Category: Digital
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What Is Your Personal Information Worth on the Dark Web?
It’s called the “dark web” because it’s hidden for most people. It is not indexed by search engines and it is accessed by peer-to-peer networks using software, or networks like Tor, Freenet, and I2P. It is used by people that want to stay anonymous online, but it can also be used…
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P&G Cuts Programmatic Ad Spend by 90% Due to Brand Safety Concerns
SUMMARY: The world’s largest advertiser is cutting back dramatically on ad networks and going back to traditional advertising. The result? Increased reach and decreased spend. The world’s largest advertiser, Procter & Gamble, announced they cut digital advertising spend in 2017 by a whopping $200 million dollars. Halfway through last year,…
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You’ve heard the term, but what is Blockchain?
Blockchain is the technology the underpins digital currency (Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and the like). The tech allows digital information to be distributed, but not copied. That means each individual piece of data can only have one owner. You may hear it described as a “digital ledger” stored in a distributed…
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How Hackers Exploit Bluetooth Technology
Bluetooth is amazing technology. It lets you connect your mobile to your car, your tablet to your television, control your lights from your smart phone, and more. It can also be a way for crooks to steal your identity. That’s why more than 3.6 billion devices ship with Bluetooth technology every year.…
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Google and Facebook face potential anti-trust claims
Germany is the latest to level potential anti-trust violations at Facebook and Google. Germany’s anti-trust regulator has started a formal investigation into online advertising. Google and Facebook have said they will cooperate, according to Reuters. When you are an international company, it can be tricky to navigate different laws in…
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46 Ways To Improve Your Page Loading Time Instantly
Guest Blogger: Josh Wardini Page loading time refers to the time taken to transfer and show the content of a website page in a web browser window. This process is measured in seconds and it has direct implications on how visitors are engaged and the success of a brand. Even one-second…
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Google Chrome Browser Live with Built-In Ad Blocker
The new version of Google’s chrome browser is now live, with its built-in ad blocker. Here’s the short version of what it will block going forward: And here’s Google’s explanation of how it will work. Chrome – the world’s most popular web browser (56% market share) will automatically block ads…
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Simple, Effective Hacks to Maximize Conversion Rates
OK, you’ve got a great website. Congrats! Now you’ve got to get people to visit and then convert them to customers. Conversion Rate Optimization Conversion rate optimization is a systematic process of increasing the percentage of your website’s visitors that take a desired action on a certain page. This includes…
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Millions of Twitter followers disappear after NY Times investigation
Have you bought Twitter or Facebook followers? Federal and state investigations are underway into the sellers of fake followers and bot engagement. More than a million followers of famous people – who presumably bought the fake followers to pump up their numbers – have literally disappeared in the past few…
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30 Social Media Stats Every Local Business Should Know
For help with your digital and social media, contact PulseLocal Marketing. In Huntsville, AL, call 256.533.3131.
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Nearly a Quarter of Websites Have as Many as 10 Ad Trackers
It’s no secret that websites are tracking your behavior and dropping third-party pixels on your browser so they can follow you where you go online and serve up ads. In fact, a study by CliqZ and Ghostery of more than 144 million page loads, showed that 77.4% of all page…
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Who should solve the problem of advertisements placed against fake news?
It seems a safe bet to say that it’s an advertising agency issue to avoid placement on questionable websites. Or a tech solution from the programmatic companies to avoid placing ads on ad networks that rely on fake news websites. That’s not how U.S. marketers feel, though, according to a…
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Online Reviews Really Matter in Business
If you think online reviews aren’t affecting your business, here are a handful of statistics that might change your mind. SOURCE: Forbes The Value of Positive Reviews 90% of consumers say they read online reviews before ever visiting a business 85% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much…
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B2B Content Marketing: Why it Works
Nobody likes ads. They intrude into your reading, watching, or listening. That’s helped fuel the use of ad blockers on-line. People want to research before they buy a product, but they don’t want to get their information from advertisers trying to sell them something. Traditional marketing has become less effective. …
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Insider Secrets of the Google 3-Pack
Getting ranked in the Google 3-pack of local businesses has never been more important. With the big shift from desktop to mobile in the past couple of years, it has become easier for local businesses to get featured based on proximity to the mobile user. That opens huge opportunities for…
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YouTube shuts down monetization for smaller contributors
“One of YouTube’s core values is to provide anyone the opportunity to earn money from a thriving channel,” said the email I got from YouTube this morning. Apparently their “anyone” doesn’t include me. YouTube says it is tightening its rules and raising the minimum threshold of subscribers you must have in…
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Which Advertising Medium Do Consumers Trust the Most?
