16 Sep Google+ Looks To Expand Its Web Presence | Social You Should Know
Google announced updates to G+ this week that aim to boost content attribution, while Facebook is launching updates to its ads imagery and releasing new APIs in this week’s Social You Should Know.
Google+ Releases Embedded Posts and Author Attribution
Google announced updates to G+ that integrate the social platform with sites like WordPress and TypePad, and give content authors attribution in Google searches. Anyone on the web can now embed a G+ post, rather than having their content limited to just a certain G+ page. This makes Google+ content portable across the web, just as Facebook and Twitter have started allowing. Comments made on these posts from websites like TechCrunch or Business Insider can be seen within the embed, broadening the social conversation. Not as newsworthy but significant is that the social platform is also making author attribution easier. If a blogger signs into WordPress via G+, Google takes their author information and posts it with the results preview in search. This may broaden the size of influencers’ social circles and the number of followers they have.
Facebook Changes Its Ad Formats
Facebook started streamlining the size of images in most of their ad platforms. This is good news on two different fronts. First, developers shouldn’t need to create different size mock-ups for Facebook’s various ad types. More importantly, for advertisers it helps ads stand out more on both mobile and desktop platforms. Facebook’s hope is that it continues to help drive engagement and performance. Bold, quality imagery is a model that brands have caught onto with regards to organic engagement, and something we embrace for our own clients. It’s interesting to see the thought being carried over to Facebook’s paid side.
Facebook Serves Up User Info Better Than Twitter
Twitter has long touted its ability to be the best source for up-to-the-minute conversations, or at least better than Facebook. Facebook on the other hand actually has more content. This week Facebook is looking to leverage that advantage by introducing updates to its API that put a focus on keyword mentions and demographic data better than before. Public Feed API and Keyword Insights API aggregate real time public posts for a specific keyword while also compiling the total number of posts that mention a specific term. Right now, however, this is limited to select news partners only.
As a final reminder, a few brand’s posts using product placement to commemorate the 9/11 tragedy backfired. While “real time marketing” is everyone’s favorite buzzword, it’s important to consider what will, and will not, be well received when a brand chooses to insert itself into news.
