Daily Edition · Page 8

THE DAILY INDEX

Technology, AI, software, security, crypto and business

NEWS & TRENDS

TLDR Marketing

NEARLY 40% OF CONSUMERS RETURN AN ONLINE PURCHASE ‘AT LEAST' ONCE A MONTH: REPORT

87% of shoppers make at least half of their purchases online, while 39% of consumers return an item purchased online at least once a month. 52% of consumers say they have submitted a fake return at least once in their lifetime, up from 36% last year. The majority of consumers are open to exchanges or store credit instead of full refunds — if the returns process is easy. Research also suggests that consumers choose where to shop based on a retailer's available return options.

GOOGLE JUST BACKED A $250M DEAL WITH CALIFORNIA TO SUPPORT JOURNALISM

California's journalism industry has lost 68% of its workforce since 2005, prompting a $250 million deal with Google to support local newsrooms. The deal, which circumvents legislative efforts to tax tech companies, has been met with skepticism for its limited scope and the exclusion of other tech giants. Funds from the deal will be allocated over 5 years, with a focus on supporting underrepresented groups and AI innovation.

LINKEDIN PLAYBOOK

It's ideal to post on LinkedIn 2-3 times per week, spending 15 minutes engaging with replies before spending another 15 minutes interacting with other people's posts. Vary your post formats, as using the same one repeatedly can reduce your reach by 30%. Post new content between 10 am and noon, or when your followers tend to be online. LinkedIn determines how valuable the post is and whether or not to show it on other people's feeds during the first hour after you post.

GET AHEAD OF THE WHITE HOUSE'S “TIME IS MONEY” MANDATE

The “Time is Money” White House initiative takes aim at bad corporate customer experience practices like customer service “doom loops” and problems with chatbots. 70% of customers struggle to reach a live representative, while 68.5% are dissatisfied with automated customer service, feeling trapped in systems that don't resolve their issues. 1 in 4 customers cite poor follow-up and lack of communication as key frustrations. Brands should invest in conversational intelligence tools, enhance existing automated systems, integrate customer interactions across channels, and close the loop with every customer that reaches out.

EVERGREEN STRATEGY AND REDDIT/AI

Reddit's visibility in Google search results increased by 1,328% from July 2023 to April 2024, prompting publishers to rethink their audience strategies. While Google's AI Overviews have declined in visibility, the emphasis on user-generated content, particularly from forums like Reddit, challenges traditional content approaches. Newsrooms are now experimenting with using Reddit for content inspiration and audience engagement, acknowledging the growing importance of experience-based content.

ACCELERATE CUSTOMER TIME TO VALUE WITH CUSTOMER VALUE MAPPING

Time to Value is a critical metric in Customer Value Mapping (CVM), which reorients the customer journey to prioritize faster ROI. The CVM process begins by identifying delays and disconnects in the current customer experience and designing an improved "to-be" experience that eliminates these inefficiencies. The outcome is a cohesive go-to-market roadmap that ensures alignment across teams and quicker delivery of customer value.

TLDR IndexPage 8