Welcome to the January edition of the digital marketing updates & news! The year has started strong with some major news regarding data privacy and third-party cookies 👀
Among the most outstanding news we have:
Search Marketing: Google brings multiple news during this month, starting with a new tip that will help you optimise your content for search ranking. The latest news on the removal of third-party cookies and an important clarification on the algorithm on Search Snippet.
Martech field: Gmail and Yahoo impose new rules on emails, in order to decrease Spams. Stric authentication is needed, and you can find Frizbit’s Step-by-Step guide to compliance at the end of the article. If your marketing strategy relies on email marketing, and you haven’t comply yet… RUN to check our guide 💨
Social Media Landscape: LinkedIn has put together some insightful B2B marketing trends. On the other hand, Meta will be applying some changes on the targeting ads.
Our advice for you is with the restrictions on emails and cookies, now is the time to find alternative solutions like web push notifications or different tech for email marketing. Otherwise, you will be missing out on new opportunities to connect with your customers and increase your revenue.
Ready to dig deeper into these digital marketing updates?
Our blog article has all the insights waiting for you.
Search Marketing Updates
1. Search ranking advice by Google
Source: Deposit
Google shared a new clarification on Search rankings, a topic that has raised many questions and that we have followed closely on our monthly blog posts, with the last update in November.
The company shared that despite the belief there’s a perfect formula to be followed in order to have a high ranking, in fact, there’s none.
Today I wanted to share about the belief that there is some type of “perfect page” formula that must be used to rank highly in Google Search. There isn't, and no one should feel they must work to some type of mythical formula. It’s a belief dating back to even before Google was…
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) January 9, 2024
What can you do?
Very simple, aim to help and provide relevant content. The emphasis should be on understanding and addressing the needs and queries of your target audience, in order to be helpful. Google’s stance encourages content creators to prioritize quality and relevance over mechanical adherence to supposed SEO tricks.
2. Latest on third-party cookies removal
Source: Deposit
Following our latest news on Google’s removal of cookies, as planned the company is restricting third party cookies access for 1% of users during January. Moreover, the company intends to rapidly increase the number to 100% of users globally by Q3 2024.
However, Google is giving extra time for companies to migrate
The company introduced the “third-party cookie deprecation trial”, which will give companies extra time to migrate from the use of third-party cookies until December 2024
Must-know criteria:
- Advertising-related services are not approved.
- Ad-related domains and subdomains are rejected
- Sites with domains used for both ads and non-ad content are denied due to ad-related material.
- Companies will be asked for proof of direct impact on end-users; issues affecting only data analysis don’t qualify.
- Detailed reproduction steps of any functionality issues must be logged in bug reports to Google.
- Requests with apparent breakage will be accepted. However, an appeal for clarification will take place
3. Google’s algorithm on Search Snippets
Source: Deposit
Google has shared how the algorithm of choosing Snippets actually works. Moving away from traditional reliance on meta descriptions, Google’s algorithm now primarily sources snippets from the page content itself.
This change, which is not new, emphasizes the importance of high-quality, relevant page content over strategically crafted meta descriptions.
What else has been shared?
The company’s clarification goes further to explain that contrary to some outdated SEO strategies, the focus should not be on using meta descriptions to drive clicks through keyword prominence or fill the meta descriptions with keywords, hoping for better results.
Instead, the primary function of a meta description is to offer a precise summary of a webpage’s content. This shift indicates that including keywords in meta descriptions for higher visibility or ranking in search results is no longer effective or recommended, and might cause the webpage to rank even lower.
In conclusion
This explanation shows Google’s commitment for organic and content-driven search results, aligning with their recent updates aimed to enhance user experience and relevancy in search results.
Martech Updates
1. New Gmail and Yahoo changes over spam regulations
Fuente: Deposit
This might be one of the major digital marketing updates from this edition, and it’s partly for its vast consequences.
Google and Yahoo have started to introduce new email regulations, for companies that send bulk emails, specifically companies that send more than 5,000 per day, however, small businesses are also adviced to apply the changes in order to improve their efforts.
These upcoming rules are designed to effectively manage the volume and nature of mass email communications and are part of ongoing efforts to enhance email user experience and combat spam.
Some of the rules are:
- Enable easy unsubscriptions
- Authenticate the emails
- Update your email list with users that engage and are active
- Send segmented, personalized emails
What do we think?
It is definitely the time to start thinking about new solutions like web push notifications and new technologies for email marketing to stay ahead of the game with your digital marketing efforts.
2. Microsoft’s AI platform implementing GPT-4: Copilot Pro
Source: Deposit
Microsoft has launched their own AI platform called Copilot Pro and even though it is available in a few countries it is bringing the AI game to a new level for creation of content, edit, ask questions and more. Copilot Pro works with GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo in order to create AI content.
But how?
- You will have AI tech on your day-to-day apps of Microsoft, meaning, on Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.
- Priority access on GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo
- Create images with DALL-E 3, formerly known as Bing Image creator
Options
Copilot pro has a monthly fee of 20$, however, you could also sign up for Copilot which is the free version. While you might think it is not really worth the cost, the ability to have AI technologies in cross-apps and create unlimited amounts of images with just one click, will reduce the amount of work for marketers and content creators significantly.
This collaboration represents a game changer, giving ChatGPT even more representation and centralizing AI apps in one platform. This represents a threat for singular platforms like Canva, as why would users pay for separate subscriptions when now we can have it all in one place?
