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TOP 5 SECRET CANVA PRO TOOLS

This guide shows how to design custom fonts, create blob frames, add glow effects, use Magic Grab, and change colors on Canva Pro.

WE USED AI TO ANALYZE OVER 8,000 TOP ADS. HERE'S WHAT WE LEARNED

Google used its AI to analyze over 8,000 YouTube ads to discover patterns and trends that define top-performing creatives. The analysis revealed the importance of diverse representation, individual expression, and community-centric narratives in successful ads. Insights also highlighted the use of strong hooks, pop culture references, and catchy music tracks as effective strategies.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF RETAIL LOYALTY PROGRAMS IS HERE

Loyalty programs today offer tiered rewards, creating VIP experiences with exclusive access to products and events. The competition is fierce, with the average American enrolled in about 18 programs, though actively using only half. Companies differentiate between regular and exceptional service needs, aiming to stretch consumers' cash further. This trend reflects a response to subscription fatigue, as loyalty programs have low entry barriers but drive significant spending.

6 FREE, BEGINNER-LEVEL AI COURSES FROM LINKEDIN LEARNING

These free LinkedIn Learning courses teach you how to build your own AI assistant, use AI for podcasting, and prompt engineering techniques for combining Excel and ChatGPT.

HARD-WON LESSONS BUILDING 0 TO 1 INSIDE ATLASSIAN

Tanguy Crusson, the product lead for Jira Product Discovery, shares candid stories about his many hard-won lessons.

THIS COUNTERINTUITIVE INFLUENCER STRATEGY DRIVES 114X HIGHER REVENUE PER FOLLOWER

New research shows nano influencers generating 114X higher revenue per follower than macro influencers.

HOW AMERICANS GET NEWS ON TIKTOK, X, FACEBOOK, AND INSTAGRAM

X stands out as a primary news source, with 65% of its users citing news as a reason for using the platform. Friends and family are common news sources on Facebook and Instagram, while TikTok users frequently get news and breaking news from influencers. Users across all platforms report seeing inaccurate news, with X and Facebook users most likely to report this. Many users, especially on TikTok and X, find unique news on these platforms that they wouldn't encounter elsewhere.

REDDIT ADDS THIRD-PARTY VERIFICATION FOR ADVERTISERS

Reddit has partnered with Integral Ad Science (IAS) to offer third-party verification for advertisers, ensuring campaign delivery and brand safety. This integration provides Reddit advertisers with independent measurement tools for viewability, invalid traffic, and brand safety. The IAS integration is set to enhance advertiser confidence by providing reliable data and unified campaign reporting. It is rolling out globally later this year.

TV NETWORKS FIGHT FOR FEWER DOLLARS IN UPFRONT AMID BIG STREAMING ‘ROLLBACKS'

TV networks are struggling in the current upfront market as advertisers reduce their spending and demand significant rate rollbacks. With an oversupply of streaming ad inventory and reduced demand, networks like Disney, NBCUniversal, and Fox are aggressively negotiating deals, while Amazon and Netflix hold out for higher rates. The industry also faces challenges from a lack of new content due to last year's Hollywood labor strike and cautious advertisers, further complicating the market.

SELLING MORE WITH INSTAGRAM: A PROVEN ORGANIC STRATEGY

A new organic strategy for increasing sales on Instagram involves creating engaging content through the “HOP” method — Humble Brags, Origin Stories, and Product/Service Promos. This approach builds credibility, shares personal journeys, and promotes products effectively. Despite challenges such as the new Meta Verified program and algorithm changes, focusing on authentic content continues to be the key to success on the platform.

HOOK YOUR AUDIENCE WITH SERIALIZED STORIES

People love serialized content — from TV shows like Friends to podcasts like Dirty John — and B2B companies can tap into this obsession with a serialized podcast. The podcast should provide insights or entertainment that establish your brand as an industry authority and should be offered in both audio and video formats. Late-night talk show entertainment concepts can make the content feel more approachable and real. Use social media to share teaser clips, behind-the-scenes content, and episode announcements. Use podcast analytics tools to track episode performance and seek out audience feedback to improve future episodes.

HOW TO WRITE A LINKEDIN POST THAT GETS 85,537 IMPRESSIONS

Sentence length and formatting matters as 88% of LinkedIn users browse on mobile. Sentences wrap on mobile devices after 45 characters - meanwhile, it's 75 characters on desktop. Short sentences under 12 words perform 20% better.

