MARKETING
Is It Time for Content Marketers To Care About Web3? 20+ Experts Weigh In
Every year, the CMI editorial team asks six to eight questions of the experts speaking at Content Marketing World for this blog series.
Some are easier to answer than others (jargon, anyone?). But this question didn’t fall into the easy category: What should content marketers do about Web3?
Web3 describes a new and unfamiliar world. Is content marketing ready for it? The range of replies offered is as vast as Web3 itself.
Here’s what they suggest.
Don’t get too distracted
Learn, observe, and don’t get too distracted by that yet. Too many marketers get obsessed with the next big thing trying to get on wave early on while neglecting their current focus on the business and marketing strategy they are responsible for today. My advice is: Stay on strategy, focus on execution, and learn about the trends. This knowledge may come in handy in the future. – Igor Bielobradek, digital marketing senior manager, Deloitte
When it comes to #Web3 for #ContentMarketing, stay on strategy, focus on execution, and learn about the trends, says @igorbielo via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Don’t buy the hype, but learn all you can
Learn everything you can about it, including how it fits into the broader context of Web 1 and Web 2, where the potential opportunities lie, and what its pitfalls could be. Don’t get caught up in the hype, but don’t discount it, either. – Michael Bordieri, senior content solutions consultant, LinkedIn
Don’t get caught up in the #Web3 hype, but don’t discount it, either, says Michael Bordieri via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Get ahead of the learning curve
At a minimum, content marketers should be learning about Web3. What is it? How can it be harnessed? Where does it make sense to engage or experiment? It’s still the early days for Web3, but just like the internet in the 1990s, those curious enough to learn about it profited as it matured. The same principle applies to Web3. – Bernie Borges, vice president global content marketing, iQor
At a minimum, content marketers should be learning about Web3. What is it? How can it be harnessed? @bernieborges via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Keep standing out
Don’t get caught up in the hype. Everything evolves. Technology happens. As always, stay informed and vigilant. When it comes to content marketing, there’s only one thing that’s always paramount – stand out. Set the bar higher, make them lean in, zag where others zig. Remember: Communications is an emotional game. If you want to win, you have to move the brand aside and start putting a human out front – not the clip-art version but the warts-and-all version. Warning … some cojones are required. – Kate Bradley Chernis, co-founder and CEO, Lately
When it comes to #ContentMarketing and Web3, only one thing is always paramount – stand out. Set the bar higher, says @LatelyAIKately via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Be optimistic and cautious
I think they should be looking for shiny objects and committing tons of budget to them blindly. Oh, no. Maybe that’s the exact opposite of what they should do. I’ve been speaking about blockchain for years to audiences across Europe and the USA. I genuinely think the mindset we all need as content marketers is one of optimistic observation and careful action.
As it’s tempting to go all in with NFTs and creator coins, and we can show you great examples like my friend Mark Schaefer’s RISE coin, the industry is still in early adopter mode. So, brands with big budgets should dip their toes in and have someone on their team watching it weekly and reporting back to the team about what the next course of action is. – Jon Burkhart, founder, TBC Global Limited
As it’s tempting to go all, #ContentMarketing is still in early adopter mode when it comes to #Web3, says @jonburkhart via @CMIContent #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Appreciate the win-win opportunities
For marketers, Web3 should be an opportunity to learn and experiment. Web3 marketing is all about building relationships and partnering up so everyone wins. Businesses need to stop thinking of customers as metrics but rather about how to build shared outcomes with customers. It is going to be a shift in mindset as well as technology.
Build a community around your purpose, then align your growth strategy and community incentives for that go-to-market community. I love the way this has been explained in several marketing blogs: Web 1.0 marketing helped customers find something better. Web 2.0 marketing helped customers experience something better. The promise of Web 3.0 marketing is to help customers create something better. As marketers, we need to learn more about the tools to help us get there together. – Jacquie Chakirelis, chief digital strategy officer, Quest Digital/ Great Lakes Publishing
The #Web3 promise is to help customers create something better. Content marketers need to learn more about tools to help us get there, says @jacquiechak via @CMIContent #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Just don’t
Nothing.
