WebProNews

Category: DigitalMarketingNews

DigitalMarketingNews

  • Unrelenting Spam Forces Google to Suspend RCS in India

    Unrelenting Spam Forces Google to Suspend RCS in India

    Google may be throwing its full weight behind RCS messaging, but it’s been forced to suspend the feature in India due to businesses abusing it to spam users.

    RCS is the successor to SMS, adding many of the features that have come to define other messaging platforms, such as Apple’s iMessage and WhatsApp. RCS adds in group administration, read receipts, file sharing, end-to-end encryption and much more. Google has been aggressively pushing the tech for some time, but it is now pulling back in the Indian market after uses complained of unrelenting spam messages.

    Read more: Google SVP Wants to Help Apple Support RCS Messaging

    “Google Messages is becoming the worst possible Google app. The amount of ads its sending is crazy, multiple every day. Yes, these are NOT messages, these are ads being pushed by the app to Indian users. It’s the default messaging app on most Android phones here.”

    — Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24), May 16, 2022

    According to TechCrunch, the complaints have led Google to suspend RCS in India for the time being.

    “Some businesses are abusing our anti-spam policies to send promotional messages to users in India,” Google said in a statement. Google is disabling the feature while it “works with the industry to improve the experience for users.”

    RCS is a major step forward for messaging, and it’s a shame that businesses have ruined the experience to such a degree that Google had to take these measures. Hopefully the company will be able to put adequate safeguards in place to prevent this from happening in the future and pave the way for a return of RCS.

  • Ahrefs Launching Yep, a Content Creator and Privacy Focused Search Engine

    Ahrefs Launching Yep, a Content Creator and Privacy Focused Search Engine

    Ahrefs, the company known for making SEO tools, is getting into the search engine game with Yep, a search engine focused on privacy and content creators.

    Google is by far the most dominant search engine on the market, with Bing a distant second. Despite Google’s dominance, or perhaps because of it, alternative options are becoming increasingly popular. DuckDuckGo and Brave are two examples of search engines that protect user privacy, and Ahrefs’ Yep is about to be another.

    According to TechCrunch, Ahrefs has invested $60 million of its own capital into developing Yep. What’s more, the company is building on its years of crawling the web for its SEO business. The company says its crawler can visit 8 billion web pages per 24 hours.

    “Creators who make search results possible deserve to receive payments for their work. We saw how YouTube’s profit-sharing model made the whole video-making industry thrive. Splitting advertising profits 90/10 with content authors, we want to give a push towards treating talent fairly in the search industry,” said Ahrefs founder and CEO, Dmytro Gerasymenko. “We do save certain data on searches, but never in a personally identifiable way. For example, we will track how many times a word is searched for and the position of the link getting the most clicks. But we won’t create your profile for targeted advertising.”

    If Ahrefs is able to deliver on its promise of privacy, combined with giving content creators the lion’s share of the profits, it may well have a winner on its hands in Yep.

    In the meantime, users can try out Yep here.

  • Microsoft Reverses Course, Will Allow (Some) Crypto Ads on Microsoft Ads

    Microsoft Reverses Course, Will Allow (Some) Crypto Ads on Microsoft Ads

    Microsoft has made a major change in its stance toward crypto, allowing some crypto ads on its Microsoft Ads platform.

    First spotted by Search Engine Land, Microsoft Ads will allow pre-approved crpyto ads, starting in the US only. The company hopes that the pre-approval process will help prevent scammers. The program will also allow “educational content,” provided it is offered by the primary party.

    There are still some limitations, including:

    • No ads promoting crypto investments or training programs.
    • No ads for sites that incentivize users with free crypto, offers subscription services, or otherwise monetize their advice.

    As Search Engine Land points out, this is a fairly reasonable compromise that should help protect Bing users, while at the same time providing legitimate crypto outlets a valuable advertising opportunity.

  • How to Increase Customer Satisfaction Through Agent Coaching

    How to Increase Customer Satisfaction Through Agent Coaching

    Good customer service is a cornerstone of successful businesses, so it makes sense that business leaders want their employees to deliver the best customer service possible. Many of the processes and tools supervisors use are outdated, which makes it difficult to scale customer service satisfaction beyond a fraction of interactions. Giving your employees the tools, resources, and inspiration to deliver exceptional service is a great strategy to keep your clients happy and loyal. In this article, we’ll explain how to increase customer satisfaction through CS (Customer Service) agent coaching.

    Customer service is one of the greatest factors in customer acquisition and retention. Great customer service makes businesses stand out among competitors and inspires word-of-mouth brand equity. Businesses use a variety of metrics to evaluate their customer service, and regular training teaches CS agents how to provide great service. But training, while critical, tends to be one-size-fits-all, and metrics such as average handle time (AHT) don’t always address pain points that lead to frustrated customers. This is where good CS agent coaching comes in.  

    Building Tools for Success

    In a world where personalization is expected, it’s not just customers who want personalized support. CS agents also need personalized feedback so they understand how to make customers happy. There are a few steps business leaders can take to make this happen.

