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YouTube Test & Compare helps you pick the best video thumbnail

Written on June 27, 2023 at 4:07 am, by admin

YouTube is piloting a new feature to help marketers pick the perfect thumbnail for their videos.

The Test & Compare tool, also known as A/B thumbnail testing, will provide performance data, revealing which designs drive the highest click through rates (CTRs).

Why we care: This new feature will help advertisers better understand the behaviour of their audience, so that they can create a winning thumbnail, potentially resulting in a higher CTR and improved engagement.

How it works: Marketers will be able to upload a maximum of three thumbnails per video using the Test & Compare tool. YouTube bots will then run experiments on these images to identify which one is the strongest performer, allowing advertisers to make an informed decision when selecting which thumbnail they’d like to accompany their video.

What’s new? Currently, the pilot is only being tested on a few hundred creators, however, YouTube is planning to launch a beta version in the coming months to expand the scheme to thousands more. Next year, the video platform is planning to the feature more broadly available next year.

Why now? According to YouTube, the Test & Compare tool has been one of its most top requested features and so it is responding to consumer demand.

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What has YouTube said? “The team is working to make the tool available more broadly starting next year, but we wanted to share that testing is officially underway because we know that this is a top requested feature and it will help you make more data driven decisions about your thumbnail strategy,” a YouTube spokesperson said. “We know that you have been anxiously waiting this capability so thank you to our community for your patience and feedback along the way.”

What’s next? According to YouTube, there will be more announcements as testing gets underway later this year with regards to a more general roll out in 2023. A spokesperson added: “If you’d like to help us test features like this in the future, you can sign up to be considered on our Creator Research page.”

Deeper dive: For more information from the YouTube Creator technical team and the wider Creator community, check out Creator Insider’s YouTube channel.

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A PPC marketer’s guide to retail media

Written on June 23, 2023 at 7:02 pm, by admin

Most people know that Amazon, Walmart and Instacart have paid search placements on their websites. However, you may not know about their involvement in programmatic, display, social media and Google Shopping.

It is crucial for PPC marketers to understand this because retail media (a.k.a. commerce media) is driving customers to retail sites that can transact multiple brands and items in a single transaction.

This is especially true at retailers that hold everyday essential items, providing a path to regular visits, both online and offline.

Elizabeth Marsten, VP of commerce strategic services at marketing firm Tinuiti, shared her insights on the 2023 retail media landscape and all the need-to-know essentials in her session at SMX Advanced.

What is retail media?

Retail media is basically a type of paid search. Every business has some sort of paid search offering in which they are able to harvest existing demand.

However, retail media differs from paid search in the sense that it is split into two categories, onsite and offsite:

• Onsite
  • Sponsored search (product ads)
  • Display banners
  • Browse, category pages
  • Coupons
  • Offers

• Offsite
  • Programmatic display (ideally through a curated network)
  • Social media
  • Email / newsletters
  • SMS / push notifications
  • Google Shopping PLAs
  • OTT

How does retail marketing work?

Retail marketing is rooted in first-party data that’s been collected by companies for the last three decades. This data has been enabling marketers to better understand customers, how they behave and molded the shape of what we know to be retail marketing.

• “Just think about how much, for example, Kroger knows about you if you are someone who buys groceries on a pretty regular basis from a Kroger. Maybe you started your loyalty card program with your phone number, which you still enter every time you check out. Whether or not that’s through an app or a self-checkout stand,” Marsten said.
• “At the checkout stand itself, you have been entering that phone number for probably a good 20 years maybe. So even when you were getting cash back in those early 2000s and you bought a pack of gum or a Twix, you entered that phone number just in case. Well, technically, that data is what has led us to much better-targeted advertising for things you might actually want.”

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What do paid search marketers need to know?

Marketers have been collecting data on consumers for 30 years and during that time, the industry has seen three big digital waves.

• The first big wave came in approximately 2002 when Google Ads started rolling out, along with similar products from companies like Microsoft and Yahoo. It took tech giants 14 years to reach $30 billion in advertising revenue.
• The second big wave started gaining traction in 2008 with the rise of social media. Brands like Meta, Twitter and Reddit took 11 years to achieve $30 billion in advertising revenue.
• The third wave began in 2016 with the arrival of retail media. This sector took just five years to hit the $30 billion goal.