Meg Coffey, managing director, Coffey & Tea
What should content marketers do about #Web3? Nothing, says @TexanMeg via @CMIContent #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Do nothing now
Most content marketers should do nothing for now. Until Web3 is better defined and taking shape, it is a distraction. – Wendy Covey, CEO and co-founder, TREW Marketing
Until #Web3 is better defined and taking shape, it is a distraction for #content marketers, says @wendycovey via @CMIContent #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Evaluate the impact
Content leaders should understand if your business is directly impacted and begin thought leadership campaigns. If the business is not directly impacted, you should aim to understand possible future scenarios that may and begin a content strategy to support it. One example could be how a decline in advertising revenue via traditional ads through all channels would impact your organization. – Jeff Coyle, co-founder, CSO, MarketMuse
If your business isn’t directly impacted by #Web3, aim to understand future scenarios and begin a #ContentStrategy to support it, says @jeffrey_coyle via @CMIContent #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Take a breath
Number one: Don’t panic about Web3. You’re not missing out on anything yet. Web3, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and NFTs are all in their gestation phase. That means we know the technology might provide value in the future; we’re just unsure exactly how it will reliably provide value to us as marketers. And that’s OK. Right now, most marketers shouldn’t spend more than 5% of their time, energy, and budget on all the stuff in the Web3 world. It’s good to keep your eye on it but let go of your FOMO. – Andrew Davis, author and keynote speaker, Monumental Shift
Most marketers shouldn’t spend more than 5% of their time and budget on #Web3. Keep an eye on it, but let go of FOMO, says @DrewDavisHere via @CMIContent #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Slow your roll
Learning as much as they can from credible sources but not steamrolling into the arena straightaway. There’s enough noise already. You want to become somebody’s favorite. – Chris Ducker, founder, Youpreneur.com
Learn as much as you can from credible #Web3 sources but don’t steamroll into the arena, says @ChrisDucker via @CMIContent #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Reward engaged content consumption
[Pay attention to] currency exchanges based on Ethereum smart contracts, where qualified buyers are paid to engage with matched contact. – Justin Ethington, partner, TrendCandyPay attention to currency exchanges based on Ethereum smart contracts, where qualified buyers are paid to engage with matched contact, says Justin Ethington via @CMIContent. Click To Tweet
Think community and privacy compliance
Learn about it. Consider how a more community-based, privacy-compliant web experience will enable them to engage with, build trust, and develop ongoing relationships online. – Mark Emond, president, Demand Spring
Consider how a more community-based, privacy-compliant web experience will enable them to engage with, build trust, and develop ongoing relationships online, says @Mark_DSpring via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Recognize frivolity and proceed with caution
I’m not sold on Web3, crypto, NFTs, or the metaverse. None of them is producing a lasting positive impact on consumers. They don’t significantly change the way consumers buy, think, or act. While I do enjoy 360-degree video experiences on YouTube with my VR headset, the rest of it doesn’t seem to have a significant change in consumer behavior.
Until it does, Web3 is frivolous and reserved for the risk takers and those with disposable time and income. If that’s your audience, then, by all means, pay attention and explore. But for most of us, success there is nothing more than a PR stunt.
The barrier to entry is expensive and prohibitive for consumers. So only wealthier people are even able to participate. My best advice is to pay attention, don’t ignore, but proceed with caution. I just don’t see most of it having lasting meaning until the socio-economic gap is closed. – Jason Falls, senior influence strategist, Cornett
#Web3 is for risk takers and those with disposable time and income. For most #content marketers, Web3 success is just a PR stunt, says @JasonFalls via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
See the similarities
Web3 will have three similarities to Web 1 and 2: brand, trust, and community. Just like the previous iterations, content marketers will need to build a brand following, create trust around the brand, and engage a community of followers. Whether you’re experimenting with NFTs or thinking bigger, some of the basics of traditional marketing still apply.
