Good morning marketers, is working remotely helping your relationship with martech? 

Now that we’ve had a few weeks to settle into our new WFH reality, marketing teams are finding out what their martech can really do. Because if there was ever a time for a crash course in martech efficiency, it’s now. Before the coronavirus outbreak, Daryl McNutt, SVP of marketing for TapClicks, and his team members worked in different offices across the country, with some working remotely. Now that everyone is home, McNutt says his team is getting much more acquainted with their martech stack. 

Being at home (without the resources of the office) means having to find more effective ways to get work done. But in addition to focusing on efficiency, McNutt says reporting has become a growing priority to ensure team members and stakeholders are aware of how campaigns are performing. Like the TapClicks team, marketers are searching for new ways to maximize the platforms already in use to get more out of them without adding more processes — or marketing tech — to their already expanding list of responsibilities.

On the content side of things, digital marketers are feeling the pressure to respond to the ongoing crisis with strategic messaging and carefully-curated content. But the proliferation of so-called “corona content” also creates a dilemma and a practical problem for brands. Already, feeds, ads, and landing pages are flooded with “me too” listicles and volumes around how COVID-19 is impacting business. 

This creates a kind of content din and raises fundamental questions, like what should you be creating? And how do you differentiate your content when everyone is basically doing the exact same thing?  It’s a challenging issue and there’s no single, simple answer. We know content is foundational for SEO success, but rising above the rest is easier said than done, particularly now.  

There’s more below, including a long-awaited update on Instagram DMs, along with our curated reading list to keep you on the up-and-up this week. 

Taylor Peterson,
Deputy Editor

 
 
 
Social Shorts
 

Facebook rolls out Quiet Mode, Instagram brings DMs to the web

Quiet time on Facebook. Facebook has released a new feature called Quiet Mode last week, which lets users mute all notifications in an attempt to promote downtime away from the screen. It will continue rolling out for iOS users through the next month, and it will be available for Android users starting in May. Why we care: Quiet Mode complements Facebook’s other efforts to offer relief in the time of COVID-19. It’s coupled with the app’s ‘Your Time’ feature as part of Facebook’s well-being suite that launched back in 2018. The ability to mute all notifications signals a broader push to address growing concerns about the impact of technology on mental health – especially during a time of crisis. Source: VentureBeat

 

Instagram now shows DMs on desktop. As a long-awaited feature sought after by businesses, creators, and users alike, Instagram is finally bringing direct messages to its desktop browser site. Instagram announced the move on Friday, stating that users globally will now be able to access DMs on the web. Why we care: Desktop DMs have been in beta since January, and the platform has gradually added small features to mirror the DM experience users are already familiar with on the app. For marketers in particular, the ability to access DMs directly from the computer means one less step when connecting with audiences or customers.  Source: The Verge

 

Learn how local marketing should adjust for times of economic uncertainty

Every industry is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are actions you can take now to encourage your franchisees, agents, dealers and partners to maintain the trust they have built with your customers at the local level. Times like these demand a clear and consistent brand message be disseminated quickly to local markets. Watch this on-demand webinar from BrandMuscle to learn how local marketing should adjust to accommodate scenarios like the current coronavirus impact.

Watch it now »

 

Free online training with 30+ marketing experts

How will your martech stack and processes be impacted by COVID-19? How can you deliver a personalized user experience without betraying privacy? Get the answers to these and more crucial questions April 21-23 at Discover MarTech!

See the agenda! »

 
 
 
What we're reading
 

We've curated our picks from across the web so you can retire your feed reader

Zuckerberg’s Jealousy Held Back Instagram and Drove Off Founders – Bloomberg

‘We are providing incremental revenue to them’: How Snap plans to support publishers through the crisis – Digiday

Apple and Google are launching a joint COVID-19 tracing tool for iOS and Android – TechCrunch

Twitch is expanding Watch Parties beta to all partners, then all US creators after – The Verge

Amazon to pause its third-party shipping service  – Retail Dive

The State of Reputation Management 2020 – Street Fight