Google Introduces WordPress Plugin With Integrated Analytics, Search Console, More
Google has launched a WordPress plug-in called Site Kit that offers convenient access to various Google tools including AdSense, Search Console, Analytics, and PageSpeed Insights, among others. Search Engine Journal

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQyFwckSDyY]

Marketers’ use of Snapchat is on the rise — but is still a fraction of Facebook and Instagram
Snapchat has seen an increase in use as a marketing platform, despite lacking some of the flexibility powerhouses like Facebook and Instagram allow, according to recent forecast data from eMarketer and others. L.A. Biz

Search Engine Marketing: Why People Click on Paid Search Ads
Seventy-seven percent of people are confident that they can recognize paid search advertisements, and 75 percent find paid search eases the buying process, according to new survey data. Clutch

Facebook Audience Network Joined Google’s Open Bidding Program
Facebook announced that publishers using its mobile Facebook Audience Network can now bid using Google’s popular Open Bidding program. The move was made in an effort to make things easier for digital publishers. AdWeek

Local Business Reviews on Google: Ranking and Rating Trends
More reviews and higher star ratings play a factor in Google local business search rankings, according to new report data from BrightLocal, one of several findings of interest to digital marketers. MarketingProfs

Rising Instagram Stars Are Posting Fake Sponsored Content
The Atlantic takes a look at how some Instagram users are using fake sponsored content to boost their online image, and the backlash the practice has produced. The Atlantic

Mobile Programmatic Advertising Budgets Continue To Rise
Automated mobile advertising spending has continued to rise, and programmatic budgets are forecast to rise 19 percent to $84 billion in 2019, according to recent research from Zenith. MediaPost

Instagram reportedly tests Creator Accounts for high-profile influencers
Instagram has begun testing a new selection of tools aimed at successful influencers using the platform, with special “creator accounts,” according to a recent report. CNET

Hulu introduces new programmatic marketplace
Hulu recently announced that it has expanded its automated programmatic advertising marketplace, allowing marketers a selection of new automation options. AdAge

Going Hyper-Local: How Sponsoring an Event Can Grow Your Business [Infographic]
Both B2B and B2C marketers can stand to benefit when incorporating event sponsorship in their playbook, and this piece takes a look at some of the reasons to consider such sponsorships. MarketingProfs

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:

A lighthearted look at data, privacy, and brand trust by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist

Social Media Overtakes Newspapers As Source Of News — The Onion

TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• Lee Odden — 13 Social Media Experts Share Their Biggest Piece of Marketing Advice — Buffer
• Lee Odden — An Evaluation of Brand Influencer Partnerships: Understanding Motivations, Challenges and Aligning Goals — Onalytica
• Lee Odden — 2018 Year-end Episode of Marketing Smarts: What Marketers Need to Know for 2019 [VIDEO] — MarketingProfs
• Lee Odden — Holiday Social Media Marketing Tips from 13 Experts
  — Social Media Today
• Lee Odden — Work-Life Balance Strategies: What 24 Marketing Experts Say About Work-Life Balance — Express Writers
• Alexis Hall and Tiffani Allen — Top 10 Digital Marketing Articles of this Week: 14th December 2018 — PageTraffic
• Lee Odden — 12 Expert Ideas to Improve Your Content Marketing for Better Leads — Content Marketing Institute
• Lee Odden — The Essential 10-Step Guide To Building Your Personal Brand Online — Cooler Insights

Have your own favorite influencer marketing or content marketing news trends or stories for the week?

Thanks you taking the time to join us, and we hope you’ll return once again next week for a new array of the most relevant digital marketing industry news, and in the meantime you can follow us at @toprank on Twitter for even more timely daily news. Also, don’t miss the full video summary on our TopRank Marketing TV YouTube Channel.

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