Daniela Alba

Principles of Building Digital Performance KPI Metric Dashboards for Non-profits

Non-profit organizations rely heavily on digital performance metrics to measure the success of their online campaigns and outreach efforts. However, many non-profit organizations struggle to keep up with the disruptive impact of the data revolution and the challenges posed by fragmented customer experiences. 

To combat this, building efficient digital performance KPI Metric dashboards is increasingly important to better understand your audience’s behavior and preferences, including their interests, giving habits, and financial situation. 

To fully leverage the benefits of digital performance dashboards, it’s essential to have a solid understanding of the principles behind them. This blog post will explore the key principles of building digital performance KPI metric dashboards for non-profits, providing actionable tips and insights along the way. 

Key Metrics and Data Points

kpi metric dashboard for non profits

Source: who.int

Organizations can quickly understand their constituents and monitor trends with the correct use of dashboards. One of the key benefits of dashboards is their ability to facilitate faster learning and drive impact. An effective dashboard will provide clear insights into donor behavior and needs, allowing them to make data-driven decisions and improve their overall performance. 

When building a dashboard, it’s important to choose relevant KPI metrics for your audience to avoid overwhelming them with too much data. Keep in mind that the purpose of the dashboard is to quickly convey insights and drive action. To provide more context, consider contextualizing your metrics with ancillary visualizations and include external data points. 

kpi donor dashboard

Source: datapine.com

This will help your audience better understand the metrics and their impact on the overall campaign. Summarizing financials in a clean and clear view is important to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to budget vs. actuals.

The ability to filter down to specific attributes is also important to drive insights. This will allow stakeholders to hone in on specific areas of the campaign and understand what’s working and what’s not. Don’t forget about operational dashes for quality control to ensure that your campaign is running smoothly. Lastly, keep in mind that different stakeholders have different needs, so it’s important to create different dashboards for different audiences.

Create Effective Dashboards

Source: Funraise

Create effective dashboards that truly serve their purpose. First, ask yourself who the dashboard is for and what its purpose is. This will help determine the appropriate combination of charts and numbers to use. Remember to avoid burying data with too many views, as this can quickly become overwhelming. Instead, limit data in one view and ensure that it relates to the insight needed. 

It’s also important to experiment, iterate, and solicit feedback when creating dashboards. This ensures that they are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the audience. Collaboration is key when creating dashboards, so don’t overestimate its importance. By working together, you can create a dashboard that truly drives impact.

Identify Your Needs

In order to create effective dashboards, it’s important to identify your needs. This includes understanding your audience and identifying the most important metrics for your organization. It’s also crucial to address gaps in data that may be needed and align visualizations with the story you want to tell. When organizing your dashboard, it’s important to make it user-friendly and decide on the appropriate number of views. 

Source: WHO Financial Statements

You should consider how you want to summarize financials and the importance of operational dashes for quality control. Different dashboards may be needed for different stakeholders, so it’s important to keep that in mind as well. Experimenting, iterating, and soliciting feedback can also help improve the effectiveness of your dashboard.

Final Thoughts

Dashboards play a critical role in helping organizations make data-driven decisions and drive impact. It’s important to understand the behavior of your audience and identify the most critical metrics to include in your dashboard. By limiting data in one view and ensuring it relates to the insight needed, you can avoid burying important information and create a user-friendly experience.

Experimentation, iteration, and collaboration are key components in creating an effective dashboard. Soliciting feedback from stakeholders and testing different visualizations can lead to better insights and more impactful decisions. Additionally, aligning visualizations with the story you want to tell and organizing the dashboard in a clear and concise manner can make it more impactful.

Dashboards are essential for organizations looking to make data-driven decisions and drive impact. By following these best practices and continually refining your approach, you can create effective dashboards that provide critical insights and drive success.

How Brands are Boosting Sales and Engagement Rate with Whatsapp Ads

The need to be present as a brand across all major channels is key to reaching potential customers. WhatsApp ads in particular have the ability to reach customers globally. Its main objective is to connect with customers and increase conversions.

