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FREE ADVERTISING!? Are You Utilizing Co-Op Advertising to Its Full Potential?

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FREE ADVERTISING Are You Utilizing Co-Op Advertising to Its Full Potential

Most of us have heard the saying “Nothing in this world is ever free.”  While Co-Op Advertising is certainly not entirely “Free”, it is a very beneficial program for many businesses across industries!  So, what is co-op advertising, which industries use it, what are the benefits of co-op advertising programs and what things should you know?

What is Co-Op Advertising? 

Co-Op Advertising (or Cooperative Advertising) is an advertising partnership, as the name implies, between two (or more) companies that are involved in the chain between manufacturing, distribution, and retail.  Co-Op Advertising is a way to share ad costs between involved parties and can be beneficial when seeking to improve the sales of a specific product.  Many times, a business will partner with the manufacturer (or distributor) to run ads for a specific brand they wish to increase sales revenue on.  The manufacturer or distributor will then pay for part, or in some cases all, of the advertising that includes their product or brand.  Most Co-Op Advertising Programs have very specific brand guidelines and rules for each type of media outlet.  Co-Op Advertising Programs often include an array of choices for media ranging from traditional broadcast to digital marketing efforts and everything in between.

Which Industries Use it?

There are many industries that have and utilize Co-Op Advertising Programs.  Basically, if there is a national brand that sells products via retailers to consumers, you can bet they likely have an established Co-Op Advertising Program.   Common examples of industry specific co-op advertising include Automotive (car dealerships), Powersports (ATVs, UTVs. Etc.), Lawn and Garden (lawn equipment, power tools, etc.), Farm and Ranch (tractor dealers, etc.), Marine (boats, watersports, etc.), Sporting Goods, HVAC Equipment (Trane, American Standard, Lennox, RUUD, Mitsubishi, etc.), Furniture, Mattresses, Electronics, and the list goes on.

What are the Benefits of Co-Op Advertising Programs?

The main benefit of Co-Op Advertising is the ability to offset your marketing costs.  With a Co-Op Advertising agreement, businesses can advertise more and spend less money out of pocket because the advertising costs are either shared or covered in full by the manufacturer or distributor.  This practice can increase ROI (Return on Investment) in a big way for many businesses.

In addition to the cost savings, many Co-Op Advertising Programs have marketing assets that are already created, can be used, and tweaked to meet your campaign goals and needs.  This can save both time and money with production costs for advertising assets and creative, making these resources an efficient way to create co-op ads.

Co-Op Advertising campaigns often result in reinforcement of a strong brand yet creates a custom, localized feel for business retailers.  Manufacturers are able to increase brand awareness and local businesses are able to advertise their products and services while marketing their own brand, resulting in a win-win situation.

What Should You Know About Co-Op Advertising? 

First, you should do the research to determine if you may have Co-Op funds available to your business through a Co-Op Advertising Program.  Once you determine the funds available, it is time to create a game plan for the best utilization of the Co-Op Advertising funds.  You will want to work with an experienced media partner that can guide you on the best usage of your Co-Op Advertising dollars and incorporate it into your overall media plan.  Strategy is very important. You will want to maximize your ad spend, be able to negotiate the best media rates, properly plan your campaign flight depending on your business and industry trends, and then plan an effective campaign with proper messaging and branding to compliment your existing campaigns.

Secondly, before planning your campaign it is important to be aware of the specific guidelines that are in place for your Co-Op Advertising Program.  Most programs have standards for branding that you will have to follow.  Additionally, there are often detailed rules for each media outlet (television or cinema, radio, print, Over-The-Top Television/OTT, billboards, websites and landing pages, uniforms and apparel, social media, email marketing, online banner ads, digital video/pre-roll, search engine marketing, etc.).  Once you are aware of the rules, you can work on the creative.  Most Co-Op Advertising Programs require submission of all creative for pre-approval prior to running your ads.

At the end of the day, you will want to work with a trusted partner who knows your business, your brand, and can maximize your Co-Op Advertising Program benefits to ensure your success.

