Today in Digital Marketing - Swipe-Worthy

Starting point is 00:00:00 It is Friday, October 18th. Today, more slides, more eyes. Instagram says you should be using carousel posts. Google's head of advertising leaves. Blue Sky benefits from X's missteps. And meet Amazon's new bricks and mortar store, which sells what its other brand can't. I'm Todd Maffin.

Starting point is 00:00:24 That's ahead today in digital marketing. First, it was videos, then reels. Now, Instagram says posting carousels on Instagram can increase your reach. That's according to Instagram chief Adam Massari this week. Remember, carousels can now include up to 20 frames and music. Carousels get more reach

Starting point is 00:00:46 than single photos for a couple of reasons. First, multiple frames lead to more interactions, and more interactions mean more reach. Second, if a user doesn't swipe through your carousel, Instagram will often show them the second frame anyway. Also, carousels with music can now appear in the Reels tab, expanding their reach. Instagram also recently added text overlays and multi-format display to carousel posts. This means you can include different image formats in a single carousel. If you have the assets, creating a carousel plan might be worth considering. Big changes in the Google org chart. The senior vice president in charge of advertising is leaving the role to take on the new job

Starting point is 00:01:34 of chief technologist. Prabhakar Raghavan will now focus on providing technical direction and leadership. He'd been with Google for 12 years, leading teams across the company. Most recently, he was in charge of search, ads, and leadership. He'd been with Google for 12 years, leading teams across the company. Most recently, he was in charge of search, ads, and commerce. His replacement is Nick Fox, who has experience launching products like Google Fi and RCS Messaging. Other teams are being shuffled as well. The division working on Google's Gemini app will join Google DeepMind,

Starting point is 00:02:00 and the Google Assistant team will become part of Google's Platforms and Devices team. We have a link to their full announcement in today's email newsletter, which you can sign up to for free by tapping the link at the top of the show notes or going to todayindigital.com slash newsletter. The decentralized platform BlueSky added a half million new users in a single day this week. The surge most likely linked to several recent changes on X that have sparked controversy. For one, X users received a pop-up message this week stating that their posts will be visible to users they've previously blocked. While blocked accounts won't be able to interact with the posts, the change has raised concerns about harassment.

Starting point is 00:02:47 X claims the update will increase transparency, but many users say they're worried about their safety. Blue Sky quickly used the change as a recruitment tool, capitalizing on users' concerns about the new blocking policy. X's new terms of service have also caused alarm, particularly regarding data use for AI model training. The new terms state that users agree to let X and its third-party partners use their content for training AI models. That clause did not exist in the previous version of the terms. And the updated terms also require users to file any legal disputes with X in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District

Starting point is 00:03:26 of Texas. Notably, X doesn't actually operate in that jurisdiction, but that court has a judge who owns Tesla stocks and has ruled favorably in a couple of cases regarding Musk and his companies, raising concerns about judicial conflicts of interest. We have an account on Blue Sky as well as myself personally. You can find those links at todayindigital.com slash social,

Starting point is 00:03:50 or there is a link to our social media channels in the show notes. The U.S. consumer packaged goods industry's digital ad spend growth will slow significantly this year, according to an eMarketer forecast. This after years of double-digit growth.

Starting point is 00:04:09 The rate is expected to drop to around 6% and remain there through 2026. CPGs have invested heavily in digital advertising to reach consumers who have reduced spending or switched to private labels. But as inflation cools and recession fears recede, eMarketer says growth will normalize. By 2026, US CPG digital ad spend is expected to reach $56 billion. That's about 15% of total digital ad spend. Amazon ads is becoming a major player

Starting point is 00:04:44 in the media and entertainment industry. But while the business is growing, analysts say it still has room for basic upgrades, like improving the platform's UI. Amazon is working to address feedback from users, including complaints about slow wait times for using Amazon Marketing Cloud. The company announced changes to AMC, including a new SQL-free coding feature that allows non-technical users to create audiences using natural language prompts. AMC is a

Starting point is 00:05:12 key part of Amazon's strategy, offering exclusive targeting and retargeting capabilities based on Amazon sales data. Amazon's machine learning- based ad product Performance Plus is also gaining traction. This allows advertisers to input their budget and key performance indicators, and Amazon takes care of the rest. Performance Plus offers a range of benefits, including controls to target or avoid specific Amazon channels and more transparent reporting. Amazon is trying out a new type of small grocery store. The first location is in downtown Chicago, right next to a Whole Foods market.

Starting point is 00:05:56 You might remember Amazon owns the Whole Foods brand. This new store is actually in the same building as the Whole Foods. Why? Well, the new store, called Amazon Grocery, sells products that can't be found in Whole Foods, like foods with artificial sweeteners and color additives. So, you know, like Whole Foods, but crappier. The store has about 3,500 products,

Starting point is 00:06:19 including some big-name brands that aren't in Whole Foods. It also has drinks and grab-and-go meals. This new store is just one of many changes Amazon is making to its grocery business. Last week, the company said it would add a small automated warehouse to a different Whole Foods location. This would let shoppers buy products that aren't normally sold in Whole Foods. Another quick plug for our social media channels. We have an account almost everywhere.

Starting point is 00:06:44 Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads, Mastodon, Blue Sky, Snapchat, and Pinterest. Just go to todayindigital.com slash social or swipe over in your podcast app or however you find the show notes for each episode. You'll find a link to our social media channels there as well. That'll do it for the week. Today in Digital Marketing is produced by EngageQ Digital on the traditional territories of the Sunamic First Nation on Vancouver Island. Our associate producer is the intrepid Steph Gunn. Our production coordinator is Sarah Guild. Ad coordination by Red Circle.

Starting point is 00:07:14 Mark Blevis is the feeling of relief you get from lowering your visor in your car after driving straight into the sun. I'm Todd Maffin. Have a restful weekend, friends. I'll see you on Monday.

Today in Digital Marketing - Swipe-Worthy

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