Industry Focus for Friday, February 10, 2023
What can your digital marketing strategy do for your business?
It’s a similar question that we ask ourselves as we put together totally custom plans for our clients. What we include in those plans depends on what our industry has to offer at any given moment. And lately, even more platform features and apps are joining the ranks of digital marketing tools.
Those new tools took over our team’s industry trend discussions this week as we asked how we can put them to use as we help our clients reach their business goals – the core of our agency’s mission. Here are a few we found most interesting.
“Twitter’s Considering Charging Brands $1,000 Per Month for its New Gold Checkmark,” by Andrew Hutchinson in Social Media Today
Perhaps what is the most divisive major social media platform, Twitter continues to toss out ideas for what could come next. Most recently, it’s a gold check mark that allows brands to verify themselves on the platform – for a cost of $1,000 per month. Then, brands can verify their own staff for an additional $50 per employee added. Twitter leadership communicated pricing to brand partners last week; the offer was confirmed through Twitter internal communications. Does our agency think this is a smart social media investment or a viable digital marketing strategy? No. Absolutely not.
-Submitted by Brandon Tietz, Senior Copywriter
“Instagram’s Founders Return with a New Social App,” by Andrew Hutchinson in Social Media Today
The folks who brought us the most popular photo-sharing app have come up with a new social media idea. They’re calling it “Artifact,” and it’s designed to provide a curated news experience based on users’ engagement and interests. Users can tap on articles that interest them, and the app will serve similar posts and stories. App developers are also working on adding a social element with a feed, just like every other social app. As digital marketers, we’re excited to see whether this new app could help small businesses and subject-matter experts get in front of the right audiences.
-Submitted by Sydney Weeks, Social Media Coordinator
“Walmart’s Retail Media Network: What Advertisers Need to Know,” by Stuart Clay in Search Engine Land
Retail media ad spending is slated to grow more than 20 percent this year, upwards of $45 billion. Walmart looks to capture a portion of that as they continue allowing first- and third-party sellers to buy space on their retail website and expand search and display capabilities. As a result, three new self-serve service lines launched: sponsored brands, display self-serve (DSS), and Walmart DSP. The platform also provides advertisers with data that can be used to optimize campaigns and evaluate success. With so much growth in the e-commerce realm, we expect even more features from the retail giant’s media network.
-Submitted by Alex Mead, Paid Media Coordinator
“YouTube Will Now Enable Brands to Buy Specific Time Slots Around Major Events for Masthead Ads,” by Andrew Hutchinson in Social Media Today
YouTube added a new time-targeting element to its Masthead Ads, so you can now display promotions leading up to key events. The Cost-Per-Hour masthead gives brands prominent placement during the hours leading up to, during, or after important moments – like McDonald’s reminding their audience to grab a burger before an important televised sporting event begins. Such a significant targeting option is ideal for brands whose products and services are geared toward the latest happenings (like Kansas City’s big football game this weekend)!
-Submitted by Katie Severino, Social Media Analyst
“Google CEO Confirms AI Features Coming to Search ‘Soon’,” by Matt G. Southern in Search Engine Journal
Google announced they’re launching AI-powered features in search results through a service called Bard to help users understand complex concepts. The AI feature will distill information into easy-to-read-and-digest formats. Google says the new feature is a step toward their mission of “making search more intuitive and effective for users.” Our search engine optimization team has made note and will be carefully monitoring how changes in the algorithm could affect our clients’ web content.
-Submitted by Jaron Thompson, Senior Account Operations Manager
Harness the Power of Digital Marketing for Your Company
One great thing about digital marketing is that it’s ever-evolving; if a feature or platform doesn’t work for your business now, it might soon. Another really great thing about digital marketing is the wealth of information that can be gleaned from performance metrics and other available data – something you don’t get through traditional advertising efforts.
At iFocus Marketing, we spend a lot of time thinking about both and helping our clients continually optimize their digital campaigns to achieve the best possible business outcomes. If you ask around, you’ll find that our approach is rare – and that’s why clients choose to partner with our Overland Park-based agency, no matter where in the U.S. they are.
To find out how the latest digital marketing tools can help you achieve your business goals, request a free discovery call with our team of experts.
Jenifer Calandra is an award-winning digital copywriter and copy team lead at iFocus Marketing with 12 years of marketing experience. She curates copy from conception to completion, capturing client voices, and building their authority in their industry. Her knack for storytelling is deeply rooted in journalism, and you’ll find her work published in various regional newspapers and magazines. At home, dogs and a never-ending cascade of home-improvement projects rule her life.
