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Facebook F8 Day One Recap: 11 Key Takeaways

May 2, 2018
Anna Hubbel
Photo Courtesy of Facebook

Day One of the F8 conference event in San Jose unveiled new features and updates for Facebook’s wide array of products. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was the leading keynote speaker of the day, followed by Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, Instagram Product Managers Jyoti Sood and Shilpa Sarkar, Instagram Data Science Manager Tamar Shapiro, WhatsApp Director Mubarik Imam, VP of Messaging Products David Marcus, VP of Product Partnerships Ime Archibong, VP of VR Hugo Barra, and Head of Social VR Rachel Franklin.

The theme across all the exciting announcements made throughout the day was meaningful experiences for users. Here are the key takeaways that reveal how Facebook intends to deliver these meaningful experiences.

@Facebook #F8 Day One Recap: Get the 11 key takeaways here. #f8conference #facebookupdates #f82018 #digitaladvertising
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A New Dating Feature: FaceDate

Facebook foreshadowed a dating feature to begin testing later this year. The feature will exist within the Facebook app and will help users discover potential dating interests, with recommended matches based on user preferences.

“People already use Facebook to meet new people, and we want to make that experience better,” said a Facebook news releases recapping the event.

A New Privacy Feature: “Clear History”

Facebook announced that it’s working on a “Clear History” feature, which will allow users to view apps and websites that share information with the network, as well as delete resulting data or turn off Facebook’s capability to store it for future use. This feature is particularly relevant in light of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

A New Group Feature: The Groups Tab

A Groups tab will be rolling out for Facebook later this year, which will give users a more convenient navigation for groups they are part of, as well as make it easier to discover and join new groups.

A New Update: Crisis Response

Facebook first introduced Crisis Response last year, a feature that allows users to obtain information about a crisis and check in with loved ones. At F8, the company introduced a feature for Crisis Response that gives affected users the ability to share firsthand, immediate information about conditions surrounding the crisis, such as road closures. Facebook says this update is rolling out later in 2018.

A New Community Feature: Blood Donations

Previously, Facebook introduced ways for users in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to easily register as blood donors. Over the next few weeks, Facebook will roll out a Blood Donations feature, which will help these users discover nearby opportunities for donating blood in their community.

New Instagram Features: Video Chat, Explore, AR Studio, and Anti-Bullying Filter

As previously suspected, and now confirmed, video chat is coming to Instagram Direct, so users will be able to easily chat one-on-one or in groups.

Facebook also announced that it’s redesigning Instagram’s Explore feature to make it more organized, user-friendly, and conducive to browsing interests.

According to TechCrunch, Instagram is also getting an anti-bullying filter, which will prevent bullying comments from affecting users.

And finally, Facebook’s AR camera is coming to Instagram in the form of AR Studio, which will allow creators to build interactive experiences for Instagram followers.

News for Developers: The App Review Process is Back

Facebook is reopening its app review process after making it more transparent and thorough. This update is also a response to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. However, this is only one of the various ways Facebook is investing in its developer community.

VR News: Oculus Go, Oculus TV, VR Memories, and 3D Photos

Oculus Go, Facebook’s standalone VR headset, is now on sale globally for $199 USD with 32GB storage and $249 for 64GB. Users will have the opportunity to experience virtual reality the way only Facebook can deliver.

Facebook also announced that Oculus TV and Oculus Venues are launching later this month. With TV, users can experience on-demand entertainment in the form of a big, virtual screen. With Venues, users can experience concerts, sporting events, and other social events in live virtual reality.

A simple tap will soon allow users to play with 3D objects between News Feed and Facebook Camera AR experiences as well. Come this summer, users will also be able to capture 3D moments with their smartphones with Facebook’s 3D Photos feature.

New Messenger Features: AR Integration and M Translations

Facebook announced that brands will be able to integrate AR camera effects into their Messenger campaigns, creating interactive experiences to ultimately improve the buying experience. For example, a clothing retail brand can develop a way for potential buyers to virtually try on outfits. Facebook says it’s rolling out this feature in closed beta.

In the coming weeks, Marketplace buyers and sellers across the US will be able to receive M suggestions for language translations. In other words, if a message is received in a language not native to the recipient, M will offer the option to translate the message into the user’s language. To start, translations will only be offered between English and Spanish, but will expand in the near future.