Explaining why retail media has evolved so quickly, Marsten said:

• “If you worked for Google or Microsoft in the last 10 years or so, you probably have noticed that there aren’t a lot of big changes – for example, some of you may remember when Google renamed the Content Network to the Display Network. Those are pretty monumental changes that happen over time relative to digital advertising.
• “Now, when it comes to retail media, we are experiencing one of these every six months or so. So that is how fast things are coming up and changing and pivoting as we go on.”

Why in-store still matters

In store is still hugely important to retail media because this sector operates differently to D2C websites.

• “I care about in-store sales, I care about sales at the shelf and I care about sales at the self-checkout because I care about those digital touch points. “They tell us how we’re going to engage with the customer over and over again,” Marsten said

Marsten went on to talk about Walmart, which made $3 billion in advertising revenue last year. The company has huge retail media expansion plans in the future, and one significant advantage it has over competitors like Amazon its stores.

• “That’s 4,700 plus touch points in the United States alone. Think about how often folks go to get the essentials – I will be there every time outside and inside with my digital capabilities,” she said.

Google Shopping PLAs

Retail marketers have the option of purchasing Google Shopping ads via Target Roundel, which appear in Google SERPs. Customers who click through will be taken to the target.com experience – but this is funded by you.

So you can essentially work with Target Roundel to boost in-store sales via Google searches in order to fill out your marketing budget. It’s a popular choice with many major retailers such as Best Buy and Home Depot, but there are details to consider:

• The product you’re selling must be in store.
• Run through Roundel so limited reporting mid-flight (monthly only).
• In store sales included.
• Could be complementary or competitive.

• “It does take a minute in terms of reporting. But you do get in store sales. If someone searches local inventory, then they go in the store and they buy it because they see online that it’s in stock, they just go in the store and buy it. And you will get credit for that. It is pretty cool. It is something that I would say keep an eye on in terms of capabilities and what it could be. I’m pretty excited about what their roadmap looks like for next year.”

How is retail media working with Microsoft?

Retail media has multiple connections to Microsoft, including:

• Hardware: In-store screens and Xbox
• Activation: Promote IQ, Microsoft Ads, Xander and Netflix
• Automation / Research: ChatGBT
• Insights: PowerBI
• Data: Azure / Project Oakes
• CDP: Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

How is retail media working with Google?

Not to be outdone by Microsoft, retail media also works closely with Google in the following ways:

• Hardware: Pixel and Nest.
• Activation: DV360, YouTube, Google Ads and SA360.
• Automation / Research: Bard and Trends.
• Insights: Google Analytics and Looker.
• Data: Google Cloud and Pair.
• CDP: Customer Data Platforms and Google Cloud.

Commenting on retail media’s relationship with Google, Masrten added:

• “Similar to Microsoft, if you were a retailer and perhaps you had a Google stack, working with a whole bunch of different capabilities at Google, you can make it really easy for a brand to come in and activate across multiple channels or multiple platforms. But also, hopefully, eventually, we’ll get to a spot where insights can come forward in a way that is digestible and actionable. I would say we’re still working on that. This is a big wave and we’re still going!”

Key takeaways

Marsten concluded her talk by outlining the four key points she would like marketers to keep in mind when it comes to retail media:

• Lots of similar options: There are a lot of similarities in terms of who’s working with who.
• A bit jumbled: We’re still building out and there are similarities with Google and Microsoft regarding how they built out their capabilities.
• Stores. Stores. Stores: A lot of opportunity left to tie together. Think about how much money transacts through a store and potential capabilities from an in-store experience perspective.
• Watch the intersection of PPC (Google and Microsoft) and retail media for overlap: You better believe that they’re not going to be left out when it comes to retail media.

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Google has removed attribution models in GA4

Written on June 23, 2023 at 7:02 pm, by admin

Google Analytics today officially removed first click, linear, time decay, and position-based attribution models. This leaves only last click and data-driven, as Google announced would happen in April.

Charles Farina shared a screenshot on LinkedIn:

Not Google Ads (yet). Google will soon retire the four rules-based attribution models in Ads and starting in mid-July. You can continue using these attribution models until September, when they will be removed completely.

