Archive for the ‘Social Marketing’ Category

LinkedIn’s Advertising Business is on the Rise, While User Engagement Remains Solid – Social Media Today

LinkedIn continues to see record-high levels of engagement, and beat revenue expectations in the most recent quarter, according to the latest update from parent company Microsoft.

As per Microsoft's FY21 Q2 update, posted last week, LinkedIn sessions grew 30% in the last three months of 2020, while the platform's total revenue increased 23% in the period.

As outlined by Microsoft:

"We once again saw record levels of engagement across the platform, as LinkedIns nearly 740 million members use the network to connect, learn, and find new opportunities. Sessions increased 30%. Conversations were up 48%. And hours spent on LinkedIn Learning were up 2x, compared to a year ago."

What, exactly, 'conversations' incorporates within this context is not entirely clear, but the data shows that LinkedIn engagement continues to rise, which has been the story over the past several reports from the tech giant.

One of the downsides of Microsoft's takeover of LinkedIn has been that we no longer get specific performance updates related to the platform, like total member charts and insights into usage. LinkedIn has never been totally forthcoming about active users, as such, preferring instead to report total 'members', which is not a comparable metric, but we did once get a little more data on actual platform usage trends over time, while we now only get a brief mention within the broader context of Microsoft's overall product suite.

But regardless, the data does indicate that LinkedIn is seeing higher levels of activity, while its advertising business continues to grow -which could make it a more relevant consideration for more digital marketers, depending on your industry focus and fit.

In fact, according to Microsoft, LinkedIn's ads business saw a major boost in the last quarter:

"LinkedIns advertising business had a record quarter, accounting for more than a third of LinkedIns total revenue. LinkedIn Marketing Solutions was up over 50%, as advertisers increasingly turn to the platform as the trusted way to reach professionals ready to do business."

Microsoft also notes that the shift to remote selling has also benefited LinkedIn's business, with Sales Navigator helping to provide more context - "while new tools help sales organizations use LinkedIn data to identify and size opportunities".

LinkedIn has been adding new ways to tap into its unmatched professional data banks, including 'Sales Insights' which it launched in December. Sales Insights provides data on key business opportunities based on your chosen market niche and parameters.

As Microsoft notes, with the shift to remote work, then the eventual re-ignition of the economy in the wake of COVID-19, LinkedIn is in a strong position to capitalize on various key market shifts, which is no doubt part of the reason why it's seeing such promising results.

Microsoft says that it expects the continued strong engagement on the platform "drive revenue growth in the low-20% range" moving forward.

You can read Microsoft's full Q2 2021 update here.

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LinkedIn's Advertising Business is on the Rise, While User Engagement Remains Solid - Social Media Today

Apple’s New ATT Privacy Protection Framework Rolling Out With iOS 14 – CMSWire

PHOTO:Neil Soni

Have you ever been at a dinner party when a newcomer enters a heated conversation and completely changes the mood around the topic? Well if privacy was the hot topic, Apple, through its launch of App Tracking Transparency notification, would be that intriguing newcomer.

App tracking transparency (ATT) is a new privacy protection framework for Apple device owners which the company first teased last summer. With ATT, when an Apple device owner downloads or opens an app, a notification pops up asking if the user wants to be tracked across third party apps and websites.Apple announced last weekthat the ATT feature is included in its latest operating systems: iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and TVOS 14.

ATT is meant to make the process of privacy protection more intuitive to consumers. APIs have always had a specification detailing what data is accessed between two applications. But consumers didn't have easy access to those technical details. Providing a notification like ATT is similar to a nutrition label for grocery shoppers. But instead of knowing the health benefits of a certain food, Apple device owners learn who has their data, allowing a comparison on what apps are best protecting their privacy.

Analytics practitioners are realizing their role in the privacy debates mirrors that of developers. Because analytic SDKs are considered third party sources, practitioners must comply, raising some operational needs downstream. For example, a data framework required with ATT will restrict, aggregate and delay event reporting. This will impact analytic dashboards reliant on that data.

App developers or startups building a business model around an app will need to track what percentage of customer traffic is accessing the app through an Apple OS. This can guide an operation team on prioritizing platform support. With Apple controlling 40% of the smartphone market, developers would be wise to compare their customer base to that share to understand the degree their business model is exposed to the potential changes ATT will usher in.