New WhatsApp Features: Group Calling and Stickers

Group voice and video calling will be rolling out in the coming months, making friendly chats more flexible and fun for users. Facebook also said WhatsApp users will soon be able to play with stickers on the platform.

Instagram and Facebook: Easier Sharing

And last but certainly not least, users can now easily share activity within other apps to Facebook and Instagram Stories. For instance, users can share what they’re listening to on Spotify, with the ability to edit creatively and share to Stories or Facebook, all without having to connect their Spotify app to either account.

It’s an exciting time for digital advertising!

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How to Save Your Snapchat Data

May 2, 2018
Anna Hubbel

If you’re one of the users who wants to remove your social media existence entirely, you’ve likely learned by now that this is no easy feat. Although there are plenty of resources online that walk you through the process of deleting your data from Facebook, there isn’t quite as much out there to tell you how to do so for Snapchat. Here’s a guide to get you started with the backup process for your Snapchat data.

Saving Your Contacts

Let’s be honest: nobody wants to go through their contacts and manually write them down or type them in a Word document, especially if you have a big following.

Even though Snapchat recommends the manual approach, Lifehacker says there’s another way to do it. It requires some coding, if you’re willing to get techy. Some Reddit users shared a coding script on GitHub you can use to access the Snapchat API from your computer.

It should be noted that exporting your contacts in this way may or may not result in Snapchat banning you from its platform. If your intention is to delete your account anyway, this shouldn’t be a concern. If you are simply backing up your data but want to continue using the platform, proceed with caution.

Saving Your Memories

Since all of your Memories are saved to Snapchat’s cloud storage system, you have to manually save them to your camera roll if you want them saved elsewhere. You can also save them to your camera by default for each time you take a Snap. Follow the steps below to save your camera roll automatically each time you take a Snap.

Option 1

Step 1: Go to your settings.

Step 2: Scroll down to “Memories.”

Step 3: Select “Save To…”

Step 4: Select “Memories & Camera Roll” or “Camera Roll Only.”

And you’re done!

If, however, you want to save your Memories to your camera roll (and haven’t been automatically saving them already), you’ll need to go through each Memory and save it manually. Here’s how.

Option 2

Step 1: Select a Memory and select the three dots at the top right of the screen.

Step 2: Select “Export Snap.”

Step 3: Choose “Camera Roll.”

Complete steps one through three for each Memory until you’re done (or your fingers get tired).

Saving All Your Data

Lifehacker says Snapchat allows you to download all your data saved on the platform. First, you log into your Snapchat account through the Snapchat webpage. Next, select “My Data” to complete your request. The data you’re able to download this way may not contain much that you consider useful, but it may be worth having if you decide to delete your Snapchat account completely.

Even if you have no plans to permanently leave Snapchat anytime soon, it’s still a good idea to have a backup plan for all those hilarious and meaningful Snaps you take on a regular basis. If you’re simply struggling to learn the new Snapchat design, take a look at our guide to the latest interface.

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7 Reasons Not to Delete Your Facebook Account

May 1, 2018
Anna Hubbel

7 Reasons Not to Delete Your Facebook Account. #opinion #facebook #deletefacebook
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As users everywhere scramble to secure their Facebook privacy, reading various “how to” posts for keeping profile data private, it makes sense that leaving Facebook altogether would cross their minds. Heck, I’ve considered it myself. But there are various reasons why I’ve decided not to do that. Although the case may be different for each user, the Cambridge Analytica scandal, during which an app was used to deceptively harvest personal information from over 80 million Facebook users, should not necessarily lead to deletion. Here are seven reasons why you shouldn’t delete your Facebook account.

1. It’s a Digital Scrapbook of Your Life (Or Business)

Whether you’re a business owner or just an individual user, it’s a lot easier to say you’re going to delete something that contains the history of your entire online existence than actually following through. From major milestones to memorable photos, it’s nearly impossible to go through and delete everything, whether it’s because of emotional or time-consuming technological reasons. Yes, you may have Instagram and Snapchat, but everything started with Facebook, and it’s very unlikely that at some point, you transferred every single media memory over to one of these two other platforms.

Additionally, Facebook has a nice way of commemorating relationships, anniversaries, and milestones in a creative and organized fashion. For those of us who have too much of a hectic lifestyle to sit down and organize large photo albums, Facebook is a perfect digital scrapbook that even has a timestamp so you can look back at what you were doing in the good ol’ days.

