September Marketing Recap
02.10.24As the weather cools down and the leaves start to turn, the marketing world has been going through some changes of its own this September, bringing new trends and fresh opportunities. With changes to some of your favourite platforms and new tools just in time for Q4, it’s been a month full of interesting developments, and we’re here to tell you all about them.
- Google phasing out enhanced CPC for Search and Display Ads
Google Ads is set to phase out enhanced CPC for their Search and Display Ads starting in October. This change will shift campaigns using eCPC to manual CPC bidding, offering advertisers more control but also increasing the need for active management.
Enhanced CPC was introduced more than a decade ago, but as smart bidding strategies evolve and improve, Google is moving toward full automation in its strategies. The removal of eCPC means essentially no automation or all the way there – no in-between. If you haven’t already, we’d recommend testing what other bid strategies work for you.
- TikTok is officially putting the YOU in For You Page
TikTok is officially putting the videos on your For You Page in your own hands with its latest update. This new ‘manage topics’ tool lets users use sliders to prioritise or minimise certain content topics. These include topics such as ‘Fashion & Beauty’ and ‘Current Affairs’.
So, why does this matter to you?
Well, if you use TikTok in your own time, then this is just a helpful little tool to make your feed reflect your current interests better. But if you’re using TikTok for your business as a marketing tool (especially organically) then this tool will hopefully get your videos on the right people’s FYPs. By avoiding those who don’t want to see your content, and only attracting those that do, you’re more likely to convert that reach. We’ll have to wait and see how effective this new tool is as time goes on.
- Instagram introduces trial reels
Instagram has recently made trial reels available for some users, allowing them to share reels without it appearing in the main profile view. It won’t appear in your followers’ feeds, so there’s no pressure to perform.
This comes after many complaints from creators that IG’s algorithm has throttled their reach and could help creators build their following without worrying about losing followers over unpolished content. These trial reels could be used as an opportunity to AB test your reels and refine your content, making sure your followers see your best work.
- Meta tightens the reins on data in business tools
Meta has announced updates to its advertising tools on Instagram and Facebook, more specifically the data you as an advertiser will be able to access. This includes restricting parts of URLs and custom parameters. This was confirmed in an email sent to advertisers by Meta in early September.
The email also outlines this could disrupt your Meta ads in various ways, including paused ad sets if custom audiences include rules on data that will be restricted and Events Manager no longer reporting on these restricted data points.
If you’re worried about how your ads might be affected, Search Engine Journal has some helpful steps for businesses in this article to help you minimise any disruptions to your campaigns.
- PMAX gets a long-awaited makeover
Google has finally given PMAX some updates, giving you better insights and tools for optimising your campaigns.
First were 4 reporting and insights features. Creative reporting has had an update, soon introducing trackable conversion metrics for each asset and detailed recommendations, such as adding headlines and descriptions, to enhance performance. There are also two new insights: streamlined performance and target pacing.
The first puts all your insights, explanations and recommendations into a single dashboard for your convenience and the second tracks whether your campaigns are meeting their target CPAs and ROAS’. There’s finally impression share reporting, which lets you see how your ads are performing in search results.
Arguably the most awaited update is the introduction of negative keywords for PMAX campaigns. By the end of the year, advertisers will be able to exclude keywords at the campaign level, putting more power into your hands.
Hopefully, these updates signify Google recognising the need for control over your own campaigns, however clever their AI might be.
- New restrictions on minors using Instagram
Instagram has introduced new privacy protections for minors, aimed at enhancing children’s safety on the app. The changes include making any account made by someone under the age of 18 automatically private, and restricting notifications after a certain time at night to promote better sleeping habits. It also gives parents more control over their children’s accounts.
The announcement has been met with a fair amount of scrutiny, as previous attempts to restrict minors on Meta platforms have had mixed results, and there’s no stopping teens from simply lying about their ages to access the app in full. Some even regard this as a PR stunt.
So, will this affect your ads on the app? That depends on who you’re advertising for and how well these new restrictions are rolled out. If you’re targeting younger users, there is a potential this could harm your efforts, as restrictions such as time limits and regulating sensitive content will reduce the data that helps you serve targeted ads.
It will be a waiting game, seeing how these restrictions affect your ad performance and if other platforms decide to follow suit.
- All we want for Christmas are new Meta tools
Meta is rolling out some brand-new updates just in time for the 2024 holiday season. There are some new features aiming to highlight seasonal offers, with new tools to highlight promotions within ads such as testing first-purchase offers and more personalised discounts, as well as integrating these with Reels.
Reminder ads are also getting an upgrade, now able to drive users to a mobile app and able to increase demand for seasonal sales with more notification options.
You will also be able to add multiple links to a single image or single video ad on Facebook feeds, enabling you to advertise multiple products and making accessing that product easier for users. You could use this to separate different product categories, offers or specific items.
Meta is also testing new ways to utilise location data in ads, such as showing ads to people likely to shop in-store, highlighting nearby locations, and targeting holiday travellers who are visiting a new place.
Hopefully, these updates will help advertisers increase those all-important Christmas sales at the end of the year.
- TikTok introduces keyword targeting
TikTok is further enhancing its search ads with new keyword targeting features. This comes with a big update to their search ad campaigns, which also makes search ads available with both traffic and web conversion objectives and includes a new setup process that enables you to choose relevant keywords to appear for.
This is furthering TikTok’s attempt to become an e-commerce platform and a go-to destination for shoppers.
- I guess they’re just like us! Celebs fooled by AI hoax
Recently, a fake post has been circulating around Instagram, claiming reposting it will stop Meta from collecting your data for AI training. It has even fooled numerous celebrities, including NFL star Tom Brady and actor James McAvoy. I guess you can’t have everything!
Truth is, this message is entirely false and has been flagged by Instagram. Meta has no legal obligation to stop using anyone’s data due to a post, as when you sign up to the platform, you agree to their terms and conditions. So don’t worry, no Meta AI robots are coming to get you and your data…yet.
- WP Engine banned from WordPress
WP Engine has been banned from accessing WordPress.org due to its lack of a trademark licence, and the havoc it wreaked on many customer sites. The WordPress team accused WP Engine of trying to control customer experience by locking certain features for their own profit, prompting the ban.
As a result of this tomfoolery, WP Engine will no longer have free access to essential WordPress resources and users are being advised to use any other host.
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With that, we enter October with new updates on hand to conquer Q4! But the marketing carousel never stops turning – make sure to follow us on socials to keep up with all our movements, and as always, give us a shout if you need any help with these new developments.
See you back here in November!