So how do you know if advertising WhatsApp is right for your brand? Below we explore ways brands are using WhatsApp Ads for customer reach in order to help you decide whether or not to implement them.

What is WhatsApp Advertising?

WhatsApp falls under the arm of Meta, and the opportunities that exist within the platform are designed to be used as an extension of ad campaigns across Facebook and Instagram. WhatsApp ads, also known as Click-to-WhatsApp ads, feature CTA buttons within Facebook or Instagram ads. 

These buttons redirect users to a WhatsApp chat where they can chat directly with a business representative and learn more about the product or service. The landing page for these ads is on WhatsApp and can be in the form of videos, single images, or carousels. 

Audiences from Facebook & Instagram are merged with WhatsApp. This tends to result in more leads and territory scouted. The ability to control audience targeting via Facebook Ad Managers allows for improved messaging to converse directly with your audience.

Promote Products with Messaging

WhatsApp’s main objective includes promotional messages to capture the user’s attention and encourage them to take action. To achieve this, message templates frequently utilize emoticons, exclamation marks, and vivid visuals.

KiKUU, an online vendor, employs various multimedia elements such as images and call-to-action buttons in their lively WhatsApp marketing messages to announce their sales. They have included a click-to-store button in the messages, which makes it easy for users to access their website and purchase products on the go.

They observed a 70% higher open rate for WhatsApp messages and a 60% boost in sales via the channel in just one week during an experiment conducted by them. An experiment divided their target audience into two groups to evaluate the effectiveness of WhatsApp campaigns versus Facebook Messenger advertisements. 

Boost Brand Loyalty and Enhance Customer Engagement

Snocks, a German e-commerce company, implemented a WhatsApp strategy to enhance their customer engagement and support. They utilized WhatsApp’s Business API to create automated messages that provided customers with order updates and delivery information. 

Snocks included a customer service feature that allowed customers to ask questions or provide feedback via WhatsApp, which increased their customer satisfaction and retention.

To increase their reach and effectiveness, Snocks also utilized WhatsApp for marketing purposes. They created a broadcast list of opted-in customers and sent them targeted promotions and discount codes via WhatsApp. 

They had the ability to personalize their messages and increase the relevancy of their marketing efforts, thus, resulting in higher conversion rates and increased revenue. Snocks was able to establish a more direct and personal communication channel with their customers, leading to higher customer engagement and satisfaction.

Whatsapp Ads for Revenue Growth and Improved Customer Service

Segari, a Malaysian-based brand, used WhatsApp to enhance their customer service and engagement. They provided customers with the option to order food and make reservations via WhatsApp, which helped to simplify the ordering process and increase customer satisfaction. 

Segari also utilized WhatsApp to provide customers with real-time updates on their orders, such as preparation time and delivery status, which helped to improve their overall experience.

To increase their reach and engagement, Segari also used WhatsApp for marketing purposes. They created a broadcast list of opted-in customers and sent them promotional messages and offers via WhatsApp. By personalizing their messages and making them more relevant to their customers, Segari was able to increase their conversion rates, drive more revenue, and establish a more direct and convenient communication channel with their customers.

Takeaways

The use of WhatsApp ads as a marketing tool has proven to be a game-changer for businesses looking to accelerate growth and engage with customers in a more personal way. With the ability to deliver personalized messages, real-time updates, and convenient ordering options, companies can provide a top-notch customer experience that leads to higher satisfaction and loyalty. 

By garnishing their marketing efforts with creativity and personalization, businesses can spice up their customer service and drive revenue growth. Overall, WhatsApp ads are a valuable addition to any company’s marketing strategy, providing a flavorful and engaging communication channel with customers.

Effective CTV Programmatic Ad Strategies for Your Brand’s Success

ctv advertising

Connected TV (CTV) programmatic ads offer an innovative form of digital advertising that combines the power of data and technology to deliver targeted and personalized ads to viewers who watch TV through internet-connected devices. The rise of streaming services and internet-connected TVs has allowed CTV to grow Streaming services and internet-connected TV households, making CTV advertising a prime platform for reaching a broad audience. To truly succeed with effective CTV programmatic ad strategies, it’s essential to implement effective strategies that consider the unique characteristics of CTV devices and their users.

