TLDR MARKETING 2026-01-29

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OPENAI SETS EARLY CHATGPT AD PRICING AT ABOUT $60 CPM

ChatGPT ad pricing is starting almost 3X higher than typical Meta rates and closer to premium TV or live sports inventory. Advertisers will only get basic metrics like impressions and clicks, with no conversion or attribution data. Early campaigns will be more about reach than performance. OpenAI is rolling out ads in the coming weeks on the free and Go tiers, targeting large brands through agencies.

GOOGLE EXPLORING WAYS TO ALLOW SITES TO OPT OUT OF AI OVERVIEWS & AI MODE

Google is exploring new controls that would let websites opt out of having their content used in Search AI features like AI Overviews and AI Mode due to new UK Competition and Markets Authority requirements. It said the controls would give sites more choice while avoiding changes that could break Search or create a confusing experience for users. The CMA proposal would require it to give publishers transparency and opt-out options for AI Overviews and for AI training outside of Search, along with clearer attribution in AI results. The proposal would also require fair and transparent ranking practices, mandatory choice screens on Android and Chrome, and improved data portability for users and businesses.

REPLYING TO YOUR INSTAGRAM COMMENTS CAN BOOST ENGAGEMENT BY 21%

A large-scale analysis across nearly 68,000 accounts found that creator replies correlate with a 21% engagement increase relative to typical performance. The lift appears across different content types and is reinforced by multiple analytical methods, including fixed-effects modeling and Z-score comparisons. Instagram's algorithms reward sustained interaction and repeated account-to-account engagement. Replying early and consistently keeps posts active longer and increases the likelihood of follow-on engagement.

THERE ARE 3 KINDS OF “GOING VIRAL”, BUT ONLY 1 HELPS YOUR BUSINESS

Most viral content falls into empathy or debate, creating visibility without durable value or consistent conversion. The most profitable form is resource virality, where posts deliver tactical utility that audiences actively save and reuse. These posts grow more slowly but establish authority and long-term distribution. Success depends on clarity and designing content explicitly for future reference or shares.

FROM ADS TO ENTERTAINMENT: HOW TO WIN ON SOCIAL IN 2026 (WEBINAR)

The panelists will walk through how to create content that drives both brand love and business results. They'll present their entertainment-first content framework and “brandformance” model. The free event will take place on Saturday, January 31, at 8 AM PST.

INTRODUCING THE KLAVIYO APP IN CHATGPT

The ChatGPT app gives marketers direct access to real-time Klaviyo data, including sends, opens, clicks, conversions, and attributed revenue, all displayed inside a single conversation. Users can tap into deeper analysis for any campaign or flow to review benchmarks, cohort performance, optimization opportunities, and more. The experience works across devices, effectively enabling mobile access to performance reporting for the first time. Future releases will add list analysis and one-click campaign creation from prompts.

HOW AI IS CHANGING MARKETING ATTRIBUTION

AI is changing marketing attribution by reconstructing full deal stories from structured and unstructured data instead of relying on simplified touch models. Traditional attribution fails because data is incomplete and noisy. Adverity found 45% of marketing data is unreliable, while 43% of CMOs trust less than half of it. AI can capture buyer context from calls and emails, analyze sequences at scale, and reveal hidden drivers such as referrals that accounted for a third of revenue in one case or motions that converted at 2x the rate of cold outbound. This approach depends on strong data quality, and it can reduce reporting time to minutes while uncovering gains like a 5% pipeline lift from events that older models missed.

A REFLECTION ON SEO & AI SEARCH IN 2025

Most GEO tactics recycled core SEO, while risky shortcuts threatened long-term visibility. AI search cut clicks but increased upstream influence, pushing marketers to track brand presence, not traffic. Traditional SEO still powers AI answers through indexing and ranking. The real shift is toward brand mentions, multimodal content, and off-site credibility. AEO expands SEO, not replaces it, and Google remains the main source of website traffic.

GOOGLE BEGINS ROLLING OUT CHROME'S “AUTO BROWSE” AI AGENT

Chrome now includes an autonomous browsing agent that can complete multi-step web tasks like research and comparison shopping inside the browser. The agent runs in the background, opens and manages tabs on its own, and checks in only when user input or approval is required. It integrates tightly with Google services such as Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Shopping, and Flights, expanding what AI can execute without manual navigation.

AI IS NOW CITING YOUTUBE MORE OFTEN THAN REDDIT

AI is now more likely to cite YouTube's library of long-form videos.

7 TIPS TO FINDING A HIRING MANAGER ON LINKEDIN

Reverse-engineer hiring managers through LinkedIn posts, referrals, and internal employees.

INSTAGRAM SIZE GUIDE 2026

This guide breaks down the exact IG sizes to use so nothing gets cropped.