ADVERTISING
Two new Apple ad placements, and more
It’s never quiet in the advertising world.
Apple confirms two ad placements: Remember those rumors about Apple expanding their ad servings? The company all but confirmed them in an email to developers.
Two new ad placements—one in the Today tab, the other in the You May Also Like section—should be available October 25 in all countries except China.
It’s OK to be pushy: Surprise surprise… push alerts are becoming more prominent among publishers and advertisers alike. They’re up 2% last year compared to 2019.
Turns out push alerts can build a “brand habit” among users. Plus, “pusher” brands have better retention and are seeing five times more ad revenue. Good to know…
Instagram updated their creator marketplace with three new updates:
- It’s easier for brands to share projects with creators that meet their criteria and to start collaborating.
- New creator portfolios help influencers display their content and position themselves for partnerships.
- Creators can provide brands with unique codes they can use to track results from creator content.
… All useful features for social media content creators and brands alike.
SNAP
Users ramp up, but growth slows down
Snap released their Q3 performance report late last week. It’s as mixed as you might expect, given the circumstances…
Growing everywhere: That’s the good news. Snap recorded 16M more daily active users (DAU) since last quarter, for a total 363M DAU across the globe.
Also, the average time spent watching content increased, mostly thanks to Spotlight, Snap’s short form video feature, where viewing increased 55% year-over-year.
… But in the US: DAU fell 4% and total content viewing time fell 5%. Not a good sign for a company that relies on US dollars.
Hitting the brakes: Snap reported $1.13B revenue this year, which is 6% more year-over-year.
However, this is the company’s slowest growth rate since going public. Snap says “business continued to face significant headwinds during Q3.”
Is the economy to blame for all? Snap says it is. Of course, Apple’s ATT might be a culprit, too, by making Snapchat Ads less efficient and less worthwhile for users.
Combine that with ad spend declining everywhere and this quarter’s results aren’t so surprising.
Our take? Snap has a lot going for it: Spotlight content, overall growth, and augmented reality being just a few advantages.
Just keep an eye on Snap’s quarterly reports in addition to your own metrics if you’re running Snapchat Ads in the US.
It’s a good idea to maintain a big picture view of the platform’s performance as it relates to your own marketing goals.
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CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
How feelings of “power” affect customers’ purchase decisions
… And by feelings of power, we mean the emotions that can affect our sense of control:
- Fears of rising prices, getting fired, failing a test, etc., all make us feel less powerful.
- Pay raises, seeing your sports team win, etc., make us feel more powerful.
Makes sense, right? Here’s where things get interesting…
Three business experts and academics performed a number of studies to find out how power affects people’s purchase decisions.
They hypothesized that people would buy things to compensate for a perceived psychological threat.
Then they put subjects into various situations of “less or more power.”
The result? Consumers who don’t feel powerful like having a wider variety of products and choices to “restore their autonomy.”
On the other hand, consumers who feel powerful don’t need to be reminded that they’re in control. They were content with a pack of chocolates containing fewer different flavors, for example.
Here’s how you can use this in your own marketing strategy:
1 – If your customers feel “less powerful” due to income, debt, or contextual conditions like age or job status, show them a broader range of products.
In other words, instead of showcasing a single product, draw attention to the choices available on your landing page, offer bundle deals, etc.
2 – Perceptions of power are changeable. If it’s not possible to show a variety of products, compensate by boosting your customers’ sense of autonomy. For example, you might:
Offer customization options on existing products, such as adding your name or a note.
Add slogans that emphasize autonomy, like Burger King’s “Have it your way.”
Feeling more powerful after reading this research? You’ll find even more insights, if you read the full thing.
And if you try this out, let us know how it goes!
SPONSORED BY SEMRUSH
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Don’t worry… you can fix this.
SEO expert Brian Dean and Semrush Director of Organic Search Kyle Byers want to show you how to create content both Google and humans will love.
They’re hosting a free webinar to help you discover:
- The one thing you’re probably doing right now that hurts your rankings.
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THE CREW’S INSIGHTS
What we learned about Facebook Ads from a multi-million dollar company
Ever heard of Pete & Pedro?
It’s a men’s grooming brand run by Aaron Marino, who’s better known by the moniker “Alpha M” on YouTube and other social platforms.
Love him or hate him, Aaron’s team does a good job marketing.
When we analyzed Pete & Pedro’s Facebook Ads for Stacked Marketer Pro, here’s what we noticed:
- Pete & Pedro tests visuals more often than copy. In our report, we discovered that Pete & Pedro tested lots of different images, but almost always with the same copy. That’s smart because Facebook is a visual platform. In most cases, your visuals will have a bigger impact than your copy. So it makes sense to test them more often.
- Almost all product photos were casual, not fancy. You could take Pete & Pedro’s product photos on an iPhone in five minutes, if you wanted to. It’s a good reminder not to overthink visual creative. You don’t always need to be fancy.
- Pete & Pedro often sells a lifestyle, not a product. An ad for the brand’s “Rebel” cologne shows a woman with her arms draped around a man. The man is wearing a leather jacket and the copy tells us, more or less, that he’s a “bad boy.” In other words, don’t advertise the cologne—advertise what’s going to happen when you wear it.
Running Facebook Ads right now? Keep three things in mind:
- Test visuals more than you test copy.
- Don’t be afraid to use casual product photos.
- Sell the lifestyle, not the product.
Try the three tactics above and see how it goes. They work for Pete & Pedro… they just might work for you, too!
PS: Want to get the complete marketing analysis of Pete & Pedro and other successful DTC brands? Join Stacked Marketer Pro.
ROUNDING UP THE STACK
EMAIL DELIVERABILITY: There’s a new tech that lets you send emails right when your subscribers are checking their inbox. Businesses that use it commonly see open rates between 60%–70%. Intrigued? Find out more.*
TWITTER: Mixed media is mixing it up! Twitter’s new feature that allows you to post up to four images, videos, and GIFs in a single Tweet has become the next meme material for Twitter users… And if there’s virality, brands will probably follow.
BUSINESS: Tackling fake reviews isn’t just for companies anymore. The Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule that would penalize fake reviews and misleading endorsements. Stay authentic out there!
REDDIT: Another day, another holiday trends report… this time straight from Reddit. The report could be useful if you’re planning to run Halloween ads on the platform, especially since plenty of Redditors are pop culture fans.
GOOGLE: Can you feel the beat? Google launched five types of “Music Mood Lineups” for Google Ads, which you can find in the topic targeting section when creating a new video campaign. Nice.
E-COMMERCE: Guess the most downloaded shopping app in India. It’s not Amazon or Flipkart. Nope, it’s Meesho, a shopping app that helps retailers share and sell their products on Meta’s platforms. Interesting…
GOOGLE: Running a local business or marketing one? Take a close look at your reviews. Users have noticed Google is removing some reviews from Business Profiles, and it’s unclear if it’s systematic… or just a bug.
*This is a sponsored post
BRAIN TEASER
How much dirt is in a hole that’s two feet by three feet?
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.
Go go Power Servers
Turns out heroes do wear capes. Or costumes, at least…
A few days ago, servers at a ramen restaurant – dressed up as Power Rangers to promote their newest drink – fought crime in the streets of Oakland, CA… for real.
How it went down: A woman ran into the restaurant claiming she felt unsafe. A man followed, yelling slurs and trying to hit her.
The Power Rangers assembled, defended the poor woman, and dragged the man out of the restaurant. Later on, law officers detained him and took him to a mental health facility. Whoa.
Now you know who to call if you see Lord Zedd walking around…