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TikTok is launching a new program for creators, Microsoft is making strategic partner moves, and more. February 21, 2023 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good morning, question for you: What would you say is the single most important marketing skill? [Here’s our founder’s take.]( If you’ve got a different opinion, hit reply and let us know. We love a good marketing debate! TIKTOK Up next: a new way to monetize content [article-image] Finish this sentence: if at first you don’t succeed… TikTok just [announced the Creativity Program Beta]( in the US, a new content monetization program that is supposed to improve on previous efforts like Creator Fund. Hooray for second chances: While Creator Fund didn’t see much success, the improved iteration should provide [more average revenue per quality video views]( than its predecessor. … Because this time, creators will be able to track video eligibility and see estimated revenue thanks to a new dashboard. Sweet. Who can use it: For now, the Creativity Program will first be invite-only before it rolls out to all eligible creators in the US. It also comes a list of requirements: - Creators need to be over 18 with an account that’s in good standing. - They must meet the minimum follower and video counts. Rumors say the floor is 100k followers, ten times larger than Creator Fund threshold. - Videos need to be “high-quality, original, and longer than one minute.” Why we care: TikTok wants to keep creators happy so it can compete with the likes of YouTube, which added revenue sharing to Shorts. But quality content also keeps audiences engaged, which in turn helps ads perform better. So hopefully this provides a harmonic relationship for everyone involved. And speaking of relationships… MICROSOFT New partnership could benefit a lot of marketers, and Bing’s AI chat is about to get better If you’re a PrestaShop merchant, Microsoft advertiser, or an AI aficionado, lean in… because we’ve got some nice news for you today. Hello, new e-commerce integration: Microsoft [announced its official partnership with PrestaShop](, a freemium, open source e-commerce platform. PrestaShop has over 300k users and is already popular in Europe and Latin America. And now, it’s getting a free Microsoft Ads and Listings module in its official Addons Marketplace. Whoa. That means you can display products using both organic channels and paid placements. Don’t worry—Microsoft included onboarding instructions in the article above. About the robot: Microsoft is planning to improve its Bing AI chat next week. CEO of advertising Mikhail Parakhin [announced the improvements]( on Twitter. The two major AI improvements he mentioned include: - Larger context size, which should reduce mistakes when summarizing and analyzing texts. - New response tagging system, which hopefully makes Bing less confused during longer conversations. Look for these improvements on Thursday, 23. We should know more by then, too. Why we care: Microsoft’s expanded ad offerings could massively benefit 300k merchants by helping them reach millions of shoppers. And by doubling down on AI search engine performance, Microsoft could also improve ads servings in its AI-generated responses, among other things. Here’s hoping, anyway. SPONSORED BY ITERABLE Thousands of the world’s best marketers are waiting to connect with you here… [article-image]( Here’s an event made exactly for marketers like you and us. Why? - It’s hybrid, so everyone can attend it from the comfort of their home or office for free. - It’s about marketing with a focus on AI, personalization, efficiency, and productivity. - Marketers like Adriana Gil Miner (CMO at Iterable), Denys Kapush (Digital Strategist at Columbia Business School), Aaron Cort (VP of Operations at ClickUp), and more are speaking. - Any company and any marketer will benefit from the three tracks you can follow: Strategy, Execution, and Professional Development. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re anything like us, you’ll join us for Activate Summit between [April 17–19](. We’re a fully remote Crew here, so we’ll be attending virtually between April 18–19 - [for free](! We’re excited. [Just have a look at last year’s sessions](. Hang out with us, Iterable, and thousands of other marketers at a conference that elevates marketing moments. [Register for the free virtual pass here.]( B2B MARKETING The most common KPIs for B2B marketers—and how to use them [article-image] Metrics can feel overwhelming—and that’s if you love data. There are so many to keep track of, it’s hard to know which ones to prioritize. And as you’ve probably discovered, it’s often difficult to explain metrics and why they matter to your team or to the heads of other departments. So we’re grateful [LinkedIn published a shortlist of KPIs that are worth tracking](. Some of them are particularly useful for demonstrating the impact of your marketing on the company’s bottom line. … And that’s invaluable when your CEO asks “how things are going.” Let’s get analytical, shall we? #1—Cost per lead (CPL). Basically this tells you whether or not your campaigns are helping your pipeline, and at what cost. To calculate your CPL, divide the total amount you’ve spent by the number of leads you generated. Simple. #2—MQL to SQL conversion rate. Want to know whether your campaigns are attracting the right kinds of people and moving them through the sales funnel? This is how to do it. You can find this number by calculating the total number of marketing qualified leads (MQLs) that become sales qualified leads (SQLs). See that? Sales