… Or more like “InstaTok”
If you get a hair style you’re not happy about, at least you know it will eventually grow back.
For better or worse, Instagram is doing a lot of styling, too… only this time, there’s no growing back.
What’s going on: Instagram is still rolling out TikTok-like changes to its feed algorithm, including features like:
- No more scroll: Instead of the classic “infinite scroll,” users now swipe through video content.
- “Dark patterns”: These are design changes that remove options like muting and unmuting videos from the user experience in order to immerse users more fully into the content… or so they say.
Users aren’t happy about it: Even the Kardashian sisters are protesting the changes, begging the platform to “Make Instagram Instagram again.”
Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri responded to the backlash by saying “more of Instagram will have to become video over time.”
The meaning of it all: Platforms are gradually changing in favor of Gen Z, which seems less interested in close social connections, and more interested in consuming random, relatable content.
While it’s bad news for users wanting to make meaningful connections, it’s great news for marketers doing content and influencer marketing.
Guess it depends on how you look at it. Speaking of platform changes…
Your conversion actions may have changed to data-driven attribution
… And there’s not much you can do about it.
What’s going on: Google is emailing some advertisers to say they’re automatically switching the attribution on some of their campaigns.
Google wants to prioritize data-driven attribution—a machine learning model that includes the entire conversion journey and credits each touchpoint—over last-click attribution.
Change is hard: Some users are complaining the algorithm doesn’t understand cash flow or “the human side” of accounts.
Why we care: If you’re running ads, check your emails and notifications to see if your campaigns are being affected by the change.
And brace yourself for even more ad and reporting automation in the future.
SPONSORED BY CLEARBIT
SaaS marketers: Take the headache out of marketing attribution, fast
You’ve heard the news… Many companies are laying off employees and cutting budgets.
Can you and your team show how your marketing activities directly contribute to revenue?
Because when you have an accurate and effective attribution model, you can prove the effectiveness of your activities and spend money only on the stuff that actually drives revenue.
So if your attribution is nonexistent or could be better…
Clearbit’s marketing attribution guide for the revenue-driven marketer shows you how to create an effective attribution model from the ground up.
Let their attribution guide show you how to:
- Collaborate with analysts, sales teams, and marketing peers to build an effective model.
- Get a breakdown of common attribution models like first-touch, last-touch, time decay, and more, so you can choose the one that suits you and your goals.
- See examples of companies that built successful attribution models using Clearbit.
Show ROI and spend your marketing budget with confidence.
COPYWRITING
How to write catchy podcast and radio ads
Pro tip: Before you grab a mic to record an ad, grab your keyboard first.
There’s a lot of thought and planning that goes into that 30-second ad you hear on your favorite podcast or radio station.
And according to copywriter Dan Nelken, most audio ads are stinky—his words.
So he put together an extensive list of tips that should make your radio or podcast ads much more effective.
Hope you like cherries…
… Because we’ve cherry-picked some of our faves:
Start your ad with a payoff. The most effective ads throw listeners off—in a good way. If you begin your spot with an outcome, you’ll “hook” them enough to listen to the rest.
For example, one Audible ad starts with: “There’s another way to get away this summer…” Okay, what’s the way? Hello? Please… We have to know…
Cliche characters are okay. There’s no time for character development in a 30 second spot, so in this case, stereotypes win.
So just use obvious characters that represent your ideal customer profiles, have them solve a pain point, and you’re done. Simple as.
Write for the eye. Words can create vivid images in your mind. When writing your audio ads, try to write them as if you’re describing something to someone who can’t see.
Use tastes, sights, smells… and use these descriptions to help your listeners create a mental image. It’s easier to memorize and recall these kinds of ads.
Make the ending rewarding. The last line is as important as the first. And the way you deliver the climax will determine if the ad “sticks”… or fades into obscurity.
So your call to action (CTA) has to be snappy, clever, and most importantly, memorable. Like this collaboration between Adidas and Recode Running Festival:
“What if the greatest running shoes just got greater? Grab this thing we call running—tear it up, and Recode. Adidas Ultraboost 19. Reboosted.”
It’s an effective ad and CTA… in less than 10 seconds.
That’s scratching the surface. Dan offers 26 more useful tips in this LinkedIn post.
Just remember to read the ad aloud before you record. If you don’t cringe, the ad is ready. Good luck!
SPONSORED BY STACKED MARKETER PRO
How these businesses 10X’d their revenue on TikTok
TikTok plays a huge role in influencing purchases… and we’ve got 18 pieces of research that show you how.
You can find them in our TikTok For Marketers report, along with the case studies and creatives of businesses that 10x’d their revenue using the app.
Join Stacked Marketer Pro to learn how you can 10X your revenue on TikTok—and cut the learning curve so you can get impactful results faster.
THE CREW’S INSIGHTS
A little-known way to steal your competitors’ growth ideas
Every marketer runs into a brick wall at some point.
You need new ideas ASAP, but they’re just not flowing.
Naturally, you turn to your competitors for inspiration.
You’re probably familiar with the common tactics, like checking Facebook Ad Library to see what sort of ads your competitors are running.
But here’s one tactic you might not know about… Looking at your competitors’ sitemap.xml file to find the landing pages they’re using for ads.
Interesting, right?
How to find your competitors’ sitemap.xml file: It’s usually pretty simple. Type your competitors’ domain in your browser search bar, followed by “/sitemap.xml” to find the file. For example:
stackedmarketer.com/sitemap.xml
Sometimes, /sitemap_index.xml or /sitemap/ work, too. You can learn more about finding sitemaps here.
Once you’ve found the file, peruse all of the pages that are listed in their sitemap file.
Many times you’ll find landing pages you won’t find anywhere else.
For example, in the Stacked Marketer sitemap, you’ll find many versions of landing pages we’ve used for our paid product, Stacked Marketer Pro (Insights).
There you go. With this tactic, you can find inspiration and growth ideas from your competitors… all by looking at pages that would’ve been difficult to find otherwise.
Give it a try and let us know how it goes!
ROUNDING UP THE STACK
EMAIL MARKETING: The easiest way to improve your email deliverability is to get more engagement from subscribers—opens, clicks, and replies. And the first step? Getting email opens. Inbox Mailers helps businesses average 50–70% open rates by emailing subscribers while they’re checking their inbox. Boost your deliverability.*
SEO: Did you know there are links designed to get penalized from Google? The point is to discredit your website by scamming you. This article explains how to spot and disavow those links… and several other SEO attacks.
PRIVACY: It’s a dangerous world out there. A new malware designed to hijack Facebook Business accounts has started making the rounds. Be careful what you download.
E-COMMERCE: Shopify is feeling the slowdown. Thanks to flagging business growth, the company is laying off 10% of its staff—close to 1000 people. Ouch.
*This is a sponsored post
BRAIN TEASER
I may be simple, I may be complex;
I may have a name, but no gender or sex;
I am often a question, or statements as a setup;
I tend to have an answer, ’til you find it I won’t let up.
What am I?
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.
Road trip, anyone?
Are you one of those marketers who loves roaming from mountain ranges to sunny seasides?
… Then you might love this road trip guide we stumbled on recently.
It shows you how to map out the ideal travel experience, from knowing what to pack to knowing what to plan your trip around.
It even includes a couple of road trip playlists you can listen to while driving—RV optional.
Sounds like a good way to spend a couple weeks while summer is still sizzling… You in?