🕵️‍♀️ AI powers.

Google Search ads just got AI-driven features, why the trend in the US ad market isn’t all bad, and more. February 28, 2023 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good morning. It’s the last day of February. It’s also unofficially “comfort an Italian day.” You’ll see why when you get to today’s Poolside Chat. We suggest having a bottle of red wine handy… GOOGLE Search ads just got more AI powers [article-image] You had to know it was coming… Google [announced new AI-powered tools]( that should help you create Search ads faster and also make them perform better. Let AI help you with that: The new features include… - AI-generated assets. Google can automatically make creative assets in campaign-level settings, feeding the algorithm with more combinations. Google will also generate ads depending on your ads unique context – including the landing page. - New customer acquisition goal. Powered by Smart Bidding and your first-party data, you can now set two modes to reach your campaign goals – prioritize bidding to new customers, or bid for new customers only. Nice. When it will be available: You should have a new customer acquisition goal available already. Automatically created assets are available to all advertisers in English. Google also says it plans to roll out the feature for additional languages later this year. Why we care: Google keeps doubling down on automation, machine learning, and first-party data in preparation for when cookies expire. Now’s probably a good time to start implementing all these changes so you can get acquainted with the new ways of doing things… ADVERTISING Uh-oh, the US ad market fell. Again. It’s a seventh, but it’s definitely not heaven. The [US ad market fell for the seventh consecutive month this January]( – a 5.8% drop compared to January last year, according to the Standard Media Index. Don’t panic: On the surface the drop may look worse than it actually is, being compared to 2022, when it jumped 23.1%, catalyzed by the pandemic e-commerce boom. Zoom out, and this year’s results show a 15% increase compared to two years ago. So there might not be too much to worry about, especially considering the circumstances. Probably just seasonal allergies: Also, the digital share of US ad spend fell to 52% in January, which is historically the weakest month coming after a strong holiday season for digital ads. Why we care: Yes, costs are rising and brands are still being cautious. But things aren’t as bad as they may appear. In fact, you might even say they’re looking up. By the way, it doesn’t hurt to run ads while everyone else is pinching budgets. Just another way to slice up some market share… SPONSORED BY DTCX Save the date… [article-image]( Could you use [actionable tips from top leaders]( in DTC e-commerce on how to thrive in this challenging year? Good, because DTCx5 Global, the largest e-commerce virtual event, is about to take off. And it’s packed with the customer experience tools and streamlining processes that winning brands are using to do more with less. [From the comfort of your home or office, you can:]( - Enjoy insightful presentations from e-commerce industry leaders like headline speaker Kara Goldin, Founder of Hint Water. - Uncover critical DTC e-commerce strategies and trends from industry leading brands like Sharma Brands, Beardbrand, True Classic, OBVI, HUSH, Mid-Day Squares, and more. - Connect with industry peers, leaders, and speakers to share ideas for growth. [And it's completely free.]( Get hundreds of strategic takeaways in only two days. No commercials and no fluff. The event is going live March 15–16. [Reserve your spot at DTCx5 for free.]( SEO How do you make the most of your B2B content? Don’t optimize it all for SEO [article-image] Yes, when done correctly, B2B SEO can bring you heaps of leads. But all it takes is one core update or algorithm change for your entire lead generation strategy to crumble. And that could pull down your entire business, too. To avoid this catastrophe, [Taylor Perry says]( you should take some of the eggs from the SEO basket and put them into four other baskets—er, distribution channels. Let’s check them out… #1 – Create case studies. Ah, the good old demonstration of your brand’s power. By displaying how you solve problems, you’re showing your audience how you’ll solve theirs, too. However, most B2B case studies are painfully boring. Taylor recommends creating compelling stories that show how you transformed your clients’ lives. Of course, show the data to back up your claims. #2 – Create thought leadership content. This can be crucial, especially because more than half of B2B decision makers spend hours consuming this type of content every week. By “getting out there” and sharing your experiences, interacting, and forming relationships, you can attract new customers and leave a “subconscious mental mark” on your audience. #3 – Answer questions on message boards. Prove that you’re the expert. Find online questions that relate to your business and help people resolve their pain points. Message boards are their own kind-of-SEO, because other people will have the same questions, then search and land on your answers. #4 – Create product-driven content. Probably the most important content you create. Your demos, how-to guides, reviews, etc., all help you educate your potential audience. But just like case studies, they can’t be bland. Understand your customers, create a variety of content, sprinkle some entertainment in it, and don’t be afraid to experiment. So if you don’t want to cry, just diversify. Taylor also includes some real life examples of the above tips that may inspire you – [check them out.]