The Big Players Battle for Breaking News

Four huge players are launching new products that aim to capture share of the breaking news segment. Facebook just announced its standalone app called Notify in response to Twitter's launch of Moments while Apple pre-installed Apple News on all iPhone 6s phones. And Snapchat's recent Live Stories serves up related user-generated content and has been a huge success with millennials.

I hadn't heard of Notify or Moments until reading this article and it sounds like that is one of the problems - low awareness for these new products. This seems a bit shocking given the products are being put out by two major players. Perhaps time will tell.

After trying Moments, I actually really like the concept. Tweets are organized by content (News, Sports, Entertainment, etc) and easily searchable. I appreciate the value in being served up the most popular tweets across all users (not just the random ones I follow) and based on content I'm interested in. The article also outlines opportunities for the app to incorporate Twitter-owned Periscope as well. In addition to some drawbacks called out in the article, I think my main concern is the vetting of the news being served up. Unlike a trust-worthy app like New York Times Now, a breaking news app from Twitter doesn't make me think I'll be getting the most well-sourced information. In my opinion, it may be a fun add-on but won't be a substitute for real news.

http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/technology/why-its-game-tech-companies-battle-over-breaking-news-168297

Email Marketing Here to Stay

Many have discounted the future of email marketing given all of the social apps that have popped up that were thought to be the future of brand/customer communication. However, email marketing is still strong with 98% of brands using it and the most successful ones adapting their strategies in three different ways.

1. Making customers part of the content (leveraging UGC) and in real time

• Brands have seen success when they incorporate user-generated content relating to the brand and develop quick stories/campaigns around the content, emailing them out in real time.

2. Speaking directly to the individual recipient, not mass communication

• Brands are personalizing their communications (something difficult to do via social), sending individualized emails with tailored messages and content based on each individual recipient.

3. Measuring and adapting continuously

• Successful brands relearning from each email blast, testing multiple messages, calls to action, structures, contents, etc. They are continuously refining and narrowing in on very specific success factors of their campaigns. 

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/3-ways-email-marketing-embracing-trends-were-supposed-make-it-obsolete-166300

Content Marketing's Clickbait Problem

I found this article on Mashable brief but interesting. It details the clickbait problem of digital advertising that we all know too well.. Display ads popping up that promise an interesting article/content and then once you click, direct you to something completely different. This results in distrust and frustration among users, and hurts the site's reputation as well.

Many sites are cracking down on clickbait with Facebook recently announcing new measures to eliminate clickbait and Buzzfeed backing a no-tolerance policy. Content creators have also begun to support new metrics versus the standard click through rates. These new metrics are based on things like number of shares, time spent on site, etc. These developments may be an indication of the future of digital advertising metrics and payment plans. Clicks may not be enough and may not be the right way to measure the effectiveness of ads.

http://mashable.com/2014/12/10/content-marketing-clickbait/#djZ1Gvjvp8qS

New Rankings on Ad Fraud of Mobile Exchanges

As we've discussed in class, fraud is a real problem when it comes to advertising online. According to an article I found (link below) on AdAge, it is estimated that 38% of mobile app ad inventory is fraudulent compared to about 27% of desktop inventory. This leaves advertisers in the dark, not knowing which ad exchanges can be trusted to provide real inventory.

An ad-fraud prevention firm called Pixalate has now created a "Trust Index" that ranks mobile app exchanges on their trustworthiness. This will be an extremely helpful tool for advertisers. Pixelate also ranks desktop and mobile web sites as well, but the addition of the mobile app rankings is brand new. Rankings will be updated on a monthly basis.

Hopefully, rankings like these will hold exchanges more accountable to take steps to eliminate fraudulent inventory and increase their transparency on the issue. This would be a win-win for exchanges and advertisers alike.


http://adage.com/article/digital/pixalate-launches-trust-index-mobile-app-exchanges/300473/
http://www.pixalate.com/sellertrustindex/mobile/#!global

Future of Search

I came across this article written today on the future of Google and SEO/SEM given the increasing use of mobile and mobile apps. As more people buy things on Amazon, select restaurants on Yelp and book cabs on Uber, they won't need Google to be an intermediate. Facebook's new Virtual Assistant will also be able to help with some of these tasks.

With this all in mind, Google has worked hard to optimize it's search functionality and display for mobile as well as integrate its search capabilities within many major applications. They also launched Google Now which is a sign of how search may evolve, focusing more on anticipating information the user needs and feeding it to them (vs. them searching for it) when and where they need it. From knowing the weather before they start their day, to planning the best route to work to avoid traffic, to checking a favorite team’s score while they’re playing, to offering up suggestions for restaurants in the area, Google Now will give users the information they want, when they need it. Ultimately, it seems that SEO/SEM in some form will continue being an important part of marketing strategies for the foreseeable future and will likely evolve as search may become less important.

http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/news/2424750/will-the-rise-of-mobile-apps-kill-seo-and-sem

https://www.google.com/landing/now/#whatisit

http://www.wired.com/2015/08/facebook-launches-m-new-kind-virtual-assistant/

The Next Big Thing: Live-Streaming Social Content

Last week I asked a friend at a top agency in Minneapolis what she thinks is the "next big thing" in digital marketing. Her answer: live-streaming social content. As you may know, Meerkat was introduced at SxSW this year and it was the talk of the social world. Since the launch of Meerkat, Twitter has purchased Periscope, which has emerged as the live-stream leader. The apps do virtually the same things.

Right now, all socially innovative brands are trying to figure out how they can leverage live-streaming content. There are several outstanding questions for marketers/ad agencies regarding these live-streaming platforms: In what ways can marketers use these platforms to effectively promote their brands? If and how these platforms can become tools that advertisers are willing to pay for? 

Below is a quick snapshot of the Meerkat app.

WHAT IS IT?

A social app that launched in late February 2015 – and has around 2 million users already.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Think of it as Twitter meets Snapchat meets a live blog — a live stream video that broadcasts in real-time, and is connected to your Twitter account. Users start a video stream from Meerkat and the app automatically tweets a link to it, allowing anyone to click and watch from their device. A viewer can see which users are currently watching, and view real-time commentary. Users can also “schedule” a time when they will be live streaming, so people know when to check back in to see your videos. Cleverly, groups of people viewing are called “colonies.”

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT?

It is actually live. If you miss it on Twitter as it is happening, you miss out. 

HOW IS IT BEING USED?

In it’s short existence, the app has already been used as a platform for real-time news (tracking the protests in Ferguson to New York Fashion Week), a political tool (swearing in key politicians), and an entertainment vehicle (live streaming the red carpet launch of Game of Thrones Season 5 Premier last night). Jimmy Fallon has recently been using it to stream his rehearsal monologues.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

If this live-stream model continues to evolve, gone will be the days of edited and polished online content. Censored and prescriptive social strategies from brands could risk being considered feeble against the in-the-moment/live POV. It is still up in the air if this app will survive the adoption period, but right now it is growing rapidly. Twitter has already started regulating how it interacts with their platform. It is expected that many copycats will follow. (note: Periscope followed March 2015)

https://meerkatapp.co