KIMP’s Picks 11th September: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More
We’re back with a brand new edition of KIMP’s Picks, your weekly dose of inspiration from graphic design, marketing, and AI. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or an aspiring entrepreneur, our curated collection of social media insights is your key to staying ahead in the ever-changing digital landscape.
In the KIMP’s Picks 11th September edition, we’ll discuss the most enlightening and trending content. From the latest marketing strategies that are making waves to the cutting-edge developments in graphic design and the fascinating world of AI, we’ve got it all covered. So, without further ado, let’s go!
In the Marketing Realm
Tips to raise brand awareness
Semrush offers some of the most productive tools for site audit, keyword research, and more. On their X page, Semrush shared the below post summarizing the tips to raise brand awareness.
The article discusses the significance of brand awareness and introduces various KPIs to track your brand’s presence effectively. From monitoring brand mentions to analyzing social media reach and engagement, web traffic, search engine visibility, customer surveys, and influencer impact, this comprehensive guide offers actionable insights in various aspects.
Moreover, it highlights the importance of authenticity in influencer collaborations, leveraging user-generated content, and employing public relations to enhance brand visibility. Keeping a watchful eye on competitors and striving to create a memorable brand are also key takeaways.
Whether you’re a marketer or entrepreneur, these KPIs and tips will empower you to measure, enhance, and ultimately elevate your brand awareness.
CGI ads are a trend now
Remember the Maybelline CGI ad that was making waves in social media about a month ago? Now L’Oréal is the newest brand to join the league with its creative CGI ad.
Ads like these are known to create a buzz and that’s exactly what brands need especially when introducing a new product. Painting the streets of Paris red, even if it is just in a CGI video, is a good idea to get people talking about the brand when there’s a new product coming.
Optimizing PPC performance
Data shows that businesses make about $2 for each $1 spent on PPC. Most businesses know this and actively invest in paid advertising. However, not many yield the intended results. If that’s the case with your business, then the below post from Search Engine Journal can be quite insightful.
The article talks about various ways to optimize PPC performance including finding the right keywords and search terms, to setting aside the right budgets and investing in Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), and more.
The next post also talks about one other factor that can influence your PPC performance.
Good landing pages are key to better PPC performance
Popular landing page builder Unbounce shared the below post highlighting the need for good landing page experiences to go with your ads.
The post talks about the factors that enhance your landing page experience and how this experience affects your quality score.
The reason is that when users click through from your PPC ads, Google evaluates your landing page experience, and this assessment directly impacts your ad performance and conversions.
Need help designing memorable landing pages for your campaigns? Get a KIMP Graphics subscription.
An overview of local search ranking factors
Moz has a large assortment of paid and free SEO tools for businesses of various sizes. On their X page, Moz shared a resourceful discussion on local search ranking factors. If your business is struggling to make an impact with local search, then the article featured below can be a great place for inspiration.
The post goes on to talk about 8 such local search ranking factors including citation factors, review factors, behavioral factors, and more. It even talks about the Google Business Profile factors in detail to help you set up a strong online presence for your brand and ace the art of local marketing.
Google Performance Max best practices for the holiday season
In a previous KIMP’s Picks edition, we spoke about a post that highlights tips for skyrocketing ROAS with Performance Max. And this past week, Google spoke about the best practices for businesses using Performance Max during the holiday season. For those who do not already know, Performance Max is Google’s new AI-powered campaign type to help advertisers reach more customers across all of Google’s channels, including YouTube, Search, Display, Discover, Gmail, and Maps.
The featured article talks about quick tips like early budget planning, identifying the right campaign structure, and more.
The influence of social media on purchase decisions
Are you still contemplating investing in social media for your brand? The below statistic from McKinsey will change your perspective.
The above graph captures the influence of social media on the purchase decisions of various generations. As you can see, the GenZers are the most influenced by social media followed by millennials. So, if your target audience consists of GenZ or millennials or both, then social media is a channel you cannot ignore.
In the Content Marketing Realm
Top SEO tools used by marketers
SEO still holds the prime position when it comes to evaluating content strategy. And one of the best ways to ensure that your SEO performance is on track is to use online SEO tools. There are many free and paid tools to try.
The below post from Ahrefs (which also happens to be one of the most popularly used SEO tools) gives an overview of the top SEO tools that marketers are using. Google Search Console leads the game with about 27.1% of marketers relying on it followed by Ahrefs which is a favorite among 25.3% of marketers.
