[Ep102] – Google’s Trusted Store Badge Is Now Available For Free Shopping Listings

[Introduction] – 00:00

Hey, welcome to episode 102 of the TWIMshow. This is your host Sajid Islam, and today I’ll be going over the notable news and updates from the week of March 28, 2022.

[Update 1 – LinkedIn Introduces New Features For Creators to Analyze Posts for Better Reach] – 00:10

Today, first off, we’re going to start off with LinkedIn. Linkedin has announced or actually introduced quite a few features to help us, creators, better analyze our post so that we can create better content. So first thing over there, what they have is they are rolling out an improved post analytics. It took me a while to look that up. So basically, the post analytics is basically adding a new level of details what their LinkedIn is saying. Members will see analytics detailed in a summary page along with more in-depth data like impressions and reshares. This data is available for all post types, whether it’s an article, video or simple text post. Okay. And then LinkedIn also is offering a new data on profile video views as well as well as updated profile video capabilities to help users grow their audience. By users we mean members. By members we mean creators depending on how you look at it, but they’re all interchangeably the same. Along with this improved view numbers, LinkedIn will also provide new prompts to help users decide what to publish in their profile video. Now keep in mind, Facebook used to have a profile video option which was going nowhere and Facebook killed it. So we’ll see how this kind of plays out with LinkedIn. And also thanks to a new profile video ring that will appear in feed and search, people will be aware that you have a profile video active on your page where they can learn more about you and you experience. Now I kind of like that. And as you listen to a show today, you will realize that YouTube is doing something similar as well. So stay tuned, it’s going to be covered in this episode as well. Okay. Lastly, LinkedIn is also introducing a subscribe bill which will let our creators allow creators audience receive notifications whenever they publish new content, as well as the ability for creators to promote the newsletter via, promote their newsletter in the feature section of the profile. Of course, that can be also turned off later on. Okay, those were all the updates from LinkedIn. Now let’s move on to the next update. It is from Meta.

[Update 2 – Meta Announces Virtual Messaging Event – ‘Conversations’] – 02:28

So Meta has announced a virtual messaging event called Conversations. Yes, Conversations, and it’s going to be held on May 19, 2022. We will obviously going to bring you updates from that event as and when it happens. So stay always paced to listen to the TWIMshow. Now, this is quite a few angle for Meta, which I think Meta is trying to become a conversation platform because if you see, there are three other updates that we did not cover in this episode of TWIMshow But I will quickly mention is that Meta made some changes in Instagram messaging as well as Facebook messaging options, like how you can tag people, how you could use shortcuts, and how you can put things in silent mode, things like that. Those updates, those three updates, in addition to this event itself, tells me that Meta is realizing, you know what we need to focus on communication. Yeah, we have done a lot. We have connected two plus billion users around the world or two plus billion people around the world. And our growth is stagnating. Where should we focus on? Virtual reality is not something that’s going to happen today or next month or next year. It’s going to take some time to share. Where do we focus? Let’s focus on conversations where people need to communicate. So this kind of tells me that’s going to be their thing and they’re going to push more and more into that. And that’s just my opinion. With that, let’s move into the next update, which is next update is from Snapchat.

[Update 3 – Snapchat Announces 2022 Partner Summit – ‘Back To Reality’] – 04:08

Snapchat has announced their fourth partner summit, and this is the year they’re calling it back to reality. What will happen? We’ll see usually Snapchat in these kind of events or any platform, these kind of events. They announce new features, they show off new things. They’re working on things like that. Again, this event is going to take place on April 28. We are going to put a link to the sign up page in our show notes. So if you’re interested, you can always click on that and sign up for the things. But if you’re not interested, what we do, as always, is we are going to go ahead and bring you the must know highlights from those shows, from this event onto this podcast. And so that you can kind of stay tuned, you can kind of stay up to date with that. Now, this one is something from YouTube.

