Search the archive

TIKTOK LIVE SHOPPING IS PROVING LUCRATIVE FOR BEAUTY BRANDS ACROSS CATEGORIES

TikTok Live Shopping is now one of the top 10 beauty retailers in the US.

A SIMPLE, SOCIAL-FIRST TREND

A “zoom in” social trend brands are using to spread a little positivity.

THE STATE OF CREATOR MARKETING

Creator marketing has entered the “Era of Efficacy”. Budgets rose 171% YoY as brands redirect funds from digital advertising to influencer partnerships, with 71% of organizations increasing investment. The focus is on ROI, creator fit, operational maturity, and long-term relationships rather than follower counts. Industry leaders report more than double the ROI by centralizing programs and involving larger teams.

CAN LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS EXTRACT CUSTOMER NEEDS AS WELL AS PROFESSIONAL ANALYSTS?

LLMs can make market research faster, cheaper, and more insightful. A hybrid LLM-human approach produced detailed qualitative data and matched humans in identifying key ideas and themes, but showed less diversity and consistency in quantitative responses. With human oversight and company data, LLMs do offer a low-cost way to generate insights across all stages of research.

HOW ONE SMALL EXPERIMENT DROVE A +24% LIFT IN SEO IMPRESSIONS

Webflow added automated FAQs with schema markup to 6 key feature pages using an AI workflow built in AirOps. The system mined real user questions from Google's “People Also Ask”, Reddit, and niche forums. It then filled content gaps and structured answers for search engines. This led to 331 new AI citations and a 24% lift in SEO impressions, with gains across nearly all tracked queries.

EMAIL SEGMENTATION TIP

When resending emails to non-openers, include a condition to target only those who have opened one of the last few campaigns. This ensures messages reach engaged recipients and avoids emailing inactive contacts.

ATTRIBUTION REIMAGINED: BUILDING THE RIGHT MODELS FOR THE RIGHT OUTCOMES (WEBINAR)

This session will discuss evolving attribution models, building more with zero and first-party data sets, and using AI to help separate signal from noise. It takes place on October 23 at 12 pm ET.

INTRODUCING THREADS COMMUNITIES: FIND YOUR PEOPLE

Threads is launching public communities that let users join topic-based spaces to share and discuss interests such as basketball, TV, and K-pop. The feature builds on custom feeds and topic tags and is currently being tested across more than 100 popular topics. Each community includes personalized elements like custom Like emojis and public membership listings that appear on user profiles. Threads also plans to add contributor badges and ranking features to highlight top members and surface the most relevant posts.

DOES X PREMIUM REALLY BOOST YOUR REACH? AN ANALYSIS OF 18M+ POSTS

X Premium posts get far more visibility and engagement than regular user posts. Premium accounts average 10X more reach per post, while Premium+ users see over twice the reach of standard Premium. Engagement rates are higher across Premium tiers at 0.49% to 0.55%, compared to 0% for regular accounts. Text and video posts perform best, while link posts are penalized, especially for non-Premium users.

HOW TO BECOME A BETTER COPYWRITER

Focus on writing that drives revenue, not on sounding eloquent. Talk to customers or sales teams to understand pain points, objections, and language. Study competitors' ads to find proven messages and keep a swipe file of strong examples. Specialize in one platform, learn its algorithm, and track ROI.

THE GAP MARKETING: A DEEP DIVE INTO THEIR REVIVAL

Gap rebuilt its brand identity by shifting from a mall staple to a cultural storyteller. New leadership focused on creativity and cultural relevance while campaigns with Tyla, Troye Sivan, and KATSEYE connected emotionally and visually with Gen Z. Gap also co-created products with influencers like Julia Huynh and made social content feel organic rather than promotional. The results showed up in sales and earned media.

POSITIONING STRATEGY DECK TEMPLATE

A 6-slide deck outlining a functional description, problem framework, and value framework.

TOP 100 MARKETING TRENDS IN OCTOBER

Top trends include experiential retail pop-ups, gamified AR footwear fittings, and more.

