Before we jump in, a word from our editors…
Howdy, we’re so happy you’re here!
If you’ve been following us for a bit you may notice our Newsletter is going to make a transition over the next few months. We’ve been re-envisioning things over here but our goal still remains the same: to round up all our favorite industry-related highlights from the previous month while also providing curated content from our paid digital experts here at AdParlor.
As a team of (quite literally 😉) certified digital gurus, we hope you can use this as an ongoing resource to stay in-the-know in this ever-changing landscape. And, if you need a curious, gritty, and downright smart team to back you up, drop us a line here.
Happy reading & may all your campaigns exceed your KPIs! 📈
In this edition:
- Graphs, charts, and data – oh my!
- 🤠 Webinar & event roundup 🤠
- 📝 Tips, tricks & guides to level-up your paid social marketing!
- Platform updates & industry trends
- “That’s Hot” – 🔥 moments & topics in the industry
- From the desk of…
Graphs, charts, and data – oh my!
Data visualizations that look pretty AND tell a great story? You’re getting spoiled to cap off the month of love! Snag any of these charts if you’re looking to …
- break the ice in your morning scrum
- bolster a media strategy you’ve been sweating over presenting
- sound like an industry wizard during that awkward 2 minutes before the rest of the team joins the Zoom meeting…and more!
CHART #1: Artificial Intelligence
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, AI and its varying practical applications (Chat GPT, Gemini, Bard, IBM Watson, and so on] have been everywhere lately. Within Chat GPT’s first 5 days of being available it had over one million users according to Forbes Advisor . Here’s an actual depiction of most marketers at the start of 2024: The efficiency, creativity, and levels of production that AI can stimulate are surely noteworthy as businesses continue to look for cost-savings. However, as Google’s recent Gemini drama shows, our jobs are still safe for the time being.
- Key takeaway #1) 66% of respondents feel misinformation on extreme weather presents a material crisis on a global scale in 2024.
- Key takeaway #2) 53% of respondents considered AI-generated misinformation and disinformation among the threats most likely to present a global material crisis in 2024.
- Key takeaway #3) 46% of respondents believe that misinformation generated by AI will have a significant, negative impact on societal and/or political polarization in 2024.
CHART #2: Are your consumers ditching their carts?
Nothing is more frustrating than pouring your heart and soul into a paid digital campaign that drives traffic to your site only to find your abandon cart rate is through the roof. Baymard has helped us try to answer the question of why consumers may be abandoning their carts – check out the full report here.
- Key takeaway #1) Getting a surprise extra cost is a no-go for most consumers. Nearly half of those surveyed reported they abandoned their cart because of extra costs at checkout. PRO TIP: ‘free shipping’ is a snazzy hook that hones in on value for money-conscious consumers. Bake this into your key messaging to attract more purchasers, especially during peak seasonal periods.
- Key takeaway #2) 25% of those surveyed shared that if they have to create an account, they’re outta there. Forcing users to sign up for an account at checkout can be a barrier. PRO TIP: Make account creation—or login—optional to reduce customer drop-off. Consider offering a “guest checkout” alternative or prompt first-time purchasers with an incentive for account registration.
- Key takeaway #3) sketchy websites, slow delivery, a long checkout process, and a lack of transparent pricing upfront are viewed as similar paint points across those surveyed. TLDR; less is more when it comes to the checkout process & no one likes to be surprised! PRO TIP: If shipping/delivery timelines are out of your control, focus on what you can control to make the consumer checkout seamless – your website! Keep your checkout flow as simple as possible by eliminating any unnecessary fields, especially for shoppers accessing your site via a mobile device (aka be kind to thumbs operating with limited screen space).
CHART #3: Where do digital media pros like you expect the most innovation in 2024?
50% of US-based respondents say that social media holds the most potential for innovation and opportunity in the next 12 months. Given the significant advancements in tracking, privacy measures, as well as tools for creative and campaign optimization, we are inclined to agree!
🤠 Webinar & event roundup 🤠
Enjoy this list of hand-selected webinars and in-person events that excite our team or where you might find us! This list was independently curated by our Editors for this edition of AdParlor’s Newsletter, we’re not sponsored by any feature.
- CATCH ADPARLOR x FLUENT AT SHOPTALK: Click to book time with David Forestieri, AdParlor’s VP of Sales, for a quick meet and greet and discover how AdParlor can help you maximize your paid social program!
- LIVE WEBINAR: Future-Proofing Your Media Plan Amid Cookie Loss with Insider Intelligence & TransUnion: After some serious commitment issues the last four years Google is finally (no, really this time) moving ahead with their plan to deprecate cookie tracking in 2024. As of January 4th Google started testing Tracking Protection, a big step in limiting cross-site tracking. Join this webinar to make sure you are ready for privacy updates for your business.
→ WHEN: Thursday, March 14 at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
→ HOW TO VIEW: Register with Insider Intelligence here - RECORDED WEBINAR: How mature is your ecommerce search – are you ready for AI? “Are the products that your customers need as easy to find in your ecommerce store as your competitors? In today’s full tilt pace of online and mobile shopping, flawless search experiences can make or break the connection between looking and buying.”
→ WHEN: Original publication – Jan 23, 2024, 1:00 pm ET
→ HOW TO VIEW: Register here for the replay with MongoDB and Pureinsights.
