High-Performance Digital Marketing Podcast
YouTube Ads Scandal...and More Marketing News
Wed Jul 05 2023Description
The episode covers an ad scandal involving TrueView ads on YouTube and Google, the impact of ad spending on sales, the uncertainty surrounding social media platforms like Twitter, the upcoming launch of Threads, the potential for advertising on Threads, challenges faced by social networks in monetization, the promise of email marketing, the implications of Bing Chat AI on search ads, and the future developments in generative AI in search results.
Insights
Ad Fraud and Responsibility
Advertisers and brands should take responsibility for pouring billions of dollars into a platform where a significant portion of the inventory is fake.
Diversifying Audience Reach
Diversifying audience reach across multiple platforms is recommended in case of platform updates or changes.
Threads as a Competitor
Threads, a competitor to Twitter, leaked on the Google Play Store and is set to launch on July 6th. It may have an advantage over other competitors due to its ability to port its audience from Instagram.
Challenges in Monetizing Social Networks
Social networks are facing challenges in monetizing their platforms and may need to adjust their business models. Advertising will continue to play a significant role, with Meta having access to user data.
Email Marketing Potential
Email marketing still holds promise as an effective channel for businesses.
Implications of Bing Chat AI
Bing chat GPT, an AI experience inside Bing, has implications for SEO and search ads. Sponsored ads as citations in Bing chat indicate potential traffic from generative AI search results.
Concerns about Generative AI in Search Results
There are concerns about the execution of generative AI in search results, but tailored and segmented search results can lead to better conversions.
Future Developments in AI
Exciting developments in generative AI in search results are expected in Q3 and Q4.
Chapters
- Ad Scandal and Fraudulent Ads
- Impact of Ad Spending on Sales and Social Media Uncertainty
- Threads Launch and Advertising Potential
- Bing Chat AI and Sponsored Citations
- Generative AI in Search Results and Future Developments
Ad Scandal and Fraudulent Ads
00:00 - 07:17
- YouTube and Google have been involved in an ad scandal regarding TrueView ads.
- TrueView ads only charge advertisers if someone watches the ad for more than 30 seconds.
- However, on the Google Display Network, these ads were playing on a loop and charging advertisers for each 30-second loop.
- An ad analytics company claims that up to 73% of billable TrueView ads are not legitimate.
- Big names like American Express, Kayak, and Disney Plus have been affected by this fraud.
- Advertisers and brands should take responsibility for pouring billions of dollars into a platform where a significant portion of the inventory is fake.
- The disconnect between incentives and tracking business outcomes can lead to wasted ad spend.
- Raising brand awareness is important, but tracking sales impact is crucial.
Impact of Ad Spending on Sales and Social Media Uncertainty
06:59 - 14:01
- Impressions alone may not lead to sales, but they can raise brand awareness.
- Adelitix conducted a study on brands' ad spending and its impact on sales.
- The study received significant media coverage and generated high-quality backlinks.
- Twitter limited free users to seeing only 600 tweets per day, causing unrest among users.
- This move by Twitter may have negatively affected businesses relying on Twitter for traffic.
- There is uncertainty about the future of social media platforms like Twitter, which can impact creators and brands.
- Diversifying audience reach across multiple platforms is recommended in case of platform updates or changes.
- Metters, a competitor to Twitter, leaked its new app called Threads.
Threads Launch and Advertising Potential
13:35 - 20:18
- Metters Twitter competitor, Threads, leaked on the Google Play Store and is set to launch on July 6th.
- The timing of Threads' launch is opportune given the unrest on Twitter and Reddit.
- Instagram users can easily sign up for Threads by searching for it in the app.
- Meta has a history of copying functionality from other networks, and some of these features have been successful, such as Instagram Reels and Stories.
- Threads may have an advantage over other competitors like Mastodon because it can port its audience from Instagram.
- Advertisers are excited about the potential to advertise in public conversations on Threads, which could be a valuable channel for them.
- Social networks are facing challenges in monetizing their platforms and may need to adjust their business models.
- Advertising will continue to play a significant role, with Meta having access to user data.
- Twitch, despite running ads and sharing revenue with creators, has never been profitable under Amazon's ownership.
- Email marketing still holds promise as an effective channel for businesses.
Bing Chat AI and Sponsored Citations
19:48 - 26:54
- Email is still the number one app people check during the day, so there is promise in utilizing it for social media heavy businesses.
- Bing chat GPT is an AI experience inside Bing that has implications for SEO and search ads.
- User behavior with AI search results is being closely monitored to understand its impact on traffic.
- Bing chat has had half a billion chats since launch, but this number may not be significant considering Bing's daily searches.
- Engagement and usage of Bing chat are resulting in more clicks to websites, both organic and paid.
- Being able to run sponsored ads as citations in Bing chat indicates a reasonable volume of clicks and potential traffic from generative AI search results.
- It's important to consider that some users are just experimenting with these tools, so their behavior may not represent everyday average users.
- The monetization of sponsored citations raises questions about accuracy and misleading information in the AI-generated answers.
Generative AI in Search Results and Future Developments
26:32 - 32:17
- People may treat ads in search results differently when they are recommended by someone.
- The concept of generative AI in search results has potential, but there are concerns about execution.
- Search behavior may change as people provide more context and tailored queries.
- Tailored and segmented search results can lead to better conversions but potentially lower search volume.
- Users are asking longer questions in search, influenced by chat GPT's capabilities.
- The real progress with AI will begin now that the hype has died down.
- Exciting developments are expected in Q3 and Q4.
- Listeners are encouraged to subscribe and share the podcast with others.