Today in Digital Marketing
Episodes
Meta's Mind-Boggling Display of Policy Gymnastics
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon scraps its fee for doing nothing. Microsoft’s new ad format is a little sus. The social platform that has reached perfect brand approval. And...
Sometimes We Just Stick Our Hand In and Move Stuff Around
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today: a bombshell admission from the biggest digital ad platform on the planet. Will it shake the trust of advertisers? Also: Microsoft adds Hulu, HB...
The Only Winning Move is Not to Play
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why your Meta ads may have been sucking the last few days… Amazon has a warning for its sellers… the threat to your marketing platforms deep withi...
Equal Parts Predictable and Sad
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Google takes on Twitter’s ads but they don’t seem thrilled about it… AdSense gains some real-time site verification, YouTube can now tell you ho...
OMG Hun 😍, You Are going 🤞🏻 to LOOOVE 💚❤️ this Episode!!!!! 🎙️
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Were the MLM huns right all along? Does emoji spam actually increase conversions? Science has the answer. Plus: The metaverse bait-and-switch. Walmart...
Really Guys, This Totally Won’t Happen Again.
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How you compare to other social media managers... Amazon's small but important changes to search... Instagram bows to the pressure for a Followers...
A Whimsical, Pervasive Horniness
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok cries foul over attribution data. The Google test one advertiser says cost her clients thousands of dollars. Pinterest reveals its new slate of...
The Court Case Heard Around the (Marketing) World
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Google’s big day in court. TikTok Shop is finally rolling out. B2B influencer campaigns become more visible. Amazon wants to capture even more of th...
Is This The Real Ad? Is It Just Fantasy?
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The tug-of-war between where consumers say they want to see you, and where you actually are. Google’s new appeals process comes with a ticking time ...
YouTube's New Best Practice: Shut Your Mouth
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Google has new rules for AI-generative ads — rules that probably won’t apply to your marketing campaign. Some new podcast brand safety tools are r...
Reticulating Splines and Desalinizing Snorkels
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Google hack keeping negative reviews at the top of your business listing. Is TikTok preparing a standalone messaging app? Chrome’s ad privacy no...
Social Media is Dead. Long Live the DM.
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Public platforms to private communities — consumers are moving… so how do brands follow? Also: Why is UA still alive? Microsoft has some nice ad p...
Meta's Audacious New Plan: A Platform Without Ads
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A Meta without ads? It could be here soon. Also: The podcast industry keeps growing, despite content consolidation… TikTok’s AR production softwar...
From Stardom to Silence
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They were all the rage — what happened to virtual influencers? The unholy union of Shopify and Amazon is here. What comes after the BeReal app? Why,...
Was Chicken George Right All Along?
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Drones in the skies, campaigns take flight. Instagram updates its ads API. The crazy number of teens who choose to not skip YouTube ads…And on the a...
Does Slowing Down Your Site Help Your Google Ranking?
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The SEO advice that sounds completely backwards — but does it work? A new benchmarking dashboard could help you avoid some uncomfortable client conv...
TikTok Has Everybody's Eyeballs
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok keeps getting more eyeballs, so why does Instagram keep dominating in ad spend? We know now how Google’s core update has affected page rankin...
Has YouTube Found a Crack in Apple's Ad Privacy Wall?
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If YouTube can bypass Apple's ad tracking, can we all do it now? The generation least likely to block ad targeting. Reddit upgrades brand and conv...
Swipe Right for Meth
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hard drugs, stolen credit cards, and guns: All for sale through Instagram ads. So why does your boring and innocuous campaign about shoes get denied? ...
Make No Mistake. TikTok is Not F***ing Around Any More.
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok's shopping play is set to lose a half billion dollars. So why have they started banning some of their biggest commerce partners? Social'...
The New Shopify: More Self-Service, Fewer Human Reps
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shopify is about to pull VIP support from its best customers. Will anyone buy Twitter ads now that you can’t even have links? Threads rolls out its ...
When the News Gets Too Hot for Advertising
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Advertisers can block wildfire news, but should we? The liberation of MFAs has begun. Threads is set to go Desktop. A huge glitch on X over the weeken...
From Playtime to Paytime: Kidfluencers Are Now Legally Cashing In
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today: Another advertiser exodus for Elon Musk, as brands find their campaigns beside pro-Nazi content… Amazon’s test puts star ratings on the bac...
“Pay Us to Help You Pay Us”: Google’s Audacious “Paid Support” Experiment
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today: Having trouble with your Google Ads? The company is testing making you pay to help you pay them! Why is Amazon charging a new fee for merchants...
From Pixels to Paper: Retail’s Unexpected Full Circle
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today: Print is up, TV is down. Adobe comes after Canva. The deez nuts joke that could bring the era of Google search dominance to an end.And on the a...
