For those of us who were in business in 2008 or during the dot-com bubble burst, we can vividly recall the economic downturn and the challenges faced by businesses at a macro level and the hardships faced by individuals at a micro level.
This time, it’s different. The Coronavirus is like nothing we’ve seen before. Economic downturns usually creep up on the economy over a period of time. You can see them in your rearview mirror and map out a preparedness action plan. They don’t shut down businesses, supply chains, countries, or the world, for that matter, in a period of weeks.
In 2008, our agency was fortunate enough to have a number of clients that weren’t significantly impacted by the recession and we were expanding our business development team. We posted ads and were amazed at the range of candidates who applied for the positions including lawyers, engineers, a couple of pilots and even a priest. The impact of the slowdown was painfully obvious. Many candidates had no experience in marketing, no background in advertising and a large majority had limited knowledge of the digital landscape. But they needed to work and we were hiring.
Throughout the 18 months of that recession, we had to make some tough decisions when it came to certain client accounts but we had time to make those decisions because the economic crisis rolled in like the build-up of high tide. This is a tsunami.
Over the past few weeks, our agency has noticed a significant increase in email and solicitation requests. We are hearing from people who have been out of touch for years inquiring to see if there is anything they can do for us; any business we can send their way, any services they can provide? We have been inundated with invitations to join webinars, download ebooks with statistics about the impact of the Coronavirus on marketers, and invitations to take advantage of deep discount offers for products we haven’t used in years.
This is fully understandable. It’s about survival. Most of the webinars we have joined are more about the presenter staying engaged and keeping top of mind with their community than it is about a new idea or product. But these people are taking initiative and looking for ways to innovate and remain relevant.
For marketers, and agencies, in particular, the reality is that not every business is going to come out on the other side of the tunnel. Most of you are already experiencing the impact of this global event with clients cutting budgets or closing operations. For many of these companies, marketing costs are among the first and easiest expenditures to reduce or eliminate.
As marketers, there is one very specific responsibility we have to our clients at this time: honesty. Our agency does a lot of work with ecommerce companies and, on average, we are currently receiving at least half a dozen emails every day from various service providers claiming there is a ‘huge uptick’ in online traffic and orders for everything from beauty products to fashion. Now, they claim, would be a great time to consider expanding, not contracting our marketing campaigns.
That might be true in very specific verticals for certain products (anyone have some extra toilet paper they need to unload?) but asking our clients to embark on campaigns as a result of misleading data would be a disservice to both the client and ourselves.
As marketers, we have a responsibility to clearly understand the current environment and the ability to analyze the expected ROAS, especially at a time like this. Sure, if you are fortunate to have clients who continue to operate during the Coronavirus outbreak it may be easier to counsel them to invest in content and advertising but know when to emphatically say no.
This is a hard course to follow because for many agencies, especially smaller boutiques, saying no to revenues even in normal times goes against our natural instinct as business owners. But these aren’t normal times. Your long-term vision for the future or even your short-term plan for survival must include a strategy for maintaining the relationships you have built, and that’s why you need to be brutally honest with your clients.
At the same time, guide your clients through these challenges. If part of your digital program involves PPC and Facebook ads, analyze if these are appropriate or if they are even relevant right now. If not, help your client find alternatives. But if the data says the investment is unwise, we have a responsibility as marketers to advise the client accordingly.
However, saying no to one initiative does not mean saying no to everything. Earlier in this post, I talked about webinars and how many presenters are trying to stay top of mind. Perhaps your client needs to pivot their current program to one of awareness and support. Granted, this may mean a lot less revenue for your agency but it offers your client an alternative to going cold.
We’re all in this boat together and we all have a common goal of getting back on track safe and sound. If you are an agency advising a client and you hope to build meaningful, long term loyalty with those that survive these extraordinary events, be honest with them and focus on solutions. You’ll both be grateful that you did.
