Proximity

How is Snapchat’s Advertising Business Doing?

Mar 26, 2019 |

We lowered our Snapchat ad revenues forecast twice because of the company’s shift to selling ads programmatically, which eroded its ad prices. Since adopting automated selling, Snapchat’s CPMs fell below $10 and have stayed there, according to Digiday. Previously, Snapchat used a managed-service ad selling model, and back in 2015, it reportedly charged brands $750,000 per day to advertise on its platform.

“Self-serve programmatic buying has expanded Snapchat’s reach to more advertisers, especially small and medium-sized businesses that can invest in ads at lower bid prices. However, moving the vast majority of their ad inventory into this lower cost structure has tempered earlier growth estimates,” said Monica Peart, senior forecasting director at eMarketer.

Source: How is Snapchat’s Advertising Business Doing? – eMarketer Trends, Forecasts & Statistics

Facebook’s Video Player Isn’t Designed for You 

Mar 26, 2019 | ,

From the outside, it’s hard to know what, exactly, Facebook wants from its video platform. For years, the company told publishers that video was the future, even as it allegedly goosed statistics behind the scenes to make the format look more important than it was. In 2017, the social network rolled out a major update to its video player that added a kind of picture-in-picture mode to the News Feed, among other changes, in an effort to make “watching video on Facebook richer, more engaging and more flexible,” according to the company. Then last year, Mark Zuckerberg announced the company would de-prioritize video from brands in favor of content that “encourage[s] meaningful interactions.”

Source: Facebook’s Video Player Isn’t Designed for You – OneZero

Why Instagram Made Multi-Photo Posts More Annoying 

Mar 26, 2019 |

Multi-photo posts will now often start on the second image in a series. These “photo nudges,” as I call them, seem to occur when you scroll past an image without engaging with it. Instagram’s algorithm, growing smarter every day through the data users create, reinserts these series into your feed disguised as something new by “nudging” the second image forward. Whenever this happens, Instagram’s watching eye suddenly becomes a visible presence in my experience, and an annoying one at that.

Source: Why Instagram Made Multi-Photo Posts More Annoying – OneZero

Free Will in an Algorithmic World 

Mar 23, 2019 | , ,

Consider these facts: 80 percent of viewing hours streamed on Netflix originate from automated recommendations. By some estimates, nearly 35 percent of sales at Amazon originate from automated recommendations. And the vast majority of matches on dating apps such as Tinder and OkCupid are initiated by algorithms. Given these numbers, many of us clearly do not have quite the freedom of choice we believe we do.

Source: Free Will in an Algorithmic World – OneZero

The Google Stadia Backlash Has Begun

Mar 23, 2019 |

While people are still grappling with the technical ramifications of Google’s Stadia platform, gamers have begun asking deeper, more troubling questions. What do mods look like in a world of game streaming? What happens to game preservation? What happens if Google dwarfs gaming the same way it has with search, browsers and advertising? And most worryingly of all, what happens if Google decides to walk away from the industry later on?

Source: The Google Stadia Backlash Has Begun

Is it still possible to grow on Instagram in 2019? 

Mar 23, 2019 | ,

If you just want the social recognition of having followers, just buy 20k followers for a couple of dollars and just post stories that no one will watch. It’ll impress your friends but it will have absolutely no impact on your business nor on your brand. You’ll feel like the popular one among your friends for a couple weeks before Instagram understands that you’re a cheater and deletes your account or seriously reduces your organic reach.

Source: Is it still possible to grow on Instagram in 2019? – Charles Tumiotto Jackson – Medium

The Omnichannel Race Tightens in the U.S. as Walmart, Instacart and Kroger are Closing the Gap on Amazon’s Digital Dominance

Mar 20, 2019 |

The race to master omnichannel retail within the U.S. grocery/consumer packaged goods space is on. With Walmart’s successful push toward online migration, the rapid rise of grocery delivery players like Instacart, complemented by Amazon’s foray into physical stores, the stage has been set for a battle royale—and it’s really anyone’s game to win.

