The Latest in Instagram, Video Marketing, and Google AdWords

As the great Bob Dylan said, “Things they are a changin’.” As one more month of 2016 passed many marketing strategies and tactics have had to change as a result of various marketing platform updates.

Didn’t hear about the latest changes in digital marketing? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back! Find out what’s going on in the digital marketing world.

Instagram Stories

Snapchat…wait, no, Instagram Stories are a thing now. Users can publish multiple photos and videos that appear in a slideshow format in a new Stories feature located at the top of your newsfeed. This new feature allows users to keep their followers up to date with their daily life without publishing new posts directly to their profile. The photos and videos disappear after 24 hours.

Déjà vu?

Yeah, it does sound eerily similar to Snap Stories. But before you dismiss it for being unoriginal, consider the marketing opportunities. If you already have a large and active Instagram following, Instagram Stories could be put to good use. And you don’t have to work to earn a following on Snapchat. Check out this Instagram Stories Marketing Guide.

Video Marketing

Videos have become increasingly more popular in the last year. Users want easily digestible content, so when it comes to reading a 1,000 word blog or watching a 60-second video, the video might win. Haven’t you noticed that most platforms have started auto-playing videos when you scroll past them?

The latest platform to jump on the video bandwagon is LinkedIn. Last week, LinkedIn debuted LinkedIn Videos, an opportunity for top executives and CEOs to publish 30-second videos that will show up in your newsfeed. The networking site is hoping to increase engagement through this update. There hasn’t been word about LinkedIn rolling this feature out to smaller businesses, but as we’ve learned in the world of digital marketing, change is everywhere.

If you’re still not convinced of the power of video marketing, check out these impressive statistics.

Google AdWords

Earlier this year, Google starting displaying local 3-packs, and ads in the 3-pack style as well. Just recently though, Google started putting the ads inside the local 3-pack. What does this mean? If your organic listing is usually number one, it might be time to check again. With ads appearing inside the local 3-pack, there’s a greater chance of the ad appearing as the top listing.

This update will affect your SEO, and could potentially raise the cost of AdWords. Since this update has not been seen universally, we’ll have to keep an eye out to see how this change affects businesses and their AdWords practices. Stay tuned…