Amazon Drones Take Flight | Facebook & the “Apple Tax” | Back-to-Basics Marketing Mid-Pandemic

September 3, 2020

Second-Hand Scoop

News from the past week

 

• FB broadens their Horizon. Facebook has announced the launch of “Horizon”, a sandbox creation tool for VR where users can create and engage with each other in a virtual environment.
• Amazon takes flight. Amazon has received approval from the FAA to deliver packages using their fleet of Prime Air delivery drones. The tech is still being tested, but it may not be long before customers start receiving packages in 30 minutes or less.
• Digital ads weathering the storm. Display ad spending is continuing to grow despite the current recession, far exceeding projected expectations.
• Apple v. Facebook. Facebook and Apple are at odds over the “Apple Tax”, leading many to wonder why Facebook doesn’t pay any rent to be advertised on the app store while smaller developers pay substantially for the same privilege.

Back to Basics Marketing Mid-Pandemic

Strategies to aid your marketing

The harmful effects of the pandemic on businesses has been substantial, but even before the emergency was declared, there was evidence of challenges ahead. Early in the year, reports showed over 75% of companies anticipated taking a financial hit this year. Many industries have since adapted to the current climate with increased safety protocols and an easing of supply chain disruptions.

However, marketing is still facing an uphill battle and customers are getting fatigued. Here are a few ways to adapt your marketing to be less tone deaf and more appealing to your audience.

Reintroduce yourself. No matter your company’s level of brand awareness, you should take this opportunity to reinforce your values and what your business stands for. Find stories which reinforce your corporate mission, or even better, ask your employees for their personal testimonials.

Improve your employer brand. How your audience sees you is only part of brand awareness. Your company should hope to be sought after by potential employees in order to recruit the best people possible. Revisit your HR protocols to evaluate how your business is conveying its efforts to ensure employee safety and communicate the company culture.

Cultivate community ties. Since where we work is often where we also live, community ties to the local area are important to create and cultivate. If you have the ability to donate resources or start/participate in a volunteer program, your community will likely remember how your business helped during this pandemic.

Read more »

Leadership in the Age of COVID

Productivity tips & hacks

Leading a team always has its challenges, but right now it can be far more difficult than usual to help your employees stay positive, motivated, and resilient. Being transparent about how you don’t have the answers is key, but make sure you are as available as possible to connect with your team. Try to make the best out of the unknown, seek opportunity from adversity, and add a little playfulness to meetings and group projects.

Read more »

Expanded E-Commerce on Facebook & Instagram

Helpful videos & podcast

This week on Marketing O’Clock, the team discusses changes coming to Facebook Shops and Instagram Checkout, including the mass rollout of these features to all U.S. businesses and the ability to manage them through a single online store.

Listen here

PUNCHlines

CORRECTION: In last week’s issue of GUH, former TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer’s last name was misspelled. We apologize for the error.

About Ellie Batchiyska

Ellie is a PR & SEO Outreach Coordinator for Conversion Giant with three years of experience in digital marketing, social media management, and client relations. A former journalist, she is committed to delivering content with integrity and transparency.