[Update 4 – New Profile Rings for Stories and Live on YouTube Plus Other Updates] – 05:00

Okay. Youtube is rolling out two new types of profile rings, one with live marker and one without to represent the different forms of content. This is part of YouTube’s larger effort to include more conventional social app functionality into the YouTube app. Now, this is something that I was alluding to when I was talking about LinkedIn. Like YouTube also has now this rings around your profile, and then if someone sees a ring, they know you are live. The word live shows up. If it’s live and if it’s not there, obviously you’re not live, but you have some stories or something like that. Okay. Furthermore, YouTube has expanded its community tab available to additional channels, as well as adding shorts, reactions, and other well-known social networking platform alternatives to his offers. Last but not least, YouTube is lowering the bar for using its mention tools. Mentions allow you to include another channel’s username in the title or description of your video, and the other channel will be notified of the mentioned in their inbox. Previously, this option was only available to channels with 500 subscribers, but YouTube has now made the mentions function open to all channels. This might be a terrific method to start collaborations on the app, as well as getting your films or videos in front of people, in front of related people who might subsequently magnify your work. But look at the opportunity here, guys. Now there’s going to be a new segment created where they’re going to be like, hey, you know what? I have a follower. Let’s do partnership. I have a follower. You pay me and I will tag you things like that. Those whole influencer marketing it’s going to pave the way for influencer marketing on YouTube. That’s it, right? It’s going to be like that. And that’s very good. I like it because, for example, our channel is very small on YouTube. I wouldn’t mind getting our channel, this podcast, in front of the right audience and actually paying for something like that because I know we have something that will help other people stay. And of course, we don’t make money from this, but I’m just saying so this is great. I am excited about this update. Okay, next up is on YouTube.

[Update 5 – YouTube Drops Maximize Lift Bidding] – 07:21

Youtube Ads Drops Maximize Lift Bidding. Again, this is something an overcomplicated ad method, ad bidding type that was barely used. They launched it in 2018. Really? It was so complicated. I think no one really used it just because it’s just like so many steps. And also to do this, you have to work with a YouTube representative. So YouTube just came out and says, you know what? Effective immediately, which is effective April 1, we’re going to kill it. They didn’t even give a timeline. They just said, we’re going to kill it. That kind of tells me that it never went anywhere. This bidding strategy that they launched in 2018, however, keep in mind, when they launched it back in 2018, they said they used Covergirl’s Lashblast Mascara as an example. They said, hey, Covergirl’s Lashblast Mascara used this YouTube maximize lift bidding option, and they were able to get 2X return on their ad investment. All these platforms always hype up these numbers, right? And why I’m bringing it up to kind of tell you and show you, demonstrate to you that you don’t believe everything that comes out in a news release from these big platforms. Because sometimes they do embellish a little bit, if that’s the right word. Right. But it’s gone. That’s all you need to know. If you didn’t know what it was, guess what? You didn’t miss anything. Okay with that. The next thing I want to talk about YouTube is

[Update 6 – YouTube Videos Can Now Be Shared via Snapchat Camera] – 08:49

YouTube videos can now be shared via Snapchat camera. So basically, back in 2020, Snapchat allowed an option to embed your Tweets directly into Snapshot snaps. Now in 2022, they’re allowing you to embed your video directly into Snapchat Snaps. Why is this a good thing? Look at this way, Snapchat, you can only have a video length. I think there is up to a minute. So if you have a longer video, you can always link it back to your YouTube. So if someone catches the Snap and they can click on it and they go directly into YouTube, obviously it’s a win win for both. It’s a bigger win for YouTube because now you end up watching the video on YouTube. But hey, Snap is happy with this partnership. I just wanted you to know that this option exists and if you think about it like I was talking to a potential intern for Summer this past this week actually, and she was saying how she’s good at Snapchat and we may test it out right? Again, we are not trying to build anything. I like to test experiment things and so we’ll probably experiment this feature and other things and Snapchat to see what kind of capabilities and things we can create and build on Snapchat. Anyway, with that, let’s move on to a bigger platform called or a separate, different platform called Twitter.

[Update 7 – Professional Accounts Are Now Available To All Twitter Users Worldwide] – 10:16

Twitter has announced professional accounts are now available to all Twitter users worldwide. So what that basically means is previously you had to have a get permission from Twitter. You can apply and you can just get it right away. It’s very easy to convert your regular profile to a professional account given that you don’t have some of the you follow the rules that Twitter has set out, which is you must not have a history of repeatedly violating Twitter user agreement. You must have a complete profile with an account name, bio and profile picture. Your authentic identity must be clear on your profile. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. All those details and how to do it are going to be in the show notes. But for now, just remember, it pays to become a professional account on Twitter. No, it’s not going to give you the blue check Mark. That’s a different thing. At least that’s how I know it. But I would definitely, if you’re a business, definitely get a professional account if you can, while you can. Next up on the Google SEO front,

 

[Update 8 – Descriptive Structured Data Error Reporting In Google Search Console] – 11:19