2. You’ll Miss Out on Personalized Experiences

Although we want most of our personal information to be kept private, I’d be lying if I said I don’t enjoy the occasional ad customized just for me. Which means, of course, that advertisers out there have access to at least some of my personal information. For example, I’ve recently decided to darken my hair color. As I was considering my color options, lo and behold a Madison Reed ad popped up with a quiz prompt to identify my “perfect shade.”

From a digital advertising perspective, you want to give users that personalized experience. Users respond well to it, increasing the likelihood that they’ll click on an ad. (Yes, I took the Madison Reed quiz.)

3. It’s Family Friendly

Research has shown that older demographics use Facebook more to stay in touch with their younger relatives, as well as with each other. Even if younger users are using Instagram and Snapchat more to network with friends, they may more often than not use Facebook to connect with family. Personally, I use Facebook to stay connected with my parents, grandparents, aunts, and cousins. (Does that mean once in a while my grandma posts a super long comment on my timeline? Well, yeah…)

Looking again from an advertising perspective, you can market family products on Facebook to reach this audience. For instance, maybe you are marketing a sweet family discount on late-night bowling. Or a special family package for a hotel room at a vacation hotspot.

4. It’s Community Friendly

From joining Facebook groups that share your interests to making local transactions through Marketplace, you have boundless opportunities to connect with either your local community or online communities. Additionally, Facebook now offers Community Boost, a program that offers training in digital skills to small businesses and community organizations.

5. Even If You Delete Everything, Chances Are Some Data Is Still There

As they say, it’s never actually “gone.” Your online data, as hard as you may try to delete every last bit of it, will likely still exist somewhere. Plus, even if you delete your Facebook account, misusers can still target your data contained in your other social media accounts. Unless you’re really up for deleting all of your social media, deleting Facebook really won’t do much one way or the other.

6. We’re Wiser Now

Now that we’ve had the learning experience of Cambridge Analytica, we’ve become smarter. We know now that we need to diligently make our information more private to protect it from misuse. By becoming more informed users, we not only have the advantage of better protecting ourselves, but we can also improve our digital knowledge and skills overall.

7. Facebook Is Working Harder Than Ever

Throughout all the negative headlines, including not only Cambridge Analytica, but also the Russian troll accounts that distributed politically divisive ads during the 2016 US presidential election, Facebook has released one update after another. Updates that improve online protection of data and fight misuse. For instance, the network recently announced updates for increasing transparency across all ads and pages. Also, Facebook is now including extensive photo and video fact-checks to boost security for this year’s US midterm elections. To top it all off, Facebook has even said it will inform each user whether their information was harvested by Cambridge Analytica.

Overall, Facebook has been demonstrating its good intent to prevent misuse of our data and give us the resources we need to better protect our information going forward. Yes, the Cambridge Analytica scandal gave us a justifiable cause for concern. But I personally feel much safer about the Facebook we’re going to get after the dust has cleared.

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How to Request Collaborator Access As a Shopify Partner

April 30, 2018
Anna Hubbel

How to Request Collaborator Access As a Shopify Partner. #shopify #webdesign #shopifypartner
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You have awesome web design skills. You know how to get into the nitty-gritty of CSS and HTML coding. You have a keen eye for flare, and when it comes to setting up an e-commerce layout to die for, you have what it takes. So how can you use your stellar web design abilities to help your clients improve and maintain their websites?

Shopify, an e-commerce platform that allows you to sell products through an online store, has Shopify Partners, a version of the Shopify site that allows experienced web designers to create Shopify stores for business owners who don’t have the knowledge or skills to do so.

Although anyone can be a Shopify partner, earning money through referrals, it takes a highly-skilled, tech-minded individual to transition from basic to expert. Experts have created at least five successful Shopify stores. The Shopify website then lists those experts so that clients can choose who they want as their Shopify partner.

If you’d like to work as a Shopify partner for a specific business, you can request collaborator access as a Shopify partner. Once you submit the request for access, your client will then be notified and will then give you the access and permissions you need to proceed.

Here’s a guide to walk you through the process of requesting collaborator access as a Shopify partner.

How to Request Collaborator Access As a Shopify Partner
Create Account

Step 1: Go to shopify.com/partners and select “Join now” at the top right corner of the page.

Step 2: Enter your email address into the required field. Click “Continue.”

Step 3: Fill out the fields for your account information and create a password. When you’re done, click “Create account.”

