🚀 Launches.

Podcast ads? Spotify’s on the job. Writing ads can be time consuming. Have you ever thought about letting a robot write them for you instead? November 19, 2021 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Happy Friday! We have a weird fact for you… Did you know that Hong Kong’s streets are being overrun by subway riding, crossway loitering boars? Also, if someone forwarded this newsletter to you, [you can subscribe here for free.]( ADVERTISING Spotify launches self-serve podcast ads [article-image] And they’re here. Spotify Ad Studio [now offers self-serve]( podcast ads. Kristin Palmer of Clix Marketing [wrote an in-depth post]( about this recent addition. Here’s what we know so far: - There’s a minimum spend: The minimum budget you can enter when creating a campaign is $500. - You can only target the US for now: You can target the entire country or a specific region by zip code or DMA. - Frequency caps are available: You can set your ads to appear X number of times per day, week, or month. - You can create your own ad or have Spotify do it for you: If you don't have a radio voice (don't worry, neither do we), Spotify has a service where you choose the music and their professionals read your script. Or just say, “YOLO, I'll do it all myself.” Podcast ads: Yay or Nay? There’s potential: - [Spotify was a "newcomer"]( to AppAnnie's top downloaded apps list in October, indicating that the music app is gaining traction. - [Spotify's ad business has been booming](, indicating that podcast ads can provide a good ROI for many businesses. So it’s a “Yay” from us. E-COMMERCE AI can write your ads and then acquire your business Imagine a future in which you let artificial intelligence write all of your ads. You then sell some products, build a reputation, and let the AI (yet again) acquire your company. News flash: That future has arrived...a few months ago actually. AI can write your copy: The industry of having artificial intelligence (often powered by GPT-3) write your ads has exploded in recent months. [This AI copywriting startup](, for example, has recently raised $21 million. They’re not the only ones: Just enter “AI copywriting” into Google and you'll see hundreds of competing companies. Or go to Product Hunt and search for the same thing, you'll find tons of relevant products. An AI can acquire your business: Artificial intelligence has accelerated business acquisition. For example, [this company recently raised $75 million]( and their promise is quite audacious. "Sell your e-commerce business instantly." Sure, there's some marketing gimmickry here, but you get the point. AI has gotten so good at predicting business results that it can research and decide whether your e-commerce store is worth purchasing in hours, not weeks. Will AI replace our jobs? We don’t think so. However, artificial intelligence will probably make our jobs much faster and more effective. [AI can already dress up influencers]( and automatically generate images, for example. It will be fascinating to see what 2022 brings. SPONSORED BY DRIP Smart marketers never send email campaigns [article-image]( Here’s what we mean… we heard that 30,000 marketers let Drip send email campaigns for them. Emails that make money. Same thing for their SMS campaigns. [They let Drip do it.]( It’s automation baby! Why did 30,000 marketers put their trust in Drip? Because Drip can do something that our human brain can’t: Analyze thousands of data points and send highly personalized messages to your audience based on this data. For every action a user takes on your website, [Drip knows what to do to generate a sale.]( No guesswork. No two hours Zoom calls or creative briefings. Action → reaction. It’s easy when you’re a robot and your brain is an algorithm ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Among those 30,000 users, there are businesses like Y-Verge Agency that use Drip to collect, organize and use heaps of data to grow e-commerce businesses 2X, 3X, and even 20 fold. How would you feel if your sales were 20 times higher than they’re now? [Give Drip a try for free.]( MARKETING Once upon a time… [article-image] One of the first things you learn as a marketer is that stories are a great tool to get more of those smackeroos. And if you want to add that Star Wars factor - or Harry Potter if you will - to your marketing, [Alex Garcia broke down]( the three most common frameworks to write stories. Come with us if you want to...sell! (Read with Terminator’s voice) Storytelling technique #1 - The hero journey: You’ll find this pattern in many cinematography masterpieces. Here’s a three-part framework to come up with yours: - Departure act: The hero embarks on a journey to achieve a goal. - Initiation act: The hero faces various obstacles before the story reaches the climax. - Return act: The hero overcomes the obstacles, and returns after achieving the goal. The hero can be either a customer or the founder. Storytelling technique #3: Before-after-bridge: This focuses on addressing the customer’s pain points, painting how life is like