#233 HTE- Competitor Intelligence🔥A Game-Changer for Your BFCM Plan🚀

📣 Know Meta's Latest Ad Options, Marketing Revamp Strategies + Key to Customer Connections 🌟

October 14, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Hello Savvy Marketers!🙋‍♂️

Welcome to the Saturday edition! Today, we’ve brought you exciting updates from the digital marketing world that can help you supercharge your strategies as we approach the holiday season. 📈

From Meta's groundbreaking advertising features for Facebook Reels to innovative ways of revamping your marketing using competitor insights, and the often overlooked but crucial aspect of accessibility in customer connections, we've got it all covered. 🎯

Read on to stay ahead in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.🚀

Newcomers welcome to HTE's hub! Join 35k+ CEOs, CMOs, and marketers for game-changing insights. Get ahead, sign up for brilliance, and let's rise together! 🚀

Let's dive! 

Meta Announces Fresh Ad Options for Facebook Reels as Holiday Season Approaches 📣 🎅

Competitor Insight: 5 Ways to Revamp Your Marketing Strategy 🚀

Accessibility - The Vital Link to Engaging with Customers 🌐🔑

Hire the Best Talent For Your Company Using SCALIS: AI-Driven Hiring Solution

Top Reads📚 

HTE Job Board- Get Your Dream Job With a Click✨💼

Meta Announces Fresh Ad Options for Facebook Reels as Holiday Season Approaches 📣 🎅

  1. With the holiday shopping season approaching, Meta has introduced new features for Reels ads to support brands in leveraging this rapidly growing content format. Here are the key takeaways:

  1. Collections Ads for Facebook Reels: Meta is bringing Collections Ads, already available on Instagram, to Facebook Reels. This feature is being expanded to more brands over time.

  1. Multi-Destination Reels Carousel Ads: Meta is testing this feature, which allows brands to direct viewers to multiple product pages based on displayed images, a feature already live for Carousel Ads on Instagram.🔄

  1. "Swipe Left" Functionality: Meta is adding a "Swipe Left" option for Facebook and Instagram Reels ads, making it easier for viewers to explore products and obtain more information. 🌟

  1. Advantage+ Automation Solutions: Meta is developing automation tools for Reels ads, including creative optimization with auto-generated templates and a music selection tool for applying free music from Meta's Sound Collection library. 🔧 

Meta is enhancing Reels ads with:

  • Creative Optimization: Auto-generated templates for better-performing Reels content.

  • Music Selection Tool: iOS advertisers can use free music from Meta's library for ad soundtracks.

  1. Brand Suitability Controls: Meta is extending its inventory filter control and third-party brand suitability verification, in partnership with Zefr, to cover Facebook and Instagram Reels. This ensures ads are not displayed alongside inappropriate content. 🔒

These updates are available within Meta's evolving Advantage+ toolset in Ads Manager, offering new ways to utilize automation for Reels promotions. As Reels become Meta's fastest-growing content format, considering these options for holiday promotions is essential. 🛒📣

Data indicates a shift in user behavior, with more time spent on Facebook and Instagram, primarily consumed by Reels clips customized to individual interests. Embracing Reels is crucial to align with this behavioral change and effectively reach your target audience. 📈🤳

Hire the Best Talent For Your Company Using SCALIS: AI-Driven Hiring Solution

The first-ever fully-integrated ATS & job board powered by AI - matches qualified candidates to the right companies

I scaled my e-commerce agency Electriq to 50 employees in 3 years and a successful exit, but I experienced hands-on the horrible inefficiencies that e-commerce businesses face when it comes to finding and hiring talent. I’d post a job on Linkedin for a Shopify developer and get 500+ applications, but at most, 5 of those candidates had even logged into Shopify!

While at Stanford, my brother Parker signed up for LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and all of your standard job boards. To date, he has yet to receive a single recommendation that he is even remotely qualified for. His inbox is littered with CMO positions and other unqualified roles, such as air traffic controller!

So, after selling my first business last year, we set out to try and find out why job boards don’t work. After our research, we realized just how large of a gap there is in the market, and SCALIS was born.

I’m looking forward to you trying it free for the first 30 days! You can learn more here.

Competitor Insight: 5 Ways to Revamp Your Marketing Strategy 🚀

In the world of marketing, two words can transform your approach: competitor insight. Often overlooked, competitor research is a game-changer that can elevate your strategy, enhance performance, and optimize your marketing efforts. As Pablo Picasso once said, "Good artists copy, great artists steal," so "steal" your competitors' strategies and turn your marketing into a work of art. 🤫

🔍1) Multichannel Marketing for Success

Enhance your digital marketing strategy by embracing multiple marketing channels. Don't limit yourself to just one; success lies in collaboration and alignment. Multichannel marketing offers significant benefits, including broadening your customer reach, venturing into new markets, enhancing segmentation for more engaging experiences, and gaining deeper customer insights. 

This approach is essential for fostering business growth. During competitor research, assess your rivals' activities across various marketing channels. This understanding can help you discover new marketing opportunities and optimize your channel usage effectively. Tools like website analysis and the Keyword Gap tool offer valuable insights for informed strategy improvements.

