Google gives YouTube a boost, TikTok is often imitated and never duplicated, and Shake Shack is bringing summer camp home this year.
Your weekly digital marketing matchbox to kindle creative content.
July 16, 2020
It’s Like It Has ESPN
Google is kind of psychic … it has a fifth sense. JK. It did add new predictive capabilities to Google Analytics, though. Now Google can predict Purchase Probability (the likelihood a site visitor will make a purchase in the next week) and Churn Probability (how likely it is a recent visitor to your site won’t return in the next week). These metrics are pretty significant, and brands that use Google Ads can apply them to target specific audiences that they’re close to selling to or those they want to retain. If you don’t use Google Ads, you could also use these predictive audiences to analyze campaigns to help influence your future marketing strategy and spend. There’s a 30% chance that we’re already logging into Google Analytics.
Classy, Bougie, Banned?
After the White House confirmed last week that it’s considering stopping the clock on TikTok, Byte (AKA Vine 2.0) saw downloads increase 14,275% — yes, you read that correctly. While it still has a long way to go before it reaches TikTok levels, it’s essential to realize how quickly the social media marketing landscape can change. From bans to boycotts, you never know what could come along and upend your digital and content plans, and you must remain prepared to revise and tweak long-planned campaigns at a moment’s notice. In this case, as Byte and other TikTok wannabes rise to the surface, it could present an opportunity for brands to be early adopters on those platforms, especially if they missed their chance on the OG short-video app. Don’t be wary of this potential change, and instead, be ready to make like Ross from "Friends" and “Pivot! Pivot!”
Root, Root, Root for the Home Team
Well, well, well, it looks as if Google and YouTube are in cahoots. After some testing and sleuthing, the Wall Street Journal found that Google tends to prioritize YouTube videos in search results above videos from other sources like Facebook Watch, Twitch, or Daily Motion. Google does own YouTube, so the home field advantage isn’t altogether surprising — but it’s still critical to be aware of this pecking order.
For example, a Buzzfeed video received 89x more views on Facebook than YouTube, yet the YouTube version still came up first in search results. This YouTube prioritization means for brands incorporating video into your content and SEO strategy, your vids must live on YouTube. Because if you’re aiming for those coveted Google video carousel slots, a video on other platforms is far less likely to make the cut.
WHAT LIT US UP THIS WEEK
(Shack) Camp Is in Session
Shake Shack says summer camp isn’t #canceled. Instead, the popular burger-and-shake joint wants to bring its virtual Shack Camp into your home. Want to turn lemons into lemonade? That’s week one of camp. And the best part? The packing list for this summer camp is short and sweet — it just requires a credit card and an online order form to receive a box of six weeks’ worth of entertainment. If you’re short on counselors, don’t worry. Instructions for the activities included in the Shack Camp Box (like building an indoor campfire or hosting a field day) are being posted weekly on the brand’s IGTV for all campers to see.
Shack Camp knows how to package wholesome fun into a box and leverage social media to act as the camp director. It’s no surprise, as Shake Shack has a lil’ bit of experience with these interactive marketing campaigns — just a few weeks ago, it launched DIY Sundae Kits and DIY Shackburger Kits in select markets. This brand seems to find its way into families’ kitchens throughout the country, and its social channels are full of recipes for fans to try out in their own “shack.” Altogether, Shake Shack’s interactive and digital campaigns aren’t about getting burgers delivered to audiences’ doorsteps, they’re about ID’ing a need customers have (in this case, no summer camp = no break for parents) and solving it with a creative and memorable solution.
