As technology, social media, and the internet continue to become an integral part of people's lives and businesses objectives, more organizations are incorporating digital marketing into their efforts. Of course, for this to happen we need specialists or at least people who are educated on the topic. As a result, more colleges have integrated digital marketing majors and classes.

University Marketing

Colleges themselves have spent millions of dollars on marketing to attract students. After the pandemic, an increasing amount of online education options, and increasing levels of public skepticism about the need to go to college, many universities are seeing declining enrollment. Marketing is part of what it takes to stay competitive. A SimpsonScarborough survey found that institutions spend between $429 and $623 per enrolled student, per year, on marketing. As for advertising, colleges collectively spent $2 billion on it in 2018 and $2.2 billion in 2019.  

As the need for advertising continues to increase and digital marketing tools continue to develop, colleges and universities are working on implementing more video marketing, content marketing, personalization in marketing materials for prospective students, social media, email marketing, SEO, contextual-based audience targeting, user-generated content, influencer marketing and more!

Majors and Classes 

Due to this growing demand, digital marketing professionals are well-paid, enjoy job security, and have excellent career prospects. So now, many colleges offer a digital marketing bachelor’s degree. These may include 

Course content typically includes concepts like marketing management, promotions, fundraising, public relations, market research, SEO, online advertising, and social media management. 

There are also Masters Degrees where course content can include sales research, consumer psychology, digital marketing strategy, writing for digital media, brand strategy, paid ads, content marketing, UX design, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, sponsored content, web analytics, data visualization, integrated marketing communications, Google Analytics, Google Ads, and influencer marketing.  

Some of the master's degree programs that colleges may offer are:

If you are interested in cheaper options, there are also several certifications and boot camps you can find online!

-

Do you want to take advantage of digital marketing at your company? Relevance Advisors has the expertise and know-how to help you succeed. Reach out today to learn more about the services we offer.

Does your company have a formal statement about how you value diversity and inclusion? Do your employees come from diverse backgrounds and do they offer unique perspectives? These are important questions to think about in your hiring process. This article will discuss why.

 

What is D+I?  

According to Great Place to Work’s Why Is Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace Important page, “diversity and inclusion are two interconnected concepts—but they are far from interchangeable. Diversity is about representation or the make-up of an entity. Inclusion is about how well the contributions, presence, and perspectives of different groups of people are valued and integrated into an environment.”

In the workplace, it is about interviewing, hiring, and promoting all different types of people while making everyone feel supported and included no matter their background.

There are also laws to protect individuals in the workforce. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that “the United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.”

 

Why is D+I Important?  

Workplaces that are more diverse have been shown to be safer, happier, and more productive.  2021 research from Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture research on company culture shows that when employees trust that they, and their colleagues, will be treated fairly regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or age, they are…

Research has suggested that “diverse and inclusive workplaces earn deeper trust and more commitment from their employees.” Also, 76% of job applicants say D+I is important when evaluating companies. This may suggest that companies should make their perspective on the topic clear during the recruitment process. Diversity in the workplace also improves morale. 

 

How Can My Company Improve D+I?

Great Place to Work suggests 9 methods to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It includes… 

  1. Identifying D+I as a strategic priority
    1. This involves setting goals and seeing if they were met 
  2. Conduct pay equity reviews
    1. Women currently earn 82 cents for every dollar males make 
  3. Recruit and promote from a diverse POV
  4. Create a robust mentorship program
  5. Consistently train and engage employees on D+I
  6. Make sure benefits and programs are inclusive
  7. Set your Employee Resource Groups up for success
    1. Groups need to be supported and recognized by the company
  8. Scrutinize board and executive team representation
  9. Make leaders accountable

 

-

Are you interested in working for a company that supports diversity and inclusion? Check out the careers page for Relevance Advisors!

About a year ago, Google announced that data-driven attribution would be the default attribution model. Now, Google has automatically begun switching ad accounts to this model unless advertisers opted out. So, what is data-driven attribution, and how does it impact advertisers? Here’s everything you need to know.

 

A New Way to Attribute Conversions

When a user sees or interacts with one of your ads, and then takes a valuable action on your website, credit is given to the last ad that a customer interacted with. But what if they saw several of your ads before they took action? Can the last ad they interacted with really be given full credit for convincing a user to engage with your business? Probably not.v gg

Data-driven attribution takes this into account, and uses an advertiser’s conversion data to calculate the contribution of each ad interaction. For example, if you have two ads (A and B), and customers are more likely to convert after clicking on B if they’ve previously seen A, the model will redistribute to reflect this.

