to date and learning the latest theories is always one of the best practices, but we can agree that often theory is misleading from practice. That’s why this roundtable will bring so much value to you, revealing knowledge that we can’t find in books.

Naturally, after-work drinks and networking could not be missing from this thrilling roundtable, so in addition to learning about the best day-to-day practices and tips, you will also be invited to enjoy some free beers on a beautiful terrace in Barcelona.

 

The Details:

Topic: Dream Tech Stack for E-commerce with top eCommerce tech startups of Barcelona

Moderator: Tim Cakir

Speakers: Ata Gur – Co-founder & CEO of Frizbit; Kevin Markowski – Co-founder & CEO of Spitche and Baptiste Nicolas – Co-founder & CEO of Vidjet

When: Wednesday, July 20th, registration starts at 18.30h

Where: Aticco Verdaguer, Barcelona.

Language: English

FREE ENTRY

 

Book your spot here!

Digital Marketing News and Updates | May 2022

The digital marketing industry as we know it is ever-evolving. And this month is no different. So the relevance of staying up to date is essential for any digital marketing professional.

 

Today, we want to present you with the latest news, trends and updates from May 2022. Let’s dive in!

 

Content:

1. Search Marketing Updates

   • Google enables users to delete their information from Google Search.

   • Google aims to conquer the eCommerce space. 

   • Google Search Console tracks new desktop features in its experience report.

2. Marketing Tech Updates

   • Meta rolls out Whatsapp Cloud: a monetisation strategy for Whatsapp. 

   • Stripe supports Bitcoin payments.

3. Social Media Updates
   

   • Instagram introduces a new Feed.

   • Twitter launches Twitter Circle. 
   • TikTok Pulse. 

4. About Frizbit

   • Frizbit at the datathon of @Reach Incubator

1. Search Marketing Updates
   

   • Google enables users to delete their information from Google Search.

      

Pexels/PhotoMIX Company

 

Nowadays, as users, navigating through the internet means having to share our personal data. Users are exposed to revealing their full name, email address, phone number and even more personal information such as banking details. We can say that maintaining one’s privacy gets more challenging by the day.

With the recent events regarding the privacy of users, it isn’t surprising that Google is making changes to protect its users. To tackle this issue, the search giant is expanding its options to enable users to be in control of their personal information.

If you do not wish for your information to appear on the google search page, there’s only one action you need to do. You must complete the request on this form, and after the corresponding approval, the platform will take down your personal information.

Now, what does this mean for marketers?

As we have perceived, getting closer to potential customers is getting tougher. As marketers, it is clear that relying on third-party cookies to reach users isn’t a streamlined solution anymore.

Having said this, we advise marketers to start looking out for different strategies. These new tactics should be aligned to the preferences of the users, and the better way is using first-party cookies. 

 

1. • Google aims to conquer the eCommerce space.

     

     Unsplash / Austin Distel

     
     As Bloomberg states, Google is putting efforts again to step strong in the eCommerce landscape. And this time, it seems that Google is willing to step up against its biggest competitor: Amazon.

     What is Google doing differently this time to overcome its competitor?

     While retailers at Amazon are required to pay the company for using the platform as a storefront, Google has started offering free shopping ads and product listings for its users.  

     With a 43% increase in search revenue in eCommerce advertising, statistics forecast success for this new initiative from Google.

     How can retailers prepare to position themselves in the upcoming eCommerce takeover successfully? 

     We suggest retailers start by being present at the Google Merchant Center. At this time, it won’t represent an extra cost for eCommerce businesses, presenting itself as a compelling opportunity. Then, we suggest setting up the product feed using the free product listing feature.

     Once the product feed is set up, the retailer will be able to display free shopping listings and run free shopping ads.

     Developing spaces and conditions that benefit online retailers is undoubtedly a leading step for Google to conquer this landscape.
     
     

   • Google Search Console tracks new desktop features in its experience report.
   • 
     

     Google Developers

     Google has announced that its Google Search Console will start tracking additional desktop features. As stated by the company:

     “Search Console now logs impressions in the Page Experience report for additional desktop features, such as Top Stories. As a result, you may see an increase in your desktop impressions in the Page Experience report and the Search and News performance reports when filtering by the “Good Page Experience” search appearance.”
     
     What does this mean for website owners?
     
     With the new log, you may see an increase in the desktop impressions on the experience report page. This change might also affect the performance reports when using the “Good Page Experience” filter.
     
     Possible spikes or increases should be visible after May 13th in your reports. Look out for any drastic changes and evaluate through the “Good Page Experience” if the rise shown is related to the new logging of the additional desktop features.

     2. Marketing Tech Updates

   • Meta rolls out Whatsapp Cloud: a monetisation strategy for Whatsapp.
     

     Pexels / Anton

      

     Whatsapp introduces its Cloud API to all businesses worldwide hosted in its parent company: Meta. This new feature becomes one of the key ways the app would finally start monetising itself.