    First is collecting and analyzing the right data. This is best done using a coaching and quality assurance software such as MaestroQA, which brings all aspects of coaching into one platform. Using a cohesive platform gives agents personalized tools for success by allowing them to track their own analytics. It also allows business leaders to focus on the right metrics. 

    With the MaestroQA platform, collecting and analyzing data impacting customer happiness is key. For example, while a high first contact resolution rate (FCR) is typically good news, it may not matter as much for a company where customers value relationship-building. If your product boasts individualized customer support, multiple contacts — or follow-up emails saying “Thank you” — may throw off the data. Instead, quality assurance (QA) scorecards should be central to operations, in addition to company-specific metrics. 

    Once you know you have the data you need, creating a customized data dashboard gets everyone on the same page. It allows agents to practice self-accountability and empowers them to understand their own analytics, leading to a culture of meaningful improvement.

    Additionally, automating repetitive aspects of QA scoring enables your team to score more interactions with more efficiency. This also increases the customer support team’s trust of QA data. More QA data points mean more insight on how to satisfy customers. 

    Ultimately, you want to find a QA program that aligns with your customer service philosophy and values.

    Providing Resources Via Coaching

    Next comes setting up 1:1 coaching sessions. These should be regularly scheduled to prevent agents from slipping through the cracks or feeling ambushed when things aren’t going well. Every agent needs to expect and receive coaching, however frequency of coaching depends on each agent. Early sessions should include a plan for how to process and implement coaching, taking into account each agents’ learning styles and strengths. Ongoing sessions should be tailored to both agent and customer needs.

    To prepare for coaching sessions, QA analysis is helpful. This is because it refers back to actual data from customers. Screen recording also provides valuable insight into what CS agents need. This can reveal simple steps to improve response time and solve customer issues quickly. For example, customers directly benefit from an agent being able to quickly locate relevant internal articles. Discovering gaps in preparation for coaching means you’ll know how to best update your knowledge-base tool or learning management software (LMS), too. 

    A few times coaching is especially beneficial: 

    1. When onboarding new employees

    Training is critical for employee success. However, early coaching can provide scenario-based opportunities for agents to apply training in real-time. Early interventions can prevent bad habits and enhance agent job satisfaction. Early personalized feedback means customers are more likely to get a seasoned agent, thus improving overall statistics.

    1. When customer satisfaction is trending downward

    Using a holistic analytics and coaching tool makes it easier to catch issues with customer satisfaction. The root cause of problems should guide coaching sessions and guide toward best practices. Resources can also be provided to individual agents to curb low CSAT scores.  

    1. When implementing new systems

    Providing coaching sessions when implementing new CS systems is crucial, especially as agent roles change to align with new digital solutions. Automation is the future, and agents need to understand how they fit into the customer experience. Customers may bring frustration if they’ve already interacted with a bot and received a bad answer. They may also bring more complex questions if the bot does its job of answering simple frontline questions. Coaching helps agents efficiently adjust to new technologies. 

    Inspiring CS Agent Success

    The well-known StrengthsFinder assessment is based on the formula Talent x Investment = Strength. Taking this formula and applying it to coaching develops agents’ strengths that may have less obvious CS applications, but help in the long run. Finding out what makes employees tick, and what reward systems motivate them, can also inspire excellence. 

    Tracking individuals’ progress over time is the final step in coaching. If your company already has a smooth annual review system, it may be easiest to borrow elements of that system. If not, start by creating a file for each agent with ongoing coaching session notes, goals, and wins.

    Allowing Coaching to Guide Culture

    Coaching provides room for honest feedback from agents as well as coaches. It shows agents that supervisors aren’t out of touch with daily realities. Agents should be encouraged to bring concerns about workload, morale, and pain points to coaching sessions. When coaching leads to positive change in both customer happiness and organizational function, it inspires greater buy-in.

    Coaching analytics, in turn, provide insight into low CSAT scores and help turn around uninspiring QA performance. Using coaching to improve customer experience leads to happier agents and, ultimately, customers. In the end, everyone wins. 

  • How To Get PR For Your Tech Startup

    How To Get PR For Your Tech Startup

    PR is the most cost-effective strategy for an early-stage tech startup.

    Press placements have 6x the visibility and 3x the credibility of an advertisement of the same size or length.

    Hence, PR means more brand awareness and new customers.

    The significance of PR cannot be underestimated, especially when the tech industry is witnessing fierce competition post-pandemic and showing exponential growth with an estimated CAGR of 5% through 2024.

    However, getting PR for a startup tech company is challenging if you are not aware of the strategies to impress editors.

    This article will help you understand what PR is, the advantages of PR, and share some of the best tips to acquire great PR for your startup.

    Let’s begin!

    What is PR?

    PR stands for public relations which is the strategic communication by the company to the public to educate the consumers about new product launches or features.

    PR has the ability to build your brand’s credibility that your consumers can trust because it is also driven by factual reviews and opinions by third-party.