Storytelling techniques for better copywriting
Coming up with a compelling copy is easier when you identify the right storytelling approach. If you are wondering how to get there, the below post will be a great starting point. Email marketing expert Chase Diamond shared the below save-worthy post highlighting the many storytelling techniques to explore and the occasions where each feels right.
From using “The Hero’s Journey” approach for brand narratives to using FOMO to drive urgency for flash sales, the post delves into several useful ideas.
Scaling your content production processes
Content is an indispensable aspect of marketing. Moreover, it’s a well-known fact that as your business grows, your content strategy needs to scale up too. But how do you scale your content production processes? Who better than Content Marketing Institute, a leading authority in content marketing, can answer this?! The article shared in the below post has all the answers you might need.
It talks about getting a holistic view of content operations to using AI tools, and organizing the right teams to scale your content.
That was about scaling your content production effectively. But if you are looking for ways to streamline your content process first, then check out our blog here.
Why should you post fresh content regularly?
Marketing experts keep reiterating the need for posting fresh content regularly to stay ahead in your marketing game. But did you know that this practice can also significantly affect your SEO? Michael Brenner, CEO of Marketing Insider Group, talks about this in detail in the blog featured in the below post.
The post talks about fresh content boosting a site’s reliability, increasing user engagement, and more. There are also a few quick ideas on keeping your content calendar filled with new ideas for fresh content.
The key to a better YouTube Shorts strategy
Acing the YouTube Shorts game feels like a challenge to many marketers. Sounds relatable? Then the below post is for you. The post was shared on the X page of Buffer, one of the leading social media toolkits used by brands around the world.
The post begins with a quick overview of the driving factors on YouTube Shorts like User Engagement, Watch Time, and User Surveys. It then goes on to explain the nuances like video length and post frequency for better-performing Shorts.
In the Design Realm
McDonald’s creative campaign design
Because of Marketing discusses all the latest campaigns from brands big and small. The below post was shared on their LinkedIn page highlighting a creative McDonald’s campaign.
The moment you look at the ad you can instantly comprehend that the ad is from McDonald’s and the theme is summer. How did that happen? Through the intuitive use of symbols and references. The first is the strength of the McDonald’s logo. This shows the brand’s branding prowess.
And then comes the use of a single drip to represent summer. This is an example of using metaphorical representations in advertising. Visual metaphors make your ads more interactive and memorable.
What’s new on Canva
With the list of design tools available expanding rapidly, Canva has been regularly introducing a lot of new features. These include refinements to improve user experience as well as the editing capabilities of the tool. The below post from Canva talks about all the cool new updates that have been recently introduced.
According to the summary presented in the above post, you can now import PSD files to Canva. So if you have an old design source file you wish to rework using Canva, this can be a handy option. Additionally, to enhance art generation, Canva now has Google Cloud Imagen and DALL-E capabilities.
Don’t have time to use all of these new features on Canva? Then one way to make the most of your Canva subscription will be to choose KIMP’s Canva Graphics subscription.
Leveraging the impact of shapes in packaging design
Packaging of the World regularly shares the most useful tips and tricks as well as design inspiration for brand packaging design. Here’s a post from the brand showcasing the rebranded identity for Marianitos
This article explores the rebranding and packaging transformation of “Marianitos” rolls, the flagship product of an Alicante-based bakery business.
One of the reasons behind the rebranding is the brand’s globalization. And the design is meant to capture the essence of the brand so as to deliver the message quickly and clearly in the new markets. This is where the smart use of shapes in the design comes into play.
The circular arrangement of the text brilliantly represents donuts while also creating a subtle playful aesthetic.
In the AI Realm
HubSpot AI is here
From CRM to inbound marketing, HubSpot takes care of a host of functions to simplify a marketer’s job. Recently, the company announced the introduction of HubSpot AI, in the post below.
As per the post, the updates are available in various places on the HubSpot platform including the use of AI Assistants for sales, to AI Agents for customer service, AI Insights for better analytics, and more. All of these AI capabilities are sure to optimize the applications of HubSpot and amplify the experience.
Google advertising policy updates for political ads
Google is set to introduce new rules for political ads on its platforms, requiring them to disclose when images and audio have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI). BBC News spoke about these updates in the below post.
