Brian Meert's Blog, page 89

Amazon Tests Mobile Video Ads in Search Results

March 22, 2019



Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook marketing agency

Amazon finally steps up to compete against advertising giants, Facebook and Google, by testing a new ad format. According to Bloomberg, Amazon is beta testing video ads in its shopping app.

Bloomberg, the first to report on the story, spoke to sources familiar with the project. According to those sources, Amazon has been beta testing video ads in iOS devices, with plans to expand to Android later this year.

The video ads appear in the horizontal format among users’ search results. According to the sources Bloomberg interviewed, Amazon requires advertisers to have a $35,000 budget. Those advertisers, who can run their ads for 60 days, will be charged 5 cents per view. However, prices can vary, and not everyone pays a fixed fee.

Photo courtesy of Forbes.com

Video advertising’s popularity has been growing in recent years. In fact, Emarketer predicts advertisers to spend $16 billion on mobile video this year. Video isn’t only popular among advertisers. It is also a favored format by users, whose eyes are drawn to moving creatives.

Still, the e-commerce company may face some hurdles during the test. The new video format disrupts users’ shopping experience, as the ads appear directly within search results. This is a big change from Amazon’s less intrusive ads, Headline and Product Display, which appears above search results and on the right column, respectively.

Granted, Amazon’s Sponsored Products also appear within search results, but the ad design matches the organic listings so well that users can hardly distinguish the difference. Additionally, the ads help users find the items they’re searching for; they don’t disrupt the shopping experience.

Video ads work well on Google and Facebook’s platforms, but will they succeed on Amazon’s?

Written by Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

The post Amazon Tests Mobile Video Ads in Search Results appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Why Hulu’s Price Cut Is Great News for Advertisers

March 22, 2019



Anna Hubbel, writer at  AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads agency



Nate Grant / Unsplash

With its latest drop in price for its ad-supported service, Hulu has become an attractive advertising platform for digital advertisers.

Earlier this year, Hulu announced that it was lowering the cost of its ad-supported plan by two dollars per month. As a result, marketing analyst Emarketer doubled its forecast for Hulu’s US gross ad revenue growth between 2019 and 2020 from 11.4 percent to 22.7 percent.

The timing of Hulu’s price drop made it even more of an attractive option for viewers. Hulu announced the price drop shortly after Netflix raised its subscription costs. To make the ad-supported option even more appealing, Hulu strategically raised its cost for Hulu + Live TV at the same time.

Emarketer predicts that more viewers will be drawn to Hulu over other video streaming services as a result of its price changes, which will mean more ad revenue.

“In such a competitive video streaming landscape, Hulu cutting prices for its low-tier ad-supported streaming subscription will almost certainly increase viewership, attracting those who had been on the fence about having the entry-level Hulu option,” said Monica Peart, senior director of forecasting at Emarketer.

When the option is cheaper, Emarketer said viewers typically don’t mind seeing ads while streaming. Specifically, 56 percent of US viewers are okay with ads if it means a reduced fee.

Additionally, out of those who pay for Hulu + Live TV, according to Emarketer, about 50 percent watch on-demand or recorded programming, which include ads.

Hulu is giving advertisers more options with new ad units as well. Recently, the company introduced a static unit that displays when streaming is paused. This new ad option gives advertisers even more ways to generate impressions and engagement.

Both its price cut and its rollout of the new ad unit demonstrate Hulu’s commitment to ad sales. Although 44 percent of US viewers would ultimately prefer ad-free streaming, a lower price for ad-supported content is a sacrifice many viewers may be willing to make. With Hulu’s ad-supported subscribers already up 40 percent year over year in 2018, before the price cut, there is now even more growth potential. Advertisers who want to run TV ads may start flocking to Hulu to reach their audience.

Image Courtesy of EMarketer

As the competition for subscribers rises, it won’t come as a surprise if Netflix soon rolls out a cheaper, ad-supported plan to stay in the game. With customers unhappy with the service’s recent spike in cost, Netflix may have to look at other revenue options. Offering ad-supported content would be the next logical move.