PRODUCT MARKETING ROADMAP TEMPLATE (NOTION)

This product launch template includes a tiered feature launch framework and slide deck. It has a launch board for at-a-glance updates on major milestones, links back to key assets, and a comprehensive overview of your launch. The template aims to keep everything in one place, reduce one-off questions, and get your entire team on the same page.

6 EXAMPLES OF HOW TOP CREATORS REPURPOSE THEIR NEWSLETTER TO LINKEDIN

This post shares specific examples of how creators like Dan Koe, Justin Welsh, and Chenell Basilio repurpose their newsletters into content for LinkedIn. The key is to write a quality newsletter and dissect it into 5-7 different pieces of content.

3 STAGES OF BOARD DECK PREPARATION FOR MARKETERS

4 YEARS OF MARKETING LESSONS DISTILLED INTO 9 MINIMALISTIC VISUALS

9 illustrated insights every marketer should keep in mind.

YOUTUBE TESTS HARDER-TO-BLOCK SERVER-SIDE AD INJECTION IN VIDEOS

The new ad injection method integrates ads directly into video streams, making it more difficult for ad blockers and extensions like SponsorBlock to function.

THE FIRST EVER WEB3 MARKETING HACKATHON: A $100,000 CHALLENGE TO REVOLUTIONIZE CRYPTO WALLET MARKETING

This hackathon challenges participants to create groundbreaking marketing strategies for Web3, with a $100,000 reward for the most innovative and scalable approach.

META COULD THREATEN GOOGLE'S SEARCH CROWN

Meta, with its extensive reach through WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, poses a credible threat to Google's search dominance by potentially redirecting searches to its own results. Unlike ChatGPT and other AI competitors, Meta's existing ad network and user base allow it to capitalize on search traffic and disrupt Google's market share. It is still early, but marketers should be prepared for potential shifts in search behaviors driven by emerging competitors.

TIKTOK COMES FOR GOOGLE AS IT QUIETLY ROLLS OUT IMAGE SEARCH CAPABILITIES IN TIKTOK SHOP

TikTok is testing a new image search feature for TikTok Shop that allows users to find similar products by taking or uploading photos. The feature directly challenges Google's and Amazon's visual search capabilities. It aims to increase user engagement and e-commerce transactions on TikTok by simplifying the shopping process.

HOW TO BRING INSIGHTS AND EXPERIMENTS INTO AN OPTIMIZED CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Hipcamp, an RV and camping booking site, shares how its company used user insights to achieve a 142% YoY growth in bookings from lifecycle campaigns. It conducted surveys and discovered that 55% of users were 60+ and preferred offline access to information. Hipcamp tested new messaging strategies and timing, finding that tailored offline-specific messages sent 1 day prior to trips significantly improved click-to-install conversion rates. Other experiments, like dog-specific re-engagement campaigns and image-based abandoned checkout reminders, also saw improved engagement and conversions.

YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T POST JUST ONE PHOTO ON INSTAGRAM

Single-image posts on Instagram are becoming ineffective compared to Carousels and Reels. Marketers should convert single-image posts into Carousels. These offer multiple engagement opportunities since Instagram can show different images from the same post. They also generate more engagement, as swiping counts as interaction.

7 EXAMPLES OF WELL DONE PRIDE MONTH POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Effective Pride Month posts balance support and authenticity by highlighting LGBTQ+ voices, sharing company initiatives, and engaging with audiences through interactive content. Infosys' "Embrace with Love" video, Accenture's factual "Pride at Accenture," and Amazon's year-round "Glamazon" events exemplify this approach. By focusing on genuine stories and inclusive practices, these posts avoid the pitfalls of over-commercialization and demonstrate a true commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.

THE MKT1 GUIDE TO POSITIONING

Many positioning exercises are overly complex and fail to communicate the product's value. It's important to distinguish between detailed product marketing research and the simpler task of writing a clear positioning statement. Positioning focuses on identifying the target audience, defining the product, and explaining why it is better than alternatives. Effective positioning avoids broad and vague descriptions, instead providing a concise and specific message. Focus on a primary audience and avoid making a laundry list of features and benefits.

GOOGLE SEARCH NOW SUPPORTS RETURN POLICY MARKUP AT THE ORGANIZATION-LEVEL

Google Search has added support for return policies at the organization level, allowing sites to specify a general return policy for the business instead of having to define one for each individual product. This can help reduce the size of Product structured data markup and make it easier to manage return policy markup in one place. It can also make return policies eligible to show with additional search results, such as knowledge panels and brand profiles, in addition to product search results.