With U.S. consumers being exposed to an average of 10,000 brand messages every day, and 90% of consumers reporting that advertisements influence their purchase decisions, the power of advertising is undeniable. According to research from Clutch, consumers in the United States say Television and Print are the advertising mediums that…
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Three Steps to Dealing with Negative Online Reviews
Nobody likes to get a bad review. If you’re in business, though, a bad review online does more than just hurt your feelings. It can hurt your business. Half of U.S. consumer routinely check online reviews before making a purchase decision, according to a Pew Research study. You’ve gotten that…
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Making Sure Your Social Media Contests Stay Legal
This article details how to comply with Facebook’s contest rules within the United States and Canada. It is not a substitute for, nor intended to be, legal advice. If you have questions, consult with a legal professional or use a managed Facebook contest platform. Facebook contests and sweepstakes can be a…
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Seismic Shifts in Digital Marketing in 2018
As we look ahead to 2018, there are some clear pattern emerging when it comes to digital marketing and advertising. What’s in and out? Here are my predictions for 2018: Content Marketing, SEO, and Value Exchange With the reduced reach of social and the continuing fragmentation of media, marketers are finding…
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From Barter to Bitcoin
Before money, there was barter. Who knows how far back that goes, but maybe all the way to the caveman days. I’ll share my musk ox meat with you if you are willing to make the animal fur into clothing to keep us warm. It was a cumbersome system because…
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Failing to Take down Hate Speech Could Cost Social Media Companies $57 Million Fines
Germany is serious about cracking down on hate speech. Social media companies that don’t take down objectionable content within 24 hours of notification are facing massive fines. If posts are “obviously illegal” under German laws, companies like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube (Google) can face fines up to $57 million dollars…
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Google is moving to mobile-first indexing
Google gave webmasters plenty of warning — more than a year — but it now appears they are ready to step up efforts on indexing mobile websites and serving results based on what they find. Currently, Google’s crawling, indexing, and ranking algortihms look at desktop version. Now, they will switch to mobile-first indexing. “Mobile-first…
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Who is really using Facebook?
If you’re targeting the masses on Facebook, here’s a quick breakdown of who uses the social medium, according to a study by Pew Research: Gender Men: 38% Women: 62% Ages 18-29: 25% 30-49: 40% 50-64: 24% 65+: 11% Education High school or less: 35% Some college: 33% College+: 32% Race…
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Popular websites record every keystroke you make and put personal information at risk
It’s got a stuffy kind of title: “No boundaries: Exfiltration of personal data by session-replay scripts.” That’s the title of a paper written by researchers at Princeton University. What underlies that title is a potential invasion of privacy and gathering of data without permission on some 480 popular websites. The…
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Winners and losers in a rapidly consolidating digital advertising market
Good News for digital ad sellers: Digital Advertising is expected to finish the year with a year-to-year growth rate of 11.5% in 2017 and grow again in 2018 by 11.3%. That information comes from GroupM/WPP, the world’s largest buyer of advertising. Magna (IPG Mediabrands) pegs 2018 digital growth at 13%.…
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Quartz: Android phones send location data even when location services are turned off
“When you use Google services, we may collect and process information about your actual location. We use various technologies to determine location, including IP address, GPS, and other sensors that may, for example, provide Google with information on nearby devices, Wi-Fi access points and cell towers.” – Google Privacy Policy Google says it collects…
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Major changes to online privacy – except in the U.S.
