Though TikTok is mostly known for its video content, the platform’s latest feature is a throwback. Along with new editing abilities and longer captions for content, TikTok has revealed it is introducing a Photo Mode within its app.
What Is Photo Mode?
As announced in a recent blog post, TikTok’s Photo Mode is a new post format that creates a carousel or slideshow of still images for users to share.
Along with their original images, users can add music, filters, stickers, and more to the carousel.
Ironically, the new post format is very similar to the type of content found on Instagram – which has been repeatedly accused of copying TikTok’s features.
Though nearly every popular social network has incorporated aspects of TikTok’s layout and features in the past year or two, Instagram has received the most criticism for the ways it has borrowed from the newer platform. This may be partially because many view the two platforms as rivals.
Enhanced Editing Features
Along with the reveal of Photo Mode, TikTok introduced new editing tools for videos, photos, and more.
As the blog post says:
“TikTok’s enhanced editing tools allow you to easily adjust clips, sounds, images, and text in a new editing environment, all within TikTok’s creation flow.”
With the new tools you can:
Edit clips: Stack, trim, and split video clips.
Edit sounds: Cut, trim, and set the duration for sounds.
Edit and position text: More easily edit, position, and set the duration for text.
Add overlays: Add photo and video overlays for picture-in-picture (or video-in-video) stacking.
Adjust video speed: Speed or slow the pace of video clips.
Frame content: Rotate or zoom in and out of frame of individual clips.
Add sound effects.
The new features, including Photo Mode, have been rolled out to all users in the U.S. and most other countries.
LinkedIn introduced three new features for Pages recently to make it easier for brands to develop better connections with their audience.
With these new features, your business can improve its content, help guide the conversation in your comments, and highlight your company values more prominently.
While the company only recently announced these features, they have been rolling out to users throughout the past month. So some may just now be getting access, you may have spotted them across the platform already.
Post Templates for Pages
Having trouble generating content that actually sparks reactions and conversation? LinkedIn has introduced new, free, and customizable post templates for Pages to make sharing enticing content easier than ever.
Available in the mobile app, simply tap the “use template option” from the post menu and select from a variety of pre-created templates with clickable calls-to-action. Once selected, each template can be customized with unique colors, fonts, text, and more to deliver a post that stands out and drives conversation.
Pinned Comments
Comments sections on popular posts can be hard to control, but LinkedIn is making it easier to guide conversations with pinned comments at the top of your brand’s posts.
You can also use this to highlight particularly helpful or thoughtful comments from others.
Pinned comments can be changed at any time so you can shape the conversation happening in real-time.
Any responses to the pinned comment will also appear at the top of the thread, encouraging others to continue the conversation in that direction.
Featured Commitments Section
The new “Our featured commitments” section of LinkedIn Pages makes it possible for brands to showcase their company values to job seekers or potential business partners.
In this section, you can highlight up to 5 commitments to specific values, including:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Career growth and learning,
Work-life balance
Social impact
Environmental sustainability
Once you have selected your values, you can also host content that specifically demonstrates the ways your company upholds these values, such as videos, reports, certifications, or other types of content.
https://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/LinkedIn3.png280640Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2022-10-04 17:47:342022-10-04 17:47:36LinkedIn Gives Brands 3 New Ways To Improve Their Page
With the holidays approaching, SEO analysts BrightEdge are releasing their yearly list of important optimization trends ecommerce brands should know about.
Based on data collected by tracking over 6,000 ecommerce keywords over 10 categories over the past three years, the latest list makes one thing very clear – successful ecommerce brands are increasingly relying on content creation to drive their sales.
Of the top five new trends covered, three highlight different ways content creators and other types of publishers are leading the ecommerce market by delivering consumers with the most valuable content at the right times.
Let’s explore the latest ecommerce trends below:
1) Brands and publishers are siphoning away retail traffic
Retailers these days have a lot of competition to contend with online. Not only are you fighting to stand out among the slew of other online retailers, but you have to outrank brands and publishers in search results.
According to the report, retailers’ performance for top ecommerce keywords is down 70% from 2020. Meanwhile, brands are making headway into shopping results by adopting direct-to-consumer models while content publishers are attracting attention with product overviews and reviews.
2) Retailers Are Driving Ecommerce With Content
While the report does not include data impacted by the new “helpful content update”, the data does emphasize that retailers who publish quality content are more effectively able to differentiate their brand and their products from those who only offer product descriptions.
Specifically, BrightEdge says retailers should:
Focus on creating context for your products through content.
‘Organize categories in ways that make it easier to learn about and shop multiple related products.
