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Google Business Profiles Now Support Social Links
Social media has long been the most active and fastest-growing platform for businesses to raise awareness with new audiences. Not only this, but a prevalence of small or online-only businesses has left something to be desired with Google Business.
Creating a seamless user experience in local search results is now being made easier than ever, with Google Business profiles now being able to add a single link to one of their social media accounts directly onto their profile. Slowly being rolled out across all regions, this feature will support Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, X and YouTube, giving full control to businesses over which profile users are directed to. Allowing the choice of platforms outside of the big three for B2B – Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, gives some indication of the variety of content with which businesses are promoting themselves nowadays.
Currently, eligible profiles will pull through accounts automatically, but this small change will allow greater optimisation of the user journey and subtly boost the presence of small businesses that may find it hard to direct local traffic to the right places.
Nearly 90% of Marketers Opt for Facebook Advertising
Facebook continues to dominate marketers’ choices for advertising. A commanding 90% share of marketers opted for Facebook in 2023, leaving Instagram and TikTok trailing at 80% and a mere 26% respectively.
Despite being one of the first pioneers in the social media landscape, Facebook hasn’t lost its draw. An impressive 89% of global marketers used the platform to promote their businesses in 2023 – a testament to its enduring relevance. Instagram secured the second position with a rate of 80%, while LinkedIn followed closely at 65%. YouTube and Twitter found favour with 54% and 44% of marketers respectively. However, TikTok – often considered a growing force – lagged behind significantly with just 26% of respondents embracing it for advertising purposes.
At the helm of this advertising dominance stands Meta, Facebook’s parent company. With a substantial 55% stake in the global social media advertising market, Meta’s influence overshadows its competitors by a significant margin. In comparison, LinkedIn, the runner-up, captures a mere fraction of that market share. While other players like Snapchat, Reddit, Pinterest and X (formerly Twitter) share around 5% each, TikTok’s potential, popularity and ongoing monetisation efforts suggest a future in which it may likely exceed its current trailing position.
The trajectory of social media advertising spending further underscores its magnitude. In the past year, brands collectively invested a staggering $189.5 billion in social media ads. Projections hint at a rise to $207 billion in 2023, with a predicted surge to $247 billion by 2027.
GA4 Report Builder Comes to Sheets
Google has recently introduced the GA4 Reports Builder – a Google Sheets add-on for GA4 properties that aims to simplify reporting. Users can now seamlessly create and run reports directly within Google Sheets, eliminating the need to navigate through GA4’s interface. The process involves selecting “Create new report” from the add-on menu, specifying report details such as property, date range, dimensions, and metrics. Upon executing the report, the data appears in a corresponding tab.
Initial reviews showcase a mix of opinions. Users appreciate the tool’s simplicity and efficiency, noting it as a “true game-changer” for streamlining analytics workflows. However, some concerns emerge regarding missing features that could improve its utility. Suggestions so far include auto-scheduling for daily report updates, dimension and metric filter options, and additional tables for cleaner data representation.
This Google Sheets extension presents a powerful solution for users who prefer spreadsheet-based data analysis. While the add-on significantly improves GA4 data extraction into Google Sheets, feedback underlines the need for updates to fully address marketers’ requirements.
Demand Gen Campaigns – What You Need to Know
Demand Gen campaigns are a new groundbreaking Google ads strategy, designed to reach potential customers before they actively search for a specific product or brand. These campaigns are designed to harness visually captivating placements on Google-owned platforms like YouTube, Gmail, and Discovery.
Unlike traditional search ads, Demand Gen campaigns focus on creating brand awareness and generating interest among a broader audience. They include images and videos, allowing advertisers to showcase their products or services in a more engaging and immersive format.
One of the standout features of Demand Gen campaigns is their expanded reach on YouTube, encompassing In-Stream and Shorts, enabling advertisers to tap into the greater viewership of video content and the engagement this brings. Additionally, these campaigns offer advanced ad creative tools for previewing and A/B testing, empowering advertisers to fine-tune their content for optimal performance.
With flexible bidding options, including “maximise clicks,” Demand Gen campaigns cater to a variety of advertiser objectives and conversion paths. In essence, Demand Gen campaigns represent a shift towards a more visually oriented and audience-centric advertising approach. They utilise the influence of visual content in today’s landscape and offer advertisers a powerful tool to connect with potential customers early in their decision-making journey, driving brand awareness and engagement on Google’s diverse set of platforms.
