Weekly Digital Marketing Roundup

May 30, 2017 – By Aaron Hockel

Here are the biggest announcements, product updates, and news stories impacting the digital marketing industry last week:

Facebook Launches AMP Conversion Tool

Ever since the rollout of Google’s AMP pages, Facebook instant articles, and Apple News, developers have been challenged with formatting content and pages that work with all three platforms. Facebook is solving this problem with the release of an extension for their software development kit (SDK) that will build content that can be published as Google AMP and eventually Apple News. This is a big boost for media companies that have been an requesting a means to streamline content production for all three platforms.

comScore Releases Top Apps

Google and Facebook dominate on smart phones. Just how much do the dominate? According to comScore’s mobile app penetration rankings, they occupy the top 8 spots and 9 of the top 15. Facebook’s mobile app has the highest overall penetration, being installed on 77.1% of mobile devices. YouTube and Facebook Messenger tied for the number 2 spot at 68.1%. Only Snapchat and Pandora were able to crack the top 10, coming in 9th and 10th. Here are the complete rankings:

Google Issues Warning on Link Misuse

Building links through syndicated content publishing and guest posts? Make sure to read Google’s post on their webmaster blog last week warning authors and publishers about link building schemes. The biggest concern is mass content publishing of the same, or highly similar content, stuffed with keyword anchored links back to your site. Additional concerns noted by Google in the post include using hired writers who lack expertise and building high quantities of links from a few large sites.

Pintrest Launches Auto-Play Video Ads

Video ads were rolled out in Pintrest feeds, search results, and Related Pins galleries last August. Now they will have an optional auto-play feature. The auto-play video ads, which are mobile only and do not roll with sound, are being tested by Pintrest with a handful of large brands including Toyota, Visa, Adidas, and L’Oreal. They will eventually be open to all advertisers via the self-serve ad platform. Click here to watch a quick videofrom Pintrest’s official announcement that demonstrates how the ads work.

Missed last week’s roundup? Click here for the biggest digital marketing stories from last week!

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Aaron Hockel

Aaron Hockel is a Partner and the VP of Digital Marketing at AltaVista Strategic Partners. A University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) alumnus, Aaron expertly crafts digital marketing strategies that drive success for clients, leveraging his deep industry knowledge and innovative approach.