July Marketing Recap

July has been a whirlwind for marketing, from Instagram’s intensified competition with TikTok to Google’s backtrack on cookies. As we navigate through these changes, staying informed allows you to leverage these developments effectively. Here’s a detailed recap of the key events and updates from July. 

1. Google abandons third-party cookie phaseout

Google has decided to officially abandon its planned phaseout of third-party cookies, a move that previously significantly disrupted the marketing landscape. The announcement states that Google will instead introduce a new experience in Chrome that allows users to make informed choices about their privacy settings. 

This reversal is bound to cause some implications for advertisers who were already preparing for a cookieless future, so you may need to reassess your strategy. 

2. New YouTube Shorts tools

YouTube is continuing to bulk up the Shorts feature with the introduction of some new creative tools. These updates were introduced to further help creators make more engaging short-form videos.

The first update is Auto Layout which allows you to transform longer videos into shorter ones by tracking the main subject when you change the video layout. You can now also add narration over your Shorts, similar to the voiceover feature on TikTok, and an ‘Add Yours’ sticker where people can respond to your Shorts with their own, similar to a feature on Instagram Stories. 

They’ve also added some effects based on the popular video game Minecraft to celebrate its 15th Anniversary. You can now add auto-generated captions to your posts as well, and you’ll soon be able to customise their fonts and colours to tailor them to your brand. 

The final is an update to their ‘Remix’ tool, which is essentially the same as a ‘duet’ or ‘stitch’ on TikTok, where you can collaborate with an already existing video from another user. This update allows you to remix a video that has already been remixed – remix inception? 

A large majority of these updates seem to follow a common theme – to look more like Instagram or TikTok, which are pioneers for short-form videos. Is YouTube just jumping on the bandwagon?

3. X’s new dislikes

In response to user feedback, X is developing a ‘dislike’ button aimed at downvoting replies. The feature is expected to provide a new way for users to moderate content as well as indicate where they disagree with information posted. 

The latest tests suggest these downvotes will only be allowed on replies, to showcase better, more accurate replies, though in reality this entirely depends on users and their own opinions. 

4. Instagram doubles down on Reels

Instagram is intensifying its focus on reels to continue competing with TikTok, but they aren’t following TikTok’s footsteps towards long-form video. In fact, Instagram head Adam Mosseri declared the platform would not be expanding into long-form video. He claims that short-form video connects you better to friends and encourages sharing. 

This differs greatly from TikTok’s strategy. The platform has gradually been increasing its video length, even confirming in May 2024 that it was testing 60-minute videos. Now, time will only tell which platform succeeds. 

5. Google accused of misleading customers

Google is facing accusations of misleading consumers in order to collect more data for targeted advertising. This controversy underscores the ongoing tension between privacy concerns and ad-driven revenue models and would come under unfair commercial practices, possibly resulting in up to €10 million in fines. 

6. New Instagram features

Instagram has rolled out a number of new features on the platform in the last month. The first is a ‘super like’ on stories, which you can only send once every 24 hours, so you can show some extra appreciation for content. 

Additionally, they have also added a feature that can allow you to see if your content has been lowered in the feed by the algorithm. This could be helpful to ensure your content is abiding by all rules and guidelines. 

A new section on the Professional Dashboard has also been introduced which offers Reels best practices advice. It includes tips such as including a 3-second hook, using trending audio and hashtags and uploading ten reels a month. If you’re looking for some extra help with Reels, find this section in your account and have a read. 

7. Google Ads make broad match default for new search campaigns

In a significant change, Google Ads has made broad match the default setting for new search campaigns. The aim is to simplify campaign setup and increase reach, but you may want to be vigilant when setting up new campaigns. 

Make sure to monitor your keywords and prevent any unintended broad targeting, as while it can be good for keyword discovery, you can lose control of your keyword targeting. We would recommend testing phrase or exact matches for more precise targeting. 

8. Billions of Google redirects to stop working next year

Google has announced that billions of redirects will cease to function next year as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance privacy and security for its users. Eventually, any of those redirected URLs will simply show a 404 not found error when clicked on. 

This change will likely be a pretty big pain for anyone who relies on this service, but you’ve got a year to update your URLs and ask anyone else linking to your website or other resources to do the same. 

9. Google Merchant Centre Next rollout expands

Google is now expanding its Merchant Centre Next to all merchant accounts, offering a renovated interface and new tools. The update carries old and new experiences, and while you can still use the old interface, you may want to start experimenting with the new one as it will be your only option in the future. 

In fact, Google announced all retailers would have the new update by September. You can read all about the updates, and how they might affect you in our previous article. 

10. Global IT outage causes major issues

July experienced a massive IT outage from company CrowdStrike, causing chaos around the world. Not only did the outage cause Microsoft devices to crash, but it also brought down the services of major institutions, with the NHS having difficulties with their online services, as well as flights being cancelled, Sky News being forced off the air and cards being declined in stores – talk about a bad day at work!

–
Overall, July has posed many significant changes and challenges, for companies and marketers alike. If you need any guidance through these developments, contact us for some expert advice.