As a leading marketing and advertising agency, Brand Ranch Media has many years of experience running Co-Op Advertising Campaigns across industries.  We know how to maximize your marketing dollars by utilizing Co-Op Advertising to its fullest potential to meet your goals and increase return on investment.  If you are looking for assistance with how to best utilize your Co-Op Advertising Program, give us a call at 713-309-6380 or contact us and we can gladly assist you!

 

“Do You Even TikTok, Bro?”

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Do You Even TikTok, Bro?

If you haven’t seen TV ads for it, you might have heard about it in the news as either the fastest growing social media platform in the world or as a target for President Trump, saying that the Chinese-owned app was a potential security risk. Either way, TikTok’s exponential growth rate in the US alone creates a fascinating case study for advertisers who are looking to expand their brand’s reach as we all inch closer to the “oh, we cannot wait for it to be 2021” new year.

“Bro, what is TikTok?”

TikTok is a social media platform and mobile app where users basically share videos. Users can choose from all sorts of song clips or sound bites to use as soundtracks or effects for the videos they create. If this sounds childish, you might be right considering that about 33% of all US TikTok users are between the ages of 10 and 19. However, that leaves another 66% of the US TikTok users to be distributed amongst the age groups of 20 to over age 55 with 30% of those age 30-50. According to global data provided by TikTok, there were over 100 million monthly active users in the US with 50 million of those using the platform every day.

“What Should You Do About it, Bro?”

If you’re an advertiser, you may want to consider TikTok as a legitimate advertising platform to reach specific targeted audiences. When targeting the teenage demographic, brands such as apparel, gaming, entertainment, and food and beverage industries (aside from alcohol) could benefit greatly with focused ads on TikTok. The adult market is also a targeted demographic that advertisers should consider now as well as in the future. Pre-COVID pandemic demographic statistics show that of all adult users of TikTok in the US, 66% were between the ages of 18 and 34. In addition, 40% of all adult users had a household income of over $100,000 per year. Industries such as travel, automotive, electronics, apparel, mobile carrier services, internet and television providers, streaming services, and more could benefit from a marketing plan that includes TikTok. Of course, music is also a huge part of TikTok’s platform. Promotion of musical artists, album and single releases, upcoming tours, concerts, and festivals would be ideal for targeting the average TikTok user.

“Wrap it up, Bro!”

TikTok’s future in the US is still a bit uncertain. There have been discussions and legal battles to block the Trump Administration’s proposed ban of the app which claims that the data of all US users will be available and utilized by China to the detriment of the United States. It should be noted that popular apps and websites blocked by the Chinese government include Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, just to name a few. US-based companies have been in discussions to purchase all or a large portion of TikTok’s US operations. More will be revealed in the coming months regarding the fate of TikTok in the US. While it might not be the best time for advertisers to go “all in” on the platform, it is definitely worth some serious consideration.

We love helping brands identify new avenues to promote their business. Feel free to call us at 713-309-6380 or contact us to start the process!

Apple to Block User Tracking for Free Online Apps

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Apple to Block User Tracking for Free Online Apps

In our last article we discussed how the elimination of 3rd party cookies will affect digital marketing strategies. Internet browsers Safari and Firefox have already eliminated 3rd party cookie tracking. Google’s Chrome browser will block 3rd party cookies by 2022. With all of these browsers eliminating 3rd party cookies, tracking customer behavior for digital advertising purposes will become a thing of the past and advertisers will have to adapt to new targeting methods, perhaps even creating breakthrough techniques.

The next major change to better protect user privacy regarding ad targeting was supposed to come to Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Announced in June, Apple stated that privacy is a “fundamental human right” and the release of iOS 14, the newest software upgrade, would require apps to ask user permission before they can collect and share data, often used for advertising purposes. This would most likely have a larger effect on apps that are within an overall “audience network” versus apps, such as Facebook, which have the ability to utilize their own targeting within their specific apps. Facebook and Google’s audience networks include app partners (other apps where ads are shown that can collect revenue by providing ad space for Facebook and Google ads).