    Why PR Is Essential For Startups?

    Here are some solid reasons why PR is essential for startups:

    1- Increases Credibility

    PR has the ability to build your brand’s credibility that your consumers can trust because it is driven by factual reviews and opinions by third-party. Therefore, PR content are considered unbiased and genuine.

    Also, when a third-party writes or speaks positively about your brand, they endorse your company’s expertise and leadership, which makes content more valuable.

    As a result, consumers show interest in engaging with such content and get into conversation, which further helps the brand boost their credibility.

    2- Positions Your Brand as a Category Leader

    PR content pieces demonstrate your expertise and specialization in the form of news, which adds unique touch and value to your content.

    They explain how you are different from the rest of your competitors in the market and why someone should choose your company.

    It helps separate your company from your competitors in a positive way and position your brand self as an expert in your field.

    3- Boosts Lead Generation

    Well-planned PR strategies comprise the right messages and convincing call-to-action.

    They work together to make your brand more discoverable and attract more leads while developing your company’s credibility and reputation in the market.

    4- Attracts Investors

    PR can also overcome the most challenging part of funding a startup.

    A masterful PR campaign ensures you get plenty of buzz and get your company introduced to potential investors.

    PR content creators also leverage the power of your past investors to encourage new investors to support your company.

    Since PR is an effective means of getting publicity, it helps you to attract the attention of investors looking for the next promising startup to back.

    Tips To Acquire PR For Your Startup

    Here are some proven tips you can use to acquire PR for your startup:

    1- Find Journalists Who Cover Your Niche

    Look for journalists who write for businesses in your industry.

    Experienced and niche-expert journalists will provide you with press content that is industry-specialized and explain your business well. Plus, they will get you faster press coverage through the right channels.

    2- Pitch A Story

    Instead of simply asking a journalist to write about your business, pitch a story.

    Stories catch attention and create an emotional connection. Also, PR is mostly about a story. Therefore, it is essential to learn the art of pitching a story. Take a look at these pitch email examples and learn how to approach journalists with your story.

    You can start with sharing your company’s mission or an innovative vision that revolves around the reason or purpose of launching your product or services. Moreover, the purpose should be intended to help others. Remember to avoid any sales pitch to avoid boredom. 

    3- Share Quality Content Consistently

    Journalists look for the reputation or the market presence of a company before accepting PR requests or writing about them.

    Hence, develop an online presence by sharing ongoing changes in your company and information-packed content consistently through social media channels or your own website.

    This way editors will find your company’s information newsworthy and get a reason to write about you. 

    4- Follow-Up Emails Wisely

    Follow-up emails are highly effective in landing responses that you missed out in the first round.

    When you send your first mail, wait for a few days before following up. It is a good idea to have a tool to track email activity so that you get a notification if the recipient opens your email.

    If you do not receive any response even after the recipient opens your email, send a follow-up mail with more information.

    It is recommended to follow up at least three times for each contact.

    Several Examples of PR

    Let us check out the best examples of PR that tech startups can learn from:

    1- Happsy

    Happsy is an organic mattress manufacturer that planned to utilize a press release to announce its launch but with a twist.

    Instead of simply announcing their product launch, they found an angle to hook a vast audience and leverage product pricing as their USP.

    Here is a press release with the heading containing the words accessible to everyone to get the attention of the journalists.

    Since organic products are usually expensive, the press release hit the journalists’ and audiences’ attention by presenting Happsy organic mattresses’ affordability as an USP in the news.

    2- Gerber

    Gerber, a brand for early child nutrition experts, released news that narrated a well-rounded story. It was touching, had a compelling image, and had feel-good quotes from key players.

    The story not only left the readers satisfied but also made them look forward to more. Plus, the narrative prompted journalists to cover follow-up stories.

    3- Gojo

    This press release by Gojo immediately grabbed news reporters’ attention because the news covered the story of donating 16,000 liters of hand sanitizer to local hospitals.

    The news spreads the message that everyone should care about society during adverse conditions.

    In Summary

    Reputation is one of the primary pillars for any successful tech company. This is true for every company, no matter the size or industry.

    While it is possible for a tech startup to operate a business with little or no PR efforts, it is unlikely that the company will ever succeed in the industry or key markets.

    Using the above tips and examples, tech companies can actively engage in highly effective PR and capture the attention of customers and prospects.

  • Google Faces Another UK Competition Probe

    Google Faces Another UK Competition Probe

    Google is facing another probe from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over whether the company illegally favors its own services.

    Google has been under increasing pressure in multiple jurisdictions, with probes and lawsuits over how it conducts business. The CMA was already investigating Google over its ad deal with Facebook, but BBC News is reporting the watchdog is now investigating whether Google illegally used its dominance in the ad business to push its own services.

    The investigation is focused on the “ad-tech stack,” of which Google dominates all aspects. In fact, Google’s control of the entire ad stack has been a growing concern in the US as well. Senators recently introduced a bill that would prohibit a company of Google’s size from owning more than one part of the ad ecosystem.