Now is the time for marketers to start applying artificial intelligence to today’s marketing programs so that you’re ready for tomorrow’s Web3 projects. Also, watch the mistakes and challenges of the brands already in the Web3 world – learn from what the bigger players are doing. – Penny Gralewski, senior director, product and portfolio marketing, DataRobot
Start applying artificial intelligence to #ContentMarketing programs so you’re ready for Web3 projects, says @virtualpenny via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Immerse in knowledge-building
Start by reading everything you can about Web3 and join a community like the one Joe Pulizzi is building with his Tilt community. Then, pick one new area you want to explore and start there. Just as you can’t try to be amazing across every new social media platform, you shouldn’t try to do all the Web3 things at once, either. – Erika Heald, founder, lead consultant, Erika Heald Marketing Consulting
You can’t try to be amazing across every new social media platform. Don’t try to do all the #Web3 things at once, either, says @SFErika via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Start a conversation
Exploratory. Talk about how it could affect your customers. Your company. Employees. So much of it is new. – Kathy Klotz-Guest, founder, Keeping it Human
Explore how #Web3 could affect your customers, company, and employees, says @kathyklotzguest via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Study the blockchain
At the minimum, content marketers need to learn about Web3. Even if you don’t understand NFTs and are disillusioned by the idea of overpriced JPGs, the blockchain technology that powers Web3 is going to change the way we connect with audiences, build communities, and use our content. The opportunities in Web3 are just beginning to be discovered. Start learning about different blockchain applications and pay attention to the implementations that work. Web3 will revolutionize content marketing. – Brian Piper, director of content strategy and assessment, University of Rochester
The blockchain tech that powers #Web3 is going to change the way we connect with audiences, build communities, and use #Content, says @brianwpiper via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Gain first-hand experience
Content marketers should be experimenting with Web3. Get involved in some token communities. Create a digital wallet. Buy an inexpensive NFT or two. Web3 is about community ownership. That comes with a lot of responsibility, but it’s difficult to see what’s possible if you don’t know how the basics work. – Joe Pulizzi, founder, The Tilt
#Web3 is about community ownership. It’s difficult to see what’s possible if you don’t know how the basics work, says @JoePulizzi via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Consider B2C and B2B possibilities
In the near term, I think Web3 is more applicable to B2C businesses than B2B. The loyalty programs that are a hallmark of B2C businesses have interesting analogies in the Web3 world. For both B2C and B2B, it’s important to understand what Web3 is. Observe the use cases that exist and understand the business results. For B2C, it might be time to experiment with a small initiative. For B2B, it’s best to sit back and continue watching but be ready to take action when the time is right. – Dennis Shiao, founder, Attention Retention
B2B #ContentMarketers can sit back and continue watching #Web3 use cases, but they need to be ready to take action when the time is right, says @dshiao via @CMIContent #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Remember the humanity
I understand the power and intrigue of Web3. I was there when Web 2.0 was launched, and the whole idea of web interactivity was a cool new thing. And now, the idea of decentralization, token-based economy, the division of power, etc., is fascinating.
But as far as content marketing? I think we should continue to focus on the human, especially with the crazy developments in AI and AR. I hope H2H – human-to-human interaction – will never be considered old school. As our world becomes more and more technology-centric, the human connection is going to be even more important. – Viveka von Rosen, chief visibility officer, Vengreso
I understand the power and intrigue of #Web3. But for #ContentMarketing, focus on the human, says @LinkedInExpert via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Research before you speak of it
Learn more about it before talking/writing about it. Web3, while not complicated, is somewhat new, and the uses are not yet defined clearly, at least as far as my mind space goes. I have kept quiet so I do not sound … umm … dumb. – Michael Weiss, vice president of consulting services and solutions, Creative Circle
Learn more about #Web3 before talking or writing about it. The #ContentMarketing uses are not yet defined clearly, says @mikepweiss via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Sit back and learn
Just like the transition from Web 1 to Web 2, this next phase will be years in the making, and it’s still too early to really know where this is all going. Like most new technology, there’s a process and a period of adjustment. We are still really early in it for Web3. So, for now, I’d say don’t panic. Sit back, listen, and learn. – Inbar Yagur, vice president of marketing, GrowthSpace
Don’t panic about #Web3. Sit back, listen, and learn, says @content_fairy via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Let the audience lead
Stay focused on your audience and your potential customer. Understanding their needs and actions will tell you if you should be involved in Web3, TikTok, or anything else. – Andy Crestodina, co-founder and chief marketing officer, Orbit Media Studios
Understand your audience’s needs and actions. That will tell you if you should be involved in #Web3, TikTok, or anything else, says @Crestodina via @CMIContent. #CMWorld Click To Tweet
Andy makes a great point about Web3 strategy. No matter how technology and channels evolve, content marketers should always keep their eye on the audience.