To better illustrate, analyst Michael Pachter describes:

“…investors clearly think that the competing ad networks run by the likes of Snap and Twitter are going to be put at a disadvantage while titans like Google and Facebook charge ahead.

Currently, if an iPhone user looks at an item on the Amazon app, then looks it up on the Best Buy app, advertisers know that someone is shopping around. So they could deliver a promotion to that user, Pachter said. Once iOS 14 is released, that won’t be possible unless users opt in.”

Because Facebook has its own network of systems, they will not likely be affected by the Apple update.

Apple announced a delay in the release of the anti-tracking update in iOS 14, instead saying that portion of the update will be released in early 2021. Though, this is not a sign that Apple is having second thoughts about anti-tracking, it will give Facebook and other app advertisers more time to evaluate and determine their next steps to work around this update. One recommendation from Facebook is for app advertisers to create a separate ad account devoted to iOS users. From a general business standpoint, we can probably expect that ads will be limited on audience networks and therefore will heavily rely on the direct networks of Facebook and Google. Advertisers also might want to set up different campaigns that target specific devices moving forward.

iOS 14 was released today (September 16, 2020) without the privacy update. Since there is still some time before this portion of the update is released, everyone is just going to have to find a way to adapt.

If you have a concern about the future of your digital marketing efforts, especially as it pertains to upcoming system and policy changes, our marketing experts and Brand Ranch Media want to speak with you! Our phones are open to your calls at 713-309-6380 or go ahead and reach out through our online contact form.

How Will 3rd Party Cookie Elimination Affect Your Digital Marketing Strategy

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How Will 3rd Party Cookie Elimination Affect Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Cookies follow us throughout our time spent on the internet. They track every movement, every behavior, and it’s just plain scary sometimes. Have you ever been online looking at a t-shirt to buy and then navigated to another website only to find an ad for that same shirt? That’s the work of a 3rd party cookie.

By definition, a 3rd party cookie is a piece of code embedded into a users’ web browser that tracks their every move online. It tracks what is viewed, what is placed in shopping carts, purchases, and even non-purchases. However, 3rd party cookies don’t just track behaviors on one website, but rather they track behavior throughout the entire users’ internet experience.

Since 2014, Safari has restricted 3rd party cookies as well as Firefox following in 2019. These two web browsers combine for about 40% of all internet traffic in the US! Safari also accounts for over half of mobile internet traffic. This consists of millions of internet users that advertisers are not able to collect behavior data on, an advantage digital marketers have over traditional advertising methods such as television and radio. In an effort to further protect user privacy, Google announced that it will begin to phase out 3rd party cookies on their Chrome browser with a target completion date sometime in 2022.

So, what does this mean for the future of digital marketing?

The ability to adapt to new targeting methods will be the key to future success in the digital marketing realm. If you work in the digital industry, then chances are that you are already familiar with adapting to changes in the marketing landscape. It seems as though advertising policies change daily and keeping track of all the changes can be a daunting thought considering there are so many different digital platforms to manage.

Moving forward, the data someone is able to collect first-hand (through 1st party cookies) is likely to increasingly become more vital than it already is. One method of 1st party cookie data collection is actually a Google product: Analytics. There are all sorts of user datapoints that you can collect to see how they interact with your website. This data can be combined in Analytics to create custom marketing lists that can be linked to and used by Google Ads to reach a specific audience. Since this data is collected directly from your website and not based off of user behavior across the internet, it is NOT considered 3rd party.

Another example of 1st party data collection is gathering customer data through newsletter sign ups, email lists, and past customer data. Not only is this beneficial for email marketing campaigns, but the data can also be used to create “lookalike” audiences which will target users based on the overall general profile similar to the demographics of the people included in the list. Instead of targeting people based on their personal internet history (3rd party cookies) you can target them based on whether or not they “look like” your current customer profile.