The ATT framework also serves as a strong reminder of how app developers and analytics practitioners must map data protection and privacy compliance. Applying quality assurance processes to data flows from user permission will highlight risks, describe collection methods, and clarify data usage.

Related Article: How Clean Data Supports Consumer Privacy Efforts

Apple's framework represents a significant marketing moment: a computer manufacturer is influencing how regulatory actions should exist within the advertising industry. In the history of advertising, most regulatory mandates came from either government agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission, or industry agreement through self-established standards.

Now compare Apple's announcement to a TV manufacturer telling ABC, NBC or Disney Plus what ads they can serve on your TV and the magnitude of this change is clear. Apple has the role of TV set maker, exerting a caveat emptor responsibility for consumers who may not have been making effective choices for themselves.

Apple taking on this role is not entirely new. The strategy reflects a continuation of the privacy philosophy that Apple founder Steve Jobs often expressed. During the 2010 Wall Street Journal D8 conference, Jobs explained how Apple considers data privacy with a more conservative view than its Silicon Valley neighbors. He shared a warning notice as an example an example that predates today's ATT by over a decade!

Related Article: That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

The framework is not without its critics, Facebook being the highest profile example. Facebook asserts that ATT positions it as a third party, preventing its users to view ads based on their past online activity. Facebook's advertising ecosystem, the crown jewel of its financial strength, would be threatened.

Facebook also warns that ATT could hurt small businesses who rely on Facebook advertising to promote their offerings. Facebook notes that 90 million small businessesuse it to sell products and services.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Apple a "serious" future competitor during a recent quarterly earnings report. His statement follows a series of full-page ads in which Facebook claimed it was standing up for small businesses.

While not exactly altruistic, Zuckerberg's point has some merit. Businesses have increasingly turned to ads rather than sharing posts to reaching audiences on social media platforms. Attention to the spread of misinformation on social media platforms has also amplified the need for ads, not posts, to gain the attention of potential customers. Many small app startups rely on in-app advertising as part of their business model. Just imagine the developer of a new communication app or the next Among Us sensation being unable to effectively reach an audience. These concerns remind everyone of how technology trends particularly among the behemoths of the industry alter market opportunities and business models.

Some industry insiders predict a legal battle may come from this debate. But it is more likely to remain a war of words. Apple is on a current successful run of strengthening revenue. The iPhone, along with wearables and services, has set a new sales record. With $200 billion dollars in cash reserve, Apple has the financial backing for any legal fight with ad tech industry giants like Google and Facebook. Moreover a strong cash reserve provides the wherewithal for expensive product development, even if creating devices and supporting market entries cause high initial costs. Apple's successful forays into music, movies and smartphones is proof of its resilience.

In contrast, Facebook warned of revenue uncertainty into 2021, despite strong ecommerce performance. Facebook certainly has a substantial cash reserve and the capability to develop products. But the current evolution of adtech away from cookies, combined with fierce public scrutiny for the tech industry means Facebook may opt to remain focused on product innovation rather than legal pursuits. As another signal of its intentions, Facebook has issued guidance webinars for implementing the Apple protocols to small businesses using its platforms.

In the 2010 Wall Street Journal D8 interview, Steve Jobs said Apple always held a different view of privacy. Customers will experience that difference this spring when the company will roll out App Tracking Transparency in its updated operating system.

Pierre DeBois is the founder of Zimana, a small business digital analytics consultancy. He reviews data from web analytics and social media dashboard solutions, then provides recommendations and web development action that improves marketing strategy and business profitability.

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Apple's New ATT Privacy Protection Framework Rolling Out With iOS 14 - CMSWire

Global Content Creation and Social Market Detailed Analysis of Current Industry Figures with Forecasts Growth By 2025 Murphy’s Hockey Law – Murphy’s…

The Content Creation and Social market study now available with Market Study Report, LLC, delivers a concise outlook of the powerful trends driving market growth. This report also includes valuable information pertaining to market share, market size, revenue forecasts, regional landscape and SWOT analysis of the industry. The report further elucidates the competitive backdrop of key players in the market as well as their product portfolio and business strategies.

The research report on Content Creation and Social market comprises detailed assessment of the business space and provides a conclusive overview of the industry share, size, valuations, and growth opportunities. Additionally, insights about the various market segmentations are also documented in the report.