Why You Should Avoid Kreativ Spelling in Brand Names
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today: Sure, it’s catchy. But new research shows your “kewl” brand name is hurting your sales. Also: Google refunds advertisers for its video ad...
How the Hollywood Strikes Could Disrupt the Ad Market
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today: The Hollywood strike reshapes advertiser strategies, Buzzfeed turns to AI for engagement, and Google Ads updates Shopping campaign bidding..🌍...
Instagram's "Verified Only" Feed — Will Your Brand Pay to Play?
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today: Instagram denies reports it’s working on a very Twitter-like feature… a podcast network scales host-read ads… Snapchat’s new after-dark...
Collaborate or Complicate: Is Instagram’s Latest Idea Just “Digital Graffiti”?
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today: Instagram wants to let regular users post on your brand’s content. YouTube will soon ban web links on Shorts videos. The nuclear approach to ...
The Fake Digital Ads Taking Over Social Media
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today: They’re all over TikTok, but those videos aren’t real — tell that to the marketers scrambling to make them. Also: Google beefs up its pla...
First, They Came for the YouTube Thumbnail Designers…
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI disrupts YouTube thumbnails, CTV ad placement remains elusive, why you might need to block GPT from crawling your brand’s web site, and the socia...
SPECIAL: How to Audit a Meta Ads Account
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, a deep-dive into auditing your Meta ad account. Tod speaks with Alex Afterman — Alex has been managing Meta ads for almost ...
Born Digital, Raised Brand-Savvy
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the generation redefining brand loyalty. TikTok tests privacy-aware campaigns. Amazon’s ad sales were stratospheric. And X marks the spot… wa...
Under the Influence
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the new banner blindness — and it’s what’s behind the rush to use social media influencers. Also: How many are too many? At what point wi...
When AI Brand Safety Goes Too Far
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are brand safety tools too white? That video editor you’re using might be leaking your brand’s data. A mixed bag of growth for Pinterest.And on th...
The Pop-Up Box No Advertiser Wants
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They don’t want to, but they might have to — how Meta’s proposal for handling personalized ads might cripple their ad business. Microsoft’s ve...
🐦 Bird Brained
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why experts say the X super-app is doomed from the start. Instagram is testing some nice generative AI tools that can help your organic content. A new...
You Know You're Winning When Your Customers Cry
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Netflix drops ad prices… The final numbers on media spend during Prime Day… Why the Barbie blockbuster isn’t a financial boon... And TweetDeck w...
Will Shopify’s AI Plans Support or Supplant Humans?
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI Anxiety: Are Shopify’s plans for robot reps the dark future of customer service? Slowdown? What slowdown? Facebook hits 3B monthly active users. ...
The Ad Discounts Will Continue Until Morale Improves
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Desperate times: Twitter slashes ad prices, while threatening its shrinking advertiser base. Google’s Dynamic Search Ads get an upgrade that is maki...
He's Nervous, But On the Surface He Looks Calm and Ready
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Branding Blunder: The reviews are in, and nobody thinks Twitter’s new name is going to help the beleaguered company. Also: Threads moves fast to cap...
Going Undercover: The Secret Life of a Google Ad Rep
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
High workload, low pay — the real story behind Google’s outsourced ad reps. Also: Whatever brand equity was left in Twitter has been X’ed out, a...
Baller Branding
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What ad budgets are spent in Vegas, stay in Vegas… Your brand’s AI-generated content may soon come with a watermark… YouTube rolls out a handy u...
Beta Late Than Clever
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Microsoft takes a page — and a name — from Google. Will Amazon’s latest announcement change how companies ship products? More payments coming fr...
AI-Generated Content Won't Rank Well in Google. (Unless It Ranks Well in Google.)
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A big legal decision that could have changed social media forever. Pinterest gets deep. Meta waits for Europe. Google tells us how well AI-generated c...
🩳 Pants, Canada?!
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Email exploit: How one message could bring down your brand’s WhatsApp account. Bing’s chatbot wants to be in big agencies. The Twitter challenger ...
Is That Meta in Your Conversation or Are You Just Happy to See Ads?
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meta says it’s listening to its users — only not the way you think they are. How scammers are redirecting phone numbers from Google. TikTok gains ...
SPECIAL: Do Your Social Media Posts Feed the Trolls?
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Tod speaks with the author of a marketing research paper that studied the effect of a brand's social media posts on level...
In a McPickle 🥒
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jumping into a TikTok trend that’s not brand-safe. Instagram upgrades its product tagging. The new Boost Mode that turns creator content into ads. A...
Go Home, Amazon, You’re Drunk
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Prime Day advertisers MacGuyver new tools to keep their ad spend intact. Meta’s Threads first upgrade will be good news to agencies. YouTube brings ...
