??Google’s August Core Update Finished, DAIVID Reveals TikTok Video Pitfalls, X’s Holiday Engagement Surge, and YouTube’s New Shorts Thumbnail Tools

I hope you're having a fantastic week!

We're excited to bring you the latest updates in the digital world. This week, we've got some crucial insights for you!?

But first a HUGE THANK YOU! ??

Last week I told you about 16 of our colleagues who ran The Altrincham 10k race for a local charity.

Well, they smashed their target!

Thank you to anyone who donated!

?? On to the News ???

Four stories for you this week with key updates across multiple platforms:

1. Google’s August Core Update: Major changes in website rankings as Google refines its search algorithm to better reward high-quality content. ????
2. TikTok’s Brand Video Effectiveness: A new study reveals 84% of branded TikTok videos fail to engage positively, urging brands to focus on creating emotionally impactful content. ????
3. X’s Holiday Engagement Surge: X highlights increased user engagement and spending readiness for the holiday season, encouraging advertisers to boost their holiday promotions. ????
4. YouTube’s Enhanced Thumbnail Editing for Shorts: New features allow creators to customise Shorts thumbnails with text and filters, improving visual appeal. ????

Google’s August 2024 Core Update is Complete, Here's What You Need to Know:

Google has completed its August 2024 core update rollout, which took 19 days to implement, from August 15th to September 3rd.

This update has caused significant changes in website rankings and search results.

Unlike previous core updates, this one focused on feedback received since the September 2023 “helpful content” update, which negatively impacted many small and independent publishers.

Key Changes and Observations:

• Many websites have experienced fluctuations in their rankings, with 44% reporting a drop, 27% seeing an increase, and 29% noticing no change at all.
• A temporary ranking bug during the first four days of the update caused additional volatility, which has since been resolved. Any ranking changes during that period should be disregarded.
• Google’s focus with this update is on promoting genuinely useful content, especially from smaller and independent publishers, by refining how it identifies high-quality and original content.

Advice for Impacted Sites:

If your site was negatively affected by the update, there are no specific recovery actions provided by Google.

Instead, they advise focusing on creating high-quality, people-first content.

Google has updated its guidance page to help those impacted, but the core recommendation remains to produce helpful, original content that meets user needs.

Takeaway:

• Regularly review Google's guidance and ensure your site provides valuable and unique information to users.
• While core updates occur periodically, maintaining high-quality, people-centric content will help you recover or sustain rankings in the long term.

8 Out of 10 TikTok Videos Fail to Capture Attention

A new study by DAIVID, a creative Ad Agency specialising in AI insights, reveals that 84% of branded TikTok videos fail to generate strong positive emotions or capture audience attention.

Even more concerning, 24% of these videos trigger negative emotions such as anxiety, disgust, and shame, which could damage brand reputation.

The study found that only 16% of TikTok videos scored above the average Creative Effectiveness Score, while 60% were deemed forgettable, with poor emotional engagement and low brand recall.

DAIVID's research evaluates TikTok content using metrics like emotional impact, attention generated, and overall brand effectiveness.

The findings suggest that most brands are underperforming on TikTok, missing opportunities to connect with their audience.

Takeaway for Marketers:

Focus on creating TikTok content that evokes positive emotions such as hope, amusement, and trust.

Move beyond surface metrics like reach and impressions to analyse the true impact of your videos on brand perception and audience engagement.

X’s Holiday Appeal: Boosting Brand Visibility Amid Increased Engagement

X is positioning itself as a key platform for holiday marketing, highlighting its role in consumer shopping behaviour.

With over 250 million daily active users, X is seeing heightened engagement as the holiday season approaches.

According to X, from November to January, the platform experiences a surge in activity, with users increasingly engaged and ready to spend.

X reports a 20% year-on-year increase in its holiday audience and a 125% rise in holiday-related posts.

X’s internal data suggests that users on the platform are more receptive to offers and promotions during the festive period.

To leverage this, X recommends that advertisers utilise Q4 to enhance brand visibility and drive sales.

Takeaway for Businesses:

If X is part of your marketing strategy, consider ramping up your holiday promotions on the platform to capitalise on increased user engagement and spending readiness during the festive season.

For more details, you can explore X’s full holiday marketing overview here.

YouTube Expands Thumbnail Editing for Shorts

YouTube is enhancing Shorts creators' ability to customise thumbnails.

You can now select a frame from your Short and add text, filters, and emojis, though custom uploads are not yet available.

This update aims to improve presentation without changing the existing Shorts experience, which is primarily consumed through full-screen feeds.

YouTube notes that while custom thumbnails are not currently an option, they are considering adding more functionality in the future.

For now, creators can utilise these new editing tools to better customise their Shorts.

That's All Folks!

That wraps up this week's edition of The Digital Dispatch!

We hope these updates fuel your digital strategy and inspire your next move.

Stay tuned for more game-changing tips, trends, and tools to keep you at the top of your game.

Catch you next time! ??

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If you would like help with your digital marketing, then contact us here.

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