Daily Minute Master Series – April 14, 2020
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
Report: The Impact of COVID-19 on Social Media Marketing
Revealing crucial insights into the changes and developments of behavior for both brands and users, Socialbakers’ State of Social Media Report: The Impact of COVID-19 shows how the marketing landscape has changed due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. The report details key data behind both organic and paid performance, including the evolution of engagement and changes in ad spend and cost per click in global regions as well as industries. Socialbakers data also highlights fan and audience behavior and brand communication about coronavirus during these critical times.
For the full article click here
Instagram Live Streams Can Now Be Viewed on the Web
After rolling out access to Direct messages via the web last week, Instagram is now also giving users the option to view Instagram Live broadcasts on desktop PCs, which comes with a new, less intrusive format, and URLs to cross-promote your streams.
For the full article click here
Twitter Provides Effective Poll Tips in Its Latest ‘Good Copy, Bad Copy’ Update
Twitter’s Global Creative Lead Joe Wadlington is back with another ‘Good Copy, Bad Copy’ Twitter tips video, this time looking at Twitter polls, and how to make best use of the option to improve your strategic approach.
For the full article click here
Marketing
COVID-19 Crisis & Recovery: 5 Key SEO Tactics to Focus On
COVID-19 has disrupted our world like nothing we have seen before. The response requires some reflection, planning, and aggressive execution. Milestone Inc. has developed and begun implementing the COVID-19 Crisis-Recovery-Growth strategy and shared it with the community through a Search Engine Journal webinar I moderated on April 8. Milestone’s CEO Anil Aggarwal and VP of Marketing Erik Newton discussed insights on how to overcome the business impact of COVID-19 with the help of SEO tactics.
For the full article click here
Are Influencers the Escape Social Media Wants During Coronavirus?
Influencers, too, are navigating the coronavirus’ new norm. Self-quarantining during COVID-19 has caused some, especially those in the travel industry, to take a bigger hit than others. Those who usually work from home have had to make less of an adjustment, though booking paid partnerships is a struggle industry-wide. As a result, many influencers are getting creative with their social strategies. Those who are multiplatform and have more than one revenue stream are coming out on top.
For the full article click here
Google Explains How to Remove Pages for SEO
On an office hours hangout, Google’s John Mueller discussed a common mistake publishers make when removing content for SEO. He then focused on the best way to remove content for more traffic.
For the full article click here
A Marketer’s Responsibility During Time of Crisis
/by Stephen PadveenFor those of us who were in business in 2008 or during the dot-com bubble burst, we can vividly recall the economic downturn and the challenges faced by businesses at a macro level and the hardships faced by individuals at a micro level.
This time, it’s different. The Coronavirus is like nothing we’ve seen before. Economic downturns usually creep up on the economy over a period of time. You can see them in your rearview mirror and map out a preparedness action plan. They don’t shut down businesses, supply chains, countries, or the world, for that matter, in a period of weeks.
In 2008, our agency was fortunate enough to have a number of clients that weren’t significantly impacted by the recession and we were expanding our business development team. We posted ads and were amazed at the range of candidates who applied for the positions including lawyers, engineers, a couple of pilots and even a priest. The impact of the slowdown was painfully obvious. Many candidates had no experience in marketing, no background in advertising and a large majority had limited knowledge of the digital landscape. But they needed to work and we were hiring.
Throughout the 18 months of that recession, we had to make some tough decisions when it came to certain client accounts but we had time to make those decisions because the economic crisis rolled in like the build-up of high tide. This is a tsunami.
Over the past few weeks, our agency has noticed a significant increase in email and solicitation requests. We are hearing from people who have been out of touch for years inquiring to see if there is anything they can do for us; any business we can send their way, any services they can provide? We have been inundated with invitations to join webinars, download ebooks with statistics about the impact of the Coronavirus on marketers, and invitations to take advantage of deep discount offers for products we haven’t used in years.