Ad interactions deemed to be more valuable by Google get more credit for the conversion or other valuable engagement. Every business is different, which means the “weight” given to interactions varies between advertisers.

 

The Benefits of Data-Driven Attribution 

Google claims that this type of attribution gives advertisers more accurate information by taking “multiple signals” into account when determining what led to a conversion. From the ad format to the time between an interaction and a conversion, Google will examine multiple data points to attribute a conversion to the proper ad or ads. 

With this new attribution model (in conjunction with automated bidding strategies), Google says that advertisers are seeing more conversions at the same cost-per-conversion.

 

Setting Up Data-Driven Attribution

Most, but not all, conversions are eligible for data-driven attribution. Some have specific requirements before they are eligible, such as needing a minimum number of conversions or ad interactions within 30 days.

If you want to set up data-driven attribution, you can do so by selecting the tools icon, and then selecting “Conversions”. From there, click on the conversion action you want to edit, go to the settings, and select “Data-driven” from the attribution model drop-down menu.

 

Automatic Implementation

Google sent out an announcement to eligible advertisers in July explaining that the company would automatically be switching conversions over to the data-driven attribution model. Advertisers were able to opt out of this automatic switch before 8/24, when it took effect. If they didn’t, and they want to go back to the old attribution models they were using, they’ll have to switch each conversion action back manually. Advertisers who initially did opt out, but now want to switch to data-driven attribution, can do so easily following these instructions.

--

Are you interested in making the switch to data-driven attribution, but unsure how it will impact your business? Our team of experts at Relevance Advisors has the experience and the tools you need to succeed. Reach out today to learn more about how we can help you generate business leads.

 

Google’s initiative to eliminate third-party cookies and create “a more private internet” has already been delayed for the second time. What happened, and how will it impact advertisers? Here’s everything you need to know.

 

The Initiative

Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiative “aims to create technologies that both protect people's privacy online and give companies and developers tools to build thriving digital businesses.” This includes technologies built to prevent covert tracking techniques and make certain tracking methods obsolete. One of the main and arguably most important parts of this initiative, however, is the phasing out and eventual elimination of cross-app and cross-site tracking via third-party cookies in Chrome. That initiative has now been delayed for at least a year.

 

The Delay

In July, Google announced that it would be delaying the deprecation of third-party cookies to the second half of 2024. According to Google, after receiving feedback from “developers, publishers, marketers, and regulators,” the company has determined that there needs to be more time to “evaluate and test” their new technologies before phasing out these cookies completely. This comes after another delay in June 2021, which extended the original deadline from early 2022 to sometime in 2023.

Google’s announcement says that it maintains a “deliberate approach to transitioning from third-party cookies” despite this delay, and will begin introducing Privacy Sandbox trials to users this month.

 

The Impact

For advertisers, this means an additional year to prepare strategies to track and report marketing data without the use of third-party cookies. For developers, it means more time to test the Privacy Sandbox APIs before they roll out to the entire user base. However, for privacy-conscious users, concerns surrounding internet anonymity remain, which was the main reason Google made the decision to phase out third-party cookies in the first place. So, what does the company have to say about that?

Google writes that the feedback it has received “aligns with [its] commitment to the CMA to ensure that the Privacy Sandbox provides effective, privacy-preserving technologies and the industry has sufficient time to adopt these new solutions.” The company has also slowly begun rolling out APIs to web users, and will opt more people into these APIs in the coming months. As more users test and provide feedback, Google claims it will, “continue to listen and respond to feedback.”

 

What Should You Do

We recommend that advertisers and consumers alike keep up to date with how Google is collecting, managing, and sharing their data, as it will have a major impact on users in both the personal and professional sphere. The Privacy Sandbox timeline provides some information about the trial periods for certain APIs, and shows that all of them will be generally available sometime in Q3 of 2023.

 

--

Not sure how Google’s changes will impact your B2B advertising efforts? Our team at Relevance Advisors can help you make the transition away from third-party cookie data, and help your company succeed. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation.

Google is phasing out third-party cookies. Let’s discuss what that means for advertisers and users alike.

 

What Are Cookies?

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of web cookies, they’re essentially a method of identifying users and recording certain data, such as their location. There are two categories of cookies to be aware of. 

First-party cookies are bits of user data that are only accessible to the owner of a website that the users are visiting. A lot of this data is considered necessary to a website’s performance, which is why most website pop-ups to disable cookies have an option to only use “strictly necessary” cookies.

