Shopify launches Collabs

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Creators will be able to find and partner with independent businesses easily. If you want to know more about this launch, keep on reading.

Shopify announced a new Shopify Collabs on its platform, allowing creators to connect with merchants and give them a new way to make money. 

How to get started? First, creators need to apply for an account to be able to browse for merchants that align with their audience. Once they find a brand, a partnership can be created in order to list the products to share on social media via Linkpop. If someone purchases a product using the shared link, creators will receive a payment. 

Linkpop, which launched earlier this year, allows creators to sell products directly from their page, include important links, and launch storefronts to sell directly on their platforms where they engage with followers.

The company also offers a mobile-friendly option that can be used to share links to their communities on Instagram, Tiktok, Spotify, and other social media platforms.

Would you apply for a Collabs account? Do you think this can help independent brands?

Collabs can be a good way to make stores and products more visible, and it can also help manage relationships between creators and merchants. 

This launch is available to all merchants in USA and Canada, and they can apply for access on Shopify’s website.

We will be gathering further information about Collabs and we will let you know if creators are happy with this integration or not. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

What the latest Search updates mean for advertisers

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At their latest event, Google showcases recent Search updates that could help marketers unlock its full potential.

Google is stepping out of the traditional search box by combining new inputs and developments in computer science. From text searches to phone camera pictures and voice-overs, Google has been optimizing its search engine toward a more natural way of exploring information. 

Earlier this year, Google introduced multisearch. By searching images and text simultaneously, multisearch will be available in over 70 new languages in a few months’ time. 

Also, Google intends to make searching a more visual experience. Google Maps will include more immersive capabilities with 3D images using advanced computer vision. This visual approach is beneficial when it comes to shopping, where people are looking for the most accurate display of products. 

With the recent launch of landscape images available on the mobile results page, advertisers can now be more in control of how images appear, making it easier for them to get noticed and drive in more results. 

Google also mentions the addition of Business Messages, where customers will be able to message brands through Search ads. With a 30-day response window, advertisers could create relationships with customers, before and after sales. 

If you want to read more about what Google has to say about the latest Search On event, you can keep on reading here.

Google seems to be moving in a more direct and easy way of searching, leaving the infamous search box behind. This new mindset could especially help Shopping ads, but any advertisers that prefer a more visual approach will be intrigued by these potential innovations. We recommend all marketers try these out as soon as they roll out. 

As always, we will let you know when Google announces these launches officially and we’ll keep an eye out for any new features coming your way. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

Microsoft announces new updates

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If you want to know more details about Microsoft’s announcement, keep on reading

Microsoft announced new updates on its blog, including vertical-based ads, Automotive ads, Customer Match enhancements, and more. These features should be rolling out in these upcoming weeks across US markets.

Vertical-based ads: these types of ads appear in different formats depending on the user’s search intent. Microsoft’s AI uses the data feed to source the needed information to display in the ad. Now, Microsoft claims that this new format will shorten the time span and resources required to set up these campaigns. 

Automotive Ads: these will be unique to the automobile industry. Microsoft’s format will display a picture of the vehicle along with its main details and a brief product description. These ads will be shown mainly in the Asia Pacific and Latin American markets, after successfully testing in North America and Europe. 

Customer Match: Microsoft announced that Customer Match will be available in new markets. If you are using a Customer Data platform, you can connect it to Microsoft Advertising and import your customer lists. This integration includes Ampertiy and Adobe Ad Cloud, but further integrations will be available soon. 

What does Microsoft mean by “new audiences”? In-market audiences are now available in 20+ new Latin American countries, 10+ countries in the Asia Pacific region, and piloting new markets in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Singapore. 

Reminder: Microsoft also added a warning for advertisers regarding the end of Expanded Text Ads. In September, the only search ad type that can be created will be Responsive Search Ads (RSA), as we’ve already seen with Google Ads this past June. 

Our Take

Once again, Microsoft is finally trying to keep up with Google and Facebook’s pace. It is always a good thing for search engines to release features and updates that give marketers more control over their ads. However, we were intrigued by the announcement of the new Automotive format, since Google tried to implement this in the past, and failed. Will this be Microsoft’s advantage? If the biggest search engine couldn’t pull it off, it should be interesting to see how Microsoft plans to win this battle.

