Ep160 - New Core Web Vitals Metric to Take Effect in 2024: Here's What You Need to Know

#TWIMshow - This Week in Marketing

Episode 160 contains the notable Digital Marketing News and Updates from the week of May 8-12, 2023. And the show notes for this episode was generated using generative AI. I still sourced the articles for the show.

1. Scammers Are Exploiting Verified Accounts on Facebook and Instagram to Defraud Users - Scammers are exploiting verified accounts on Facebook and Instagram to defraud users by posing as official Meta providers. These hackers have managed to gain access to a range of verified accounts and are utilizing them to promote Facebook-specific scams, redirecting users to malware. It's important to note that any URL not directly affiliated with 'facebook.com', 'fb.com', 'meta.com', or similar are not associated with Meta or its platforms and should be avoided. While it was initially assumed these scammers acquired verification through the new Meta Verified program, it has been found that most of these pages belong to existing verified accounts that had their names changed recently. Meta has stated that it invests significant resources in detecting and preventing scams and hacks, and it has removed all identified imposter accounts.

2. Meta Introduces AI Sandbox for Advertisers - Meta has announced the launch of AI Sandbox, a suite of generative AI tools designed to enhance the effectiveness of advertising on their platform.

The AI Sandbox provides three new generative AI features:

1. Text Variation: With this tool, you can enter your ad copy, and the AI will suggest several variations for you to test. This feature helps optimize your copy based on AI-driven insights, allowing you to choose whether the suggestions are "Not Great" or "Looks Good"​
2. Background Generation: This feature enables you to use text prompts to define the appearance or style of the background you want. It allows for testing various images and gauging their impact on ad performance
3. Image Outcropping: This tool assists in adjusting your assets to fit different aspect ratios across Facebook and Instagram surfaces, such as Stories and Reels

These tools have the potential to significantly improve the performance of your Facebook advertising while saving time. However, as is always the case with AI, it's crucial to test and monitor the outputs, given that generative AI is not flawless.

Currently, these new generative AI features are only available to a select group of advertisers. However, Meta has announced plans to expand access to more advertisers in July. As we approach the date, we will keep you informed about any further developments.

3. New Pinterest Updates That Could Transform Your Business! -
Pinterest is revamping its pin creation process, unifying all its creation features into a single streamlined flow. This simplification means that features previously exclusive to certain pin formats or business accounts are now accessible to all users. This includes the ability to add links, make post-publish edits, and adjust aspect ratios flexibly. Adding to the creative suite, all content creators can now include expressive features like music, text overlay, and stickers to their pins.

A noteworthy addition is the ability to add links to all images and videos in the app, empowering every pin type to drive direct traffic. This functionality could transform Pinterest into a powerful referral marketing tool for your business, guiding users back to your site and even facilitating in-app purchases via Pinterest's native product features.

Moreover, Pinterest is expanding access to its paid partnership tool and product tagging using affiliate link options. It's also enabling emoji reactions on all pin types, adding a new layer of user engagement.

These enhancements not only enrich the user experience on Pinterest but also open up fresh avenues for business potential and revenue generation within the app. It's a great time to reassess your Pinterest strategy and explore how these new features can be leveraged to their maximum potential.

4. Unleash Your Marketing Potential with TikTok's New World Hub - There's exciting news on the horizon for TikTok marketers. TikTok recently held its third annual 'TikTok World' event, showcasing the latest product developments, ad tools, and creator options, all with the aim of empowering businesses to increase their TikTok presence​.

But the cherry on top is the launch of the new 'TikTok World Hub' - a central space that houses all the key announcements and insights from the event. The hub provides access to video presentations covering topics like eCommerce elements, improved ad tools, and more. It also links to a range of guides aimed at enhancing your TikTok marketing strategy​.

TikTok has published two new guides within the hub. The first, 'Creative Codes', gives an overview of the key principles that drive standout creativity on the app. The second is a comprehensive 4-page explainer of TikTok's creative principles. These guides are designed to help you amplify your TikTok content efforts​.

While no major updates were announced during the TikTok World event, TikTok provided valuable insights into the app's best practices and ongoing development of its ad tools. It's certainly worth your time to explore and absorb the information to maximize your potential on the platform​.

5. Key Announcements from Google I/O 2023: Embracing the AI Wave -
Google's annual I/O event recently concluded, and it showcased significant developments in the realm of AI, influencing Search, Google ads, and visual creation elements. Here are the key takeaways that are relevant for marketers and SEO professionals:

1. Transforming Search with AI: Google announced new AI-powered capabilities for Search. The company has integrated a range of new generative AI tools into Google Search, enabling a more comprehensive and efficient search experience. You can now expect to uncover new viewpoints, insights, and understand a topic faster. However, Google has also noted that errors in AI responses are to be expected, and they will be refining these systems over time based on user feedback.
2. AI in Shopping Results: Google's generative AI tools will also be applied to shopping results to aid users in product comparisons. These new AI elements for shopping will provide insights into key elements to consider when making a purchase, including up-to-date reviews, ratings, prices, and product images​.
3. Bard Expansion and Perspectives Element: Google is rolling out its generative AI creation tool, Bard, to more regions and adding more capacity to generate Bard responses from multiple inputs. A new 'Perspectives' element is also being added to selected Search results to provide more human insight into specific elements, enhancing the user's search experience​.
4. Photo Editing Tools: Google is launching new improvements to its photo editing tools, including enhanced capacity to shift core elements within an image frame. These tools will be launched on Pixel phones later this year.
5. Mitigating Risks of Generative AI Images: Google is introducing new informational tools to help users determine whether images displayed in Search are real or not. This is a significant move towards mitigating the risks associated with the rise of generative AI images in Search.

Google's push into AI could have significant implications for how users interact with Search and how traffic is directed to websites. If you're unsure of how these changes might affect your website or business, don't hesitate to reach out. We're offering a complimentary audit to help you navig...