Some big changes are coming to online privacy, especially when it comes to companies like Google and Facebook. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes a new set of rules designed to give people more control over their data. Think about how much of “you” is online. Things…
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Internet connected devices on the rise, but Live TV still dominates video viewing
58.7% of TV Households have at least one enabled device. That means at least one internet-connected devices such as a Smart TV, Game Console, or Multi-Media device. The number is growing rapidly. The same figure was 52.2% last June, an increase of 12%. They’re using the devices more frequently as…
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Priceline spends $4.3 billion on digital ads each year. It’s shifting to TV for the future.
Priceline is the travel industry’s largest digital advertiser. It’s built its company using TV and digital advertising, but the majority has been on digital. In 2017, it’s expected to spend $4.3 billion dollars on digital, according to Skift, an industry website that tracks spending within the travel category. The vast…
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Year-long Google study of the dark web shows how accounts get hacked
The folks at Google teamed up with Carnegie Mellon to undertake an extensive study on how accounts get compromised. By searing the dark web, they identified some troubling things: 788,000 potential victims of off-the-shelf keyloggers 4 million potential victims of phishing kits 9 billion usernames and passwords exposed via data…
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Former Facebook President says Facebook is designed to be addictive
There are now documented cases of social media addiction. It’s a real thing. According to Facebook’s first President, it’s no coincidence. Sean Parker started up Napster and later served as Facebook’s President. The billionaire told an audience at Axios in Philadelphia recently that social network are designed to stimulate and…
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Just as you always suspected, 260 million Facebook accounts are fakes
That means roughly 10% of Facebook accounts either aren’t real people or they belong to people that have multiple accounts. Why might you want more than one social media account? You might want to ask Golden State Warriors All-Star B-Ball player Kevin Durant. Facebook made the announcement during a recent…
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10 Steps to Creating Effective Social Media Ads
You can’t just set up a Facebook page and wait for it to attract customers. It takes an active, and consistent, approach to work. Here are 10 strategies for success: Define your goals Define your target market Decide how much you want to spend Create your Facebook ads Optimize your…
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Retail digital ad spend continues to grow, but TV dwarfs other media
eMarketer’s tracking of digital ad spend shows continued spending growth. They predict 2017 will see an increase of 15.8% in the retail sector -the largest spending category. They predict double digit growth in retail online ad spend through the next 3 years. Digital video, per eMarketer, will account for 31%…
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Is Facebook looking at moving media content out of the news feed?
Facebook is thinking, apparently, about moving Page feeds out of the newsfeed everybody sees and moving them to a new Explore Feed that’s buried under the More menu on the mobile site. That means publishers and media companies that have spent years building an audience and gotten hooked on using…
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Maybe the most effective used car commercial you’ll ever see
Proving that great advertising can sell just about anything, you’ll want to check out the ad this guy did for his girlfriend’s used car. It’s a 1996 Honda Accord with 141,000 miles on it. According to Kelly Blue Book, you might get $315 from a dealer on trade in, or…
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Where does Google go when it wants to roll out a new product? Television.
YouTube TV is rolling out across the country, starting in select markets, which will feature a so-called “skinny bundle” of TV channels, including local channels. It is designed to compete – at a much lower price point – against cable and satellite packages in this era of “cutting the cord.”…
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It’s been an amazing ride for Netflix
It’s been an amazing ascent by Netflix. Today, roughly half of all adults in the United State watch streaming content on Netflix at least once in a while. Let that stat from Civic Science sink in. 29% say they watched a few times a week or more! The growth in…
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If you share it on social networking websites, does it become public or can access by limited? (UPDATE)
Taking on LinkedIn and Microsoft, hiQ turns to crowdfunding for help with legal costs It’s one of those David vs. Goliath battles: LinkedIn’s 8,000 employees, a company that Microsoft bought in 2016 for $26,5 billion dollars, vs. hiQ Labs, which has 13 employees. So when they two tangle in court,…
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Is Google Fiber sputtering? Dropping 8 markets and new television services
Is Google Fiber struggling? The rollout of high speed Gigabit internet has been slower than expected and the company has cut back on the markets where it’s installing. In October, it scrapped plans to expand into 8 markets. It’s been hampered by both the cost and time it takes to…
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TV still #1 choice for news consumption, but the gap is narrowing
Only a third trust social media as a news source Half of all Americans report they get their news on television, but the gap with online is narrowing. 43% now say they often get their news online. The gap is just 1 points, narrowing from 19 points in 2015, according to…
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A Closer Look: Facebook over-estimates reach by dramatic numbers
Maybe you saw the headline: Facebook claims it reaches more people in the U.S. than actually live in the U.S. It’s pretty startling when you realize, according to a report from the Video Advertising Bureau, that Facebook claims to reach 39 million U.S. adults age 18-24… when there are only…
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My first book has been re-released as a free download on Amazon
My first book – “Weapons of Mass Distinction” – has been re-released and is available as a free download on Amazon. Get it here.
