Latest research proves major social media platforms prioritize video and use six essential videos to drive engagement and social media ROI.

Agorapulse, an award-winning leader in social media management, and PlayPlay, a leading video creation platform, have released “Video & Social Media 2023: Global Performance Data and Best Practices.” This in-depth report features performance data and best practices for social media marketing. 

Leveraging data from Agorapulse's social media management platform, we analyzed 5,000 posts to provide insights from industry leaders. The report also offers tips from PlayPlay regarding how brands can maximize their ROI from social media and video marketing. Marketers can dig into the report to learn about eight key video trends to help them succeed this year. Social media teams can also discover the six must-have video types every brand should have in their social media strategy.

“Videos are the most engaging content type on all major platforms," said Emeric Ernoult, CEO of Agorapulse. "We've seen an exponential increase in their use over the past year. But despite the importance of video boosting engagement, the report shows that brands continue to underuse this powerful medium. They're missing out on a huge opportunity for social media ROI!”

PrivacyHawk is the first personal data manager that empowers individuals to take back control of their personal data. Their groundbreaking product reduces the risk of being targeted by fraud, identity theft, hacks and scams.

PrivacyHawk, a pioneer in personal data protection, today announced it has received $2.7 million in funding. ff Venture Capital (ffVC) led the most recent round, which also includes investments from Nufund, Alumni Ventures, AngelList, Gaingels, Duro Ventures, Sandhill Angels and Seraphim Ventures. ffVC, Tech Coast Angels, Duro Ventures and Gaingels invested in a prior round.

“We are excited to be part of PrivacyHawk's journey to help protect the personal data of everyone,” said John Frankel, lead investor and founder of ff Venture Capital. “We have been following the privacy and personal data space for a long time and believe not only the time is right for a service like this in a huge global market that addresses a real burning need for all Internet users, but also the team is amazing.”

PrivacyHawk is pioneering the new category of personal data protection. The product protects individuals’ personal data from falling into the wrong hands, which is becoming one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today. Our personal data and our digital footprints are critical parts of our identity and can be used against us in many ways if we don’t protect them. Technology to protect personal data is needed because it’s too difficult for individuals to manage and protect their data without it.

“Our personal data has emerged as one of the most valuable things about us,” said PrivacyHawk CEO and co-founder, Aaron Mendes. “It also puts us each at enormous risk of fraud, identity theft, hacks, scams and spam. PrivacyHawk is building a future where people’s data can be automatically protected from falling into the wrong hands by reducing their digital footprints.”

“PrivacyHawk delivers personal data protection through robotic process automation and advanced technology, enabling individuals to confidently navigate the digital landscape without fear of data compromise,” said PrivacyHawk CTO and co-founder, Justin Wright. “We’re committed to a future where everyone has transparency and control over their personal data.”

PrivacyHawk will use the funds to support growth in sales, marketing and product development in its mission to protect personal data and reduce everyone’s risk of being targeted by fraud and cybercrimes. Product enhancements will include additional automation and the use of AI to help identify digital footprint vulnerabilities and optimize the ability to remove those exposures.

DrivenIQ is now poised to be the single best solution for major retailers, brands, and media agencies looking to make the transition to a cookieless world.

DrivenIQ, a global leader in audience data and advertising technologies, today announced enhancements to its flagship Audience Management Platform, VisitIQ. These latest innovations empower enterprise marketers to ingest millions of records from disparate sources – such as customers lists, point of sale data, CRM data, sales logs, or disparate, inaccurate, or incomplete big data – then enrich and augment records in a legally compliant and marketable way in a matter of minutes down to the household and individual level.

These latest enhancements come when 71% of consumers expect personalization (1), yet marketers still depend on 3rd party cookies to power their marketing and customer experiences. DrivenIQ is now poised to be the single best solution for major retailers, brands, and media agencies looking to make the transition to a cookieless world.
Launched in February 2023, VisitIQ revolutionizes audience intelligence by offering marketers and researchers unparalleled consumer insights. The company’s proprietary Audience Management Platform (AMP) is powered by over 14 billion records deterministically linked to 660 million individuals across each device they own. Since its official launch, the platform has undergone continuous evolution. These recent enhancements are nothing short of remarkable for businesses and marketers to best understand online consumer behaviors and their ideal customers, and activate with 1st party data across all digital channels.