Tips, tricks & guides to level-up your paid social marketing!
Navigating the dynamic terrain of digital marketing demands significant time and can be stressful. While seeking the latest insights on social media advertising is simple enough, verifying the credibility of the referenced data can prove challenging.
Among the array of social media platforms frequented by savvy marketers—such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Reddit—LinkedIn stands out for its tailored approach to professionals and businesses. Though it may exude a more formal demeanor compared to its counterparts, this is far from a drawback. In fact, LinkedIn presents marketers with an audience primed with professional interests and career-focused mindsets. This makes them particularly receptive to offers from both B2B enterprises and select B2C ventures.
Similar to its peers, LinkedIn continually refines its advertising platform to remain at the forefront of innovation. Fortunately, we’ve compiled essential insights (and pain points) that every LinkedIn marketer should leverage for optimal ad planning and performance….
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
Platform updates & industry trends
Tired of feeling like you’re stuck in a game of marketing whack-a-mole, desperately trying to keep up with platform updates and industry trends? Fear not, brave marketer! This Newsletter is your trusty sidekick.
With our data-backed insights and timely updates, you’ll stay ahead of the curve and avoid those embarrassing “Wait, what’s a TikTok again?” moments in meetings.
Pinterest Predict’s: Women’s Edition
“This one is for the ladies! Searches this week are trending around motherhood, breaking new ground, and celebrating women’s accomplishments across fields.” – Pinterest, Global Analysis, Q4 2023
- 2x increase in “soft feminine outfits”
- 45% increase in “short mom haircut”
- 4x increase in “female energy tattoo”
- 105% increase in “softball hairstyles”
- 4x increase in “heart ponytail”
- 70% increase in “promposal ideas for girlfriend”.*Week of Feb 23rd insights
Update to Meta’s Brand Lift Study Budget Threshold (again)
Those of you with programs leveraging Meta’s Brand Lift Study measurement tool may have received communication from Meta recently about updates to their minimums for both self-serve and managed studies in the United States. It was reported that minimum investment must meet or exceed $192k, up significantly from the previous $120k. This has recently been walked back, dropping back down to the previous $120k threshold. While we can expect for this to change sometime in April or May, the good news is advertisers have a little bit longer before thresholds become dynamic.
💡 PRO TIP: Holdout: A holdout size >= 10% is shown to have the largest positive effect on driving conclusive/positive results. A minimum holdout size of 10% in all regions should be strongly considered.
TikTok Creative Center: trend dashboard
If you haven’t heard of the TikTok Creative Center, we hate to say it but you’re seriously missing out.
This dynamic dashboard lets any user filter trend data [hashtags, songs, creators, or TikTok videos] by region, industry, and/or time frame [last 7, 30, or 120 days]
Check out this example of a key trend in the last 7 days – #mobilegaming
Snapchat’s Q4 and Full 2023 Results: a tale of growth
2023 was a year of global growth for Snapchat with over 800 million monthly active users across the world. DAUs are up 10% YoY with an added 5% YoY increase in revenue. TLDR; Snap is BACK. Check out some more key stats from our Snapchat partner that may have you thinking, “should I have Snap as a part of my media mix?”
- Total time spent watching Spotlight content increased more than 175% year-over-year, and average MAU watching Spotlight increased more than 35% year-over-year.
- Snapchat+ has grown to over 7 million subscribers!
- Creator growth continues with total public Stories posted by Snap Stars growing over 125% year-over-year in Q4 in the US.
- In Q4, Snapchat continued to introduce new AI-powered features for Snapchat+ subscribers, giving them the ability to enhance their Snaps and create and send AI-generated images based on a text prompt.
From the desk of…
Welcome to “From the Desk Of” – a unique feature section where the talented minds at AdParlor share their insights, expertise, research, & experiences with our readers. We love a good dose of creativity so you’ll see these topics change from month-to-month with a consistent focus on innovation, strategy, & creative in the paid social industry.
This month, we’re honing in on Retail Media Networks (RMNs) with one of our strategic Account Managers, Chase Fortune.
TLDR: While still in its infancy, Retail Media Networks provide an exciting new framework for brands looking to make the most of their budgets while positioning themselves closer to their target audiences. This is especially valuable in an era of reduced signals, visibility and growing privacy legislation. RMNs help to fill the gap with privacy-compliant first-party data and round out a brand’s marketing strategy.
About the Author: Chase Fortune, Account Manager
Chase , a veteran marketer, joined the AP crew in 2021 as a strategic account manager for an Enterprise client: DICK’S Sporting Goods. His passions? CrossFit 🏋 and pizza 🍕 junkie (it’s called balance, right?!) What he’s watching and loving lately: Outlander and Resident Alien *but he’s also recently taken up juggling, which might be cooler than the above.
“That’s Hot” – 🔥 moments & topics in the industry
Trending news we just have to comment on.
Our Super Bowl MVPs: Michael Cera x CeraVe
Something we’re not over? The Michael Cera x CeraVe Super Bowl campaign. What do we love even more? The fact that the campaign started from conversations on Reddit threads from several years ago that speculated whether or not Michael Cera was connected to the brand because of his name. How’s that for the power of social media?!
Thanks for reading!
Again, we hope you can use this as an ongoing resource to stay in-the-know in this ever-changing landscape. And, if you need a curious, gritty, and downright smart team to back you up, drop us a line here.