By Anna Hubbel, writer at  AdvertiseMint, best Facebook advertising agency

The post Why Hulu’s Price Cut Is Great News for Advertisers appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

No Profits, No Advertising: Amazon Implements New Rule

March 21, 2019



Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook marketing agency

A new Amazon rule pressures vendors to sell profitable products.

According to CNBC, Amazon has been telling vendors and brand owners that if they don’t sell products at a profit, they won’t be able to promote those products. CNBC learned of this new rule from conversations with vendors and the emails they received from Amazon.

One of the emails CNBC obtained said that vendors must lower the cost of their products to become eligible for advertising again.

Vendors are not pleased with the new rule, and they are particularly unhappy with the lack of guidance when it comes to the steps they have to make to be qualified for advertising.

“The data and notifications that brands get are very minimal,” said one vendor to CNBC.

A spokesperson for Amazon defends the new rule, saying the change is a common practice done by many retailers.

“Like all retailers, Amazon decides which products to market and promote in our stores based on a variety of factors, such as relevancy, availability, profitability and other factors,” the spokesperson said to CNBC.

Although the new rule targets vendors that advertise on Amazon’s platform, it does not affect third-party merchants.

Written by Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

The post No Profits, No Advertising: Amazon Implements New Rule appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

4 Ways to Deliver a Frictionless Shopping Experience

March 21, 2019



Anna Hubbel, writer at  AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads agency

Image Courtesy of Facebook

Everyone likes a seamless shopping experience. Any kind of friction or inconvenience along the path to purchase can be the ultimate deal-breaker. That’s why it’s so important to create a shopping experience that flows smoothly from the moment customers first see your ad to the moment they have the product in their hands.

According to Facebook, the projected opportunity cost of friction for this year is $213 billion in the United States alone. Here are Facebook’s recommendations for reducing friction during customers’ shopping experience.

Post Content Where Customers Are Most Active

Customers are more likely to engage with your brand if you’re reaching them on platforms they’re already visiting on a regular basis. For example, more than one billion Stories are shared daily, so if your target audience often uses stories, you should engage with that audience through the Stories format on both Instagram and Facebook. Because News Feed videos receive a lot of engagement, you should also consider using video ads to deliver your message.

Mansur Gavriel is an example of a brand that successfully reaches audiences where they are most active. The brand’s fall 2018 “See Now Buy Now” campaign generated 16 times more clicks to its website through Instagram Stories and video formats.

Use Dynamic Ads to Show Relevant Products

With Facebook’s Dynamic Ads, you can automatically show customers products that are most relevant to them. Because the ad experience becomes more meaningful when they see products they are most likely to be interested in, they are more likely to complete their purchases.

Dick’s Sporting Goods saw success with its Dynamic Ads and store sales optimization, promoting both in-store and online shopping experiences. Promoting products that were relevant to each shopper, the brand generated $10 million in incremental sales and 100,000 incremental purchases.

Use Shopping on Instagram

If your target audience already spends a lot of time on Instagram, seamlessly reach them and make it convenient for them to buy using Shopping on Instagram. This format allows customers to easily access product details and pricing directly through the app, expediting the checkout process with a direct path to your brand’s website. Seventy-five percent of monthly active Instagrammers are on the platform to shop anyway; Shopping on Instagram makes it easy to deliver that experience.

Use a Messenger Bot for Seamless Customer Service

More and more shoppers want to easily communicate with brands through social media, as opposed to in-person on the phone. According to Facebook, 64 percent of shoppers prefer to send a social media message than communicate with a business on the phone or via email. Facebook Messenger Bots also allow you to provide convenient and excellent customer service automatically, keeping your customers happy.

For example, Sephora used a Messenger Bot during the holidays to make appointment booking easier for customers. The Bot included features such as a date and time selector, appointment reminders, and calendar syncing. Providing this customer service experience helped Sephora book 60 percent more appointments.

