Lane Ellis

YouTube Ads Are Getting Longer
The ads marketers run on YouTube are getting longer, with the number of 30-second ads rising from 19 percent in January 2018 to 24 percent in January 2019, bucking the notion that shorter is always better with video, one of several video trends shown in a new MediaRadar report. MediaPost

Survey Report: Landing Page Habits of Marketers
30 percent of marketers expect average landing page conversion rates of 10 percent or less, and more than half expect a rate of 20 percent or less, according to new survey data on landing pages and their lead generation performance. SmartBrief

Google shares details on how first price auctions in Google Ad Manager will work
Display and video ads sold with Google Ad Manager, Google’s ad server and publisher exchange, will get additional auction functionality aimed at removing Google’s “last look” outbidding advantage, while also bringing new minimum pricing strategies and rules, the search giant recently announced. Marketing Land

Instagram Separates New Likes on Posts, Adds Unfollower Stats for Creator Accounts
Instagram has tested showing most recent post likes first, along with adding unfollower statistics to Instagram Creator analytics data, features that could prove useful to digital marketers when eventually rolled out. Social Media Today

B2B marketers acknowledge the need for quality content
72 percent of B2B marketers intend to create more social content over the next 12 months, and 98 percent see the performance of content marketing as justifying its cost — two of many insights containing in newly-released report data. CMO.com

LinkedIn Engagement Continues to Rise, According to Latest Update from Microsoft
LinkedIn (client) saw revenue growth of 27 percent for the quarter, a 24 percent increase in on-platform sessions, and record engagement and job posting levels, according to recently-released report data from parent company Microsoft. Social Media Today

Twitter to launch a ‘hide replies’ feature, plus other changes to its reporting process
In June Twitter plans to launch an experimental feature to hide certain replies, and a handful of other new changes the firm says are designed to help make conversations on the platform more productive. TechCrunch

Facebook gives Ads Manager a design refresh and launches new cost cap bidding strategy
Facebook advertisers and users of the firm’s Business Manager platform will see new layout changes and features, including streamlined Ads Manager navigation and tools to improve new client on-boarding, Facebook recently announced. Marketing Land

LinkedIn Is a Newcomer to the Reactions Game, With 4 Options Joining Its Like Thumbs-Up
Over the coming months LinkedIn (client) will roll out a slew of new user content reaction options to the professional platform, including expressions of curiosity, love, and celebration, the firm recently announced. Adweek

Google-Backed Study Finds People Willing To Trade Sensitive Data For Personalized Media
More than a quarter of U.S. and U.K. consumers are willing to share some location, purchase history, and banking information with smart voice assistants, while 46 percent are also willing to share their media usage history, according to new survey data from Google and the National Research Group (NRG). MediaPost

Using Trust as the Driving Force Behind Marketing Strategies
61 percent of millennials are concerned about global conditions and feel personally responsible for making a difference, one of several signals of increasing opportunities for greater trust and brand integrity in marketing, and Adweek takes a close look. Adweek

Corporate America can’t afford to ignore Gen Z
U.S. Gen Z members tend to spend their money with businesses that align with their values, respond positively to autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) advertising, and prefer online subscription and customization, according to new research survey data of interest to digital marketers. BNN Bloomberg

Why More and More Brands Are Getting Into the Streaming Game on Twitch
Twitch, which Amazon acquired in 2014 for $970 million, has seen increasing numbers of brands advertising on the streaming platform, and recently some have been moving from traditional ad formats to the in-game action itself, a new area of opportunity for digital marketers. Adweek