Today in Digital Marketing - Mom! Don’t Come In Here! I’m Building the Metaverse!

Starting point is 00:00:00 Today, the AI content on your brand's website could get you in trouble with Google. Instagram removes an ad placement that everybody's used and gives its creators a reason to switch platforms. One company's invasive marketing strategy that works. And on the premium podcast with no ads, more stories and deep dive weekend episodes. Tap the link in the show notes for more. The advice you've heard about using alt text for your SEO is probably wrong. It's Thursday, April 7th.

Starting point is 00:00:31 I'm Todd Maffin. Here's what you missed today in digital marketing. If there are millions of factors that go into your Google ranking, there are also, it seems, a million tools to help you exploit those factors. One of those popular of late have been AI-based content

Starting point is 00:00:46 writers. These are sites that will automatically generate content on your website, like blog posts and how-to articles. It's certainly tempting. While not perfect, they do spit out content well enough that the average person might not know it was written by a bot. But something those tools will not tell you, they're actually against Google's rules and could result in a ranking penalty for your brand's website. And why? Well, because content written by artificial intelligence falls under the category of auto-generated content, the same John Mueller we quoted in the last story suggests that Google systems in the future might not even be able to detect AI generated content without human reviewers. He also says that Google doesn't care how the AI writing tools are used on your website in any capacity, quoting him. Currently, it's all against the webmaster guidelines. So from our point of view, if we were to run across something like that, if the web team were to see it, they would see it as spam. Instagram has made its next move to counter TikTok, a move that will affect you if you run ads on the platform.

Starting point is 00:02:01 They have now officially killed off in-stream video ads as a placement. Advertisers on the platform are being notified with a message that says Instagram in-stream video is no longer available as an ad placement. You can run video ads on Instagram using the Instagram Reels placement instead. I know you might be thinking what I'm thinking, but wait a minute, a video isn't necessarily a Reel. But of course, Instagram is trying to push everything toward the Reels format as it's been I know you might be thinking what I'm thinking, but wait a minute, a video isn't necessarily a reel. But of course, Instagram is trying to push everything toward the Reels format as it's been so successful for TikTok. The move officially makes Reels the best video option for advertisers on the app,

Starting point is 00:02:47 which is another step in integrating ads into a scrollable stream of video content on the platform, just like their archenemy. But while Instagram gets rid of an ad placement to push toward Reels, it's also giving Reels creator incentive to go to a different platform. Meta is allegedly cutting payouts and inflating target metrics for monetization for its Reels creator program. Creators say that payments are down as much as 70% per view and that their videos require millions of more views in order for them to get paid. This all according to the Financial Times. Influencers claim that the changes were not explained by the company. According to one creator, their personalized threshold for

Starting point is 00:03:20 getting paid up to $35,000 has gone from 58 million views to 359 million views. In a statement to the Financial Times, Mehta said it was testing Reels bonuses on Instagram and Facebook, which may cause payouts to, quote, fluctuate as pricing models are refined. The neighborhood social network Nextdoor has launched a new do-it-yourself ads product. The company announced its self-service campaign management platform, Nextdoor Ads, that is targeted at small and medium-sized businesses. The ad platform features a familiar five-step user interface that guides us through the process. Select a goal, build an ad, choose an audience, set a budget, and publish the ad. Previously, advertisers on the platform were limited to two ad formats, a reach of only 10 miles, and a flat pricing system.

Starting point is 00:04:14 The company says with Nextdoor ads, they will gain access to a multi-ad platform, increased reach, and flexible pricing. But will they also have access to one of Nextdoor's most invasive marketing tactics? A blog post explained recently the company's intrusive snail mail campaign in which you receive a letter, that's a real letter, from one of your real neighbors inviting you to join the Nextdoor app. The letter uses classic marketing tactics such as FOMO language and a sign-up deadline, similar to what you see in email campaigns, but it's signed by a real person, or at least their name is on it. I saw people in our community's Facebook group talk about it. Hell, even our associate producer,

Starting point is 00:04:54 the intrepid Steph Gunn, got one of these things in her mailbox. I genuinely thought, I guess, it was one of my neighbors that sent it to me, so I signed up for it. And I ended up unsubscribing because they send you so many emails every day. So how do they get away with something like this? Well, when someone signs up for the app, they are presented with the option to send, quote, personalized invitations, which include their full name and address, making it a legal but unusual marketing strategy. But hey, it got Steph to sign up. It's the season for new styles and you love to shop for jackets and boots. So when you do, always make sure you get cash back from Rakuten. And it's not just clothing and shoes. You can get cash back from over 750 stores on electronics, holiday travel, home decor, and more. It's super easy. And before you

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Starting point is 00:06:30 Well, if your brand is feeling the impact of inflation, you are not alone. A new survey indicates that 85% of American business owners are concerned about the impact of inflation on their company. On top of that, three out of four small businesses find it challenging to manage higher costs due to inflation and said that rising prices have had a significant impact on their business. Here's how small business owners are adjusting as high inflation becomes more entrenched. Two out of three business owners report raising prices. Four out of ten have cut staff or taken out a loan in the past year.

Starting point is 00:07:03 Industries including manufacturing, services, retail, and professional services all cite inflation as one of the top challenges facing the small business community. The data provided by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. And finally, Meta is canceling its F8 developer conference this year to, wait for it, build the Metaverse. Or maybe save some money? One of these is true. Guess which one? The conference is traditionally where the company shares insight into its latest projects and developments, which makes us wonder, have there been any developments?

Starting point is 00:07:41 The company says it still plans to hold its annual Connect event later this year, where it will discuss its VR, AR, and Metaverse platform offering. That is the sound of a foundation being dug out and poured the hot tub. The work towards it has started. There's an end in sight. If you're following this, my wife and I are trying to get a little two-person hot tub. The work towards it has started. There's an end in sight. If you're following this, my wife and I are trying to get a little two-person hot tub, like a jacuzzi

Starting point is 00:08:10 installed. We don't have a backyard, so we've got to do it on our side deck, which is kind of small, so we are reinforcing it. And then we have to get a structural engineer, and then we have to get an electrician, and it's a whole lot of stuff. But we will hopefully have a hot tub soon.

Starting point is 00:08:25 And the work started today. I'm very excited about that. Alright, talk to you tomorrow. Let's get it started right now. Let's get it started. Let's get it started.

Today in Digital Marketing - Mom! Don’t Come In Here! I’m Building the Metaverse!

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