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X CHANGES CREATOR PAYOUTS TO DEPEND ON ENGAGEMENT, NOT ADS

X now pays creators based on engagement with Premium users instead of ad revenue, a shift that could encourage content designed to generate replies.

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ON TIKTOK, POP CULTURE PREVAILS OVER NEWS AND POLITICS

While TikTok accounts focused on news and politics comprise less than 1% of those followed by U.S. adults, the platform is emerging as a news destination. About 50% of followed accounts are influencers and creators, with only 10% sharing content related to politics and news. Despite the low percentage of political accounts, 43% of TikTok users follow accounts discussing politics and current events, and celebrity endorsements have proven to boost voter registration efforts.

INFLUENCERS ARE POSTING LESS FASHION CONTENT THIS YEAR

There has been a 14% decrease in fashion content posted by influencers in 2024 compared to the previous year. This decline coincides with a significant shift towards video content, with video views increasing by 28% across regions and a 63% rise in views of fashion-related videos on Instagram. Influencers may be adapting their strategies to align with the growing demand for engaging video formats rather than traditional fashion posts.

EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL BRAND NAMES

Successful international brand names are under 4 syllables, easy to pronounce, and free of long consonant or vowel sequences. Avoid culture-specific meanings and names that need translation. Effective logos should align with the brand's purpose, especially in Eastern markets where visuals hold greater significance. Ensure the name lacks unintended meanings in other languages and prioritize simplicity and memorability in both name and logo design.

DOLLAR A DAY IN ACTION: PROVEN STRATEGIES TO BOOST ENGAGEMENT AND SALES

The Dollar-a-Day tactic is where brands allocate $1 daily to test ads on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. The key advantage is identifying high-performing ads before scaling, making it suitable for those with limited budgets. It typically takes 2-3 days to gather enough data to evaluate the ad's performance and adjust for optimization.

SUPERNORMAL

Supernormal streamlines meeting notes, prep, and insights. It integrates with Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, providing features such as in-meeting agendas, task tracking, and automatic transcription. Users can also sync notes with Salesforce and Asana, allowing actionable follow-ups.

TALL UPDATES COMING TO SHORTS

YouTube Shorts is extending the maximum video length on October 15 from 60 seconds to 3 minutes. The update includes new templates for easier content creation, the ability to remix existing YouTube videos directly, and the introduction of Google DeepMind's Veo for unique video backgrounds. Users will also have access to a trends page to stay updated on popular content and can customize their feed with an option to see fewer Shorts.

PRODUCT DRIVE (WEBINAR)

The last day of Product Drive takes place today with speakers like Anthony Pierri, Wes Bush, and David Pereira covering topics on GTM strategy, product analytics, and growth. Replays of past talks are available for free.

THE POWER OF PASSIONS: TAPPING INTO CONSUMERS' EMOTIONAL BONDS

92% of purchasing decisions are driven by emotion. Three-quarters of people surveyed across eight markets say engaging in their passions is a part of their identity. Marketers should focus on segmenting audiences by their interests (ie. music, food, travel, and sports), rather than traditional demographics. By leveraging insights from neuromarketing and understanding consumers' emotional ties, brands can better resonate with their audiences.

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF RANKING VARIABILITY

Search result variability increased for non-branded and location-based keywords after Google's March 2024 Core Update. Certain industries, like legal services and restaurants, show more regional competition in search rankings, while national brands like Yelp and Liberty Mutual see fluctuating performance across states. Localized SEO strategies, such as using geographic modifiers in meta tags, are key for both national and regional brands. SEOs must adjust strategies based on industry, leveraging regional content to rank competitively in specific locations.

REPLIT'S PATH TO PRODUCT-MARKET FIT—THE $1 BILLION SIDE PROJECT

Amjad Masad's Replit evolved from a side project into a billion-dollar startup by addressing a need for real-time collaborative coding in a web browser. Initially targeting students and educators, Replit later expanded its user base with AI-powered tools like Ghostwriter and Replit Agent, contributing to rapid user growth.