Understand Your Target Audience

target audience Effective CTV Programmatic Ad

This involves gathering data on your audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors and understanding the unique characteristics of CTV devices and how users interact with them.

Once you have a deep understanding of your target audience, you then can tailor your CTV programmatic ads to their specific interests and preferences. 

This might involve creating multiple versions of your ads to target different segments of your audience or using dynamic creative optimization to deliver ads that are personalized to each viewer.

Effective CTV Programmatic Ads That Capture Audience Attention

With so many options vying for viewers’ attention, crafting engaging ads is a must. So, how can you make sure your ads stand out in the crowd? It all starts with creativity and a few key strategies.

1. Tell a Story

brand story telling Effective CTV Programmatic Ad

Whether it’s a narrative or a visual story, people love to be engaged by a compelling tale. If your ad can hook viewers with a story that they want to follow, you’ve already won half the battle.

2. Focus on Emotion 

Effective CTV Programmatic Ad

People respond to ads that make them feel something. Tapping into emotions is a powerful way to engage viewers and leave a lasting impression. This can be done with the use of humor, sadness, or excitement.

Visually appealing ads are also essential. Incorporate striking visuals and dynamic graphics that are impossible to ignore.

3. Set a Clear Call-to-Action

Call to action

What do you want viewers to do after they see your ad? Whether it’s visiting your website or making a purchase, a clear call-to-action will help ensure that your ad is more than just eye candy.

Collect and Analyze Data to Improve Targeting and Optimize Campaign Performance

Collecting and analyzing effective CTV programmatic Ad data is crucial for improving targeting and optimizing campaign performance. By harnessing the power of data, you can make more informed decisions and achieve better results.

1. Determine What Metrics to Track

You can focus your data collection efforts by identifying metrics that matter to most to your campaign goals. Important metrics to measure CTV performance include CPCV (cost per completed view) and VCR (video completion rate). These two metrics are crucial when measuring efficiency with the number of views. 

2. Once Collected, Analyze it

Use data analytics tools to uncover patterns and trends. if you notice that certain demographics are more likely to convert, you can adjust your targeting to focus on those audiences.

3. Conduct A/B Testing 

Running two versions of an ad with minor differences can help determine which version performs better and use that information to optimize future campaigns. Test different calls-to-action or headline copy to see which one resonates best with your audience.

4. Continuously Monitor and Analyze Data 

You can make real-time adjustments to improve targeting and optimize performance. This iterative approach to data analysis allows you to stay ahead of the curve and maximize your results.

Frequency Capping: Avoid Viewer Ad Fatigueviewer ad fatigue

Frequency capping helps manage the number of times an ad is shown to a viewer to ensure that your ad remains fresh and engaging. 

How does frequency capping work? It involves setting a limit on the number of times a viewer will see a particular ad within a given time period. You may choose to cap the frequency at three views per viewer per day.

The key to effective frequency capping is finding the right balance. For example, you want to avoid showing the same ad too frequently. Therefore, you don’t want to cap the frequency so low that your ad doesn’t have a chance to make an impact. Test different frequency caps and analyze performance data to find what works best for your campaign.

Key Takeaways

CTV Programmatic advertising combines data and technology to deliver personalized and targeted ads to viewers through internet-connected devices. To get the best results you need to tailor your ads to your audience, create captivating content that triggers emotions, collect and analyze data for improved targeting and optimize campaign performance, and cap ad frequency to avoid ad fatigue. By adopting these strategies, you can fully benefit from the potential of CTV programmatic ads and enjoy a higher ROI. Don’t be afraid to get creative, experiment, and use data to your advantage to craft ads that stand out in the crowded digital advertising landscape.

A Videographer’s Guide to Social Media Content

Whether you’re creating product demos, customer testimonials, or thought leadership pieces, video content is an effective way to engage with your audience and convey your brand’s message. 

This guide will provide tips and insights for videographers looking to create compelling B2B content that resonates with target audiences to achieve specific marketing goals. 

