🐦Fake.

Good news for e-commerce, what to know about Google’s latest Product Review Update, and more. May 17, 2022 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good morning. We heard somewhere that “professionals know how to take breaks; amateurs don’t.” And while we no longer remember the source, it seems like good advice. So remember to get up and stretch now and then. TWITTER Should you be worried about fake accounts? [article-image] … or is Twitter’s spam problem blown out of proportion? Let’s lay it all on the table: Yesterday, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal [posted a long thread]( explaining the methodology his team uses to detect and deal with spam accounts. It’s an evolving battle… Agrawal says the process is dynamic and evolving because spammers continually find ways to counter Twitter’s defense mechanisms. …with a high body count: Apparently the Twitter team removes half a million spam accounts each day—a staggering number. Agrawal admits that some spam accounts “slip through the cracks,” but he says that less than 5% of reported accounts are fake. Why the long thread, Agrawal? Last week Elon Musk tweeted that he’s putting his takeover bid “on hold” due to questions about spam and fake account percentage. Then, Rand Fishkin followed through with a report claiming nearly 20% of Twitter accounts were fake. [You can read an in-depth discussion on this here.]( Why we care: If you’re running Twitter Ads, you’ll want to pay attention to the conversation going on right now. 5% of Twitter accounts being fake isn’t great. But if it’s true that 20% of Twitter accounts are fake, then the impact on Twitter advertising would be huge. Something to keep an eye on… E-COMMERCE App usage is on the rise [article-image] Yes, e-commerce is slowing down. But [the latest analysis from Sensor Tower]( indicates that the slowdown might be temporary... What’s going on: The report analyzed the top 10 online shopping, tracking, and delivery apps in the US and found out that, when taken together, the number of active users increased by 87% compared to last year. Why we care: This is good news for e-commerce. Yes, people are returning to physical stores, but e-commerce remains a convenient way for customers to shop. And it’s still growing, even if the growth is slow. Speaking of customers and growth… SPONSORED BY ATTEST Do you know where to find eyeballs for your ads? [article-image]( Did you know print magazines are making a comeback… or that live TV isn’t as “lively” as it used to be? If you’re planning a media campaign and you’re unsure about which channels to attack—or how to do it—[Attest’s tracker will help you plan your strategy.]( Every quarter, Attest analyzes media consumption across the United States for all media channels. Their Q1 analysis reveals: - People are engaging less on every social media channel [except this one](. - Yes, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter are losing users to TikTok… But there’s another platform growing at a faster rate than TikTok. - Spotify has a new competitor. And it’s breathing down the platform’s neck… - Podcasts are gaining more traction. [This is the most popular one.]( - This e-commerce-oriented channel is losing users, but it’s still getting high engagement. You can read [Attest’s US Media Consumption Tracker here](, no personal info required. [Plan your media strategy effectively.]( GOOGLE Key takeaways for affiliate marketers and reviews website owners from Google’s Product Review Update [article-image] Why care about Google’s Product Review Updates (PRU)? Because Google is determined to show customers the best and most insightful reviews content in its search results. And if you’re an affiliate marketer, or the owner of a reviews website, each PRU can profoundly impact your SEO. But pause, and take a deep breath. Because as is the case with many Google updates, there’s no need to be anxious if you’re prepared. [In this post, Glenn Gabe lists some of the key lessons]( from Google’s March 2022 PRU. Here’s what he recommends: - [Internalize Google’s best practices]( and form a plan of attack to improve your reviews content. - Run a users study. Once you adjust your content according to Google’s best practices, leverage user study platforms to survey users about what they think of the content. Let their feedback guide you in creating even better content. - Become the Wirecutter of your niche. In case you don’t know, this is a popular product review website that focuses on different consumer product categories. The point is, you want to become the most authoritative reviews website in your niche. - Give readers multiple buying options. Link a product to different sellers rather than Amazon only. Even if Google says they don’t enforce this practice, it’s still a best-practice. - Invest in visuals and create original photos, videos, and GIFs to support your reviews. This improves the user’s experience, and it proves that you or other users are actually testing the products. Glenn explains each of these points in depth, so if you want more, [you can get more insights here.]( SPONSORED BY BLACK CROW AI Recovering ROAS and CAC after iOS14.5 [article-image]( After iOS14, Bearaby, an award-winning weighted blanket DTC brand, faced rising CPMs and lower conversions that hurt their margins and slowed growth. Their solution? Bearaby turned to [Black Crow AI](. Black Crow AI is a plug-n-play machine learning platform that enabled Bearaby to measure every one of their site visitor’s likelihood to buy, and group them into high value predictive audiences to use in their marketing channels. In just 30 days of using Black Crow’s audiences, Bearby’s ROAS increased by 120%. [Read the full story.]( THE CREW'S INSIGHTS Should you offer free shipping? [article-image] When it comes to free shipping, there’s a laundry list of competing theories. These are the most common ones: - You should always offer it to boost conversion rate. - You should only offer it if a customer spends $X. - You should never offer free shipping. While it’s easy to theorize about what might work, the answer requires some actual testing. [Mathias Schrøder](, an e-commerce marketer, recently ran a test. Instead of offering free shipping on orders over $99, he offered free shipping on all orders. The results? While conversion rate was about 7% higher, the average order value decreased by nearly 9%. In the end, offering free shipping on all orders costs his brand nearly $90k per year. What this means for you: Like many things in marketing, there’s not a one-size-fits-all answer to the shipping debate. While it often boosts conversion rate, there are generally more factors at play. To optimize your own conversions, test conditional free shipping at different dollar values: $30, $60, and $99, for example. And test these free shipping dollar values against free shipping for everyone. The more you test, the more easily you’ll find the sweet spot for maximum profit. ROUNDING UP THE STACK [AFFILIATE MARKETING:]( Did you know you can finally manage all your affiliate links for your WordPress site using one plugin? Create beautiful product displays, organize and cloak affiliate links, find and fix broken links, and more. [Try Lasso for free.](* [AMAZON:]( If you want to move the needle, ads expert David Zimmerman says you should try Amazon’s Sponsored Display retargeting ads. Apparently they have “very low bids.” Good to know. [ADVERTISING:]( Careful… Just typing your email may be enough for ad tech companies to capture your address. Yes, that means the “submit” button exists only as a formality sometimes. And yes, capturing emails like this is illegal. [SOCIAL MEDIA:]( Looking for the perfect sound to make your video go viral? This Shopify blog post shows 9 ways to find trending sounds on TikTok for your videos. *This is a sponsored post. BRAIN TEASER What has hands, but can't clap? You can find the [answer here](. [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT The perfect chocolate is… 3D printed? [article-image] If chocolate can predict the future, then the future is spiral, crunchy… aaaaand 3D printed. [Dutch physicists designed the “perfect chocolate” using physics](, geometry, and “edible metamaterials.” If this chocolate is anything to go by, then the future of food may include: - Morphing pasta that prints flat and becomes 3D when cooked. - Variants of favorite foods made from metamaterials which are easier to chew or serve as substitutes for meat. - Edible holograms that can substitute color additives and nutritional labels. That’s all interesting, to be sure. And texture is indeed wonderful… But are we the only ones wondering about the flavor and nutritional value of metamaterials? SHARING IS CARING Hey... Did you know you can earn free access to our Deep Dives? When you refer our newsletter with other smart marketers, entrepreneurs, or CEOs—and they subscribe—you can get: - The E-commerce Growth Channels Deep Dive (8 referrals instead of $99) - The Landing Page Copywriting Deep Dive (15 referrals instead $99) Just share your referral link below to get started. 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