without those problems. And finally, telling them how they can achieve the transformation. Here’s how to do it: - Before: Break down their current state addressing their problems and challenges. The Crew’s tip: When you describe the problems, talk in the first person. Don’t tell them they have a problem. Nobody likes to be criticized. Tell them you (or a customer) had the problem they have, and they’ll identify with the story. - After: Explain how life is without those problems. - Bridge: Provide them with the solution, and bring them to the greener side. Storytelling technique #3 - The four Ps framework: - Promise: Find your customers’ problems and promise you can solve them. - Picture: Tell them how’s life without those problems. - Proof: Show them the data, research, demonstrations, and social proof behind your promise. - Push: You built desire and gained proof. Now it’s time to make them take action. Use a strong CTA to make them buy. How to use these stories: Try to write a short story for your product following each one of these frameworks. Then test them to understand which one works better for your product. SPONSORED BY AFLUENCER Find influencers that get you sales, not just likes and shares [article-image]( Engagement is important when evaluating an influencer. But it’s not enough: likes and comments don’t make your (virtual) cash register go “cha-ching”. And if you want to hear that sweet sound again and again and again, Afluencer will match you with authentic influencers that have proven to generate sales. [You can register for free]( and start finding creators instantly. [Find a match for your brand.]( THE CREW'S INSIGHTS Our 5 favorite lead magnets [article-image] There are countless options but here are 5 of our favorites (and most effective) lead magnets. Teaser content Look at WSJ or NYT for an example. It’s great because the visitor has high intent, and you already started providing them with something useful with the teaser paragraph. Ebook The classic makes our top 5. Whether it’s a report, a guide, or a whitepaper, an ebook is still a good lead magnet. What's most important here is a title with a powerful hook. Templates Whether a template is for design, for a content calendar, a P&L sheet, you have so many options in so many verticals. It works because you provide a time-saving solution with a few clicks. Video Think of it like an ebook but adjusted in a video format. Put the content behind a form and you have yourself a great lead magnet. Newsletter Our favorite! Surprising right? Provide a newsletter that scratches a certain itch, clearly state how you help subscribers, then deliver on that statement. We like this format because it creates stronger engagement with your subscribers than other options. If you like what you read, feel free to [check us out on Twitter](. ROUNDING UP THE STACK [E-COMMERCE:]( Finally, an attribution solution that works. Triple Pixel gives you more than just first/last-click attribution. This server-side pixel tracks all your first party data to help increase your ROI on ad spend. This is the OS for e-commerce. [Try it with a 30 day 100% money-back guarantee.](* [GOOGLE:]( Insights. Insights everywhere. Google Ads has rolled out a few audience and keyword insight features. [INSTAGRAM:]( You can now delete a single image from an Instagram carousel rather than the entire thing. [CLUBHOUSE:]( Remember Clubhouse? They’ve just launched closed captioning for iOS. [SEO:]( You’re not alone, Google’s November 2021 Core Update is shaking things up for everyone. Many SEOs are noticing significant changes on their and their clients’ websites. [BUSINESS:]( Google has added regex to their Search Console. Many ad networks already have an option to “search by regex.” If you’re looking to learn regex, this is a handy free tool. *This is a sponsored post. BRAIN TEASER I am not alive, but I grow. I don't have lungs, but I need air. I don't have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I? You can find the [solution here](. [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT Google will now troll you if you can’t find what you’re searching for [article-image] But they’re being nice about it. [Google started displaying a cute fishing troll]( for searches with no results. This easter egg takes the form of a mini-game in which you can click on the pond and see what comes up from the river (a shoe, for example). For now, this easter egg doesn’t appear on all searches, indicating that Google is still testing it. SHARING IS CARING Share this email with your friends and get cool rewards! From our Insights Poolside Chat, to stickers, T-shirts, one-of-a-kind coin, custom-made magazine cover, to lifetime Insights full membership and a trip to Vienna, Austria! Just click the button below! It takes less than 60 seconds to share. [article-image]( [CLICK TO SHARE]( Or copy your referral link: [ [SUBSCRIBE]( | [INSIGHTS]( | [ADVERTISE]( You are receiving this email because you want to know what is going on in digital marketing. 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