| Good morning, Marketer, what does Twitter have to do to be liked? Sure, people dump on Facebook all the time, and for lots of good reasons. But Facebook continues to thrive, and although it does face challenges going up against Apple on user privacy, it has easily shaken off criticism, regulatory assaults and advertising boycotts. Twitter, however, always seems to give the impression that itâs clinging on. Yes, its ad revenue is growing, but thereâs no reason to think it will ever take off like a rocket, partly because user growth has come close to plateauing over the last few years. Yes, it grows a little each quarter, but one has the sense that around 300 million monthly active users is the audience itâs going to have, indefinitely. And investors seem to share that view. Twitter is part of most marketing strategies, but one has the sense that itâs not the critical part. How much would brands miss it? Kim Davis
Editorial Director |
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| | | Social | | | | | Facebook revenue almost doubled: Twitter hit its target, but stock fell | | In Q1 earnings reports last week, Facebook nearly doubled its revenue YoY. Twitterâs revenue was up 28%, but it missed its forecast for monthly users and issued a forecast for Q2 revenue which fell short of the marketâs expectations. Twitter stock fell after the earnings were released and closed down about 17% Friday. Facebookâs increase was driven largely by an uptick in ad prices, according to the CFO outlook commentary on the earnings report: âWe are pleased with the strength of our advertising revenue growth in the first quarter of 2021, which was driven by a 30% year-over-year increase in the average price per ad and a 12% increase in the number of ads delivered.â Why we care. That was a feel-good earnings report for Facebook, but until we know the impact Appleâs App Tracking Transparency initiative is going to have on the value of inventory, itâs hard to extrapolate much from these Q1 results. Twitter meanwhile continues to be a very high profile social media channel, and the increase in ad revenue must be welcome, but it still seems to be finding its way as a business. Perhaps itâs looking for its Instagram (Vine wasnât it). Read more here |
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| | | Facebook | | | | | Credit card ads were targeted by age, violating Facebookâs anti-discrimination policy | | Financial product companies were able to exclude users under certain ages from their target audiences, according to a new report from The Markup. âThe Markup found examples of four different companies targeting ads for financial services to restricted age groups, a practice that violates Facebookâs anti-discrimination policies and, in some cases, may violate federal or state civil rights laws,â wrote Corin Faife and Alfred Ng. Aspirationâs Zero credit card was able to exclude users under 25. Another service called Hometap, which offers cash in exchange for shares in home equity, was able to exclude any Facebook users under 35 from their campaigns. Itâs not obvious how the ads were able to bypass filters Facebook has in place for anti-discrimination. This isnât the first time that an ads product has let discrimination slip through the cracks. In February, employers, landlords and credit providers could prevent their Google Ads from showing to people of âunknown gender,â enabling potential discrimination against nonbinary individuals. Why we care. Targeting is key to ensuring your advertising reaches the right audience, but itâs also imperative that your advertising doesnât exclude any group illegally. Most advertising tools have protocols to prevent this, but advertisers in industries like finance, housing, and employment need to be extra careful and give any targeting a second look before launch. |
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| | | | Compare 13 leading marketing automation platforms | | Marketing automation platforms form the backbone of marketing operations, increasingly serving as sophisticated marketing orchestration platforms. MarTech Todayâs âB2B Marketing Automation Platforms: A Marketerâs Guideâ examines the market for B2B marketing automation software platforms. This report includes profiles of 13 leading B2B marketing automation vendors, capabilities comparisons, pricing information, and recommended steps for evaluating and purchasing. Get it now » |
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| | | Experience | | | | | Can Amazonâs hold on shoppers be broken? | | 40% of US shoppers would like to reduce their purchasing with Amazon, and 30% feel guilty after buying from Amazon. Those results come from a survey of over 2,000 U.S. consumers, conducted by Advanis for Sitecore. Almost half of those surveyed fell into the 18-24 age range. Age is relevant here, because the younger the respondent, the more likely they were to feel guilt. Baby Boomers were fine with buying from the online shopping giant. Of course, a guilty conscience might have many causes, from buying or spending too much to the disapproval of Amazonâs treatment of its workforce and hostility to unionization. The survey isnât clear on causes, but a lot might be read into the reasons people gave for considering leaving Amazon. Poor quality purchases and lack of choice (each 21%) were much more widely reported than wanting to give other online retailers a chance (12%). Why we care. The bottom line is experience. Gen Z feels most guilty about using Amazon, and over 40% of Gen Z would be happy to make a switch if other online retailers provided a comparable experience, including discounts and incentives. Young consumers are giving competitors to Amazon a clear roadmap to win their business. |
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| | | Quote of the day | | | | | | | âI am heartbroken by the current situation in India. Iâm grateful the US government is mobilizing to help. Microsoft will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices.â Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft |
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