Google’s Cardboard VR and the new Daydream View headsets offer very affordable options. The new Oculus Go announced by Facebook last week, which doesn’t require a PC or smartphone, will cost $199. The Daydream View, however, is $99 and comes in three colors. [Source: MARTECH TODAY]
Facebook has been working on new ways to expose users to more content, showing them more of what they like to keep them on platform longer, while also diversifying their content sources. One of their more recent attempts on this front was the addition of an ‘Explore’ feed for some users, which is essentially a secondary News Feed populated by content which is similar to that which you’ve previously interacted with. [Source: Social Media Today]
Google has updated the Google My Business API to add some support for creating and editing Google Posts. Google Posts is a feature that allows people and businesses to create content directly on Google that can appear highly ranked in Google search results for their names. [Source: Search Engine Land]
Facebook has started testing subscription support for instant articles. Facebook will start with two paywalled options for publishers to choose from. [Source: TechCrunch]
Twitter’s rolling out a way for advertisers to use video to get people to visit their websites. The company unveiled the Video Website Card, a new ad format that pairs an autoplay video with a website link. [Source: Marketing Land]
Instagram has announced an update to their call to action buttons on promoted posts, which will see Instagram ads become a little more subtle – a change that may help them push more ads into user feeds. [Source: Social Media Today]
In a bid to address the challenges faced by advertisers due to non-availability of sufficient digital technology for advertising, Adobe announced the release of the Adobe Advertising Cloud Mobile App, the industry’s first mobile app for cross-channel advertising campaign management to provide marketers with the tools they need to ensure performance and delivery wherever they are. [Source: ET Brand Equity]
Google’s been working to speed up mobile web experiences on several fronts, AMP being the most visible of these efforts. The company announced a change to the way it will handle tracking parameters appended to AdWords landing page URLs. [Source: Search Engine Land]
It looks like Facebook is considering barging in on LinkedIn’s turf. Facebook is currently trialing a resume feature, according to screenshots posted on social media – a move that would put it in direct competition with professional social network LinkedIn. [Source: Business Insider]
After adding search ads to their platform earlier this year, Pinterest is now making the option available to all businesses by adding search to their self-serve ad platform. [Source: Social Media Today]
Expert Opinion:
- Focus on customer success and retention strategies to stay ahead of the competition
Customer acquisition has been the primary focus of most companies for corporate expansion and growth for a long time. Lately, brands have started realizing the importance of customer success for improved retention and longevity of the business. A lot of brands have shifted their focus towards customer success and retention strategies to achieve maximum shareholder value and grow their businesses. According to a research conducted by Walker, the number of companies that decided to introduce dedicated customer success units went from less than 40% to almost 90% in the past year. Also, 90% of marketers in 2017 seem to agree on the fact that designing a successful customer journey and working at close quarters with customer success represents their top priority.
Leading brands are designing marketing strategies by leveraging big data to improve the overall customer relationship. According to a Bain & Co. study, great customer success programs combined with key account management can increase profitability substantially. It is imperative for brands to define customer retention strategies in order to flourish in today’s competitive world.
