Digital Marketing News: Record Influencer Spending, Google’s Gmail Shopping Ads, Pinterest’s Verified Merchant Program, & Twitter Engagement Stats

By Lane Ellis

Facebook Adds ‘One-Time Notification’ API to Messenger for Business
Facebook has given marketers new options for contacting consumers who have agreed to notifications, with the release of an API token system that will enable expanded brand-to-customer contact choices, the social media giant recently announced. Social Media Today

Twitter says ad tech and product updates will improve direct response advertising
Twitter saw fourth quarter advertising revenues climb by some 12 percent to $885 million, with monetizable daily active users (mDAUs) up 21 percent to 152 million, and pointed to several updates that it expects to continue bringing better direct-response ad revenue, the firm recently reported. Marketing Land

Top Twitter Stats for 2020 [Infographic]
Twitter’s ad engagement rates rose by 23 percent, with video ads on the platform coming in some 50 percent cheaper in cost-per-engagement, two of many statistics of interest to digital marketers contained in recent Hootsuite infographic data. Social Media Today

Facebook Is Killing Off Its Web Supply In Audience Network – And Don’t Be Surprised If It All Shuts Down
Facebook has announced that it is phasing out mobile web publishers in its Audience Network. Shuttering one of its low-performing formats may have been driven by the shift away from browser cookies, as Facebook and other social platforms look to alternate forms of ad tracking. AdExchanger

Pinterest shares surge as revenue, user adds beat estimates
Pinterest announced fourth-quarter revenue increases up 46 percent to $400 million and an accompanying 26 percent increase in monthly active users, as the image-focused platform also announced plans to launch its own Verified Merchant Program. Reuters

New Research Shows Facebook Still Holds Sway With Millennials and Gen Z [Infographic]
Facebook has remained the most popular social platform among Millennials, with some 77 percent using it daily, while 64 percent of the demographic have their purchasing behavior influencer by the YouTube influencers they follow — two of several statistics of interest to digital marketers in newly-released survey data. Social Media Today

Google is Expanding Shopping Ads to Gmail
Google announced that it plans to offer a new variety of ads targeting Gmail users. Beginning March 4, Google’s Product and Showcase Shopping ads will get the ability to run on Gmail, the search giant recently revealed. Search Engine Journal

56% of marketers think AI will negatively impact branding in 2020, study says
The effect artificial intelligence (AI) has on branding is largely seen in a negative light, with 56 percent of marketers expressing fear that the technology could lead to the loss of jobs and lower creativity, while an even higher number — 77 percent — also expressed at least some level of concern over the use of AI with branding efforts. Marketing Dive

Instagram Adds New Listings of ‘Least Interacted With’ and ‘Most Shown …read more

Source:: Top Rank Blog