Goals and Audience

1. Determine the Target Audience

Understanding who your audience is will help you tailor your messaging, visuals, and overall approach to resonate with them. Start by identifying the industries your clients operate in, and consider their company size, location, and job titles. 

It’s also important to consider their challenges and pain points, and how your video content can help solve these problems. 

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, you can start developing a content strategy that drives engagement and conversions.

2. What is the video’s purpose?

Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or educate your target audience about a new product or service? Once you have a clear objective in mind, think about the key message you want to convey to your audience. 

Your message should be clear, concise, and relevant to your target audience. It’s also important to consider the tone and style of your video content and ensure it aligns with your brand identity. 

3. How will the video be edited?

Once you have a clear understanding of the video’s objective, review the raw footage and identify the strongest shots that support that objective. Next, create a rough cut, keeping in mind the pacing, tone, and length of the platform it will be published on. Consider adding music or sound effects. 

4. How will the video be distributed?

Begin by identifying what the tone of the video will be for each type of social media platform.

For example, LinkedIn is a great platform for sharing thought leadership and educational content, while Instagram is better suited for visually appealing content and product showcases. Understanding the platform will help you tailor the content to resonate best with different platforms’ audiences.

Technical Aspects to Consider

According to your video purpose and target audience, it’s important to keep in mind the following technical aspects of video creation:

1. Video Quality

Ensure the camera used is steady and the footage is smooth. Steady and clear footage is best obtained using a gimbal but in cases where one is not available a tripod can still give you a professional feel. 

Proper lighting and exposure are known to be an important elements in creating quality content. However, finding it is not always an easy task. 

The best time to film outside is shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset when the sun is not too high. This is commonly referred to as the “magic hour.” You get more flattering light when the sun is lower on the horizon.

Good windows include 7-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. However, this varies by time of year, time zone, and location in time zone. If the sun is too high, the harsh lighting creates long unwanted shadows on your subject.

2. Background Noise

Be mindful of background noise that may be picked up by the microphone. Traffic or ambient noise can distract your audience, and drastically reduce the video’s ability to convey your message. If filming in a noisy location is required, consider using a directional microphone to minimize background noise.

3. File Format 

Every social media channel has specific social media specs required when uploading content. Keep the following video specs for popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube in mind when creating content.

Facebook (Recommended size):

In Feed: 1280 by 720 pixels for Landscape and Portrait

Carousel Ads / Stories: 1080 by 1080 pixels

Reels: 1080×1920 or greater

Instagram:

Landscape video: 1920 by 1080 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)

Carousel Ads / Square video: 1080 by 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)

Vertical video: 1080 by 1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio)

Reels: 9:16 aspect ratio recommended

Youtube:

Min size: 426 by 240 pixels

Max size: 3840 by 2160 pixels

Video Guidelines to Follow

​​It is recommended to film for a vertical aspect first, but where possible it’s helpful to keep a wider shot to allow cropping for all platforms. 

Vertical First Content

For content on platforms like TikTok, Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, Youtube Shorts, and Snapchat, it is important to zoom out enough when there are multiple people in a shot to ensure the video does not feel cramped or claustrophobic. Also keep in mind where important visual information will be placed, as the description and other text might run over some of the footage.

Youtube Video Composition

When composing a shot for YouTube, it is important to consider the basic principles of composition. The rule of thirds or symmetry can be used to help create visually appealing footage. The rule of thirds is a common compositional technique that divides your frame into an equal, three-by-three grid with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines that intersect at four points.

The rule of thirds grid can be turned on the back display of the camera to help ensure that the elements of focus fall within the vertical lines. This ensures that the footage can be used in both horizontal and vertical orientations, without sacrificing the overall composition of the shot.

Video content has the power to engage and inform audiences in a way that other content formats cannot. With the right approach and tools, videographers can help their clients create social media video content that will make a lasting impression on their audience and help them achieve their marketing objectives.

How B2B Companies Can Leverage GA4

google analytics 4

The latest version of GA4 is scheduled to take over Universal Analytics on July 1st, 2023. In this post, we highlight some of the key differences between UA and GA4, how to prepare for GA4, and how B2B companies can leverage GA4 changes.