Social media platforms, such as Facebook, have revolutionized user data and how it can be used to target a specific audience. Millions of users freely provided their personal information, interests, and habits directly to Facebook which then can provide advertisers with enhanced targeting methods that they can use freely as long as the user is logged into Facebook. Google has similar targeting methods, but the user needs to be logged into their Google account in order for it to be fully effective and not everyone that uses the internet is logged into a Google account.

There are likely other methods for digital ad targeting not yet invented. The digital advertising landscape is likely to continue to change and adapt just as the policies that govern them. If you think your advertising efforts could be better targeted, our experts and Brand Ranch Media want to speak with you! Please feel free to give us a call at 713-309-6380 or reach out through our online contact form.

Google vs. Bing for US Advertisers

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What is the best search engine for ads?

If you’re like everyone else (well, actually 64% of the desktop computer users in the US) then you likely utilize Google as your main search engine, whether you know it or not. Google-powered searches have been indoctrinated into our society as the “best” and “most powerful” ways to find reliable information on the internet. However, with the rise of other search engine providers, Google has experienced some market competition that they, until recently, have not really had to compete with before.

The way we search has changed since the days of Alta Vista. When people want to look things up on the internet, the phrase that might pop into their mind is, “I’ll Google it!” With the expansion and growing popularity of voice search, browsing the internet (in the traditional sense) is almost a thing of the past. All you have to do now is ask your phone questions that start off with something like, “Hey Siri…!” The default search engine for the majority of mobile devices is powered by Google. You can, however, change this option in the device settings.

Worldwide, Google still owns the market share for search engines with over 91% of users utilizing it. However, in the US, Bing controls 36% of all desktop searches! Many internet users today also don’t just stick with one search engine. Of the 126 million people utilizing Bing, about half use only Bing while the other half uses both Bing and Google. This is some very important information for SMB (Small and Medium-sized Business) advertisers to consider when deciding how to reach the largest possible audience. If a small business shows up in ad results for both Google and Bing, it will a) achieve that greater audience reach and b) might seem more relevant to the consumer. If I personally see an ad for a local company across different platforms, I think to myself, “Wow, these guys are everywhere!”

Bing is a Microsoft product. Many large corporations and large office environments utilize Microsoft desktop computers for their workforce. In fact, 75% of business computers are a PC. As a security measure, IT departments typically do not allow their users to add or remove programs without official approval. Some even limit the types of website content their users access online. These office computers are typically powered by the Windows operating system that uses Bing as its default search engine. So, a small business could potentially reach more business professionals through advertising on Bing. Industries that tend to do well with Bing advertising include healthcare, general B2B, and finance.

What kind of ads perform better on Bing?

The demographic profile of the average Bing users also differs from that of Google and other search engines. Bing users tend to be a little older on average, at age 45. They are also more educated with half that have a college degree and almost 1 in 5 with an advanced degree. A third of Bing users have a higher household income of more than $100k – meaning more buying power than users of other search engines.

Finally, since there are fewer advertisers on Bing than Google (500,000 vs. tens of millions) the ad costs are much lower on Bing than Google. Bing ads also tend to have better click-through-rates and a lower cost to acquire a new customer. This is great news for small, local businesses who want to take advantage of Bing’s network in addition to Google Ads and Social Media advertising. A Bing Ads campaign is a great addition to your marketing strategy, and you won’t have to spend the same amount as you would for Google in order to achieve results.

We love working with our clients every day and it’s exciting to be part of their successes. If you would like to speak with one of our experienced marketing professionals about your business goals, give us a call at 713-309-6380 or shoot us a message via our contact form!

Sources: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2019/11/19/who-uses-bing-anyway

Facebook Shops: What it Means for Small Businesses

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Facebook Shops - What it Means for Small Businesses

Small, family-owned businesses have been the lifeblood of the United States supplying goods to its citizens and visitors since the first colonial days. Larger department stores did not start to become popular until the mid-1800s and mega-stores like Wal-Mart came about in the mid Twentieth century. Many of the smaller mom and pop retailers were forced to close as they just could not compete with the lower prices and the variety of inventory that their newly opened counterparts offered. Technology has helped to somewhat level the retail playing field. Along with the invention of the internet, development of do-it-yourself websites has enabled smaller, budget conscious stores to create websites with eCommerce capabilities allowing customers to purchase products online.

