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Digital Marketing News Roundup: 6 Headlines You Can’t Miss
As a digital marketer, it’s imperative to stay up to date on the latest tech news and studies. Recent information can inform business decisions and marketing initiatives, and staying alert may help you relate to your customers in a more thoughtful way.
While we have much of our own original data on email, we also understand the importance of digital marketing news as a whole, so below is our latest digital marketing news roundup: six headlines you can’t miss.
1. “The anti-Facebook: Inside Pinterest’s slow and quiet rise”
As Pinterest gears up to go public, the market wonders how their “slow-and-steady-wins-the-race” pacing will affect success. Initially, Pinterest’s platform attracted users rapidly. To many, it seemed Pinterest would continue growing like its social media counterparts.
However, after its initial success, Pinterest’s growth slowed dramatically. According to Zuckerberg, the product was “niche,” and, unlike many other platforms, Pinterest didn’t churn out new features or buy up smaller startups.
And, while this lack of growth seemed problematic early on, we’ve now seen how reckless growth can negatively impact tech darlings and tech staples alike.
Like any company, Pinterest’s future is unknown, though it seems that their focus on customer happiness, truthful content, and financial stability will maintain their success and keep them out of the news.
2. “Oh snap: Snapchat launches new gaming and AR features in bid to play catch-up”
As Snapchat’s user base becomes less committed, Snapchat is adapting their platform to give it more of a competitive edge. In this case, that edge is augmented reality (AR) abilities.
While we’ve seen AR and VR popularity soar in the gaming world (Pokémon GO and VRChat come to mind), many tech publications are unimpressed by Snapchat’s announcement.
Many see it as a last attempt to stay relevant, especially as other platforms grow in popularity. Only time will tell if Snapchat’s AR evolution will prove effective.
3. “Code reveals Instagram may hide like count from users”
Instagram has been running a test that could suggest big changes. Jane Manchun Wong reverse engineers apps to uncover unreleased features, and she recently found a test that removes the number of likes from Instagram posts.
Again, this is only a test, but it suggests a future in which Instagram posters alone could see the number of likes on their images. If this test were to be implemented as a permanent change, influencers could suffer, as their success would no longer be as available publicly.
Because engagement so heavily affects influencer deals and marketing, a change like this would certainly require users and Instagram businesses to adapt. However, it’s unclear whether or not this is just a test.
4. “Possible repercussions from the Google walkout”
In the fall of 2018, roughly 20,000 Google employees participated in a global staged walkout, a peaceful yet resounding protest to the company’s handling of sexual misconduct and harassment allegations.
Now, less than a year later, participants and organizers say they’ve faced repercussions. Between demotions, deteriorating professional relationships, and even outside legal counsel, the subsequent months have been difficult for the organizers of a once hopeful protest.
These reports further complicate an increasingly relevant story in tech: When unseemly stories come to light, even the largest companies don’t always seem to know the correct course of action.
5. “Global State of Remote Work survey”
Owl Labs released their Global State of Remote Work survey with 2018’s results. The survey shows offices that allow remote work have happier/more productive-feeling employees and less turnover.
Perhaps this is why 56% of companies are either hybrid companies (allowing remote and in-office work) or exclusively remote. One of the most interesting findings from this survey is why people choose to work remotely.
While last year’s survey showed employees were seeking work-life balance, this year’s results show a new goal. The #1 reason people are working away from the office? Enhanced productivity. (No commute continued to be the #2 reason.)
6. “Tech and privacy groups hate the Census citizenship question”
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’re probably familiar with the current Supreme Court case regarding the Census citizenship question—something that hasn’t been asked of respondents since the 1950s.
Many believe the citizenship question on the 2020 Census will not only compromise the data, but it could also jeopardize those who respond. In the past, Census data has been misused for the draft, Japanese-American internment camps, and post-9/11 racial profiling.
Tech companies are worried too. Fewer respondents or a corrupted pool of respondents could negatively impact future business decisions. For instance, if a company wants to target a developing neighborhood, unreliable data could dissuade them incorrectly from investing in new opportunities.
Wrap up
There are a number of other stories that are prominent in the digital marketing world, but these recent headlines may help you consider customer perspectives, as well as industry trends.
For instance, do you need to re-evaluate your social media strategy? Are you targeting remote employees the way you should? (Should you be working remotely more often?) Collect some industry news for your next marketing initiative and see how it impacts your direction.
