This Week In Inbound: Surge of Referrer Spam Wrecking Google Analytics Data

This week in inbound, we learned about a wave of referrer spam that is hitting Google Analytics, how your lead generation efforts should change if your business is seasonal, and how to use your buyer personas to build a search marketing budget for 2017.

New & Noteworthy 

Zuckerberg Shows Off Upcoming Facebook Features

Several features created during recent Facebook Hackathons are coming to life, including shared photo albums, Messenger upgrades, and the ability to post GIFs in comments. Some of these projects will be long-term efforts, while others could be available to users early in 2017. Read more from Zuckerberg's announcement.

New Wave of Referrer Spam Wrecking Google Analytics Data

Google Analytics data sets are being sabotaged by a new wave of referrer spam, rendering the Traffic Referrals report  useless for many Google Analytics properties, and potentially affecting the number of sessions and page views. Here's what you need to know.

Microsoft Officially Closes Its $26.2B Acquisition of LinkedIn

Microsoft and LinkedIn announced this week that Microsoft’s $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn, the social networking site, has officially closed. A brief analysis of possible next steps, as well as the official announcement can be found here.

Instagram Adds New Community Safety Tools, Including the Ability to Switch Off Comments

This week, Instagram announced continued efforts aimed at “making it a welcoming place for everyone” with new tools allowing for better comment control and management, the ability to remove followers, and anonymous reporting of self-injury posts. Take a look at the details of each new feature here.

Grow Your Inbound Marketing

How Your Lead Generation Efforts Should Change If Your Business Is Seasonal

Every organization feels the effects of seasonality on traffic and leads throughout the year. Some feel this more than others. Here are four areas to focus on to help your marketing team overcome the seasonal peaks and troughs.

Social Media Strategy: LinkedIn Tips for Professional Networking

LinkedIn, recognized by most as "the business social network," is also the third-highest visited social site behind Facebook and Twitter. Because of its professional tone, it's often an ideal platform for B2B social media strategies. But beyond brands, LinkedIn is the place for you to network about your industry, career, expertise, and just about every aspect of your work life. Plus, when executed correctly, your personal networking can also translate into company-level results. Check out this recommended approach to get started with LinkedIn networking for your social media strategy.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Inbound or Design Agency

One of the great things about working as an agency professional is the opportunity to be involved with some really cool people and companies, doing some really cool things on their behalf. Having a positive relationship with clients provides drive and desire to give them the best. In fact, I’ve found it really is true in any relationship, whether personal or professional, that what you put in drives what you get out. Here are 10 ways that you can be the kind of client who inspires loyalty and gets the most out of an agency relationship.

Marketing Reports, Updates, & Trends

The Most Shared Articles on Facebook in 2016 (and What We Can Learn from Them)

Some interesting themes have emerged among the most shared posts on Facebook over the past year.  Social Media Today looks at those that deserve extra attention and examines how to refine our content strategies as we head into 2017.

Report: Google AMP Mobile Webpages Outperform

A report from one of the early adopters of the Accelerated Mobile Pages project has found that "Google AMP mobile webpages deliver 15% higher completion rates, a 200% increase in click-through rate and a 18% lift in ad appearance." Find a link to the findings as well as a recap here.

How to Use Your Buyer Personas to Build Your 2017 Search Marketing Budget

Adding financial facts to a buyer persona maybe not be the norm, but this article shows how it can instantly allow you to start using personas to refine your search marketing budget. Check out three financial aspects of buyer personas and how to use them to build a better budget.

Marketers Now Turn to Social for Product Launches

According to a recent poll of more than 700 marketers in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, nearly three-quarters of marketers now consider social media to be the highest-priority medium to promote new products. Sales promotions and email came in second and third, respectively. Read a report recap here.

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What marketing stories did you follow this week? Let us know by tweeting us at @smartbugmedia.