b2b Archives | Digital Brand Expressions

Creative Content, YouTube Short Ads, & Digital Ad Spending

Natalie Lorenzo — Wed, 10 May 2023 08:00:53 +0000

Heyoo 😃

What’s going on? A LOT as always. We’ll get to the meat of it for ya, no worries:

To compete against the strengths of TikTok, Google is making improvements to YouTube Shorts for advertising, including “First Position on Shorts.” This will allow an advertiser’s video to be the first video a viewer sees at the start of scrolling.

Keep Creativity in Content! That’s my new slogan for the year, but creativity is in the process as much as it is in the writing.
- Ross Simmonds dives into leveraging AI in writing as our superpower. His video expands how to elevate your brainstorming and drafting process.
- Stephen Marcinuk from MarketingProfs backs up my point, too. AI doesn’t negate the need for strong, connection-building, experience-based, human-generated writing. It substantiates it… making it shine in a sea of impersonal, information-motivated pieces. BUT there are some places where AI can be helpful for my fellow word crafters.

What’s under the surface of the digital ad spending iceberg that grew almost 11% in 2022 to over $209 billion? What’s Hot Wednesday regulars won’t be surprised by some report takeaways including:
- spend increases in audio/video formats and
- spend decreases in social media ads.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 KinderSmile Foundation 🌟

The KinderSmile Foundation provides comprehensive dental care and dental hygiene education to underserved children and families, regardless of insurance status. With 3 locations in Bloomfield, Newark, and Trenton, they have impacted over 40,000 low-income families across NJ. Thank you, Randy Kirkpatrick, for the great suggestion! Show them some appreciation and see what they do: KinderSmile Foundation.

Econsultancy has a great interview with Richard Shotton who shares some insights from his latest book, “The Illusion of Choice.” It includes examples of behavioral studies that illustrate things like cognitive biases on workplace decisions (among doctors no less) and pricing hacks based on extremeness aversion. Head-y stuff but fascinating potential implications/applications for B2C and B2B marketers…

Ciao for now!

Natalie

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Flavorful Word-Choice, B2B Marketing Evolution, Meta Subscriptions, & Google Alternatives

Natalie Lorenzo — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 08:00:40 +0000

Welcome! 📺

You’re tuning in to DBE Channel Digital Marketing News. I’m your host, Natalie, and we’ve got stories to shock, awe, and make you think. Here’s the 4-1-1:

Meta’s jumping on a bandwagon trend (that we’re not sure works yet). Meta is testing a subscription verification service for Instagram and Facebook. If the verification check mark increases account reach, what will that mean for boosted posts? For ads? We’ll have to see…

B2B is ch-ch-ch-ch-changin’ 🎶
- Buying power is shifting between generations. King Data’s reign is becoming ever more expansive. Ecommerce is the fast-growing channel. See more trends here.
- For B2B marketers: The Martech marketing automation buyer’s guide can help define the scope of marketing automation platforms (MAPs). The list of MAP categories is far more wide-ranging than you would think. (You may be already using some of them without thinking of them as marketing automation.)

SEO is still not dead yet, in spite of recent AI developments. This Search Engine Land article encapsulates the potential of AI for SEO’s future but couples the advantages with reasons why human input remains a vital and needed component for SEO success.

We’ve been keeping a close eye on Google’s Performance Max (Pmax for short). 👀 They’re offering some new updates including brand exclusions, page feeds, and easier video creation. Check it out on Search Engine Journal.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 JDRF 🌟

Their vision: a world without type 1 diabetes (T1D). JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and has been actively searching for a cure since 1970. In addition to research, they offer many resources to those affected by the disease. See how you can help: JDRF.

🤖 There a few things robots can’t take away from us. One of them is the power of personality. ChatGPT may be able to (almost) write like a pro, but part of the joy of reading is an author’s flavor of word-choice and solely unique world view. Ann Handley’s playful piece reminds us of the potency of human writing.

Looking to expand beyond Google? Check out these alternatives for analytics and search engines!

Just some thoughts… 💭

Wellness and well-being are integral values in healthy organizations. However, I feel we live in a “fix it when it breaks” culture. What if we, instead, focused on preventing breaks in the first place? The proposal: let’s bring mindfulness into the workplace.

Microsoft’s got moves. Insider Intelligence notes 5 advertising moves in particular. See how they’re making strides against competitors.

Wishing you the best as we march into this windy month!

Natalie

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B2B ROI, Marketing Budgets, & Pop Culture

Natalie Lorenzo — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 01:20:20 +0000

Hello, Hello, Hello…

? Is there anybody in there? Is there anyone looking for digital marketing news? ? Alright, we may not be Pink Floyd, but we will rock you with the latest insights in our favorite industry. Ready? 1, 2, 3, 4!

Want to make your B2B SEO = ROI? Of course you do, but it’s more complicated when your conversions require multi-touch interactions. Search Engine Watch offers advice on “How to drive B2B conversions from your organic traffic”. Check it out, y’all.

Sometimes the best way to learn is through example. The North Face teaches us a few top-notch lessons in paid search in this interesting read.

Marketing Charts has visualized CMO’s Budget Allocations Across Online Channels from Gartner’s State of Marketing Budget and Strategy 2022 report. Social Advertising and Search Advertising lead the digital pack at 10.1% and 9.8% share respectively and top the unpaid SEO channel which is at 8.5% share of budget. Still, the relative closeness of all the channels suggests most companies are taking a multi-channel approach to their online marketing.

Do Good Spotlight

? Travis Mills Foundation ?

United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne was critically injured on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan by an IED (improvised explosive device) while on patrol, losing portions of both legs and both arms. Now, Travis and his wife Kelsey run the Travis Mills Foundation, a nonprofit organization, formed to benefit and assist post 9/11 veterans who have been injured in active duty or as a result of their service to our nation. These veterans and their families receive an all-inclusive, all-expenses-paid, barrier-free experience in Maine where they participate in adaptive activities, and much more! See more: https://travismillsfoundation.org/

We loved supporting this beautiful cause. If you have another cause you’d like us to shoutout, let us know: info@digitalbrandexpressions.com.

Just like an 80’s brat-pack, high-school movie, brands have their own cliques. ??? Here’s a fun read about brand archetypes!

? Hot Tips from DBE ? Whether you rely on the right or left brain,… prefer to work remote or in the office, or… are all about the facts or the experiences, breaks are necessary for everyone. AND we’ve got reasons for you to believe it no matter what side of the aforementioned fences you are on! Read our latest post, Workday Breaks: Compassion for Your Brain, now!

May your week be fun and fruitful!

Best Wishes ✨

Natalie

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