    In the meantime, BBC News quoted a Google spokesperson saying the company welcomes the opportunity to work with the CMA:

    “We will continue to work with the CMA to answer their questions and share the details on how our systems work.

    “Advertising tools from Google and many competitors help websites and apps fund their content – and help businesses of all sizes effectively reach their customers.

    “Google’s tools alone have supported an estimated £55bn in economic activity for over 700,000 businesses in the UK – and when publishers choose to use our advertising services, they keep the majority of revenue.”

  • Salesforce Focused On ‘Driving Success From Anywhere’

    Salesforce Focused On ‘Driving Success From Anywhere’

    On the heels of a “phenomenal quarter,” Salesforce is doubling down on its hybrid work model and “driving success from anywhere.”

    Few companies have gone all in on remote and hybrid work as much as Salesforce. The company has been helping customers transition to the cloud, and has been rolling out tools aimed specifically at mobile workers. The company even purchased Slack, the poster-child of remote work, for a whopping $27.7 billion.

    According to Steve Brashear, Salesforce SVP, Global Real Estate, the company is continuing its “Success from Anywhere” approach, giving employees “the flexibility to work how, when, and where works best for them.”

    At the same time, despite being digital first, Brashear says the company is not digital only. In fact, the number one request from employees is to come in to the office for collaboration with teammates. In response, Salesforce has been reimagining its workspaces to make them more conducive to flexible work schedules and collaborative meetings.

    “Individual desks will still have a role, but we’re prioritizing more breakout and collaboration spaces,” writes Brashear. “We’re increasing our social space from 40% to 60% — adding more booths, cafes, communal tables, focus pods, and mobile audiovisual equipment to enhance the connection, camaraderie, and innovation that comes from gathering in person.

    “We are future-proofing our design with a flexible layout so we can adjust as we go.”

    Salesforce has been firing on all cylinders in its embrace of remote and flexible work, and could serve as a template for other companies looking to do the same.

  • Privacy-Focused Tech Companies Call for Ban on ‘Surveillance-Based Advertising’

    Privacy-Focused Tech Companies Call for Ban on ‘Surveillance-Based Advertising’

    A group of tech companies with a history of protecting user privacy is calling for a ban on “surveillance-based advertising.”

    Mojeek, along with DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, StartPage, Fastmail, Proton Technologies and others have written a letter calling on the US, UK, EU and Australia to take action against the dominant form of online advertising. Mojeek is a UK-based search engine that has not tracked users since its inception, and holds the distinction of being the first privacy-oriented search engine. Similarly, the other companies on the list have a long history of protecting user privacy.

    The companies make the case in their open letter that surveillance advertising, commonly called “personalization,” is a threat to consumers, businesses and democracies. The companies also stand as examples that prove it’s possible to build a profitable business without exploiting consumers.

    We are a group of businesses who write to you today to show our support to this initiative. We represent small, medium and large businesses who all believe -and demonstrate on a daily basis -that it is possible to run profitable companies without exploiting the privacy of individuals.

    The companies emphasize they are not anti-advertising, they simply want the industry to use technologies and methods that don’t involve invading the privacy of users.

    Although we recognize that advertising is an important source of revenue for content creators and publishers online, this does not justify the massive commercial surveillance systems set up in attempts to “show the right ad to the right people”.

    Other forms of advertising technologies exist, which do not depend on spying on consumers, and alternative models can be implemented without significantly affecting revenue. On the contrary – and that we can attest to – businesses can thrive without privacy-invasive practices.

  • Amazon Charging US Sellers 5% Fee For Inflation and Fuel

    Amazon Charging US Sellers 5% Fee For Inflation and Fuel

    Amazon is increasing its fees for US-based sellers, charging an additional 5% fee for inflation and fuel charges.

    Amazon is the world’s biggest e-commerce marketplace and is increasingly one of the largest shipping companies in the US. The company relies on third-party sellers for many of the products that populate its marketplace, but those sellers are about to get hit with additional fees, thanks to the increased cost of business Amazon is facing.

    According to CNBC, Amazon is notifying US sellers it will be charging them a 5% surcharge for inflation and fuel costs.

    “The surcharge will apply to all product types, such as non-apparel, apparel, dangerous goods, and Small and Light items,” the notice stated. “The surcharge will apply to all units shipped from fulfillment centers starting April 28.”

    The e-commerce giant says the costs are “subject to change.”

  • Apple Calls Out ‘Meta’s Hypocrisy’ Over High Content Creator Fees

    Apple Calls Out ‘Meta’s Hypocrisy’ Over High Content Creator Fees

    Apple is calling out “Meta’s hypocrisy” after the latter announced it would charge a 47.5% commission for creating content in the metaverse.

    Apple has been under fire for some time for charging developers a 30% App Store commission. Despite criticizing Apple’s practices, Meta has revealed its own commission, far exceeding what Apple charges. The Cupertino company isn’t passing up the opportunity to call Meta out.

