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A headline tactic for multiple audiences, what one marketer learned from using AI image generators, and more. August 26, 2022 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Happy Friday. We know things might be a little tough right now, so let’s end the week on a high note. Reply with a win that you think would help other readers too. We'll choose some of our favorites to share in next week’s newsletters. We'll go first: we recently grew to more than 32,000 wonderful readers… and you're one of them. We think that’s pretty cool. FACEBOOK Widely Viewed Content report just dropped [article-image] Want to know what kinds of posts and ads actually get traction on Facebook these days? Meta just [released their Widely Viewed Content report]( for Q2, and it contains some important insights… Links don’t work: According to the report, 90% of content views in the US came from posts that didn’t contain a link to a source outside of Facebook. Which means that, if you want to link users away from the platform, you have to be either hella likable or ready to spend money. Still social: Only 12% of views came from Feed recommendations, while most views came from Pages, Groups, and friends followed by users. It will be interesting to see whether this number changes as Facebook transitions into a recommendation-driven feed in the coming months. It’s all about the thumbnails: The report also shows that the most engaging posts all had similar elements, namely… - They were all short videos. - They had catchy thumbnails. - They had captions that were visible in the thumbnail. Why we care: If you’re a content marketer, organic reach on Facebook is grim, but there’s still some hope… By focusing on Groups and community-building, you may be able to maintain brand visibility on the platform. And if you’re running ads, the above bullets could help you to turn brand videos and user generated content into successful creative assets. SEO Helpful content update is officially live Content managers and SEOs are about to have an interesting several weeks… … And they’re off: Google announced that the much-anticipated [Helpful content update has been officially released](. The rollout is expected to take up to two weeks, but we’ll probably need more time to see whether the update will cause any tectonic shifts. Also, don’t hide your comment pages: We’ve mentioned before that Google treats user comments as part of your content. Some comments aren’t helpful, it’s true. But that doesn’t mean you should hide those pages. Google’s John Mueller says that instead of “noindexing” pages with comments, you should just [keep them tidy and cut out irrelevant comments or spam](. Why we care: Marketers are coming up with all kinds of theories and methods for complying with Google’s recent rules. But if you’ve already done everything by the book, wait out the helpful content update until there’s more data on how it’s affecting content. It’s not the first big update, after all… SPONSORED BY STACKED MARKETER 4 logical fallacies that can make people trust your brand [article-image]( Reveal the skeletons in the closet. Exposing your flaws to people is a powerful way to persuade them to trust you. Eminem uses this principle to win rap battles in the movie 8 Mile. And you can use it to win customers: When you tell your audience why they should not buy your product… they trust all the reasons why they should. And there are other cognitive biases you can leverage… Anecdotal appeal: People trust stories more than statistics. A compelling testimonial story will sell more products than data, statistics, and research backing your claims. The designer fallacy: We’re more likely to trust things that look good. Apple is incredible at using this. The “spotlight” principle: When companies present their best product first, people assume their other products are equal in quality. … And that’s from just two out of [76 pages of psychological hacks you can use in your marketing.]( [Discover the rest here.]( CONTENT MARKETING Struggling to find images for your content? Try AI image generators [article-image] Another post, another day browsing thousands of stock photos to find one that fits. It’s an exhausting task. So Don McKenzie [conducted a little experiment](: he replaced thumbnails on his website with AI-generated images. And considering that his blog is about query engine streaming tables… The results were unbelievable. No, seriously. Check some of the images in the article. Here’s why you should consider trying this out for your e-commerce or SaaS blog: Don argues that AI generator is: - Aesthetically better and makes better featured images. - Cheaper than stock photo subscriptions. He spent $45 in OpenAI credits to replace 100+ images. - A heck of a fun ride. Here’s