What about shops or small farmers or artisans with no online presence? Many of the vendors at the Houston Rodeo, which was canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, depend on the rodeo venue to sell their goods and do not have websites that would help to offset any losses incurred due to the unexpected closure. Facebook to the rescue!

In late May of 2020, Facebook announced the launch of Facebook Shops which is a tool to help shoppers buy products online as well as provide sellers a way to sell their products. According to Facebook, the Shops feature makes it easy for all small (and not-so-small) merchandisers to sell products directly through their Facebook and Instagram accounts. For a small transaction fee, shoppers will be able to use electronic payment methods as well. Utilizing all the different messaging options that Facebook provides, shop owners will be able to chat directly with customers to help drive sales. For page owners that also have an eCommerce website, Facebook is working with eCommerce website platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce that will integrate product catalogs with Facebook Shops so that you won’t have to enter products manually on Facebook or Instagram.

Facebook shops will be a great way for customers to find the types of shops that they may be interested in. Facebook will make shop suggestions to users who are likely to have an interest in shop merchandise based on the users’ profile. For example, if Jane Smith has an interest in boutique clothing, Facebook might show her recommendations for different boutiques that have a Facebook Shop. The shop owners will also be able to take advantage of Facebook Ads to better target their potential customers. Advertising on Facebook is a relatively inexpensive way to reach your target audience and is much cheaper than other digital platforms, radio, TV, Streaming providers, and print.

Facebook Shops should prove to be very beneficial for retailers with smaller budgets. For a more technically inclined shop owner, set up could take some time but there are articles online that describe the step-by-step process. If you have questions and need assistance setting up and managing your own Facebook Shop, our experts at Brand Ranch Media are here to help. Give us a call at 713-309-6380 or reach out to us via website contact form.

Facebook Boycott: What Does it Mean for Advertisers

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Many people have already heard about the Facebook Boycott. In fact, the search term began to skyrocket according to Google Trends in late June. By early July, more than 750 companies and the advertising agencies they work with joined in with larger advertisers leading the way such as Coca-Cola, Hershey, Walgreens, Best Buy, Ford, and Adidas just to name a few. At one point, over 200 additional firms joined in the boycott in a 24-hour period. The boycott originated from a call out by advocacy group Stop Hate for Profit claiming that social media providers, specifically Facebook which made 98% of its 2019 revenue from ad sales, allows hate speech on their platforms from the accounts of politicians and high-profile influencers. We briefly touched on this subject in a previous article, Medical Advertising Series Part 2: Social Media, Censorship, Fact-Checkers, and Implications. What does this boycott mean for advertisers and the future of advertising?

More Marketing Dollars for Other Platforms

With billion-dollar implications on Facebook ad revenue, where else will advertisers place ads? Some might say that other digital marketing platforms might see an increase in revenue. Facebook made almost $70 billion in advertising revenue in 2019. The Google Ads platform made a whopping $134 billion! Google-owned YouTube brought in a mere $15 billion in ad revenue in 2019 and video advertising grows more popular every year as more users are turning to YouTube to view content. OTT (over-the-top) advertising, which delivers video ad content through streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, Roku and more, could also see an increase. In 2020, OTT revenue was predicted to increase by 31% to $5 billion and with the continued popularity of streaming services versus cable TV and satellite, there is definitely room for growth.

Spending on Infrastructure

It is possible that with these freed-up marketing dollars, large companies like Coca-Cola or Best Buy could use the money within their corporations. Allocating some of these extra funds to pay off corporate debts or improve infrastructure might be fiscally responsible however since these are publicly traded companies, they would need to have some serious internal discussions as to where and how to revise their budgets. In this case, advertising firms would need to try and salvage any decrease in ad spend and convince them to increase advertising on other platforms.

