More Advantage+ creative creation tools, videos merge with Reels, and the fediverse arrives to Threads

Meta’s AI is behaving like most marketers these days…

Wearing lots of hats: Meta’s latest updates to Advantage+ Ad Creative includes new branding and personalization tools that infuse campaigns with logos, colors, fonts, and tone.

… All pulled directly from existing assets like websites or Shopify stores.

You can also turn images into dynamic, multi-scene videos with overlays and music.

Oh, and Meta is testing Video Highlights feature, an AI feature that extracts key scenes and phrases, making video ads easier to engage with. Hopefully.

Meta is also:

• Experimenting with Business AI across multiple ad formats, including Instagram and Facebook Reels.
• Testing customized CTAs or Creative Stickers.
• Expanding virtual try-on.

Merge, everyone: Also, Meta is merging videos and Reels on Facebook, which means length and format restrictions will disappear.

Don’t worry, how you publish your content and audience settings will stay the same, this just means the Video tab is being renamed the Reels tab.

It’s here: The fediverse on Threads, that is. You can now view and interact with content from the fediverse on Threads.

There’s also a new dedicated feed and search capability to match, making the reach of fediverse content that bit easier.

Sounds like another repost and content distribution channel…

Ads setup just got easier, Performance Max prioritizes high-intent locals, and AI Mode traffic is now trackable

If you’ve never been good at deciphering ancient hieroglyphics, we’ve got good news.

Google Ads no longer feels like that: The platform is rolling out a revamped conversion setup UI that is simpler, cleaner, and less intimidating than the old interface.

This is particularly helpful if you’re new to the game or don’t live in Google Ads on a daily basis. Keep your eyes open…

Pivot alert: As of yesterday, Smart and Performance Max campaigns have started prioritizing higher-intent local users over raw conversion volume.

In other words, more in-store visits, fewer low-quality conversions. Expect short-term metric shifts, but potentially more valuable offline outcomes.

If you want to prepare, Google recommends you loosen bidding targets, expand location coverage, and include other offline actions as conversion goals, not just store visits.

That’s helpful: Search Console is finally tracking AI Mode traffic, including clicks, impressions, and position, just like traditional search results.

A click in AI Mode counts as a click—duh—any link shown counts as an impression, and follow-up questions are treated as new queries with their own metrics. You got all that?

There’s just one catch: You still can’t filter AI Mode separately.

Bummer.

It’s not a scan. It’s a funnel.

QR Codes used to be a quirky nice-to-have.

But now, they’re the bridge between your offline experience and your customer’s digital journey.

… And marketers are getting creative about how they use them.

We’re talking smarter retargeting, first-party data capture, and full-funnel tracking, all kicked off with a simple scan.

Bitly’s new report shows how brands are turning these tiny squares into full-blown marketing engines. You’ll learn:

• What features are driving the most scans and engagement in 2025.

• How to use post-scan behavior to guide next steps.
• Campaign ideas and fresh strategies that could inspire your next move(s).

Gone are the days when you’d just slap a code on a poster and hope for the best.

Now you can be intentional and turn everyday scans into user journeys that convert, inform, and build clearer audience insights.

Download the free report and see how marketers are unlocking the potential of QR codes.

How Gen Z uses email at work and other insights

Gen Z and email have a complicated relationship.

Although it might seem like email wouldn’t be Gen Z’s communication method of choice, 42% say it’s their number one. Surprising, right?

There’s a lot more you need to know, however, before you get send-happy.

This new Gen Z at Work report breaks down the nitty-gritty details:

1) Email is their favorite way to talk at work. 42% said that email is their preferred tool, which is double the number of people who chose apps like WhatsApp or Slack.

Only 2% say they prefer video calls. Sounds about right.

2) FOMO is a big click-driver. 36% say they check their inboxes just in case they’re missing something important, like job offers or brand deals.

However, 11% don’t check unless they absolutely have to.

3) Etiquette is a big thing. Email stresses out 53% of Gen Z. 57% say they’re not sure how formal they should be.

Do you add emojis… or not? Should you copy people in? How do you sign off? So many questions…

4) Abbreviations are a mixed bag. 69% are cool with ASAP, while 10% avoid all shorthand to stay professional.

