👎 Recommendations.

Marketers aren’t happy about a new Google Ads recommendation update, Netflix’s ad-supported tier is doing better than we thought, and more. January 9, 2023 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good morning. [When Alexandre Dumas was writing]( installments of The Three Musketeers, he got paid by the line. So Alexandre created an entire character named Grimaud, who spoke in short sentences, to increase his line count. Of course, he killed Grimaud off as soon as his publisher said short lines weren’t valid. Friendly reminder to choose your 2023 goals and targets wisely, because you and your customers will act accordingly. GOOGLE Beware of this new Ads recommendation change [article-image] So, it seems Google can “change its mind” right in the middle of implementing recommendations to your ads. And [marketers aren’t happy.]( What happened: Google invited advertisers to opt into a recommendation that would automatically suggest and remove redundant keywords within the same ad groups. But then Google announced it will start removing redundant phrases and exact match keywords in favor of broad match keywords starting January 19. What’s the issue? Well, if you applied for initial redundant keywords recommendations, Google will push this new version of recommendations to your account in less than two weeks. The problem is, Google didn’t opt advertisers out before making this change, meaning you need to opt out manually – or let Google chop and change ads without your input. But can you trust someone’s recommendations if they decide to change them suddenly later on? What you should do: Consider opting out of Google Ads recommendations within the next two weeks if you don’t want to implement this new recommendation change. It might also be wise to opt out of any other tricky recommendations so situations like these don’t catch you off guard. Why we care: While you can still benefit from using Google’s recommendations, it’s also important that you’re the one responsible for all decisions. Manually implementing recommendations instead of taking them at face value could be the wiser choice… at least for the time being. Speaking of changes… ADVERTISING What’s up with Netflix’s ad-supported tier? Initial reports suggested Netflix’s ad-supported tier was off to a rocky start. However… Netflix’s President of Worldwide Advertising Jeremi Gorman [shared positive news]( about the streaming platform’s jump into the ad business. Looking good: Jeremi says the company is “pleased with the growth,” but couldn’t disclose more because Netflix has yet to announce its earnings report. Another big positive is that debutant advertisers come from “across the board,” from CPG brands to automotive companies, luxury brands, and more. But it’s not all roses: Several challenges could hamper Netflix this year, like… - Premium pricing. Looks like Netflix may adjust CPMs as it expands the ad network. Jeremi says the market will “dictate reasonable costs.” Hmm… - Advertising rights. Much of Netflix’s content isn’t eligible for ads due to contracts made before the ad-supported tier was a thing. So the platform currently has a limited ad inventory, though Netflix is renegotiating old deals to expand it. At least Netflix is aware of the issues, and working openly to mitigate them. Why we care: As Netflix keeps expanding by adding new advertising partners and “adjusting prices,” there's a possibility that they could become a viable option for small businesses. It could be worth tracking the developments and looking for an opportunity to jump in. Let’s wait and see… SPONSORED BY IMPACT.COM How much should you pay influencers in 2023? [article-image]( Are you paying your creators a fair rate? It’s an important question, because how much you invest often determines your ROI. [Impact.com gathered data to help you answer this question.]( They’ve helped brands like Sephora, JSHealth, Levi’s, Nurx, and others drive sales with creative partnerships. And in this blog post, they help you find out whether you’re underpaying—or overpaying—creators. [Inside you’ll find:]( - A range of pricing structures per influencer based on the type and social media channel. - US and global pricing tiers. - The kind of ROI influencer marketing can drive for your business. - How to identify the right creators for your influencer campaigns. [Check out the blog post here.]( MARKETING Don’t predict the future. Follow your audience instead [article-image] Let’s face it: marketers aren’t fortune tellers. And while it’s tempting to try and predict the next big thing and capitalize on your psychic abilities, Rand Fishkin [has a completely different theory]( — Before boarding the hype train, wait for a chunk of your audience to get there first. Makes sense. If you jump on a trend too early, your potential customers may not be there yet. And when the dust settles, you may realize your audience never got there at all. Imagine jumping to #Web3 as a marketer in 2017. It seems like you’re spearheading a rising tide that’s bound to change the world. You’re certain everyone will follow… But five years later, your risk averse peers are still making bucks on #Web2, because that’s where the majority of the audience is. There are countless other examples of failed predictions, from Google Glass marketing to Voice Search SEO. Marketers are tempted to try new stuff, but forget an essential truth: You only make positive returns when you capture your audience’s attention. That’s why marketers who chase existing trends instead of trying to predict trends have greater returns. It’s less exciting but more