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Instagram’s got a new project, looks like home feeds are about to change. If you need a clearer view about business, we have some models in mind. January 6, 2022 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good Thursday morning! Google is announcing no fewer than 13 different new software features. These will range from “Airpods-like fast switching” to promised software that will mirror your Android text apps on a Chromebook. It’s all part of an initiative that Google calls “Better Together.” But the rest of the industry is more likely to refer to it as “catching up to Apple’s ecosystem.” INSTAGRAM Instagram is testing 3 home feeds [article-image] Up until now, you could only view your Instagram feed the way Instagram wanted. That’s about to change with Instagram’s [Adam Mosseri announcing that users will be able to]( choose from 3 different home feeds: - Favorites and Following, which sort content chronologically on your feed. - Home (the old option) which sorts the feed algorithmically. Recommendations > followers: Mosseri also states that the non-chronological home feed will gradually change to be a place where users can discover new content, rather than to keep up to date with content from people they already follow (that’s a long way of saying: We wanna be more like TikTok.) How this can affect you: Feeds that sort algorithmically encourage marketers to produce engaging content. Feeds that sort chronologically encourage marketers to create, well, more content overall (because the most recent one gets on top). If Instagram rolls this out more widely and more people start using a chronological feed, then being more active and publishing more content on Instagram may increase your organic reach among existing followers. BUSINESS Here are a few mental models to help you think clearer about business It’s hard to succeed when you're having a perpetual brain fart. Hassan W. Bhatti shared 8 mental models to help us think more clearly when it comes to startups and business. While some of them might be familiar (jobs-to-be-done, product-market fit), there are others you will probably be hearing for the first time: - First-principles thinking. Before solving any problem, identify the facts and assumptions involved. Then separate the two and identify the core building blocks. After you do that, use the building blocks to create new solutions. - Inversion. If you can’t find a solution, start at the other end of the problem. For example, rather than asking how your startup can succeed, ask how it might fail. [The full Twitter thread]( also describes mental models such as Hick’s Law, the Idea Maze, and Activation energy. SPONSORED BY UPFLUENCE Amazon, Asics, KEEN, and 1600+ brands use this platform to find high-caliber influencers [article-image]( What’s the first step to running a successful influencer campaign? [Pick the right influencer.]( And finding the right creator is stupid-simple with Upfluence. That’s because your best-performing partner is among your audience. People that already know your brand are in line with your values and more likely to accept collaborations. Upfluence searches your client base to unveil fans that have the potential to become your brand ambassadors. Are there no top creators in your customers’ base? [Then you can access Upfluence’s vetted community of influencers](, across all social networks: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Pinterest, Twitter. And they give you all the tools to manage your campaigns: - Filter influencers on Upfluence by keyword, social platform, engagement rates, audience size, demographics, and more. - Generate tracking links and personalized discount codes for influencers directly within the Upfluence platform. - Contact influencers at scale. - Integrate Upfluence with your store so you can track the sales and ROI of every influencer. [Find the perfect match for your influencer campaigns.]( ADVERTISING Five takeaways from analyzing 24 creative ad examples [article-image] You might add this to your swipe file… We found [this piece by Kristen McCormick]( where she analyzes 24 creatives. When going through it, we thought there were some universal takeaways worth sharing: Bid on your own branded terms. It often feels strange that Google allows bidding on competitors’ terms, but that’s also why you should consider bidding on your own terms. Differentiate your business or service quite explicitly. Chances are you are not the only one targeting the same audience. Just as you have your comparison tables on your website, it’s worth testing a direct comparison as an ad (whether in text or visual). Speak your audience’s language. Talk like your audience rather than like a corporate robot. Yes, even in ads this can be helpful. Social proof. You have customers, testimonials, positive reviews, and more. Show it off in your ads. Whether people like to admit it or not, when in doubt, humans follow the herd. So, if you have the most social proof in your industry, you are likely to be one of the top options whether your product is the best or not. Emotions. There’s a whole article we could write on this… You can appeal to pain, fear, urgency, or you can go with joy, fulfillment, comfort, and social approval. Whatever it is, just think about what emotions your ads could evoke. Kristen’s article has some great examples that apply these tips, [so go give it a read](. SPONSORED BY INSIGHTS What marketing channels have consistently worked for e-commerce founders [article-image]( Fed up with cherry-picked success stories? What if you could get a view into what has consistently worked for e-commerce founders, sorted by what worked most frequently? That’s our January deep dive. [We analyzed 181 e-commerce founder interviews]( and identified the marketing channels that have consistently worked. [Have a look at the free preview here.]( If you want to get your hands on the full version, [subscribe to Insights](. 10+ deep dives, 100+ tips & tricks, 24-hour money-back guarantee. [Check it out!]( THE CREW'S INSIGHTS Can a trade show be an ROI-positive investment for your brand? [article-image] In-person trade shows aren’t as popular these days. However, for some businesses, trade shows can be a turbo booster to sales - even causing a 10x increase at times. Therefore, it is worth talking about. [After analyzing 181 e-commerce founder interviews](, we’ve found two special cases where trade shows could result in a great payoff. Attend trade shows if people need to understand how your product works: This was the case for Twisted Boards ($1k/mo), a company selling dry erase boards, and Ice Shaker ($250k/mo), an insulated protein shaker bottle. Both these brands sell products that need to be demonstrated before people understand how they work. In both cases, trade shows helped them put their products in front of customers and influencers, allowing them to gain traction in the market. Connect with influencers or magazines in your industry: - Fridays Off Fabric Shop ($10k/mo), a Canadian business selling fabric online, met the editor of a major Canadian interior design magazine at a trade show. This assured them a feature in the magazine that grew their sales by 600%. - FEAT Socks increased their sales 10x more. This brand sells custom socks. A trade show helped them land an influencer deal with an Olympian gymnast that brought their sales from $20k per month to $200k per month. ROUNDING UP THE STACK [AFFILIATE MARKETING](: You don’t need to mark internal links as sponsored, even if they’re sponsored, according to Google. [FACEBOOK](: Creator Studio is getting a few changes on Facebook, reports Matt Navarra. [GOOGLE](: They’re really trying to make Web Stories work. Google has started pushing Web Stories more into their search results. [SEO](: Instant indexing for Bing is becoming easier if you’re on WordPress. Microsoft has released an IndexNow plugin for the WordPress platform. [BUSINESS](: What does it take to clean up someone’s online reputation? Some dirty work, it seems. BRAIN TEASER What is an alien's favorite outdoor game to play with humans? You can find the [solution here](. [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT SpaceX’s Starlink dishes are attracting cats [article-image] It turns out that one of Elon's newest startups is not only an innovative internet service provider, but also a pretty good cat magnet. [Several Starlinks owners have noticed]( that cats huddle together on the device during the winter months. The reason: Heat. Turns out that Starlink dishes emit a little heat on cold days, and cats being cats don’t take long to discover this. Although the picture of several cats gathering together is adorable, this could damage the dish and disrupt service. P.S. If you’re having this cat “issue,” consider bringing some of those cats into your home. They make great snuggle buddies, especially if you’re single yet again this winter. 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. If you aren't thrilled about our emails, reply and let us know why. 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