3) Organic Links Are Still Crucial
As Google’s ad platform and other features like localized business listings have taken over more and more space in search results, many have suggested that organic search results have lost their importance.
However, BrightEdge’s data suggests that classic organic search results are still the most effective traffic source for retail brands. For the top ecommerce results, up to 70% of all clicks went to organic search results.
In fact, it appears Google may be aware that online shopping-related searches are best served through organic search results, as local packs, videos, and image carousels have all become less common for ecommerce searches.
4) More Ecommerce Sites Are Adopting Schema Markup
Brands, publishers, and retailers involved in ecommerce are all increasingly adopting a few specific types of schema markup to make their pages easier for search engines to understand and index.
Specifically, these three schema types have seen significantly increased usage around shopping results:
Product
ImageObject
ItemList
5) Article and Category Pages Dominate Ecommerce
Category pages have always been a major driver of clicks for ecommerce, and this remains true in 2022. For the top keywords, category pages have the highest click-through rate 70% of the time. However, BrightEdge noted that recently, articles about products have higher click-through rates than links directly to product pages.
Google’s search results are always shifting. It is important for brands to stay aware of the latest trends in their market and adapt the most effective SEO strategies if they want to stay ahead of the competition – especially leading up to the holiday season.
https://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Ecommerce-SEO-Trends-2022.png400800Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2022-08-30 20:17:312022-08-30 20:17:33Latest Ecommerce Search Trends Show Retailers Need Content To Stand Out
While most of the online marketing world is still abuzz over the recent announcement of the upcoming ‘helpful content update’, Google has quietly revealed it is preparing a product review algorithm update that will go live this month.
This algorithm update seeks to improve the quality and value of reviews Google highlights in search results.
Since the new update is coming so soon after the release of the helpful content update, many are speculating it may be tied to the helpful content update in some way – such as using the helpful content update to better identify high-quality reviews which show firsthand knowledge of a product or business.
“We know product reviews can play an important role in helping you make a decision on something to buy. Last year, we kicked off a series of updates to show more helpful, in-depth reviews based on first-hand expertise in search results.
We’ve continued to refine these systems, and in the coming weeks, we’ll roll out another update to make it even easier to find high-quality, original reviews. We’ll continue this work to make sure you find the most useful information when you’re researching a purchase on the web.”
While Google hasn’t released specific guidance for this algorithm update, it has previously given a list of questions to assess your product reviews.
Do your reviews:
Express expert knowledge about products where appropriate?
Show what the product is like physically, or how it is used, with unique content beyond what’s provided by the manufacturer?
Provide quantitative measurements about how a product measures up in various categories of performance?
Explain what sets a product apart from its competitors?
Cover comparable products to consider, or explain which products might be best for certain uses or circumstances?
Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a particular product, based on research into it?
Describe how a product has evolved from previous models or releases to provide improvements, address issues, or otherwise help users in making a purchase decision?
Identify key decision-making factors for the product’s category and how the product performs in those areas? For example, a car review might determine that fuel economy, safety, and handling are key decision-making factors and rate performance in those areas.
Describe key choices in how a product has been designed and their effect on the users beyond what the manufacturer says?
Anecdotal evidence has suggested Facebook has been losing popularity with teens for years. Now, research from Pew Research Center confirms it.
Based on a survey of American teenagers between 13 and 17, just 32% of teens are using Facebook. For comparison, a similar survey in 2015 showed that 71% of teens were active on Facebook at the time. Meanwhile, the majority of teens are moving to newer platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat.
However, the most universally popular social network among teens remains YouTube, by a wide margin. Based on the survey results, more than 95% of American teens use the video-sharing platform regularly,
Here’s the full list of most popular social networks among US teens:
YouTube (95%)
TikTok (67%)
Instagram (62%)
Snapchat (59%)
Facebook (32%)
Twitter (23%)
Twitch (20%)
WhatsApp (17%)
Reddit (14%)
Tumblr (5%)
Notably, the report indicates there are some slight differences in social media between genders:
“Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to say they ever use TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, while boys are more likely to use Twitch and Reddit. Boys also report using YouTube at higher rates than girls, although the vast majority of teens use this platform regardless of gender.”
How Often Teens Are Using Social Networks
When the survey asked teens about how regularly they use the top four platforms, here’s what they had to say:
Close to 75% of teens visit YouTube at least once a day, with 43% saying they visit several times daily.
TikTok is used daily by 58% of teens, with 32% visiting several times daily.
More than half (51%) visit Snapchat daily, and 29% say they visit several times daily.
50% visit Instagram daily, including 27% who visit several times daily.