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Moreover, the report includes an in-depth analysis of factors that may impede the market growth, in the view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key pointers included in Content Creation and Social market report:

Regional outlook of the Content Creation and Social market:

Regional segmentation: Americas, APAC, Europe, Middle East & Africa

Specifics of the Content Creation and Social markets regional terrain:

An overview of application scope and product type of Content Creation and Social market:

Product landscape:

Product types: Cloud Based and On-premises

Major highlights of the report:

Application Landscape:

Application spectrum: Large Enterprises and SMEs

Facts included in the report:

Additional information underlined in the report:

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A summary of the competitive arena of the Content Creation and Social market:

Competitive landscape of Content Creation and Social market: Xtensio, Beacon.by, Buffer, CoSchedule, TalkWalker, Quora, Hootsuite, Hemingway, SnapApp, Grammarly, BuzzSumo, Wistia, MailChimp and JotForm

Key features of the report:

Highlights on offerings of the research report for Content Creation and Social Market:

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Related Reports:

1. Global Caps & Closures Packaging Market Growth (Status and Outlook) 2021-2026Read More: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-caps-closures-packaging-market-growth-status-and-outlook-2021-2026

2. Global Data Extraction Software Market Growth (Status and Outlook) 2021-2026Read More: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-data-extraction-software-market-growth-status-and-outlook-2021-2026

Related Report : https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/5g-in-automotive-and-smart-transportation-market-size-opportunities-historical-analysis-development-status-business-growth-by-2027-2021-01-28

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Global Content Creation and Social Market Detailed Analysis of Current Industry Figures with Forecasts Growth By 2025 Murphy's Hockey Law - Murphy's...

YouTube and Cloud Lead the Way for Alphabet – Morningstar.com

Alphabet (GOOGL) easily beat all fourth-quarter expectations, driven by a continuing resurgence in ad spending, growing demand for cloud, the overall digital transformation by many businesses, and the cost control that it initiated when the pandemic hit. Management expects tougher comps in the second half of this year but remains confident in further strong growth in its cloud segment. The firm will also return to more-aggressive hiring and overall spending on research and development and sales and marketing, as well as significantly higher capital expenditure. We remain confident that accelerating growth in brand ad spending along with the return of ad spending in the travel vertical in the second half will more than offset a possible slowdown in direct-response ad revenue growth, especially at YouTube. In cloud, while we expect Alphabet to generate operating losses as it continues to scale that business, we anticipate profitability by 2024 as we think 32% average annual growth during the next five years will create operating leverage.

After adjusting our model to reflect higher ad spending and continuing robust growth in cloud, and taking into account the time value of money, our fair value estimate is now 32% higher, at $2,605 per share. Alphabet remains one of our favorite names in the Internet and social media space.

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YouTube and Cloud Lead the Way for Alphabet - Morningstar.com

Developing A Social Media Marketing Strategy – Seekers Time

Whether you are operating a big or small business, social media marketing is one of the most powerful ways of expanding your brands reach. Numerous brands are interacting with their customers through various social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; if you have not ventured into this, you are missing out! A great marketing strategy on social media can bring remarkable success; however, there is a need to create a good marketing strategy to obtain extraordinary success.

A social media strategy is basically everything you plan to do and hope to achieve. It guides your ways and lets you know your progress on whether youre doing good or not. The more discrete your plan is, the more efficient it will be. Keep your plan concise, and do not make it unattainable or impossible to check how far you are. There are simple ways to create a marketing strategy:

Understand Your Audience

It is vital to understand the audience you are targeting since they play a significant role in identifying the best social media approach. Knowing your audience is about the content you will post and prompt them to like, share, comment, and subscribe.

Learning about your audience is vital in turning your social media followers into your business customers. Whats the age or gender of your target audience? When it comes to age, the majority of Instagrams are millennials or young people. Women vastly outnumber men on Pinterest, which means that women are likely to shop and get more ideas from that platform than men.

Social media analysis can also provide a variety of valuable data about who your followers are and what they think about your brand on social media. Through these ways, it allows you to refine your strategy and better target your audience.

Set Meaningful Social Marketing Goals

Your goals should be specific, relevant, and timely; otherwise, you will end with the frustrations associated with failing to reach your goals. You must also know what you want to gain from social media to ensure that you meet what you had planned for and what you had in mind when you first created the social platform. It is imperative to set meaningful social marketing goals since these goals hold you accountable for your brand, guide your budget, and encourage marketers to pay attention to your data.