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How much do small businesses spend on social media outsourcing?
The lure of social media for small businesses is huge. The promise of a direct connection with local consumers that you can do yourself at no cost is a big promise. For most who try it, though, they realize pretty quickly that to make an impact, it’s a lot of…
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One of the creators of Google News calls the search site “shameful and irresponsible” in spreading fake news
Google’s already under fire for its role in spreading “Fake News.” Now, one of the engineers who helped create Google News had quite a bit to say about the search site and it wasn’t flattering. Krishna Bharat helped lead the team the creation team, but posted to Facebook that Google…
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Study: Media Measurement missing 66% of all video consumption
Global marketing company Omnicom handles ad services for more than 5,000 clients in over 100 countries. They are a big deal in ad circles. So, when they talk, people do listen. Here’s what they’re saying: 66% of TV and Video on content consumed by Millennials and Gen Xers is not…
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Just how prevalent is social media for small businesses?
Just how prevalent is social media for small businesses? It’s fair to say it’s nearly universal. Nearly 87% of small business owners say they use Facebook for marketing, according to a new survey from G2 Crowd via eMarketer. So, how’s it going for them? There are mixed results here. 38%…
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Facebook, Apple join the billion dollar club for spending on original video content
Everybody, it seems, wants to be in the TV business. OK, it’s really the video business, but it’s the same thing the TV networks have been doing for years: producing original television content. The WSJ reports that Facebook is looking to spend A BILLION DOLLARS on original video content for…
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Bad ads can destroy brand credibility – and cost you money
Bad ads aren’t just hurting your brand. They’re hurting your sales. 60% of adults in the U.S. says they have stopped buying from a brand because they didn’t like its ad campaign, according to new poll from Civic Science. A great ad can bring new business and reinforce your brand…
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Apple ditches Bing for Google search
In 2014, Apple dropped Google for its search and switched to Bing for iOS and Mac. Now, it’s dumping Bing and going back to Google. The same goes for Siri as well. “Switching to Google as the web search provider for Siri, Search within iOS and Spotlight on Mac will allow these…
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Can 2 second video views really be effective at driving sales?
P & G – acknowledged as the world’s largest advertiser – says their data reveals the following about digital video ads: The average ad is viewed for 1.7 seconds. Remember, that’s the AVERAGE Only 20% of all ads are viewed for 2 seconds That means that 80% of all ads…
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Ad industry revolts against Apple’s browser blocking ad tracking
Apparently the entire digital advertising community is up in arms because Apple is baking anti-tracking into its Safari browser. Marketers will only be able to track your online behavior for 24 hours before it restarts in the upcoming release. So no more “visit a shoe website once and gets ads…
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Facebook: Tracking your in-store visits and serving ads?
When ads target you on-line from where you’ve gone in the real world If clicking on a website once and having its ads stalk you wherever you go on-line wasn’t enough, now there’s real world targeting. Go to a physical store and they’ll re-target you online. Now Facebook appears to…
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Can public officials block citizens on social media or is it a violation of their constitutional rights?
Here’s an interesting debate: If you’re a public official, should you have the right to block people from your social media page? A number of public officials are being sued, including Governor’s in Maryland, Kentucky, and Maine, by state ACLU chapters. Kentucky Governor Sued In Kentucky, the ACLU there filed suit…
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Dominating Digital Ad Revenue: Google, Facebook, Amazon, and … ?