( SPONSORED BY CXL How to hire a remote digital marketing dream team, even if you don’t have a big budget [article-image]( An affordable remote marketing dream team? It’s easier to make that a reality than you may think. [With CXL, you can interview highly-skilled marketers in just five business days.]( For free. CXL has helped thousands of clients find talented, highly motivated remote marketers at salaries from $40,000/year. … A 30–70% savings on annual salary costs! All backed by CXL’s proven vetting process and a no-hassle 90-day replacement guarantee. [Hire your remote marketing team quickly.]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS Let’s increase your ROAS with offer testing [article-image] The road to high return on ad spend (ROAS) can be bumpy. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and you’ll never know what works for your brand without running a test. So if you want to increase your ROAS, test the offers that you advertise. Here are three offers that you can play with to help you boost your ROAS: - Discount rates. If you usually advertise a pretty 15% off discount on your ads, it’s time to test a flat fee. Try advertising $8 off the product. Since it’s easier to grasp the value of a flat-fee, you just might see your conversion rate increase. - Shipping offers. We all know and love free shipping. But will adding a minimum cost to qualify for free shipping increase your average order value? Try it and find out! - Product offers. If your store currently runs a “buy one, get one” offer, then it might be a good idea to test your audience’s reaction to a free gift with purchase—or even a free mystery box! The truth is, there’s plenty of new strategies and tactics you can try. But if you haven’t found the true ROAS-booster? Just keep testing. … And don’t be alarmed if your ROAS skyrockets the next time you check your dashboard. ROUNDING UP THE STACK [OMNICHANNEL MARKETING:]( Only 35% of companies feel they are successfully achieving omnichannel personalization. Are you one of them? Segment’s latest guide is all about mastering your own omnichannel approach. What it is. Why you need it. And how to do it really well. [Download the guide.](* [AI MARKETING:]( Watch your tone, Bing. Microsoft’s chatbot is getting its first upgrade – the ability to set the tone to creative, precise, or balanced, meaning you can tune your responses depending on your requirements. Nice! [TIKTOK:]( Maybe it feels like Groundhog Day, but it’s not. Yesterday we reported that UK is calling for banning TikTok from government devices due to “unacceptable levels of risk.” Canada is now also saying "no thanks" to the app. [SNAPCHAT:]( The robots are indeed taking over. Snapchat is the latest social platform to add a ChatGPT-like feature, called My AI. It’s powered by Open AI’s latest GPT tech and will be available for Snapchat+ subscribers. A little personal Snap assistant. [AI MARKETING:]( Oh, and speaking of virtual assistants, Meta’s recently released open-source LLaMA model is apparently outperforming GPT-3 despite being 10 times smaller. And it can be easily fine-tuned “according to your preferences.” Exciting. *This is a sponsored post BRAIN TEASER You live in a one story house made entirely of redwood. What color would the stairs be? You can find [the answer here](. [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT Most popular cuisine in the world? [article-image] Spoiler alert: It’s not Italian. Yes, we’re shocked too. Ask most gastronomads who tried ‘em all, and you’d think the majority would say: hearty pastas, surrounded by sommeliers pouring the finest wines, possibly along the Sicilan coast… Ma non questa volta. It’s not the spicy salsas of Mexico, or the tofu and kung pao chickens of China, or the Turkish with their flavorful kebabs… [The most popular cuisine is Korean.]( Yes, and wow. So next time you eat out, get yourself some kimchi, bulgogi, or gochujang. Let us know if you agree with the choice. As for us? Well, we can’t argue – Korean food is spicy, diverse, flavorful and healthy. Yum yum! SHARING IS CARING Baby it’s still cold outside. When you refer our newsletter to other smart marketers—and they subscribe—we send you the coveted Marketer Zip Hoodie (50 referrals). And you unlock other rewards along the way, like: - The Crew’s Top 10 Insights (2 referrals) - The Ultimate Holiday Marketing Deep Dive (4 referrals) Zip. Mmm, cozy. Share your referral link below to start unlocking exclusive content and merch! [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. 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