◀️ Revert.

Online sales are going backwards in time. TikTok’s new ad format just announced. October 14, 2022 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( TGIF. Yesterday, we asked you whether you had issues with ad account bans more than usual… The good news is that you’re not alone – ad account issues are common among marketers with a variety of products and budget levels, from what you told us. The bad news is that there’s no pattern, just the usual stuff marketers have to deal with all year round… Let’s switch to some good news! TIKTOK Updates on new campaign objective, livestream success, and Amazon traffic [article-image] If the following feature was a TikTok… It would definitely come in two or three. Let’s start with ads: The battle for attention is fierce and TikTok [upped the ante with Focused view]( – a new campaign objective where you’ll pay for an ad only if: - The viewer interacted with an ad within 6 seconds or… - Watched that ad for more than 6 seconds Meaning that you won’t get charged for an ad view if the user just glances over it. Cool. The platform also announced another two big updates: - Improved creator marketplace (TTCM) allowing brands to find creators more easily, activate creators at scale, and measure and optimize campaign performance. - Showtimes: A new native experience that will allow filmmakers and movie studies to promote their latest film by showing trailers and theatre information to drive movie-going. But the money is in real time: TikTok’s [livestream business is surging](. According to reports, the livestreaming revenue still accounts only for 15% of the platform’s turnover. However, this segment grew by a staggering 990% in the past two years and may soon establish itself as the main growth driver for the company, next to ads. First step to a sale: The platform is also establishing itself as the first touchpoint for shopping intent. For instance, it’s becoming [a big driver for Prime Day sales](. According to Modern Retail, brands are using short video content on TikTok to drive awareness and traffic to other ecommerce platforms during big sales days. Which is big. Why we care: Focused view objective shows that it’s not only important that someone sees an ad, but how they see it, and for how long. It‘s also interesting to follow the growth of livestream shopping and how other platforms, such as Amazon, could use TikTok to up their own sales performance. E-COMMERCE Sales reverting to pre-pandemic levels It looks like online commerce went back in time. Because according to the US Census Bureau, the share percentage of [retail sales generated online in the US is receding]( – and may soon get back to how it was in 2019. A glimpse of the past: Before the outbreak, the share of sales made online in the US sat around 11.9%, and peaked at 16.4% in Q2 of 2020, at the height of the pandemic. The curve flattened and started going downwards, sitting currently at 14.5%. And you shouldn’t blame the economy: Yes, people became cautious, but overall spending hasn’t tanked. The main cause is simple – people just want to go outside. Store visits are up and spending shuffled from merchandise and non-essential products during the pandemic to “outdoor experiences” such as entertainment and travel. Why we care: We might be entering a period of consolidation of online and offline shopping. Take this and other signals into account if you’re running ads for an e-commerce business before you make any overly ambitious investments. SPONSORED BY DEMAND CURVE What you can learn from this Patagonia ad [article-image]( This Patagonia ad uses "power words,” or words that trigger emotions. But what's remarkable is that these power words move different emotions depending on the order you read them. From top down, they cause anger and fear: screwed, it’s too late, we don’t have a choice. Bottom up, they offer hope and encouragement: choice, livable, healthy future. The CTA (not pictured) reads, "Buy less, demand more." Shocking, coming from a retailer… The takeaway? Feelings dictate decisions. They govern why we buy and what we buy. And if your copywriting isn't triggering highly arousing emotions like encouragement, fear, arousal, anger, safety, or curiosity… it’s time for a rewrite. For more insights and tactics like this, check out Demand Curve's Growth Newsletter. Each week, they interview experts to get actionable growth tactics that you can use to grow your company. [See more examples and get the next issue here.]( LINKEDIN How to boost your personal brand by making your LinkedIn profile engaging [article-image] They say – If you’re in marketing, but not on Linkedin… are you in the industry at all? Nowadays, being engaging and visible on LinkedIn opens an array of opportunities: - It’s easier for recruiters, potential clients, and other interested parties to spot you - You can establish yourself as thought leader and get recognized in the industry - You can be the most effective ambassador for your company And Tequia Burt [lists tips to help you get your LinkedIn profile in top shape.]( Let the makeover begin… 1 – Use rich media: Even historically text-based platforms like Twitter are moving away from text-only content. So why would you use only text for your LinkedIn content? Combine it with native video content, compelling images, carousel posts, and other rich media that will become more prominent on the platform in the future. 2 – Keep your updates short: The only way those long, dragged-out LinkedIn posts are getting engagement is when other people make fun of them on Twitter. Plus, users don’t have time to read multiple essays while scrolling. Tell your audience exactly what’s in it for them. Use 150 or fewer characters, call out your audience, ask thought-provoking questions: Tech marketers, will VR ever be a thing? 