Third-party cookies are those that are created by some other domain. They allow for cross-site tracking, and are often used to serve relevant ads to users based on their past behavior. But soon, the last major web browser to support third-party cookies - Google Chrome - will be phasing them out for good.

 

Why is Google Phasing Out Third-Party Cookies?

According to Google, it all comes down to consumer feedback regarding privacy. While the company admits that this decision may hurt their ad tracking abilities, the Director of Product Management states, “If digital advertising doesn't evolve to address the growing concerns people have about their privacy and how their personal identity is being used, we risk the future of the free and open web.” 

 

What Does This Mean for Advertisers?

Safari and Firefox blocked third-party cookies nearly a decade prior, but Google’s termination of their usage just might be the final nail in the coffin. So what does that mean for advertisers?

Google says it will be using “privacy-preserving APIs” to deliver results to advertisers without individual tracking. It has created a Privacy Sandbox, which essentially allows advertisers to receive aggregated data about conversions. 

It’s also important to remember that there will only be a ban on certain types of cookies; first-party cookies will still be allowed. 

If your current advertising strategy relies heavily on third-party cookie data, it’s time to start looking into alternatives. Since first-party user data is still an option, you might consider strategies that encourage people to take certain actions, such as signing into your website or opting into a newsletter. In fact, email marketing will still be a powerful way to reach your users, especially if you take the time to organize emails by audience segment. 

Here are some additional tips that marketers need to consider in advance of the ban.

 

Does your business need help navigating the changes that will come with phasing out third-party cookies? Reach out to Relevance Advisors today. We’re here to help you succeed.

Does your business have a mobile app? Apple Search Ads are an excellent way to get that app in front of Apple users who might be interested in using it. Let’s look at the different ways Apple Search Ads help people discover mobile apps in the App Store, and some of the best practices for creating an Apple ad.

 

What Goes Into Creating a Campaign?

When you begin creating a campaign, one of the first things you’ll do is select where you want your ads to run. Ads can run in one of two places: the App Store search results, or the App Store Search tab (at the top of the suggested apps list). 

Ads on the Search tab - Source: Apple

Ads in the Search results - Source: Apple

 

Next, you’ll need to select the countries or regions where you want your campaign to run. Apple recommends grouping similar markets for easier management.

Once you’ve finalized the basic settings, you’ll need to name your campaign and set a daily budget. Like Google Ads and other major advertising platforms, the “daily budget” is the average amount your campaign will spend over the course of a month (or 30.4 days). So, while Apple may spend more on days where there is a greater opportunity for success, it will spend less on other days to compensate.

The last thing to do before creating an ad group is to schedule your campaign. You can either begin running the campaign immediately, or schedule it for a later date. You may also set an end date, though this is optional.

 

How to Organize Your Ad Groups

Apple highly recommends creating ad groups that correspond to specific strategies or themes. For example, you can create an ad group that targets your most valuable customers or certain keywords.

For each, you’ll set a maximum cost-per-tap, or max CPT (just like you might set a max CPC for Google Ads on desktop). This is the most you’re willing to pay per tap on an ad. This bid will apply to all of the keywords in an ad group unless you specify otherwise at the keyword level. Note that search results give you the option to add a cost-per-acquisition (CPA) goal as well.

Next, choose the keywords for which you want your ads to appear. You might want to refer to Apple’s keyword guide, which breaks down the differences between discovery, generic, competitor, and brand keywords.

After that, refine your audience by various factors, including demographics and location. Set a start and end date (if applicable), and then you’re ready to create an ad!

 

Ads and Landing Pages

Unlike other ad platforms, Apple automatically creates your ads “using the metadata and imagery you crafted for your App Store product page”. You also have the ability to add up to 35 different ad variations that best align with your ad group audiences/themes. Just select an ad group from the Ad Groups dashboard, and click the Create Ad button!

 

Actionable Insights

Apple’s Ad dashboard makes it easy to view your ad data and make adjustments as needed. The Apple Ads Attribution API also helps users accurately measure app downloads and redownloads that have resulted from your campaigns. Easily view spend, impressions, taps, cost-per-tap, and more at the campaign, ad group, and ad levels.

Ready to get started creating Apple Ads, but need some help? Our team of experts at Relevance Advisors can help you succeed. Reach out today.

Google Analytics 4 is replacing Universal Analytics. Here’s what you need to know.

 

Why is Google Replacing Universal Analytics?