6 THANKSGIVING EMAIL CAMPAIGN IDEAS TO CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Ideas include collecting reviews, promoting wishlists, and targeting high-intent shoppers with product education.

WHY BUYING HAS GOTTEN EASIER AND SELLING HAS GOTTEN HARDER

83% of buyers say purchasing software has gotten easier with bigger budgets and market consolidation, but closing deals is still difficult due to eroding trust. 58% of buyers now start research with AI tools, and most evaluate four or more vendors. The biggest gaps vendors face are delivering credible, relevant proof. 67% of buyers have ruled out a vendor because evidence felt untrustworthy, and younger buyers prefer live references and authentic stories over case studies.

AMERICANS HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT AI SUMMARIES IN SEARCH RESULTS

Pew Research found that a majority of US adults (65%) report coming across AI summaries in search results at least sometimes, and 45% say they see them extremely often or often. Americans are divided on their usefulness, as 20% say they are extremely or very useful, 52% say somewhat useful, and 28% say not useful. Only 6% say they trust the information a lot, while 53% have at least some trust in it.

WHATSAPP'S SIGNUP STRATEGY

WhatsApp achieved rapid growth by eliminating friction in signup and making the app feel like an upgrade to texting rather than a new service. Instead of requiring usernames and passwords, it used phone numbers as identification, which allowed seamless onboarding and instant access to contacts. This approach solved the cold start problem by leveraging users' existing social graphs, producing 96% message open rates compared to 20-21% for email. Combined with viral loops built into contact integration, WhatsApp grew to 250,000 users within months, handled 1 billion daily messages by 2011, and reached 200 million active users by early 2013.

HOW DATABRICKS TRANSFORMED A PRIVATE SUBREDDIT INTO A POWERFUL COMMUNITY ENGINE

Databricks turned its abandoned subreddit into a multidepartment growth engine by reclaiming ownership, opening it to the public, and creating guardrails for healthy discussions. The community now has 20,000 members, 450 weekly contributions, and drives 10,000+ organic visits per month while ranking for over 300 high-intent keywords. By combining experienced moderators, employee participation, and external advocates, it created a credible and authentic space where users troubleshoot, share objections, and provide real-time feedback. This approach shows how a branded subreddit can function as a strategic asset that strengthens reputation, drives insights, and supports growth across an organization.

DRIVING QUALIFIED LEADS WITH LINKEDIN CONTENT: A PROVEN FORMULA

A LinkedIn content formula using niche problem posts generated 10K dollars in pipeline in just 8 days. These 300-word text-only posts follow a simple structure with a hook, symptoms, named problem, solution, proof, and call to action. The strategy relies on real customer language extracted from sales transcripts using AI tools. Posts are designed for mobile with short paragraphs and bolded keywords to improve readability. Each post focuses on one pain point, such as spray and pray outreach, and includes three to five symptoms followed by a named issue and outcomes. Effective calls to action include DM offers or direct links, and the top-performing posts are promoted as paid ads.

AI SEARCH OPTIMIZATION MASTERCLASS ON SURFER

This free course includes 9 modules and can be completed in under 2 hours. Lessons cover making a brand recognizable to AI, using schema and entity signals to improve AI understanding, measuring visibility in AI search, and more. A Surfer account is required to enroll, which is free to create.

META: INTRODUCING BUSINESS AI: EMPOWERING EVERY BUSINESS TO GROW IN THE AI ERA

Meta launched Business AI, a sales-focused AI agent designed to boost conversions, customer engagement, and long-term relationships across websites, ads, and messaging apps. Early adopters report strong results, including Julep seeing a 13% increase in return on ad spend and a 10% lift in conversions, while Solgaard achieved 6x higher sales conversion rates. Business AI can be set up quickly using existing posts and campaigns, operates 24/7, and is free on Meta Ads.

