As the saying goes . . .

“March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”

In other words, if March came roaring in for you, hopefully it calmly passed.

Within our neck of the digital woods, last month we witnessed the first net neutrality state law, noted major Facebook targeting updates, and welcomed another new member to our team.

March seemed to bring us one big change after another. Here are the nine most interesting things we discovered online last month!

1. Facebook Panders to Privacy Critics

In the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal, Facebook announced this week that it will be removing Partner Categories (hyper-specific targeting from third-party data providers) from its advertising platform later this year.

Agencies still have plenty of alternative options for reaching the right audience at the right time on Facebook, and we’re here to offer help and insights. Jon Loomer already broke down the implications for marketers here.

Find out what every auto marketer should know about the changes to Facebook’s Partner Categories targeting here.

See what is changing for Facebook advertisers »

2. There Are Levels to Self-Driving Cars

Understanding the rapidly growing landscape of autonomous vehicle tech can get complicated.

That’s why the Society of Automotive Engineers created a six-level classification system to help us all understand the varying degrees of autonomy.

As the industry’s most widely accepted system, each level dictates a specific set of requirements. Here is an excellent level-by-level overview of self-driving vehicles.

Steer me there »

3. Common Website Flaws

There’s always room for improvement with your website.

Drawing insights from more than a dozen recent content audits, Alli Berry of Moz outlines the eight most common website mistakes. She also provides the framework for improving your site content and talking to clients about what changes are needed and why.

Think it’s time to give your website a content audit? Find out if you’re making any of the most common mistakes.

Make changes to my website » 

4. Bot Traffic Is Growing

The Internet is a vast, ever-changing space.

A study from Adobe found that about 28% of website traffic appears to show strong “nonhuman signals,” leading us to believe that the traffic is coming from bots or click farms.

In addition, the use of voice search assistants like Google Home and Alexa is going to increase, bringing more automated traffic of this nature.

With human browsing diminishing, marketers must be wary of nonhuman traffic sources potentially taking up nearly 30% of ad efforts.

Tell me more a-“bot” it »

5. All Is Fair in Love and Dating Apps

The dating apps Tinder and Bumble are fighting.

Get the juicy details »

6. Say Hello to Kaitlynn!

This past month, Kaitlynn joined the 9 Clouds team as a creative content strategist, surpassing Pat as our newest employee.

Outside of writing for the online world, you may find Kaitlynn executing random trips to Ikea or Home Goods and taking her dog, Louie, on walks just long enough to catch up on her favorite podcasts.

We’re excited to add her skills in content creation to our team!

Meet Kaitlynn »

7. Need Subject Line Tips? Here Are 18

It can be tough to get your emails opened, let alone noticed.

When optimizing an email for a higher open rate, you should consider every detail the receiver sees. Most of us notice two basic elements: who the email is from and what the subject line says.

Many subscribers will decide to open emails based on the subject line alone. So, we’re sharing Campaign Monitor’s top 18 hacks for improving your marketing email subject lines.

Help me hack my subject line »

8. Traditional Marketing Just Isn’t Cutting It

Those who are keepin’ it old school with their marketing are seeing a decline.

Traditional marketing agencies are antiquated because this type of advertising is, well, antiquated. Marketing today must be customized across diverse platforms and devices to targeted audiences in real time while being integrated across multiple buyer touch points.

According to Adweek, the ideal agency moving forward must thrive by “being quick and nimble, which results from a flatter organization and a process that allows for pivoting quickly.”

See the future of marketing »

9. The Beginning of Net Neutrality State Laws

Net neutrality requires Internet service providers to treat all online content equally, meaning they can’t control the speed of traffic from specific websites to put their content at an advantage.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to end net neutrality as we know it on April 23.

Washington state is leading an effort to combat the FCC by protecting net neutrality for itself. House Bill 2282 was officially signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee in a bipartisan effort.

Watch online democracy happen »

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