Key Differences Between GA4 and Universal Analytics

Google’s GA4 is a recent version of Google’s analytics platform intended to support the future of analytics reporting. The key difference is that GA4 is set to run seamlessly across various platforms and does not depend on cookies. 

It gathers both website and app data and uses event-based data instead of session-based data. This offers a more inclusive and user-oriented approach to scrutinizing website performance, thus enhancing the customer experience.

It employs an event-based data model to measure website traffic and user engagement. Moreover, GA4 comes with privacy controls, advanced reporting features, and the capability to measure cross-device performance at the property level.

How to Prepare for GA4 

It is highly advisable to create parallel GA4 properties alongside UA properties in order to compare data. The sooner the better. More details here: “Make the switch to Google Analytics 4”. A few tips to prepare for Google Analytics 4:

  • Begin building historical data on GA4 well before the deadline.
  • Creating GA4 properties now will allow getting ahead of any potential issues in setting up events and conversion tracking.
  • Understand how paid media tracking will get impacted by GA4.

How B2B Companies Can Leverage GA4

GA4 is here to change and improve the way B2B marketers measure and track performance. Here are some ways B2B companies can leverage GA4 for increased efficiency.

1. Identify Customers With Highest Lifetime Value

With advanced machine learning and predictive capabilities, GA4 provides marketers with real-time insights into user behaviors and conversions. GA4 also offers an easy way to create lookalike audiences based on high-value customers, enabling marketers to expand their reach to similar potential customers.

These features will allow businesses to streamline their data analysis and decision-making processes without the need for complex analytics models, saving time and resources.

2. Better Understanding of Complete Customer Journey

B2B Companies will be able to better understand the complete customer journey with GA4’s event-based measurement model. This model provides a holistic view of the customer lifecycle that is not limited by individual sessions or platforms.

GA4 will help easily track data across various applications and devices, providing a comprehensive and accurate understanding of how customers are interacting with your brand.

3. Data-Driven Attribution for Improved ROI: 

Data-Driven Attribution is a model for distributing credit for conversions that relies on data for each conversion event. It calculates the actual contribution of each click interaction using data from your account.

This feature will help improve the return on investment (ROI) of brand’s marketing campaigns by analyzing the customer journey from the first touchpoint to the final conversion. It can also provide a more accurate and detailed picture of how different marketing activities contribute to conversions.

It can help identify which marketing channels and campaigns are most effective in driving conversions and allocate your budget accordingly. Allowing to optimize marketing efforts and achieve better results with less investment.

4. Cross-Channel Insight Integration

GA4 provides enhanced integration with diverse Google offerings such as Google Ads, Search Console, Merchant Center, Display and Video 360, BigQuery, and Search Ads 360. This integration enables you to blend web and app data, extract valuable insights, and utilize them to refine marketing campaigns.

By blending web and app data, GA4 allows valuable insights into customers’ behavior, interests, preferences, and needs. These insights can help identify trends and patterns in customers’ behavior, such as how they interact with websites, which products or services they are interested in, and where they are located. This data can then be used to refine marketing campaigns and optimize online presence.

Looking Ahead of GA4

Google Analytics 4 is a powerful analytics tool that provides businesses with valuable insights about their customers. However, more than insights are needed to drive engagement and conversions. An integrated marketing strategy that incorporates these insights into various marketing channels is crucial for businesses to achieve their marketing goals.

To put these insights into action and optimize marketing ROI, B2B companies need to employ a digital marketing solution that can help them apply data-driven learnings across multiple touchpoints including programmatic advertising, social media marketing, website design, and email marketing.

Digital and Social Media Marketing Trends for 2023

digital marketing trends 2023

Some trends come and go, and it’s important to stay on top of them if you wish to keep up with the ever-changing digital world. From the rise of AI and automation to the increased focus on privacy and data protection, these ten Digital and Social Media Marketing Trends will help guide your marketing efforts and drive success in 2023.

1. Social Networks For Customer Service

Social networks for customer service

Now more than ever, social networks are being used more as a tactic rather than an afterthought. A 2022 survey by Hootsuite confirms this, with  59% of marketers saying social customer care has increased their organization’s overall value.