In a followup to their April announcement, Google Ads yesterday announced:

• “We will be removing selectability of these models for all conversions in Google Ads beginning in mid-July. This means that newly created conversions will no longer have first click, linear, time decay, or position-based as an attribution model option. Existing conversions not using these models will also no longer be able to switch to these models. If your account has conversions using these attribution models, these conversions can continue to use them until they’re removed completely in September.”

Why we care: Many marketers are upset about Google limiting us to having only the last click and data-driven attribution models. Removing these attributions means marketers have fewer insights to help make informed, data-based decisions.

How will marketers be impacted? If your Ads account has conversions using these models, you can continue to use them until September. But after that deadline, the models will be removed and data may be lost.

If you are working on conversions not using these models, you will not have the option to switch over after mid-July. In addition, newly created conversions will no longer have the option of even choosing these four models.

Why now? Google has taken the decision to retire the four attribution models because of “increasingly low adoption rates, with fewer than 3% of conversions in Google Ads using these models” according to a Google spokesperson.

• “For these reasons, first click, linear, time decay, and position-based attribution models across Google Ads and Google Analytics 4 will be going away. Data-driven attribution, last click, and external attribution won’t be impacted.”

Dig deeper: Data-driven attribution: How to think about Google’s default attribution model

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Google updates when 4 attribution models will be retired

Written on June 22, 2023 at 4:00 pm, by admin

Google will start to retire four rules-based attribution models in Ads and Analytics from mid-July:

• First-click.
• Linear.
• Time decay.
• Position-based.

Marketers still using these attribution models will be able to continue doing so until September, when they will be removed completely.

Why we care: This update will affect the Google Ads accounts of all marketers still using these attribution models. Moving forward, any model that isn’t last-click will prove more difficult to monitor as every marketer has different data-driven attribution formulas.

• “In the past, you could use linear and give each touch the same credit. You will no longer be able to do so. There will be no impact on last touch, as that is still available. But finding some of the first-touch information will be much muddier because there will no longer be a way to see the formulas that compute the attribution scores.”

How will marketers be impacted? If your account has conversions using these models, you can continue to use them until September, but after that deadline, the models will be removed and data may be lost. If you are working on conversions not using these models, you will not have the option to switch over after mid-July. In addition, newly created conversions will no longer have the option of even choosing these four models.

Why now? Google has taken the decision to retire the four attribution models because of “increasingly low adoption rates, with fewer than 3% of conversions in Google Ads using these models” according to a Google spokesperson.

• “For these reasons, first click, linear, time decay, and position-based attribution models across Google Ads and Google Analytics 4 will be going away. Data-driven attribution, last click, and external attribution won’t be impacted.”

Dig deeper: Data-driven attribution: How to think about Google’s default attribution model

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GA4 gives marketers choice in Google Ads conversion credit eligibility

Written on June 22, 2023 at 4:00 pm, by admin

Google is rolling out changes that will give advertisers better insights into conversion performance.

For the first time, marketers working with GA4 will be able to choose which of their channels should be eligible to get conversion credit for web conversions shared with Google Ads. This applies to Google paid channels (formerly, Ads-preferred) and Paid and organic channels (formerly, Cross-channel).

Why we care. This new capability will tell you which channels contribute to a conversion, helping you better understand and measure the impact of your campaigns. This data will prove incredibly useful to advertisers as they’ll be able to create new strategies to increase conversions and revenue with more confidence and certainty.

How it works. Advertisers can view which of their channels are eligible for credit for each conversion in Google Ads, under the Conversions summary, Conversions detail, and Campaigns tabs. In Google Analytics, this information can be found in the Attribution settings page.

Which channels are eligible. There are two channels to be considered in this insatnce:

• Google paid channels: Only Google Ads paid channels are eligible to receive conversion credit.
• Paid and organic channels: Paid and organic channels are eligible to receive conversion credit, but only credit assigned to Google Ads channels will appear in your Google Ads accounts.

Advertisers should note the default channel is Google paid channels, however, marketers do have the option to choose PPC and organic channels instead.

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How to change the setting. In Google Analytics, this set-up can be edited at any time by going to the Admin > Attribution settings page. Once you have updated your preferences, changes will take effect on conversions moving forward.

What Google has said. The search engine explained in a statement:

• “You can now select which channels are eligible for conversion credit for web conversions shared with Google Ads: Google paid channels (formerly, Ads-preferred) or Paid and organic channels (formerly, Cross-channel).”

