The changes came about because of the data breach of 87 million Facebook users. In 2018, the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica extrapolated data out of the profiles of Facebook users and created a political firestorm by using the stolen data to persuade the social media platform’s users. And Facebook CEO Zuckerberg’s response? “I’m sorry.”

Facebook has followed through on its promise to improve security and protect personal data, but you have to do your part, too.

Tips for updating your Facebook page

The basic privacy settings have changed. Audience selection, settings management, and tagging controls are all part of the new security updates. You can keep your Facebook page secure with some of these tips:

• Limit who can see your page. In Facebook Privacy Shortcuts, you can establish who can see your page and your profile information. Personal profiles are often limited to friends.
• Limit what you share. Every Facebook account begins with, “Fill in the blanks . . . .” Because we are task and goal-oriented we comply, often over-sharing information. Think twice about which phone number you share or the year of your birthday. Share only what you must, including tagging. You can request to review tagging before someone posts a photo of you; you also have the option to turn off facial recognition features.
• Avoid third-party apps. Apps that ask if you’d like to sign in using your Facebook account make logging in and out convenient. Interoperability is a time-saver. It’s also an opportunity for people you don’t know to see your photos and personally identifiable information, like your age and gender.

The takeaway here is to check and update your Facebook page settings regularly.

Other advice for online safety and privacy

Do you really need to know what kind of dragon you’d be in a fantasy world or what color defines your personality? Online quizzes intrigue you to find out. Unfortunately, they also analyze and sell your user data, harvesting it for other purposes- mainly to sell to advertisers. That’s exactly how Cambridge Analytica operated. Everyone has a responsibility to protect their individual data. While your page may be safe, you likely have followers whose pages are not safe from prying eyes.

Failure to maintain account security can be costly. Of the millions of accounts breached last year, three million were in Europe, where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) protects the data of individuals. As a result, Facebook will have to pay 4% of its annual global revenue in penalties, or about $1.63 billion.

Should you stay or should you go?

Keeping up with the continuous privacy setting changes in Facebook may seem like a lot of work, and it is. By this point, you may be wondering why you have a Facebook page at all. You wouldn’t be alone: Playboy, Mozilla, SpaceX, Pep Boys, and Sonos have paused or deleted their Facebook pages. The security concerns over private data prompted these companies to walk away from this popular advertising platform.

You might not want to be too hasty in separating yourself from Facebook. After all, Facebook remains one of the most affordable advertising platforms for small businesses. The average cost per click (CPC) is $1.86 – less than a cup of coffee. Many businesses spend only a few hundred dollars per month on Facebook ads, and they’re happy with the results. Furthermore, almost no one places more relevant ads in front of consumers than this tool.

There’s another reason to keep your Facebook page: the new security settings are in place. Follow the steps to update your page, and then check it regularly. Stay on social media and stay safe!

The post Updating with Facebook’s Latest Privacy Settings appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

Curious about the newest PPC trends?

Google reported $33.74 billion in the third quarter of 2018 in ad revenue. Facebook reported $13.54 billion in that same quarter for ad revenue. This is significant for two reasons.

First, other PPC platforms, such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Bing are galaxies away from contending with these digital ad giants. Second, the sheer number of marketers you must contend with for PPC space is colossal. To get ahead of the competition, you must master the process. And use the most up-to-date information.

And that’s why we’re here today. In the sections below, we outline the biggest PPC trends for 2019, so you can be on the top of your game. Read on when you’re ready to discover the newest advances and blow away your competition.

PPC Trends: #1 Decline of Keyword Importance

The days of keyword stuffing are long gone. The keywords themselves also seem to be losing their value for PPC campaigns. What do we mean? Let’s take a look.

If you’re a marketer, you’ve already seen the expansion added to Google’s Remarketing Lists. We’re talking Customer Match lists, Search Ads, and Similar Audiences for Search. Well, now marketers must power to target their audience by both demographic AND life events.

That reduces the significance of keywords.

Google promises to soon offer the ability to target users based on their other behaviors:

• Frequency visiting real-world stores or restaurants
• Frequency researching and comparing products or services

With this, marketers can target prospects based solely on behavior. It may completely revolutionize your lead generation strategy.

