Last week was fairly busy in the world of marketing and social with a free version of Google Shopping being announced, exciting additions from Facebook, Google AdWords updates, and more.

Let’s take a Pit Stop and get into it…

Facebook launches Rooms

Last Friday, Facebook launched a potential rival to Houseparty and Zoom with Rooms. It enables users to start video chat rooms that can be restricted to invites, open to all friends, or shared with others using a link. The maximum number of people allowed in a room at the same time is currently 8 but is reported to be rising to 50 in the coming weeks which will make it perfect for large virtual events, gatherings, business meetings, and parties. Facebook will also be making Rooms discoverable through Instagram, WhatsApp, and Portal.

Free product listings for Google Shopping

Launching today in the US is a new free option for Google Shopping. Existing Merchant customers will now be able to list their full product inventories for free. If you’re not signed up, you can also apply to list your inventory for free through Merchant Centre. Free listings will be shown in the lower half of Shopping results so if you want extra exposure then paid listings are still the way to go. For e-commerce businesses that aren’t already on Google Shopping then this is an absolute no brainer for increasing their product awareness, visibility, and sales.

Website links can now be added to Google’s Call-Only Ads

Google has updated its Call-Only ads option and renamed them Call Ads in the process. With the update, advertisers now have the option to add a “visit website” link to the ad, below the description. Adding the link makes the ad size larger and could reduce strain on customer service teams. It’s definitely worth testing.

Google extends Identity Verification Program

Google announced that its identity verification program will be rolling out to all advertisers, enabling more users to see advertiser disclosures and toggle whether they want to see ads from that advertiser or not. Advertisers will also have to do a bit more admin work by submitting information such as business incorporation and personal identification documents.

Google launches Search Tips

Search tips is a new feature, rolling out in the US initially, that is designed to help users rephrase queries that don’t return relevant results. While you likely won’t see it as most queries do return relevant results, users that do will get a message that says “It looks like there aren’t any great matches for your search”, along with tips on how to rephrase the query for better results.

Multi-Account imports added to Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft Advertising is now supporting multi-account imports from Google Ads, making it easier and quicker to extend campaigns from AdWords. Entire Google Ads accounts can now be imported as well as or alongside select campaigns. Schedules and histories for multiple-account imports can also be viewed.

Facebook Gaming release moved forward

With staff furloughed by over 70% of UK firms there’s a good chance you are catching this update at home, unable to work; and If that’s the case you may well be keeping yourself entertained on social media. With Facebook in particular reporting record usage since lockdown, they’ve made the decision to bring forward the launch of their new Gaming app. Originally planned for release in June, Facebook Gaming allows users to stream games live, competing with Twitch and YouTube. With Twitch the favoured platform for many gamers, we see Facebook Gaming becoming the go-to for more casual gamers and titles.

That’s it for this week’s Marketing Pit Stop and the latest news from marketing and social. Make sure you subscribe to our blog and podcast so that you don’t miss our next round-up.

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