    “Meta has repeatedly taken aim at Apple for charging developers a 30% commission for in-app purchases in the App Store — and have used small businesses and creators as a scapegoat at every turn,” Apple spokesman Fred Sainz told MarketWatch. “Now — Meta seeks to charge those same creators significantly more than any other platform. [Meta’s] announcement lays bare Meta’s hypocrisy. It goes to show that while they seek to use Apple’s platform for free, they happily take from the creators and small businesses that use their own.”

    So far, the response to Meta’s announcement has been almost universally critical over the whopping commission rate. Apple has simply come out and said exactly what many were already thinking.

  • Mailchimp Was Hacked, Compromising 100+ Customers’ Data

    Mailchimp Was Hacked, Compromising 100+ Customers’ Data

    Mailchimp has admitted being hacked, with more than 100 customers’ data compromised.

    Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform, and was recently acquired by Intuit. The deal was based on Mailchimp rounding out Intuit’s suite of tools and products aimed at small businesses. Unfortunately, it appears Intuit also inherited a security issue.

    According to TechCrunch, Mailchip has revealed it was hacked in late March. Fortunately, the company quickly identified the breach and took action while the perpetrators were still working.

    “We acted swiftly to address the situation by terminating access for the compromised employee accounts and took steps to prevent additional employees from being affected,” Mailchimp CISO Siobhan Smyth said.

    Unfortunately, the hackers were able to download audience data for 102 accounts before Mailchimp personnel were able to lock them out and secure their systems.

    “When we become aware of any unauthorized account access, we notify the account owner and immediately take steps to suspend any further access,” Smyth told TechCrunch. “We also recommend two-factor authentication and other account security measures for our users as added measures to keep accounts and passwords secure.”

  • EU Prepares to Crack Down on Big Tech, Unveils Sweeping Measures

    EU Prepares to Crack Down on Big Tech, Unveils Sweeping Measures

    The European Union has unveiled sweeping measures to crack down on Big Tech and increase competition across the industry.

    The EU has unveiled the Digital Markets Act (DMA), aimed specifically at “gatekeeper” companies, according to The Verge. Gatekeepers are companies with a market cap of at least $82 billion, at least 45,000 active users, and that run a “platform.” Such criteria would cover Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, but could also cover smaller companies and services as well.

    Messaging, in particular, is a likely focus of the DMA, with the EU looking to force services like Facebook Messenger, iMessage, and WhatsApp to “open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms, if they so request.”

    The DMA would include a number of other provisions, including stopping gatekeepers from preferring their own apps and services, as well as giving users the ability to uninstall default apps that come on their devices, and even choose which apps they want to use during install and setup.

    Companies that sell or do business on a given platform would be entitled to access performance metrics from that platform. Similarly, companies that advertise on a platform would be given a way to independently confirm the performance of their advertising efforts.

    The penalties for failure to comply would be severe, including up to 10% of a company’s annual worldwide revenue and periodic penalties up to 5% of its daily earnings. Most notably, the EU would also have the authority to enforce “behavioral and structural remedies.” This could including mandating that a company change how it operates its platform or service, and could even include forcing a company to spin off portions of its business, if the anti-competitive concerns cannot otherwise be addressed.

    This is why, in the Digital Markets Act, there is a full toolbox where the sanctions become more and more severe,” the EU’s Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager told The Verge. “The fines will increase if you do not implement changes. Eventually, in the toolbox, there’s also the tool that you can actually break up a company if no change is happening, or if you are a repeat offender.”

    The DMA represents the single largest effort by the EU to reign in the power and influence of Big Tech, combining a number of different efforts into one comprehensive piece of legislation. The legislation has not passed yet but, given the momentum that’s been building in the EU, it’s almost certainly going to pass sooner rather than later.

  • Instagram Finally Brings Back Chronological Feeds

    Instagram Finally Brings Back Chronological Feeds

    After years of complaints and unhappy users, Instagram has finally brought back the ability to see feeds chronologically.

    Instagram used to display feeds chronologically, before switching to an algorithmic-based feed in 2016. Users were not happy, but Instagram resisted attempts to bring back the feature…at least until now.

    In a blog post, Instagram announced two new features, Favorites and Following, both of which give users the ability to see posts chonologically.

    Favorites shows you the latest from accounts that you choose, like your best friends and favorite creators. In addition to this view, posts from accounts in Favorites will also show up higher in your home feed.

    Following shows you posts from the people you follow. Both Favorites and Following will show you posts in chronological order, so you can quickly catch up on recent posts.

    The features are sure to be a welcome change for users.

  • Startup Develops Tech to Deliver Pain in the Metaverse

    Startup Develops Tech to Deliver Pain in the Metaverse

    H2L Technologies has developed technology to allow users to experience real pain in response to their metaverse activities.

    The metaverse is the convergence of virtual, augmented, and in-person reality, with an emphasis on the virtual aspect. Companies in virtually every industry are racing to stake their claim in the metaverse, with banks opening offices and purchasing land in it.

    H2L Technologies wants to make the virtual world as real as possible, developing tech that brings real-world pain into the metaverse.