Ad Buyers Rewind Budgets After YouTube Standards Snafu
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The fallout from YouTube's standards snafu. Has the live game show hype been reincarnated on TikTok? Buying on Shopify using a TV remote. And fina...
“👍🏻” — This Emoji Costs $82,000
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter traffic keeps declining, while Meta’s challenger hits 100 million users. Why almost half of shoppers unsubscribe from your brand emails. Goo...
Shein's Counterfeit Crisis: The Cost of Copying Amazon
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marketplace Mayhem — Shein takes on Amazon and learns some hard lessons. Planning tips for when the holiday buying season comes earlier every year. ...
Unraveling Threads
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It has the users of Instagram, the advertisers of Facebook: Is Threads the threat to Twitter it seems to be? Plus: TikTok loses popularity, B2B buyers...
Here's Why You're Sabotaging Your Consumer Reviews
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When the right strategy to getting consumers reviews is to hold off asking for them. A nice update to Google Ads editor. Will there be anything left o...
Let Us Read All Your Emails Because Reasons: [YES] [NO]
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marketing Misstep: How Shein's influencer snafu has implications for your next creator campaign, while the U.S. introduces stricter rules for coll...
Are Google’s Brand-Keyword Changes Good for Marketers?
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Big changes coming to Google campaigns targeting your brand name. TikTok clamps down on advertising to young people. With Reddit under siege, how will...
And You Thought Twitter Had a Bot Problem… 🤦🏻♂️
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do Google's ad placements violate its own standards? Why your ad might be being dumped on an AI-generated spam site. LinkedIn wants to push person...
"But Think of the Exposure!..."
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok gives up on its copycat, while asking creators to make ads on spec. Google gets ready to roll out the Topics API but will anyone use it? A big ...
Soon, We Will All Deliver for Amazon 😞
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon tries to disrupt delivery — again, but this time in the most bizarre way. How Adobe plans to ease your AI legal concerns. Google’s new sear...
BONUS: Creative is the New Targeting: A Meta/Industry Panel
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A panel discussion on the role of creative in an AI world, from Meta's recent Performance Marketing Summit. Featuring: Jimmie Stone, Meta's He...
The Future of AI: Automated LinkedIn Inspiration Porn <sigh>
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The dark horse of social platforms is looking up... Bad news for Reddit ahead of a planned IPO. LinkedIn's generative AI is one step closer to ann...
BONUS: AI and the Future of Meta Performance Marketing
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Steiner, Meta's VP of Engineering, talks about generative art, chatbots and how Meta views the future of advertising in a machine-learned wor...
Opening Pandora's Comment Box
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
YouTube goes full TikTok with video responses, TikTok launches a new in-stream shopping feature… and the company’s chief operating officer has thr...
BONUS: An Inside Look at Meta's Performance Product Roadmap
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kristen Durkin, Meta's Marketing Product Director for Ads, walks through their roadmap of upcoming ad products they say will impact campaign strat...
AI is Coming for Thousands of Ad Agency Jobs
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shopify extends Shop Pay to non-Shopify retailers. The U.S. is suing a huge commerce player for allegedly using dark pattern UI. Twitter now says a co...
BONUS: Meta's Revised "Performance 5" Framework
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jake Bailey, Head of Industry, Disruptors and Venture Capital at Meta, talks about a refreshed set of Performance 5 pillars they've developed. He ...
Hiding in Plain Sight: When #Ad Labels Aren’t Enough
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Where you place your ad disclosure matters. The content your consumers find on social media that will make them disengage from your brand. How Snapcha...
Meta Removes Ad Targeting Option That Small Businesses Relied On
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An important targeting option used by small and local businesses is now gone — why Meta keeps pulling control from advertisers. Also: More details e...
WEEKEND EXTRA: "Don't Tell Me How Much to Tip!"
17 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tod interviews Frank Cabano, co-author of a new marketing science research paper called “Don’t tell me how much to tip: The influence of gratuity ...
The Case for Ignoring Google's SEO Advice
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The big effect one tiny change to your Google Business Profile has. Google gets out of the domain name business. Reddit’s CEO is now threatening str...
F1NGERS
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Small checkbox, big repercussions: How Meta’s compliance with EU regulations will affect your ad campaigns. Online prices see the largest drop since...
Is This the End of Keyword Buying?
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The new AI that might just revolutionize clothing sales. How the ongoing Reddit strike is affecting ad campaigns. A new design coming for the Google A...
This Title Will Disappear In 24 Hours ⏰
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The trick to making your content more memorable? Delete it. Also: Instagram’s API gets a nice upgrade. TikTok puts its bets on visual search. Market...