#2 Voice Search

Finally, voice-supported technology reigns. Both pc and mobile devices offer a range of compatible voice recognition software. Think Siri and Alexa. Other stripped-down devices, such as Amazon’s Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod, offer voice-only web searches.

Voice support is becoming ubiquitous.

By 2020, over 50% of all web searches will be voice searches. That’ll make a difference to your PPC strategy. People use different language and phrasing when performing voice searches.

In other words, you’ll need to figure out how to add natural language into your website copy. After you update your web copy, consider adjusting your AdWords account:

• Match your keywords to voice searches.
• Use longtail, 5- or 6-word phrases
• Use phrases that incorporate “near me”

Try to focus on the prospects intent when searching. For instance, traditionally, users may have performed a search using the query, “Trendy Bars San Francisco.” With a voice search, the same user may say, “I need a trendy bar that serves marguerites near me.”

#3 Visual Search

Now, this is futuristic technology coming to life. Services like Pinterest Lens and Google Lens can now search the web for items you snap pictures of. You just take your phone, snap a picture of whatever you’re looking at, and Lens performs a search.

This will affect search dynamics, and therefore PPC. Unfortunately, nobody’s sure quite how. Keep your eyes peeled for this new technology and how it’s impacting marketing.

#4 Video

Did you know that YouTube has become the second most used search engine? Yeah, so if you’re thinking of branching out, the video ad market is the place to be in 2019. Things like Google’s recent vertical video ads are taking advantage of mobile content over performance.

We recommend you investigate this option before 2019, so you can hit the ground running in the new year.

#5 Amazon Rising

Amazon is building its innovative advert platform to compete with Google and Facebook. The online store is offering marketers a greater scope of options to generate sales. Experts argue that Amazon is going to dominate the market, just as they dominate seemingly every other market.

Once again, keep your eyes peeled. This time, for Amazon’s advert platform in 2019.

What’s Next?

Well, now that you know the newest PPC trends, please spend some time evaluating how they’ll affect your marketing strategy. If you can get in on the ground floor, you’ll see a surge of both conversion rates and ROI.

Did you find this material valuable? We’d love to help you get your PPC campaign started. Contact us today for more information!

The post Top 5 PPC Trends to Watch Out for in 2023 appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

But who are we really focused on here? In the world of internet marketing, we focus on Google.

Despite a growing number of controversies, it’s business as usual at Google parent Alphabet Inc. The company recorded its 32^nd consecutive quarter of revenue growth of 20% or more, continuing to establish its general dominance over the industry – the Search Engine King of the Jungle.

The 2017 Fourth Quarter earnings revealed sales of $32.32 billion and a profit of $9.70, which were lower than Wall Street expectations. Despite the stock drop, Google’s core ad business remains healthy, which has helped push Alphabet to a 24% year-over-year increase in sales.

Why might you ask?

Google handles nearly 92% of internet searches, owns the world’s dominant video site (YouTube), and continues to build in other areas. Its cloud computing alone brings in $1 billion per quarter, according to Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai. It’s no surprise that Google overshadows all other search engines.

“What time does Starbucks open?” “I don’t know. Just Google it!”

No other engine has its own verb. Case closed.

In other news, the social media guru, Mark Zuckerberg, announced Facebook is making strides toward developing more meaningful connections. By changing the algorithm for the core News Feed, many investors have raised eyebrows due to a subsequent reduction in time actually spent on Facebook.

Zuckerberg said, “By focusing on meaningful connections, our community and business will be stronger over the long term.”

It’s clear that Facebook is actively addressing user experience and maintaining a sense of community and meaningful connections. This should help sustain consumer usage and subsequently grow advertiser demand into the future.

If you have any questions about adverting on Google or Facebook, one of our search or social media experts can assist you online or over the phone.

The post Alphabet Stock Falls Yet Revenue Still Climbs (Are You Surprised?) appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

What Is React?

