META
New WhatsApp API, automated messages, and more…
Meta just launched a number of new products that could be useful, especially if you’re in e-commerce.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Cloud-based WhatsApp API: The new API is hosted on Meta servers, and should make conducting business on the platform more customizable, flexible, and cost-effective.
- Messenger recurring notifications: Messaging customers frequently used to be a no-go. But Meta’s new, albeit limited feature lets you send automated messages to your customers at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
- Updates to location targeting: Targeting US federal congressional districts is now on the table.
Keep it personal: Meta’s new products are built for personalization and direct, streamlined customer communication.
Take this as a sign of which areas you should perfect in the coming months.
Now, for the “cool” news…
ADVERTISING
This Senate bill could change advertising
According to the US Senate, a company should either buy ads or sell them.
Not both.
And senators are proposing a bill designed to stop the “monopoly rents” imposed on every ad-supported website by big tech companies.
What that means: If passed, the Competition and Transparency in Digital Advertising Act (CTDA) would prevent tech firms earning more than $20 billion annually in digital advertising revenue from acting as both buyers and sellers of ads.
Which means Apple, Google, and Meta would have to divest lucrative segments of their businesses.
Why we care: Yes, this bill targets big tech companies, but it could have ramifications for the entire digital marketing world.
Even the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) voiced concerns, saying that the bill could have “devastating consequences” on advertising.
Just another thing to keep an eye on. Hooray.
SPONSORED BY ORBIO WORLD
These DTC offers generated 2.2M customers—and you can promote them as an affiliate
If you’re looking for affiliate offers with massive scaling power, a solid, consolidated brand, and fat commissions, you should look into Orbio World.
Orbio World is quickly becoming a global leader in e-commerce and product development.
They get you access to tested products that truly make the lives of customers better—and they benefit your wallet, too.
Curious about what this affiliate program has for ya? Take a look:
- A long list of solid brands that people already trust like Nuubu, Tvidler, Enence, Huusk and others.
- 190 different geos: You can either go for big, high-competition countries, or target smaller geos with fewer competitors. And you don’t worry about translation!
- Creative materials and product samples. You’ll get everything you need to create your own unique and creative assets.
- Cash-on-demand offers if you market to audiences not familiar with credit card payments.
And, of course, competitive, timely payouts.
Dominate the market with these winning offers.
MARKETING
How the 95-5 Rule could help your marketing strategy—and how to use it
75% of companies buy computers once every 4 years.
80% of companies change banking services once every 5 years.
And in B2C, 90% of consumers buy new cars every 10 years.
Why should you care?
Because for most products—especially B2B products and high price point items—only about 5% of the market is ready to buy right now.
And as Tyrona (Ty) Heath explains in this article, while it’s easy to focus on ready-to-buy audiences…
The big bucks eventually come from the 95% who aren’t yet ready.
That’s the principle behind the 95-5 Rule: Advertise to buyers who are not likely to buy from you… yet.
For example: You don’t buy a BMW because you saw an ad on Facebook.
You buy it after you have been exposed to the brand for years. Eventually, when you can afford it or it’s time for a new car, you become the proud owner of a BMW.
So yes, target “hot buyers.” But don’t forget to allocate a budget for “future buyers,” too.
After all, they represent the biggest share of the market.
… And your future cash flow will largely depend on the ads you launch today.
One final note: Test this theory before you commit to it 100%. Why? Because not every product or service faces a market of “on” and “off” buyers.
Generally speaking, there are about five stages of awareness in marketing, and the customers in those stages might represent more than 5% of your market.
Just something to keep in mind!
SPONSORED BY INSIGHTS
Steal what’s working from winning brands
Facebook groups. Reddit. Slack channels. Forums. The internet is full of people sharing marketing tactics and strategies.
But how much of that info has been tested and proven to work?
With Insights, you can cut through the noise and discover the winning moves that successful companies like Snow, Goli, Athletic Greens, and TransferWise use to grow.
Save time and money by stealing great ideas from top companies.
THE CREW’S INSIGHTS
How to write better CTAs for your site
Call-to-action buttons (CTAs) don’t get enough love.
While they may not seem as important as headlines or subheads at first, they’re the things you want people to click.
… Which means that their text, and the pages they link to, are actually more important than marketers realize.
The mistake many brands make? Using the same CTA text on every page, like “Book a Demo” or “Buy Now,” and linking all of those buttons to the exact same page.
Here’s a better way to think about it: Think of your CTAs and links as a user flow.
- First, consider how users get to each page. For example, how do people find your homepage? If it’s mostly cold traffic, do you really want to send them to your “Book a Demo” page? Or should your CTA send them to a product page so they can learn more about your offering?
- Then, write page-specific CTA copy. If it’s a pricing page CTA, use pricing-focused text, like “Start today for $0.” If it’s an About page, something like “Learn more about our product” might make more sense.
Bonus tip: If it helps, try drawing out your ideal user flow on paper.
This will help you visualize the ideal path you want people to follow, and it’ll be easier to tailor your CTAs to guide people through that flow.
Following this simple flow can improve your CTAs and conversion. Give it a try and let us know how it goes!
ROUNDING UP THE STACK
COPYWRITING: Late, sloppy, yawn-inducing writing… Sure, it’s cheap. But who can actually afford cheap copywriting? If you’re ready to take your copy to the next level but feel crushed for time or talent, add a professional to your team… like Joe.*
GOOGLE: Business Messages is expanding. Google announced they’re adding Twilio, Genesis, and Avaya—some of the leading companies in customer care and communication—to their partner list. Quite the lineup.
SEO: If “bad” or “toxic” backlinks to your website are making you nervous… you can relax. Google just ignores them.
E-COMMERCE: Promising, but young. The Southeast Asian e-commerce market is growing, but the CEO of one of the largest venture capital firms in the region says it’s still in the beginning phase. Plan your marketing strategies accordingly.
SNAPCHAT: See it on eBay, share it on Snapchat. The platform released an integration that lets you share eBay listings as snaps and stories. While it’s restricted to personal connections only, it sounds like a potential marketing channel for influencer campaigns…
*This is a sponsored post.
BRAIN TEASER
Three doctors said that Bill was their brother. Bill says he has no brothers.
How many brothers does Bill actually have?
You can find the answer here.
POOLSIDE CHAT
Cool tech, (funny) business, lifestyle and all the other things marketers like to chat about while sipping cocktails by the pool.
A toddler gets his fingers on a delivery app. What could go wrong?
It’s risky, taking your eyes off of your kid.
You ignore them for a few seconds and they break something valuable, get hurt…
… Or they order 31 cheeseburgers from your smartphone.
This particular young shopper ordered the meal, paid, and even left a generous tip for the delivery guy!
His mother made the best of the situation by eating one cheeseburger and donating the rest to friends in her community.
All we can say is, if you have kids, don’t leave your child unattended while your ads manager is open…