This is fully understandable. It’s about survival. Most of the webinars we have joined are more about the presenter staying engaged and keeping top of mind with their community than it is about a new idea or product. But these people are taking initiative and looking for ways to innovate and remain relevant.
For marketers, and agencies, in particular, the reality is that not every business is going to come out on the other side of the tunnel. Most of you are already experiencing the impact of this global event with clients cutting budgets or closing operations. For many of these companies, marketing costs are among the first and easiest expenditures to reduce or eliminate.
As marketers, there is one very specific responsibility we have to our clients at this time: honesty. Our agency does a lot of work with ecommerce companies and, on average, we are currently receiving at least half a dozen emails every day from various service providers claiming there is a ‘huge uptick’ in online traffic and orders for everything from beauty products to fashion. Now, they claim, would be a great time to consider expanding, not contracting our marketing campaigns.
That might be true in very specific verticals for certain products (anyone have some extra toilet paper they need to unload?) but asking our clients to embark on campaigns as a result of misleading data would be a disservice to both the client and ourselves.
As marketers, we have a responsibility to clearly understand the current environment and the ability to analyze the expected ROAS, especially at a time like this. Sure, if you are fortunate to have clients who continue to operate during the Coronavirus outbreak it may be easier to counsel them to invest in content and advertising but know when to emphatically say no.
This is a hard course to follow because for many agencies, especially smaller boutiques, saying no to revenues even in normal times goes against our natural instinct as business owners. But these aren’t normal times. Your long-term vision for the future or even your short-term plan for survival must include a strategy for maintaining the relationships you have built, and that’s why you need to be brutally honest with your clients.
At the same time, guide your clients through these challenges. If part of your digital program involves PPC and Facebook ads, analyze if these are appropriate or if they are even relevant right now. If not, help your client find alternatives. But if the data says the investment is unwise, we have a responsibility as marketers to advise the client accordingly.
However, saying no to one initiative does not mean saying no to everything. Earlier in this post, I talked about webinars and how many presenters are trying to stay top of mind. Perhaps your client needs to pivot their current program to one of awareness and support. Granted, this may mean a lot less revenue for your agency but it offers your client an alternative to going cold.
We’re all in this boat together and we all have a common goal of getting back on track safe and sound. If you are an agency advising a client and you hope to build meaningful, long term loyalty with those that survive these extraordinary events, be honest with them and focus on solutions. You’ll both be grateful that you did.
Daily Minute Master Series – April 10, 2020
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
TikTok Pledges $250 Million to Support Various Groups Impacted by COVID-19
Rising video app TikTok has announced a new $250 million donation to assist frontline workers combating COVID-19, which comes in addition to the app’s $10 million donation to the World Health Organization, which it announced last month.
For the full article click here
Facebook Adds New ‘Quiet Mode’ to Help Manage Time Spent in the App
With people spending more time on social platforms amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, Facebook has added a new ‘Quiet Mode’ option to help better manage and control your Facebook usage, while it’s also revamped its ‘Your Time on Facebook’ listings in order to provide users with more information as to how, exactly, they’re spending their time in the app.
For the full article click here
Twitter Updates Data Sharing Policy, Which Will See More User Data Provided for Advertising Purposes
In more recent times, social apps have been working to give users more control over their data, but in this instance, Twitter says that its taking control away. What’s the deal with that? The specific detail data that Twitter’s looking to utilize here is information like the ads that you’ve seen in the app, and the unique ID of your device. Twitter provides this data to other ad platforms in order to help optimize ad performance.
For the full article click here
Marketing
Google My Business tells businesses affected by the coronavirus to update listings
Google is asking businesses to update its Google My Business listings if the business is affected by COVID-19. Google posted a new help document describing that businesses can update their business hours, phone numbers, business descriptions and/or use Google Posts to share more information.