    “Feeling pain enables us to turn the metaverse world into a real [world], with increased feelings of presence and immersion,” H2L CEO Emi Tamaki told Financial Times, via The Byte.

    Pain isn’t the only sensation the tech can provide, however.

    H2L technology conveys weight and resistance feeling to users and avatars on the Metaverse, not only pain. Please read also her interview.

    — h2linc (@h2linc), March 21, 2022

    Tamaki sees her company’s tech as a way of creating fully immersive experiences, especially for those whose health limits their ability to travel and engage in certain activities, as is the case with her.

  • Australia Sues Meta Over Fake Celebrity Endorsement Ads

    Australia Sues Meta Over Fake Celebrity Endorsement Ads

    The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is suing Meta over scam ads on Facebook featuring fake celebrity endorsements.

    Meta, formerly Facebook, has a complicated history with Australia, having recently engaged in a showdown over paying for news. Simultaneously, the company has struggled to keep misinformation and scammers off of its site.

    According to International Business Times, scammers used Facebook’s own algorithm to target susceptible users with fake ads feature celebrities “endorsing” various products. The ACCC believes Meta should be held responsible for not doing enough to stop the problem.

    “The essence of our case is that Meta is responsible for these ads that it publishes on its platform,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.

    “In one shocking instance, we are aware of a consumer who lost more than A$650,000 (£360,000; $480,000) due to one of these scams being falsely advertised as an investment opportunity on Facebook. This is disgraceful,” Mr Sims said.

    If Meta were to lose the case, it would set a major precedent, and likely lead other jurisdictions to follow suit.

  • How to Gain SEO Traction in a Saturated Market

    How to Gain SEO Traction in a Saturated Market

    We live in an era of content shock. Quite simply, there’s a lot of good content out there and it’s difficult to stick out in saturated markets. Whether you’re facing saturation in the “real world” or online, the more competitors you have, the more work you need to put in. Fortunately, with the right tricks and tips, you can succeed even in saturated markets.

    So let’s look at how Search Engine Optimization works and why it’s important. We’ll also cover how you can use SEO to stand out even in saturated markets.

    Understanding The Importance of Search Engine Optimization

    Many people now use their laptops, smartphones, and other devices to conduct research before purchasing a product or service. Whether someone is looking for “the best criminal defense lawyer in Atlanta” or the “top air fryer in 2022,” there’s a good chance they will start by searching around on the web.

    Search Engine Optimization can be a big help. With SEO, you make your website and content more attractive to search engines such as Google or Bing. How? It helps to understand what search engines are trying to accomplish. Simply put, search engines want to present users with the best content available related to their search inquiries.

    So, if a user types in “best DUI defense lawyer in Boston,” Google will scan various web pages, rank them, and then present them. In this case, Google will likely present a variety of law firm and attorney websites for people and practices located around Boston. The search engine may also present aggregate websites, like Findlaw.com, expertise.com, and others. These websites typically list lawyers and may provide client reviews as well.

    By the way, while we’re focusing on law firms right now, the same remains true for other areas of business. If a user is searching for the “best burger in Chicago,” he or she will get presented with a list of local restaurants, review sites like Yelp, and content from eatery magazines.

    Fortunately, if you’re a localized business operating in a specific town, county, or wherever else, you can often cut through the noise more quickly with a strong SEO strategy. Meanwhile, national search terms, say the “best business laptop”, are typically more difficult to rank for.

    How to Stand Out With The Right Keywords

    These days, there’s so much content available online that you might think that Search Engine Optimization is a waste of time and resources. Writing content can feel like shouting into a hurricane and no matter how hard you scream, you won’t make yourself heard above the storm.

    Fortunately, in some ways, SEO now arguably favors smaller businesses. If you sell toothpaste at grocery stores across the country, you’ll struggle to beat out the other big dental supply companies publishing content. Large organizations (e.g. Colgate) often have big marketing teams that produce a lot of SEO content.

    That said, if you run a dental practice or law office in Ames, Iowa, you’ll mostly be competing with other small businesses in that market. These companies likely won’t be producing as much content as a huge company like Colgate. Knowing how to adjust general SEO strategies to dentistry in particular is a great way to drive more traffic to your practice.  

    Looping back to our law firm example from earlier, localized niche Search Engine Optimization strategies, such as those laid out in Law Firm SEO, often present the best opportunities. This specific reference is just one example of many resources you can use to your advantage in your niche marketing plan. 

    By crafting keyword-rich, relevant, and high-quality content, you can start to build up an audience, and over time, you can drive conversions. Great content tends to draw in organic traffic, which is of especially high value. With organic traffic, people are in need of your specific products or services and thus are more likely to convert.