React is a JavaScript library developed by Facebook. A Javascript library is a library full of codes for designers to use so that they don’t have to waste their time writing a code when it’s already been made available and ready to apply. For years, the WordPress team and its co-founder, Matt Mullenweg, had been planning to incorporate the React library into the platform’s CMS. In fact, Automattic, the company that powers partner platform WordPress.com, had already used the React library in a relatively recent site refresh. In addition, WordPress had also started using React for its evolving Gutenberg editor project.

Why Is WordPress Eliminating React?

In September 2017, Mullenweg made the surprise announcement that WordPress would be moving away from React, largely due to its approach to the library’s patent clause. Though React has an open-source license, it also has a patent clause, which has led to its inclusion on the Apache Software Foundation’s list of licenses it won’t accept. Mullenweg’s decision effectively protects all WordPress users from unnecessary legal risk.

What Does This Mean for WordPress Users?

While WordPress users may not notice an immediate change, the Gutenberg project, which is still under development, will almost certainly experience a lengthy delay. WordPress and WordPress.com users should also keep an eye out for updates to the CMS, which will no longer incorporate React. Ultimately, most users will notice few changes on the surface, but site owners and managers can look forward to better protection moving forward.

Looking for a professional website that will help your brand stand out among the millions of WordPress sites? Contact Exults for experienced, high-tech web design that will help your brand drive results.

The post WordPress Ditching React Library Because of Facebook appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

What is a dark post?

Dark posts are targeted ads created for social media that only a select audience can see. The ads aren’t posted on the brand’s news feed directly and are only viewable in user’s newsfeeds. Why is this important? Brands don’t want their biggest competitors to see who they are targeting, which creative media and content they are using, or how much they are spending because other businesses can use this information to their advantage.

For example, Snickers doesn’t want Reese’s to know the Halloween advertising tactics it’s using this year because then it may lose market share and subsequently, potential customers – a waste of time and money for Snickers. Therefore, brands will often use this tactic to test ads without having to show competitors their homework.

Dark posts are also useful when A/B testing different content strategies. Brands can test messaging and imagery nuances to a select group of users without posting to their Facebook page for the general public to see. Messaging can also be customized based on user demographics and interests to appeal to as many market segments as possible.

What are the new rules?

Facebook is implementing new transparency rules to disclose what groups and companies use paid advertising for on its platform. This means that any ads running on Facebook will be readily viewable by anyone.  Soon, there will be a “view ads” icon on every page and it will show exactly what ads are associated with the ad accounts linked to the Facebook page.

These new rules are part of a social media effort to prove these networks can regulate themselves while providing a platform to communicate freely.

What are the implications?

This new initiative opens up huge opportunities for competitive research and audience identification. Competing brands will be able to nail down the targeting, imagery, and messaging their peers are focusing on for the first time in the history of social media advertising. This new layer of transparency is unique because social media ads are largely demographic based rather than keyword or content focused. Insight of this kind will shed light on the key audiences brands are looking to engage.

As with everything in the digital marketing industry, strategies and tactics are always changing and the only way to keep moving forward is to adapt to the trends. If you’re not sure what the latest direction advertising in your industry is taking, the Exults team can help – contact us today to take the lead with your marketing.

The post Facebook Brings Light to ‘Dark Post’ Scandal appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

Facebook is extremely popular with the older generation and subsequently, many younger people associate it with a place where their parents hang out. Those who already have a wide circle of friends on the network aren’t expected to become inactive on the social platform, but if social circles aren’t established (the case for teenagers), there isn’t much incentive to join the network. Apps like Instagram and Snapchat have a higher rate of engagement with teens than Facebook.

In response, Facebook has acquired an app called ‘tbh’ to engage younger users. The acronym stands for ‘To Be Honest,’ enticing users to send anonymous feedback to other users. With 5 million active users signed up, teens are using the app to send positive remarks or compliments to their friends.

The app presents prewritten options including  “Who makes you laugh the hardest?” or “Who has the best smile?” with an option of four friends to choose from.

Tbh only permits pre-written compliments that have been approved by the app to keep a positive atmosphere and help users feel validated. Many anonymous messaging apps were failures due to the controversial and negative responses that were allowed on the platform. Apps like YikYak and Sarahah were condemned because critics said they promoted cyberbullying.

“We built tbh because we believe that social networks should make us feel better about ourselves – not worse,” the company wrote on its website.