FOGGY FIGURES: SEEING BEYOND MARKETING ATTRIBUTION'S MIRAGE

Marketers have to be realistic about what attribution technology can do and understand that there's no bulletproof method to know how or why someone interacted with your campaigns every time. Marketing attribution data should be used to understand trends and behavior over time. Realistically, you should aim to know roughly 80% of what drove participation in each digital campaign. Measuring cumulative initiatives, like branding, word of mouth, PR, and earned media, can (and should) be done through market research, customer surveys, web analytics, media metrics, advertising equivalency value (AVE), and share of voice.

HOW CALENDLY OVERHAULED THEIR PRODUCT-LED SALES MOTION

Calendly revamped its sales process by implementing tools like Ada for chat, Clearbit for lead scoring, and 6sense for intent data to improve lead routing and qualification. It redesigned its website CTAs based on user intent, which increased lead generation by 50%. These changes led to a 40% rise in qualified meetings and a more efficient customer journey.

13 SEO TAKEAWAYS FROM GOOGLE'S ELIZABETH TUCKER AT SMX ADVANCED

The March 2024 core update took 45 days due to significant system changes. There was some re-architecture work and new signals created to help Google do a better job showing helpful content. SEOs and content creators still play a vital role in creating valuable websites and providing feedback to Google. It's important to create helpful and satisfying content focusing on the big picture rather than technical details. The definition of low-quality content is detailed in the Search Quality Rater Guidelines.

ECOMMERCE SEO TIP: SEARCH CONSOLE HAS A HIDDEN "MERCHANT LISTINGS" FILTER

The "Merchant Listings" filter allows you to quickly find conversion-driving queries, where your products are showing up in features like the "Popular Products" results.

MARKETING LESSONS FROM THE 2024 INDIAN GENERAL ELECTION

Senior marketers weigh in on lessons learned from the marketing playbooks of the parties in the Indian general election.

FREE: DIGITAL MARKETING GROWTH PROGRAMME

Girls in Marketing is offering a free growth program, targeted at junior to mid-level marketers, from July 8-18.

APPLE EMBRACES RCS IN IOS 18—AND MARKETERS SHOULD BE CELEBRATING

Apple announced that its Messages app will support Rich Communication Services (RCS) in iOS 18. The new standard will replace SMS as the default communication protocol between Android and iOS devices. RCS allows marketers to create more engaging customer experiences, including personalized messages and videos, location-based suggestions, and dynamic carousels.

MARKETERS ‘OVERESTIMATE' CHANCES OF ACHIEVING BRAND LOYALTY

Emotional brand loyalty is often confused with habitual behavior. A new study reveals that marketers overestimate brand loyalty, with only 13% of consumers identifying as true brand fans. Instead, speed, ease, and habit are the primary drivers of repeat purchases, with 97% citing these factors. Neurobiological principles like reward, memory, emotion, and social interaction influence loyalty. Effective tactics include gamification, shared values, and personalization.

ON WRITING A TAGLINE AND PITCHING IT

Taglines are long-term branding tools, while slogans support specific campaigns. A tagline isn't complete until it's clear, easy to understand, and resonates with others. Start with a brand's unique selling proposition or positioning statement and edit for brevity and clarity. Generate numerous options, refine them rigorously, and “kill your darlings” to ensure the best work is presented.

FIVE GOLDEN QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL EXACTLY WHY YOUR VISITORS AREN'T CONVERTING

To increase a website's conversion rate, survey customers who just bought your product or service. These users can help uncover obstacles that result in other visitors leaving without buying. Ask them where exactly they first found out about you, what persuaded them to purchase from you, which options they considered before choosing your product, and the one thing that nearly stopped them buying from you. Incentivize survey participation with a small reward and send a thank you email to respondents.

DUB: SHORT LINKS WITH SUPERPOWERS

Dub is an open-source link management tool. It offers branded and personalized short links, advanced analytics, QR codes for your links, and more. The tool is free for 3 domains and offers paid plans with additional features.

23 DIGITAL PR EXAMPLES AND STRATEGIES

Digital PR is designed to build high-authority links to help you build your brand and rank better in search. This guide covers PR examples categorized by ideation strategies and vehicles that drive the content. These include microsites, visual-led content, interactives, and keyword-driven digital PR.

YOUTUBE'S TESTING QR CODES FOR CHANNELS, USER-GENERATED SHORTS EFFECTS

YouTube's latest updates include channel-specific QR codes for easier sharing, new user-generated effects for Shorts, and an AI-powered "Jump Ahead" feature that skips to the most popular parts of videos. These features aim to increase engagement and user satisfaction without negatively impacting watch time.