Google has announced or Google has announced that they are going to give you a descriptive error reporting in Google search console around for structured data. What this basically means, again, if you are into SEO, you use the schema and structured data to provide information and sometimes you get an error message and you do
not know what the error message entails or what it is pointing to, which element because there are so many different elements that is there. So now Google is saying hey, in addition to just giving you that hey, there’s something wrong. We will try to pinpoint we will help you pinpoint which particular element we’re referring to because again, Google knows that something is wrong because that’s what they throw an error message. So if they’re throwing an error message, they might as well help you say hey, such and such element is incorrect. We do understand it, go fix it. And I kind of like it because a few weeks ago as we were posting a job, I posted a job onto our website. And of course I use structured data onto the job posting behind the scenes so that the job gets picked up by Google bought and shows up in jobs. Google.com or Google jobs. Right. And I did that. But while I was doing it, I was getting error messages and it was like something it wasn’t really telling me exactly what it is. It was just like error in element, block name or something like that. But with this update that I see right now, it’s going to help me identify. Oh, exactly. I know which element you’re referring to. At least it will help me and it will cut down the debug time. Now if you’re someone who doesn’t know what structured data is or if you’re not using structured data, then obviously this doesn’t apply to you. But however, if you are playing this SEO game, you need to know structured data. You cannot really play the SEO game without the structured data. Now that’s a good point for you as well. If you’re hiring an SEO person and you can ask them around questions around SEO structured data and if they do not know, they’re not the SEO guys or gals you want in your team. Okay, with that, let’s move on to Google Merchant Center.

[Update 9 – New Insights Reports in Google Merchant Center] – 13:16

Google has added new insights and new reports. In Google Merchant Center, this will begin to display a total traffic Impressions conversion rate for free product listings. This will also help make it easy for you to gain a complete picture of your Google product display performance, while the new price to insights will assist merchants determine which of their products are completely overpriced as well as the revenue impact of the price change. So all in all, again, Google has the data. Google is trying to help you better position and give you ideas. Hey, your product is getting these things. The similar product is cheaper elsewhere, you’re probably overpriced and you’re cutting this thing. Google has the data so it’s just feeding you some information back so that you can decide to give you market data. Competitive intelligence is what I would think. Okay, it’s a good update. Some of my clients have Google Merchant centers because they sell products their ecommerce. So this is a good thing for them. Of course they also run ads. But anyway, the last update on this week’s

[Update 10 – Google’s Trusted Store Badge Is Now Available For Free Shopping Listings] – 14:24

episode is that Google Trusted Store badge is now available for free shopping listings. So remember a few weeks ago we covered how Google is going to give you a score in terms of how fast your shipping is and your shipping cost and the return cost and the return window, things like that. In the first episode we covered this and the next episode we said Google has going to tag you and he’s going to measure you on those things, but if you try to get the system Google, it’s going to figure out and if they figure out, they’re going to basically ban you from the system. Now Google is saying, you know what, based on those things, we are going to give you a trusted score and that trusted score is going to help you sell more. In fact, Google in their announcement that says it helps obscure businesses. Also it has helped obscure or unknown businesses or less unknown merchants do more shopping because now people feel warm and fuzzy from buying from someone who they have never heard of before, which I agree. Now, I also have received email from Google because I’m obviously in my customers merchant center account, I’m part of their merchant. I have access to it. So Google has emailed sent out an email and I received a copy of that email where it says, hey, your shipping speed is excellent, your shipping cost is excellent, your return cost is comparable, right. And that kind of tells me that we are within the industry norms because Google basically marks us as excellent. Comparable opportunity or opportunity by opportunity means that, hey, you need to pull up your socks and do better. That’s what it is. So that made me feel good. That’s how we got a score back from Google and then now it’s going to show up to our free listings and obviously my customers are going to get more sales. So that’s a win win. If you’re not using Google merchants and this is a high time you use it doesn’t matter whether you’re Shopify, it doesn’t matter. You are on Amazon. You need to use this because it’s just basically free traffic, free eyeballs, free PR. And if you love money, you’re going to love this. If you hate money, then don’t do it. Leave money on the table. Let your competitors get the money from you.

[Closing] – 16:40

OK? Alrighty folks. That’s it for This Week In Marketing. Now you know everything to be in the know. If you’d like to read more, make sure you visit our show page where you’ll find the links to the articles. Once again, this is your host Sajid Islam signing off until next week. Take care. Bye bye.

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