predictable, and it leads to stable, consistent growth. So unless you’re building a product, or you’re a venture capitalist, wait until you have substantial evidence that a chunk of your audience is adopting a trend. Then invest, monitor your returns, and double down or back off depending on results. Here are a few other things Rand recommends: - Don’t optimize for keywords you “predict” people may search in the future. - Don’t predict social media topic trends. Instead, add value to those that are already driving interest and engagement. - Don’t be the first to jump on new formats. Wait until your data shows your audience has started using it. - Don’t invest heavily in a new social platform unless you see plenty of your audience there as well. Create a profile, post from time to time, and monitor activity. Yeah, that’s a lot of don’ts. But you can think of this as a reminder not to get ahead of yourself, especially if things are going well. At the end of the day, the best way to stay on top of trends that are worth going for is to stay well informed. If only there was a marketing newsletter that could help… Oh, wait. SPONSORED BY STACKED MARKETER PRO Unleash marketing insights and proven strategies designed for the pet industry [article-image]( Pet ownership continues to rise in the United States. And you know what that means… pet industry marketing is growing, too! So if you need analysis on the current state of marketing, future opportunities, and consumer behaviors in this booming industry… … You’ll find it all in[A Marketer’s Deep Dive Into The Pet Industry](, along with detailed case studies and hundreds of marketing examples. [Try Stacked Marketer Pro for $7 and get this deep dive.]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS Using cost caps on your Facebook Ads? Two things you should know about that… [article-image] Yes, cost per result (also known as “cost caps”) bids are a great way to optimize your Facebook Ads while boosting profitability. But it’s important to make sure you’re using Facebook’s bidding strategies the right way, or it could adversely affect your ad performance. Here are two common mistakes – and how to fix them: Mistake #1 - Setting your cost caps too low. If you tell Facebook to bring you conversions at a cost it can’t deliver on, your campaigns will stop spending. What to do instead: Use historical data and your past cost per acquisition (CPA) to set your cost cap. Set your cost cap based on your current CPA, and decrease it over time. Mistake #2 - Making extreme changes. Setting a cost cap after making extreme changes to your ads forces your ads to go through the learning phase all over again. It also risks setting the cap too low and not letting your budget spend. What to do instead: Set cost caps as a way to optimize your best performing ads, instead of when you first create an ad. It’s best to set caps on ads that are already performing, as a way to optimize them further. Our takeaway? Cost caps aren’t the answer to your underperforming ads, nor are they a prerequisite for new ads. Just use them as a way to squeeze better performance out of your ads, and you’ll be golden. ROUNDING UP THE STACK [EMAIL PSYCHOLOGY:]( Unfair marketing advantage? Yes, please. Our latest email marketing swipe file reveals psychology principles you can apply right away to get more email sales, opens, and clicks—plus hundreds of email examples to swipe. [Get an unfair advantage here.](* [ADVERTISING:]( About time! Dentists can now sign up for Google Local Service Ads in the US and pick from more than 20 different dental-related services. Now all that remains is to see the costs per lead (CPL)... [SEO:]( If you’ve tried using ChatGPT to generate headlines for your articles… that’s OK. According to Google’s John Mueller, you can use it to try out new things, but he’d “discourage using it blindly” since you know your audience better than any tool. [GOOGLE:]( Heads up, developers. Google Ads API v10 will sunset on February 1, which means new API requests will fail after this date. Sounds like it’s time to migrate to the new version… [META:]( Half a billion people downloaded the Facebook app in 2022, with relative majortiy – about 26.6% – coming from India. To paraphrase Mark Twain, it sounds like reports of Faceebook’s demise were “greatly exaggerated.” [TWITTER:]( Big UI changes coming. According to Elon Musk, you can expect an easy swipe left/swipe right for navigating between recommended and followed Tweets later this week. Up next is a bookmark button, with longform Tweets coming in February. Whew. *This is a sponsored post BRAIN TEASER I do not speak, cannot hear or speak anything, but I will always tell the truth. What am I? You can find [the answer here.]( [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT World’s oldest chicken? [article-image] Meet Peanut. Peanut is said to be 20 years old, and you’d think she’s almost old enough to buy alcohol in the US. But there’s one major problem… [Peanut is a chicken.]( According to an online chicken-years-to-human-years calculator, Peanut has lived the equivalent of 220 human years so far. To put that into perspective, if she were a 220-year-old human, she would have been around during Napoleon’s reign. Whoa. Peanut’s proud owner wants to reward this astonishing longevity with a Guinness World Records recognition. Someone give that chicken the award already! SHARING IS CARING "The information is too much and too jam packed." —a reader who unsubscribed Well… not everyone can handle staying on top of digital marketing. It’s a busy industry! 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