Grace O'Donohoe

The EU AI Act is now in force, signalling a crucial time for businesses to ensure their AI systems comply with new regulations. 📲 This goes beyond mere compliance; it's a chance to elevate the trust in your AI and enhance your brand's reputation. 🚀 At EY Ireland, we're on hand to assist you in adapting your AI strategies to improve decision-making and drive innovation. Our expertise in risk management and legal counsel will guarantee that you're well-equipped for the transformative road ahead. 🧮 Find out more here – https://lnkd.in/ejgJ8uy4 #AI Peter Bolger | Grit Young | Eoin O'Reilly

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Having some time to digest and reflect on GML24 , here are my a few of my ones to watch in 2024, and how we can leverage new product offerings to our advantage. #GML24

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Interested in the world of online advertising? I interviewed Claire Kelly, the Head of Creative Partnerships for Google in New York , as part of our Marketing Masterclasses series hosted in partnership with Trinity College Dublin. Did you know Youtube is the second most visited website globally after Google? I loved chatting with Claire about the creator economy, the opportunity for brands and the playbook that Claire and the team came up with to help advertisers succeed in the Youtube space based on a study of 11,000 ads (I’ve copied the article on the ABCD’s in the comments section). I recently read Mr. Beast’s content playbook which aligned to the ABCD’s and summarized things quite nicely: “The longer people watch, the better a video will do. Hook people at the start of the video, transition them to an amazing story that they are invested in, have no dull moments, and then have a satisfying payoff at the end of the video.” Easier said than done. But the point is the rules of social video are different and there is a way to play to unlock value on these platforms. With over 2.5bn monthly users on Youtube, if you are in the brand space, it’s probably worth thinking quite deeply about 🤔 Thanks for the fab chat Claire. Full episode copied below: https://lnkd.in/d8xvNAtu DUBES - Dublin University Business and Economics Society Engage Video Group

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Really enjoyed teaching the Charities Institute Ireland digital module, we discussed Google Analytics 4, Meta Ads and lots more.... 👍 😁 1. What Facebook ad campaign goal will you select? Less budget is required to make an impact with top of funnel objectives than with bottom funnel objectives 2. How long are you going to run the digital fundraising campmaign for? Consider your ad spend, have you advertised before, will you give your ads time to learn etc.. 3. What is your primary KPI? 4. Do you have a realistic budget? 5. Don't over complicate your Facebook ad campaign, keep it simple. 6. Do you need to set up Facebook Conversion API? Meanwhile, did you know Facebook is testing a new control that allows businesses / charities to turn off the comments on their Facebook and Instagram ads? 🤔 https://lnkd.in/ek457SfV #DigitalFundriaising #SocialFundraising #PaidAds #MetaAds

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As I am preparing to move into my new home. I’d like to share how I bought my Samsung QLED TV. As marketers, we are more than familiar with the decision making process or buyer journey. The process of buying the Samsung TV helped me learn a lot: 1️⃣ No Irish retailer was visible for searches related to ‘QLED vs OLED’ or the differences between pixels. Instead, these search results were full of US and UK Media Publications. This trend is very popular among many niches where Irish retailers are totally invisible during the research phase of making a purchase. Personally, I think it is a missed opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with the future consumer. 2️⃣ Google Shopping was the most powerful tool while doing my research. 36% of all product searches start on Google. Shopping Ads also generate 85% of all clicks on Google Shopping campaigns. On Google Shopping, I could see the review score for each product. Once I clicked on a product, I could see the price comparison between retailers. Using Google Shopping reduced the amount of time I spent on choosing a TV. I could use the filters in Google Shopping to find a TV suitable to my criteria and budget. Google Shopping is a powerful tool for retailers because you are visible during the decision making process. It can also drive sales as I’ve sold a watch worth over €2,000 through Google Shopping. 3️⃣ Whoever designed the Samsung landing page for the 65” Q80C QLED TV needs a raise. If I was able to buy the TV on the Samsung website, I would’ve handed over my credit card straight away. From a marketing perspective, the landing page for the TV only had to confirm my choice. This page did much more as I cannot wait to watch some of my favourite movies on the new TV. The behind the scenes of this buyers journey showed the power of an outstanding landing page on my decision. If the landing page was disappointing, I would have gone back to the drawing board. Have you had a similar experience or what would you add from a user's perspective? #SEO #SEOStrategy

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Went to the lead gen conference at Meta Dublin yesterday. This talk was really good on the different tracking methodologies & pros/cons. We primarily operate off last click attribution (lead gen industry / finance sector) as that’s the easiest way for us to get day to day performance led decisions. However I’m very aware that it’s not the most efficient for clients who are spending significant amounts on multiple channels. Exciting to see where we’ll be in the next 1-2 years with all the new technologies becoming available.