Amazon has gotten a lot of attention lately for its move into the advertising sales space, but another online retailer is making moves as well. Wal-Mart is now in the advertising business. Both companies have a dizzying array of consumer information in their databases to target consumers. Wal-Mart is positioned…
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Find out if your data was compromised in the Equifax breach – 143 million people are affected
Equifax, one of the world’s largest credit reporting agencies had a major data breach – affecting 143 million people (nearly half the US population). Released was personal data, and some 200,000 SS# and some credit card numbers. You can go online here to check and see if you are affected. …
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How to check if your website violates new Google Chrome “Annoying Ads” filter
Google recently announced its going to penalize websites that have poor ad experiences in its upcoming update to the Chrome browser. Starting next year, Chrome will block sites with “annoying ads” in search results. If you think because you’re a name brand publisher, you’ll be exempt, think again. Google has…
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Programmatic ad buying continues to rise, but is it really an efficient way to buy advertising?
I’ve written a lot about Programmatic Advertising over the past four years because of the rise in usage among media buyers. While recognizing the efficiency, I’ve also cautioned against eliminating the direct buy of premium websites from name publishers. There’s no arguing that more people are using programmatic – machine-driven…
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Facebook to punish slow loading websites
Here’s another reason to make sure your website loads quickly. Facebook will give priority placement to sites that load fast. “…we’ll soon take into account the estimated load time of a webpage that someone clicks to from any link in News Feed on the mobile app. Factors such as the…
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If Programmatic Ad Buying is the future, why are advertisers not buying it?
We’ve heard so much about “Programmatic Ad Buying” in the past two years, it’s almost become a joke around our place. Everybody tells us it’s coming and we’d better be ready. If you’ve ever bought a self-serve Google ad or a Facebook ad, that’s really the kind of thing we…
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93% of sponsored celebrity posts aren’t FTC complaint
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced it was cracking down on improperly-labeled native advertising and disclosures on paid social media posts. In April, the FTC sent out more than 90 letters reminding influencers and marketers that influencers should clearly and conspicuously disclose their relationships to brands when promoting or endorsing products through social…
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World’s largest advertiser cuts $140m in digital ads and grows sales
The world’s largest advertiser – Procter & Gamble- has been vocal about concerns over where its online ads are running and who’s clicking on them made a startling announcement at the end of July. After spending a third of its ad budget last year online – and watching sales diminish…
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Pebble (gone), Jawbone (liquidating) – is Fitbit next?
You couldn’t go anywhere this past holiday without seeing Fitness trackers all over the place. Just about any place that sold electronics, or the big department stores, all had Fitbit displays on hand – many of them right by the checkout lanes. Wow, what a difference a few months makes…
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FCC signals rollback on net neutrality rules; Nearly 11 million comments filed
Before the Federal Communications Commission takes action, it puts out proposals and asks for public comments. When it comes to net neutrality rules, the public commented big time. Nearly 11 million comments have been filed. There’s no question the issue is a lightning rod. In 2015, the FCC voted in…
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Get early access to Google beta projects
Google techs are expected to spend a portion of their time working on special projects outside their job area. Inside the company, they call it “Area 120.” It’s an incubator for experimental projects well before they are ready for release. Prior Area 120 projects included Google Maps, AdSense, and even…
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Great read: Digital Vault highlights the intersection of Digital + Media + Marketing
Blatant-plug-alert! I’m the publisher and editor of another website, Digital Vault, which I’d love for you to check out. The site focus on the intersection of digital, media, and marketing. We now have more than 100 advertising, marketing, and digital evangelists writing and contributing to the site and the growth…
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Facebook discussing metered paywalls for publishers on platform
Publishers that have tried out Facebook’s Instant Articles have been pleased with the speed in which pages load, but not necessarily pleased about the economics. By keeping readers within Facebook’s walled garden, publishers didn’t see the activity translate directly to page views – and exposure to the accompanying ads. Ad…
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Ad Copy that sizzles and sells
GUEST POST: Adrian Posner, Posner Marketing A successful marketing plan relies heavily on the pulling-power of advertising copy. Writing results-oriented ad copy is difficult. There is no magic formula to write perfect ad copy. So how is any writer supposed to pen a piece of advertising copy that sizzles and…
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For every second it takes your mobile site to load, conversions drop by 20%
Use this free Google test tool to see how your site stacks up Google has updated its tool to test your website load speed to show you how many visitors you lose because it takes so long to load. 46% of people say the worst part of mobile browsing on…
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Facebook refuses to release political advertising data
