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The digital marketing landscape is evolving rapidly, and keeping up with platform updates is essential for businesses looking to maximize their reach and efficiency. This month, TikTok, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Google have all launched game-changing updates that impact advertisers and marketers alike. Here’s what you need to know and why it matters.
TikTok Launches Automotive Ads
Why This Matters:
TikTok is doubling down on automotive advertising, providing businesses with tools to engage car buyers at various stages of the purchase journey. These new ad formats allow dealerships and manufacturers to optimize campaigns for better reach, lower costs, and higher conversions.
TikTok has introduced Automotive Ads, a catalog-based advertising solution aimed at boosting vehicle promotions and increasing sales. With consumers taking longer to purchase cars and expecting more personalized marketing, TikTok’s new format is designed to bridge the gap.
The two key ad formats are:
- Video + Product Card – A mix of engaging video content with personalized, shoppable product recommendations.
- Multi-link Carousel Card – Allows advertisers to display multiple vehicle models with unique URLs, helping customers explore different options easily.
For dealerships, TikTok’s Inventory Ads provide automated creative generation, leading to a 41% reduction in customer acquisition costs. Meanwhile, Model Ads for manufacturers enable quick catalog setups and streamline lower-funnel conversions. With a significant portion of TikTok users currently looking for a new car, this update cements TikTok’s role in automotive marketing.
LinkedIn Launches Conversions API for B2B Marketers
Why This Matters:
For B2B marketers struggling to prove ROI, LinkedIn’s new Conversions API allows for better attribution and campaign measurement. This means businesses can optimize their spending for the leads that truly matter—MQLs and SQLs—rather than just clicks.
LinkedIn has introduced the Conversions API, a powerful tool designed to connect first-party data with LinkedIn’s platform. B2B marketers often face long buying cycles, making it difficult to track and prove the effectiveness of campaigns. This new API changes that by enabling deeper audience insights and conversion tracking.
Key benefits include:
- 31% increase in attributed conversions
- 20% decrease in cost per action
- 39% decrease in cost per qualified lead
Additionally, LinkedIn has enhanced its Revenue Attribution Report, adding a 365-day lookback window to track long-term impact. Marketers can now connect online and offline touchpoints, proving campaign value beyond immediate sales.
Amazon Ads Introduces New Off-Amazon Placement Settings
Why This Matters:
Amazon advertisers now have more control over how their Sponsored Products appear outside of Amazon. Brands can choose between maximizing exposure or minimizing ad spend, allowing for better budget management and campaign efficiency.
Amazon Ads has introduced new off-Amazon placement settings for Sponsored Products, allowing advertisers to tailor their ad distribution strategy. The two optimization choices include:
- Maximize Reach – Prioritizes impressions and brand visibility beyond Amazon.
- Minimize Spend – Focuses on cost efficiency and controlled ad placement.
By default, all campaigns are set to Maximize Reach, but advertisers can now adjust this setting to align with their goals. This update is particularly relevant for brands expanding beyond Amazon’s marketplace while still leveraging its ad tech.
Google News Shifts to Automated Publication Pages
Why This Matters:
Google News will no longer allow manual customization of publication pages, meaning brands need to focus more on SEO and high-quality content to rank well. This shift streamlines content discovery but limits publisher control.
Google News is set to fully transition to automated publication pages in March 2024, removing manual customization features from Publisher Center. This means:
- Manually created pages will disappear
- Logos will default to favicons from Google Search
- Publication titles will be based on site names
Google reassures publishers that this won’t affect content eligibility, but ranking will still depend on relevance, authority, freshness, and location. For brands relying on Google News for traffic, this means shifting focus toward organic discoverability and structured data.
Google Analytics 4 and Search Console Get Better Integration
Why This Matters:
SEO and analytics teams can now get a more complete view of user behavior by merging Search Console data with GA4. This improves insights into organic search traffic and site engagement.
Google has updated its documentation on integrating GA4 with Search Console, making it easier for marketers to connect pre-visit search data with on-site behavior analytics.
Key takeaways:
- Search Console tracks impressions, clicks, and search queries
- GA4 analyzes user behavior once they land on your site
- New Looker Studio dashboard helps visualize data trends
The biggest challenge marketers face is data discrepancies between the two platforms. Google’s new resources address common tracking differences, attribution gaps, and filtering issues, making it easier to optimize SEO and user engagement strategies.
Google Business Profile Adds WhatsApp & SMS Integration
Why This Matters:
Businesses can now directly communicate with customers through WhatsApp and SMS via Google Business Profile. This makes managing customer inquiries, bookings, and support easier—especially for mobile-first consumers.
Google Business Profile now allows businesses to integrate WhatsApp and SMS messaging, enabling real-time customer interaction. The feature is available globally (except for some Asian markets) and can be activated through profile settings.
How to Enable It:
- Go to your Business Profile
- Navigate to Contact > Chat Options
- Select WhatsApp or SMS and add your details
Businesses can now manage customer inquiries, bookings, and support requests more efficiently, all from within their Google Business Profile. While metrics for chat interactions aren’t available yet, this is a big step towards seamless customer communication.
This month’s updates offer significant improvements across social, search, and e-commerce advertising. Whether it’s TikTok’s new Automotive Ads, LinkedIn’s Conversion API, or Google’s SEO and business profile changes, these updates present big opportunities for marketers.
Which of these updates will have the biggest impact on your business? Let’s discuss.
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