Marketing Day: Building an AI mindset, Facebook removes ad filters & Google Ad Grants

Here’s our recap of what happened in online marketing today, as reported on Marketing Land and other places across the web.

From Marketing Land:

• Building an AI mindset: Time to identify and develop skill sets now
  Mar 23, 2018 by Andy Betts
  Contributor Andy Betts details the talent gap that may be holding up the adoption of machine learning and AI in marketing but also offers suggestions on how the gap might be bridged.
• Why marketers finally stopped talking about ABM (and started practicing it)
  Mar 23, 2018 by Peter Isaacson
  Contributor Peter Isaacson explores the trends driving marketers to turn their attention to the nuts and bolts of implementing account-based marketing.
• Brands strive for authenticity as audiences turn a skeptical eye toward ads
  Mar 23, 2018 by Peter Minnium
  Brands attempting to be “real” and “human” often make missteps that get them in trouble. Contributor Peter Minnium explains why this is important and how to get it right.
• Facebook quietly removes ad filter to target users based on their relationship preferences
  Mar 23, 2018 by Amy Gesenhues
  A Facebook executive says the decision to remove the “interested in” filter from its ad platform was based on feedback from outside experts.
• Giants collide: Google’s impending showdown with Amazon
  Mar 23, 2018 by Andreas Reiffen
  With Google pushing into retail and Amazon into advertising, where should you invest your ad budget? Contributor Andreas Reiffen says it depends on what you’re selling and how much you have to invest.
• What’s different about digital marketing in the cannabis industry?
  Mar 23, 2018 by Brett Middleton
  Contributor Brett Middleton explores the current challenges and opportunities facing this budding industry, given the differences in local, state and federal regulations across the US.
• Connatix launches Stories for Publishers to bring native Story units to mobile sites
  Mar 23, 2018 by Ginny Marvin
  Publishers can implement the format made popular by social networks on their own sites — and control the ad revenue.
• Google Ad Grants changes and your PPC strategy: Where to go from here
  Mar 23, 2018 by Pauline Jakober
  Is your nonprofit organization involved with the Google Ad Grants Program? Contributor Pauline Jakober shows how you can benefit from the recent ad changes with a few creative tips and workarounds.
• Stop! Think twice before using nofollow on your website
  Mar 23, 2018 by Patrick Stox
  Using page-level nofollow? Just stop, says Contributor Patrick Stox. Instead, use nofollow on specific links if you have to use them at all.
• 5 easy but smart SEO wins to boost content and link-building efforts
  Mar 22, 2018 by Jeremy Knauff
  Don’t ignore the basic, everyday technical SEO issues that pop up when marketing a website, suggests contributor Jeremy Knauff. Take care of the fundamentals and you’ll see better SEO results.
• SEO Ranking factors panel: SMX West session recap
  Mar 22, 2018 by Eric Enge
  Contributor Eric Enge recaps the controversial takeaways and interesting marketing tips from the SEO Ranking Factors session at SMX West.
• Snapchat bulks up location-based ad targeting & launches in-store analytics tool
  Mar 22, 2018 by Amy Gesenhues
  Advertisers can now target ads based on a radius around a specific geographic point, or a location type — like a beach, movie theater, or university.
• 4 concrete ways to use images to build links
  Mar 22, 2018 by Pratik Dholakiya
  Every picture tells a story and also may help you build links. Contributor Pratik Dholakiya shares four solid ways to use images to attract links.

Recent Headlines From MarTech Today, Our Sister Site Dedicated To Marketing Technology:

• The MarTech Minute: Thunderhead launches new tool, Snowflake partners with Segment and more
  Mar 23, 2018 by Robin Kurzer
  The martech week in review: News and announcements in marketing technology this week that you might have missed.
• How the C-suite benefits from a strategic marketing operations function
  Mar 23, 2018 by Debbie Qaqish
  Need ammunition to win budget and staffing for a strategic marketing operations team? Contributor Debbie Qaqish offers a long list of benefits.
• Google’s steps toward GDPR surrounded by questions
  Mar 23, 2018 by Barry Levine
  The tech giant wants publishers to get and manage user consent, which apparently Google wants to co-control.
• Report: EU to introduce amendments extending consumer protections to free services such as Gmail and Facebook
  Mar 23, 2018 by Robin Kurzer
  Services that use consumer data as payment would be subject to penalties in line with GDPR.
• Marketers, here’s how to understand what’s really behind your mobile ad visits metric
  Mar 23, 2018 by Gladys Kong
  Contributor Gladys Kong demystifies store visits metrics and the various ways they’re compiled, so you know the important questions to ask your vendors.

Online Marketing News From Around The Web:

• 7 Tips To Increase Email Marketing Engagement, CMS Wire
• Everything you need to know about marketing in 8 steps, VerticalResponse
• High-performing Facebook Ad Placements (in 4 Steps), Practical Ecommerce
• How to Set Up an Online Shop Your Visitors Will Love, MarketingProfs
• Spotify reveals 2 million free users are dodging ads, The Verge
• The Alexa of Marketing: Helping Win Customers and the Boardroom, Marketo
• The Three Issues Keeping Brands From Going All-In On Podcast Advertising, AdExchanger
• Twitch vs YouTube: Which Platform Is Best For Influencers?, MediaKix
• What ‘data’ competencies does a modern marketing function need?, Econsultancy

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Amy Gesenhues

Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Marketing Land, Search Engine Land and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.