The months are really flying in, even though I do this blog every month, I was taken aback when I saw it was July – it’ll be Christmas in no time! There has been lots going on this month in the social media sphere, so let’s get into the nitty gritty.
You could soon reach Facebook users without advanced targeting
Facebook is reportedly working on a privacy-friendly ad product that doesn’t rely on anonymised personal information to target users. Coined ‘Basic Ads’, the solution is for advertisers aiming to build awareness and shape product perceptions. This new feature will be first tested and rolled out in Europe and then will roll out across the US and the rest of the world. It’ll be measured by metrics like engagement and video views, so this means that the performance and reach of your ad would be relative to how much engagement it generates. Create a good ad and your cost for exposure would reduce, as user interaction would help to fuel more reach in the algorithm. As the old saying goes, and I know I’m sounding very cheesy here, but content is king.
What does this mean for advertisers?
Implement thumb-stopping creative for Basic Ads with broad appeal. But, without targeted reach, you’re marketing to a general audience with no guarantees of interest. Effective ads will also reduce your cost for exposure as Facebook’s algorithm will reward high engagement levels with increased reach. It’s a continuing trend we are seeing across all platforms, businesses are making their ads look more native to the platform they are advertising on. We need to know our audiences; they don’t want their social media feeds oversaturated with ads. So, when we’re advertising we need to make our content fun, engaging and consumable. Basic Ads is a great update to make sure that businesses focus on good content, as with this new feature it seems that good content will be rewarded with good results.
Marketing tips you need according to TikTok experts
TikTok have released a second season of their video series ‘Made for TikTok’. It focuses on best practices, trends and culture and how to inspire and educate marketers and agency creatives on how to make great branded content. There is a huge emphasis on creating engaging content that will resonate with your audience. Across three episodes, TikTok covers platform-first creative, working with creators and finding your brand voice. You can watch the three-part series here.
You don’t have to chase followers to get your content seen on TikTok. The TikTok user interface is optimised for discovery and prioritizes good content over all else, leading longer session times and high engagement. Music and audio are the most immediate way to emotionally connect with your audience and capture attention. It allows brands to take over 100% of the screen, creating an immersive experience with no distractions, just pure TikTok joy. For marketing on TikTok it’s best if your ads don’t look like ads!
Top tips for marketers:
TikTok is available in more than 150 markets in 75 languages, no video app is on more mobile devices worldwide. Of TikTok’s millions of users, 1 in 4 can’t be found on any other platforms. With the average TikToker opening the app 19 times a day and spending 75 minutes a day on the app. (I can shamefully admit that I spend much long on the app than this…). Advertisers can reach a unique audience on TikTok. Shoot vertical and in hi-res (720p at least), use and sounds, and make it longer than 10 seconds (ideally 21-34). Don’t be afraid of failure. Experiment with different approaches to understand what works for your brand. Explore the Creative Centre to discover trends and use tools to level up your content. Making your ads look native to the platform will ensure that they perform well.
Google’s financial services advertisers must be verified or face restrictions
Google’s expanding its ad verification policies to tackle financial scams. the programme has seen success in the UK where it was first launched. Now Australia, Singapore and Taiwan are next in line for access as part of a phased expansion. Under the new policy expansion, financial services advertisers in these three markets must gain authorisation from their local financial regulatory body in order to run ads.
Prior to launching the financial ads verification policy in the U.K., Google had been under pressure from the FCA to tackle scams — with the regulator threatening legal action if Google continued to accept unscreened financial ads.
Alejandro Borgia, a Google director of ads privacy and safety, released a blog in which he stated that Google are working tirelessly ‘to make sure the ads we serve are safe and trustworthy, and we know that partnering and collaborating with government regulators is critical to our success. That’s why we’re closely coordinating with regulators in these three markets to make sure this programme is effective at scale’
The impact on financial services advertisers
Advertisers promoting financial products and services in these markets must apply for verification at the end of June. Google won’t accept ads of this type from advertisers who have failed to complete the verification process by 30 August.
Pinterest has opened up a content format to advertisers
Last year, Pinterest began its pivot from being an online image board to being more of a creator platform with the launch of Idea Pins. It seems like everyone and their granny is opting for more video based content!
Today, Pinterest is opening up this new format to its advertisers with the launch of its new “Idea Ads.” Idea Ads are image-first and include a call-to-action. This ad format is designed to give brands a way to connect with their audience on Pinterest’s platform, which can then in turn drive traffic to their websites or inspire future shopping purchase.
According to Pinterest’s tests, people who saw Idea Ads were 59% more likely to recall that brand. Meanwhile, brands that worked with creators saw 38% higher brand awareness and 37% higher Pin awareness.
