By Mark Eting
Bullseye Strategy Special Correspondent
This week has been a wild ride in digital marketing news. We learned that Google’s organic click-through rates have taken a steep plummet since 2016. Meanwhile, video advertising skyrocketed in 2018 to hit $27.82 billion dollars. And in an announcement that any brand who does not want to be associated with gambling, pornography or political advertising will be cheering, Facebook’s newest API update allows businesses to opt out of having their advertising placed alongside controversial content.
Google Click-Throughs Nosedive
Searchengineland reported that since 2016, Google’s organic click-throughs have seen declines on desktop and even steeper drops on mobile, by 10 points. Why the big dip? Google Answers and their own properties are siphoning off many user clicks. This makes it all the more important to really nail your search engine optimization strategy, since your content is now even less likely to be seen as it competes with Google’s ads for your customers’ eyeballs.
Video Ad Spend Reaches $27.82 Billion in 2018
We all knew, theoretically at least, that video ads have been more than a passing social media fad, because (A) this content overwhelmingly performs better than static creative and (B) you can’t even watch a 1984 Cyndi Lauper video on YouTube anymore without first being subjected to a quick message about calcium supplements. That being said, our jaws still dropped when we heard that video ads raked in $27.82 billion last year. Because: $27.82 billion. Not only that, but this number is only going up thanks to an announcement from Google that non-skippable 15-second video ad spots will become available to all advertisers this year. Previously these placements were only available through the YouTube reservation process, which had been a bit of a clunky experience favoring larger brands.
Your Brand Can Now Avoid Placement Near Controversial Facebook Ads
If you had not been a fan of having your carefully created Facebook advertisements placed within eye level of adult content or the latest local election smear campaign, you’ll love the latest Facebook API pivot. Now brands can opt out of placement alongside “controversial” content, which includes debatable social issues, mature content, competitor ads, dating and gambling services, and content about tragedies and conflicts. This move is part of a larger Facebook “brand safety” program that allows businesses to keep closer tabs on reputation management and combat fraud.
“Mark Eting” is the pen name of the Bullseye Strategy team. Check back with us next week for more news on what’s buzzing in the digital marketing industry.]]>