Don’t let an avoidable point of friction interrupt your sales flow. Give shoppers the best, seamless experience they can have, and your brand will reap the benefits.

By Anna Hubbel , writer at  AdvertiseMint, best Facebook advertising agency

The post 4 Ways to Deliver a Frictionless Shopping Experience appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Checkout with Instagram Brings Shopping to the App

March 20, 2019



Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook marketing agency

Instagram brings shopping to the app with a new feature called Checkout with Instagram. This tool allows users to click on a Shoppable Tag and purchase an item without redirecting to a website.

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Instagram’s parent company, announced the launch on an Instagram post.

“I’ve loved hearing so many stories of businesses that have grown on Instagram, and I can’t wait to see them do even more,” said Sandberg on her post.

According to Sandberg, 20 well-known brands in the United States can use Checkout. Although Sandberg didn’t reveal the names of those brands, news publication Tech Crunch says Adidas, Kylie Cosmetics, and Warby Parker are among the retailers that are included in the closed beta test. Checkout with Instagram will appear in the feed posts, Stories, and Explore content of those 20 chosen brands.

Tech Crunch also says businesses must pay a small fee to use the new feature, which will fund the expenses created by the programs and tools that make Checkout possible. Although this may be bad news to brands, it’s certainly good news to users, who likely won’t pay a convenience fee for their purchases.  

Given Checkout’s features, it’s obvious that Instagram aims to create a faster and easier shopping experience. The payment information users enter will be saved for future purchases, so they won’t have to type in their information again. Users can pay with Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover and track their purchases in the new Orders section of their profiles. From that section they can view the status of their orders, cancel the order, ask for a return, or contact the merchant.

Although currently only available to a select number of brands, Instagram does plan to expand the feature to other businesses, according to Tech Crunch. Instagram also plans to allow integration with e-commerce sites such as Shopify and Big Commerce.

According to a Facebook study, the projected opportunity cost of friction for this year is $213 billion in the United States. At a time when people receive instant gratification, it’s vital that the shopping process is fast and convenient, especially when losing a customer during the process is expensive. Hopefully Checkout with Instagram will provide the shopping experience people need.

Written by Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

The post Checkout with Instagram Brings Shopping to the App appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Facebook Is Beta Testing a New Interface for Ads Manager

March 18, 2019
Anna Hubbel, writer at  AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads agemcy

Con Karampelas / Unsplash

Big or small, platform updates alter the workflows people are accustomed to. That’s why it’s helpful to stay on top of the latest news as platforms like Facebook’s Ads Manager release new changes.

Marketing Land recently discovered some small updates coming to Ads Manager. Although nothing official has been announced yet, a new look for the interface appears to be in internal beta testing.

According to Marketing Land’s discovery, the navigation tabs located at the top of the Ads Manager interface may go away, with drop down menus taking their places. Marketing Land also reports that the editing panel located on the right side will remain the same.

Image Courtesy of Duane Brown, Take Some Risk, Inc.

Marketing Land notes that the new look will make Ads Manager “more intuitive” for advertisers who are accustomed to other social platforms, such as Reddit.

Joe Osborne, a Facebook spokesperson, told Marketing Land, “We’re always testing out ways to improve our interface but have nothing new to announce at this time.”

How to Stay Up-to-Date

To keep up with any changes Facebook makes to Ads Manager, advertisers have two primary sources where they can find the information.

First, within Facebook’s Help Center, there is a page where advertisers can see updates related to features and changes to Ads Manager for each month. The last month recorded was February 2019. No updates were recorded for that month. Advertisers should keep an eye out for the March 2019 report.

Second, advertisers can find release notes about Ads Manager updates directly within the interface by clicking the question mark icon at the top-right corner of Ads Manager. When clicked, the icon will open a small box with the release notes. The box includes an option to “View all releases.”

Other sources advertisers can use to stay informed of Facebook’s latest updates include the Facebook for Developers Blog and the Facebook Business blog.