Source: The Omnichannel Race Tightens in the U.S. as Walmart, Instacart and Kroger are Closing the Gap on Amazon’s Digital Dominance

Skip Rates: Why The First 30 Seconds Matter More Than Ever

Mar 18, 2019 |

Skip rates can make or break a song, a record or even an artist’s career. On a practical level, royalties don’t kick in until at least 30 seconds of a song have played. But in an era where data is driving A&R and marketing decisions as well as playlists driven by algorithms, exactly how long a listeners stays engaged with a song matters more than ever.

Source: Skip Rates: Why The First 30 Seconds Matter More Than Ever – hypebot

How To Prepare For A Post-Album Music Industry 

Mar 18, 2019 |

Albums are no longer water cooler moments. What seems particularly telling for music, is that ‘Netflix and shows’ is the water cooler conversation now. Pop culture talk is all about what you’ve watched, are watching or should watch, and any similar conversation about listening is conspicuous by its absence. The ‘event album’ seems to be over. Is it just me or do artists seem to want to drop albums with less fuss now anyway? Perhaps the element of surprise (Bowie’s legacy yet again) is smarter than facing the “aftermath of promotion”. But it’s also not without risk given the tonnage of new music flowing through. Coupled with this, some artists are either eschewing the format or at the very least questioning it. If we take the world’s biggest artist right now, Ariana Grande – what role did her album play in the scheme of things?

Source: How To Prepare For A Post-Album Music Industry [Keith Jopling Of MIDiA] – hypebot

Hulu’s Price Cut Will Boost Ad Revenues – 

Mar 18, 2019 |

The adjustment is expected to bring more users to the platform, which in turn will help grow Hulu’s ad revenues. “In such a competitive video streaming landscape, Hulu cutting prices for its low-tier ad-supported streaming subscription will almost certainly increase viewership, attracting those who had been on the fence about having the entry-level Hulu option,” said Monica Peart, senior director of forecasting at eMarketer. Viewers generally respond favorably to advertisements when compensated. More than half (56%) of US video viewers don’t mind seeing ads if they’re paying a reduced fee, a study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) found.

Source: Hulu’s Price Cut Will Boost Ad Revenues – eMarketer Trends, Forecasts & Statistics

With Over 200m Users & 2bn In Revenue Here’s Why Fortnite May Be The Ultimate Growth Marketing Example

Mar 7, 2019 | ,

If you’ve read anything about growth marketing, you’ve probably run across the popular examples. Airbnb drove traffic to its site by building a way for its hosts to cross-post their listings on Craigslist. Dropbox grew its user base by giving existing users free storage for referrals. Hotmail expanded its reach with a footer link advertising the service in every outgoing email.

Source: With Over 200m Users & 2bn In Revenue Here’s Why Fortnite May Be The Ultimate Growth Marketing…

“Is it really AI?” Between The Hype Cycle and Real AI

Mar 5, 2019 |

When it comes to analytics and AI, here is what you should keep in mind:

  • Predictive analytics is making assumptions and testing based on past data to predict future (what/ifs).
  • Data analysis is about reviewing data from past events.
  • AI analyzes data, makes assumptions, learns and provides predictions at a scale and depth of detail impossible to replicate by humans.

Source: “Is it really AI?” Between The Hype Cycle and Real AI…

I Built A Bot To Apply To Thousands Of Jobs At Once – Here’s What I Learned

Mar 4, 2019 | ,

As my faith in the front-facing application process eroded into near oblivion, I learned three lessons by robotically applying to thousands of jobs: 1) It’s not how you apply, it’s who you know. And if you don’t know someone, don’t bother. 2) Companies are trying to fill a position with minimal risk, not discover someone who breaks the mold. 3) The number of jobs you apply to has no correlation to whether you’ll be considered, and you won’t be considered for jobs you don’t get the chance to apply to.

Source: I Built A Bot To Apply To Thousands Of Jobs At Once–Here’s What I Learned

The Instagram Algorithm 2019: Why It Doesn’t Matter

Mar 4, 2019 | ,

This past year, Instagram’s algorithm has been the hottest topic of conversation amongst digital marketing masters, industry professionals, and even entrepreneurs embarking on online branding. It has also been an extreme pain-point for most of my clients, shouting, “The Instagram algorithm is destroying my business! The Instagram algorithm is why I don’t have followers!”

Source: The Instagram Algorithm 2019: Why It Doesn’t Matter