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Connections, colleagues & friends who work in #Marketing. I'd love your thoughts on this interesting quote today in The Irish Times in an article about Influencer Marketing: Ashley McDonnell, a tech and luxury expert, said: “In the marketing world, when we’re taking on a person for the role of social media manager or marketing manager, if that person has an Instagram or TikTok on private and only has 100 followers with zero posts, that would be a red flag. How can they create and implement a rock star social media and marketing plan for a company if they’re not familiar with all the ins and outs of it themselves and are not an avid user of social media?" Some of the best marketers I know do not have active personal accounts on social media and many of them are on private. And I'm also aware of some influencers who have built very popular and successful personal brands who have equally found it difficult to replicate that success when working as social media managers for brands. I don't think it's as black and white as Ashley suggests (the word 'rock star' is a red flag for me) but it's a very interesting and surprising approach to recruitment. Full article here: https://lnkd.in/ezfaeeM2

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Lately I was working to integrate a live streaming technology on my Hub ( dubliving.ie/live ). The idea was to have options for live streaming publicly and internally inside a members area. I am pretty sure 2025 is set to be a huge year for live e-commerce and social commerce which are set to become the new norms. Live E-commerce: Combines live streaming with shopping, allowing real-time interaction and immediate purchases during broadcasts. Primarily hosted on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, focusing on direct product demonstrations and viewer engagement, leading to higher conversion rates (up to 60%) and lower return rates (10-15%) compared to traditional methods. Social Commerce: Involves selling through social media, utilising user-generated content and shoppable posts, but does not necessarily include live interactions. I am so proud that I start to facilitate live public events and my partner Vick Strizheus ( founder of estage.com ) will be hosting these series for you and for the members of the community. You're more than welcome to join us FOR FREE as we kick off these series and explore the hidden secrets and powerful tactics to crush the barriers that hold you back, and learn how to build a thriving online business in today's market. We're going to present practical tips, strategies, and tactics ready for implementation. Feel free to check out! ✨ If you're eager to boost your personal and professional growth, this session is a must-attend! https://dubliving.ie/live

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Just back from an interesting couple of days in Dublin - these are my picks of the updates announced at Google Marketing Live: ✅ ‘AI overviews’ rolling out in the search results (US first, the rest of us to follow). And… ads to show within those overviews. This could be powerful inventory, and it’s interesting to see AI-generated responses playing a role as a bridge between the user’s query and a product solution. (Google will have a challenging balance to strike there.) ✅ Bidding for gross profit on PMax and Shopping This could simplify PMax campaign structures, and save a lot of intricate work currently being done to reach the same endpoint. (Let's hope this comes with a new default metric so that we can measure that new objective clearly) ✅ Asset-level reporting for PMax I sat up in my chair when it was announced… and rolled my eyes when I saw the accompanying slide showing the ‘poor’ / ‘good’ / ‘best’ grading that we know from RSA assets (these are vaguely defined, not transparently tied to any particular metrics, and not particularly helpful). I then asked about this in the PMax roundtable, and was told that it’s full-on conversion data…. I hope that's correct - and if so - it’s a beauty of an update (though I have a nagging doubt that the product managers might have thought I was asking about asset group reporting…) ✅ AI generated reports That is, detailed reports on various aspects of performance - including charts - generated from a text prompt. It will be interesting to see how good those reports are in practice (e.g. to what extent can it decide where to dig into more detail and how/how well will it do so…?) ✅ Lookalike seed audience minimum size decreased We will now be able to create lookalike audiences for Demand Gen based on lists of 100 rather than the previous minimum 1000-member first party audiences. 👍 ✅ New capabilities for AI-generated assets • AI-generated creative for PMax and Demand Gen with:  • New creative controls (brand colours, font, logo) • Text-prompt editing capabilities • Image upload input (‘e.g. match this style’)  • Video generated from image input Now, for those who enjoy my more abstract musings, read my deeper reflections on the event in today’s blog post: https://lnkd.in/gmjUcZT6