This highlights social networks’ ability to facilitate communication between customers and brands. Companies are using multiple channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as an almost near-instant chat. 

Paypal, for example,  responds to “mentions” on Twitter to help customers and respond to feedback.  Some platforms like Facebook offer companies automated responses and chatbots to improve overall customer service experiences.

2. Preparing For Post-Cookie Changes

post-cookie changes google

It’s the beginning of the end for third-party cookies as more users refuse to be tracked on websites. Loss of cookies is great for individual data privacy, but a challenge for organizations that heavily rely upon them for tracking and engagement.

With GA4 replacing Google’s Universal Analytics permanently in July 2023, it’s important to become familiarized with the update. GA4 relies upon first-party cookies – those used by the website that the user is actually visiting. By leveraging machine learning and statistical modeling, GA4 can fill in data gaps as the world becomes less and less dependent on cookies.

Marketers can leverage paid social on social media applications like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn among others. These social channels are considered “walled gardens” that contain first-party data with identity-based audiences. While limited, access to this data will aid marketers in targeting and retargeting consumers within their target audience.

3. Micro-Influencers Continue to Dominate Brand Partnerships

micro-influencers

Among the influencers on social media there exist a subset of micro-influencers. Micro-influencers are deemed to be among brands’ most powerful collaborators, and for good reason. 

This group of influencers has between 10k – 100k followers—a presence slightly larger than a normal person, yet smaller than a celebrity. And in 2023 they are sure to dominate influencer marketing as a whole due to their ability to reach a much higher engagement rate to a niche-based following.

4. Short-Form Video is Here to Stay

short-form video

According to The Tree Top Therapy, the average human attention span is 8.25 seconds. While this can vary depending on the individual’s age, environment, and type of activity, keeping this statistic in mind is clutch when creating a short-form video.

According to Wyzowl 2022 Video Marketing Statistics, 86% of businesses are using video as a marketing tool. They are also utilizing videos for various topics, having explainer videos coming out on top at 74%.

Influencer marketing and short-form video are trends that are continuing to grow. In a study by Influencer Marketing Hub, influencer marketing has grown from 1.7 billion to $13.8 billion since 2016. And with a projected value of at least $16.7 billion by EOY, it’s key to prioritize maintaining influencers within your content strategy.

5. Niche Social Communities To Engage Consumers 

niche communities

We are seeing brands move further and further away from personas and allowing brand communities to work independently. Their ability to focus on these communities is essential for brands because it increases loyalty.

Without brand loyalty, a community will still prioritize the groups’ voice over influencers. Connecting and catering to these communities can help to understand the consumer ecosystem.

Strategically broadcasting marketing messages can work to captivate niche audiences. Depending on the brand, LinkedIn and Facebook groups offer community member exchange, which can hugely impact your brand’s messaging and trust component.

6. Digital and Social Shopping

social shopping

A 2022 report confirmed 84% of Instagram users have purchased products on social media platforms. This trend gained major traction in the past months, and the statistic proves that developing a strategy for social shopping will be increasingly important.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are continually making social shopping easier for users. People can currently shop photos and in-app stores on Instagram, or even shop live streams on TikTok.

Meta decided to venture beyond VR by launching “The Meta Avatars Store” for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram Stories, and DMs. Encouraging digital sales by providing digital outfits to purchase from Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne.

7. Sustainability And Brand Accountability

brand sustainability

No one wants to hear environmental buzzwords in 2023. Millennials and Gen Z are all about real sustainability and less greenwashing. Social media has amplified our awareness of climate change. Climate neutrality will continue to become the norm as more younger consumers demand brand transparency.

Consumers expect brands to act on environmental issues over pure profit. 

With impact-driven expectations currently trending, prioritizing these interactions on social should be a top priority. Brands must be ready to answer all and any questions to increase trust.

8. Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality

Lilmiquela

AR and VR have opened up new opportunities for user engagement. This is due to their ability to connect with audiences and help brands build better brand engagement. According to Acumen Research and Consulting, AR’s 2022 market size reached more than USD 28 billion and is expected to reach USD 451.5 Billion by 2030.