Television stations must disclose to the public which politicians bought advertising on which station, how much they spent, and where the ads run. It’s available for anyone that wants to go the station’s section on the FCC website for all to see. Not so for the internet. Facebook, not known…
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Google says no to pop-up and pop-under ads
Google has taken another positive step in trying to help reign in the mess of annoying ads on website. Google will no longer permit placing pop-up or pop-under ads, the company declared in a blog post. They also won’t allow the use of any Google ads on sites that contain…
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News organizations ask Congress for authority to collectively bargain with Google, Facebook
The New Media Alliance represent almost 2,000 news organizations, primarily newspapers. This week, the organization starting asking Congress for some help in taking on the big internet companies. Call it a pre-emptive strike for collective bargaining with Google and Facebook. It’s no secret that Goo-book dominates digital advertising. In the…
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Insights: Analyzing 105,000 Facebook pages for emoji’s
Facebook places weight on reactions – those love, sad, angry, lol emoji’s – when determining what to put in your news feed. It values them more than likes. “Over the past year we’ve found that if people leave a Reaction on a post, it is an even stronger signal that they’d…
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Canada’s Supreme Court rules Google must block some search content worldwide
Can one country really tell Google what it can and can’t show in its search results for the rest of the world? Read on. Canada’s Supreme Court made a startling ruling that has broad-reaching impact around the world. In a 7-2 ruling, the court decided to grant an injunction preventing…
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Disney, FOX, Turner lead media companies on social interactions
The Walt Disney Company maintains its #1 position with 327.6 million consumer interactions, making up 10.5% of total engagement within the media industry in the U.S., according to Sharablee, which tracks brand data on social media. Disney also saw 33% growth in content shares and 22% growth in video views.
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The case for content marketing
The rise in content marketing in advertising circles is staggering. From native ads to blog posts, articles, and videos, it’s re-framed how some businesses do marketing. The adoption of ad blockers and concern over where ads are placed has only accelerated the movement. It’s almost become a universal marketing tactic.…
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Mixing GPS location data with advertising
The privacy folks are about to have a whole lot of new things to worry about. We’ve all been cyber-stalked by ads following us around the internet. Publishers put a pixel, in most cases, on their website that tie into their ad network buys. This allows them to track where…
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It’s not just Trump: World Leaders user Twitter to get the message out
Pope Francis is the most followed world leader on Twitter with a combined total of 33,716,301 followers on his nine language accounts, ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump with 30,133,036 followers and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 30,058,659 followers, according to a Burson-Marsteller study, an annual global survey of how world leaders,…
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Man fined $4,000 for clicking the Like button of defamatory Facebook posts
Here’s a twist. A Swiss man has been fined roughly $4,000 bucks for clicking the Like button on Facebook. Yup, you read that right. Fortune reports that the man (not named in court) clicked the Like button on what a judge termed defamatory comments on Facebook. By clicking the Like…
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Despite a year warning, publishers and ad creators aren’t ready for Flash ad end dates
The Interactive Advertising Bureau advocated for an end to Flash video ads by July 2017. Instead, it wants advertisers to use HTML5. Google jumped into the fray by stopping accepting Flash ads as of April and announcing an end to grandfathered Flash ads this July. So, with two months to…
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Social Media: “More addictive than cigarettes and alcohol”
Researchers from the Royal Society for Public Health in the U.K. interviewed 1,500 some teens and young adults (age 14-24) to quantify the impact of social media on their health. They looked at thing like depression, loneliness, body image, sleep, self-identity, and bullying. The conclusion? Instagram is the worst offender…
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Game Changer: Google confirms built-in ad blocker coming to its Chrome browser
It’s been rumored for a while, but now Google confirms it will update its Chrome browser to include an ad blocker. If your site has what Google terms “unacceptable ads,” it’s going to block all the advertisements on your site. The list of what is unacceptable will include pop-ups, videos…
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Disconnect between what ad agencies think and what real people do
What percentage of average people in the U.S. watch video content on their TV set (versus other devices)? 250 advertising executives were asked that question. They said 25%. Umm. The number is actually 82%. Research Now did the study on behalf of the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB). They surveyed 250…
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Despite what you hear, 92% of all video viewing happens on a TV set
The Nielsen analysis looked at the total time spent watching video on TVs, connected TVs, connected devices, smartphone, tablets, and desktop computers. “All adult consumers still rely on the TV screen for the lion’s share of their overall viewing.” – Nielsen It isn’t just a little bit more TV viewing,…
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Every generation is the Facebook generation… for now
Every generation is the Facebook generation, proclaims a new survey by Sprout Social. It’s hard to argue. The study looked at the social media habits of 1,000 Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers.