INSTACART ADDS GAMES, PERSONALIZED COUPONS TO ITS SMART CARTS

Instacart is adding gamification, location-based coupons, and “aisle-aware” advertising formats.

SMALL BUSINESSES ARE GETTING CREATIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA—AND DRIVING FOOT TRAFFIC

Small businesses are leaning into viral humor and employee-led content on TikTok to gain customers from miles away.

LESSONS FROM TUPPERWARE'S SELF-INFLICTED DEMISE

Tupperware's downfall stems from complacency, resistance to change, and a failure to adapt to evolving customer preferences.

U.S. CONSUMERS ARE FED UP WITH EXCESSIVE TEXTS AND EMAILS

40% of U.S. consumers unsubscribe from digital marketing communications at least once a week, citing excessive messages as a primary reason. Many feel overwhelmed by the volume, with 56% opting out if they receive 4+ messages from a brand in a month. This fatigue is driving a shift in how consumers interact with brands - they are becoming more protective of their data and selective about engagement.

GOOGLE MUST CRACK OPEN ANDROID FOR THIRD-PARTY STORES, RULES EPIC JUDGE

Google must open its Android platform to third-party app stores starting November 1. It will also be required to distribute these rival stores through Google Play and remove restrictions on third-party billing and app links. The decision, part of the Epic v. Google case, aims to dismantle Google's monopoly on the app marketplace and promote competition. Google plans to appeal. This ruling could reshape the Android ecosystem, encouraging more competition by 2027.

WILD'S CONTEXT-AWARE MESSAGE BAR

Wild achieved 152% growth by using a context-aware message bar that updated as users progressed through the funnel, providing clear, relevant prompts. The yellow bar's non-standard placement at the bottom of the screen ensured it stood out, with messages like “Add a case or two” guiding users smoothly. It used social proof statements such as “Most customers add 3 refills” to nudge customers toward larger purchases by normalizing higher quantities. Testing this tactic revealed how targeted, evolving messaging can influence conversions and average order value.

HOW “FREE SHIPPING & FREE RETURNS” AFFECTS CONVERSION RATES

Mentioning "Free Shipping & Free Returns" under the add to cart button tends to increase conversion rate for products with price-sensitive customers. However, this addition can have a negative effect for luxury items, as it could degrade the premium feel of the page. What works for one site or industry might not work for another, and visitors might need multiple reminders of a value prop on a website.

CRUX VIS

CrUX Vis now allows you to visualize Core Web Vitals, view trends over time, and get recommendations for improvements. Run a URL through the tool and it will give you data on the site. This is useful for benchmarking against competitor websites.

TIKTOK ROLLS OUT AUTOMATED AD TARGETING OPTIONS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

TikTok reports that brands using its new Smart+ Web Campaigns have seen a 52% improvement in return on ad spend. The Smart+ system automates ad creation, placement, and bidding, which allows marketers to input assets and goals while TikTok handles the rest.

CAN MARKETING DRIVE REVENUE GROWTH AGAIN?

Despite doubling their media spend, 20 of the top 50 advertisers saw slower revenue growth than the 2.1% GDP rate over the past 15 years. The trend highlights the need for CMOs to shift from a focus on brand awareness to strategies that directly drive revenue. CMOs can leverage Media Mix Modeling to determine the best allocation of media dollars, critically assess targeting strategies, and cut back on underperforming channels.

INSIDE HOW STRIPE CRAFTS QUALITY PRODUCTS

Stripe improved product conversion by 20% through better email aesthetics, illustrating how beauty can enhance utility and usability. Its approach to quality emphasizes the balance of utility, usability, and aesthetics to ensure products meet user expectations. Stripe uses rituals like friction logs and product previews to iterate quickly and refine offerings based on user feedback.