For the full article click here
8 Trends That Will Shape the Future of PPC Marketing
If you are serious about getting more benefits out of PPC marketing in the future, you need to keep up with the trends that will shape the industry. Missing out even a small trend could lead to potential losses. If you have not been keeping up with pay-per-click and what is to come in the next few years, this article should be a good reference to get the information. Make sure to continue reading.
For the full article click here
Google Answers: Is It OK to Link to My Own Guest Post?
Is it acceptable for authors to link to their guest posts? That’s one question asked of Google Webmaster Trends Analyst John Mueller during a Webmaster Central hangout held April 9. The question was submitted by a site owner who contributes a modest amount of unique content to other sites within the same niche. They were concerned that linking to those posts from their own site would have a negative impact on SEO.
For the full article click here
Google’s Best Practices for the URL Structure of AMP Pages
Google’s John Mueller recently explained the do’s and don’ts of choosing a URL structure for AMP pages. This was explained during a Google Webmaster Central hangout held on April 9. Mueller answered a question about whether Google prefers a certain type of URL structure when it comes to AMP pages.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 9, 2020
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
Instagram Launches New ‘I Stay Home For’ Sticker to Promote COVID-19 Containment Efforts
With the rising popularity of Instagram Stories, and the propensity for people to add stickers and effects to their Stories frames, Instagram’s cause-based stickers must be having some impact. This week, Instagram has launched a new cause sticker for Stories which aims to highlight the importance of social distancing, and staying home to limit the spread of COVID-19.
For the full article click here
Instagram is Partnering With Netflix on a New Self Care Series for Young Adults
Among the wide-ranging consequences of the COVID-19 lockdowns, one element that will become more significant as time goes on is the mental health impact, and in particular, how young people in their formative years are being restricted and/or limited by the lack of social contact. Of course, social contact is important for everyone, but young adults are at a stage where they’re learning who they are, and the social connections and experiences that they have are a big part of that. And while they can replicate some level of connection via video apps, it’s not the same. And it’s something that could lead to bigger problems, and will need to be addressed.
For the full article click here
YouTube Officially Lifts Monetization Ban on COVID-19 Content
YouTube has lifted the monetization ban on content that is either about, or references, COVID-19. Although some exceptions apply. The monetization ban had already been lifted for a limited number of channels, but now the change has been rolled out throughout the platform.
For the full article click here
New Study Shows Celebrities Are Key Distributors of COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media
In a discovery that’s both unsurprising, yet informative in the same way, a new report from Reuters Institute has found that celebrities and politicians have played a key role in spreading COVID-19 misinformation on social media, even though their relative share in the discussion is very small, compared to overall conversation. The Reuters team studied 225 social media posts that were published between January and March, and have been rated as either ‘false’ or ‘misleading’ by fact-checkers. Based on this dataset, the researchers sought to discover how misinformation is spreading on social, what types of misinformation are being shared, and how the platforms themselves are responding.
For the full article click here
Marketing
Zoom Accused of Misrepresenting Security Measures in New Lawsuit
Following extensive reporting on egregious security failures, video conferencing company Zoom is now being sued by a shareholder over allegations of fraud and overstating the security protocols in place on its service. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, plaintiff Michael Drieu—on behalf of individuals who purchased Zoom securities after the company went public last year—accuses the company of making “materially false and misleading statements” about its product and failing to disclose key information about the service.
For the full article click here
Zoom Announces Security Council to Improve Data Collection and Sharing Processes
Zoom, the multi-participant video meeting app that has seen massive growth amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, has this week announced the formation of its new information security officer council, and the appointment of former Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos as an advisor, as it seeks to address concerns with its data collection and sharing systems. Zoom, which facilitates video meetings of up to 100 participants, for free (for up to 40 minutes), has proven to be a great solution to address a sudden need for social connection in the market. That’s lead to explosive growth – the app went from 10 million users in December, to 200 million in March.
