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AD PLACEMENTS

😲 Surprising Study Uncovers Ad Spending on Low-Quality Websites

A revealing study by Adalytics has highlighted a significant issue in digital advertising: many prominent brands unintentionally advertise on "Made for Advertising" (MFA) websites. This discovery challenges the prevailing belief that advertising budgets are safeguarded from such undesirable placements. The investigation explores the pathways through which ads from leading corporations find their way onto MFA sites, utilizing both programmatic and non-programmatic methods.

🤔 What are MFA Sites? As defined by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), MFA websites are essentially ad farms that prioritize revenue generation over content quality, leading to a diminished user experience and potentially harming the digital advertising industry's credibility. These sites predominantly acquire traffic through clickbait circulated on social networks and content recommendation engines, relying on aggressive advertising strategies to cover operational expenses.

🔍 Origin of the Study: Prompted by the discovery that a Fortune 500 company unknowingly spent millions on MFA websites, Adalytics embarked on an investigation to gauge the prevalence of this issue. Despite assertions from the ad industry about measures to prevent such wasteful spending, the study uncovered widespread placement of ads from notable brands, including Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, and even U.S. government entities like the Army, on MFA platforms.

📊 Significant Insights:

• Countless brands and ANA members have ads appearing on MFA sites into 2024.

• Ads from U.S. government bodies were found on these questionable websites.

• Major ad exchanges and DSPs such as Google, Criteo, and Amazon DSP are implicated in circulating ads to MFA sites.

• Despite assurances from the ad industry, the study suggests that efforts to block MFA sites are falling short.

🚨 Call to Action for the Industry: The ANA emphasizes the critical need for marketers to remain vigilant to preserve the integrity and efficiency of programmatic advertising. Marketers are encouraged to ensure their advertising efforts are directed towards valuable engagements, rather than inadvertently funding MFA site operators.

This investigation acts as a crucial reminder for advertisers to reevaluate their digital advertising strategies and the systems claimed to defend their investments, urging a move towards greater transparency and accountability in the ad ecosystem.

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GOOGLE AND TIKTOK

🔍 Google Business Show Social Media Posts & TikTok Eyes Photo-Sharing App, Challenging Instagram

Google has introduced a dynamic feature integrating social media posts from platforms like Instagram and Facebook directly into Google Business Profiles (GBP), aiming to offer a comprehensive view of a business's online presence.

Key Highlights:

🌐 Regional Rollout and Social Media Integration: This new feature, designed to display a business's social media activities on its GBP, is rolling out in selected regions. Businesses interested in utilizing this feature must link their social media accounts to their GBP.

🔗 Social Media Link Management: Businesses have the capability to control which social media links are displayed on their GBP, supporting one link per platform, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.

📲 Formatting Social Media Links: Google has specified formats for linking social media accounts to ensure seamless integration. For instance, Facebook links must follow “https://www.facebook.com/{username}.”

🛠️ How to Add or Edit Social Media Links: To modify social media links, businesses should go to the "Edit profile" section within their Business Profile, click "Business information," then "Contact," and finally "Social profiles" to manage their links.

🔄 Google’s Automatic Social Media Link Addition: Google may automatically include social media links for some Business Profiles. Businesses can customize these links by following the provided steps.

💼 Business Impact: This feature potentially boosts visibility and engagement by highlighting active social media efforts directly within Google Business Profiles, emphasizing the importance of a vibrant social media presence.

📸 TikTok's Foray into Photo Sharing:

Simultaneously, TikTok is reportedly venturing into photo sharing with a proposed "TikTok Photos" app, signaling a new contest with Instagram. Leaked code within TikTok suggests plans for promoting still image sharing, aiming to foster community among photo enthusiasts.

🌟 Looking Ahead: The potential TikTok Photos app could carve new paths for eCommerce and deepen user engagement in areas traditionally dominated by Instagram. Amidst TikTok's uncertain U.S. future, this initiative might represent a strategic expansion of its platform offerings.

As digital landscapes evolve, businesses should remain alert to emerging trends, leveraging new tools for broader engagement and visibility across both search and social platforms.

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