Step 4: Fill out the fields for details about your business or agency. When you’re finished, select “See Partner dashboard.”

Invite Owner

Owners have unlimited access and permissions to the account. The owner has the highest level of permissions. You can invite owners by going to “Team” in the left column of your dashboard.

Step 1: Go to the “Team” tab and select “Invite owner.”

Step 2: Enter the email address of the owner in the blank field. Then select “Send invite.”

Invite Staff Members

Members don’t have unlimited access and permission to the account. The owner can increase and reduce their permissions at any time. You can also invite staff members from the “Team” section in the left column.

Step 1: Navigate to the “Team” tab and select “Invite staff member.”

Step 2: Enter the email address of the staff member you wish to invite and check the boxes next to the permissions you want to grant that member.

Request Collaborator Access from Client

You can request access by visiting “Manage Stores” from the left column.

Step 1: Request Access by navigating to “Manage Stores” and selecting “Add client store.”

Step 2: Enter Store URL, Set Permissions (recommended: full access), and add a message.

Step 3: You’re done! You can access your client’s store by logging in.

Don’t keep all that web expert talent bottled up. Share it with the world as a Shopify partner!

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3 Most Popular Amazon Ads to Try

April 27, 2018
Anna Hubbel

3 Most Popular Amazon Ads to Try. #amazon #digitaladvertising #hacks
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Photo: Getty Images/Adrian Hancu

When you hear the word “Amazon,” you may automatically think “success.” With such a strong word association, you may also think that using an Amazon marketing campaign guarantees reaching your desired goals. However, every company and product is different. You still need to put a lot of thought into your Amazon marketing campaign before you see the results you want.

While there are various types of marketing campaigns you can use through Amazon, it helps to know the popular ones to try that may give your campaign the boost it needs to get started.

Sponsored Product Advertisements

If you are a regular Amazon shopper, you’ve likely noticed that sponsored products often appear at the top of the page when you search for specific items. These products are paid advertisements Amazon promotes by using keyword targeting, and they appear in the search results.

Sponsored product ads do well when you have a high-quality product, good reviews, and professional-quality photos. These elements have been proven to deliver high ROI and to improve shoppers’ perceptions of your product.

A disadvantage of using Amazon’s sponsored product ads, according to Born2Invest, is you can only use broad keywords. You can’t use specific keywords to help shoppers find your product. Whether or not shoppers come across your product in their search results depends on the broad keywords they use. This can be particularly challenging if yours is one of many sponsored product ads in similar categories.

Display Ads

You can work around the keyword issue by using product display ads, which allow you to pick where you want your products displayed. For example, if your product is a laptop charger, you can have it displayed on the detail page of a high-quality laptop.

Instead of choosing keywords, when you’re creating your display ad, you search and select products that are relevant or somehow related to the product in the display ad. A particular advantage of this setup is you can directly target products your competition also sells on Amazon. This means your product can display on the detail page of your competitor’s item. It helps to know the ASINs or UPCs of your competitor’s product so you can easily search for them when choosing relevant products.

Another perk of display ads is you receive a report for the campaign. You’ll also get a good ROI. However, as Born2Invest points out, it’s more challenging to identify which products the ROI comes from and which products are underperforming.

Keep in mind, however, that the ROI for display ads, although decent, typically falls short compared to that of sponsored products and headline search ads.

Headline Search Ads

You may recognize these as the products that appear in banner form above search results. You can use headline search ads to direct shoppers to any Amazon page. These ads typically run for 48 hours, making them ideal for campaigns with time constraints.

The biggest concern for headline search ads is DPV (detail page view). If shoppers are directed to the right page after selecting your ad, Born2Invest says yours DPV click ratio will be one or above. If your DPV drops below 100, shoppers are likely finding your page irrelevant to what they are looking for. You want to keep shoppers engaged and interested in your products so direct them to a page they’re going to consider important or useful.

As is the case with any campaign, you want to test out the various Amazon campaign types to see what works best for your product. You may find that one type works great for a while, but then starts to dwindle, meaning you should shake things up and try out a different type. Either way, knowledge is power, so now that you know about the three most popular ways to advertise on Amazon, it’s time to get to work.

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Facebook Introduces New Privacy Experiences Inspired By EU’s General Data Protection Regulation

April 26, 2018
Anna Hubbel
Photo Courtesy of Facebook

As part of the company’s determined efforts to redeem itself after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook announced a slew of new privacy experiences inspired by the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Facebook will ask users everywhere to review important information and make choices about their privacy on the platform.