For the full article click here
Google Delays Launch of New Partners Program to 2021
In light of the rapidly changing events around COVID-19, Google Ads sent an announcement they are suspending the planned changes to their Partners program until 2021.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 8, 2020
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
WhatsApp Implements New Restrictions on Message Forwarding to Limit the Spread of Misinformation
WhatsApp has announced a new restriction on message forwarding as it seeks to combat the rise of misinformation campaigns flowing through the app.
For the full article click here
Facebook Adds New Tools for Groups to Help Ensure Members Are Getting Accurate COVID-19 Information
Facebook has announced a new set of tools for groups related to COVID-19, which aim to provide links to accurate, timely information about the pandemic, and help to ensure that members are aware of the latest updates and changes.
For the full article click here
Pinterest Adds a New ‘Shopping’ Tab to Search Results
Pinterest is expanding its shopping capabilities with upgrades to existing features and new shopping tabs throughout the platform. Pinterest is introducing new ways to shop from pins, on pin boards, and in search results.
For the full article click here
Facebook Lets Businesses Show Temporary Service Changes on Their Facebook Pages
Businesses making temporary changes to their usual services can now prominently display those changes on their Facebook page. If a customer visits the Facebook page of their favorite restaurant, for example, they can quickly see if it’s still offering delivery and/or pickup service. If a business is simply closed for the time being, with no services being offered, that can be indicated as well. This capability is being added in response businesses being forced to close due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
For the full article click here
A Guide to Social Media Image Sizes in 2020
Social media. It’s entertaining, controversial, and widespread. It’s an undeniable part of the modern lifestyle. But social media isn’t only about fascinating vacation photos, late-night chats with your BFFL, and funny GIFs. It’s also a huge business platform. With 3.8 billion users, it’s the perfect place to reach out to your prospects and audience. That is, if you do it right.
For the full article click here
Marketing
Zoom is facing questions about how private or secure it really is
Video-conferencing platform Zoom claims it uses end-to-end encryption, but it is still able to access video and audio from meetings hosted on its app, The Intercept reported yesterday. On the same day, Vice revealed that Zoom is leaking thousands of users’ email addresses and photos, and letting strangers try to initiate calls with each other. That’s because users with the same domain name in their email address are being grouped together as if they work for the same company. Zoom told Vice that it has now blacklisted these domains.
For the full article click here
How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Impacted the Travel Industry
If you manage or direct SEO, PPC, content marketing, or social media marketing for an organization in the travel industry, then you already know how hard hotels, airlines, cruise lines, tourism destinations, and online travel agencies (OTAs) have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
For the full article click here
Running a Small Digital Agency During COVID-19: 4 Valuable Tips
“As an agency owner or manager, these are extraordinary times. We are all desperately trying to figure things out in this era of COVID-19, just like you. What follows are four tips on managing a digital agency in the current crisis I hope these thoughts prove helpful to you. I will also share some resources I’ve run across at the end of the article.”
For the full article click here
Google’s Mueller Calls Web 2.0 Style Links Spammy
In a recent Webmaster Office Hours Hangout, John Mueller, Google Webmaster Trends Analyst, was asked about links from free posting sites. The technique of getting links from sites like Tumblr, classified sites, linking to your own profile in Alexa and other places that give links from profiles is called Web 2.0 Link Building. Mueller didn’t specifically say the phrase Web 2.0 Link Building but the question and answers were specifically about the Web 2.0 link strategy.
For the full article click here
Google Explains What’s Important For Top Rankings
In a Google After Hours Office Hangout Google’s John Mueller answered a question about links and rankings. Along the way he demonstrated that sometimes what we think we know about SEO isn’t entirely correct. He then offered advice on how to fight for the top rankings.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 7, 2020
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
Digital Data Tracking and Privacy: The Future Implications of COVID-19
YouTube has confirmed that it will reduce the recommendation and distribution of videos which promote conspiracy theories that link the spread of COVID-19 to 5G technology. This comes after a spate of attacks on cell phone towers in some regions – according to The Guardian in the UK, signal towers in Birmingham, Merseyside and Belfast were set on fire in the last week, in attacks that have been linked to the rising theory. Mobile carrier workers have also reportedly been subjected to abuse due to concerns about 5Gs role in the pandemic.
