Paid Ads Highlights January 29 - February 4
Hey! Welcome to our latest newsletter, a curated blend of the latest news in digital marketing, coupled with insights from top thought leaders on LinkedIn.
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE INDUSTRY
Google Search ad spending in the U.S. rises by 17%, driven by a 19% increase in Cost-Per-Click (CPC). The Q4 2023 Digital Ads Benchmark Report from Tinuiti reveals mobile as the frontrunner, with a 19% YoY increase in spending. While retailers adopt Performance Max campaigns, Temu emerges as a significant Google Shopping auctions competitor, reflecting increased advertiser confidence at the close of 2023.
Yelp addresses dissatisfaction with Google Ads' support by offering scheduled consultations, allowing advertisers to connect more conveniently. The platform's AI-powered smart budgets and live support aim to optimize ad campaigns and enhance the overall advertising experience, providing an alternative for businesses seeking more personalized assistance.
Google AdMob introduces Technical ad delivery to assist publishers in adhering to EU and UK regulations, ensuring GDPR compliance. Set to be available by the end of March, this solution focuses on the technical delivery of ads, emphasizing the use of IP addresses. AdMob's initiative supports publishers in avoiding potential blocks or suspensions from the IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF), emphasizing user privacy and data protection.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) introduces instant support options, accessible through a grey question mark icon, aiding users in navigating the platform efficiently. The update includes video tutorials on YouTube, offering detailed insights on leveraging GA4 features. These enhancements aim to assist users, particularly after the forced migration from Universal Analytics last summer.
Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, bounces back with a record-breaking advertising revenue of $65.52 billion in Q4 2023. Google's search revenue sees a 12.7% increase, while YouTube ad revenue grows by 15.5%. The results suggest a strong resurgence in digital advertising, with potential impacts on advertising costs and competition on the Google platform.
Microsoft's Q4 2023 earnings as a $3 trillion company showcase an 8% year-on-year increase in search and news advertising revenue. While LinkedIn revenue rises by 9%, the overall success is attributed to strong performances in Office, cloud, and Xbox games, with total sales reaching $62 billion. Microsoft's robust financials indicate continued AI integration and application across their tech stack.
Philipp Schindler, Google's Senior VP, refutes AI takeover rumors after layoffs, emphasizing AI's role in service efficiency and improving ROI. Despite mass layoffs, Google assures advertisers of enhanced customer service through AI, dispelling concerns about communication disruptions.
Google is actively investigating a widespread issue impacting a majority of Ad Manager users, causing error messages and high latency. While some users have seen service restoration, others are still facing disruptions. Publishers facing difficulties are assured that the issue lies with Google, with an expected resolution in the near future.
Google introduces significant updates to Responsive Search Ads, allowing a single headline, associating multiple headlines and descriptions at the campaign level, and implementing account-level automated assets. These AI-driven enhancements aim to predict optimal campaign strategies and boost overall performance for advertisers.
LinkedIn introduces Website Actions, a user-friendly tool utilizing the Insight Tag, allowing B2B marketers to set conversions and build retargeting audiences without complex coding. The tool streamlines ad audience creation, enhancing campaign optimization and boosting conversions by providing a straightforward approach to track and attribute website activity.
Meta introduces Engaged-view attribution setting, enabling advertisers to measure conversions within one day of a video ad play. This caters to viewer preferences of completing sessions before taking action, optimizing ad performance analysis for increased conversions. The addition of Engaged-view provides a comprehensive view of ad performance alongside other attribution settings.
Google Ads now offers a more accessible way to create Solutions script templates under the "Bulk Actions" menu. Users can swiftly generate automated workflows for tasks such as confirming link functionality, adjusting campaign budgets, generating reports, and receiving performance change notifications. This simplification aims to save time and improve efficiency for advertisers navigating Google Ads.
Meta witnessed a remarkable 23.8% increase in ad revenue during the last quarter of 2023, reaching an impressive $38.7 billion. This exceeded expectations and played a pivotal role in Meta's total revenue growth, soaring from $32.2 billion in Q4 2022 to $40.1 billion in Q4 2023. User engagement also flourished, with daily and monthly active users experiencing significant year-over-year growth.
Following AI-driven updates to Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), Google faces backlash from advertisers who express concerns about the lack of opt-out options for automation. Google defends its approach, emphasizing a balanced relationship between human expertise and AI. Some advertisers remain skeptical about potential impacts on marketing strategies, prompting Google to encourage collaboration and feedback to refine its AI offerings.
INSIGHTS FROM EXPERTS ON LINKEDIN
领英推荐
Melvin Richard emphasizes the importance of retargeting in B2B, suggesting Google, LinkedIn, & Meta for optimal results. He breaks down retargeting options on Google, LinkedIn Matched Audience, and Meta, highlighting key strategies for each platform.
James Kravic ?? shares a practical framework for developing messaging and content in paid media campaigns. He emphasizes the significance of creating emotional impact, categorizes messaging into emotional triggers and logic justification, and provides insights into retargeting strategies focused on champions and the broader buyers committee.