B2B SAAS REBRANDING 101: HOW TO GET IT RIGHT

A rebrand might be necessary if the current messaging isn't effectively communicating a company's mission and values. This could involve overhauling the entire marketing strategy and public image and include a new name, logo, design style, or tone of voice. Brand refreshes update the existing brand strategy without completely changing the brand's identity. Rebranding should be avoided if the company is still new or driven by a need to keep up with competitors.

WHO PAYS HOW? E-COMMERCE PREFERENCES BY GENERATION

Businesses must offer diverse payment options to cater to different generational needs to stay competitive. Baby Boomers prioritize security, but are wary of new technologies. Gen X values secure, proven payment methods. Millennials and Gen Z favor convenience and are open to new technologies if secure. Financial health influences payment preferences. Boomers prefer simplicity, millennials seek tools for debt management, and Gen Z prioritizes avoiding extra fees.

REBRANDING AN ICON: THE CLASSIC AMERICAN GIRL LOOK GETS A FRESH SPIN

American Girl underwent a brand refresh to better connect with millennial moms.

THE RISE OF ANTI-VEGAN BEAUTY

Vegan beauty products may not be the healthy or environmentally friendly heroes they are promoted to be.

THE BEST SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS I'VE SEEN RECENTLY

A collection of inspiring, on-brand, and relatable social posts by Instagram, Notion, Hootsuite, and Rhode.

CMOS ARE IN TROUBLE. SHOULD ANYONE CARE?

The instability of CMO roles and their redefinition by companies threatens both long-term brand growth and the execution of impactful social initiatives. CMOs are instrumental in leading efforts that align with sustainability, diversity, and equity. Examples include P&G's campaigns on unconscious bias and Hinge's commitment to reducing loneliness among Gen Z. The trend towards focusing on immediate sales results risks losing the broader social benefits that strong CMO leadership can achieve.

INSTAGRAM CHIEF SHARES INSIGHTS INTO ITS ALGORITHMS, CREATOR MONETIZATION, AND MORE

More than half of Instagram usage is now video-based. Content that encourages sharing among friends drives the most value and engagement on the platform. Instagram is prioritizing short-form videos to foster private interactions and discussions. The app's algorithm now ranks content based on “shares per impression”, making sends a key metric for evaluating post success. Half of all video impressions are viewed with sound off. Meta is prioritizing creators over publishers to shift power towards individuals.

PPC LEAD GEN CASE STUDY: 20X SPEND IN 1.5 YEARS

A case study on how a PPC agency helped its home renovation client surpass $10M in revenue. The team found that the existing account was fragmented across 10 Search campaigns. The ads were running on "Maximize clicks" and using GA4 for lead tracking. The agency consolidated existing campaigns to provide more data to Smart Bidding, switched to “Target CPA” instead of “Maximize clicks”, switched to the Google Ads Tag for lead tracking, set up Offline Conversion Tracking, and optimized every aspect of the ads. With that foundation, they switched to optimizing towards Qualified Leads, which increased Total Deal Value by 100% and ROAS by 63%.

PRICING & PACKAGING FOR SAAS

This guide explores the role of pricing as a direct lever for revenue in SaaS. It highlights strategies like targeting high gross margins and establishing clear price positioning. The guide examines pricing models from ChatGPT's $20/month flat-rate plan to Stripe's transaction-based pricing and covers tactics such as tiered pricing and the Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter to determine optimal price points. It also recommends continuous experimentation and iteration, sharing examples of how companies like Hubspot adjust pricing based on customer value and willingness to pay.

6 AI TOOLS FOR GOOGLE AD CAMPAIGNS

Adzooma analyzes ad accounts in minutes by instantly highlighting areas that require attention and saving time on auditing accounts. Opteo continuously monitors Google Ads accounts for statistically significant patterns. It's able to suggest improvements that can be pushed live within seconds. Adchieve uses data to create automated hyper-relevant ad campaigns that closely match your customers' wishes and search behavior.

AFFIRM EXPANDS PAYMENT OFFERINGS WITH NEW PAY IN 2 AND PAY IN 30 OPTIONS

Affirm, the payment network, announced two new payment options, Pay in 2 and Pay in 30, to bring even greater choice and flexibility to consumers. The company has seen an increase in cart conversion within its app since offering these new options. Affirm plans to test and roll out its Pay in 2 and Pay in 30 options more broadly to its integrated merchant partners in the coming months.