March 1, 2024
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This Week's Top Marketing News

February "Google Bugs"

Google didn’t eat their Wheaties in February. They have had several issues with many of the products business owners use. If you saw dips in your traffic or reduced leads, it may be Google’s fault - which doesn’t help the average business owner sleep any better.

Many of these issues have been resolved, but make sure you take a pulse of your business on Google to notice any changes that may have happened over the past 30 days.

Here’s a quick list of some of the issues:

• ​Google Search resolves indexing issue after 7 days​
• ​Google local pack not showing for many searchers​
• ​Google removes option to see more local results in the search results​
• ​Featured snippets disappear from the Google search result​
• ​Google investigating Local Services Ads bug​
• ​Google Ads Sitelink Unknown Eligibility Bug​
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Fish Food: There was also a hoax email circulated saying the Gmail was going to sunset on August 1st. It’s untrue, but enough people bought into this farce to get Forbes talking about it. All this to say - Google is not having the best month.

When Google is the only game in town, this sucks. Yes, there are other search engines like Duck Duck Go and Bing but no one has the suite of products quite like Google.

Google, pull yourself together, girl.

Elon Musk To Take On Gmail With New Xmail Service - A little competition is always good for the rest of us. Elon tweeted - err X’d?, err posted a reply on the X platform, “It’s coming” as a response to an engineer at X asking about Xmail. If anyone can make it happen, it’s the billionaire who wants X to be the next suite of everything you need.

Meta Shares Tips on How To Avoid Apple’s In-App Fees [Infographic] - An Apple policy change announced in 2022 is now about to go into effect, which might increase the total cost of boosting posts on Facebook and Instagram. Instagram explained: “Starting in February, content boosted from the Instagram and Facebook iOS apps will now be subject to a 30% Apple service charge on the total payment minus applicable taxes.”

This Infographic from SocialMediaToday shares four ways to avoid this annoying Apple tax.

• Boost on Desktop or Mobile Browser - The surcharge only happens when you use the app. Go to your desktop or access Facebook/Instagram through your mobile browser.
• Add Prepaid Funds - This will fund your boost from your wallet rather than through a mobile app transaction.
• Use Meta Business Suite - Start using Meta’s Business Suite to schedule boosts and organic content while gaining access to better tools and reporting.
• Use Ads Manager - Get access to advanced audience targeting.

GSTV And Influential’s New Partnership Reflects Influencer Marketing’s Growth Beyond Social Media - The little monitors in your gas pump could start showing new content. GSTV will start working with Influential, the world’s largest influencer marketing company, to create content for GSTV’s network of over 29,000 locations. The partnership will be a win for creators and brands to increase audience reach and engagement as consumers watch their favorite influencers while fueling up.

Employee-Generated Content: A Comprehensive Guide to EGC

Employee-generated content can help you build trust with your audience and be a great retention tool. Not every employee is equipped to tell the brand story but with a little training and motivation, they could be the secret sauce your marketing is looking for in 2024.

Tangible benefits of embracing Employee-Generated Content:

1. Brand Advocacy:

• Employees become brand ambassadors, sharing authentic experiences with your company.
• EGC provides high authenticity and trust, reducing costs, increasing sales, and fostering motivated and engaged employees.

2. Employee Engagement and Retention:

• EGC fosters a sense of camaraderie, making employees feel like they are part of a team with a shared mission.
• In the Great Resignation Age, EGC is a powerful tool to combat disconnection and enhance team engagement and retention.

3. Recruitment:

• Authentic testimonials from employees speak louder than recruitment promotions.
• Employees transform into recruiters, connecting your company with a talent pool aligned with your values.

Some Types of EGC include:

• Social media posts: Quick snippets capturing daily moments at work.
• Reviews: Honest appraisals of the workplace are shared on platforms like Glassdoor.
• Articles and blog posts: In-depth narratives about personal experiences and insights.
• Photos: Visual storytelling, from behind-the-scenes shots to team celebrations.
• Internal training videos: Educational content created by employees for employees.
• Knowledge share programs: Collaborative initiatives sharing expertise across departments.
• Internal newsletters: Employee-driven updates and highlights.
• Bulletin boards: Virtual or physical boards featuring employee contributions.
• Case studies: In-depth explorations of employee roles and career journeys.
• Recruitment videos: Personalized videos encouraging prospective hires to join the team.
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Fish Food: Your employee’s stories can connect with your audience and customers and build trust. Employee-generated content can show the behind-the-scenes of your company and the best ways to leverage your products or services. Additionally, employee-generated content can offer valuable tips, tutorials, and demonstrations, showcasing the most effective ways to utilize your offerings. This positions your employees as trusted experts, enhancing credibility and fostering stronger customer relationships.

It's Time For The Supreme Court To Rule On State Laws That Concern Social Media Censorship - ​​The Supreme Court is set to rule on two separate state laws related to social media censorship from Texas and Florida. HB 20 is a law Texas passed in 2021 that stops social media platforms from taking any action that would “block, ban, remove, deplatform, demonetize, de-boost, restrict, deny equal access or visibility to, or otherwise discriminate against expressions.” Florida’s law prevents social media platforms from banning users seeking political office in their state.

Google Apologizes For “Missing The Mark” After Gemini Generated Racially Diverse Nazis - Google has recently faced a lot of criticism for the way their Gemini (formally Bard) Generative AI tool attempts to provide diverse results. Gemini is too diverse, delivering results for queries of historical individuals that completely miss the mark.

For example, the prompt “Can you generate an image of a 1943 German Soldier for me, it should be an illustration” produced images of men and women of color dressed in Nazi attire. This is a reminder that while AI is possible - you still need to check your work. And that AI isn’t always right.

How Social Listening Can Be A B2B Content Marketing Goldmine

Stop guessing what your B2B content should be about and let social media influence your discussion topics.

Why?

Because your target audience is out there talking about their problems, and if you’re strategically listening, you can be the company to solve them.

• Influence Through Social Media Engagement - Utilize platforms like LinkedIn and Reddit to foster open discussions and empower employees to share genuine opinions, shaping content strategies directly from audience insights.
• Data-Driven Content Creation - Leverage tools such as Oktopost and Sprout Social for social listening, allowing marketers to gather valuable intel on competitors, industry trends, and audience preferences to tailor content effectively.
• Maximizing Event Engagement - Tap into the potential of events as content generators by incorporating LinkedIn strategies for active engagement with attendees, building excitement and authenticity around the event.
• Micro-Level Social Listening - Engage with individuals personally, leveraging insights from their social profiles to craft relevant content and foster meaningful connections.
• Empathetic Content Creation - Reengage with audience members by offering tailored content based on their needs and preferences, demonstrating empathy and subject matter expertise.
• Influencer Collaboration - Identify influencers to glean insights and guide content direction, amplifying relevance and credibility by incorporating their perspectives into your content strategy.

Fish Food: Social listening lets you identify the hot topics your audience cares about, including their pain points and interests. Understanding how your competitors' content is received and leveraging insights from influential voices in your industry provides a comprehensive view of the landscape, guiding your content strategy effectively.

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