For the full article click here
Facebook Is Testing a Large ‘F’ Button in the Middle of Its Lower Function Bar
Facebook has this week expanded its test of a prominent ‘F’ button right in the middle of the lower function bar in the app, which shrinks when tapped and links to the main menu options listing.
For the full article click here
Twitter Will Now Allow Some Brands to Make Reference to COVID-19 in Ads
After announcing a ban on all ads which mention “coronavirus” or “COVID-19” last month, Twitter has now revised its stance in order to enable some advertisers to mention the virus in selected promotions, based on utility.
For the full article click here
Facebook Messenger Launches Desktop App With Unlimited and Free Group Video Calls
Facebook has launched the very first standalone Messenger app for desktop, available now on Windows and macOS. Audio and video calling via Messenger on a desktop browser has grown 100% in the past month, Facebook reveals in an announcement. The company quickly responded to the increased demand with the launch of a dedicated desktop app.
For the full article click here
Marketing
9 free online courses to elevate your digital marketing and leadership skills
With the coronavirus spreading across the world and many working from home, people might find themselves organizing their time in different ways. As we adjust to new ways of working, online education can play a part in helping us learn new skills or how to work more effectively.
For the full article click here
Amazon Removes Third-Party Vendors From Its Affiliate Program
Amazon has removed third-party vendors from its affiliate program. Starting at the beginning of this month, affiliate networks such as Skimlinks, Sovrn (which acquired VigLink) and CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction) can no longer send traffic to Amazon and get a cut of transactions, according to sources at many affiliate networks and publishers.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 6, 2020
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
YouTube Moves to Restrict Videos About COVID-19/5G Conspiracy Theory
Over the past few weeks, both Google and Facebook have begun sharing location-tracking information with various authorities around the world in order to help them plan their COVID-19 containment strategies, and better ensure that they’re addressing key areas of concern. The data provided is anonymized and aggregated, so there are no personally identifying markers. But the data does track people’s movements – for example, Google’s Mobility Reports, which it’s made available for 131 countries and regions, show foot traffic trends at different locations over time.
For the full article click here
10 Tools to Help You Generate More Engaging Content Ideas for Your Blog [Infographic]
Are you struggling to come up with new content ideas? Need help creating engaging content to share with your readers and followers? The team from Red Website Design shares 10 tools to help generate blog content ideas in this infographic.
For the full article click here
A guide to hosting virtual events on YouTube
In this moment, where business as usual is anything but, more and more businesses are being forced to reconsider their events strategy. The possibilities that technology affords us today mean that digital events, whether video on demand or live stream, are a readily available option. If you’ve decided that hosting a virtual event is the way to go, below is a downloadable guide you can use for making videos and hosting events on YouTube, complete with links to many more resources and video tutorials.
For the full article click here
Marketing
Google May Be Forced to Reveal its Search Algorithm to an SEO
Google is involved in a lawsuit that has the potential to result in the company revealing its long-guarded algorithm secrets. As part of the lawsuit, Google has been given an ultimatum by UK courts to either withdraw evidence to its defence or disclose the details of its search algorithm. Not only would Google have to hand over the details of its algorithm, it would have to hand them over to a working SEO consultant.
For the full article click here
How to Spot SEO Myths: 7 Common SEO Myths, Debunked
There’s a lot of advice going around about SEO. Some of it is very helpful, some of it will lead you astray if acted on. The difficulty is knowing which is which. It can be hard to identify what advice is accurate and based on fact, and what is just regurgitated from misquoted articles, or poorly understood Google statements. SEO myths abound. You’ll hear them in the strangest places. A client will tell you with confidence how they are suffering from a duplicate content penalty. Your boss will chastise you for not keeping your page titles to 60 characters. Sometimes the myths are obviously fake. Other times they can be harder to detect.