    You’ll want to start by finding keywords that are relevant to your business and your customers or clients. Fortunately, you can use Google Ads to generate keyword ideas. Using Google Ads Keyword Planner for “Criminal Defense Attorney” in Miami generated the following list:

    • criminal lawyer
    • defense attorney
    • criminal lawyers near me
    • criminal defense lawyer
    • DUI attorney
    • criminal attorney
    • DUI attorney near me
    • criminal defense attorney near me

    These keywords offer a great starting point. To go further, a criminal defense lawyer specializing in certain things, say fighting DUIs or representing children, can also focus on related terms to the specialization.

    Crafting High-Quality Keyword Rich SEO Content That Stands Out

    By peppering the above keywords (DUI lawyer, criminal defense attorney near me, etc.) into your content, you can begin to attract search engines. You’ll also want to use basic SEO guidelines, such as:

    • Keyword-rich headers
    • Images and corresponding keyword-rich alt-text
    • No grammatical errors
    • A fast, responsive, and mobile-friendly website

    Google also pays attention to length and generally seems to rank longer content higher (~1,800 words). Google values “backlinks”, which are links on other websites that lead to your website. Let’s say you’re an attorney and digitally publish an article in the local newspaper. If that article links to your site, Google will notice the backlink and take it into account when determining your authority.

    Backlinks from highly reputable websites are very valuable and could greatly increase your ranking. It’s wise to build a backlinking strategy and to start reaching out to other websites to see if you can publish content and also place links back to your website. You may also consider hiring a professional who specializes in building backlinks.

    Is SEO Right For My Company?

    SEO is an effective strategy even in saturated markets. That said, not all SEO campaigns will perform equally. In some instances, localized niche companies such as local attorney practices, veterinarians, and other geographically confined businesses will enjoy better results. Even then, the difference between a well-thought-out SEO strategy and an amateurish effort can be dramatic.

    If you are going to use SEO to grow your business, you should either study content marketing and Search Engine Optimization or work with someone who knows the industry. Quite simply, it’s easier to stand out in saturated markets if you have the right skills and assets.

  • Google Halts Ad Business in Russia

    Google Halts Ad Business in Russia

    Google is the latest company to halt its business in Russia, announcing it is pausing ad sales in Russia in response to that country’s invasion of Ukraine.

    As has already been well-documented here and elsewhere, companies across industries are imposing their own sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The idea is to make Putin’s decision so costly and inconvenient that it will force Russia to change course.

    Google is now joining in, suspending its ad business in Russia for the time being, according to The Washington Post.

    “In light of the extraordinary circumstances, we’re pausing Google ads in Russia. The situation is evolving quickly, and we will continue to share updates when appropriate,” said spokesperson Michael Aciman.

  • Multiple States Investigating TikTok’s Impact on Children

    Multiple States Investigating TikTok’s Impact on Children

    TikTok is the latest social media platform in the crosshairs, as multiple states are investigating its impact on children.

    TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms, and has taken off during the pandemic. Despite its popularity, the platform has not been without controversy, especially in regard to minors.

    According to ABC News, TikTok is drawing all new scrutiny, with attorneys general for California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont joining forces to investigate the platform.

    “Our children are growing up in the age of social media — and many feel like they need to measure up to the filtered versions of reality that they see on their screens,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release. “We know this takes a devastating toll on children’s mental health and well-being.”

    TikTok has repeatedly been under fire over privacy concerns and how the platforms handles information about minors. The company settled a privacy suit in the US for some $92 million, while the EU has warned it about its data practices. TikTok has repeatedly been accused of violating the privacy of children, or failing to protect it. The company was also accused of telling moderators to “suppress uploads from users with flaws both congenital and inevitable,” including “‘abnormal body shape,’ ‘ugly facial looks,’ dwarfism, and ‘obvious beer belly,’ ‘too many wrinkles,’ ‘eye disorders,’ and many other ‘low quality’ traits.”

    With that kind of history, combined with its popularity, it’s no wonder so many AGs want to better understand the impact the platform is having on minors.

  • Salesforce Reports “Phenomenal Quarter”

    Salesforce Reports “Phenomenal Quarter”

    Salesforce has reported its fourth-quarter results, beating analysts’ expectations on strong services.

    Salesforce has been at the forefront of the workplace transformation, purchasing Slack and going all-in on remote and hybrid work. The company is also working to help companies transition to the cloud, forming partnerships, and rolling out new tools to help companies and their employees.

    In its fourth quarter, the company reported $7.33 billion, up 26% year-over-year. Subscription and support revenue came in at $6.83 billion, up 25%, while professional services and other revenue increased 46%, coming in at $0.50 billion.

    For fiscal year 2022, revenue was up 25%, coming in at $26.49 billion. Subscriptions and support accounted for $24.66 billion, an increase of 23%, while professional services and other revenue came in at $1.84 billion, a 44% increase.

    “We had another phenomenal quarter and full-year of financial results,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and Co-CEO of Salesforce. “As we continue to see tremendous demand from customers, we’re raising our FY23 revenue guidance to $32.1 billion at the high-end of range, with non-GAAP operating margin of 20%, and operating cash flow growth of 22% year-over-year.”