what he learned while mastering the art of AI generator images: Engineering prompts is difficult. If you’ve ever used AI tools, you know that input doesn’t always produce the desired output. So you need to fine-tune your queries. However, as you become more familiar with the way AI “thinks,” your prompts will improve as well. Stylistic modifiers are important. Basic prompts produce bland results. But using modifiers like hyper-realistic, farmcore, steampunk, Dali, goth, Simpsons, and literally countless others will add style. You can still do post production. Cut out extra fluff, change the positions of elements, add text… Basically use an AI image generator as just one more tool in your workflow. … At the end of the day, it’s worth trying. This new, fun technology can save you a lot of time, and also breathe fresh, colorful life into your blog. And don’t be surprised if you see a couple of AI images in this newsletter in the future. We’re tempted, too… FROM THE CREW Last days! Subscribe to the ultimate newsletter bundle and win a $1,000 Amazon gift card [article-image]( You still have time to subscribe to the ultimate free marketing newsletter bundle. We have joined forces with the [best marketing newsletters]( on the internet, packed with all the latest news, advice and secret tips. Subscribe to all four of them at once and enter the chance to win a $1,000 Amazon gift card. This promotion ends on August 31 so, [sign up today before it’s too late](. THE CREW’S INSIGHTS You can start using this landing page conversion tip in less than 5 minutes [article-image] Conventional landing page wisdom says the following: - Your site’s Above the fold (ATF) header should tell people what you do. - Your site’s (ATF) subheader should tell people how you do it. Normally that’s good advice—but not always. Sometimes products are complicated. You’ve got a dozen important value props, you serve half a dozen different audience segments… You get the picture. And in these cases, it’s not always wise to use your site’s header as a broad description of what you do. Instead, it helps to focus on one specific value prop, then use the rest of your landing page to elaborate further. Here’s what we mean: Take a look at [Betterworld’s site](. It’s for nonprofits that fundraise. Their headline, “Keep more of the money you raise,” doesn’t tell you what the product is. Or what it does. But it is a great value prop, and it’s enough to get you to keep scrolling. So try this: Write two headlines. One says what your product is, and the other hits on a narrow, specific value prop. For example: - The nonprofit fundraising platform that charges $0 in fees. - Keep more of the funds you raise. Then, run an A/B test. Go with the headline that converts better. And enjoy the profits! ROUNDING UP THE STACK [MARKETING:]( Supercharge your influencer marketing campaigns with these incredible custom printed boxes. Custom Box Builder helps you create unforgettable unboxing experiences – perfect for influencer campaigns and regular customers alike. [Try it out here.](* [TIKTOK:]( 87% of users are more likely to watch a LIVE video and 76% are more likely to explore trending posts and hashtags when considering a purchase, according to TikTok data. Good to know if you’re in “shoppertainment.” [GOOGLE:]( Running out-of-home ads? Display & Video 360 now supports digital ads in stadiums, bus stops, billboards, and elevators. And while you obviously can’t target a specific audience, you can pick a time and place for your ads. Nice. [INSTAGRAM](: Point your camera right… here. Instagram quietly added the option to create QR codes for posts, Reels, locations, tags, and more. Sounds like it could be a useful tool for marketing campaigns… [GOOGLE:]( Smell that? It’s Google’s AI Test Kitchen. Their new app lets you test experimental AI-powered systems before they enter production. Plenty of these models may find their way into marketing… So if you want to test them first, now’s your chance. *This is a sponsored post. BRAIN TEASER Which day comes after the day before Friday? You can find the [answer here](. [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT Manicures in the metaverse [article-image] Imagine waking up every morning, logging into your beauty salon… … And seeing a line of avatars waiting for you to do their virtual nails. That’s how one girl in Decentraland, an Ethereum blockchain-powered virtual platform, [earns a living](. Believe it or not, she’s earning four times more in the metaverse than at her real-life job. Turns out the demand for services is high and supply is scarce. Entrepreneurial dreams don't die… They just move to the metaverse. Isn’t it nice to know we’ve got a backup plan if our dreams don’t pan out in the "physical world"? 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