Let User Experience Be Your Guiding Light

Here’s our latest roundup of digital marketing tips.

Social media: Snapchat’s big redesign just hit iOS

Snapchat’s UX overhaul, with universal search bar and other new features, is framed as a win for users who found the platform difficult to use. But it’s also a play directly to marketers and businesses for a new means of generating revenue.

Client takeaway: The search bar opens the door for search ads in the future, much in the way Instagram has benefited from ads in their Stories feature (inspired by Snapchat’s Stories).

Suggested implementation: Snapchat is a window into a younger generation now coming into its buying years. Familiarize yourself with the platform, then prepare for new tools it might offer advertisers in the future.

Social media marketing: How to add multiple pictures, videos to Instagram posts

Instagram’s new album feature is now live! Learn how to share up to 10 photos and videos in a single post with a step-by-step guide.

Client takeaway: Instagram’s new album feature is very similar to parent company Facebook’s feature. Users can post 10 images and videos. Viewers can swipe through posts to view the content.

Suggested implementation: The new feature promotes brand storytelling. Share events, products, and company culture without a spammy feeling. Break up larger infographics into shareable infograms or explain a process with graphic how-tos.

SEO: Google: Panda takes into account site quality, including site architecture

Google’s John Mueller answers one user’s question about site architecture and ranking. “Does Panda take site architecture into account?”

Client takeaway: Mueller asserts that Panda does take site architecture and usability into account when scoring. This means that you can make content until you’re blue in the face, but if your site’s UX is bad, content isn’t as effective.

Suggested implementation: Constantly consider the UX of your site. If you have something that can be improved that you’ve been putting it off, don’t any longer.

Technology: Nokia’s nostalgia trap: the hot old-is-new-again 3310

Remember the old Nokia brick phones of the early aughts? They’re back and making waves with old fans. Too bad Nokia’s impressive new phone offerings aren’t accomplishing the same. Never underestimate the power of nostalgia.

Client takeaway: The new 3310 will be a reasonable $147–$316 (at least compared to the next-gen iPhone expected to cost over $1000). It’ll be positioned as a basic phone for emerging markets, as well as a “digital detox” opportunity.

Suggested implementation: Yes, everyone loves a good throwback. But be sure your efforts to strum heartstrings of the past don’t overshadow your efforts in the present.

Video: YouTube tops over 1 billion hours of video per day

Is Google coming for a TV near you? The parent of YouTube claims the video platform is 10 times more popular than Netflix or Facebook video.

Client takeaway: YouTube users watch more than 1 billion hours of video per day, surpassing Netflix’s 116 million hours and Facebook’s 100 million hours. Nielsen data shows that the number of hours Americans spend watching or recording TV is shrinking from its 1.25 billion high.

Suggested implementation: Need any more convincing that video marketing is here to stay? It’s only going to get more immersive.