By Anna Hubbel , writer at  AdvertiseMint, best Facebook advertising agency

The post Facebook Is Beta Testing a New Interface for Ads Manager appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Google Tests New Feature, Shoppable Ads on Google Images

March 14, 2019
Anna Hubbel, writer at  AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads company

Google is giving advertisers a new way to connect with consumers who are drawn to visuals. Last week, the company announced a new feature called Shoppable Ads on Google Images.

Shoppable Ads on Google Images allows advertisers to highlight multiple products available for sale within a sponsored ad in the search results of Google Images. When shoppers hover their cursors over a sponsored ad with the price tag in Google Images, they will see which items in the image are for sale. Price, brand, and other details will be visible.

Currently, the format is being tested with select retailers whose broad search categories include “home office ideas,” “shower tile designs,” and “abstract art.” Google said the format will be rolled out to more categories across more retailers in the coming months.

“A recent study shows that Google is the first place US shoppers go to discover or find a new brand or product,” Google said in its announcement. “But shoppers aren’t just doing their searches on Google.com. We’ve seen that 50 percent of online shoppers said images of the product inspired them to purchase, and increasingly, they’re turning to Google Images.”

Courtesy of Google

In addition to this new format, Google also announced that it’s making Showcase Shopping ads available for Google Images. This format features sponsored ads at the top of search results for “a more inspirational and rich visual experience.”

“Today’s consumers are interacting with us across a multitude of touchpoints, searching and asking for ideas,” said Google in the announcement. “To help inspire them, we’re continually thinking of ways to create better shopping experiences. And, we want to continue partnering with retailers like you so we can help consumers in these moments that will drive them to the final purchase.”

The ultimate goal with these changes is to make it easier to connect with potential shoppers. Google also revealed that it now allows retailers to supply product data for free that Google will use to show shoppers more product information as they search. In 2018, Google introduced a new version of Shopping Insights to help advertisers better identify popular brands and products, trends, and variations of these insights across US regions.

By Anna Hubbel , writer at  AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency reviews

The post Google Tests New Feature, Shoppable Ads on Google Images appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Instagram Code Shows a Co-Watch Feature May Be in the Works

March 14, 2019
Anna Hubbel, writer at  AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads agency
Image Courtesy of Tech Crunch

There may be some virtual watch parties in Instagram’s future. According to Tech Crunch, a newly discovered code shows a feature that allows users to watch content together through Instagram Direct Messaging.

Although it isn’t clear exactly the types of content users will be able to co-view together, Tech Crunch believes the feature could give IGTV a big boost. IGTV is Instagram’s video hub for long form, full-screen videos. However, it could also mean users will simply be able to view Stories and feed videos together.

Jane Manchun Wong, a software engineer, found that the code refers to “cowatch content” from a “Playlist” or “Suggested” videos. The code suggests similarities to Facebook Watch Party, which allows group co-viewing on Facebook. Wong also previously discovered code for a “Watch Videos Together” feature in Facebook Messenger.

At this time, it’s unknown how the screen sharing will look to users who are co-watching content.

“It’s not certain whether users will be able to appear picture-in-picture while watching so friends can see their reactions,” Tech Crunch noted, “but that would surely be more fun.”

Co-watching on Instagram could offer a new way for advertisers to reach users. Ads may be shown throughout or in between viewing experiences. This could give advertisers another audience demographic to cater their marketing strategies through this unique virtual co-watching experience.

If Watch Party has already been successful, the co-watching feature for Instagram is a smart move on Facebook’s part. According to Tech Crunch, since launching in July up through this past November, Watch Party generated 12 million co-watching groups, which produced eight times more comments than other video formats on the platform.

“That proves co-watching can make video feel less isolating,” observed Tech Crunch.

Instagram has not publicly commented on the discovered code for the co-watching feature. The company likely won’t reveal anything until it has begun testing the feature with select users. It may be a while before users can see the capability in the app.

With co-viewing experiences rolling out to social media apps like Facebook and Instagram, YouTube may have more competition to watch out for in the future. YouTube already had to adjust its strategy for its original programming by making subscriptions to its premium service free to all users, with a small catch of ad-supported content. The platform made this move to compete with streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Now, YouTube may need to worry about Instagram as well.

