Protecting user data… or something else?
Ever heard the saying, “A dog doesn’t bark only to protect the home, it also barks to protect itself”?
Makes us think of Facebook’s latest link tracking update…
Scrapping the scrapers: Facebook announced they’re overhauling Facebook Identifiers (FBIDs) and replacing them with Pseudonymised Data Identifiers (PFBIDs).
The new identifiers combine a timestamp and FBID to create a unique, rotating post URL every time.
Why the fancy new letters: Facebook says their new identifier prevents unauthorized scraping, i.e., collecting sensitive data like emails or mobile phone numbers and using them for financial gain.
Good timing: Of course, read between the lines and you’ll realize that the new identifier can prevent browsers from removing tracking components from URLs.
And that’s interesting because Facebook’s new identifier arrived shortly after Firefox launched a feature that removes tracking parameters from URLs. A coincidence?
Why we care: Maybe the timing and the context of the update is convenient for Meta. But it’s good news for marketers, too.
It means that links coming from Facebook will maintain their tracking features for the time being.
That means one less attribution headache for you… for now.
Highest earning apps use Apple Search ads
We had to whisper “correlation is not causation” under our breath 12 times while writing this.
What’s going on: According to Appfigures’ recent report, 61% of the highest earning apps on iOS are using Apple Search Ads.
Education apps advertise the most on Apple, with 70% of the top 100 highest-grossing apps running campaigns.
Photo & Video and Health & Wellness are close behind with 67%.
A Chicken and egg situation: Are the highest earning apps seeing growth because they spend the most?
Or do they spend the most because they’re earning most?
Appfigures says the answer is both. Apple Search Ads have helped some apps gain traction, while bigger players are growing in part because of powerful placements.
Why we care: Two things are clear… Advertisers are spending a lot of money on the channel, and it’s working really well.
Both are good signs if you’re looking for a place to advertise your app.
SPONSORED BY STORYBLOK
86,000+ innovators have upgraded their content experience using this “headless” CMS… What about you?
What do Netflix and Adidas have in common with thousands of small businesses?
They’re all parting ways with outdated content management systems (CMS) and turning to Storyblok—the powerful “headless” CMS.
Here’s why Storyblok takes the cake:
- Fine-tune your content aesthetic with a real-time visual editor.
- Build components like teasers, grids, and feature sections… and reuse them at any time as content blocks.
- Streamline your workflow with collaboration features inside the visual editor.
- Your devs will cut development time in half by choosing a framework that fits to your needs
… And that’s just scratching the surface!
Storyblok places you in the driving seat where old-school CMSs would leave you behind.
They’ve got a short demo that shows you how…
COPYWRITING
Want more conversions? Be more trustworthy with your “hooks”
What do you call a fisherman who throws an empty hook? A bad fisherman.
It’s the same with copywriting.
It’s not enough for your hook to grab attention or be slightly controversial… The main driver of any real engagement with your copy is trust and authority.
Casey Hill tested this theory by using two different hooks and sharing results on LinkedIn:
- Empty hook: “Recently I sat down with Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight, to discuss how to scale your organization.”
- Trustworthy hook: “Nick Mehta runs Gainsight, a company that Vista acquired for $1,100,000,000. He knows a thing or two about scaling organizations.”
Guess what? The second hook had 10x more views than the first one.
Let’s dig into Casey’s takeaways…
Use specific claims. When you can show real numbers and results, it feels far more persuasive than only showing the end result. For example:
“In June 2022, [insert brand] implemented [insert solution] to replace [insert alternative]. After a bit of a ramp period, they saw demo conversions climb first 6% in July and then 11% in August.”
Use customer proof. Casey points out that when many brands use customer claims, they usually just include a quote. That’s an empty hook, because we don’t know if real people made them.
Replace quotes with videos of clients or customers describing specific before-and-afters of your product. You’ll see an immediate difference.
Affinity matters. If you want someone to buy your product, make them feel you’re on the same page.
Casey says he bought a SaaS start-up book just because the title was closely related to the growth stage his company was in.
Borrow authority. Sometimes you can use a little help from already authoritative people.
This can take many forms… Quoting an industry leader, referencing an excerpt of a high-profile podcast, citing a trusted website, and so on.
That’s how you put real, tasty bait on your hook. Just make sure you can back your trustworthy claim when the time comes… and you’ll catch the big ones. Good luck!
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THE CREW’S INSIGHTS
The psychological trick used in travel scams works in marketing, too
Please note: We are not suggesting you should scam your customers.
We’re telling you about this scam so you can:
- Understand why it works.
- Use the underlying principles to sell your product ethically.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, imagine this: You’re on vacation, on your way to a party, and having the time of your life.
The taxi driver offers you some drugs… a little something to make the night more exciting. Against your better judgement, you say, “Why not?”
When you get out of the car, a couple of police officers walk by, search you, and say they’ll place you under arrest if you don’t shell out a big wad of cash.
Problem is… they’re not real police officers. They’re scammers. And they’re relying on the Creating A Problem principle to trick you.
Here’s how to use this principle in your marketing: Customers are not always aware of the problems they have.
Take these two lines of copy, for example:
- “Washing your face with your hands is like brushing your teeth with your fingers.”
- “There are 16M colonies of bacteria on the mattress you sleep on every night.”
You probably didn’t know either of these problems.
But now that you’ve read them, you want to solve them.
That’s because it’s human nature to try to solve problems we become alerted to, even if the problem wasn’t really affecting us in the first place.
“Create” more problems, and your customers will be more likely to buy your solution.
P.S. Just make sure they’re real problems and not… you know… phony cop setups.
P.P.S. For more ways to ethically apply psychological tricks used by con artists to your marketing, join Stacked Marketer Pro and read the System 1 Manipulation reports, Part 1 and 2.
ROUNDING UP THE STACK
TIKTOK: This is how to make TikTok Ads work for you! Get the data-driven report that shows you how to launch winning campaigns while overcoming challenges around targeting, ad creative, and more. Use code STACKEDM200 to get the report for $200 off.*
BUSINESS: Will you have to slash prices… again? The upcoming holiday season appears to be one of the “slowest,” and store owners are being advised to offer discounts and coupons, and to rely on aggressive marketing.
PAYMENTS: A new checkout player has entered the chat. Revolut wants to rival companies like PayPal and Apple in providing the best checkout experience. Rumor has it that Revolut’s payment feature could be quicker and cheaper. But let’s wait and see…
BEREAL: It was among the most downloaded apps in August on the iOS App Store, but had 14M less downloads than TikTok. Also, the app is missing from Google Play’s charts altogether. So yes, it’s getting popular, but it’s still way less popular than its counterparts.
SEO: The helpful content update shake-up is starting. Two weeks in, and SEOs are seeing changes to their traffic and other metrics. Yes, there have been a few traffic spikes, but it’s mostly drops. Yikes.
*This is a sponsored post.
BRAIN TEASER
16, 06, 68, 88, ?, 98. What is the “?”?
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.
“I quit.”
Most people send thoughtful resignation notices.
And some people do something else entirely.
Like walk out… only to walk back in minutes later for embarrassing reasons.
Or write “I quit” on a fish counter using pieces of cod.
Just two of several hilarious quitting stories.
Now, to be clear: We’re sharing these stories only to entertain, not inspire.
… But they do make Monday feel a little brighter, don’t they?