TLDR MARKETING 2024-01-31

INSTAGRAM THREADS TRIPLES DOWNLOADS IN DECEMBER

Threads tripled its downloads month-over-month in December. It placed in the top 10 most downloaded apps for the month across both the App Store and Google Play. The growth was likely due to the push Meta had given the app by displaying ads on Facebook that featured Threads’ viral posts. The app could also be benefiting from its move into the fediverse - the social network comprised of interconnected servers that communicate via the ActivityPub protocol.

UNIVERSAL MUSIC SET TO PULL SONGS FROM TIKTOK

Universal Music Group has accused TikTok of bullying, saying the company wanted to pay a fraction of the rate other social media sites pay for access to its music catalog. As a result, Universal will stop licensing its content to TikTok when its contract expires on January 31. This will remove TikTok’s access to music from artists like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Drake.

SHARES OF GOOGLE PARENT ALPHABET DROP 6% AFTER DISAPPOINTING AD REVENUE

Alphabet's shares plunged after disappointing ad revenue results attributed to tough competition alongside mixed economic signals in the US. Its low ad revenue numbers suggest that companies are still uncertain about the pace of interest rate cuts from global central banks.

DON’T HIDE — MINE YOUR BRAND’S FLAWS FOR STORYTELLING GOLD

All brands, regardless of their stature or intentions, have flaws. Marketers should embrace these imperfections as opportunities for compelling storytelling and differentiation. It creates more human-centric content that resonates with audiences, building trust and authenticity by moving beyond traditional messaging structures and taking calculated risks.

STARTING USERS WITH PREMIUM TRIALS CAN BOOST CONVERSION

Offering users a free trial of the full premium service on signup can increase conversion to paid premium by up to 40% compared to offering a freemium option that doesn’t require starting with a trial. This is known as a reverse trial, which drops down to a freemium tier if the trial expires. This tactic is effective because it creates a sense of loss. The user is able to experience the full functionality of premium, so being downgraded to the free tier highlights the new limitations. This psychologically makes them more likely to convert to a paid subscription.

SMTPING: FREE EMAIL VALIDATION & EMAIL WARM-UP

SMTPing is a tool that improves email deliverability. Its free features include email verification to improve your email sender reputation. With a paid plan, you can access more email verification credits, the email warm-up feature, integrations with email applications, and more.

9 OF THE BEST SPRING EMAIL EXAMPLES

For many consumers, Spring is a time to declutter and break old habits. This article compiled emails from brands like Prose, Away, Tattly, and Legacybox to use as inspiration in leveraging the spring season into your email content strategy.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND GOOD SOCIAL MEDIA HOOKS

Good hooks get attention and are able to sustain it, are presented to the user immediately, and are not misleading or fake. This article delves into the science behind effective social media hooks. It presents examples from Instagram and TikTok posts, including quizzes or Q&As, text posts, trend hopping, and useful videos or tutorials.

SAAS ON TIKTOK: HOW CREATORKIT IS CRUSHING THE TIKTOK GAME (5 MINUTE)

Unlike many other SaaS companies, CreatorKit invests in a TikTok strategy to reach its audience. The brand succeeds by creating educational content that hooks users, keeps them entertained, and empowers them to take action. CreatorKit achieves “Content-Platform Fit” by posting videos that fit TikTok users’ unspoken norms and standards. This involves using hashtags, POV videos, popular sounds, and other tricks. CreatorKit proves that TikTok can be an effective marketing channel for SaaS brands.

10 COMMON SIGNS THAT YOUR E-COMMERCE WEBSITE HAS CONVERSION PROBLEMS

This post contains common signs that your website isn’t converting as well as it could. Check to see if your site has product descriptions that are text blocks with no bullet points or icons. Fix any cases where your products have less than 10 reviews or no customer images. Avoid using technical words or jargon that your users often won't understand. Be sure to explain whether users have to pay for return delivery.

GOOGLE OFFERS SPECIFIC FEEDBACK ON WHY AN ARTICLE MIGHT NOT BE HELPFUL

Danny Sullivan, Google's Search Liaison, replied to a post on X with very specific feedback on how to make an article more helpful. The article in question had experienced a severe drop in traffic from Google Search. Much of the feedback was around how information in the article could potentially be unclear or misleading to users. The article mentioned products that weren’t yet available, which could be unsatisfying for users. Sullivan also called out how the article claimed to be updated, yet included outdated information.

THE TOP 100 MOST VALUABLE BRANDS IN 2024

This visual chart showcases the most valuable global brands split by vertical in 2024. The brands' value was calculated by the degree to which they generated profits for the company.

THE 17 BEST FREE ONLINE SURVEY TOOLS FOR 2024

This article rounds up 17 free survey tools and gives an overview of their features. It also compares the number of forms, questions, and answers supported.

12 LINKEDIN SUMMARY EXAMPLES & HOW TO SHINE IN YOURS

LinkedIn summaries appear in the "About” section of your profile. It’s a space to define your career, ambitions, the value you aim to provide, and a little bit about your personality.

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