5) Too many emails kill productivity. 92% say email hurts their productivity. Only 8% say that email volume never impacts their work.

Also, kinda funny, 60% use emails to dodge awkward conversations.

6) AI is not to the rescue. 27% don’t use AI tools at all in their inbox, and only 24% say it saves a lot of time. 35% admit that AI helps a bit, but it’s not quite there yet.

7) Email isn’t going anywhere. Despite the complaints, 64% of Gen Z think email is here to stay. It’s professional and less invasive, and a way to keep boundaries at work.

However, 36% think email will be gone in 10 years.

The takeaway: Yes, email is a good way to reach Gen Z, especially if you sprinkle some FOMO in your campaigns.

Just don’t be part of the productivity problem.

There are more insights in the report to explore, which you can check out here.

Small budgets. Successful ads.

Small brands don’t have the budget for ad flops.

So you know the ones who are successful on Meta are doing something right.

That’s why we studied the winning Meta Ads by pages with under 50k followers: To find out what works on a lean budget.

The Meta Ads Swipe File gives you:

• 23 proven copy techniques that turn cold traffic into clicks.
• 10 marketing angles that work even when your product isn’t flashy.
• Templates you can plug into any ad format.

Get the lean budget swipe file now.

This is why you should be present on social media at all times

Many brands neglect their social media accounts.

Our advice? Don’t be one of those brands.

While researching for our latest Data Story, we found a report that shows why users follow brands on socials:

According to the data, many users follow a social media brand account for news.

64% look for news about sales and promotions, while 57% want to learn about new products or product updates.

A huge chunk (58%) follow brands for entertainment as well, indicating that you also have to keep your audience engaged even when news is scarce.

What you should do: Share news on social media. Everything that’s happening with your brand should be on there.

A special holiday discount? Create a Reel, or even better, an influencer promotion.

A new product feature comes up? Post it on Instagram. Launching a new line? Flood TikTok with it. If you combine it with entertainment, even better.

The key idea is to let social media tell your story always and in real time. If you’re not in the place where they can find you… do you even exist?

MARKETING STRATEGY: Marketing ideas are everywhere. But how do you know which ones are proven and worth pursuing? The Tactics newsletter shares one real-world marketing tactic every Saturday you can actually apply. Get one tip every week and level up your marketing for free.*

ADVERTISING: Pinterest and Instacart have partnered to make Pinterest ads shoppable via Instacart, enabling brands to target high-intent shoppers using real purchase data. If you or your clients are in retail, the team-up should enhance targeting precision, measurement, and convenience in your promotions. Nice.

AI MARKETING: WhatsApp now lets you create and edit AI images directly in the app using ChatGPT. Add it as a contact, and you can generate, upload, and modify images right in the chat with natural language prompts. Just dial 1-800-CHATGPT. Seriously, it’s a real phone number.

VIDEO MARKETING: There’s a new king of the remote. In May, streaming viewership surpassed cable and broadcast combined for the first time, reaching 44.8%. YouTube led with 12.5% of the share, Netflix had 7.5%, and free services like PlutoTV and Roku Channel boasted overall streaming growth. Whoa.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Reddit is quietly becoming a legitimate referral source for news publishers, driving millions of pageviews. Publishers are building trust by engaging subreddits thoughtfully, boosting traffic and audience relationships even though there’s no direct monetization yet. Good to know if you’re looking for new traffic sources.

*This is a sponsored post.

How many times can you subtract the number 2 from the number 32?

You can find the answer here.

POOLSIDECHAT

Cool tech, (funny) business, lifestyle and all the other things marketers like to chat about while sipping cocktails by the pool.

The world’s tiniest violin is a real thing

Seriously. Scientists at Loughborough University just made one using nanotech.

It’s just 35 microns long and 13 microns wide, smaller than a strand of human hair.

They made it by layering a chip with gel-like material and using a nano-sculpting machine to etch out the design. Easy peasy, right?

Beyond the novelty, this microscopic instrument could actually help improve computer efficiency and energy harvesting.

Still, now that the tiniest violin is real, what are we supposed to pretend to play when we’re being sarcastic?

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