As expected, we will see these updates in the near future and we’ll let you know if anything catches our eye. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

Upgraded YouTube shopping tab: new Shopify integration

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If you want to learn about this new alliance, keep on reading

YouTube recently announced new shopping features to its platform given the recent integration with Shopify. Now, creators will be able to link their store to their own YouTube channel so that users can complete purchases without leaving the platform.

It looks pretty straightforward: in YouTube Studio, with the monetization tab, creators can add their Shopify account through the Shopping tab. This gives advertisers more control over how their products appear across their channel. Also, YouTube enables tagging on live streams, making it easier for users to stay within the platform while having access to the product. 

Shopify has a real-time inventory syncing that will operate in YouTube’s live shop, so users will never be able to click on a product if it’s out of stock. 

Will you link your Shopify platform to YouTube Shopping? Do you think this is a good integration? Let us know in the comments below

Our Take

This is an easy way to bring products directly to your audience. Many smaller advertisers that don’t have the means to set up Google Merchant Center to its full potential, and do not typically run Shopping or Video ads will enjoy this as an imagery complement to display their products through their own YouTube channel. We can also see how YouTube is understanding the value of influencer marketing, which has proven an increase in number of conversions. It also gives influencers the opportunity to work with brands that they support or see fit for their own image. We hope this integration can help all advertisers increase sales and aid user experience.

As always, we will be following this alliance and we’ll let you know if any updates are coming your way. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

Google automatically updates Smart Shopping to Performance Max

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Google is eliminating Smart Shopping campaigns for good. If you want to know how and when, keep on reading.

Google is now automatically updating Smart Shopping campaigns into Performance Max. Although this is something Google has been anticipating for a while, updates will be fully out in September. 

What does this mean? Google will self-update from your previous Smart Shopping campaign to Performance Max, which will include your previous learnings, budgets, and campaign settings. 

If you don’t want Google to update your campaign without your knowledge, it is best if you do it yourself with the “one-click” tool ASAP, before Google decides to take matters into its own hands and update everything automatically. 

What do you think about Google’s automatic update setting? Did it take you by surprise? Let us know in the comments below.

If you want to read Google’s official statement, click here for further information. 

Our Take

It is no surprise that Google is terminating Smart Shopping campaigns and transforming them into Performance Max. It has been clear all along that automation was the next step, so this automatic upgrade was expected. However, you can be caught off guard when you open your Google Ads account after the update is complete, especially if you never used the “one-click” button and Google simply decided to do this on its own. 

Some advertisers were worried that, with this automatic update, the campaign’s history and previous performance number wouldn’t carry on. Yet, you can view the campaign’s data history by selecting “View Smart Shopping campaign data”. We can vouch for that.

We suggest you take control of your own updates and use the “one-click” button to avoid any morning surprises. It is best to update these campaigns yourself by the end of the month so that you adjust easily to new Performance Max settings at your own pace. 

As always, we will be assessing these new Performance Max settings and we’ll let you know if any issues are worth reporting. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

Disney+ now includes four minute ads per hour

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Learn about this new update and how it can apply to your business

Later this year, Disney will roll out ads for four minutes in shows that last more than an hour. This ad-supported option will be cheaper than the current $7.99 rate that runs without ads. 

However, compared to other streaming platforms, Disney offers fewer ads per hour than NBC, HBO Max, or even Hulu. 

Disney mentioned that these ads would not be displayed in kid’s shows or movies, and the content of the ads will be cautiously moderated so that no adult themes are shown in the films. 

Who can’t advertise? The streaming platform will not be displaying any alcohol, political, or competitor ads, given the characteristics of the average Disney user.

Also, it is rumored that Netflix will launch an ad-supported option, given that the streaming platform lost some subscribers and will need a way to keep them from shrinking and losing money. 

Would you place your ads on a streaming platform? How do you think it may perform? Let us know in the comments below.

Who is going to be watching these ads? Since the platform is in fact Disney and the ads aren’t for kids’ eyes, what will the ads be about? How limited will the ad space be? 

It would be interesting to see an on-screen click, like the recent initiative on YouTube Shorts so that users don’t require an extra step to purchase. 

