Et tu, Reddit? 😪

THE FRIDAY QUIZ

We all know that Google controls a lot of our businesses — it owns the major search engine, it has the most-used maps, and it's got a huge number of consumer reviews.

But how much does one affect the other?

On the Friday quiz — this question:

In other words, will a small number of reviews keep you lower in the rankings?

The answer, later in today's issue.

ALGORITHMS: Facebook Shuts Off Instagram Algo Research Project

You may have heard last week Facebook shut off platform access for some academics using the platform's Ads Library to research political ads and misinformation.

Now, Facebook has done it again — to some German researchers who were studying the Instagram algorithm.

Facebook claims its beef with these isn't as much about them collecting data, but how they're collecting the data. Both programs relied on a browser plugin that users could install, to send back anonymized info of what was presented in their own feed.

This, said the researchers, wasn't a violation of any of Facebook's terms, since everyone who provided data consented to participate.

In the case of the German study, they say their research found that:

They say the research is among the most advanced studies ever conducted on the platform.

Last May, the researchers say Facebook asked for a meeting and told them if they didn't cease and desist, Facebook would "mov[e] to more formal engagement.” I guess Zuckerberg and Co prefer thinly veiled threats over just coming out and saying "We'll probably sue you."

Quoting The Verge:

REDDIT: Testing a TikTok Clone on iOS Devices

Yesterday we reported on TikTok's recent investment which will end up being about $700 million dollars. Today, we may have learned what they're spending at least part of that money on — and Redditors are not going to like it.

It is.... A TikTok clone. (Because of course it is.)

Most iOS users now should have a button on the Reddit mobile app to the right of the search bar — when you tap it, you get a stream of videos just like you would on TikTok.

Quoting Techcrunch:

This format has been in testing for about a year now, but this is the first broad push and certainly the first that came with a big front-and-centre UI change.

A Reddit PR person, who I'm assuming was on loan from Facebook, said:

People. Can we all knock off the superlatives and just be honest with our users? It's okay to say "We've watched TikTok grow and we'd like to let our users consume content that way too." Not everything has to be about uplifting communities, providing engaging and meaningful experiences, blah blah blah.

The tech for this more than likely came from Dubsmash, a TikTok clone they bought in December. Apparently both Facebook and Snapchat were sniffing around a potential acquisition too.

Reddit currently attracts 50 million daily active visitors and hosts 100,000 active subreddits. One of which is ours! Check us out at r/TodayInDigital

GOOGLE ADS: A New Full-Screen Mobile Ad Format

It's not every day we get a new ad format, but we got one today from Google — it's called the "full-screen inline ad."

These are banner ads that take up the entire width of the screen and appear inline with the page content.

Ads with this format will only show up below the fold, of course — nobody wants a banner right at the top — and will be in both Automotive ads placements and responsive ad units. 

If you run a web site that has AdSense ads, there's nothing you need to do extra here — if you have suitable ad placements, full-screen inline ads will automatically start to appear on your site.

LINKEDIN: Your Customers Can Rate Your Skills Now

So you're looking for a provider of some kind — like a copywriter or a photographer — and you check out their LinkedIn profile. They've got it relatively fleshed out, including Skills and Services.

But can you trust what they say?

A new update might help give services buyers a little more comfort.

This update lets users get rated and reviewed on the skills they list on their profile.

If you're one of those freelancers or consultants and you have the Services page enabled on your profile, you should have gotten an email from LinkedIn recently, which reads in part:

Yes, invites. In a move apparently designed to keep bad reviews or trolls away, these LinkedIn reviews can only be left when you've been invited to leave one. And each user will only get 20 invite credits to spend on people they want reviews from, so hopefully we won't all start getting spammed with invite requests.

E-COMMERCE: Wish.com Is Not Doing Well

You've seen their ridiculous Facebook ads before, advertising the strangest mix of products. So strange that entire communities on Reddit and elsewhere have sprung up to track the ads.

The company is Wish.com — one of the world's most visible e-commerce stores. They're seemingly everywhere, so they must be doing well right?

Nope.

Their Q2 numbers show that revenue actually fell by 6% YoY. They posted a net loss of $111M. They lost money last year in Q2 as well, but only $11M then.

Some other troubling figures:

• Installs of its mobile app were down 13%

• Their stock is down 59%

• One silver lining was logistics revenue which more than doubled — but when you break out revenue from their bread-and-butter e-commerce sales, that pot of money was down 29%.

Wish's CEO said he expects Q3 numbers to also be down.

E-COMMERCE: The Bay Will Split Up

So with the possible exception of Wish, e-commerce is a strong player right now. And we're seeing some brands reorganize their operations around online selling.

Here's a big example — the Hudson's Bay company. I don't have to explain this to Canadians — suffice to say, the brand is iconic here, if riddled with a questionable colonial history.

This week, it said it would separate its department stores and e-commerce unit into two distinct businesses. The 86 department stores will use "The Hudson's Bay Company," and the e-commerce operation will just be called "The Bay."

The Bay will sell more than 25,000 products from 1,500 brands. It is the sixth-largest e-commerce platform in Canada.

THE FRIDAY QUIZ - ANSWER

As for the Friday quiz:

The answer: Nope, not at all.

Here's Google search advocate John Mueller:

You can sponsor a whole month's worth of the Friday quiz for less than $100 bucks. Check out TodayInDigital.com/ads.

Today in Digital Marketing is produced on beautiful Vancouver Island by engageQ digital. Production support and fact checking by Sarah Guild. Theme composer Mark Blevis is the proverbial wind beneath my wings. Podcast music licensing by Source Audio.