#Ad-ing TransparencyThere’s nothing more offputting than scrolling through Instagram and seeing posts that are clearly ads but lack any label to indicate that’s the case. Undisclosed ads and spon-con are rampant throughout the influencer industry, and Instagram is rolling out new features to tackle the (sometimes illegal) issue.
The platform will add prompts that require influencers to confirm when they've received compensation to promote the products or services mentioned in their posts. Plus, IG is developing new algorithms to detect potential advertising content, which it will then flag to the companies referenced in said posts.
The platform is committed to rolling out increased disclosure tools over the next year, and it's not clear if the new measures will apply in all regions. But if you run influencer promotions, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Marketers everywhere need to clarify sponsored posts and have the proper processes to ensure their influencers aren’t breaking platform rules or FTC guidelines. Now, click the link in our bio for our favorite hair vitamins (JK, of course).
TL;DR: Instagram will tackle undisclosed ads with new features to ensure influencers comply with advertising guidelines.
Like an Open ... SlateIn a world where content runs wild (and mostly unregulated), social media platforms have to do a bit of content moderating here and there (read: everywhere, 24/7). It’s necessary for several reasons, not the least of which is keeping brands happy and their images safe. (No marketers want to see their wholesome ads placed beside not-so-family-friendly content.) So, TikTok is the latest social platform to sign up for greater transparency by partnering with OpenSlate, a third-party verified brand safety solution.
Whether or not it’s a clean slate, partnering with OpenSlate is about creating that appeal to marketers and consumers. Videos are measured and scored, giving advertisers insights on content quality, safety, suitability, and subject matter before they place an ad. Peace of mind never sounded so good. (Seriously, no one wants to be the subject of a boycott.)
If you’ve shied away from TikTok due to its uncertain political future, at least you can bank on the reassurance that your ads won’t appear beside unruly and unfiltered user-generated content.
TL;DR: TikTok’s partnership with OpenSlate brings peace of mind to marketers worried about brand safety on the popular app.
Lights, Camera, Analytics!And the curtain drops ... to reveal a new version of the critically-acclaimed Google Analytics. The crowd of marketers roars — and machine learning is the star of the show. The supporting cast features updates to Google’s trend monitoring tools and automatic alerts.
These trend monitoring features use machine learning and an alert system to make users aware of significant changes in their data — so you can better anticipate your customers’ needs. Plus, you can use all the data gold that piles up in your Analytics dashboard for something other than tracking website performance: You can build your next Google Ads audience with it to reach more refined audiences. Data lovers rejoice.
And Google built these updates with a no-cookie future in mind. So the story continues both now and in the future. Google Analytics’ performance is star-studded and more valuable than ever. If you haven’t started using it, now’s the time to dig in.
TL;DR: Google unveiled a new version of Google Analytics featuring improvements to trend monitoring and tracking, and audience insights compatible with Google Ads.
What Lit Us Up
Free For AllLike chivalry, generosity is not dead. In fact, it is alive and well … as a B2B lead generation tool (bet you didn’t see that coming). Tech education company Pluralsight makes this clear with a campaign it ran early in quarantine, dubbed #FreeApril, that continues to pay off today.
For one month, the company opened up its entire platform of courses — giving software developers, IT admins, and digital creatives free access to a massive library of tech skills training videos. Even with a marketing budget slashed by 15% due to the pandemic, Pluralsight’s campaign garnered 10 million branded images on social and 750 million press impressions. Not to mention, it attracted 1.1 million users, more than 20% of whom were business leads.
According to Pluralsight CMO Heather Zynczak, the goal of #FreeApril was to provide people around the globe the opportunity to refine their skills and gain new knowledge as COVID-19 sent unemployment numbers sky-high. The campaign was altruistic at its core, and the company prepared to see revenue drop after a month of giving its product away. But the result was the opposite, as it beat its Q2 revenue goals and continues to gain new customers from the promotion. Generosity in marketing may not always be the easy choice, but it’s seldom the wrong one.
TL;DR: Tech education company Pluralsight opened up its platform for free for a month during quarantine, which drove significant leads, revenue, and media impressions.
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