"Today’s customers expect brands and marketers to know what and when they want specific products or services,” said Albert Thompson, Founder and CEO of DrivenIQ. “This is nearly impossible given the media fragmentation that exists today, with 8 to 10 devices per person, per household. With our audience personalization capabilities and 360-degree customer views, businesses can implement the most impactful experience-based marketing campaigns to engage their audiences across every digital platform. This is the future of audience data in a cookieless world.”

VisitIQ is also exceptionally flexible, offering marketers the ability to tailor their strategies to specific audience needs, from demographic to real estate to brand awareness or any custom audience they choose, without rigid methodology. Though marketing applications are immediately top of mind, VisitIQ’s use cases run the gamut from facilitating research, business intelligence, and analytics, to greatly enhancing R&D, inventory management, services expansion, and loyalty programs.

This news comes on the heels of DrivenIQ’s announcement that it is now an official data partner and audience data provider for Basis® Technologies, expanding DrivenIQ’s activation reach to new heights in Connected TV, OTT, and programmatic audio and media buying. What’s more, DrivenIQ recently partnered with Roqad, bringing the world’s most comprehensive deterministic and probabilistic data to Europe, Canada, and the U.S., as well as the ability to activate data across virtually every digital pathway, including UID 2.0.

Thompson continued, “These latest VisitIQ enhancements and DrivenIQ partners such as Basis® and Roqad, as well as our work with Google Ads and DSP programmatic buying capabilities, give brands the ability to reach customers through expanded datasets that can be activated across all media in minutes. They can also resolve the identity of consumers visiting their websites with our ResolveID technology. Our data and technologies set a new standard in audience curation and media campaigns for businesses around the globe.”

Thompson says that the ultimate outcome of VisitIQ's capabilities is maximizing marketing ROI and effectiveness.

Michael Pruitt, President of Capstone Technologies Group Inc, a majority investor in DrivenIQ, weighed in on these latest developments.

“We seek out companies that improve business operations and contribute to the betterment of our world through innovation,” said Pruitt. “VisitIQ’s recent enhancements epitomize this ideal, as it harnesses the power of data to revolutionize the advertising landscape. We fundamentally believe that investing in companies like DrivenIQ not only ensures their continued growth, but also propels us forward to a future where technology revolutionizes how we operate business. I am proud that we are driving progress and shaping a world where innovation is the cornerstone of success.”

Capstone (OTC: CATG), a company that acquires, operates, and organically develops disruptive technologies, acquired an initial minority interest in DrivenIQ and has since invested additional capital to further access small, medium, and large businesses across various industries.

Individuals can now invest in this revolutionary technology and be part of its future success.

WYMSICAL, a leading technology company specializing in data authentication and security, and creator of the revolutionary Wault Software, is proud to announce the launch of its groundbreaking capabilities for consumers to monetize their personal data. Online users can receive rewards and incentives simply by sharing anonymous demographic information to advertisers. This data is then utilized to tailor ads to the specific interests and preferences of the user, resulting in a personalized and engaging experience that benefits both buyers and sellers.

“For decades, brands and marketers have reaped the benefits of consumer data without giving individuals a say or fair compensation,” said Liwen Yaacoby, Co-founder and CEO of WYMSICAL. “The tables have turned. With Wault, consumers finally have the power to take control of their personal information, decide who to share it with, and be rewarded at the same time. It's a game-changing shift that empowers individuals to be active participants in the data economy and rewarded for the value their data brings. Wault leads the way, ensuring individuals are no longer passive subjects but active beneficiaries of their personal information.”

Today’s announcement comes at a critical time when third-party cookies are quickly vanishing and brands are scrambling to find ways to reach consumers in the digital marketing industry, with expected revenues to reach $1 trillion in 2023 (1). Zero-party data that is shared directly by consumers at their discretion, facilitated and provided by Wault, presents a significant advertising opportunity. Simultaneously, Wault presents an entirely new opportunity for consumers to be rewarded for sharing their information, at their choosing and control.

Wault is a powerful platform that combines secure document storage and sharing with user authentication and verified credentials. Unlike traditional collaboration platforms, Wault provides an immutable environment for housing and exchanging verified documents, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized changes. Wault users decide who, when, where, and for how long their information is shared. Authenticated access is granted, providing peace of mind and a revolutionary approach to data security.