What are you planning to do about Web3 (if anything)? Let us know in the comments.
MORE ADVICE FROM CMWORLD 2022 SPEAKERS:
Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
MARKETING
YouTube Ad Specs, Sizes, and Examples [2024 Update]
Introduction
With billions of users each month, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and top website for video content. This makes it a great place for advertising. To succeed, advertisers need to follow the correct YouTube ad specifications. These rules help your ad reach more viewers, increasing the chance of gaining new customers and boosting brand awareness.
Types of YouTube Ads
Video Ads
- Description: These play before, during, or after a YouTube video on computers or mobile devices.
- Types:
- In-stream ads: Can be skippable or non-skippable.
- Bumper ads: Non-skippable, short ads that play before, during, or after a video.
Display Ads
- Description: These appear in different spots on YouTube and usually use text or static images.
- Note: YouTube does not support display image ads directly on its app, but these can be targeted to YouTube.com through Google Display Network (GDN).
Companion Banners
- Description: Appears to the right of the YouTube player on desktop.
- Requirement: Must be purchased alongside In-stream ads, Bumper ads, or In-feed ads.
In-feed Ads
- Description: Resemble videos with images, headlines, and text. They link to a public or unlisted YouTube video.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that play outside of YouTube, on websites and apps within the Google video partner network.
Masthead Ads
- Description: Premium, high-visibility banner ads displayed at the top of the YouTube homepage for both desktop and mobile users.
YouTube Ad Specs by Type
Skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Placement: Before, during, or after a YouTube video.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Action: 15-20 seconds
Non-skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Description: Must be watched completely before the main video.
- Length: 15 seconds (or 20 seconds in certain markets).
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
Bumper Ads
- Length: Maximum 6 seconds.
- File Format: MP4, Quicktime, AVI, ASF, Windows Media, or MPEG.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 640 x 360px
- Vertical: 480 x 360px
In-feed Ads
- Description: Show alongside YouTube content, like search results or the Home feed.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Headline/Description:
- Headline: Up to 2 lines, 40 characters per line
- Description: Up to 2 lines, 35 characters per line
Display Ads
- Description: Static images or animated media that appear on YouTube next to video suggestions, in search results, or on the homepage.
- Image Size: 300×60 pixels.
- File Type: GIF, JPG, PNG.
- File Size: Max 150KB.
- Max Animation Length: 30 seconds.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that appear on websites and apps within the Google video partner network, not on YouTube itself.
- Logo Specs:
- Square: 1:1 (200 x 200px).
- File Type: JPG, GIF, PNG.
- Max Size: 200KB.
Masthead Ads
- Description: High-visibility ads at the top of the YouTube homepage.
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher.
- File Type: JPG or PNG (without transparency).
Conclusion
YouTube offers a variety of ad formats to reach audiences effectively in 2024. Whether you want to build brand awareness, drive conversions, or target specific demographics, YouTube provides a dynamic platform for your advertising needs. Always follow Google’s advertising policies and the technical ad specs to ensure your ads perform their best. Ready to start using YouTube ads? Contact us today to get started!
MARKETING
Why We Are Always ‘Clicking to Buy’, According to Psychologists
Amazon pillows.
MARKETING
A deeper dive into data, personalization and Copilots
Salesforce launched a collection of new, generative AI-related products at Connections in Chicago this week. They included new Einstein Copilots for marketers and merchants and Einstein Personalization.
To better understand, not only the potential impact of the new products, but the evolving Salesforce architecture, we sat down with Bobby Jania, CMO, Marketing Cloud.
