Google updated their search quality raters guidelines PDF document a few days ago. The core change is the new guidelines around non-English language pages. [Source: Search Engine Land]
The Interactive Advertising Bureau has released the final version of new standard ad units that incorporate the industry group’s LEAN guidelines for lightweight ads as well as the Coalition for Better Ads’ set of ad guidelines developed in response to the use of ad blockers. [Source: MARTECH TODAY]
Facebook has announced another News Feed algorithm update, this time focused on reducing the reach of websites which are not optimized for mobile devices. [Source: Social Media Today]
Facebook plans to let brands target ads to people who RSVPed to events posted by a brand’s Page. The event-based targeting will be a new option within Facebook’s Custom Audiences ad-targeting product, which originated as a way for brands to convert their existing customer bases into an audience to target on Facebook and has expanded to doing the same for brands’ followings on Facebook and Instagram. [Source: Marketing Land]
Google will reportedly debut a built-in ad blocking feature for its Chrome browser next year, and now we have the first concrete look at this addition to the web navigation software in action. [Source: TechCrunch]
Snapchat rolled out a program to allow third-party measurement firms to track its ads’ impact on a brand’s sales and to include that data in the dashboards that marketers use to evaluate where they’re spending their money and, of those places, where they’re getting the best bang for their bucks. [Source: Marketing Land]
Google just introduced its latest advanced API integration for AdWords Scripts: Google Slides. That means you can now programmatically connect AdWords with Google Slides. [Source: Search Engine Land]
It took a little more than a week, but effectively, this is what Instagram has done. They did release a tool called ‘Eraser Brush’ a few days later (though not the same functionality as Snapchat’s tool), and now, on the one year anniversary of the release of Instagram Stories, they’ve reported that users under the age of 25 are spending 32 minutes per day in the app, up from 21 minutes per day at last official report. [Source: Social Media Today]
Facebook is working on an Echo Show competitor and possibly on a second device, a smart speaker to compete with similar units from Amazon, Google and Apple. [Source: MARTECH TODAY]
Users searching for products on Google Image search will now notice that sometimes images appearing at the top of the results are labeled with a “Product”. This is part of the new badge markup Google introduced earlier this week. [Source: Search Engine Land]
Expert Opinion:
1. Why brands should focus on improving mobile consumer experience?
Off late, digital user experience has become the need of the hour for brands. Consumers want everything quick and instant. Thus, providing the best digital experience becomes a key differentiator for brands to maintain brand loyalty and improve the overall brand image.
With newer technologies and increased penetration of mobile devices across markets, marketers need to be on their toes by coming up with innovative ways to provide a delightful experience to their customers every time they interact with a brand. The latest report by Google suggests that 89% of users are likely to recommend a brand after a positive experience on mobile. Customers are highly demanding on mobile, and organisations need to invest a lot to match up with the service and experience demands. Companies need to provide highly customizable mobile experiences based on individual likes and dislikes.
Also, with the increase in the usage of smartphones and the decreasing cost of data, mobile has become the preferred medium for users to connect with brands for their needs.
Some simple and efficient ways to provide a seamless experience to the customers on mobile are:
– To prioritize customer relationship and integrate their insights into all the processes followed by a brand
– To understand your customers well by analyzing the data available and the logic behind why a particular customer prefers a particular route and continuously improving on the problem areas
– To adopt a customer-centric approach across all the departments in the organisation so that all the functions work towards providing the best of the best experience to the end users
As per the latest mobility report published by Ericsson, there will be 6.1 billion smartphone users globally by 2020. Also, nowadays customers have more choices than ever. It is vital for brands to be at the top of their game and provide a superior experience to the mobile users.
– Aniruddha Dange, President – Chief Strategy Officer, IIFL (India Infoline Group)