3 – Use Showcase pages: If you have a brand, make sure you create Showcase Pages that offer unique value to your audience. This helps your audience follow the segment of your company that they’re interested in. 4 – Respond to questions: You can ask questions, but it won’t mean much unless you respond to them as well. Engaging with your audience in comments will add dynamism to your profile, bring you closer to your audience, and provide trust and loyalty. 5 – Take advantage of the Content suggestion tool: If you’ve ever hit a dry spell, [ask this tool for help.]( It will list topics and content your audience cares about depending on the industry, location, job function, etc. This should help you always have fresh content ready. But that’s not all. There’s seven more suggestions [in the original article]( and they can all contribute to your personal LinkedIn brand – and more career opportunities. SPONSORED BY KARTA Open a business account online in 5 minutes. Unlimited virtual cards, expenses, invoices, teams - all in one place. [article-image]( [With Karta.io](, you don’t need a traditional bank anymore. - Open a business account online in 5 minutes. - Create unlimited virtual cards for your business: single-use, subscription payment, advertising expenses, and more. - Set budgets by teams, projects, or ad campaigns. Add employees, customize the rules and limits and set up a manager. - Easily pay and track everything your company spends in real-time. Get control over company spending. [Join Karta today and get a 3-month free trial.]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS Why using buzzwords in your copy isn’t always a bad thing [article-image] If there’s one thing every marketer has learned about copywriting, it’s that buzzwords are bad. In most marketing circles, using words like “seamless”, “supercharge”, and “elevate” will get you banished to the ninth circle of Copywriting Hell. While this copywriting advice above is sometimes good, it shouldn’t be taken as a hard-and-fast rule. Here’s why… - A common truth: Buzzwords don’t have intellectual value. The word “seamless” doesn’t really mean anything. - An uncommon truth: Buzzwords often have emotional value. The word “seamless” doesn’t mean anything, but it feels good. Most people aren’t marketers who’ve obsessed about words like these. When they read seamless, it feels… empty, yes. But it feels positive. How to use buzzwords: You can try using buzzwords in your copy when you want to add subtle, positive emotional value to your copy without distracting the customer from your message. Take these two examples: - Seamless project management for remote teams. - One-click, asynchronous project management for remote teams—finally. Most copywriters would prefer the second line. But, in many cases, the “seamless” line would outperform it. Why? Because while the first line adds subtle emotional weight to a simple concept, the second line introduces new concepts (like ‘one-click’ and ‘asynchronous’ and ‘finally’) that might actually distract from the purpose. How do we know this? We’ve spent thousands of hours breaking down the marketing practices of top brands for our premium content offering, Stacked Marketer Pro. Many top brands, as it happens, use buzzwords like these—and while some of it may be attributed to copywriter laziness, some of it is also attributable to performance. If you want to learn more tactical insights like these, [get access to Stacked Marketer Pro for $7 today for your first week.]( ROUNDING UP THE STACK [TARGETING OPTIMIZATION:]( Ad targeting is broken. But that doesn’t have to break your Q4 margins. With Black Crow AI, you get that targeting power back—and spend your budget only on high-intent prospects. Ready to have your best Q4 ever? [Try it free.](* [STREAMING:]( It's official. Netflix's ad supported plan launches November 3rd and will cost $6.99 per month. The platform announced that they’ll use Nielsen digital audience measurement in the U.S to track and measure their ads. Interesting… [TWITTER:]( An additional link in bio? Not quite, but Twitter introduced “Link Spotlight,” allowing businesses to add an interactive button to their profile that will drive profile visitors to your most important page – for example viewing a menu or listening to a podcast. Nice! [MARKETING:]( Everyone could use an extra pair of hands–especially marketing agencies. That’s why 75% of marketing agencies are outsourcing some of their work to freelancers or other agencies. No surprises here… [GOOGLE:]( Bye-bye “Google webmaster guidelines.” Google is rebranding the section to “Google Search Essentials” which will come in a simplified, three-section only guide. Short and sweet! *This is a sponsored post BRAIN TEASER If there are three cups of sugar and you take one away, how many do you have? You can find the [answer here.]( [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT My pet cloud [article-image] “All furry things are indeed therapeutic…” That’s how one software engineer started a story about his pet. So.. he was talking about a dog, cat, or a hamster, right? Wrong – he’s talking [about a floating cloud](. Whaat!? Yep, this guy designed a cloud that can follow him around… or float around freely, doing…cloud stuff. Apparently, the man built the cloud to honor his pet dog that passed away last year. In the end, he put his dog’s picture inside the cloud and released it to join his fluffy buddies in the sky. Hey, who’s cutting onions? SHARING IS CARING “The most comfortable hoodie I’ve ever had” - you, when you try on our hoodie. Seriously, everyone on The Crew loves how cozy and soft our hoodies are, and we think you’ll love them too! But, you don’t just get a hoodie: Exclusive content, Stacked Marketer Pro access, and even a trip to Vienna on us – those are all things you can win if you refer readers to our newsletter. Get started by hitting the link below! [article-image]( [CLICK TO SHARE]( Or copy your referral link: [ [SUBSCRIBE]( | [SM PRO]( | [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. Or you can unsubscribe from all daily updates by clicking [here.]( Our postal address: Spectrum IT Solutions GmbH, Canettistrasse 1/Top 0107, 1100 Wien, Austria