Additionally, the report revealed that many teens feel attached to social media with over half (54%) saying it would be difficult to give up social media. At the same time, just 36% of teens are concerned they spend too much time on social media.
https://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Facebook-Dislike.jpg291620Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2022-08-16 16:01:302022-08-16 16:01:32US Teens Are Dropping Facebook In Favor of Other Social Networks
Microsoft Bing is updating its shopping features to include details about active coupons or promotions directly in the search engine.
With these new annotations, Bing hopes to make it easier for consumers to feel confident that they are getting the best price on a product without installing third-party extensions or other tools.
“Ever wondered if you were overlooking coupons or special promotions when you shop online? Or perhaps you didn’t even consider that a discount might be available, and you missed out! Bing now provides you with this information within shopping searches – annotations neatly nested within your search results, without the need to install a browser extension or plugin (third-party cookies must be enabled.)”
As the screenshot below shows, the coupon annotation is a small icon listing how many promotions are available which can be expanded to learn about the specific offers. If you click on Copy & go, the coupon will automatically apply during checkout.
“Let’s say you are shopping for a new outfit for a girls’ night on the town. Or maybe you are just window shopping for some back-to-the-office fashions. A search for the Eileen Fisher website on Bing reveals that some coupons are available, even before you click to enter the site. No need to do a separate search for a code.”
The company announced this update as part of a series of changes to annotations including bringing the “ethical choice” annotations for eco-friendly or fair trade products to more regions:
“Powered by the ethical fashion app Good On You®, the Ethical choice ratings are based on a brand’s impact on three areas: people, planet, and animals. For more information click on any Ethical choice annotation found within your search results”
https://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bing-new-logo-1200x675.png6751200Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2022-08-11 19:51:582022-08-11 19:52:00Bing Adds Coupons and Active Promotions To Search Results
Twitter is introducing a new feature called the Location Spotlight that will make it easier for your online fans to become your real-life customers.
With the Location Spotlight feature, businesses with physical locations can add store details like your address, phone number, store hours, and even a map showing your location. You can also add links to your website or make it possible to quickly call or message your company.
New Name For Wide Release
This feature is not entirely new to the platform. However, this is the first time many brands will have access to the profile module.
Twitter tested much of this feature with a small number of well-known professional accounts, calling it the ‘About Module’ at the time. Now, Twitter is bringing this tool (and its new name) to all businesses with professional Twitter accounts.
How To Get Access
Once you are eligible, update your Location Spotlight by following these steps
Select ‘Edit Profile’
Find and click the ‘Edit professional profile’ button near the bottom of the page
Select ‘Profile Spotlight’
Enter your business details (including your address, hours, website, and contact info)
Select ‘Publish’ to save and display these details on your profile.
https://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Twitter-Location-Spotlight.png4781000Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2022-08-09 17:59:032022-08-09 17:59:18Twitter Adds ‘Location Spotlight’ To Help Users Find Your Store
A new comprehensive report from TopRank Marketing indicates that B2B influencer marketing is more effective than many would have expected.
The 60-page report includes survey data, case studies, and information collected through extensive analytics analysis.
Among all this information is the finding that 86% of B2B businesses report being successful in using influencer marketing to reach their goals. Specifically, the survey found that:
86% of businesses say influencer marketing is moderately or very successful
72% say it helped improve their brand reputation
70% say it improved brand awareness
56% say it drove new leads
33% say it generated revenue for their company
B2B Influencers Aren’t Your Usual Influencers
These findings might surprise many business owners who are imagining a TikTok star promoting manufacturing equipment or professional services.
As the survey makes clear, though, the most effective B2B influencers are often not the figures with the biggest follower or subscriber counts.
“Audience size matters less than audience relevance. The sheer number of followers isn’t as important to marketers as relevance, credibility and expertise. Those with a large audience can help with the reach of a campaign, but it’s vital to include more influential people with smaller audiences.”
Instead, the most effective partnerships with influencers are those who are seen as industry experts or professionals with personal experience in your industry. According to the survey results, B2B companies partner with influencers who are:
Industry experts and analysts (77%)
Internal executives (56%)
Niche experts (48%)
Customers (46%)
Professional influencers (45%)
Employees (42%)
Prospects (12%)
The importance of only partnering with influencers who are relevant to your field or audience is also reflected in the answers to what qualities are most important for B2B influencer marketing:
Relevance of audience (98%)
Audience sees them as trustworthy (87%)
Subject matter expertise (78%)
Values align with the brand (69%)
Influencer publishes on at least one platform (65%)
Ability to create content (54%)
Size of audience (49%)
Professional credentials (42%)
Advocate for our brand (33%)
What Types of Influencer Marketing Are Most Effective
As for what types of content brands are making with influencers, the results clearly favored webinars, though other content like social media or blog posts were also popular with brands:
https://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Influencer-Marketing1.png6751600Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2022-08-04 18:39:222022-08-04 18:39:2486% of Businesses Say B2B Influencer Marketing Is Successful For Their Brand
A new video from Google focuses on helping e-commerce brands stand out on the search engine, including specific strategies for ensuring your listing is eligible for search features that make your listing more prominent and visible.