    “With our customers’ success driving our financial success, we’re generating disciplined, profitable growth at scale quarter after quarter,” said Bret Taylor, Co-CEO of Salesforce. “Our Customer 360 platform has never been more strategic or relevant in driving the growth and resilience of our customers around the world.”

    Executives expressed confidence the company’s momentum will continue into 2023.

    “Fiscal 2022 was a remarkable year for Salesforce. I am particularly pleased with our focus on discipline and profitable growth which drove record levels of revenue, margin, and cash flow,” said Amy Weaver, President and CFO. “I’m confident in the momentum of the business as we build an even stronger company in FY23 and beyond.”

  • Mozilla and Meta Team Up on Privacy-Respecting Ad Tech

    Mozilla and Meta Team Up on Privacy-Respecting Ad Tech

    Mozilla and Meta have teamed up in one of the most unlikely pairings, in an effort to create privacy-respecting ad tech.

    The advertising industry is currently caught in a dilemma between mining the information it needs to be profitable and respecting user privacy. The two have generally been mutually exclusive, with privacy losing out — at least until recently. Efforts by Apple to improve privacy and give users options to reduce how much companies can track their activity have made a significant dent in many ad companies’ business, including Meta.

    Mozilla and Meta appear to be solving one of the biggest issues in the advertising vs privacy debate, how to effectively deal with attribution, an important quantifier in helping advertisers know how effective their campaigns are.

    Mozilla’s Martin Thomson described the two companies’ solution in a blog post:

    For the last few months we have been working with a team from Meta (formerly Facebook) on a new proposal that aims to enable conversion measurement – or attribution – for advertising called Interoperable Private Attribution, or IPA.

    IPA aims to provide advertisers with the ability to perform attribution while providing strong privacy guarantees. IPA has two key privacy-preserving features. First, it uses Multi-Party Computation (MPC) to avoid allowing any single entity — websites, browser makers, or advertisers — to learn about user behavior. Mozilla has some experience with MPC systems as we’ve deployed Prio for privacy-preserving telemetry. Second, it is an aggregated system, which means that it produces results that cannot be linked to individual users. Together these features mean that IPA cannot be used to track or profile users.

    The key to IPA’s success will be whether enough companies adopt it. Having Mozilla and Meta — two organizations on the extreme opposite ends of the privacy spectrum — collaborating on it is sure to make other companies take notice.

  • Amazon SEO is Now More Important than Google SEO for Brands

    Amazon SEO is Now More Important than Google SEO for Brands

    Amazon has dethroned Google in product searches with over 54 percent of all product searches now happening on Amazon instead of Google. What this means is that brands must make Amazon SEO their priority in order to show up near the top of product searches for their related keywords.

    It’s predicted that an entire industry is in the midst of emerging to help companies adjust their strategies similar to what happened when Google first started to dominate search a couple decades ago.

    Walled garden research company Jumpshot released The Competitive State of eCommerce Marketplaces Data Report earlier this month which shows Amazon’s amazing eight-point rise in product searches in the last year alone.

    Recently, Deren Baker, Jumpshot CEO, revealed the latest results from their report in a Bloomberg Technology interview with Emily Chang:

    Amazon Leading Google with Product Searches

    We have seen a shift from Google to Amazon. Today over 54 percent of all the product searches that occur on the entire internet now occur on Amazon. Once you get into Amazon we’ve seen a strong growth in the number of sponsored placements that they put on their site. The product views that emanated from a sponsored click has increased from 3 percent to 7 percent in the last 18 months.

    We think that Amazon and Google are converging. We did some additional analysis at Jumpshot that shows that from the time a consumer searches on either Google or Amazon to the time that they buy was actually much shorter on Google. On Google, 35 percent of those purchases were made within 5 days, only 20 percent on Amazon.

    Amazon Becoming a Place for Product Discovery

    What you are seeing is that Amazon is becoming a place for product discovery for customers more and Google is shifting from pure product discovery to more of that considered purchase. When people are interested in understanding the price or the quality or the brand name they’re going away from Amazon back to Google now.

    Once you get to Amazon, 90 percent of the product views are actually the result of a search. So people aren’t messing around with merchandising placements or banner ads, they are typing a search for a product into Amazon and getting a search result. Once they get that search result we found that over two-thirds of the clicks are on the first page.

    Amazon SEO is Now More Important than Google SEO for Brands

    Imagine if you are a brand, you know that the majority of your customers are now searching for your product on Amazon. You know that once people get to Amazon what they are doing really doing is typing in a product search. Then once you get that search result you’ve got your competitors products, Amazon’s private label products, and you have to decide whether you are going to try and increase your organic results or pay for a sponsored placement. It’s a very confusing world for a brand today.

    I would not want to be a brand manager at a CPG company right now because I think you are between a rock and a hard place. I think what you will see in the future is the same way that an ecosystem of companies sprung up around Google search when it started to dominate peoples online behavior, you are going to see the same thing for Amazon search. What people are going to need is a non-Amazon source of information to help them understand what they are supposed to do and how they are supposed to spend their advertising dollars.