🔗2) The Power of Context

To make your competitor's research strategy impactful, delve into the details and data. Analyze your competitors' keyword strategies and SERP rankings, going beyond the surface. Explore questions such as:

  • Which pages do these search terms direct their audience to?

  • What are your competitors' top-performing organic pages?

  • What are they heavily promoting?

  • Where are they allocating most of their budget?

  • Are they targeting your branded keywords?

Comprehensive knowledge about your competitors is a game-changer. Tools like Website Analysis, Keyword Gap, Keyword Generator, Daily Rank Tracker, Organic Pages, SERP Snapshot, Paid Ad Analysis, and Brand Protection Alerts, making it easy to access and interpret the data you need in one user-friendly platform. Setting up a competitive tracker provides monthly insights into opportunities, successes, and threats in your competitive space.

🎯3) Track Buyer and Consumer Journey Metrics

Understanding your audience is paramount before diving into competitor research or any marketing strategy. Your target audience may not perceive your brand and marketing the same way you do. To reach them effectively, track their journeys with valuable metrics and insights. Fresh data can uncover market opportunities, reveal hidden competitors, and identify trending keywords your audience searches for. These insights include impression share, keyword intent, and the types of content that perform well. This deep understanding of your audience informs your marketing strategy.

🔄4) Adapt and Optimize

A strategy is never a one-and-done affair. It requires regular monitoring, adaptation, optimization, and sometimes, complete overhaul. Periodic audits ensure that you focus on the right areas and allocate resources wisely. Stay attuned to emerging trends and shifts in the digital landscape, such as new keywords and algorithm updates. Continual refinement of your strategy ensures that you're not missing out on vital opportunities.

🌐5) The Unpredictable Nature of Digital Marketing

The digital marketing realm is complex and competitive, with a multitude of tools, solutions, and constant change. While we can't predict the future, we can provide you with the insights needed to rise above the competition. Competitor analysis tools empower you to understand your competitors thoroughly, dissect their strategies, and prepare to outshine them. This is akin to a boxing match – knowing your opponent's strategies equips you to strengthen your own and emerge victorious. 🥊

Accessibility - The Vital Link to Engaging with Customers 🌐🔑

In the quest for diversity, equity, and inclusion, brands are addressing an essential aspect often overlooked: accessibility.

🌐 Digital Inclusivity: Ensuring Equal Online Opportunities 🌐

To create digital spaces that cater to underserved individuals, including those with disabilities, is of paramount importance. People with visual impairments, hearing challenges, neurodivergent conditions, or motor limitations often confront barriers when navigating digital platforms. Brands must ensure that their websites and apps don't add to these complexities.

🇪🇺 The Upcoming Regulatory Shift 🇪🇺

In 2025, European Union member states will implement the European Accessibility Act, mandating accessibility for all products and online services. Compliance is no longer a choice; it's a necessity.

👔 Procter & Gamble: Bridging Gaps with Audio Descriptions 👔

P&G, led by Sam Latif, a blind accessibility leader, incorporated audio descriptions in their ads, bridging the gap for visually impaired audiences. This inclusive move enhanced the storytelling power of advertising.

🍔 Just Eat Takeaway: Empowering Disabled Customers 🍔

Just Eat Takeaway conducts research directly with disabled customers, making simple but impactful changes like enlarging touch targets on their app to enhance accessibility. Small adjustments can make a big difference for customers with limited dexterity.

💄 L'Oréal: A Website for All 💄

L'Oréal prioritized accessibility when designing their website, adopting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and partnering with experts to ensure inclusivity. They offer high-contrast modes and animation deactivation, enhancing the user experience.

🏨 Booking.com: From Legacy to Accessibility 🏨

Booking.com recognized the need to make its app accessible from the ground up. The accessibility team collaborated with the design systems team to build in accessibility features, ensuring that everyone can navigate the app seamlessly.

🔧 Putting Accessibility into Action 🔧

To improve accessibility:

  • Make accessibility a top organizational priority.

  • Co-design with disabled employees and customers.

  • Create accessible marketing with Google's playbook.

Remember, creating accessible user experiences is an ongoing journey, and the key is to start. 🚀

Top Reads📚

HTE Job Board- Get Your Dream Job With a Click✨💼

Welcome to the HTE Job Board. We connect talented individuals with exciting career opportunities. Browse through our latest job listings and find the perfect match for your skills and aspirations. 

Your Voice 🎤

Phew! That was a lot, right? But hey, knowledge is power🌟. We hope this edition gave you some insights and maybe even cleared up a few doubts.

Got questions or topics you'd like us to cover next? Holler at us! We’ll give you a shoutout in our next edition. If you have any questions, reply to this email and share your valuable feedback so we can aim to address them in our upcoming editions!

Thank you for being a part of our community !🙌

Did you find this newsletter helpful? 👍 / 👎

Your feedback keeps us going.

Until next time,

With 🧡🧡

How to E-commerce