Jonathan Bland advises on optimizing LinkedIn profiles for thought leader ads, urging users to move away from a digital resume format. He provides a comprehensive list of profile updates, including custom buttons, featured sections, and job details, to enhance legitimacy and engagement when running thought leader ads.
Emir Atli shares his strategic approach to understanding customers better in Q4. By conducting insightful interviews with new clients, he uncovers valuable data, including reasons for choosing HockeyStack, feedback, objections faced, and more. Emir emphasizes using these customer insights to refine messaging, content, and website strategies for ongoing success.
Nicolai Zerlang explores an actionable approach to addressing competition in sales pitches. He suggests reframing competitors as market approaches (e.g., manual, legacy, automated). By incorporating this viewpoint into marketing narratives, Nicolai encourages a more effective product positioning strategy that speaks to the target audience.
Laura Erdem questions the validity of dropping metrics like Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) and Sales Accepted Leads (SALs). She emphasizes the importance of early-stage indicators in providing quick feedback. Using Dreamdata's Go-To-Market funnel as an example, Laura showcases how MQLs and SALs offer vital insights for faster feedback loops and strategic iterations.
Ryan O. delivers a powerful message on the significance of 'stopping the scroll' in paid social ads. Through a brief 32-second video, he highlights the challenge of advertisers being remembered through constant scrolling. Ryan believes that capturing the audience's attention is the most important priority, emphasising its critical role in making other design elements and language changes effective.
Carter Severns highlights the misconception of paid media as a predictable gumball machine, emphasizing the finite nature of shared resources. Scaling success requires diversifying channels before hitting the point of diminishing returns.
???Jason S. dismantles linear demand generation strategies, emphasizing the intricate, non-linear nature of the buyer's journey. He advises omnichannel approaches, understanding that interest doesn't always equate to intent and recognizing the nuances in potential customers' behaviors.
Baptiste Genty observes B2B marketers diligently following the playbook but facing challenges in execution and consistency. He advocates for perseverance, emphasizing the importance of making a lasting mark in the niche over time, even if immediate leads are not apparent.
Alberto Di Risio emphasizes the treasure trove of insights within product reviews, advising marketers to delve into both positive and negative feedback. He suggests this practice for various marketing roles, underscoring the importance of leveraging customer sentiments when creating landing page copy, enhancing demos, or preparing for product launches.
Yulian Hrab shares a common Google Ads mistake – overcomplicating copy. He advises simplicity, relevance to keywords, and highlighting crucial elements. Hrab dismisses the overemphasis on calls-to-action, stressing that simplicity is key, as users often skim ads quickly before deciding to explore further.
Kirill Vdov praises LinkedIn's granular ad control, contrasting it with other platforms increasingly reliant on algorithms. He highlights features like Insights, Clicks validation, and Sales Navigator integration, emphasizing the necessity of manual control for B2B cases. Vdov acknowledges the extra effort but asserts it's preferable to relying on less effective algorithms in the B2B realm.
Olga Andrienko provides a comprehensive guide to measuring social media ROI, focusing on metrics such as revenue, brand mentions, earned media coverage, and improved sentiment. She cautions against measuring the success of individual posts, likes, and subjective metrics, urging marketers to align their metrics with broader business objectives.
Ethan Collins emphasizes the need for companies to shift focus from demand capture platforms to demand generation. Citing an HBS study, he underscores the importance of upper-funnel activities, social selling, and content creation in creating demand and securing a spot on buyers' shortlists.
Liam Dunne ?? reveals the success of a $50k paid social ad with a 7.7% CTR and 5,000 high-intent conversions. He credits the achievement to a creative feedback loop system, leveraging the Loss Aversion cognitive bias. Dunne emphasizes the impact of attention-grabbing strategies in meeting business objectives.
Cassidy Shield outlines key differentiators between good and bad marketing, stressing essentials such as revenue measurement, ownership of the go-to-market process, and brand consistency. Shield highlights qualities like defining a strong position, relationship-building, and proactive questioning as crucial traits of effective marketers.
That's the scoop for this week! If you found this valuable and any useful insights caught your eye, feel free to share them with your network.
Until next week!
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??Fractional Head of Demand, Growth, and Revenue Marketing. I ?? creating demand + building pipeline for startups w/ product-market fit.
9 个月Looks like a wealth of knowledge! Thanks for sharing. ??
Empowering Businesses with Top-Tier Solutions
9 个月Thanks for sharing this comprehensive industry update! ??
A B2B GTM and Growth Advisor who helps B2B leaders build an unstoppable growth machine | 3X Your LinkedIn Sales Conversations | Check our "LinkedIn Growth Machine" program in the link below.
9 个月Thanks for sharing the latest industry news!
Senior Marketing Automation Specialist | Marketing Consultant | ???????? ???????? ???? ?????????????? ???
9 个月Definitely subscribing! Can't wait to read the latest insights.
Campaign Development & Paid Media Strategy for B2B Technology Companies
9 个月Thanks for the shout!