⬆️ 45M.

Major social media platforms reveal how many users they really have, consumers are cutting back, and more. February 20, 2023 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good morning. What are the clouds doing where you are? We recently came across a Twitter thread that walks you through [the most common cloud formations and what they mean](, so we’ll probably be looking out the window a lot this week. If only reading today’s economy were so simple, you know? SOCIAL MEDIA Why Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms are suddenly revealing their user numbers [article-image] It’s not for the bragging rights. Social media platforms [have started revealing how many EU users they have]( to align with the new Digital Service Act (DSA), a rule that aims to tackle illegal, fake, and harmful content. They got new rules, they count ‘em: To comply with DSA, platforms and search engines above 45M in EU users have to reveal their numbers—or face enormous fines. Here’s how many EU users each platform has so far: - YouTube: 401.7M. - Google Search: 332M. - Facebook: 255M. - Instagram: 250M. - TikTok: 125M. - LinkedIn: 122M. - Bing 107M. - Twitter: 100.9M. Meanwhile, Snapchat [reached 750M monthly active users worldwide](, with roughly US 150M users, and fewer than 100M EU users. Now for the hard part: All the platforms mentioned above, along with others like Pinterest, AliExpress, and Wikipedia, must analyze their content moderation policies every year to make sure they comply with DSA. Also, they’ll have to enforce laws to protect minors, and apply new transparency rules that allow users to opt out from user tracking. Why we care: The user numbers can help you better understand the geographic prospecting pool each platform has in the EU. But more importantly, because most popular platforms are about to face the DSA crackdown, you may see changes in their ad performance. At least in the EU. Keep an eye on those dashboards… ECONOMY Consumers are cutting back on nonessentials You’re probably going to see fewer “impulse buys” over the next few months… About [70% of US consumers plan to cut back on nonessential spending](. 15% plan to stop completely as the recession continues, a new PwC study shows. Money balks: Half of the consumers surveyed said they’re very concerned about their personal financial situations, and 11% said they’re switching to in-store shopping to avoid delivery fees. Glass half-full: On the other hand, [a separate report]( claims there’s been a rise in some retail sales, including sporting goods (7%) and furniture and home (4%). Electronics and appliances… not so much. Both saw a 6% drop. How concerned should you be? Maybe only a little. Even economists admit that [they can’t actually figure out what’s going on](. Manufacturing data and consumer spending seem to suggest that a recession is either in progress or imminent. But it might be a mild recession without a huge spike in unemployment. There’s also a case to be made for a “soft landing" as consumers keep spending and the job market keeps growing. Fingers crossed. Why we care: Don’t be surprised if you see a drop in sales over the next few months, especially if you’re selling a nonessential product or service. In the meantime, you might consider pumping up your advertising and targeting efforts to find people that are likely to buy. And if you really want to dial in your ad targeting, there’s a simple way to… SPONSORED BY ADBISON Stop spending money on fake clicks and installs and start attracting real users [article-image]( Imagine if you could manage all your advertising on one convenient platform, while getting results that would thrill your CFO? [You can with AdBison.]( AdBison’s platform helps you reach millions of customers across thousands of browsing points, worldwide. And instead of wasting your budget on low quality traffic, fraud, and bots, [you’ll get TRIBUNAL](, their in-house traffic filtering system that cleans millions of suspicious activities using 52 unique metrics and data points like IP, User Agent, OS, conversions, and more. All that and more info like how you can get up to 10% cashback on your spend, and preset reports for fast data analysis if you [check out the AdBison website](. [Or better yet, talk to AdBison in person at Affiliate World Dubai.]( Interested? You can [set up an in-person meeting]( with the team at Affiliate World Dubai at Booth D30. Last but not least, first 20 Stacked Marketer readers to sign up and deposit $1,000 will get a special welcome gift. [Sign up now.]( ADVERTISING 4 things one marketer learned after spending $22M on Facebook Ads [article-image] There’s a lot of things behind the scenes that affect your Facebook Ads performance. So it pays to understand what they are—and how they can help you squeeze the most out of every dollar you spend. Thankfully, Nigel Thomas has spent $22M on Facebook Ads alone, so he knows a few things about the platform. He [shared a few insights]( from his seasoned career that may help you get more out of your Facebook Ads spend. Let’s check them out… #1 – Facebook’s power is in discovery. Most advertisers are so fixated on ROAS that they forget about the cross-platform customer journey. For instance, let’s say someone sees your ad on Facebook, and then sees it two days later on Google, and finally makes a purchase after seeing it a third time on TikTok. All three platforms had a role in the purchase, but Facebook—and Instagram—have sophisticated targeting technology and a huge user base, making them best for discovery. #2 – The content does the targeting. Facebook’s algorithm has spent 18 years learning how to target customers, and it does a decent job of hitting the right