Digital Marketing News Roundup: July 2021

July 2021 was a busy month for the digital marketing industry, with a lot of buzz being created in the social media and SEO spaces. Read on to see what the most intriguing digital marketing stories were this month and the new marketing opportunities that could be on the horizon.

Social media

YouTube rolls out Shorts to the world

YouTube has introduced YouTube Shorts globally to compete with the likes of TikTok in the short term video content arena. For those who don’t know, Shorts lets you create 15 second videos through your phone and watch the Shorts on YouTube.

It’ll be interesting to see how users make the most of Shorts and if the content they produce with be different. For marketers, Shorts is a new channel to test out ideas for raising brand awareness and building new connections.

Triller expands its features with immersive experiences and shoppable videos

Video app Triller is also looking to stand out with short form content by focusing on deeper,  immersive experiences. Examples of this are pre-recorded live shows from musicians and influencers that still have a short form feel.

As part of these richer experiences, Triller is also putting more emphasis on its shoppable video features and creating AR-based pop-up shops for purchasing products quickly. 

The rise of audio content continues with Soundmojis

Facebook have launched a new emoji feature in Messenger called Soundmojis. These emojis play short audio content when they are clicked on e.g. a pair of clapping hands produces sounds of cheering.

Soundmojis present a new and interactive way for chatting through Messenger and could develop into a useful marketing tactic. For example, a brand may eventually be able to use a sponsored audio clip with an emoji as part of a new product launch.

SEO

Google completes core algorithm update

Google announced the completion of the search engine’s main algorithm update, which may have impacted search rankings. As with previous updates, Google hasn’t released much information on what specific changes have been made.

Search Engine Journal produced a fantastic article about possible changes and what could also be coming in the future for the search engine giant.

Google’s John Mueller provides insights into search engine bots

Senior Webmaster Trends Analyst John Mueller is a fount of knowledge when it comes to all things Google.

In one of his latest pieces of advice, Mueller went into detail about why Google’s crawler bot isn’t always able to crawl a large amount of website pages.

Whether you’re an SEO master or just starting out, it’s worth reading Mueller’s insights and learning about the technical side of SEO.

Check back next month for a new roundup of important digital marketing stories. In the meantime, get in touch if you’d like to improve your digital marketing strategy and we’ll be happy to lend a hand.