When the app’s team met with Facebook they found common ground, realizing they have a lot of the same core values about connecting people through positive interactions.  In a statement to TechCrunch, Facebook wrote: “tbh and Facebook share a common goal — of building community and enabling people to share in ways that bring us closer together. Instead of competing for likes for validation, Facebook is embracing an app that promotes complimentary behavior and true connections. There’s a reason why Facebook is the king of social media – always responding to the newest trends and actively finding new ways to approach and connect with target markets.

Looking for a way to connect to your target market through social media? Contact Exults to see how we can tackle your social media strategy.

The post Facebook Targets Younger Users with ‘tbh’ App Acquisition appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.

Digital marketing is constantly changing. As I type this sentence, Google is tweaking their algorithm, Mark Zuckerburg is developing a new feature that looks suspiciously similar to Snapchat, and Twitter’s stock keeps plummeting.

It takes a lot of effort to stay on top of the latest marketing stories. Luckily for you, I’ve done the grunt work for you. After scouring my RSS feeds and maxing out my 7th free trial of Buzzsumo, I’ve found all the biggest marketing topics for the last month.

I’ve included 8 of them below, as well as some insight as to how the news can affect your digital marketing. Enjoy!

1. Google is starting to experiment with mobile-first indexing

Over 60% of people who click on this blog post will do so from their mobile device. Surprise, surprise! More people are using their smartphones to experience the internet.

Honestly, at this point, if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re a lost cause

(Just kidding, our web design team can help )

As more evidence that we’re glued to our phones,Google just announced that they’re planning on implementing mobile-first indexing.

What does that mean?

That means that the Google web crawler that analyzes your site to determine its placement in the search results will be using the mobile version of your website first. In fact, it’s unclear if Google will even crawl the desktop version of your website in the future.

Be really worried if…

• Your site isn’t mobile-friendly
• Your mobile site is significantly stripped down compared to the desktop version
• I have to pinch-and-zoom from my smartphone to read your website

Drink champagne if…

• Your site is responsive
• You have a mobile site
• The content on your mobile site is the same or similar to your desktop site

Google says mobile-first indexing is in the testing phase, but don’t trick yourself into thinking that they won’t permanently implement this latest tweak. Previously added features like Accelerated Mobile Pages (see screenshot below) and “mobile-friendly” tags on search results are signs of things to come.

2. Google AdWords is implementing click-to-text extensions

For better or worse, the majority of people prefer texting to talking on the phone. It’s quicker, easier, and you don’t get bamboozled into a 45-minute conversation with your mom about the neighbor’s dog.

As a business, you want to make it as painless as possible for your customer to get in touch with you. Adding the ability to text you increases the opportunities to interact with your target audience while providing a positive customer service experience.

Google has added a click-to-message extension to AdWords. Similar to the call extensions, the CTA associated with these ads would encourage you to text the business (as opposed to calling or clicking your link). If you don’t have access already, you should be getting it soon– Google is taking it out of beta.

3. Vine has been snuffed

When Vine came out in 2012, it was revolutionary. So much so that Twitter quickly snatched it up just before the app officially launched. The 6-second video format allowed a new level of creativity and rawness that wasn’t offered on other social media platforms. Re-vines allowed clips to go viral quickly and helped create a slew of now-famous Vine influencers like Thomas Sanders and Zach King.

The downfall began as other social media channels like Instagram and Snapchat adopted the best parts of Vine. The video platform’s users began to spend their online time elsewhere.

Let’s be real, why would you surf Vine to find funny clips when you can just find 10-minute long compilations on YouTube of the best Vines? Why would you watch limited clips of digital magician Zach King on Vine when you can watch his more impressive tricks on Instagram?

Twitter is struggling, and it had to make tough cuts. Vine was at the top of the kill list (as well as 10% of their staff).

If nothing else, the demise of the formerly popular Vine is evidence that what’s hot today might not be hot tomorrow. Pokemon Go, watch your back.

It’s only fitting to pay tribute to the doomed social media network by embedding part of the reason it lost its popularity…. a YouTube compilation of really funny Vines.