We have been seeing growth in the popularity of Virtual Humans like @lilmiquela which has accrued 6.2 mil followers on Instagram alone. Other popular Virtual Humans include @imm.gram and @rozy.gram with over 500k followers combined.

Two brands keeping up with digital shopping innovations are Nike and Ikea. Nike allows customers the opportunity to scan items like shoes or clothing for additional information. Nike’s customers can also immerse themselves into a VR world to experience the different steps in Nike’s supply chain to see where items are being made.

Ikea on the other hand, allows shoppers to use AR with their smartphone camera with the help of “The Place App”. The Place App helps customers visualize how specific furniture items can look in their homes or any setting.

9. TikTok to Compete With Google as a Search Engine

tiktok as a search engine

TikTok has now positioned itself as a search engine in direct competition with Google by prioritizing high-quality results. 

In a recent Google survey, 40% of Gen Z are using TikTok as a search engine over Google and Instagram. 

Brands may need to rethink how they’re prioritizing social media marketing and traditional SEO. Brands can use TikTok as a tool to rank within search by using trending sounds or working with micro-influencers.

10. BeReal Creating Change Within Social Media

bereal for authenticity

Consumers are craving authentic, real-time content. BeReal saw this demand and created a new platform focusing on true-to-life content by allowing users to post once a day within a two-minute notification window. Their incredible one-year growth from 10,000 to 15 million daily active users proves viewers want to see this authentic content more. 

And brands are jumping on this trend. Tourism Fiji promoted their country with an image a day in various locations, highlighting the unedited beauty of their destinations. On the other hand, Chipotle tapped into the right-now need for consumers by posting a coupon code to their account available only to the first 100 followers to use it.

Conclusion

There is no question that 2023 will increase many of the social marketing strategies that were kick-started last year. The focus on authenticity, short-form video, and the use of micro-influencers will continue to rise. 

In addition, sustainability and brand transparency will be more sought after, with social being even more incorporated into other aspects like VR and AR. With so many developments on the horizon, now is the time to review your strategy and ensure that you are prepared to adapt and thrive.

How Marketers are Gearing up for CPRA Changes in 2023

Companies have gone to great lengths to acquire consumer data for the purpose of unwanted marketing and sales efforts. The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and the California Privacy Protection Agency (CCPA) are privacy laws that have given consumers more control over their personal data and how it is collected and used. The most recent change has been made on January 1, 2023, as CPRA has replaced the CCPA and is set to bring significant changes that will impact how advertisers and marketers target their efforts.

CPRA’s added layer of consumer protection regulations will limit the processing, deletion, and sharing of personal information of any California consumers. This includes employees, job applicants, contractors/freelancers, suppliers, and B2B prospects. With this legislation now in effect (full enforcement will start on July 1, 2023) companies and marketers are already taking steps to ensure compliance.

What are the changes?

CPRA Changes data privacy

Marketers are now paying close attention to how these changes are affecting companies. The recent $1.2 million fine issued to Sephora for CCPA violations in data collection and processing serves as a warning of the strict penalties for noncompliance.

Companies are now adhering to new notice content requirements and passing on deletion requests to third parties. Marketers are regulating personal information transferred to comply with data security requirements. Some of the changes include:

  1. Personal information, with same protections as consumer data
  2. Expanded consumer data rights
  3. Right to know, right to delete, and right to opt-out
  4. Passwords and security questions protection
  5. Prohibiting numerous attempts if someone declines
  6. Stricter penalties for violating the data rights of children under the age of 16

These changes impose new requirements when managing service providers and require contracts for the transfer of personal information to third parties.

How will this affect advertisers?

The CCPA has granted California residents the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information, but the CPRA has taken a step further by introducing a new specific language allowing residents to opt out of having their data “shared” with advertisers.

This means that California residents will have even more control over their personal information and the ability to protect it from being used in targeted advertising systems.

Privacy professionals believe that the new CPRA will set a new tone for digital advertising and publishing that will change the way advertisers choose to advertise.

How to work with these changes?