We don’t have all the answers now, but we will definitely keep an eye on what’s happening with these streaming ads.

Quantikal will keep you in the loop as soon as this ad-supported version hits the market and we’ll see how it performs. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

Google’s automated discounts as a shopping feature

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Want to know more about this new pricing tool? Keep on reading.

Google Ads automated discounts is a new pricing tool using real-time data and artificial intelligence to attract customers into sales.

What does this mean? The optimized price is displayed in your ads. When users click on it, they are redirected to your page showing the actual price available (this resembles to plane tickets, for example). 

How do automated discounts work?

Google’s AI is in charge of adjusting the price of ads after analyzing large amounts of data. Once you set the minimum and maximum price range allowed, Google’s system considers price elasticity, trends, and market prices to determine optimized discounts.

Would you implement it in your business? Let us know in the comments below. 

How to set it up

  1. Implement conversion tracking: this can show you what happens when a user interacts with your ad
  2. Set minimum and maximum sell price
  3. Determine the cost: you can either set it yourself for items you want the automatic discount to work with or you can let Google’s AI determine it for you
  4. Integrate pricing controls on your website

Our Take

Google’s automated discounts are a great conceptual feature that we could experiment with. However, it may be tricky to trust Google’s AI with something as sensitive as the price of your products because it directly affects your profit. 

Price sensitivity, elasticity, and revenue management are pricing concepts that have been optimized for decades in different industries, such as airline tickets. It is great to have a tool to test possibilities of increasing revenue or profitability, but it’s not clear yet if you can choose a limited amount of products to test this with on shopping campaigns. 

Do we have some type of control of limited exposure to avoid potential catastrophic scenarios? 

As expected, we will continue analyzing this new feature and we’ll let you know if Google announces any changes. Stay tuned!

About Quantikal

Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.

Google Launches Free Deals Listings in Search Results

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Google’s latest offering for e-commerce businesses is an option to list deals within search results. The tool is free for all merchants and takes advantage of the fact that today’s consumers are looking for ways to save money when they shop.

This launch may sound like a win for brands, but is it really? Google is almost universally beloved by consumers as a search platform, but as a merchant or advertiser, the story is a little bit different. Because Google’s focus is providing a positive search experience—and increasing its own revenue—it doesn’t always favor businesses on the other side of the equation.

With each new feature, it’s important to look beyond the initial praise to understand what the change really means for businesses. Here’s what we know about the free deals listing so far.

First, the deals will show up in the regular shopping tab, allowing consumers to monitor one single location for all relevant products. The difference is that the tab will now show product listings that are discounted, highlighting the savings with a green tag in the top left corner of the listing.

Google also announced that in October, it will use this same feature to highlight the best deals for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other significant shopping moments throughout the year.

Unfortunately, even with a discount loaded into your product listing, there’s no guarantee that Google will display your offer to consumers. Its algorithm will still take into account other factors like the product’s popularity, your site’s popularity, and how significant the discount is. This could mean that despite taking the time to update your listings, you won’t see any results from the change.

With all this in mind, here’s our take: Because the tool is completely free for merchants to use, there’s very little downside to running a few tests and monitoring how the deals tool performs for your products. If you already have shopping campaigns set up, setting up the deals feature for a few of your bestsellers should be a simple update. Just make sure to test a variety of products and discounts to understand what works best for your brand.

If you decide to go this route, now is a great time to get started. You may still be able to take advantage of early adopter benefits before the tool is widely used by your competitors. You’ll also have time to learn how to optimize your use of the tool before we hit holiday shopping booms. At that point, you’ll be in a prime position to capitalize on your (hopefully) increased return.

We’re really hoping this tool gains traction and Google delivers on its promise, but we haven’t forgotten how Google’s first organic search tool was affected (and organic results were diluted) when it expanded from three paid search results to four.

So, will this remain a free deal listing, or will it just be an experiment for a future paid extension? Only time will tell. Drop a comment bellow on your thoughts.

In the meantime, since it’s free to implement, try it out and see what you find. We’d love to hear from you if you have any interesting takeaways from your experiments. As always, we’ll continue to monitor the landscape and report back with any updates or changes over time.