Google claims that Google Analytics 4 has several advantages over Universal Analytics (UA). The new property type is said to provide “smarter” and more holistic insights into how customers interact with your business. 

 

What’s Different About Google Analytics 4?

Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) use different measurement models; while UA’s is based on pageviews and sessions, GA4’s is event-based. The idea is to keep the focus on the actions a user takes across platforms and devices, something that UA can only do in a limited capacity. 

A lot of changes have also been made to reporting metrics. For example, in UA, there are two types of users: “Total Users” and “New Users.” GA4 has three user metrics: “Total Users,” “New Users,” and “Active Users.

Certain metrics are also being done away with entirely, such as “Bounce Rate,” a metric Google claims “...was a reasonable measure of site engagement at one time, but has become less useful as websites and apps have changed.” Instead, GA4 will report “Engagement Rate,” which provides a percentage of sessions that meet certain criteria.

Google has provided an article that explains all the main differences between old and new reports.

 

Making the Switch

If you’re currently Universal Analytics, you’ll need to make the switch over to Google Analytics 4 before July 1, 2023, which is when Universal Analytics will stop processing new hits. Google has provided a number of resources to ease the transition from UA to GA4. 

If you already have UA running for a property, you might see a GA4 Setup Assistant tab in the admin section of Google Analytics’s settings. This option will guide you through the steps of creating a new GA4 property, and you will see a basic explanation of what will happen when this property is created. 

Creating a GA4 property will activate “enhanced measurement,” which is explained here. You may also have the option to enable data collection using your existing tags, depending on whether your UA is using gtag.js or Google Tag Manager.

Crucially, you will not lose the original UA property by creating a GA4 property. Google Analytics will simply use the original property to copy certain settings as it creates the GA4 property.

 

What Will Happen to My Old Data?

According to Google, users will be able to access historical data from UA for “at least six months.” The company recommends exporting historical reports, and says it will provide a date in the future for when existing UA properties will no longer be visible.

If you need help creating or maintaining your GA4 properties, Relevance Advisors can help. Reach out today.

 

There are many types of video advertising formats available on YouTube. Today, we’re breaking down their dimensions and differences in this quick guide. 

 

Dimensions

Here are some of Google’s recommended dimensions. In general, it’s best to have a 16:9 aspect ratio. The exact dimensions your ad will use will vary somewhat, as the YouTube video player automatically adapts to the size of each individual video.

 

Types

Skippable In-stream Ads

Skippable In-stream video ads show before, during, or after a YouTube video. The video plays for five seconds, after which the user has the option to skip the remainder of the ad by clicking a button in the corner of the video. There is no limit on the length of skippable in-stream ads, though Google claims that videos that are less than 3 minutes long typically perform better. 

These are a good option for advertisers looking to drive anything from awareness to online sales. 

 

Nonskippable In-stream Ads

Nonskippable in-stream video ads also play before, during, or after a YouTube video. These videos must be 15 seconds or less (or 20 seconds, in some regions), and will play in their entirety. 

These are a good way to drive brand awareness and reach.

 

Bumper Ads

These short videos are very similar to nonskippable in-stream ads, with the main difference being their length. They, too, will play before, during, or after a YouTube video, and they also cannot be skipped by the user. However, they must be 6 seconds or less. 

Bumper ads are ideal for driving brand awareness.

 

In-feed Video Ads

Unlike the previous ad types, in-feed video ads show outside of the YouTube video player. You may see them in a list of YouTube search results, in the “Related videos” list, or on YouTube’s homepage. 

This ad type is ideal for increasing brand consideration or driving sales.

 

Overlay Ads

These image or text ads appear on the lower half of the video player on YouTube after the video begins. It is a desktop-only ad format. Users can close the ad at any time by clicking on the “x” in the corner of the ad, or click anywhere else on the ad to be led to your landing page. 

These are a good way to increase consideration and drive user action.

 

Masthead Ads

These ads appear on the YouTube Home feed and will play automatically for up to 30 seconds as soon as the page loads. The ads will run muted and with captions until the user unmutes the ad. Clicking on the video can take the user to any standard YouTube video.

This is an effective ad type to maximize brand exposure.

(As of the May 31, 2022, Masthead ads are only available on a reservation basis by speaking with a Google sales representative.)

 

Do you want to start advertising your B2B business on YouTube? Relevance Advisors has the expertise and know-how to help you succeed. Reach out today to learn more about the services we offer.

Back in November 2021, Google announced that Performance Max campaigns were launching to all advertisers. But what exactly is Performance Max, and how can it help advertisers drive better results across Google Ads channels? Let’s talk about it.