WHY SCIENCE NEEDS MARKETING

Scientists need marketers to communicate their findings and combat misinformation. Marketing should be integrated into scientific research from the start and research grants should include funding for communication strategies. This collaboration is critical for driving public action on urgent issues like climate change, public health, and sustainability. Without proper marketing support, scientific discoveries may fail to impact behavior on a large scale.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS' SCENT MARKETING

Unlike sight or hearing, the brain processes smells almost instantaneously and creates a multi-sensory impression that lingers.

THE PINTEREST 2024 HALLOWEEN TREND REPORT

Trending searches include gothic glam, “it girl” costumes, ghost pizza, and leopard print makeup.

MARKETING I'VE BEEN OBSESSED WITH LATELY

6 brands to derive inspiration from, including Blank Street's collaboration with Melissa's Wardrobe, Rhode's launch teasers, and Wendy's Vanilla Frosty launch campaign.

GOOGLE'S GRIP ON SEARCH SLIPS AS TIKTOK AND AI STARTUP MOUNT CHALLENGE

Google's share of the US search ad market is projected to fall below 50% for the first time in over a decade. With increased competition from TikTok, Amazon, and Perplexity, and the legal pressures surrounding Google's antitrust issues, many advertisers are exploring alternatives for their ad spending.

‘DUMB PHONES' HAVE NO APPS OR INTERNET

The trend of switching to "dumb phones," or basic flip phones, is gaining traction as individuals seek to combat feelings of overstimulation and anxiety from their smartphones. This movement is popular among Gen Z and parents who want to limit their children's exposure to social media while still providing a means of communication. Users report increased presence and deeper relationships after making the switch.

ARE YOU MAKING THIS WEBSITE MISTAKE?

Distractions on pages like checkout and demo forms can hurt conversions. Common mistakes include using too many colors, making logos clickable, and having footers filled with links, which divert users away from the intended action. To fix this, simplify designs by muting non-essential images to grayscale, making logos static, and removing or minimizing footers. These changes help reduce exit opportunities and keep users focused on completing the conversion process.

HOW TO GET STARTED WITH USER-GENERATED CONTENT

Engage power users to create high-quality content. Focus on building a small, curated marketplace where content meets user demand. Track key metrics, like creator engagement and content views, and use distribution channels like newsletters, social media, and in-app integration to drive traffic. Over time, automate the submission process and leverage UGC to boost SEO, engagement, and retention, creating a content ecosystem that's hard for AI to replicate.

A/B PLATFORMS: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

A/B testing provides quick insights on one change, while multivariate testing reveals how different elements interact. Continuous testing loops and feedback loops optimize performance by iterating tests based on real-time data and user behavior. A common misconception is that A/B testing is always simpler, whereas multivariate testing requires more traffic and time. Start with A/B for low traffic or simple changes, and use multivariate for complex scenarios.

SELINE

Seline is an analytics tool that doesn't use cookies. It's designed to be an intuitive and fast alternative to Google Analytics. The tool provides dashboards for unique visits, page views, marketing-channel performance, funnels, alerts, user journeys, and more.

VISUALPING

Visualping allows users to monitor up to 5 web pages for updates daily, with alerts sent directly to their inboxes. This freemium tool provides an AI-generated summary of changes, making it easy to track key updates without repeatedly checking sites. It works on any browser or device, offering a simple way to stay informed without manual effort.

2-STEP FUNNEL PROBLEMS

The 2-step funnel strategy in Meta ads, where one campaign is optimized for clicks and another targets conversions, is often inefficient. The initial campaign usually brings in low-quality traffic, which lowers the effectiveness of the second. Meta's algorithm now prioritizes remarketing automatically, making manual segmentation both less necessary and more expensive.