For the full article click here
Coronavirus: How Google is helping
As CEO Sundar Pichai wrote on Friday, COVID-19 is affecting our communities in different ways. Many in Europe and the Americas are just now beginning to experience what people in Asia have been confronting for weeks, he noted. We’re operating in an increasingly dynamic market. People around the world are looking for helpful advice and accurate information. For example, searches for “travel advice” or “flight status” are rising. Google has also seen people’s searches shift to immediate needs.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 3, 2020
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
Facebook Adds Gift Card Discovery Tool, Service Impact Listings to Help Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
Facebook is rolling out some new measures to assist businesses dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 shutdowns, including more specific detail on its $100 million small business grant program, and new tools that will enable people to support local providers. First off, on grants – last month, Facebook announced a $100 million grants program with the aim of assisting 30,000 SMBs in 30 nations.
For the full article click here
Twitter Updates Explore, Making its Listings More Location-Specific
Twitter has announced a new update for its Explore tab which will make all of the listed tweets in Explore more location-specific. That means that when you head to your Explore listing, all of the content – including Trends, ‘What’s Happening’ and the topic listings – will all be more aligned with the location that you choose.
For the full article click here
Marketing
Why Google Search Console & Google Analytics Data Never Matches
A common complaint about Google Search Console (GSC) is that the data is “inaccurate” when compared to Google Analytics results. You know the situation. We’ve all done it. You try to line up traffic to landing pages from analytics with clicks from Google Search Console and the numbers are nowhere near close! Then you mumble something about “not provided” and send an instant message to a friend about the good old days when you could see keywords in your analytics. While it is a question of precision, it’s not a question of accuracy per se. That data disparity is actually by design.
For the full article click here
Google’s Mueller on Indexing of Hidden Tab Content
In a Google Office Hours hangout Google’s John Mueller corrected a lingering misperception about content hidden behind tags and accordions. Specifically, he busted the myth that Google weights or values content that’s hidden behind accordions and tabs.
For the full article click here
Video Meeting App Zoom Vows to Focus on Improving Security Amid Massive User Growth
If you hadn’t heard of Zoom before March 2020, no doubt you have by now. The multi-participant video meeting app has seen a massive surge in usage amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, with everyone from teachers to celebrities using the platform to connect with their respective audiences, and maintain some level of social engagement.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 2, 2020
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
YouTube is Working on a TikTok-Like Tool to Fend Off Rising Video Competition
Replication is normally Facebook’s key mitigation tactic, but increasingly, YouTube is also looking to “borrow” inspiration from its rivals in order to fend off competition, and maximize its market share within the video space. This week, The Information has reported that YouTube is working on a TikTok-like function called ‘Shorts’, which would essentially facilitate the same operations as TikTok within the YouTube app.
For the full article click here
LinkedIn Provides Free Mindfulness Courses on LinkedIn Learning to Help People Deal with the COVID-19 Lockdowns
After announcing last month that it would be making a range of LinkedIn Learning courses available for free in order to assist those dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, LinkedIn has this week outlined six now free courses which can provide mental health and mindfulness guidance for those working to adjust to their new work/life balance.
For the full article click here
Marketing
How to Get Your Brand in Google’s Knowledge Graph Without a Wikipedia Page
There is no longer any need to create a Wikipedia page to get a knowledge panel for a brand. You can get into the Knowledge Graph (and trigger a knowledge panel on your Brand SERP) without Wikipedia. And that is wonderful news for us all. The question is how?
For the full article click here
Google Ads Pulls Plug on Dedicated Support for Many Premier Partners Starting April 1
Some Google Premier agencies began receiving a surprise message yesterday: they will no longer have dedicated contacts for their accounts.