For starters, the video lists three general guidelines for making your products stand out:
Images help visitors understand your products
Product reviews and star ratings increase trust in your brand
Pricing and availability information allows shoppers to choose the best seller for their needs
With that in mind, Google’s Alan Kent then breaks down six ways to make your site more visible on the search engine.
1) Title Tags
As one of the first things any searcher will see, title tags are crucial for helping searchers understand your web pages. This is why site owners should take extra care when preparing the titles for their pages – especially product pages.
“A good title link can greatly help users understand your offering, bringing quality traffic to your site. … Low-quality title links can harm a users’ impression of your site.”
While Google will rewrite title tags if it believes the existing titles do not adequately describe the related page, it is better to deliver informative titles on your own.
Kent also advises against adding time-sensitive product details like pricing or availability in titles because they may be outdated by the time this information is updated in search results.
2) High-Quality Images
Improving the quality of your product images can make shoppers feel more confident about your products and their potential decision to purchase.
As Kent says, “we’ve observed that users generally respond well to high-quality images and recommend that key images be at least 1200 pixels wide.”
Once these images are in place, Kent suggests checking the Max Image Preview metadata as that provides Google with guidance on how to handle images within search results.
Additionally, best practices indicate you should use product structured data to allow Google to pick the best images to display in search results.
Lastly, he provided some broad guidance for product photos, encouraging e-commerce brands to focus on creating product photos that best help shoppers understand their products. For example, you might highlight different angles or provide size comparisons within product photos.
3) Share Rich Product Data
Google uses structured data to more easily understand web pages and enable them to be shown as rich results or “special presentation treatments”.
Specifically, Kent emphasizes that these details should always be included in structured product data:
Product Title
Description
Images
Ratings
Price
Availability
Kent also encourages brands to regularly use the Search Console URL Indexing tool and Rich Results Test tool to ensure you don’t have any issues with structured data on your site.
4) Share Price Drop Data
Google uses special price drop presentations to highlight special deals in search results. Still, e-commerce brands must share pricing information with the search engine and include the Offer property in the product structured data to be eligible.
However, there is no guarantee your listing will be shown in a special price drop presentation once you’ve provided these details.
5) Identify Products You Sell
Use accurate product identifiers – such as GTIN identifiers – along with Google Merchant Center data and structured product data to make your site eligible for product carousels.
6) Create a Business Profile Listing
Kent advises brands to create a Google Business Profile via the Google Business Profile Manager if their shop also has a brick-and-mortar location.
This enables your site to be included in local search results which makes your physical locations more visible in search.
https://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Google-Ecommerce-SEO.jpg6311203Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2022-08-02 19:32:332022-08-02 19:32:35Google Gives E-Commerce Brands 6 New Tips For Standing Out
Instagram is making it easier to find nearby businesses and places using its interactive maps.
The feature was revealed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a post showcasing the new maps features:
In the past. Instagram’s maps were limited to strictly showing popular posts from users nearby. With this new update though, users can search or filter the maps to find local businesses similar to how Google Maps lets users search for local businesses.
What sets Instagram’s map features apart is how they function.
Firstly, only businesses with a professional Instagram account are eligible to be included in Instagram’s maps, unlike the automatically populated maps found on Google.
Secondly, the feature is still focused on the social experience. Rather than giving users a wealth of contact information like Google Maps or Google Business Profiles, when users tap on a business they are given the option to visit the associated page. save the company’s page for later or immediately start following the brand’s Instagram account.
Why Is Instagram Getting Into Local Search?
It might seem odd for a social network to be essentially establishing a local search engine, but trends indicate many are already using social media for this purpose. In fact, just recently Google Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan addressed this exact trend at a conference, saying:
“In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram.”
With this in mind, it is clear Instagram is simply making it easier for users to do this with the introduction of its new map features.
https://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Instagram-Search-Banner.png450800Taylor Ballhttps://www.tulsamarketingonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TMO-Logo.pngTaylor Ball2022-07-21 17:19:202022-07-21 17:19:22Instagram Is Getting Into Local Search With New Map Features
