Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup

Reddit’s data sharing deal with unnamed AI company could mark a key industry shift

An as-yet-unnamed AI development company has reportedly paid $60 million per year in order to gain exclusive access to Reddit’s full data set, which will see said AI company incorporate Reddit user responses into its large language model (LLM). With a view to the system providing more human-like answers and insight, and becoming a bigger challenger in online search. The value of Reddit data is that it provides actual, human usage insight, which can often be of more value than online reviews that can be skewed by paid responses, especially in the age of generative AI. Many suspect that the AI company is OpenAI, with the backing of Microsoft, as it looks to take on Google’s Search Dominance. With the rise of conversational searches, that does seem like a logical investment, and with another data source taken out of the mix, that could also lead to more differentiation in the market.

Report finds X may be inflating its ad performance results

There is an anomaly in X’s web traffic data, which has been under speculation recently. There was a significant increase in web referrals for the platform, particularly from Twitter and X’s own domain. The surge in traffic is noted in SEMRush data, with a possible correlation to changes in reporting methodology. The current speculation comments on reasons such as API access limitations and rate limits, but the cause is unclear. Another concern arises from a report suggesting that a large portion of referral traffic from X ads during the Super Bowl weekend may be fake, potentially affecting ad spend metrics. It is still however deemed unlikely that X may be artificially inflating its numbers for strategic reasons, considering the associated business risks.

TikTok Creative Assistant now available in Adobe Express

‘TikTok Creative Assistant’ is an AI-powered virtual assistant which offers users the ability to gain TikTok Insights on trending hashtags, brainstorm creative ideas, and even generate video scripts. The feature was previously confined to TikTok’s Creative Centre but is now directly accessible within Adobe Express. Which will minimise the time and effort required when working across various platforms, making content creation more efficient and user-friendly. If you’re not using Adobe Express yet but want to explore their Creative Assistant integration, you can access the new add-on for free via desktop. TikTok said in a statement: “With the new Creative Assistant add-on, Adobe Express now supports your brand’s entire TikTok creation journey from ideation to launch.”

Threads is running a Fact-Checking Program, but the System isn’t fully rolled out

While Meta doesn’t particularly want political discussion on Threads, it also knows that it’s likely to happen anyway, which is why it’s now expanding its fact checking feature to Threads. Fact-checking features aren’t unique to Threads, with the current update mirroring the work done in Facebook and Instagram. Meta will however be adding specific Threads tags, which will be important given the various polls happening around the world and the impact of AI-generated deep fakes. Fact-checking has become a point of contention amongst media owners, with X owner Elon Musk looking to reduce the impact of outside interference on what’s shared in his app, suggesting that these types of processes are merely designed to help maintain a certain narrative, as opposed to being used as informational markers. Politics, ideally, won’t gain significant traction on Threads, but it’s important for Meta to still consider the influence of such, and to counter harmful impacts where it can.

Meta advertisers can avoid 30% Apple service charge for boosted posts 

Meta is offering small businesses a new way to boost posts without having to pay a 30% service charge to Apple. Boosted posts allow businesses to quickly promote a piece of content without needing to set up a full campaign in Ads Manager. Advertisers will be able to use Facebook and Instagram directly on desktop and mobile to access all the features available in the IOS apps for boosting content without paying Apple. Meta said in a statement: “We are required to either comply with Apple’s guidelines, or remove boosted posts from our apps. (…) We do not want to remove the ability to boost posts, as this would hurt small businesses by making the feature less discoverable and potentially deprive them of a valuable way to promote their business.”

Meta apologises after ad error causes campaigns to overspend by ‘thousands’ 

Meta has issued an apology to advertisers following an ads delivery outage that resulted in campaigns overspending by “thousands.” The tech giant confirmed that services are now restored and expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to advertisers. Payment awaited by affected advertisers is not guaranteed, and if they were to successfully apply for the refund, it would take between four and eight weeks. Barry Hott, Growth and Performance Marketing Consultant, urged advertisers to report the issue to their Meta reps and/or support to “increase the likelihood of a refund for you and everyone.” He also recommended that advertisers use a realistic estimate based on recent past performance when applying for the refund, as this would increase the chance of them getting the refund they deserve.

X will soon let advertisers run ads next to a ‘curated list’ of creators 

X, formally known as Twitter, has announced a new feature called Creator Targeting, allowing advertisers to run ads alongside specific content creators, giving them more control to avoid controversial or offensive content. Advertisers can use X Ads Manager to run pre-roll video ads against the curated list of premium content creators, with plans to enable ads only on individual creators’ profiles in the future. This move comes after brands pulled ads from X due to concerns about ads appearing next to controversial content. The announcement may be an effort to regain advertiser trust, as X’s advertising revenue dropped significantly under Elon Musk’s ownership, with a 50% plunge in 2023 and revenue falling short of the $3 billion target. X aims to attract both advertisers and creators to its platform amid increased competition, with over 80,000 creators participating in its ad revenue sharing program since July.

