Weekly Digital Marketing Roundup

July 17, 2017 – By Aaron Hockel

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

LinkedIn Adds Native Video Ads

Last Thursday LinkedIn rolled out a beta test of native videos to a small number of US based users. Videos have to be uploaded through the mobile app for now and can run up to 10 minutes in length. Similar to other social networks, the videos will launch automatically in news feed without sound. For more on this new LinkedIn feature, checkout the announcement on the MS Power User blog.

Facebook Testing Marketplace Ads

In a small, US only test, Facebook is experimenting with dynamic product listing ads in Facebook Marketplace. The ads will tested by a select group of retailers with large catalogs and will be placed via the same dynamic ad retargeting. Visually the ads will maintain the rectangular shape of a normal marketplace posting but will feature a “Sponsored” label and the advertiser’s name.

Google My Business Adding Chat Feature

Ready to chat with customers directly from your Google My Business listing? In testing since last November, Google has rolled out the option for businesses to enable messaging directly through the Google My Business listing. This feature shows up in mobile searches and works by sending text messages to a mobile number associated with the listing. For step by step instructions on enabling chat, checkout Barry Schwartz’s write up on Search Engine Land.

Facebook Expanding Access to Messenger Ads

If you haven’t seen ads in Facebook Messenger yet, you most likely will in the next couple of months. The company announced last week that it is opening the test that began in January for users in Australia and Thailand to all advertisers in the coming weeks. The ads, pictured below, appear in between messages in the Facebook Messenger inbox. This move is part of Facebook’s growing problem with a lack of ad space inventory.

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

Want to stay current on the latest digital marketing news? Sign up for our newsletter below!

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.