Maybe Nothing

Facebook has spent many resources and time trying to appease their advertisers since the boycott began. They have had a tough go it as advertisers seem to have demands that Facebook has not yet been willing to abide by. Since ad dollars are how Facebook makes its revenue, it is likely that they will be able to come to an agreement with all or some of the advertisers. Facebook does have one advantage in that they are expected to increase to 1.69 billion global users in 2020. And even though there are 6.9 billion Google searches every day, Google search advertising is much more expensive than Facebook ads. As advertisers pause their Facebook advertising during this boycott, they will evaluate the effect it has on their overall bottom line and perhaps decide to come to an agreement moving forward.

If you have any questions about any type of advertising, we are here to help! Please give us a call at 713-309-6380 or contact us online.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/business/dealbook/facebook-boycott-ads.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/07/03/facebook-advertiser-boycott-hate/

Digital Marketing Expected to Increase in 2020

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Digital Marketing Expected to Increase in 2020

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding consumer shopping behaviors in the US since the Coronavirus pandemic began to take its toll non-essential businesses that closed in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. Those that were forced to close their brick and mortar locations had to adapt in order to stay afloat. Other businesses were not as lucky and were forced to close permanently. Many were forced to cut costs, especially in their marketing efforts, which caused a bit of a panic for advertising professionals. Marketing research performed over the past few months has not only shown increases in digital shopping behavior, but media buys are expected to increase as well.

One study from eMarketer claims that a large shift has occurred in the world of ecommerce, especially with people over the age of 45. Even as stores begin to slowly reopen, shoppers from the older demographic continue to increasingly purchase products online. A logical reason behind this trend is that even though the virus does not age discriminate, health officials are reporting more severe symptoms in the older population. This is likely why those ages 45 and older might choose to play it safe and do their shopping from the safety of their own homes. The study also shows that a large percentage of people of all ages are likely to continue shopping online rather than in stores.

These statistics should open the door for more digital marketing tactics moving forward. Targeting specific demographic audiences via their interests and behavior is a tactic long used by digital marketers. With this new data on consumer behavior, media buyers should look at this as an opportunity to capitalize on these trends, especially with age demographics as a strong indicator. However, there is still a big concern among media buyers that digital ad spending is not increasing as rapidly as these studies indicate. Another study shows that almost 80% of respondents do not think that digital ad spending will start to pick up until the end of Q3. Perhaps this is a very pessimistic viewpoint. As stated in our previous article, “Houston Sees Uptick Trends in Home Services Despite COVID-19”, we are seeing many clients actually increasing digital ad spend with exponentially better performance than in the first few months of business closures due to the pandemic.

Every industry is different, and each client is unique, so it is important to advise clients on practical media spending based on what makes the most sense for their unique situation and business goals. Business aside, we are all human and hope that we can soon put this pandemic behind us.

We love helping our clients grow while offering sound advice. To discuss your business goals, please call us at 713-309-6380 or contact us.

 

Sources: https://www.emarketer.com/content/expect-7-4-million-new-digital-buyers-2020-pandemic-alters-behaviors?ecid=NL1001

https://www.businessinsider.com/media-buyers-dont-expect-ad-spend-return-normal-in-2020-2020-6?IR=T

Houston Sees Uptick Trends in Home Services Despite COVID-19

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Houston Sees Uptick Trends in Home Services Despite COVID-19

The COVID19 pandemic has not only jeopardized the health of millions of Americans but has also taken its toll on the economy as well. With many businesses temporarily closed (and in some cases permanently) the unemployment rate rose to levels higher than the Great Depression in the 1920s. In our hometown of Houston, the same occurred. Many people lost their jobs in different sectors of the economy including restaurant, oil and gas, airlines, tourism, and automotive. There were even layoffs in the healthcare industry as hospitals were not allowed to perform elective surgeries. As businesses can now slowly open and people begin to go back to work, we have seen large increases in demand for local services despite the continued increases in new coronavirus cases. Local services include any goods or services provided by a local supplier. They include services such as HVAC, repairs, plumbers, or any type of home service provider.

