The Real Ad MVPs

Here’s our latest roundup of digital marketing tips.

Digital advertising: Snap launches ad manager, touts auction buying

Snap is entering the ad marketplace in a big way with its self-service Ad Manager, a new platform featuring auction ad buying with no minimum ad spend. Snap’s also rolling out a Certified Partners program to get advertisers on board with creating video snap-sized ads.

Client takeaway: Snap now has auction ad buying, a new program designed to help businesses create ads for Snapchat, and an upcoming tool that will make video ad production quick.

Suggested implementation: While its viability is currently unproven, it makes a lot of sense to start researching (and maybe planning) some ads for Snapchat.

SEO: The periodic table of SEO success factors 

Getting started with SEO can often be an overwhelming process. Search Engine Land’s periodic table is a perfect primer for those looking to better understand the path to SEO success. The table has great info about both on- and off-page SEO.

Client takeaway: When it comes to on-page SEO, great content quality, architecture crawl, and HTML titles are the bare minimum for success.

Suggested implementation: Blow up the table and hang it on your wall. Then examine each point in depth, stopping to evaluate how you can improve each component of the SEO optimization process.

Social media marketing: Facebook updates Lookalike Audiences, launches Value Optimization

Facebook has launched one new tool and updated another. The first, Value Optimization, allows advertisers to optimize ad campaigns based on data from the Facebook pixel. The second, Lookalike Audiences, opens up the existing tool to help create more flexible strategies.

Client takeaway: Value Optimization is a new tool to help optimize data from Facebook pixels, and Lookalike Audiences has received updates making it more flexible.

Suggested implementation: If you’re not using Lookalike Audiences, it can be a powerful tool to locate the customers who have the most money available to spend on your product or service.

Strategy: 4 steps to choosing the best project management tool for your agency

Marketing agencies are complex. Because of this, efficiency breakdowns and lack of transparency can run rampant. A good project management solution can help streamline things, so Bonfire’s Melinda Lease has the breakdown on the best practices for picking one.

Client takeaway: There’s no perfect tool out there, but you can find one that gets you 75 percent of the way.

Suggested implementation: The first question to ask about any PM tool is this: What are the key needs of your organization, and does the tool serve those needs?

Trends: See Nike’s great Kevin Durant ad that ran right after the Warriors won it all

Major brands making media buys in slots right after potential gold medal and championship wins is becoming commonplace. Nike went big this year, airing a powerful ad — featuring the one and only Kevin Durant — in the immediate wake of the Golden State Warriors’ NBA Finals win.

Client takeaway: Timing is everything, especially when the stakes are high (in this case, a clash of the titans basketball showdown).

Suggested implementation: Are there time-sensitive opportunities that your brand specifically caters to that you can exploit? Holidays, games, current events — everything is fair game.