Daily Minute Master Series – May 15, 2019

Social Media

Facebook’s Developing New Link and Mention Stickers for Facebook Stories

According to reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong, within Facebook’s back end code, there are in-development options for both link and mention stickers for Facebook Stories, unreleased, and unannounced as yet, but very likely to be coming soon. The main option of interest is the ability to add referral links. At present, the capacity to post links to Facebook Stories is available to some users, but access is very limited. If Facebook were to provide another way for brands to post links to their Stories, that would certainly spark more interest in the option. In addition, the mention sticker would enable you to tag other Facebook users in your Facebook Story – the same as you can on Instagram. The option will give you more ways to raise awareness of your Stories content – while for brands, it’ll provide another way to boost engagement with your audience.

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Facebook Outlines Coming Changes to Data Tracking Capacity

The Clear History tool, announced in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, will give Facebook users more control over their personal data, and how it’s used for ad targeting, with the capacity to view which apps and websites are using Facebook tracking, and clear that information from your profile, if you so wish. There will be changes to audience tracking. The most pressing point for marketers in the announcement is this: “This feature may impact targeting – When someone disconnects their off-Facebook activity, we won’t use the data they clear for targeting. This means that targeting options powered by Facebook’s business tools, like the Facebook pixel, can’t be used to reach someone with ads.” That, potentially, could be a significant blow for marketers, with the capacity to build accurate audiences for ad targeting diminished if a significant amount of users opt to remove data tracking. Data tracking will be impacted to some degree, but it’s unlikely to become a useless option, Custom Audiences are still probably going to be a key targeting tool for Facebook ads.

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Marketing

Google brings personalized Shopping, local inventory and better checkout to U.S.

To lure consumers from Amazon Google is upping the ante on personalization. It’s also emphasizing omnichannel shopping. Consumers will see shopping recommendations based on their shopping histories, search histories and lists. No two Shopping home screens will look alike. Users will also be able to buy online or locally, with buy online, pick up in store if that’s supported by the retailer. Another strategic move by Google is to handle the transaction and enable users to pay using cards in their Google accounts. This removes significant checkout friction and normalizes the Google Shopping experience.  After today, all merchants will need to adopt Shopping Actions. That will be the key going forward to retail advertising on Google and its various properties. It’s also noteworthy that Shopping Actions is commission-based and not a CPC model. Revenue share varies by category, as it does with Amazon.

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Advertising

Google’s Smart Shopping Campaigns Can Be Optimized for In-Store Visits

Google will soon allow retailers to optimize Smart Shopping Campaigns for store visits and display their local inventory information. Smart Shopping campaigns were introduced last year as a new advertising product that uses machine learning to optimize for performance as well as ad placement. Today, Smart Shopping campaigns let retailers optimize for online conversions. Soon, they will also help retailers drive store visits. Google is working on a way for retailers to drive store visits with local inventory ads. Google is making it possible to offer ‘buy-online, pick-up in-store’ service through Shopping ads. To utilize this capability, retailers will need product landing pages on their site showing when in-store pick-up is available and a local inventory feed in Merchant Center.

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