For the full article click here
Inside Google Marketing: 5 principles guiding our media teams in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak
To say it’s a unique time in the world is an understatement. As we all collectively grapple with what this global pandemic means for us — as humans first, but also as professionals — there are often more questions than answers. There is no playbook for times like these.
For the full article click here
3 ways retailers can help shoppers during the coronavirus outbreak
As communities around the world respond to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, we know that this time presents unique challenges for retailers of all sizes and the people they assist. It’s more important than ever to be there for shoppers in the most helpful ways — whether it’s letting your customers know a product is back in stock, providing information on how you’re taking precautions to ensure safety, or sharing an update on how your business and employees are adapting.
For the full article click here
Daily Minute Master Series – April 1, 2020
/by Corey PadveenSocial Media
Facebook Publishes New Guides to Help Businesses Deal With the Impacts of COVID-19
It feels like such a long time ago that Facebook was providing guidance for businesses impacted by major bushfires across Australia, and now, The Social Network has published a new set of guides to help businesses dealing with the latest major event – the COVID-19 pandemic, which has effectively shut down the majority of the world.
For the full article click here
Facebook Adds New Tools for Facebook Live Amid Rising Demand and Usage
Earlier this week, Facebook reported that it’s seeing record high levels of demand for its services amid the rolling COVID-19 lockdowns across the globe. Messaging activity is up 50% across Messenger and WhatsApp, while the use of live video on Messenger is up 70%. Another area where Facebook has seen a major increase in interest is Facebook Live. According to the head of Facebook’s main app Fidji Simo, the number of people in the US watching live-streams via Facebook Live has also risen by 50% since January.
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5 Ways to Use Social Media to Inform Your Keyword Research
In the past, the difference between SEO and social was fairly stark. When people search on Google or another search engine, they’re actively looking for answers or solutions to their problems. But when scrolling through social, any post your business adds is potentially just passively reaching users. It’s something presented to them as they’re already doing whatever else they came to that platform to do. However, more people than ever are searching actively on social media now with hashtags and trending topics – and when they do they don’t just want an answer – they want a conversation. Not only does this mean more opportunity for marketers to learn about our target audiences straight from their own experiences.
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Social Media Use Surges: How Marketers Should Respond
On this week’s Social Media Marketing Talk Show, guests explore what global spikes in social media usage mean for marketing strategies and LinkedIn’s new conversation ads format with guests, Tara Zirker and AJ Wilcox.
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Marketing
Google Pledges $800 Million to COVID-19 Relief and Support Efforts
While tech companies work to keep their systems up and running, and adapt to massive increases in demand for their services amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, they’ve also been looking to help raise funds, and donate to relevant causes where they can. And this week, Google has announced its latest contribution, committing a donation package valued at $800 million, which will be put to towards a range of charities and support initiatives to help lessen the impacts of the pandemic.
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How to stay on top of market trends in a dynamic environment
In the past month, searches for “how to make hand sanitizer” have grown by 4,950% worldwide. Meanwhile, there has been a 600% increase in searches for “can you get coronavirus twice.” And searches for “grocery delivery service near me” have gone up 200% globally. In this dynamic environment, people’s needs are changing constantly. To keep up with shifting behaviors, consider Google Trends, a free tool that provides access to actual search requests across Google Search, YouTube, Shopping, and Images. By entering a keyword or a topic, you can explore what the world is searching for in near real-time.
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4 Tips to Build a Strong SEO Program During COVID-19
Search is a proxy for consumer intent and behavior, and the COVID-19 crisis is having a dramatic impact on search behavior, consumer mobility, media consumption habits, supply chains, and budgets. With these changing circumstances, businesses need to adjust their next marketing campaigns to alleviate risk strategically.
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Inside Google Marketing: 5 principles guiding our media teams in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak
To say it’s a unique time in the world is an understatement. As we all collectively grapple with what this global pandemic means for us — as humans first, but also as professionals — there are often more questions than answers. There is no playbook for times like these, but a crisis can provide clarity.
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