people with suggested content. So focus on creating personalized content that resonates with your audience and let the algorithm do all the legwork. #3 – User experience matters. The happier your ads make users, the more likely Facebook will show them. It’s that simple. So think about things like bounce rate, clicks, reviews, and other elements that impact your ad quality score and you’ll see better results. #4 – It’s about the top of the funnel. Facebook is a social platform, not a high intent purchase platform like Google and Amazon. So try to emphasize education, benefits, problem-solving, and curiosity to grab attention of lower-intent audiences and introduce them to your brand's story. Oh, and remember – you have only 2.5 seconds to hook ‘em! That’s it. Hopefully this helps you tweak your strategy a little bit and get that extra ounce out of your ads efforts. Good luck! SPONSORED BY CXL Talented marketers are expensive and hard to find. Here’s how to start interviewing highly-skilled remote marketers in 5 days for free. [article-image]( US marketers start at $70,000, and can take months to hire. But did you know you can find skilled international talent for $40,000/year? Just as qualified as their US competitors. [CXL matches you with potential hires in just 5 business days]( - all marketers come with a minimum of 2 years of experience, are vetted and tested for English proficiency, practical skills and trained at CXL by top 1% marketers. And CXL guarantees to replace a candidate within the first 90 days if they leave or don’t perform. A win-win-win. [Interview marketing talent for free.]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS Different ways to upsell your customers [article-image] Why settle for a scoop of ice cream when you can add sprinkles and hot fudge too? Adding toppings is a no-brainer. That’s how you want your customers to feel when they’re browsing your store. If you can present them with a relevant product that will elevate their experience, they’re likely to go for it. The question is, how do you upsell customers, while still making them feel like it was their choice? Great question. Here are four different places on your store where you can upsell customers: - In their carts. This will help your customers visualize having the product in their carts, and they’ll be more open to adding them. If you sell a charm bracelet, have different, popular charms automatically shown on the cart page. - The post-purchase page. Right after they’ve placed an order, automatically suggest relevant products that will enhance their experience. For example, try to upsell socks that match the running shoes they just bought. Suddenly, while their dopamine is high, those socks look like a great idea. Especially if they’re a one-click purchase! - The product page. This is classic, yet super effective. Pair products that work together by placing them on each other’s product pages. Does the necklace they’re looking at have a matching ring? Put it on full display. Don’t forget: No matter which method you try, make the call to action button clear and visible. Try this out. You may be pleasantly surprised by the lift you see in your sales… ROUNDING UP THE STACK [COPYWRITING:]( Most copywriting courses teach you how to write long sales letters—not very helpful when you’re writing copy for digital platforms. So we made the Copywriting Essentials course, just for you. [Try it for just $7 when you join Stacked Marketer Pro.](* [META:]( First Twitter, now Meta. The platform is launching its own “check” subscription called Meta Verified. Perks include a verified badge (obviously) as well as impersonation monitoring, comment prioritization, and more. Price? $11.99 on the web and $14.99 on iOS. [GOOGLE:]( … Just got Finnish-ed. Following the footsteps of Austria, Italy, France, and Denmark, Finland is the latest European country to ban Google Analytics for breaching GDPR. And it feels like the list is going to get longer… [AI MARKETING:]( Ads are definitely coming to Bing’s AI search. Microsoft is already pitching new ad placements to advertisers, showing examples of potential placements in AI-generated responses. Apparently they’re going to be “bigger and more prominent than regular search ads.” Let’s see… [BUSINESS:]( Uh-oh. GoDaddy—one of the leading online domain registrars—said its network suffered a “multi-year security compromise” that resulted in hijacked customer websites and accounts. If you’re hosting on GoDaddy, double check everything. *This is a sponsored post BRAIN TEASER It runs but cannot walk, sometimes sings but never talks. Lacks arms, has hands; lacks a head but has a face. What is it? You can find the [answer here]([.]( [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT A shot of art with ice [article-image] Think you’ve seen everything? Nope, not until you’ve seen the 12-foot ice sculpture of Ullr, Norse god of winter. Ullr was just one of many [fascinating entries into the International Snow Sculpture Championships]( in Colorado. And yes, the entire event is as awesome as it sounds. Twelve teams representing eight different countries spent 94 hours in low temperatures to sculpt and carve magnificent ice figures. The results? Well, [check them out]( yourself. Let’s just say you’ll get the chills. And we mean the good ones… SHARING IS CARING “Awww, you shouldn’t have.” It seriously means a lot to us when you share our newsletter. So when you share Stacked Marketer with other marketers—and they subscribe—we reciprocate instantly with awesome content and merch, like: - The Crew’s Top 10 Insights (2 referrals) - The Marketer Mug (30 referrals). … And loads more. 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