“As soon as GDPR was finalized, we realized it was an opportunity to invest even more heavily in privacy,” Facebook said in a news release. “We not only want to comply with the law, but also go beyond our obligations to build new and improved privacy experiences for everyone on Facebook.”

@Facebook introduces new privacy experiences inspired by EU’s #GeneralDataProtectionRegulation. #GDPR #facebookprivacy
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To build these improved privacy experiences, Facebook says it has gathered input from hundreds of product, engineering, legal, policy, design, and research employees, as well as from users, regulators and government officials, privacy experts, and designers.

Here’s the breakdown of areas Facebook is focusing on to make better privacy experiences for users.

Ads Based On Data

It’s no secret that advertising is Facebook’s major source of revenue. However, the platform is giving the power to the people. Facebook says it will now have users review information about how their data is used to inform advertisers and allow them to choose whether or not they want their data used in this way.

Profile Information

For users who have already shared their political, religious, and relationship information, Facebook says it will ask these users if they still want this information shared. The company also says the option to delete this personal information is going to be a lot easier.

Face Recognition Features

Users in the EU and Canada now have the option to turn on face recognition, a feature that was previously unavailable in these two demographics. Face recognition allows Facebook to do things like identify when someone else may be trying to use another user’s photo as a profile picture.

Terms of Service and Data Policy

Users will be asked to review and agree to Facebook’s updated terms of service and data policy. Facebook says more information about privacy and data usage are provided in these documents. And while the essential components of each are the same for users around the world, Facebook says some details will be included that are only relevant to EU users.

“We’re not asking for new rights to collect, use or share your data on Facebook,” the company said in the same news release, “and we continue to commit that we do not sell information about you to advertisers or other partners.”

Settings and Privacy Shortcuts

Facebook’s new Settings and Privacy Shortcuts, which the company introduced last month, are GDPR-friendly. They allow easy-access and visibility of data so that users can delete, download, or export it as desired. Additionally, the platform’s updated Activity Log for mobile devices is more user-friendly for viewing data shared with Facebook.

Special Features For Teens

Facebook is using GDPR’s strict protection regulations for teens as inspiration to incorporate special protections into its platform for this age demographic globally. As an example, Facebook says “Public” is no longer a default audience option for posts by teens. Additionally, teen user information available to advertisers is more limited. For EU users in the 13-15 age range, GDPR requires parental permission for some Facebook features, which will result in a “less personalized” Facebook experience for this demographic.

Facebook’s overarching theme across these new privacy experiences is giving users all the information they need to make informed choices about their online security.

“We’re committed to making sure people understand how we use their information and how they can control it,” said Facebook.

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How to Develop an Effective Ad Retargeting Plan to Increase Conversions

April 26, 2018
Kim Hailey

How to Develop an Effective Ad Retargeting Plan to Increase Conversions. #digitaladvertising #facebookads
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The internet is brimming with ad tech opportunities. It is like a warped, Salvador Dali-designed, spellbound fever dream where anything can happen. The Internet is becoming more of a digital domain of social life than a simple search tool it once was.

In many ways, the ascension of social media and its rapid takeover of the internet was a blessing. It opened a Pandora’s Box of opportunities. Just think about it—right now people spend one of every five minutes checking their social media accounts and scrolling down news feeds.

The rise of Facebook, and other social media networks, started a revolutionary type of advertising, social media advertising. Over the years, certain advertising techniques had been developed. Some of them came and went, but some had proven to be the real deal. The most effective of them is ad retargeting. Why? Because instead of shoving your products down customers’ throats by littering various ads all over the place, retargeting ads track and show customers products they are interested in.

5 Ways to Improve Your Retargeting Plan

There are three prime retargeting objectives:

Increase brand awareness through a multi-channel presence and personalized ad content.
Convert awareness into interest to gain sales and revenue.
Expand the market by combining awareness and sales conversion results.

However, it is not easy to reach these objectives. There are more bumps in the road than you think, and you need to be prepared for the coming challenges. Here are several ways you can develop an effective ad retargeting plan and boost conversion to the moon and beyond.

1. Segment the Audience

The first thing you need to do before starting an ad campaign is segment your audience. You say “Captain Obvious!” I say “Hell yeah! Double down!”