Your goals need a time frame that can either be months, weeks, or years, and you ought to have achieved and attained what is possible within your resources at the end of that period. It is crucial to learn how to increase your brand awareness by making a lasting impression on your target audience. To achieve this, establish and focus on the content that promotes your values and personality as a business.

For instance, if you are a social media influencer or a brand ambassador for a particular product, one of your social marketing goals can be done through giveaways on your Instagram and Facebook pages. Social media goals should be on par with your overall marketing objectives. It makes it easier to show the value of your work and secure buy-in from your employer.

Establish Significant Metrics

Establishing metrics means that you focus on the social media platform metrics that do matter to your business. It is essential to establish metrics since they enable your brand to reach its overall objectives for digital engagements. Customer service is one of the most important metrics to consider.

Establishing metrics also provides a look behind the scenes at how you interact with your customers. Customer service on Instagram can be done through direct messages by your brand by answering questions on time about your product or brand. Vanity metrics like the number of followers, comments, and likes are easy to check, but its hard to prove their real value.

It is best to focus on things like engagement, click-through, and conversion rates. Although likes and the many other metrics are influential, they are not the be-all and end-all to social media progress. You need to prove to your audience that you are not just a robot. Intertwine personality through humor and emotions into your posts so that your audience can relate to whatever you are marketing.

Social media is about putting yourself out there, and if your customers see the same types of posts every time, they may lose interest. Make your communications involving by asking your audience questions and gathering their views on some issues. Sharing news incorporated information rather than just information about your brand, liking and commenting on some of their posts rather than just the vice versa, and asking them to interact directly with your posts through likes and shares.

Analyze Your Competition

Social media marketing is a highly competitive venture, and so it is vital to know and understand who your audience is. Once you identify your competitors, you will learn what works for them and implement them to your favor. You will also learn their strategic mistakes and avoid them.

You will also get a sense of what to expect in your spectrum, which will help you set social media targets on your basis. It also enables you to identify available opportunities. It might turn out that one of your competitors is dominant on Instagram, some may even have the help from places like Instalikes for Instagram, for example, but has put little effort into Twitter or Facebook. You might want to focus on the networks where your audience is not deserved rather than trying to win over fans away from a dominant party. Social listening is another way to keep an eye on your competitors.

Do searches of the competitions company name, account handles, and other relevant keywords on social media. Find out what theyre sharing and what other people are saying about them.

Set Up Your Profile with Diverse Content

People always react to good imagery, fun videos, and some exciting podcasts once in a while; fill up your content using this type of media often. Your social media pages will look monotonous if all you post and share is text, so be sure to use various forms of media to catch your audiences attention. It is also a great way to add a level of personality to your brand.

You can also use a brand ambassador for your profile. Your best promotional weapon is the people who love your product; instead of putting all your efforts into finding new customers, why not leverage your current customers? In addition to your current ones, you could also use your employees. To use your employees as brand advocates, create social media rules that are specific to your brand. Inform your advocates about social media acceptable practices. Add a team leader to each part of your social media plan. Check the correct data to pinpoint areas for improvement and those that are doing well.

Optimize your content with your targeted keywords. Armed with a factual keyword research report with the following categories, you should get some good ideas for relevant content that will be reasonable to your audience.

Timeliness is Key

Map out your means of delivering content to your audience. Will you reach out and leverage Influence? Will you provide free material or samples? How will the materials be delivered? You may have environmentally friendly products. Will you supervise and lead a conversation about environmental issues, for instance, organic products? There are many creative ways to reach your audience. Be creative.

Next, develop a timeline, preferably a few months in advance, to identify events, promotions, or product launches that you know and where these events are. Now figure out the content ideas you want to deliver that can supplement those events. If you are dealing with alcoholic drinks, you can sell them at a Rugby game such as Tusker sevens. It is like creating a media plan where you are timing your efforts to be consistent and relevant to your business or customers other events. You will find that it will be easier to regulate content creation efforts and allow you to plan.

Conclusion

Establishing a social media marketing strategy and presence is probably one of the hardest things to do because it needs you to step back and think outside the box. You have to move your mindset away from your daily tasks like scheduling, replying to your direct messages, and responding to higher-level thinking comments.

But its advantageous to have a social media marketing strategy so that you arent just posting content just for the sake of posting. Itll help you fulfill your social media and marketing goals for your brand.

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Developing A Social Media Marketing Strategy - Seekers Time