Insights from below deck: April 2023
Musk’s ‘everything app’, Google’s reviews update, and a shift in travel influencing are some of the topics that have got the team talking this month. Here, we discuss the latest news from the digital marketing landscape and how we expect brands to leverage updates throughout May and beyond.
Elon Musk is proposing an ‘everything app’
From payment gateways to social media platforms, there are few things Elon Musk hasn’t turned his hand to. Now, he’s planning on combining them with ‘X’ – a super app blending messaging, social media, and payments, while moving away from ad revenue. According to Wunderman Thompson, 47% of retail leaders say there are too many channels for marketers and organisations to effectively deliver the best sales experience. Could X be the solution? Time will tell – we’ll just have to see whether its launch is more successful than that of Musk’s SpaceX Starship.
Google’s April 2023 reviews update has finished rolling out
As opposed to just product reviews, Google now evaluates reviews of any topic that’s reviewable, including services, businesses, destinations, and media (such as games and films). If your website offers any kind of review content, you’ll need to check your rankings to see if you were impacted. Did your Google organic traffic improve, decline, or stay the same? Long term, be sure to put a lot more detail and effort into your review content, and make it unique so it stands out from the competition.
Travel influencers are changing tack
After three years of lockdowns, hunger for travel is stronger than ever. But with a turbulent economy and cost of living crisis, the way we travel – and are influenced to travel – is changing. Data from MediaVision points to a 300% year-on-year increase in searches for ‘cheap holiday packages’, while fewer trips, shorter distances, and sustainable transport like train travel are a Pinterest Predicts trend this year. And, while influencers do still hold sway on our travel choices, those that display authenticity over alienating levels of extravagance are more likely to have real impact.
UA end of life is approaching
By now, you’ve probably heard that Google’s switching from Universal Analytics (UA) to GA4, with UA ceasing to collect data from 1st July 2023. This means that anyone who wishes to continue using the platform will need to switch to GA4. If you’re already using GA4, you’ve nothing to worry about – only those using UA will be affected. If you’d like us to check whether you’ll be affected by the change, or if you’d like us to take care of your GA4 setup, get in touch and we’ll quote and schedule the necessary work.
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Written by Alice MacLaverty
Resident wordsmith Alice is dedicated to creating top-quality content that turns heads, builds audiences, gets clicks, and makes money.
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