The proof is in the numbers. All non-essential businesses were ordered to keep their doors shut in Houston on March 24 when there was a “stay home, work safe” order issued. Previously, on March 16, bars and restaurants were ordered to close. These orders continued through the month of April but orders for certain businesses began to be lifted by Governor Abbott on May 1. In the months that included the closures (March, April, and May) the high temperatures were above average in Houston for about 70% of the days. However, in March and April, HVAC service providers reported much lower revenue numbers than in previous years. This was chalked up to a change in consumer behavior: with more people either out of work or concerned about the virus, the demand for HVAC repairs or replacements was lower even though the temperatures were higher than average. May saw a dramatic increase. In fact, we saw an increase in purchasing indicators such as phone calls and form fills anywhere from 66% to 133% from the previous month!

If you are a home services provider and would like to learn how we can increase your leads and revenue for a lower average cost please contact us or give us a call at 713-309-6380.

 

Weather Resource: https://www.weather.gov/hgx/climate_graphs_iah#2020

Medical Advertising Series Part 2: Social Media, Censorship, Fact-Checkers, and Implications

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To fight the spread of false news, Facebook and Instagram have employed third-party fact-checkers to help review and identify any news that might be considered false. These fact-checkers come certified through the non-partisan Fact-Checking Network. Fact-checkers in the United States come from various media sources such as The Associated Press, Reuters Fact Check, and USA TODAY among others. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many medical doctors and professionals have taken to various social media platforms with their opinion on different aspects relating to the virus. It is important for medical professionals to understand what is and what is not being allowed to be posted, how censorship plays a role, and what are the possible short-term and long-term implications.

What is the Policy?

Facebook’s policy for fact-checking is very clearly stated: publishers should not post any type of information deemed “false” by the fact-checkers. If the information is deemed false, the distribution of that content will be reduced, lower in the News Feed, and the author will receive a warning notice. Facebook will also act against Pages that repeatedly post or share false information. Pages will see that their content distribution will decrease and they will also lose the ability to advertise. The only way to regain the ability to post content and advertise is to either change the false content and contact the fact-checker or to dispute the claim directly with the fact-checker. Simply removing the content will not remove the strike against an account or page. As always, Facebook does not allow directly advertising content that contains false information. These ads will be disapproved from the onset.

Legal Ramifications

There has been a lot of talk about free speech and the regulation of social media content. In a legal research paper from the Congressional Research Service, the author discusses how the courts have recognized social media sites as venues for users to express their freedom of speech. There comes into question whether these sites are doing enough to combat false speech or if they are “unfairly banning and restricting access to potentially valuable speech.” As stated in the introduction of the research paper, “Currently, federal law does not offer much recourse for social media users who seek to challenge a social media provider’s decision about whether and how to present a user’s content.” One notable piece of legislation is in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, specifically Section 230(c)(2). This “provides immunity for sites that take good faith action to restrict access to content that the provider or users deem obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable.” Furthermore, it can be argued that if a user posts content on social media, is it not also a violation of the First Amendment if the social media site is required to publish the content? So it seems, as the paper concludes, that “social media platforms may be more likely to receive First Amendment protection when they exercise more editorial discretion” thus not violating freedom of speech for users that post “obscene” or “objectionable” content.

Implications

Moving forward it is important that health providers utilize trusted sources when deciding what content to post. With such a sensitive subject such as COVID19, there are too many opportunities for what Facebook calls “conspiracy theories” that could be potentially dangerous if shared with the public. Posting and sharing of that information adds the risk of being flagged with page quality violations. It is not easy for a page to recover after receiving these violations and it is best to check your sources to make sure they are accurate in the information they share. Fact-checking is the new norm and we might also see similar use of them on other social platforms such as Twitter. It will be important to learn to adapt to them as I believe new restrictions will be put into place moving forward.

 

If you would like to talk to a social media expert regarding fact-checkers and implications, please feel free to contact us or call 713-309-6380.