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Website video might hurt, but won’t help Google ranking
Adding videos to your website may be a great idea, but it won’t help your site rank better on Google. “Having a video on your page will absolutely not help you rank better in web search,” said Google’s Gary Illyes in response to a Twitter discussion. Having a video…
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FCC takes first step towards repealing net neutrality
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a big first step in overturning net neutrality rules. In a 2-to-1 vote, the Commission began the rule-making process. That’s the first step in replacing the Open Internet Order adopted in 2015. The net neutrality rules prevent ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from giving preferential…
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It’s over: Mobile has won
We passed the tipping point in 2014. Since then, the use of mobile has exploded. If you’re still focusing on your desktop website first, you’re way behind. 71% of web traffic in the United States is mobile, according to ComScore. Mobile usage is larger than desktop in almost every country.…
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The AdWords Illusion: Forget the sales funnel
I’ve written before about the problem with using “last-click attribution” as a key metric for deciding where and how to place your advertising. Who gets credit for driving customers? The last thing they visited. Many marketers are just counting the click and forgetting about all the other marketing it took…
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For goodness sake, update your Windows software RIGHT NOW!
Ransomware is back in the news with a vengeance. The largest coordinated attack in history is underway, exploiting a vulnerability in Windows, and holding people’s computers hostage. Ransomware infects your computer and encrypts your data. It demands payment before releasing it. Authorities have said repeatedly there’s not much you can…
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Media outlets hits by massive “fake like” campaign; Facebook purges 200 million
USA Today lost nearly 6 million likes in April. They were fake Facebook accounts that had liked the paper. Parent company Gannett said there are still more than two million more fake accounts floating around. That adds up to roughly 38% of all likes, according to a CBS analysis of…
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Least Intrusive Video Ads with the Best Recall: Pre-Rolls
It’s the eternal questions for advertisers: What works? Just when you think you’ve figured it out, the world shifts again. One day you hear, it’s all about “snackable” content – short clips that can be viewed in less than a minute. The next day, it’s all about long-form video ads. …
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Will people still read long-form content when it’s on a tiny cell phone screen?
With more and more traffic going to mobile, specifically smart phones, every day, is there a future for long form journalism on line? That’s one of the questions a Pew Research Center study tried to answer. Researchers looked at 125 million cellphone sessions accessing 74,840 articles encompassing 30 news websites…
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Ranking in Local Search: Location is the top factor
What’s that saying about real estate? Location, location, location. It appears the same can be said about what it takes to be listed in the local listings on Google. With the big shift to mobile occurring over the past year, it’s no surprise that the biggest signal Google looks for…
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Facebook’s 10-year road map includes typing with your brain, listening with your skin, and no more smart phones
Mark Zuckerberg laid out his 10-year road map at the F8 Facebook developers conference and hinted at some of the projects in the works at the social media company. It’s either genius or madness.
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Is Google getting ready to launch its own ad blocker?
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is readying its own ad-blocker as part of its Chrome browser. Chrome is the undisputed most used browser in the world with a market share north of 41%. The ad blocker would be added to both mobile and desktop versions, per the report,…
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Despite new tech chips in credit cards, fraud jumps 33%
I got that call on the weekend. Somebody had used our credit card to try to book an Uber ride. Since we hadn’t left the house that morning, I knew it wasn’t a legitimate charge. I’m happy the folks at Chase knew it wasn’t right and called. One of the things…
Paul Dughi.com 