By Anna Hubbel , writer at  AdvertiseMint, best Facebook advertising agency

The post Instagram Code Shows a Co-Watch Feature May Be in the Works appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Facebook and Instagram Are Down. Users Commiserate on Twitter

March 13, 2019
Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook marketing agency
Down Detector map shows areas where Facebook is not working

Since 8 a.m. today, users who have tried to access their Facebook or Instagram accounts found that the sites are down. Those who attempted to log in could not, and those who did were met with a slow loading feed or a feed that didn’t load at all.

Facebook and Instagram have been inaccessible since 8 a.m. this morning, and US users aren’t the only ones affected. According to Down Detector, the “weatherman for the digital world” that monitors service interruptions and outages, Facebook and Instagram are malfunctioning across the globe, hitting hard in the United States, Europe, and some parts of South America.

Facebook released a statement on Twitter this morning, addressing the issue.

“We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble accessing the Facebook family of apps. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” said Facebook’s Twitter post.

Facebook has not estimated the time it will take to fix the issue. This social media blackout is causing problems not only to regular social media users who rely on the apps for entertainment but also for those who need the platforms for work, people like social media managers and digital advertisers. Because the services are down, users can’t access their business and ad accounts.

As Facebook works to get the apps and websites up and running, users, in the meantime, are shifting their attention to Twitter, posting funny memes about the blackout and commiserating with other users.

The Facebook and Instagram outages may be a major inconvenience to users, but at least they face the issue with a sense of humor.

Written by Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

The post Facebook and Instagram Are Down. Users Commiserate on Twitter appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Twitter Rolls Out New Insights Tool That Shows Video Engagement

March 13, 2019
Anna Hubbel, writer at  AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads company
Rawpixel / Pexels

Twitter, which has become increasingly popular for its video ad formats, recently rolled out a new Publisher Insights tool that helps publishers determine the best times to share videos. The tool is the first of multiple efforts surrounding content insights that the company announced were in the works at CES 2019 in Las Vegas in January. The tool is called Timing is Everything.

The ultimate goal, according to Twitter’s announcement, is to help publishers “maximize engagement, conversation, and viewership.”

Timing is Everything is currently live within Media Studio and includes a dashboard with a graph indicating the days and times users are most engaged with video tweets. Hours are marked along an x-axis and days are marked along a y-axis. Various shades of gray are used to represent the amount of engagement video tweets are getting on particular days and at specific hours. Publishers can also specify the time frame for the insights to include a custom range, or they can choose from the “last week,” “this month,” or “last month” options.

Image Courtesy of Tech Crunch

“We encourage publishers to continue to post throughout the day in order to maximize reach; however, consider including posting during the most engaging times of the day and week as part of that strategy,” the company said in its announcement.

It’s important to note that the graph shows data for all videos across Twitter, not specifically the individual publisher’s videos.

With access to these new insights, publishers can adjust their strategy to share video at the most engaging times of day. There is even a new scheduling tool accessible through the same page for convenience.

Image Courtesy of Twitter

According to Tech Crunch, Twitter plans to roll out more data insights tools in Media Studio, but they are still in development.

It makes sense that Twitter’s first of multiple data insights tools to come would focus on video, as more and more of the platform’s user base engages with the video format. Marketing analyst Emarketer even increased its US ad revenue forecast for Twitter from 9.5 percent to 22.8 percent between December 2018 and December 2020 because of video ad sales. Video advertising is expected to account for 60 percent of Twitter’s total US ad revenues by 2021.

Twitter’s new video ad formats include Video Website Card, in-stream pre-roll, and First View ads. These formats have contributed to the drastic growth of video on the platform. A News Camera feature that resembles Snapchat is also in the works.

By Anna Hubbel , writer at  AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency reviews

The post Twitter Rolls Out New Insights Tool That Shows Video Engagement appeared first on AdvertiseMint.