How to Help Digital Marketers in Ukraine

Why Podcast Agencies Fear the Future of Dynamic Ads

Image: Canva

Why are some podcast agencies worried about the move away from host-read ads and towards dynamic ads?

That's what Digiday explored in a think-piece today.

The benefits of dynamically-inserted ads explain why more agencies are leaning towards the format: 

• The process is automated, faster, easier, and often cheaper - one ad can be placed in multiple shows. 

• Advertisers have more control over the audience they want to target.

• Pre-recorded spots don't need to go through time-consuming approval processes between the host and the advertiser. 

However, the article's author believes that as the industry moves towards automated ads, it is moving away from host-read and live-read ads.

Agencies also fear that the move to programmatic buying will oversaturate a medium that typically has a lighter ad load than other digital media.

The solution? Why not both? iHeart is blending the two together:

• The company has a full dynamic insertion model, but ads dynamically inserted are pre-recorded, and read by podcast hosts.

The CEO of iHeart said that this model has contributed to its revenue growth — In 2021, its podcast revenue grew by 148% compared to 2020, totalling over $252 million.

The full piece is up at Digiday.com — look for the article called "Why podcast agencies are warning about the move to dynamically-inserted ads."

Google and Bing Suspend Ad Sales in Russia

Image: Canva

An update now on how the Ukraine crisis is affecting the digital marketing world.

As of today, both of the leading search engines now prohibit ads targeting users in Russia.

1. Google has suspended all ad sales in Russia.

• The ban covers Search, YouTube and outside publishing partners.

1. And Microsoft has also announced that it will suspend "all new sales" of its products and services in Russia.

Aside from protesting against Russia's actions in Ukraine, the ad bans help the companies ensure brand safety.

How You Can Help Ukraine Search Marketers Seeking Work

Image: Canva

If you're wondering how your business can help Ukraine, consider helping by hiring an SEO & PPC marketer that is seeking work. 

An SEO specialist has created two Google Sheets that are available to everyone in our industry:

1.  One is for job seekers - people that are looking for a gig from Ukraine

• More than 100 search marketers have added info about their specializations and skills. 

• We've created a shortlink to that at b.link/giglooking

1.  And the other is for digital vacancies willing to hire Ukrainians 

• More than 40 companies so far have added information about positions that are available. 

• That one is available at b.link/gigoffering 

New Google Analytics Home Page

Image: Canva

Google has announced the release of its new home page for Google Analytics 4 properties (formerly known as an "App + Web" property).

The company said that "the Home page surfaces information that's relevant to you based on your behaviour in Analytics," and that it provides more personalized content the more you continue to use Analytics. 

This page will allow you to monitor traffic, navigate through Analytics, and get insights about your web sites and mobile apps. 

The new homepage features five parts:

1. Overview shows you metrics relevant to your behaviour in Analytics

2. Realtime shows activity as it happens using data from the Realtime report

3. “Recently viewed” provides links that you visited most recently

4. “Because you view frequently” shows cards that you view often

5. "Insights" shows unusual changes, emerging trends, and other insights about your sites and apps

Image: Google 

Microsoft Testing New Ad Creator

Image: Canva

Microsoft is testing a new Ad Creator that lets you repurpose your web site content for ads.

The new feature extracts images from your site so that you can use them in your ads.

You can assess the photos by:

• Clicking the "Add image button"

• Once you’ve determined an image, select Add Images > Website Images

• And choose which ones you’d like to show with your ads

Ad Creator also comes with a photo editor, which is pretty standard. The new photo editing features will include:

• Designer effects provide a selection of photo editing filters.

• Background blur alters the image background. 

• And background colour allows you to select and apply a solid hue from the auto-generated options, or you can use the colour picker for manual selection.

Microsoft said that these updates are a few ways that the company is enhancing its offering to make the platform a "one-stop tool" for digital advertisers. The update is currently in pilot.

Images: Microsoft

Amazon Was Top of UK Ad Spend

Image: Canva

We now know who had the biggest media spends on digital display advertising last year in the UK:

• Peloton was the top spender 

• Amazon was second in terms of spending

• Followed by eBay.

Digital display includes the space outside of search marketing and social media ads.

The report did not give digital display's total ad spend for the year, but it stated the industry had experienced "significant growth" over 2021.

Entertainment and Leisure, Computing and Finance continue the lead in the digital space, with combined revenue of over $1.3 billion. 

According to the report, ad spend rose 20% last year following a 17% decline in 2020. 

And Amazon became the UK’s top advertiser by spend last year, rising from third place in 2020, beating out Procter & Gamble who came second.

Data has been provided by Nielsen.