YouTube now lets you integrate music videos into your Shorts 

YouTube is introducing the ability for users to incorporate or “remix” a music video in YouTube Shorts, as the company continues to challenge TikTok. YouTube has an extensive library of official music videos, which TikTok doesn’t, so it makes sense for the company to leverage it to advance its short-form video ambitions. The move is also well-timed for YouTube, as it comes just weeks after Universal Music Group pulled its song catalogue from Tiktok, removing the ability for users to add music from popular artists like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish. This announcement also comes a few months after Google revealed that YouTube Shorts has crossed 70 billion daily views, compared to 50 billion daily views back in February 2023. Though this shows healthy growth, Shorts still lag behind Reels and TikTok.

Google warns Universal analytics 360 users must migrate to GA4 ‘urgently’ 

Google has issued an urgent warning to Universal Analytics 360 users, advising them to migrate to Google Analytics 4 and export historical data before March. Failure to do so within the next two weeks could result in the loss of critical advertising capabilities. To ensure a smooth transition, Google recommends migrating Google Ads links, importing GA4 conversions, switching to bidding on them, adding GA4 audiences for remarketing, and exporting historical data. The full shutdown of UA properties is scheduled for July 1st, with Google emphasising the need for migration to GA4 by March for data validation and settings adjustment due to evolving technology and regulatory changes.

Google Maps blocked 45% more fake reviews in 2023 with new algorithm

In 2023, Google reported a significant boost in combating local spam on Google Maps, attributing improvements to a new machine learning algorithm and its spam-fighting team. The company blocked 45% more policy-violating reviews and 100% more policy-violating videos compared to the previous year. Google removed or prevented over 170 million fake reviews, 12 million fake business profiles, and 14 million policy-violating videos. A new algorithm analysed longer-term signals, identifying questionable review patterns swiftly. It successfully detected and prevented a scam involving a network offering fake online tasks, showing the algorithm’s effectiveness. Google emphasised ongoing efforts to enhance its system and remain vigilant against fraudulent activities on its platform.

YouTube releases 3 new features including live stream product tagging, post only feeds, and mobile uploads

YouTube has introduced a range of updates designed to assist brands and creators in enhancing conversions, expanding their reach, and facilitating the sharing of content:

Product tagging in live streams: allowing creators to tag products from participating merchants across in live streams, videos and Shorts, could help brands boost conversion as it makes it easier for consumers to view promoted products and make a purchase.

Post only feeds: which allows users to view a post-only feed, recommended based on channels they’ve previously engaged with. This could help brands enhance their reach as users who have demonstrated interest are more likely to engage. The recommendation of brand posts within this feed may also lead to increased exposure and higher levels of interaction.

Video and Short uploads from mobile: meaning creators can now select a file from their device’s gallery, choose the desired monetisation option, and complete the videos or Shorts upload process entirely within the Studio mobile app. Streamlining the content upload process will enable brands and creators to share videos and Shorts more efficiently.

Google Ads launches email series delivering tailored optimisation advice

Google Ads launched a new email series offering partners customised optimisation advice. Each email is tailored to your client’s account setup, offering recommended solutions to enhance campaign performance. As advertisers continue to face difficulty reaching Google Ads support, these automated emails offer valuable insights to boost campaign performance. Although they aren’t a replacement for support as they can’t address specific campaign concerns, they offer additional assistance to potentially improve your results.

Linkedin launches enhanced audience insights and predictive analytics 

LinkedIn launched a new solution for enhanced audience insights, making it easier to predict and improve potential campaign performance. With the platform’s new Media Planning API, users can use real-time data signals to assess the expected reach and frequency of campaigns before allocating any budget. A clearer understanding of a campaign’s potential performance enables more informed, data-driven decisions on the optimal media mix, timing, and frequency for achieving the best ROI. Lynn Bader, Senior Director, Agency Development & Global Marketer Education, said in a statement: “With media planning on LinkedIn, agencies can not only optimise their advertising strategies but also demonstrate the value of these strategies.”

Google expands generative AI capabilities for automatically created assets 

Google has expanded its generative AI capabilities for automatically created assets (ACAs) to include all English-language advertisers in the U.S and UK. ACAs, which can be activated at the campaign level, automatically generate assets like headlines and descriptions, complementing those provided by advertisers. The use of generative AI aims to enhance relevance to users’ search queries, providing advertisers with a broader range of ideas and significant time-saving benefits. The system works by considering both manually created and automatically generated assets to serve the combination predicted to perform the best for a given query. Google emphasises that ACAs are intended to supplement, not replace, existing headlines and descriptions.

Google tests branded Local Service Ads with opt-out option 

Google is testing branded Local Service Ads (LSA) called Direct Business Search, automatically enrolling brands into this ad type. It allows brands to appear in search results when users specifically search for them, charging only for leads from new customers. Marketers initially expressed concern about the inability to opt out, but Google confirmed that the opt-out option will be available for everyone starting from February 13. Existing customers clicking on Direct Business Search ads won’t incur charges, and brands can opt out by adjusting settings. Google describes this as an experiment, assuring advertisers that the opt-out feature will be accessible to all.