Facebook, like any other social network, gathers a lot of customer data. It records every customer’s action both in Facebook and outside of Facebook. You can then use Facebook’s data to segment your audience into subgroups, including demographics, customer interactions, likes and shares, and the following criteria below.

Referring sites from where the customer came from
Overall journey (customer experience) on site, including mouse cursor movement
Events (scrolls, clicks, highlights, media views, etc.)
Search queries
Time of session
Behavior on site:

Contextual and thematic preferences to certain topics and pages
Various interactions with the page’s content (downloads, etc.)
Transitions to other places through links and ads


Customer’s gear (browser, adblock, etc.)
Interaction with ad content

The benefit of segmentation is precision. You will create ads that will reflect customers’ preferences and satisfy their needs.

 

2. Determine the Most Effective Ads

With an audience studied and segmented, you can create ads. At first, the results will be middling, but that is all right. It is part of the plan. At the start of the campaign, you are interested not in instant conversions but in determining the most effective ads and messages for every audience segment. Different ads work well for different purposes. For example, right column ads can be very effective for building brand presence and increasing brand awareness while in-feed ads work well for increasing conversions. Once you determine which ads perform well, continue running those ads.

3. Don’t Be Overbearing

With a target audience locked, you need to gradually deliver the ad. The keyword is “gradually.” The exact frequency depends on the social network and the selected time, but it never goes beyond two or three cycles. Anything bigger than three cycles can be detrimental to the ad campaign.

If you’re overzealous about advertising your products or services, the potential or even already converted customer will be overwhelmed, annoyed, and subsequently resistant to your messages. They may suffer from a phenomenon called “banner blindness,” in which customers are resistant or blind to your ads because of the overabundance of advertisements all over the internet. If they are already interested in your product or service and they get the point of your message, you don’t need to oversell your product.

4. Schedule Ads to Publish at the Right Time

The secret of successful ad retargeting is the same as the secret of a good poem: it is all in the right timing. In order to do that, you need to analyze the peak activity of different segments of your target audience. Then you need to determine the most common hours when the target groups are online. Usually, most users are online in the morning, during lunch time, or late in the evening. Here is a breakdown of each platform and their peak times.

Facebook: peaks are in the morning and evening.
Twitter: peaks are late afternoon and the evening.
Pinterest: peaks are in the evening
Google+: peaks are in the morning.

Once you know when your audience is online, you can schedule your ads to deliver at the right time. However, there is a challenge—you are not the only one doing that. Consequently, there is big competition for customers’ attention.

5. Have Clear and Reasonable Messages

People don’t like ads. That is a fact, and you have to deal with it. Because of that, it is important to provide a valuable message in your ad. In order to hook the customer, the message must be deemed worthy at first sight. It must be as clear and as specific as possible with an effective call to action. If done right, a call to action can urge customers to take a desirable action.

These are the main ingredients that constitute a great retargeting plan. Although they cannot solve all of your daily chores in one decisive swipe, keeping them in mind can seriously improve the effectiveness of your campaign.

Kim Hailey is a freelance mobile app designer and UX consultant residing in New York. She works with individuals and private business owners, helping them find effective solutions that work for them. Apart from that, she blogs and teaches schoolchildren to code. Get in touch @KimGHailey.

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Snapchat Now Allows Users to Purchase Products Inside the App

April 25, 2018
Anna Hubbel

@Snapchat now allows users to purchase products inside the app. #ShoppableAR #SnapchatLenses
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Photo Courtesy of filecluster

The day Snapchat advertisers have been waiting for has finally arrived. The app now gives users the ability to purchase products without ever having to leave Snapchat.

According to CNBC, the new update is called Shoppable AR and allows advertisers to include a website with sponsored photo filters. The face or world lens displays a “Shop Now” button that users can select to view and purchase products, all within the comfort of the Snapchat app.

Photo Courtesy of CNBC

CNBC also says the new feature gives users options to view longer promotional videos or install apps.

Of course, in light of this latest shopping feature comes the big question: how much does it cost? Well, for businesses or brands who already purchase ads through Snapchat, the feature is free for some existing ad products. For advertisers outside of that, according to CNBC, Shoppable AR is sold through a $100-a-day bidding process. To buy the lens with the option to target a specified audience, advertisers can pay a rate of no lower than $40,000 a day with a pre-established CPM. If an advertiser wants their lens to be the first one users see, they can pay extra.