A24 MARKETING STRATEGY: FROM INDIE DARLING TO CULTURAL ICON

A24 built a cultural brand by rejecting traditional Hollywood marketing in favor of low-cost tactics tailored to digitally native cinephiles. Instead of mass reach, it prioritizes high-impact community-building through curated film selection and immersive campaigns. Examples include a Tinder bot for Ex Machina, a pop-up shop for Uncut Gems, and a NYSE matchmaking activation for Materialists. A24 also monetizes directly with the AAA24 membership and branded retail.

EVERYBODY'S IN THE PROTEIN GAME

Protein has moved from a fitness niche to a mainstream focus. It's driven largely by diet-conscious Gen Z and millennials. Many are actively trying to increase intake, starting trends like a cottage cheese comeback. Brands are responding with a wide range of products, from frozen cod to GLP-1–friendly options, while introducing new flavors, partnerships, and campaigns that make protein both healthy and appealing.

AI IS THE NEW SOCIAL MEDIA

Sora 2 reflects a broader shift to AI-generated social feeds, as 71% of social media images are already AI-generated without users noticing.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GHOSTWRITER WITH CUSTOM GPT

How to build a GPT with step-by-step instructions.

SPOTIFY FOR CREATORS: THE FUTURE IS VIDEO

72% of podcast listeners prefer shows with videos.

👉 Use this link to GENERATE YOUR FIRST VIDEO FOR FREE 👈

OPENAI'S NEW SOCIAL APP IS FILLED WITH TERRIFYING SAM ALTMAN DEEPFAKES

Sora is already filled with deepfakes of Sam Altman in surreal scenarios, from serving Pikachu drinks to stealing Nvidia GPUs. The app's defining feature is a “cameo” system that lets users upload biometric data to generate realistic deepfakes of themselves and others. Despite parental controls and user permissions, Sora enables mass creation of highly convincing synthetic content.

META TO USE AI CHATS TO PERSONALIZE CONTENT AND ADS FROM DECEMBER

Meta will begin using interactions with its AI tools to personalize content and ads on Facebook and Instagram starting December 16. The change applies only to those who use Meta AI, and users cannot opt out. Conversations through voice or text will be combined with existing data, such as likes and follows, to shape recommendations, though sensitive topics like religion, health, or political views will not be used for ads. Meta AI currently has 1B monthly active users. The rollout will exclude the UK, the European Union, and South Korea.

EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF AI ON THE LABOR MARKET

This study found no evidence that AI has significantly disrupted the US labor market since ChatGPT's release in 2022. While the occupational mix has shifted slightly faster than in past periods, these changes largely predate gen AI and mirror historical patterns. Employment, unemployment, and industry-level shifts show no clear link to AI exposure, automation, or augmentation.

KEEP VIDEO ADS UNDER 10 SECONDS

Video ads that are 10 seconds or shorter drive stronger results at a lower cost than longer ads. In a study of 59,988 TV ad airings and 25,000+ Facebook ad impressions, ≤10 second ads generated 3x more engagement on Facebook, up to 40% more website traffic on TV, and similar sales compared to longer ads. Shorter ads would also save $285,300 in airtime and generate 192,000 more site visits if aired 100 times on TV instead of 15 second ads. Effectiveness increases when brands are mentioned early, with traffic rising 34.1% compared to waiting until the end.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN A ZERO CLICK WORLD

Many brands still optimize for SEO or REO while AI assistants give binary outcomes where a brand is either cited or invisible. For example, a press release can be ignored by ChatGPT if it is not structured correctly, even if it ranks well in Google. A better approach is to create schema-rich FAQs, semantic headlines, and backlinks to authority pages while earning mentions in media and forums. This ensures AI systems recognize the brand and include it in answers, not just rank it on a page.

HOW I TURNED FORGOTTEN IDEAS INTO CONSISTENT POSTS

This guide outlines a 3-step content system. Step one is to post ideas you care about, not ones you feel forced to make. Step two is to build a habit of logging every idea immediately using tools like Notes. Step three is to keep it simple and repeatable with a workflow of create, edit, and post.

migma.ai

REIMAGINING LINKEDIN GTM: AI WORKFLOWS, AGENTS & AUTOMATION (WEBINAR)

This webinar on October 8 will show how GTM teams can turn LinkedIn into a revenue channel using AI workflows and automations. It covers building an AI-assisted LinkedIn system, creating on-brand content, running a predictable lead-generation pipeline, establishing engagement routines, and automating funnel handoffs to convert reach into qualified leads.