However, now is the time to be careful and make sure to use these tools properly. Use it to help you create unique content and not to do the job 100% for you.
Social Media Updates
1. LinkedIn shares B2B marketing trends
Source: Deposit
LinkedIn has shared an interesting infographic full of B2B marketing trends, created by a collaboration of LinkedIn and Ipsos. The company also shared that:
“We polled almost 2000 B2B leaders in four global regions across the Financial Services, Agency/Advertising, Healthcare, Education and Professional Services industries, including 443 B2B leaders in the Technology industry. Despite budget challenges, marketers at B2B technology companies are optimistic about the future and excited about upcoming technologies, in particular generative AI, as well as upgrades to existing B2B marketing tools.”
We’ve summarised some of the Tech findings for you:
- Tech companies allocate the least amount of their budget on Brand marketing, being only 20%
- 85% of tech marketing budgets are focused on attracting new customers, rather than retaining existing ones.
- 69% are focused on leadership content to reach new customers
- 48% of B2B leaders are using AI in marketing efforts
2. Meta changes on targeting ads
Source: Deposit
Since January Meta has been making changes on their targeting ads on Facebook, these changes will imply the solidification or removal of ad options.
However, users will have until March to make the necessary changes before the removed options are completely gone.
The company continues to explain the reason why:
“We’re discontinuing some detailed targeting options because they are either not widely used, redundant with others, too granular, they relate to topics that people may perceive as sensitive (e.g. targeting options referencing causes related to health, race or ethnicity), or because of legal or regulatory requirements. We will provide alternative targeting recommendations within Meta Ads Manager when possible.”
What will this entail?
Sadly, we can’t give you more insights into what specific options will be removed, however, the company shared that the advertisers who will be impacted will receive a warning message. Therefore, you won’t be out of the loop for too long.
On the other hand
Meta incentivised advertisers to use:
- Meta advantage lookalike
- Meta advantage detailed targeting
- Meta advantage + audience
- Broad targeting
- Custom audiences
- Lookalike audiences
3. X Premium Unveils Personal Job Listings: A Bold Move Toward Professional Networking
Source: X
This digital marketing updates newsletter, keeps on sharing industry-changer news.
This time X is the protagonist of the story, which in a strategic expansion, X has introduced a feature allowing all X Premium subscribers in the U.S. to showcase open job positions on their personal profiles and business pages.
This marks a departure from X’s previous model, where job listings were solely accessible through the Verification for Organizations package, even though a more accessible version was recently introduced.
This move aligns with X’s broader vision of becoming an “everything app,” – which started with the famous rebrand back in July 2023 positioning itself against platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Messenger.
Hiring (beta) is now available to all Premium users in the US.
— Hiring (@XHiring) January 11, 2024
Add up to 3 jobs and feature them on your profile.
Get started on web at https://t.co/p2ZlabV9AN! pic.twitter.com/DOQLOIbstZ
The focus on professional services is evident, with X now encroaching on LinkedIn’s territory through its X Hiring initiative. Currently boasting over 750,000 advertised roles, X is making strides in establishing itself as a hub for professional connections.
Comparisons with Twitter’s historical role as a business connection tool are inevitable, but X is taking it a step further by formalizing job listings.
This raises the question: will X Hiring prove to be a successful recruitment driver?
While the ability for paying brands to list roles on personal accounts is likely to result in a surge of job postings, the ultimate measure of success will be in how many of these roles are filled.
As X enters the professional networking and recruitment space, parallels with LinkedIn are evident. The question remains: can X carve out its niche and redefine the dynamics of online professional connections? The coming weeks will likely see a substantial increase in X’s job ad figures, providing an interesting gauge of user interest.
While the move seems to mimic LinkedIn in some aspects, it also raises the prospect of X experimenting with new avenues for expansion. The real test lies not just in the quantity but the quality of job placements through X Hiring, potentially reshaping how individuals and businesses approach professional networking on the platform.
As X navigates this uncharted territory, we anticipate further developments that could redefine the existing online professional engagement.
About Frizbit
1. [New guide available] Frizbit’s Step-by-Step Guide to Gmail & Yahoo’s New Sender Requirements
If you caught wind of our insights on Gmail & Yahoo’s new sender requirements above in this digital marketing updates and news newsletter, you’re most likely left with many questions.
Foreseeing this, we’ve prepared a resource you can’t afford to miss – a step-by-step guide to ensure your email marketing campaigns basically land in your customer’s inbox.
In light of these events, we’re rolling out a comprehensive guide tailored just for you. It’s the ultimate step-by-step guide to navigate the intricacies of Gmail & Yahoo’s new sender requirements.
We’ve condensed the steps, shared insights, and crafted a plan to ensure your campaigns not only land but thrive in the inboxes of your audience.
What’s Inside the Free guide?
From understanding the major impacts to tackling the challenges head-on, we’ve got you covered. Frizbit’s 5-step guide provides actionable guidance, ensuring compliance with the latest email deliverability rules.
Why You Can’t Miss This:
Neglecting these new requirements could lead to higher bounce rates, delays in delivery, or even your well-crafted emails ending up in the spam folder. Hmm, and who would like this, right?
Get access to Gmail & Yahoo New Sender Requirements for FREE here.
Missed the previous edition?