Dig deeper: Salesforce piles on the Einstein Copilots
Salesforce’s evolving architecture
It’s hard to deny that Salesforce likes coming up with new names for platforms and products (what happened to Customer 360?) and this can sometimes make the observer wonder if something is brand new, or old but with a brand new name. In particular, what exactly is Einstein 1 and how is it related to Salesforce Data Cloud?
“Data Cloud is built on the Einstein 1 platform,” Jania explained. “The Einstein 1 platform is our entire Salesforce platform and that includes products like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud — that it includes the original idea of Salesforce not just being in the cloud, but being multi-tenancy.”
Data Cloud — not an acquisition, of course — was built natively on that platform. It was the first product built on Hyperforce, Salesforce’s new cloud infrastructure architecture. “Since Data Cloud was on what we now call the Einstein 1 platform from Day One, it has always natively connected to, and been able to read anything in Sales Cloud, Service Cloud [and so on]. On top of that, we can now bring in, not only structured but unstructured data.”
That’s a significant progression from the position, several years ago, when Salesforce had stitched together a platform around various acquisitions (ExactTarget, for example) that didn’t necessarily talk to each other.
“At times, what we would do is have a kind of behind-the-scenes flow where data from one product could be moved into another product,” said Jania, “but in many of those cases the data would then be in both, whereas now the data is in Data Cloud. Tableau will run natively off Data Cloud; Commerce Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud — they’re all going to the same operational customer profile.” They’re not copying the data from Data Cloud, Jania confirmed.
Another thing to know is tit’s possible for Salesforce customers to import their own datasets into Data Cloud. “We wanted to create a federated data model,” said Jania. “If you’re using Snowflake, for example, we more or less virtually sit on your data lake. The value we add is that we will look at all your data and help you form these operational customer profiles.”
Let’s learn more about Einstein Copilot
“Copilot means that I have an assistant with me in the tool where I need to be working that contextually knows what I am trying to do and helps me at every step of the process,” Jania said.
For marketers, this might begin with a campaign brief developed with Copilot’s assistance, the identification of an audience based on the brief, and then the development of email or other content. “What’s really cool is the idea of Einstein Studio where our customers will create actions [for Copilot] that we hadn’t even thought about.”
Here’s a key insight (back to nomenclature). We reported on Copilot for markets, Copilot for merchants, Copilot for shoppers. It turns out, however, that there is just one Copilot, Einstein Copilot, and these are use cases. “There’s just one Copilot, we just add these for a little clarity; we’re going to talk about marketing use cases, about shoppers’ use cases. These are actions for the marketing use cases we built out of the box; you can build your own.”
It’s surely going to take a little time for marketers to learn to work easily with Copilot. “There’s always time for adoption,” Jania agreed. “What is directly connected with this is, this is my ninth Connections and this one has the most hands-on training that I’ve seen since 2014 — and a lot of that is getting people using Data Cloud, using these tools rather than just being given a demo.”
What’s new about Einstein Personalization
Salesforce Einstein has been around since 2016 and many of the use cases seem to have involved personalization in various forms. What’s new?
“Einstein Personalization is a real-time decision engine and it’s going to choose next-best-action, next-best-offer. What is new is that it’s a service now that runs natively on top of Data Cloud.” A lot of real-time decision engines need their own set of data that might actually be a subset of data. “Einstein Personalization is going to look holistically at a customer and recommend a next-best-action that could be natively surfaced in Service Cloud, Sales Cloud or Marketing Cloud.”
Finally, trust
One feature of the presentations at Connections was the reassurance that, although public LLMs like ChatGPT could be selected for application to customer data, none of that data would be retained by the LLMs. Is this just a matter of written agreements? No, not just that, said Jania.
“In the Einstein Trust Layer, all of the data, when it connects to an LLM, runs through our gateway. If there was a prompt that had personally identifiable information — a credit card number, an email address — at a mimum, all that is stripped out. The LLMs do not store the output; we store the output for auditing back in Salesforce. Any output that comes back through our gateway is logged in our system; it runs through a toxicity model; and only at the end do we put PII data back into the answer. There are real pieces beyond a handshake that this data is safe.”
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