Last Week in Digital Marketing: Improving User Experiences

In digital marketing, companies are always looking for new and innovative ways to improve the user experience. Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn are names you hear a lot of in regards to these attempts and they’re once again in the spotlight.

Google Lens is Currently Live in the U.S.

Google Lens is a new function that allows users to get more information on images that interest them. First, Google Lens classifies the image before identifying individual objects and faces. It’s also able to detect text within the image. Google has just announced that the feature will be rolling out on Google Images on mobile devices and has already been implemented in the U.S.

Takeaway: This change will affect ecommerce businesses. Original, appealing images will likely rank higher than those that aren’t. However, something to remember is that images should be useful and relevant to your content, not just used for decorations.

Follow Businesses on Google Maps

There’s a new way for you to use Google Maps on your mobile device. Now, users can follow businesses they’re interested in on the app to receive information on offers, events, and updates. The search engine is also working on an update to the app that will allow users to connect with businesses that haven’t officially opened yet.

Takeaway: This is a great new way for your customers to stay up-to-date with you. For those businesses that haven’t opened yet but want to show up as one of the “coming soon locations,” can begin by claiming the Google My Business listing for their business.

New Restrictions and Penalties for Low Quality Ads on Facebook

Recently, Facebook announced that it is introducing a new set of restrictions and increased penalties for ads that it deems low quality. The social media platform gives three specific examples of such ads: engagement bait, withholding information, and sensationalized language.

Takeaway: Keep this in mind when creating your ads. Individual ads that are identified as low quality will have reduced distribution, or may be disapproved altogether. Brands that have multiple ads flagged may also see an impact on the performance of all their ads.

LinkedIn Institutes Update to Generate More Interaction

LinkendIn is trying to create and encourage more engagement for posts from the users on its platform. To accomplish this task, it has updated its algorithm. LinkedIn instituted the change because the algorithm heavily favored users in the top one percent and the platform wants all its users to be actively engaged.

Takeaway: This new algorithm update could affect the reach of your content in a positive way.

Facebook Introduces a New Tool to Track Ad Performance

In an attempt to allow users to glean more useful insight about each facet of their Facebook presence, the platform has launched a new attribution dashboard called Facebook Attribution. This new tool utilizes data from multiple sources including app events, the Facebook pixel, Facebook Insights, and Offline Conversions. The idea is to create a clearer and more accurate picture of how the user’s ads are performing.

Takeaway: Utilizing this tool and paying attention to the additional data it provides could help you launch more effective Facebook ads in the future.

Michael Childs is an Web Content Specialist on the the LeadBuilder® inbound marketing team. His interests include music, art, sports, and movies. He also loves animals. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Image via iStock