Lane Ellis

The Power of Micro-Influencers [Infographic]
A look at the benefits of working with highly-targeted audiences, and how micro-influencers can work to build brand awareness and drive sales. MarketingProfs

Twitter will soon let you switch between chronological and ranked feeds
Twitter announced that it will change how its feed works, with a forthcoming update allowing users to switch between ranked and chronological settings, offering a new layer of control. The Verge

Despite buzz, only one-third of B2B businesses are committed to ABM, report says
A newly-rleased Dun & Bradstreet B2B marketing data report shows limited account-based marketing implementation, and a few other surprises. Marketing Land

Four Effective Techniques for Working With B2B Influencers
Finding the right influencers and getting their attention can be a challenge. MarketingProfs Tom Whatley examines the situation and how to overcome many obstacles. MarketingProfs

LinkedIn brings Dynamic Ads into Campaign Manager platform
LinkedIn has added Dynamic Ads into its Campaign Manager platform. Templates, auto-translation, and data-mapping are among the new additions to an expanded LinkedIn (client) ad management tool. MarketingLand

Americans are changing their relationship with Facebook
A new survey from the Pew Research Center shows that 42 percent of Facebook users having taken a break from the site during the past year, one of several findings of interest to digital marketers. Pew Research Center

Google Wants to Kill the URL
Google and other tech firms are grappling with oftentimes unwieldy and increasingly dangerous URLs. Google’s Chrome browers is looking to at least alter how URLs are displayed, a move that could change how digital marketers incorporate them. Wired

Many Facebook users don’t understand how the site’s news feed works
Results from a new Pew Research Center survey examine how well people know Facebook’s news feed, with U.S. users under 18 having a better grasp than all older demographic groups. Pew Research Center

Twitter’s Testing a New Layout for Replies, Focused on Improving Engagement
Twitter has begun testing an improved layout design with better threading and activity indicators, among several other new features that could see eventual public release. Social Media Today

Digital Marketing Spend Roars Despite Weak Privacy Concerns And Capability Performance
A new Forbes CMO study takes a look at a strong digital spending trend, in spite of recent industry concerns. Forbes

Facebook moves to rate users on trustworthiness: report
Facebook has started assigning users a reputation score. Will the new user trustworthiness rating system, which has been refined over the past year, see eventual digital marketing uses? Reuters

Machine learning reveals crazy advertising ideas that actually work
Artificial intelligence aims to not only create but monitor in real-time which ads are creating the most impact, including some rather unorthodox ideas. VentureBeat

Facebook tests ‘things in common’ label to try to connect non-friends
Facebook has been testing new methods to help bring non-friends who share common interests together, with highlights to appear among user comments. CNET

YouTube ads are about to get a little less skippable
YouTube Partners has announced a potentially risky change that will allow costlier unskippable ads on all the video giant’s channels, expanding on earlier limited-audience tests. Mashable

The Psychology of Advertising: Thinking vs. Feeling [Infographic]
Each person is exposed to an average of nearly two million television advertisements and commercials each year. To help your ads be seen and recalled, using emotional content often outperforms rational content, according to new infographic data by USC Dornsife College. MarketingProfs

LinkedIn to Integrate Groups into the Mobile App
LinkedIn (client) has announced changes focused on streamlining discussion and comments in LinkedIn Groups, with threaded replies, mobile integration, and other improvements. Search Engine Journal

‘Instagram playgrounds’ for the hashtag obsessed are taking over U.S. cities
Instagram has been creating real-life photo-op playgrounds, but how can marketers and brands utilize interactive pop-ups? NBC News

How B2B Audiences Engage With Business Content Online
A new Clutch survey explores how B2B audiences encounter business content online, and their preferences for consuming it, with business content about technology the leading topic. Clutch

Facebook pages with large U.S. following to require more authorization
Facebook is requiring two-factor administrator authentication for large U.S. pages, a move that will also come to Instagram in the coming weeks. Reuters

Reddit’s redesign is driving higher engagement rates, but will it deliver more advertisers?
Along with its first redesign in over a decade, Reddit places its hopes on boosting engagement, and perhaps attracting more advertisers. Marketing Land

How GDPR Is Moving Ad Budgets Toward Private Marketplaces.
A new survey looks at U.S. marketers’ changing attitudes about programmatic ad spending since the European Union’s GDPR regulations took effect. eMarketer

Facebook redesigns biz Pages for utility as feed reach declines
Facebook has released a slew of changes to its popular Business Pages offering, including updates to mobile, recommendations, events, jobs, and Facebook Local. The updates bring marketers new opportunities along with the need to re-think certain strategies that may no longer be relevant. TechCruch

Twitter loses ability to let users auto-post tweets & retweets to Facebook
Facebook changed how its API is utilized by some 60K apps, including Twitter’s, doing away with cross-posted auto-tweets unless going through the more limited posting options of Facebook’s Share feature. Marketing Land

Move Over Millennials: It’s Time To Discuss How To Win With Generation Z Moms
An examination of digital native Gen Z moms and their online brand engagement traits and habits. Forbes

Industry Group Finds Consumers Love ‘Rewarded’ Ads: Marketers, Less So
A new collaborative study by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), OpenX, and MediaMath looks at view-and-reward advertising, rewarded opt-in ad types, and what they may mean for digital marketers going forward. MediaPost

Google Has A Podcast App, But Does It Have A Podcasting Strategy?
Google is expected to increase the prominence of podcasts in all search results, expanding on limited tests it’s done with Android and Google Assistant SERPs. Forbes

Huge chunk of young people believe advertising does not welcome diversity
New survey data examines inclusion and diversity in advertising, and how far the industry may still have to go. Campaign US

Report: Google’s mobile search results now show image thumbnails 45% of the time
Mobile Google users see image thumbnails in nearly half the search results shown, according to new report data. Should marketers consider placing greater importance on thumb images? Search Engine Land

Twitter’s bot purge welcomed by agency execs
Twitter recently deleted millions of spam and inactive accounts in an effort to improve the platform. Does the move increase credibility among marketers and influencers? DigiDay

Report: Social media sentiment not predictive of offline brand outcomes
New research looks into online and offline brand conversations and their effect on consumer sentiment, plus the motivations that drive them. Marketing Land

Google leans more on algorithms for ads as critics highlight risks
Google has unveiled a slew of new ad-buying tools that incorporate machine learning, and expanded availability of a utility for running the best text-based search result ads. What will the new ad tools announced Tuesday offer for digital marketers? Reuters

Facebook Adds Keyword ‘Snooze’ Option to Help User Avoid Spoilers
Facebook has launched a new feature allowing users to hide certain words, effectively snoozing them for 30 days. How might marketers be affected? Social Media Today

Google’s New Speed Update Works On Gradual Scale; Small Improvements Matter
Google has shared information about its latest search algorithm update, which has a greater focus on site load speed that takes into account even the smallest increased efficiencies. SEO Roundtable