These rules are a response to the increasing use of AI tools to create synthetic content. The changes will take effect in November, roughly a year ahead of the next US presidential election, amid concerns that AI could be used to spread disinformation during campaigns.
Election-related ads will need to prominently display if they contain “synthetic content” representing real or realistic-looking individuals or events. Google’s existing ad policies prohibit the manipulation of digital media for political deception. The disclosure of digitally altered content must be clear and noticeable in election ads.
Zoom introduces an AI assistant
Zoom has introduced AI Companion (formerly Zoom IQ), a generative AI assistant designed to enhance productivity and collaboration across the Zoom platform. The below post announces the launch of this AI assistant for paid Zoom accounts.
AI Companion has been designed to assist users with various tasks, such as composing chat responses, summarizing meetings, generating email messages, and streamlining scheduling processes. Additionally, the tool can also help in organizing ideas on a digital whiteboard and improve communication skills by providing real-time feedback during meetings.
Zoom plans to further enhance AI Companion’s capabilities in the future, allowing users to interact with it through a conversational interface and perform various tasks seamlessly within the Zoom platform.
Amazon’s new generative AI ventures
If you are looking for all the latest updates and inspiration in the world of AI, then the LinkedIn page of Generative AI is a great source. The below post was shared on the page last week highlighting Amazon’s big step in generative AI.
The post gives an overview of Amazon One which is an AI-powered system that uses biometric data to allow convenient contactless payments. Accordingly, users can make payments in seconds by simply swiping their palm.
Deployed in various locations, including Whole Foods Market stores and third-party venues, the system relies on precise palm recognition linked to credit cards or Amazon accounts. Amazon uses generative AI for more accurate recognition and authentication using palm swipes.
Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes
New ways to engage on TikTok
Social Media Today, one of the best sources of all the latest social media information, shared the below post about an upcoming feature on TikTok.
Based on the above discussion, TikTok is working on several new engagement features on the app including messaging and more ways to share. The steps are to cater to the off-app sharing requirements of most users. This will be a way to allow users to connect with brands directly. Given that TikTok is one of the leading social media platforms for people to discover new brands and products, these messaging and engagement features are likely to boost the experience.
Notes on X Videos
In a June edition of the KIMP’s Picks, we spoke about X introducing Community Notes for image posts. And now X has expanded this feature to video posts as well. This is to help users provide more context around shared video content. The feature is particularly useful for videos shared on several posts and reshared several times.
Not just for images anymore — introducing notes on videos!
— Community Notes (@CommunityNotes) September 5, 2023
Notes written on videos will automatically show on other posts containing matching videos. A highly-scalable way of adding context to edited clips, AI-generated videos, and more. Available to all Top Writers 🏅 https://t.co/s92XoA1SZ9 pic.twitter.com/I2JF4NQZ9q
Notes can be added to edited video clips as well as AI-generated videos so as to enhance transparency when sharing content.
YouTube is testing longer ads for the TV app
YouTube gets nearly half of its viewership (45%) from TVs. therefore, this is a critical screen for the platform, without a doubt! Taking this into account YouTube is reportedly testing the option for longer ads on the TV app but these are to be displayed less frequently.
Search Engine Land brings all the latest Search-related news and updates. On their X page, they shared the below post talking about this upcoming update on YouTube.
YouTube pilots longer, less frequent ads on TV app via @nicola_agius https://t.co/phvyODaGQs
— Search Engine Land (@sengineland) September 7, 2023
Threads has been seeing a steady decline in traffic
Similarweb shared the below snapshot to indicate the decline in traffic on the Threads app.
Based on the trend displayed it is clear that despite the explosive opening week, Threads has been seeing a steady decline in traffic over the next few weeks. But the nearly flat trend shows that all of these efforts from Meta to keep the app alive are working.
In fact, the introduction of the web version of Threads which we discussed in an August edition of KIMP’s Picks, boosted the traffic in the US by 20%.
Wrapping up this week’s roundup
That was all about the updates and discussions on graphic design, marketing, and AI from this past week. We hope that the posts we found insightful inspired you and informed you of all things new and trending. With that, we wrap up the KIMP’s Picks 4th September edition. But we promise you that we’ll be back with another exciting roundup of social media posts same time next week. Until then, stay curious and keep exploring new paths in marketing and entrepreneurship!