Deep dive: Click here for more information about what channels are eligible to receive credit for conversions and how to import conversion into Google Ads.

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Microsoft rolls out predictive targeting to all advertisers

Written on June 22, 2023 at 4:00 pm, by admin

The Microsoft Audience Network has moved predictive targeting to general availability.

Following a successful pilot, all advertisers will now be able to use the feature in their campaigns.

Why we care: Predictive targeting can help advertisers easily find new audiences that they may not have previously considered targeting. Not only are the identified audience relevant, but they are viewed by bots are more likely to convert, which could result in a higher ROI for marketers.

Successful trial. Microsoft has been trialing this tool for 10 months and has reported that advertisers on average have seen a 46% increase in conversion rates.

How it works. Microsoft bots examine ads along with the landing pages associated with them, before using its audience intelligence signals to match that content with relevant audiences. The bots have been designed to help marketers deliver the right message at the right time to drive better performance.

How to set it up. In order to integrate predictive targeting into your marketing campaign, you need to toggle on an ad group setting in the audience campaigns. You can do this in two different ways:

• Option A: When setting up an audience campaign, predictive targeting will now be the default targeting option. If you want to use predictive targeting, simply leave the settings as they are.
• Option B: If you want to expand your reach beyond targeted audiences for your campaign, you can choose to apply a marketing list or an in-market audience. To do this, simply toggle on predictive targeting and the Microsoft bot will serve to your targeted audience while simultaneously using predictive targeting to find users outside of that audience who are still relevant.

Is it the same as optimized targeting? It is similar in the sense that this tool can help marketers reach their ideal audience with little to no input. However, this tool was designed specifically to assist marketers using the Microsoft Audience Network using a combination of existing advertiser assets and Microsoft Audience Intelligence.

Microsoft shares best practices. The tech giant has identified best practices to help marketers achieve the best results:

• Microsoft bases its decisions and algorithms on ad content and landing page.
  • Use clear and descriptive ad copy.
  • Make sure your landing page provides a good user experience.

• Use predictive targeting in combination with automated bidding across all campaigns.
  • “In terms of automated bidding strategies, we have a pilot target for CPA and maximum target conversion which are launching in the summertime. So the recommendation for now is to use it with enhanced CPC,” according to Microsoft.

• Apply predictive targeting to all of your campaigns to see how it performs.
  • “You’ll also have a reporting line item in the campaigns grid and the audiences tab – that will show you exactly what predictive targeting is delivering for your campaigns.
  • “Don’t just set audience targeting and forget about it. Report, review and adjust as necessary, keeping an eye on budgets and making sure you’re staying competitive,” Microsoft said.

Deeper dive: For more information on Microsoft’s predictive targeting feature, read its complete guide here.

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Master CTV advertising: A guide to launching your best campaigns by Cynthia Ramsaran

Written on June 22, 2023 at 4:00 pm, by admin

When it comes to Connected TV, you don’t need to walk the road less traveled when there is already a bridge to success.

Successful advertisers have already done the hard work of figuring out what a winning performance-focused CTV strategy looks like. MNTN looked at the top 25% of advertisers on its platform and put together a guide—so you don’t have to optimize alone.

Learn more by registering for and attending “Trust the Trail(blazers): Launching Your Best CTV Campaign,” presented by MNTN.

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Google Performance Max adds Store Sales reporting, bidding

Written on June 21, 2023 at 12:59 pm, by admin

Google has upgraded the capabilities of its Store Sales reporting and bidding to help marketers working on Performance Max campaigns to boost offline sales.

The new features have been built to help advertisers better understand omnichannel shoppers, who are 2.9x more likely to make a purchase from brands, according to Google.

Why we care: Marketers can accurately measure their brand’s total sales both on and offline using Store Sales, helping them to better optimize bids for in-store revenue, potentially resulting in a higher omnichannel return on ad spend (ROAS) and increased offline sales.

What’s new? Google has added an array of new and improved features to Store Sales to help advertisers better understand the success of their campaigns. This includes:

• Smart bidding capabilities: This feature optimizes Google ads for improved store sales conversions.
• Alignment of reporting: This methodology, which can be used across Store Visit and Store Sales, will enable advertisers to better understand store visit-to-purchase rates by campaign.
• Holistic measurements: There will now be ROAS calculations for online and offline conversions.