 

What is Performance Max?

Performance Max is a new campaign type that is, in Google’s words, “designed to complement your keyword-based Search campaigns to help you find more converting customers across all of Google's channels like YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps.” The idea is that, once an advertiser has identified their specific conversion goals, Performance Max can use a combination of Google’s automation techniques and Smart Bidding to optimize performance.

 

How to Create a Performance Max Campaign

If you have a Merchant Center Feed or store visits goal, read here about how you can create a Performance Max campaign. Otherwise, read on to learn how you can create this type of campaign without a feed.

First, you need to create a new campaign, and select an advertising objective. Once you’ve done this, you can select Performance Max as your campaign type. 

As you create your campaign, you’ll encounter the “Budget and bidding” section; enter the amount that you want to spend, and select a bid strategy. If you’re tracking conversion values, “Maximize conversion values” is a good choice here. If all of your conversions are weighted equally, select “Maximize conversions” instead.

Next, select the locations you want to target, and any languages in which you want your ads to serve. Determine your ad schedule, whether you’ll turn on URL expansion, and any other details. After that, it’s time to build an asset group.

 

About Asset Groups

An asset group is made from audience signals and a variety of different assets.

Audience signals help Google’s machine learning tools hone in on the audience you want to serve. They’re like a suggestion that helps Google optimize performance, but they don’t guarantee that your ads won’t be shown to relevant audiences outside of these signals if Google thinks they have a strong chance of converting. 

Assets include images, logos, headlines, and videos, all of which are automatically mixed and matched depending on the type of ad being served and the channel it’s being served on.

The only thing left to do before publishing the campaign is adding ad extensions, which provide users with additional context, links, and prices before they even click on the ad.  Once these have been added, you can hit the Publish Campaign button and watch your ad go live!

 

Why Should You Use Performance Max Campaigns?

There are a number of benefits to using Performance Max, according to Google Ads. The platform boasts better performance and insights into what’s working and what isn’t, as well as simplified campaign management that makes it easier than ever to make crucial changes in order to optimize your ads.

If you have a specific goal for your ads and want to maximize performance across channels, Performance Max is the way to go. 

 

--

Want to improve your paid advertising efforts? Relevance Advisors has the expertise and know-how to help your B2B company succeed. Reach out today to learn more about the services we offer.

 

FullStory is a platform that combines quantitative and qualitative customer data and displays it in an easy-to-use platform in order to help users improve the digital experience for their customers. Read on to learn more about how FullStory works, what it can do, and how users can take advantage of the tool to improve conversion rates.

 

What Exactly Does FullStory Do?

FullStory provides its users with access to a comprehensive Digital Experience Intelligence (DXI) platform, which combines data analytics and session details to paint a full picture of how customers are interacting with your website. 

Unlike other platforms, FullStory doesn’t need users to specify what to log in advance; with just a snippet of code, the tool will record every interaction with your website automatically. FullStory “automatically logs every aspect of your users’ interactions, across all visits.” This includes any clicks, pageviews, and scrolls on the site, and those are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

What Does FullStory Tell Me?

Depending on the interaction recorded, users can learn a lot about how their website is performing. 

For example, FullStory records when a customer refreshes a page. If you see that this is happening frequently, it may be an indication that the page isn’t loading correctly. The tool can also identify when a customer highlights certain content, which can imply particular interest, a need to increase contrast between text and page color, or a desire to copy and paste or perform some other action using that content.

Despite the immense amount of data being collected, FullStory claims that confidential data, such as passwords and credit card information, is always excluded and never logged, so customers don’t have to worry about compromising their privacy as they browse through your site. Additionally, if there are certain domains that you want to prevent for capturing data, you can easily exclude these in the Data Capture and Privacy settings.

 

What are the Benefits of FullStory?

To put it simply, FullStory helps businesses increase their revenue, optimize performance, and improve customer experience. 

The platform makes it easy to identify issues that may be impacting conversions and revenue generation. Users can see not only how customers are navigating the site, but also the context surrounding their decisions using user session data. 

With this information, users can make the necessary changes to correct the problems that seem to be leading to behaviors like high page refresh rates or bounce rates, which, in turn, should boost customer satisfaction and retention.

 

--

Relevance Advisors is a FullStory Partner. Do you want to optimize your website to increase engagement and revenue? Reach out today to learn more about Relevance Advisors, and how we use FullStory and other tools to help your business succeed.

facebook-squaretwitterlinkedininstagrammenu