March Updates to Paid Advertising Platforms
What: Reacting to COVID-19
Resources: Prior to getting into platform-specific updates, it’s essential to address COVID-19 and its impacts on the industry. The resources below were compiled from a recent Hanapin/Brainlabs email blast, and are an excellent source of industry trends, strategic recommendations, grant opportunities, and more.
Google Ads
What: Google improves the appeal process of disapproved or limited ads
Details: A new feature within the interface will allow advertisers to resubmit an ad immediately after fixing the policy infraction. To evoke the review, simply hover over a disapproved or limited ad and click the “Appeal” link if applicable.
Impact: Unexpected ad disapprovals are a common source of stress for advertisers. The streamlined process likely will help alleviate that concern and lead to less unplanned “downtime”. It should be noted that in the short term, Google is expecting longer than usual reviews. The COVID-19 situation has impacted office staffing, and therefore the appeal process.
What: Report Editor can operate with an expanded number of accounts
Details: Report Editor, located under the Reports Tab in the drop-down navigation, has expanded capacity from 10 to 200 accounts.
Impact: Multi-brand enterprises and agencies gain the potential to run simultaneous analysis on a larger set of accounts.
What: Google delays deadline to adopt parallel tracking for video due to COVID-19 situation
Details: The deadline to switch to parallel tracking for video campaigns is now June 15th.
Impact: Parallel tracking creates a quicker page load for advertisers using third-party click tracking. Video represents the last campaign type to transition to this setup.
What: Google Ads updates attribution reporting
Details: The update significantly streamlines reporting in addition to changing the name from Search Attribution to simply Attribution. Many reports will be overhauled to ease the digestion of information, while familiar information such as Top Paths, Assisted Conversions, and Model Comparison reports will be included.
Impact: For the time being, you can still return to the previous reports. Moving forward, Google continues to focus on data and analytics that follow the full user journey, not simply last click.
What: Intro testing and Asset reporting come to App campaigns
Details: To help developers gain beta testers for their app, Google is launching open testing ads in Google App Campaigns. Additionally, Google is expanding the columns/metrics available to advertisers for assessing creative performance within its App campaigns.
Impact: Open testing ads will allow new apps to test for stability, retention, monetization, and effectiveness of ad creatives prior to full-scale launch. App campaign asset reporting improves the transparency of creative performance in Google App Campaigns, a campaign type considered somewhat of a “black box” when it comes to optimization.
What: Google Ads App now shares Optimization Score details
Details: Within the Google Ads mobile app, advertisers are now able to see Google Optimization Scores details and notifications.
Impact: Google is promoting OptiScore aggressively as a means of ensuring best practices are maximized across its platform. This update, in addition to the Google Partners program requiring a specific agency-wide OptiScore, demonstrates the priority Google has placed on this metric.
Reddit Advertising
What: Introducing Trending Takeover Offering for Advertisers
Details: The new ad unit shows in the “Trending Today” section of Reddit. Current purchase options are limited to direct buy that can be executed by contacting Reddit Advertising.
Impact: Although Reddit’s ad offerings and audience appeal remain somewhat niche, this provides further evidence of an expanding approach on the platform.
Did we miss any major monthly updates? Not covering a certain platform close enough? Feel free to let me know on Twitter @Will_Larcom