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How it works: Store Sales analyses sales data to measure online-to-offline ad activity. By uploading and matching your brand’s transaction data, Store Sales can help advertisers identify how ads translate into offline purchases.

What has Google said? Beta customers who have used Store Sales have reported a significant lift in their sales volume and ROAS. In a statement, Google said that Dutch variety chain store HEMA saw an 89% rise in Omnichannel return-on-ad-spend as it was able to create more personalized ads by using its data. Meanwhile, Indian jewelry brand Tanishq reported a 7% increase in offline sales.

Deeper dive: For more information on implementing store sales data and Performance Max bidding campaign analysis, visit Google’s Help Center for Store sales or Smart Bidding.

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Microsoft Ads announces major policy updates that start July 1

Written on June 21, 2023 at 12:59 pm, by admin

Microsoft is urging marketers to review and adjust their ad campaigns as it prepares to roll out a major policy update.

Advertisers can expect big changes to their Microsoft Advertising accounts in the coming months, as new policies and resources start being introduced from July 1.

Why we care: Advertisers will potentially need to take action depending on how their brands are impacted by the updates. Microsoft says the changes are set to help marketers reach greater audiences and offer more security for consumers to align with upcoming regulatory changes.

The update comes just two weeks after Microsoft announced advertisers might see a small increase in conversions when it rolls out its new Cross-Device attribution model later this month.

What are the new rules? Microsoft has confirmed additional policy updates which will have a significant impact on marketers working in sectors such as health and gambling: The new policy updates are as follows:

• Vitamin and supplement ads are given the green light – The Microsoft Audience Network will now permit vitamin and supplement ads. However, claims must be accurate and truthful. Marketers cannot say that their product “cleanses the liver,” for example. Under the new policy, landing pages must be product pages as opposed to advertorials or video content.
• Gambling ads are now approved – Marketers in the gambling and betting sectors can now place ads on the Microsoft Audience Network. However, advertisers must be licensed in the market they wish to reach and have gone through the gambling enablement process to obtain approval.
• Gambling ads in Belgium are banned – Microsoft will cooperate with Belgium authorities when it rolls out a ban on gambling advertising. The tech giant has announced it will begin enforcing rules to ensure local laws are adhered to from July 1 and is telling marketers to ensure that they no longer target this market.
• Restrictions on gambling ads in Ireland – Microsoft is introducing a watershed on gambling ads in Ireland and is urging marketers to update any relevant ad campaigns that may be impacted. However, an exact date has not yet been confirmed.
• Ban on clinical trial ads – From Aug. 1, Microsoft will be rolling out a global ban on ads promoting clinical trials or experimental treatments across all ad types.

How are Microsoft Ads accounts changing? Microsoft has given some insight into how these updates will impact Microsoft Ads accounts:

• Ad and ad component disapprovals – including keywords, ad copy and landing pages.
• Store or product disapprovals.
• A three-strike violation policy – this policy already existed but the tech giant has explained its rules in more detail.
• Immediate suspension penalty for egregious violations – this policy already existed but Microsoft has provided more clarity as to how these violations are classified.

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What has Microsoft said? The company said the changes are meant to provide greater visibility for advertisers and users.

• “We will be updating some of our advertising policies with a focus on helping you reach greater audiences for some products and services. Some updates will help further protect those who use our products and services, and some updates will align with upcoming regulatory changes. We are also making updates to our policy pages to provide better alignment on some policy areas by moving content to different pages or adding examples and clarity where needed.”

Deeper dive: For more information on Microsoft’s policy changes, read its Advertising Policy here.

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Essential guide to Google Reviews by Digital Marketing Depot

Written on June 21, 2023 at 12:59 pm, by admin

Every business owner wants to get positive reviews. But apart from their feel-good potential, reviews serve another important function that’s sometimes easy to overlook: they can actually help boost your business in search engine rankings.

The “New Business Guide to Google Reviews” by GatherUp is an essential resource for growing businesses looking to attract more customers through the power of Google search.

This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to claim and optimize your Google My Business profile, how to solicit and respond to customer reviews, and how to deal with Google and their overall review process.

Visit Digital Marketing Depot to download your copy today.

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