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Want to know how to grow your brand in 2025? Me and Sarah Byrne, Google's Director of Agency Partnerships discussed many great options in our fireside chat filmed at Google's HQ in Dublin. 🔥 We covered some great topics that a lot of Connective3's clients are discussing at the minute, including: 1️⃣ Key strategies for driving continued brand growth 2️⃣ Whether a brand can be grown by using just the Google stack 3️⃣ Top tips for driving performance with YouTube and Demand Gen 4️⃣ The future of YouTube shorts in the ads space Watch the full video, including me looking like a presenter on Good Morning, below 👇

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Earlier this month, Scott Carruthers shared Sean Healy's approach to consolidated campaign structures and some of the reasons why you should move away from the likes of SKAGs and unnecessary segmentation. I recently started a restructure on an account in which the campaigns were segmented by location. There was also some crossover within the targeting meaning that the same locations were being targeted by multiple campaigns. This was contributing towards high CPCs and low CTR so we built a new structure that would aim to improve efficiency and increase ad relevance. The restructure is well underway and the results we've seen so far have been positive. In one category, we have seen the following: 1. A 41% reduction in CPA 2. A 28% decrease in CPCs 3. A 22% uplift in CTR due to refined location targeting and new ad copy which also utilises location inserts. We've seen that Smart Bidding has been able to work more effectively with a more consolidated structure, especially as it will help drive more volume at ad group level #ppc #ppcchat #googleads #google

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As Ireland's general election campaign enters its final days, online search trends reveal significant public interest dynamics. Sinn Féin has consistently led in search volume, indicating strong and sustained public engagement. In contrast, Fine Gael's search interest has experienced notable fluctuations, with the most significant surge linked to the recent Kanturk incident involving Taoiseach Simon Harris. The Kanturk confrontation, where Harris was criticised for his response to care worker Charlotte Fallon, has drawn widespread attention and criticism. This surge in search activity reflects the public's keen interest in political leaders' actions and the rapid dissemination of such events in the digital age. These patterns underscore the critical role of public perception and media coverage in shaping electoral outcomes. For Fine Gael, the challenge lies in addressing the negative sentiments arising from the Kanturk incident and refocusing the narrative on their policy proposals and achievements. Sinn Féin, meanwhile, appears to benefit from sustained public interest, but the question is - will this translate into electoral support?

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Many businesses are eager to understand how AI technology is reshaping the landscape of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). As algorithms evolve, your approach to SEO must adapt to stay competitive and effective. In this blog post, we’ll explore the innovative strategies employed by Top SEO Ireland, helping you harness the power of AI for enhanced visibility and engagement. By integrating AI into your SEO efforts, you can elevate your online presence and make more informed decisions for your digital marketing initiatives. #topseoireland #seo #ai #aisearch https://lnkd.in/eDtHTuez

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A B2B service provider based here in Dublin has been consistently hitting 60k-70k organic LinkedIn impressions per month since we started working together in May👇 Professional LinkedIn videos posted 2-3 times per week has been key to this growth 📈 Here’s the framework we followed to create them: 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐤: 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 3 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬. Give viewers a compelling reason to watch your video right from the start. Use phrases like: • "Here’s why X is better than Y." • "Here are 5 signs you need to (do X)." • "This is why your __________ is not working!" • "If you have (X problem), here’s what to do." • "Here’s the number #1 mistake I see people make when (doing X)." 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲: Stick to the hook throughout the video. Remove any content that does not align with what you promised at the beginning. If the video fails to deliver the promised value, viewers are likely to lose interest. 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟: The hook is what gets people to start watching the video, and the payoff is what will motivate them to 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 with others 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 watching. Ensure that every video concludes by fulfilling the expectation you set with your hook.

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