The Revolution Will Be Monetized
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How will Reddit react to today's massive moderator protest? Also: Twitter's latest cost-saving move is likely to even further erode what's...
As God Is My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly.
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Google vs Trademarks — And your brand may come out the loser. More details leak out about Meta’s Twitter killer. The AI is ready and Zuckerberg wi...
I Saw Fauci Kissing Santa Claus 🎅
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
LinkedIn has some new ad placements, Salesforce and Twilio roll out their AI tools, new research finds consumers expect more from you than you think, ...
For Whom the Dell Tolls 🔔
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More detail on where marketing budgets are going. Will your commerce platform make the same overpricing mistake Dell did? WordPress unveils an AI writ...
Where the Marketing Budgets are Going
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok moves into second place — what does it mean for the former #2? Also: Instagram’s testing a chatbot because of course they are. Walmart adds...
Silver Sponsorships
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the new breed of octogenarian influencers. Why a big chunk of Reddit will go dark next week. Twitter’s ad business continues to crumble. Apple&...
Bridge Over Troubled Twitter
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The head of Twitter’s trust and safety team is out, and paying users appear immune to policy enforcement. Shopify launches a rewards program. WordPr...
Death by API ☠️
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Instagram Inception: Why one brand runs multiple accounts on the same platform. Also: Will API fees kill off your favourite third-party marketing tool...
Will Instagram’s New Controls Change the Organic Content Game?
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Creator Clarity: Instagram tests new transparency tools. Texas is the latest state to let people out out of targeted ads. How retailers are using GPT ...
First, We Kill All the Chatbots.
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A change to Meta's offline conversions API isn't as scary as they make it sound. Ten straight months of ad spend declines — but is an end in...
Social Causes: When Good Deeds Go Bad
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yang Wang is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Fox School of Business at Temple University. He and his colleagues have just published some ne...
Vanishing Views
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Vanishing Views: Why has Twitter stopped reporting one of the platform's most important metrics? Also: The peculiar Captcha that isn't real. A...
Searching for Ads in All the Right Places
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Instagram’s API just got a big upgrade. YouTube kills Stories. New intent signals for LinkedIn. TikTok is testing an AI chatbot. Google’s AI now w...
Price Check on Aisle Doubt
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Pricing Placebos: Was our best pricing strategy wrong all along? More delays to get your hands on TikTok search ads. More cuts at Meta, as its platfor...
Google Bets the Farm on AI-Based Ad Campaigns
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Google puts all its chips behind AI-driven ads — but will the marketing industry take the bet? Also: Twitter is re-publishing tweets you may have de...
BONUS: Google Marketing Live - Unofficial Tailgate Panel
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today is a big day for the folks who run Google's ad platform - it is Google Marketing Live day, their annual announcement-fest. We'll have c...
"True" (AKA "Wassup") by Budweiser Beer
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Behind the scenes of Budweiser marketing campaign called "True" — but which everyone knows as the "Wasssuuuup?!" TV ad.Tell us what ...
The Day the Little Mermaid Went Full Batshit Crazy
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook Funnels — Meta launches new lead gen tools, while continuing to battle European regulators… The mobile app economy is now a half-trillion...
The 1% Test That Has the Ad Industry Holding Its Breath
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Biting the Biscuit: The removal of third-party cookies has begun. Also: What people are seeing on Facebook these days, how will consumers react to You...
The One Where the Privacy Policy Became a Friends Episode Plot
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tangled Terms — why one new player in the TV ad space is being red flagged. Meta swipes left on its Kustomer platform. Instagram Stories finally get...
Use It or Lose It: Grey Gmail Accounts on the Chopping Block
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ghosted by Gmail — why thousands of brand email accounts may be deleted. Also: Amazon is about to jump into the chatbot game. Agencies taking big st...
What Meta’s New “Lattice” Architecture Means for Marketers
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial Acumen: Behind the overhaul of Meta's new ads AI. Also: LinkedIn will suggest new ways to spam inspiration porn. Reddit gears up to try...
TodAI Will Whine About Meta for $1 Per Minute. Order Now!
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook Facelift: Meta unveils its generative ad tools — is copywriting a dying profession? Also: TikTok partners for video shopping ads, where the...
Searching for Redemption: Will Google’s AI Announcements Be Enough?
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It was a big day for Google — maybe one of its most important. But will yesterday’s AI announcements shift the hype tide back in the company’s f...
Mamma Mia! The Mother's Day Social Media Conundrum
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shop Setback: TikTok becomes the latest company to push back commerce plans… Why brands get it wrong on Mother’s Day, Amazon's pursuit of the ...
Ditch the Pitch: A New Model for Digital Agencies?
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Roomy results: Why clutter AND white space will increase your clickthrough rate. What does tracking even mean when most consumers clear everything out...