and marketing can totally work together! #3—Customer Acquisition Cost (CPA). This is an important metric for determining whether your sales and marketing efforts are converting new customers efficiently. To get this number, divide the total amount you spend by the number of customers you’ve acquired. Boom. #4—Customer Lifetime Value (CVL). This tells you if the customers you’re converting are providing value and profitability beyond that first sale. Are they sticking with their subscriptions over time? Taking you up on those upsells? You can calculate this by counting up the total amount your customers spend with you. Pay attention to who spends the most, the longest! That’s not too many, is it? There are [six more]( if you’re interested. But these are some of the most common ones… and in our opinion, some of the more useful ones. Good luck! SPONSORED BY SEMRUSH Semrush versus “that other tool” [article-image]( Imagine being able to handle SEO, content marketing, competitor research, PPC, and social media marketing from the same platform. [Semrush does it all—and stands ready to prove it.]( So, if you’re on the fence about which SEO platform to choose… Compare Semrush with another popular tool to see which one is [#1](. [Then try Semrush for free!]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS The four types of customers during a recession [article-image] Whether or not you believe we’re in a recession, one thing’s for sure: the economic climate is different than it was just a year ago. Big tech has cut thousands of jobs, CFOs [are slashing budgets](, and your average customer is a bit more wary than they used to be. Now, as marketers, we’re used to segmenting people by demographics, lifestyle, or their jobs-to-be-done. But in a recession, it’s also important to group people by how they feel about the economy. John Quelch, a Harvard professor, [groups people into four categories](: - Slam-on-the-brakes. These people have fragile financial situations or changes to their situation, and reduce all unnecessary spending. - Pain, but patient. These people are cautious during a recession, but they remain optimistic. They may opt for cheaper alternatives to their purchases. - Live for today. Often young and single, these people tend to continue spending normally until something drastic changes—like losing their job. - The comfortably well. These are people with lots of money who feel comfortable riding out this, or any, recession. They typically won’t curb spending. How to use this info: Try to figure out which of your customers fit into which groups. Then, tailor your messaging to how they might be feeling right now. For example, if you’re a private-label skincare brand with a “pain, but patient” target customer, you might focus on advertising your product’s price point vs. a brand name in an effort to get these people to switch. Want more detail on how to leverage these insights? [Sign up to Stacked Marketer Pro]( and read our full report about effective marketing in a recession. ROUNDING UP THE STACK [INFLUENCER MARKETING:]( Breaking a sweat to launch influencer marketing campaigns? Relax and hop on Hypetrain! Enjoy a hassle-free journey with smart automation along the way. You’ll get a vast influencer database, advanced analytics, and all-in functionality. [Try Hypetrain for $0 right now.](* [GOOGLE](: No more opt-outs? Apparently Google is looking to disable the feature that lets you easily opt out of showing your Search campaigns in Google search partners and Display Network. User reactions range from confused to unhappy… bummer. [ADVERTISING:]( Hitting them where it hurts. Apple’s notorious App Tracking Transparency (ATT) has reportedly caused tech companies to lose a lot of money due to worsened ad performance. Facebook reported a 9% total revenue loss because of the change alone. Ouch. [ADVERTISING:]( Was spending $7M for a 30-second Super Bowl ad spot worth it? Well, viewership numbers were up for the first time in a while, so… many brands are saying “yes,” the investment was a success. [CONTENT MARKETING:]( Howdy, AI partner. Microsoft’s Edge browser has added Bing Chat to its sidebar, so it can act as your sidekick as you browse the web by summarizing articles for you and more. Kind of like Clippy, only not as cute. *This is a sponsored post BRAIN TEASER I have keys without key locks. I have space without rooms. You can enter but you cannot go outside. What am I? You can find [the answer here.]( [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT And the happiest demographic is… [article-image] Here’s a life-changing equation: More free time + less stress + everything figured out = total happiness. And you’ll never guess who has this equation nailed down: [people in their 70s](! Recent studies show happiness diminishes in mid-age, but spikes again in your 70s and 80s. In fact, you might even feel the happiest you’ve ever been. It’s not surprising, really. You don’t have to worry about AI taking your job, or recessions, or if your ads will perform well. Maybe getting old isn’t so bad after all! SHARING IS CARING Our newsletter is better with a beverage. Yep. We’d love to send you a mug to go with your coffee, tea, or… whatever you drink in the mornings. All you have to do is share our newsletter with other smart marketers. Once you get to 30 referrals, we’ll send you a free mug. And you’ll unlock other prizes along the way, like: - The Crew’s Top 10 Insights (2 referrals) - The Ultimate Holiday Marketing Deep Dive (4 referrals) … And more. Sip. Mmm, not bad. Share the referral link below to get started. [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