GMAIL'S LATEST UPDATES: WHAT'S CHANGING, WHY IT MATTERS, AND HOW TO ADAPT

Gmail is giving subscribers more control and surfacing emails based on engagement rather than send time. The new ‘Manage Subscriptions' view lists each sender with a snapshot of how often they send messages. The ‘Purchases' tab organizes receipts and delivery messages into a scannable format that rewards transactional clarity. In the ‘Promotions' tab, Gmail is using machine learning to push relevant offers to the top while generic campaigns drop out of view. These changes support a cleaner inbox and force email programs to compete on usefulness and timing.

THE MECHANICS OF NEUROBRANDING: BRAND STRATEGY THAT STARTS IN THE FEELS

This article describes how to use neuroscience to build real brand preference. The first mechanic is immersion. Identify where users interact with the brand and make those moments emotionally rich. This could be a scented store, tactile packaging, or a sensory-rich waiting experience like Disney's Rise of the Resistance queue. The second mechanism is neural coupling. Brands that tell stories that reflect customer identity build loyalty without selling. The third mechanic is subconscious priming. Repetition of a distinct color, sound, or phrase wires emotional associations over time.

A CRASH COURSE ON LAGGING AND LEADING METRICS

Lagging metrics measure outcomes but are slow to respond. Leading metrics give directional signals but need interpretation. Most teams over-index on lagging metrics like NPS or revenue per user because they feel more concrete and definitive. However, these often come too late to guide action. Marketers can build better dashboards by pairing each lagging metric with 2 to 3 leading ones. For example, tie conversion rate to DAUs or time to first value. This dual tracking helps steer strategy in real time and spot issues like churn or underused features quickly.

SIGNAL MINING: HOW TO FIND “BITE YOUR HAND OFF” CUSTOMERS WITH AI

Use internal and public data sources to identify when your target audience has experienced multiple failed solutions, used emotional language, or tried broken workarounds.

EMAIL FOOTER DESIGN: 9 EXAMPLES THAT ACTUALLY WORK

A well-designed footer includes navigation to key website sections, an unsubscribe link, social proof, and preference management.

TOP SOCIAL MEDIA CONFERENCES TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2026

The list includes Social Media Week in NY, Content Marketing World in Denver, and ANA Digital in LA.

marketing data. Connect your data and go

DO HAPPY PEOPLE SHOP MORE?

Happier people spend more money than less happy people. This effect is strongest for indulgent or discretionary items, while spending on utilitarian products can be lower. In a study where participants received $10 to spend freely, those with higher trait happiness spent more overall and were more likely to buy non-essential items. The effect depends on the type of product, with happiness increasing spending on indulgent items and reducing it on highly utilitarian ones. Happiness drives greater engagement with enjoyable purchases.

HOW PEOPLE USE CHATGPT

This report analyzes ChatGPT's global adoption, usage patterns, and economic impact. Users under 26 and women now make up a large share, with adoption fastest in low and middle-income countries. Non-work queries account for 70% of messages, mostly on Practical Guidance, Writing, and Seeking Information. Writing dominates work use, often modifying existing text, supporting decision-making and productivity in knowledge-intensive jobs.

HOW TO SEND POST-PURCHASE EMAILS AT THE RIGHT TIME

Many brands send post-purchase emails at the wrong time, reducing relevance and impact. For example, ASOS sent a review request before a customer even tried the products, missing the chance to align messaging with actual behavior. A better approach is to use order and return data to trigger automated flows. When multiple sizes are purchased, mark the order as high return likelihood and delay review emails until returns are processed. This ensures post-purchase emails are timely and more likely to drive engagement.