🚨 Fake reviews.

When to start running holiday promotions, improving content with “visual copywriting,” and more. July 20, 2022 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Happy Wednesday. We just saw this [first-person view of the FC Köln soccer game](, and now we want more. One Twitter user predicts that in 20 years, “pay-per-view” will become “pay-per-player.” If that happens… we’d totally pay for it. GOOGLE YouTube partners with Shopify, and other important Google updates [article-image] We’ve got another packet of Google updates for you. So let’s pour them in and stir… Shopify and YouTube are partnering up: Google just announced [a Shopify integration for YouTube]( that lets you feature your store on your channel. … and YouTube’s looking more like an e-commerce channel: There’s now a “Shopping tab” and “Live Control Room” on YouTube, too. The idea is to help you better manage tagged products and mention them directly in live shopping streams. Almost there, we’ve got just a few more: - Alternative billing for European users now gives developers of non-gaming apps the ability to offer users [payment options other than Google Play.]( - Expanded text ads (ETA) are out for good: As of June 30, [you can’t create new or edit old ETAs](. It’s time to switch to Responsive search ads (RSA) if you haven’t already. - Google Analytics 4 (GA4) API [went from alpha to beta](. The alpha is still relevant, it’s just full of features that GA4 continues to test. And there we go! Contents dissolved. AMAZON The hunt for fake reviews Be careful how you incentivize customer reviews… Amazon is [planning to take legal action]( against admins of more than 10,000 Facebook groups for offering fake reviews on Amazon marketplaces. It seemed like a good idea at the time… Basically, brands were offering money and free goods to group members in exchange for five-star reviews. This allowed brands to “hack” Amazon’s search engine and push their products to the top of search results pages, earning them more reach. … but now they’re catching on: It’s not clear yet whether admins will have to face sanctions outside of having their groups shut down… but fake reviews [may soon become illegal in the UK](. Why we care: While many merchants and marketers have used this review tactic to boost brand visibility, big tech companies are starting to take notice. So it’s probably not a good “growth hack” to use going forward. Besides, there are other ways to boost brand awareness… SPONSORED BY LOOMLY 18,000+ marketing teams use this platform to build successful brands on social media [article-image]( Social media has evolved, and so has the way we manage it. It’s just not practical to use editorial spreadsheets, messy file hosting services, or endless email approvals chains anymore. … Is your team keeping up? Teams at LVMH, Porsche, L'Oréal and 17,400 more do: They save time and avoid mistakes by managing [all their social media communications with Loomly.]( Loomly serves customers of all sizes, from solopreneurs to big enterprises. Here’s how they smooth out your workflow: - Craft, optimize, schedule, and analyze content across all your social channels. Instagram Reels, TikTok, Twitter. All of them. - Never run out of inspiration: Browse RSS Feeds, Twitter Trends, custom post ideas and more. - Store, organize, and access your assets [with a central, intuitive Library.]( - Make your team’s work easy with a collaborative review, approval workflow, and end-to-end post and ad history. - Analytics for all posts (not just the ones published via Loomly). [Evolve with Loomly - Start your free trial.]( COPYWRITING Improve the UX of your content with visual copywriting [article-image] Here’s a fun fact: Written content is closer to visual design than many marketers realize. Because whether you’re designing a landing page or writing one, both require you to consider user experience so you can improve engagement and conversion rate. The Nielsen Norman Group [has a library of articles]( to help you improve copy and boost UX. Let’s just cover the most important stuff… The F-shaped pattern: Customers read the top left side of your content first. They look at the first horizontal line or paragraph before moving down to the next horizontal section. Write your copy accordingly! “Cringeworthy words”: According to research, jargon can make customers distrust your content instantly. Here are a few examples: - Utilize. Never utilize anything in your articles. Always use. - Enables. Say “Drill like a pro,” instead of “Our drill enables you to…” - Very. It’s very tempting to use them, but intensifiers like “really” and “very” add zero value to your