Users will see the Shoppable AR feature debut with Clairol, Adidas, King, and STX Entertainment.

The “So What”

So why is the Shoppable AR feature so significant?

Snapchatters are a young-minded, spontaneous audience that is more likely to buy something if doing so doesn’t interrupt their fast-paced, social media activity. In other words, advertisers have a better chance of success by bringing the product to users rather than making users go to the product. Especially if the product comes in a fun, non-intrusive form, such as a Snapchat lens.

AR lenses are what make Snapchat so appealing to both advertisers and users alike. In addition to the “fun” factor, lenses offer a creative and unique way to advertise. That’s why Snapchat not long ago rolled out Lens Studio, a desktop AR tool that allows developers to create 3D World Lens objects.

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Facebook’s Q1 2018 Earnings Report Shows the Company is Still Going Strong

April 25, 2018
Anna Hubbel
Photo courtesy of bostonmagazine.com

Amidst the controversial dust that still has yet to completely settle from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook emerges yet once again with a positive quarterly report.

Facebook, Inc. today released its Q1 2018 Earnings Report, which indicated an adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $1.69. This time last year, the company reported an adjusted EPS of $1.04.

Even more surprising is that Facebook’s daily active users (DAUs) saw an increase of 13 percent year-over-year, with an average of 1.45 billion.

@Facebook's Q1 2018 Earnings Report shows a 13% year-over-year increase in daily active users. #FirstQuarter #FacebookUsers
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“Despite facing important challenges, our community and business are off to a strong start in 2018,” said Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in the company press release. “We are taking a broader view of our responsibility and investing to make sure our services are used for good. But we also need to keep building new tools to help people connect, strengthen our communities, and bring the world closer together.”

Other highlights from the Q1 Earnings Report include:

$11.97 billion in revenue, compared to $8.03 billion last year
A 13% year-over-year increase in Monthly Active Users (MAU), at 2.20 billion
91% of advertising revenue represented by mobile advertising revenue
$2.81 billion in capital expenditures
$43.96 billion in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities
A 48 percent year-over-year increase in headcount, at $27,742

Revenue this quarter is lower than revenue reported in the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2017, which totaled $12.97 billion. However, this minor drop is a common occurrence. Revenue reported this quarter is much higher compared to that reflected in the first quarter earnings report last year.

Image Courtesy of SeekingAlpha

Facebook’s report also indicated that in April 2018, the company increased the amount authorized under its share repurchase program by an additional $9.0 billion. According to the report, the Facebook board of directors had previously authorized up to $6.0 billion in repurchases of the Class A common stock under the repurchase program.

Even as negative headlines circulate about Cambridge Analytica’s misuse of the Facebook platform, Facebook continues to perform well. The company began making changes to improve its privacy tools and overall transparency when it was discovered that the data firm had harvested personal information from over 85 million users to use in manipulated messages during the 2016 US Presidential Election.

“This earnings report shows that both users and advertisers are continuing to find value with Facebook and their platform of apps,” said Brian Meert, CEO of AdvertiseMint. “They are making changes that are addressing the recent privacy concerns and have doubled their headcount to ensure it happens.”

In the live webcast, Zuckerberg told reporters that the company is pleased so far with the effect its recent changes have had. He also said he believes the Facebook platform will continue to offer the unique ability to make meaningful connections.

The post Facebook’s Q1 2018 Earnings Report Shows the Company is Still Going Strong appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Virtual Reality Will Change Today’s Advertising Industry

April 25, 2018
Alexandra Hayes

VR will change today's advertising industry. Here's how. #vr #advertising #technology
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Photo by Tim Savage

A study revealed that more than 170 million people will use VR technology by the end of 2018, and that figure is about to get much higher in the next few years. In such circumstances, the question isn’t whether or not VR will change today’s advertising industry but rather how it is going to happen. In this post, I will show you how VR will impact modern advertising.

Why VR in Advertising?

Advertising has always been tech-driven. From simple newspaper to social media, entrepreneurs always used the latest technology to improve advertising and win over target consumers. VR is the next natural step in this process. There are three reasons to use VR in your advertising campaigns.

1. It Allows Full Immersion

VR creates a 360-environment that eliminates all distractions and forces consumers to focus on the content exclusively. No matter how you design content or which type of VR ambiance you create, it will completely occupy them. This also means advertisers get more brand awareness and more influence over consumers.