In addition to the groundbreaking ways users can earn compensation for their online activities, advertisers can also gain access to verified and relevant consumer data, enabling them to deliver highly targeted advertisements. This tailored approach enhances customer satisfaction, as potential buyers discover products that align perfectly with their interests. At the same time, sellers benefit from improved marketing efficiency, as their ads reach the right audience with precision. Wault presents a win-win solution that drives value for all parties.

“What’s most important is our unwavering commitment to user control and privacy," Yaacoby continued. “We ensure that large corporations can no longer harvest and exploit personal data without consent or compensation. By returning control to the hands of the user, Wault revolutionizes ethical data collection and utilization, ultimately improving consumer satisfaction."

Wault goes beyond data monetization with its protective capabilities and safeguards regarding children. In an age when digital content is abundant and oftentimes inappropriate, Wault's mission is to provide parents with the tools they need to ensure their childrens’ online safety. With Wault's robust security measures, parents can control and filter the content their kids have access to, granting peace of mind and fostering a secure digital environment. Wault also prevents AI and human hacking to unmitigatedly secure the identity of children.

As the digital landscape evolves, the need for advanced encryption, immutability, and authentication has never been more important. Wault addresses these needs head-on, offering a secure, user-centric platform that revolutionizes the way personal data is managed, shared, and monetized.

Today, WYMSICAL also officially announced that individuals can become stakeholders in Wault and benefit from the potential growth and value of this game-changing technology. Wault’s innovative approach to data security, authentication, and monetization aims to redefine the landscape of digital privacy and emerge as a leader in the industry. Don't miss the chance to get in on the ground floor of this investment opportunity.

CreatorIQ report shows direct correlation between creator investment and increased brand ROI. The company is leading the development of the Return-On-Creator-Spend (ROCS) metric to help advertisers measure the impact of creator-led efforts against traditional digital channels

CreatorIQ, the end-to-end creator marketing platform powering efforts for over 1,000 brands and agencies, today released findings from its Unleashing the Power of Creators report, demonstrating a direct correlation between influencer marketing investment and increased ROI.

According to the report, conducted by independent research firm Aberdeen Strategy & Research, brands with the most advanced influencer marketing programs see far better results from their efforts than competitors with less sophisticated influencer marketing programs.

Influencer Marketing Leaders — defined as brands in the top 20% in metrics like impressions, engagement, conversion, and annual revenue attributed to influencer marketing efforts — outperformed the lower 80% in year-over-year improvement across KPIs in all stages of the funnel. These Influencer Marketing Leaders saw:

• 9.1x greater improvement in impressions
• 8.2x greater improvement in engagement
• 11.7x greater improvement in conversion rates

The study also noted far greater YoY increases in customer retention, brand sentiment, customer satisfaction, and average customer profit margin among the top 20% of brands versus competitors.

Perhaps most importantly, heightened influencer marketing efforts contributed to a 6.2x greater YoY improvement in annual revenue, leading to a Return-On-Creator-Spend (ROCS) of $4.70 on every dollar invested in influencer marketing programs. CreatorIQ is leading the development of the ROCS metric to help brands holistically measure the impact of creator-led marketing programs against traditional digital channels.

As a result, brands in the top 20% of influencer marketing spend say that they plan to invest 30% more in their influencer marketing programs on average in the future. While brands have increased spending on both digital advertising and creator marketing in the last year, the report shows that brands anticipate increasing their investment in creator marketing programs at a rate 13% higher than digital advertising.

“The time to adopt and scale creator marketing efforts is now,” said Tim Sovay, Chief Business Development & Partnerships Officer at CreatorIQ. “And the more advanced brands get with their influencer marketing efforts, the wider the gap they create between themselves and competitors across every KPI, including revenue. With investment in creator marketing solutions only increasing in the years ahead, brands lacking a solid strategy and solution will only get left further behind.”

Unleashing the Power of Creators is based on a survey of over 200 marketing executives in the U.S. and U.K. across multiple industries, including Beauty, Consumer Electronics/CPG, Gaming, Media/Entertainment, Retail/Fashion, and Food/Beverage. Click here to download the full report for free.

The report comes on the heels of CreatorIQ’s brand and agency survey, where 67% of marketers reported increasing creator investment YoY, with 76% of these organizations diverting funds from other marketing functions. This is mainly due to advancements in measurement solutions, which helped 94% of organizations understand and attribute sales to creator efforts.