4. Link offline sales with Facebook Ads (wait, what?)

Facebook Ads are awesome, especially for brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, and retargeting. Usually, if someone is complaining about Facebook Ads, it’s because they’re not seeing sales from the ads.

Let’s make one thing clear, Facebook Ads can drive sales, but it isn’t the best channel for last-click attribution. That’s where AdWords shines. 

Measuring the impact of brand awareness can be tough, especially if you run a brick-and-mortar and you’re not asking your customer “how did you hear about us” after every purchase.

Facebook just offered a solution that could help you understand which in-store sales were attributed to Facebook Ads.

You can read more about this new feature, but in short, you link this data by exporting your sales into a spreadsheet. Then you upload that spreadsheet into Facebook Ads. Using that data, Facebook matches your in-store customers with users who interacted or saw your ad.

We’re looking forward to adding this data to Facebook Ad reporting.

5. We now have more control over frequency in Facebook Ads

If you’re running Facebook Ads effectively, you should be monitoring the amount of times a user is seeing your ads. This is reported as frequency. You pay attention to frequency because you want to make sure you’re not spamming your target audience.

Facebook has provided us options for limiting frequency within Facebook Ads. For a while now, we’ve been able to optimize ads for “daily unique reach”, which is great, but not perfect. The reason it’s not 100% ideal is because “daily unique reach” still shows the same user the same ad every 24 hours. What if you want to show your ad once every 3 days?

Meet the latest Facebook Ad objective: Reach.

When you select Reach as your objective, it’s optimized to show your ad to as many unique users as possible, while also giving you the option to space your ad out by more than 24 hours. For instance, you can tell Facebook Ads to show an ad to a user once every 3-7 days.

Worth noting, reach and impressions are very different. Impressions are the number of times your ad was shown, repeat views get counted. Reach is the number of times your ad was shown to unique users. If you see the same ad 3 times in a row, that’s 3 impressions, but only counted as 1 for reach.

6. Early results are in regarding Google’s unofficial Possum update

Google hasn’t officially named their latest algorithm shift, so the SEO world did it for them– Possum it is.

Personally, I would’ve gone with a slew of other (cuter) animal names that started with P like puffer fish, porcupine, parrot, pika, or my favorite, platypus.

FUN FACT: A platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs- FASCINATING!

Google’s “Possum” update was first recorded back in September, but we’re now starting to see the lasting impact on local SEO. The most noticeable changes revolve around how Google uses your IP address to pinpoint the best local search result.

Read more about the  algorithm update on Moz.

7. Pinterest’s Promoted Pins just got a whole lot better

Promoted Pins were already effective because of their ability to drive website traffic and garner long-lasting inbound links (pins have a longer life than just about every other social media post).

Recently, Pinterest added the ability to retarget users based on…

• engagement with the pin
• engagement with your website

People who engage with your pin are letting you know they’re interested in your content. People who take action on your website (ex: make purchases) are letting you know that they’re really interested in your business. These are 2 valuable audiences you’ll want to target later with future content or offers.

8. Black Mirror gives us a glimpse into the future of social media

Netflix released season 3 of sci-fi hit Black Mirror, and it’s utterly terrifying. It’s not scary like American Horror Story, the Negan episode of Walking Dead, or the latest creepy clown epidemic; it’s scary like “oh crap, this could actually be the future.”  The show does a good job of amplifying the worst of parts of emerging technology over the course of 6 episodes / short films.

All the episodes are good, but the first episode Nosedive, hit closest to home for me. The episode is all about a society that is obsessed with social media metrics. Imagine a world where the number of likes you receive on a photo affects your access to government services or the condo associations you can be a part of– that’s the gist of this episode.

I don’t want to spoil the show for you, but it’s worth binge watching the next time you have a 7-hour block of time to kill.

Wrapping up

You’re a business owner that shouldn’t be consumed with the ever-changing world of digital marketing. Unless you’re passionate about online marketing like we are, you will lose your mind trying to keep up. The point of this post is to give you a glimpse into the biggest marketing stories of the past month.

If you want more details on any of the stories we included in this post, feel free to ask us. Comment below or contact us.

The post October’s Top Digital Marketing Stories appeared first on Exults Digital Marketing Agency.