content. - “We understand that…” Sounds inauthentic and fills your content with fluff. Content chunking: Breaking up your text in small “chunks” of info with a variety of visual stimuli makes the content easier and more enjoyable to read. That means you should: - Write short paragraphs with spacing. - Write shorter lines of text. - Create clear visual hierarchies—bolded and bigger headings - Place an image after every 200-300 words. - Bold or italicize key words and phrases. - Use bullets or numbered lists. Yep, this is just the tip of the iceberg… If you want to make your readers laser focused and hyper engaged in your work… we recommend you to check out this [extensive library of UX writing guides](. SPONSORED BY BLACK CROW AI How Cotopaxi boosted Facebook Ads ROAS 30% with predictive audiences [article-image]( Cotopaxi, the DTC brand that makes sustainable outdoor apparel, was struggling to sustain their Facebook Ads performance after the iOS 14.5 updates. But when they found [Black Crow AI](, and had the power to create new ad audiences built from predictive models of their first party data, their performance climbed to new heights. With Black Crow AI's Predictive Audiences Cotopaxi saw: - 30% ROAS increase to their Facebook Ads. - 80% increase in conversions value across their Facebook campaigns. [Find out exactly how they did it here.]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS When should you run holiday promotions? [article-image] People are buying earlier and earlier each year. According to the National Retail Federation, [a record 42 percent of people]( in 2021 planned to purchase their final holiday gifts before December 18. Want to know why? Because [people are increasingly concerned]( about availability and shipping time. So they’re buying sooner than they used to. Research confirms this: According to [Adobe’s 2021 report](, customers have begun to spread their shopping outside of big holidays. Last year, the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving saw a 19.2% year-over-year (YoY) increase, while Cyber Week itself was down 1.4% YoY. … and when people shop for luxury items, they shop even earlier: [Research from NPD confirms](that when people buy expensive items like luxury handbags and furniture, they’re even less likely to make a last-minute purchase. Which means… You should probably start your holiday promotions earlier than you’re used to. If you’re kicking off promotions just a week or two before a given holiday, you could miss out on weeks of buying time. So rev those ad engines, because they’re going to need an early warm-up. P.S. This insight is one of hundreds in our new Deep Dive on holiday marketing. [You’ll find more actionable insights here.]( ROUNDING UP THE STACK [DESIGN:]( Need amazing design work? Be like Outbrain, Amazon, and Shopify. With Superside they get projects done by the top 1% of design professionals on the market… And it’s still 50% cheaper than hiring a designer. Plus, they deliver projects 70% faster. [Check them out.](* [GOOGLE:]( If you saw reporting delays in Google Ads and Analytics yesterday, you weren’t alone. Google says there’s an ongoing issue, and they’re monitoring it. [TIKTOK:]( Fake news alert. Claims that nearly half of Gen Z use TikTok and Instagram as search engines instead of Google are actually false. A good reason to verify trends before you act on them… [ADVERTISING](: The US ad market is facing its first decline since February last year. But don’t panic… While traditional advertising may be dropping to lower levels, digital advertising is actually rising. Yay! [E-COMMERCE:]( Buy now, pay later (BNPL) market is expanding. The market is expected to reach $576B by year’s end… and it’s seeing some big moves. Deutsche Bank announced they’re white-labeling a BNPL service in Germany. [SUBSCRIPTIONS:]( Snooze, you lose. 43% of subscribers are “sleepers,” meaning they go inactive the day after subscribing—and they usually only wake from “slumber” to cancel their subscriptions. Guess subscriptions aren’t a “set it and forget it” model after all. *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 [answer here](. [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT Penguins and otters have expensive taste [article-image] When you’ve been living on linguine, it’s hard to settle for frozen pizza, you know? Turns out [penguins and otters agree](. Apparently, the animals at this Japanese aquarium can taste the difference between cheap fish and quality fish… and they’re not happy with the aquarium’s attempts to cut costs. Penguins and otters. So cute… so smart. 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