BRANDED KEYWORDS: HOW GOOGLE ADS DRIVES UP CPCS

The cost-per-click for branded keywords has more than doubled in 2023 due to Google's shift toward AI-powered auctions and PMax campaigns. These changes have increased competition on branded queries, forcing businesses to bid against competitors and pushing organic listings lower. As a result, companies are spending more on branded traffic while seeing reduced returns on those ad dollars.

HOW HE TURNED A $200 LANDING PAGE INTO A 7-FIGURE AGENCY

Zeroqode scaled rapidly by using guerrilla marketing, pulling off a high-profile stunt at TechCrunch Disrupt, and cloning popular apps to attract attention. The company also focused on content marketing, giveaways, and creating side projects to enhance visibility. Challenges included training talent for no-code work and operating on a tight budget. Despite this, the company achieved a significant market share in Bubble's plugin marketplace through creative and cost-effective approaches.

SAVE THE DATE: OUR COMMUNITY CALL ALL ABOUT HANDLING ALGORITHM UPDATES (WEBINAR)

WTF is SEO? is hosting a call on October 16 on how to handle a Google algorithm update.

THE DESIGN OF EVERYDAY THINGS

Why most AI products are missing the mark on product design.

TOP 100 GADGETS TRENDS IN OCTOBER

A roundup of trending gadgets including noise-canceling pet headphones, migraine wearables, and AI-enabled transcribing pins.

GOOGLE BRINGS ADS TO AI OVERVIEWS AS IT EXPANDS AI'S ROLE IN SEARCH

Google will be displaying ads in AI Overviews (AIO) starting this week. This change includes the addition of relevant links to external sources. While these "Sponsored" ads may detract from the clarity of summaries, Google claims that users have found them helpful for connecting with relevant products and services.

MICROSOFT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE HOW COPILOT ADS APPEAR AND TRIGGER

Microsoft reports that Copilot ads have 69% stronger click-through rates and 76% higher conversion rates compared to traditional search ads. The company is now changing how these ads appear under Copilot's responses. It will show fewer ad annotations, with new “ad voice” messaging acting as a transition from the Copilot conversation. Two new generative AI features, diagnostics and performance snapshot, will pilot this month to help advertisers improve campaign health and insights.

5 WAYS MARKETERS CAN MASTER RCS FOR MOBILE MESSAGING

RCS, a more robust version of SMS, allows for multimedia messaging. Its adoption by Apple and major carriers opens up opportunities for marketers to deliver personalized and interactive content. To master RCS, marketers should first experiment with its capabilities, testing multimedia messages and localized responses to engage audiences more effectively. Verified sender IDs can build trust by displaying the brand's name and logo. Streamlining the customer journey is key, as RCS allows for tasks like ordering directly through messages.

10 SIMPLE TRICKS TO IMPROVE YOUR COPYWRITING

Improve your copywriting by employing tactics such as anchoring, using simple words, and making it about the reader. This post includes 10 copywriting tips, with “before and after” examples for each.

AUTHOREDUP

AuthoredUp helps content creators optimize their LinkedIn posts. It offers an all-in-one editor with features like rich formatting options, readability scoring, and cross-device previews to ensure posts are both engaging and consistent. The platform also has a library of 200+ hooks and 150+ ending templates.

MAILMODO

Mailmodo designs, sends, and automates interactive emails. Its template library includes interactive forms, surveys, games, carousels, and 30+ pre-built email journeys.

CASTING SPELLS WITH YOUR HALLOWEEN EMAILS: TRICKS, TREATS, AND TERRIFYINGLY GOOD SUBJECT LINES

Halloween has transformed into a multi-billion-dollar holiday, making it an ideal occasion for businesses to engage customers through seasonal email marketing. Subject lines that evoke Halloween's playful spirit, such as “Beware: These Spooky Deals Won't Last Long!” or “Ghostly Good Fun: Your Halloween Getaway Awaits!” help emails stand out in crowded inboxes. Incorporating the holiday into email campaigns can boost engagement, drive sales, and reinforce brand personality.