      

     So, how does it work?

      

     Whatsapp Business Accounts will pay on a per-message basis. The rates will vary depending on the number of messages sent per month and your region.

      

     This new API targets smaller businesses and eases the third-party channel integrations process. This integration process usually would take up to weeks, and thanks to this tool, it would only take a few minutes.

      

     Through the Cloud API, businesses can have a better CRM experience. The tool will enable account owners to store private data through the app seamlessly. You will be able to integrate all tickets through one channel, increasing efficiency and productivity. This feature becomes relevant for larger businesses.

      

     The API is compatible with Zendesk and MessageBird, which truly facilitates communication operations for small and big businesses to connect with more people.

      

     Whastapp API Cloud isn’t the only change the platform will have. The regular Whatsapp Business app will also get an upgrade offering premium paid features.

      

     What’s included in the paid version?

      

     You will enjoy:

     • The ability to manage up to 10 chats across multiple devices.
     • Customised ‘Click-to-Chat’ links
     • Statistics

     More updates and features, as well as pricing information, will be available later during the year.
     This also enables online stores to send WhatsApp messages to their users who leave without completing a purchase via WhatsApp. If you have an e-commerce and are looking for a solution to run WhatsApp cart abandonment campaigns you can request a demo with Frizbit.

      

   • Stripe supports Bitcoin payments.
     

     Stripe
     

     Stripe is one of the largest online payment gateways in the world. It is known for revolutionising the eCommerce ecosystem, and this time it isn’t the exception. Now, the latest update the company wants to implement is partnering with Bitcoin and offering it as a payment method.

      

     The company valued above 100,000,000 USD has teamed up with the crypto startup OpenNode. This incursion into the cryptocurrency landscape will allow users to convert balances and payments directly into Bitcoin.

      

     What’s the impact on eCommerce owners?

      

     Thanks to millions of users, broadening the usage of cryptocurrencies can increase transactions. This is certainly a positive shift in the eCommerce landscape by easing the online purchase customer journey experience.

     3. Social Media Updates

   •  Instagram introduces a new Feed

     
     Instagram

   • As Adam Mosseri stated in his official publication, the video experience is taking more relevance in the future of Instagram. The ever-changing app has announced that it has started testing a more immersive layout in its visual feed.

     This change will take place for both images and videos with a 16:9 proportion. This new update makes the posts appear in a full-screen format on your device.

      

     In the light of creating immersive experiences, the app is elevating its reels consumption. The platform will start recommending more reels in its suggested section of the Home Page. This shift aligns with the so-desired trend of ranking video content at the front store of the app.

      

     How does this affect your content strategy?

      

     More and more, the platform is trying to stay upfront with its largest competitor: TikTok. They have been studying what makes TikTok so engaging, and this new shift comes as a consequence.

      

     Definitely, video content will keep being prioritised by the algorithm. Therefore, adapting your content to the Reels format is essential. Instagram has mentioned that the so-loved stories might start appearing in the home feed, similar to the current TikTok experience.

      

     Lastly, the platform has announced the option of pinning content to the feed to make the experience of the users smoother and more engaging.

   •  Twitter launches Twitter Circle.

     Twitter 

     Similar to the “Close Friends” Instagram feature, Twitter is rolling out its “Twitter Circle” feature to share exclusive content with a selected audience.

      

     This innovation allows users to select up to 150 profiles to interact with private content, whether they are followers or not. Twitter Circle is now in its beta phase. However, it will only be available for limited accounts worldwide when it is fully released.

      

     We will have to see how this new feature integrates with the app and its new owner Elon Musk, who didn’t include this in his new proposals for the platform.

   •   TikTok Pulse

     

     TikTok 

     TikTok has announced that they are launching a new programme called “Pulse” to bring brands closer to its customers through advertisement.

     Using the “For you” section, the platform plans to add advertisements that are relevant to the brands users consume the most. They have carefully designed the experience by placing the volume of advertisements in proportion to the usage of the app. The more time you spend in the app equals more relevant ads.

     TikTok Pulse allows advertisers to put their brand next to the main content of their feed. Specifically, TikTok highlights 4% of the posts to be shown in the ‘For you’ section. The advertising will be displayed within this range, becoming widely seen and relevant to users.

     “We are focused on developing monetisation solutions in available markets so that creators feel valued and rewarded on TikTok,” the company explained.

     The beta phase will begin with the participation of creators, public figures and media channels that should have at least 100,000 followers.

     4. About Frizbit

   • Frizbit at the datathon of @Reach Incubator

     
     Frizbit team

     The Frizbit team visited Paris earlier in May!

     Reach Incubator is a European incubator for startups specialising in AI & data management products and services.

     This year, the datathon took place at the École Polytechnique in Paris. For two days, more than 30 companies exposed their data management solutions. 

     Frizbit was selected to participate in the “Explore” phase of the program.