2. It Boosts Interaction

VR technology makes 3D simulations, so it’s up to the consumers to find their way through the content. Johnny Marchant, an IT specialist for Essay on Time, recently noted, “VR is a genuine booster of interaction and engagement because no one would stay in one place while checking out the 3D environment. Consumers are practically forced to be proactive and discover each segment of the content”.

3. It Promotes Social Integration

Although it raises concerns about alienation, VR will not completely isolate individual consumers. On the contrary, it will become a major segment of social media and enable digital friends to communicate through content much more actively. This is exactly why Facebook is investing in Oculus Rift technology —the company wants to create groundbreaking social media technology and take the content consumption to the next level.

You’ve probably figured out by now that VR has a huge potential in the advertising domain. But the question is how exactly does it influence advertising?

The Oculus Rift presented at F8.
How VR Is Changing Advertising

As a concept, VR definitely raises eyebrows and inspires entrepreneurs to think about the ways to use new technology. But have you seen any real-life case studies or examples of VR advertising? Can you find your own way to use it for brand promotion? Although it’s a relatively new technology, it already has a number of practical purposes. I will explain the most common examples here.

Testing Products

VR makes it easy for consumers to test products or services before purchasing. It’s a big privilege because they can immediately learn about product advantages or shortcoming. Consequently, mistakes and post-purchase problems are reduced to the minimum.

For example, the automotive industry exploits this system to advertise the latest models. Using VR, Renault crafted the ultimate 360-degree test drive to present the new Koleos model. It gives people a realistic impression, so they can feel what it’s like to drive Renault Koleos.

At the same time, the travel industry is taking advantage of VR technology to promote attractive destinations all around the globe. The logic is simple but extremely efficient—allow consumers to get the first impression and choose a destination that suits their personal preferences.

Amadeus IT Group is also one of the pioneers of the VR booking and traveling. It doesn’t only enable customers to look for the best places to go, but it also allows them to search for flights, walk through a plane to select their seats, check out different rental cars, and pay for their entire trip, all without leaving virtual reality.

Retail stores can do the same thing for their customers. VR can help potential buyers try clothes and order products that suit them perfectly. No wrong numbers, no waiting in lines for the dressing room, everything is available instantly.

Providing Product Tutorials

Some products require more than a simple testing, especially in the IT industry. Things like mobile devices, software and apps, design tools, and similar inventions demand more knowledge, and it’s good to have enough material to learn from.

VR product tutorials fulfill this purpose. They allow consumers to see how something works before taking things into their own hands. It’s also a perfect chance for marketers to create interesting content and promote their brands online.

Enhancing Customer Relations

Customer relations has become one of the most important brand differentiators recently, which is where VR content can help as well. Namely, all companies are talking about their vision or values, but it’s much easier to prove it through realistic content.

Using VR technology, you can organize guided tours through the company, explain its origins, and tell people what makes you so good. This is a great way to boost consumer interest, show the human side of your business, and strengthen relations with your customers.

The Challenges of VR Advertising

VR technology opens up new perspectives on social media advertising, but it doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges. Here are the biggest issues that burden VR advertising.

It’s Hard to Predict the Reaction of Users

A study showed that 60 percent of consumers report they feel “virtual reality is only for gamers.” In such circumstances, it is hard to say how consumers will respond once VR technology is fully integrated into advertising.

It’s in the Early Stages of Development

Despite big expectations, VR is still in the early stages of development, although itt promises a lot. No one can tell for sure when VR will become a regular part of social media advertising.

User Adoption Is Slow

At the moment, VR requires a substantial amount of equipment, including headsets, microphones, and other gadgets. Today’s consumers are not willing to jump over so many obstacles to enjoy the VR experience, making adoption slower than expected. It will take cheaper and more practical equipment to convince the majority of consumers to embrace VR experiences on a daily basis.

Is VR the Future of Advertising?

VR is one of the latest social media advertising trends. It’s a game-changing technology that opens a variety of new opportunities for advertising your products or services online. In this post, I showed you VR’s changes to the advertising industry and some of  its challenges. Will VR take advertising to a higher level? Will it help you grow your business anytime soon? Only time will tell.

Alexandra Hayes is a creative writer interested in digital marketing and PR. She enjoys visual arts and ashtanga yoga. Besides, Alexandra is a starting photographer. Meet her on Twitter and Facebook!

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