Surprises, rumors, speculation – the final quarter of 2015 could signal significant changes on the way. Let’s kick off this edition of Stukent’s News You Can Use by looking at what we know (and by listening to the rumbles about what we don’t know)…
1. TWITTER SAYS NO MORE TWEET COUNTS
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing [/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]Web Analytics[/highlight]
Key Point: Many people read Twitter’s most recent developer’s announcement and saw only that the style of Twitter’s social sharing buttons is about to change. The familiar black type on a gray background will soon render as white type on a blue background – making the buttons stand out better. Another – perhaps much more impactful – part of that news release, though, is that the tweet counts (how many shares a tweet has received) are going away. Even bigger news is that third-party developers will lose JSON access to those share counts. Question: How will this affect third-party platforms? Alternative access to the share data could be expensive. Here’s the announcement: Twitter says. And here’s a summary of the issue via the Social Warfare blog: What is Google Thinking?
[line]2. WILL YOU SOON NEED TO PAY FOR YOUR YOUTUBE HABIT?
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing [/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: Rumors of a YouTube move to build a pay-wall are surfacing again, this time bolstered by an official YouTube email to content providers. That communication set October 22 as the day when anyone who doesn’t agree to play friendly with ads-free programming will no longer be allowed to display videos on YouTube. Music Key (ad-free listening) is already in beta, and speculation is that ALL programming will soon be available (for a fee) without being bothered by those pesky ads. How will that affect YouTube advertising? To check out the buzz, see this article: The YouTube Subscription Launch.
[line]3. FACEBOOK TO ADD BUTTON OPTION(S)
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing [/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: Speaking of change, Facebook users have, for years, complained that their only button option is “Like.” What if you DON’T LIKE? Or what if someone posts that their dog just died – you want to express sympathy, you want to let your friend know you care… but a LIKE button just doesn’t cut it. In a Facebook Q&A session at Menlo Park on September 15th, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg said, “Today is a special day… it’s the day we actually get to say, ‘We’re working on it and are very close to shipping a test of it.’” No, Facebook isn’t likely to come out with a DISLIKE button, but it is hoping to find a satisfactory way to show empathy and understanding. Question: How could an expanded Facebook button option (or options) affect Facebook marketing efforts? To view a recording of the session, go here: Mark Zuckerberg Live.
[line]4. WHAT’S THERE TO BLAB ABOUT?
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing [/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]SEO[/highlight]
Key Point: The big buzz online continues to focus on live-streaming video sessions via platforms like Periscope, Meerkat, and Blab. Many marketers have chosen to jump immediately on the bandwagon, while others are reluctant to invest time on something that could be just a flash in the pan. The big question, of course, is “Does video live-streaming offer enough potential ROI to make it worthwhile?” Rutgers professor, Mark Schaefer, organized a global panel to discuss “The business cases for Blab.” Says Schaefer, “[Blab is] the best social technology I have seen since Twitter.” The discussion includes comments from Michael Stelzner on “the financial power of Blab,” and panelists suggest how a marketer might include the platform in a strategic plan. You can view the proceedings right here: Why Blab Stands Out.
[line]5. ADWORDS TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF “CONVERSIONS”
Topics: [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: If your AdWords-generated conversions show a significant reduction in October, it may not mean the performance of your ads is diminishing. Google recently announced a move designed to give you more control over data. Here’s how that announcement was worded: “Starting mid-October 2015, you’ll be able to use the ‘Optimization’ setting for each of your conversion actions to determine whether their data should be included in ‘Conversions.’” For a discussion about the change and what it means to your AdWords settings, check this Search Engine Land article: AdWords and Conversions.
[line]6. GOOGLE ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCTS
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: Google saved a spot on Times Center Stage (Advertising Week) to announce the release of two new ways their AdWords platform can help you “be there and be relevant in those intent-rich moments that truly matter.” Customer Match will let you pinpoint prospects on your mailing list who are signed in online. That means you can show relevant ads to people already interested in your products or services. Another new tool, Universal App Campaigns, is a “one-stop-shop campaign type” that gives you added reach capabilities. Learn more about the new tools by checking out this Inside AdWords post: Google brings you closer.
[line]7. INSTAGRAM KEEPS ON GROWING
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]Social Media Marketing [/highlight] [highlight type=”dark”]Online Advertising[/highlight]
Key Point: Just nine months ago, Instagram crossed the 300 million users mark. According to the Instagram blog, though, that was just the beginning: the community has now grown to over 400 million. Moreover, only 25% of that growth came from within the USA – more than half are in Europe and Asia. Prime movers were Brazil, Japan, and Indonesia. The platform is hosting 80 million photo shares each day, and it’s now overshadowed only by Facebook in the number of active users per month. The news was received especially well by advertisers – given that Instagram is just now opening up to paid ads!
[line]8. PAGE SPEED OPTIMIZATION GUIDE
Topic: [highlight type=”dark”]SEO[/highlight]
Key Point: We’ll leave you this month with a primer on something that often gets overlooked: Page speed optimization. Yes, offsite SEO is crucial – but so is onsite SEO. Find out why speed is critical to your site, why it matters to the user, how conversion rate is affected, and what you can do about boosting site speed in the Ultimate Guide to Page Speed Optimization for WordPress. It’s from Seochat, and you can get it (free) right here: Get the Guide.
[line]
Congratulations! You’re all caught up on your digital marketing news and updates for the month! Tweet your excitement!
Here we go – on a fast train towards Black Friday and the shopping frenzy. How will the final quarter of 2015 shape up for you and your clients? Much of that depends on how well you apply the knowledge you’ve acquired… and on how well you can learn from the experience of others.
That’s if for this issue of Stukent’s News You Can Use. As always, let us know if you see something we missed or have additional insight on the topics we’ve covered. See you next month!
