This curated list includes important updates and insights ( from Facebook rolling out Playable Ads and Facebook Watch going live to Facebook making it easier for advertisers to build mobile-first video ads ) from the month of August. To stay updated on the latest updates from the digital landscape, read our Digital Marketing Apple Page.

Digital Advertisement 

• Facebook introduces playable ads - interactive ad experiences in app-install campaigns on Facebook. Advertisers can now pitch games using playable ads. The announcement read

We know that gaming advertisers want to find people who are most engaged with their app. This is especially important for gaming developers with ad-based revenue models. That’s why we’re testing retention optimization with select app advertisers to help them reach highly engaged players. Retention optimization allows gaming marketers to deliver their ads to the people most likely to play their game, helping gaming developers better monetize their app...Last year, we launched value optimization to help advertisers find players most likely to make in-app purchases. Now, we’re introducing an additional tool to make value optimization even more effective. Over the next few weeks, we will roll out minimum ROAS bidding. Advertisers will now be able to set a minimum spend to find the players most likely to make in-app purchases, and eliminate spend on connecting with players less likely to engage.

• Google rolls out a feature that allows the administrative users of Google Ads accounts to set a required multi-factor authentication policy, including 2-Step Verification. Read the full announcement here
• Data Studio's new features like Explorer, Data Blending, and Google Marketing Platform Report Gallery help you tell more compelling stories. Read the announcement here
• Facebook launches new process to convert still image ads to video ads. Read the full announcement here 
• Quora announces conversion optimized campaigns. The announcement read 

Advertisers who use Quora's Pixel or integrated mobile measurement partners will now have the ability to optimize Quora campaign delivery for conversions. When you choose to optimize for conversions, the platform will show ads to people who are most likely to take the conversion action you want them to take. For example, if you want to get app installs and you choose to optimize for conversions, we will show ads to people who are most likely to install your app.

• Facebook removes over 5,000 targeting options to help keep digital advertising safe. Read More
• Facebook makes it easier for advertisers to build mobile-first video ads. Read More
• To help you create more effective responsive search ads, Google rolls out three new reporting and feedback tools. Here's the full announcement. 

Preview ad combinations as you build them. This will help give you confidence about what your ads might look like, and you can even browse through them to double-check your work.
View reporting for headlines, descriptions, and top combinations to make it easy for you to see what’s showing up most often on the search results page.
Measure the relevance, quantity, and diversity of your ad copy with ad strength.

• Google Ads lets users make campaign changes from ‘Overview’ Page. Read More

Search 

• Google Search Algorithm August 1st Update Rolling Out Now. Read More
• Links, mobile usability, and site management added to the new Search Console. Read More
• Google images data will soon be displayed in Google Analytics. Read More
• Google makes it easier for Analytics owners to verify their Google Search Console account. Read More
• Google is testing new design for desktop search results. Read More
• Google Search Console query reports now exclude ‘anonymous query’ data from chart totals. Read More
• Google notifies site owners about the changes made in the way Search Console tracks certain sets of query data. Read More

Social Media

• Facebook rolls out new tools to manage your time on Facebook & Instagram. Read the announcement here 
• Facebook updates Pages and expands Events and Jobs to make connections simpler and more valuable. The announcement read 

That's why we’re making it easier for people to recommend your business by bringing Recommendations to your Page. People will now be able to post a Recommendation for your business... People will now be able to tap on a simplified and prominently featured suite of action buttons to do things like book an appointment for a haircut, order a pizza, send a message or write a Recommendation, all on mobile.

• Facebook introduces Page publishing authorization starting with people that manage a Page with a large audience in the US.  Read the announcement here
• LinkedIn is building a new version of its Groups platform. Read more here
• Instagram is testing recommended posts in feed. Read more here
• Facebook assigns you a fake-news-flagging trustworthiness score. Read more here
• Facebook Watch Is Going Global. Read More
• Facebook is letting 5 publishers test headlines, images, copy in organic posts: Report. Read More

Research 

•  43 Million Facebook posts analyzed From the Top 20,000 Brands (New Research): Buffer + Buzzsumo. Here are the key findings from the research -

1. Top Pages are posting a lot more Overall Page engagement is declining
2. Facebook engagement down for videos, images, and links
3. Posting 5 times per day resulted in highest overall engagement
4. Top Page categories experienced 49-70% overall drop in engagement

• 2018 Shopper-First Retailing : The new rules of retail from the actions, voices, and eyes of today’s consumers. Download the research here