👋 Overlay ads.

YouTube is sunsetting one of its ad formats, Best Buy is launching an ad platform, and more. March 9, 2023 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good morning. You should probably avoid saying “hello” from this day forward, at least in your ad copy. Vikki Ross tweeted a picture of [all the brand subject lines and headlines that abuse this phrase](, and well… we take her point. Hit reply with your best ideas and synonyms. ADVERTISING Best Buy is launching its own self-service ad platform [article-image] Oh look at that… another retailer getting in on advertising. Best Buy’s in-house company, Best Buy Ads, is launching [a self-service ad platform]( called My Ads. And we’re making our best “surprised” face… What’s inside: This dedicated ad platform lets you purchase, plan, view, and manage select campaigns on the Best Buy network. Advertisers should expect self-service real-time reporting for Onsite Display and Sponsored Products campaigns, as well as options to view and download campaign results. A good start. Check, check: Best Buy is testing My Ads with seven partners, and based on initial feedback, sounds like the platform is working better than expected, at least according to the company. Sounds like you should be able to use the platform in the near future, too. Why we care: Retail giants like Best Buy, Walmart, and others are investing heavily in in-house advertising companies. Seems there might be “e-commerce ads decentralization” happening… That means yet another platform you may be able to advertise your products on. Definitely worth keeping an eye on how this channel performs if you’re in e-commerce… GOOGLE In with Trends, out with YouTube overlay ads It’s OK – you won’t need tissues for this one. Looking fresh: Google announced its “[new and improved” Trends portal]( which brings a new, refreshed look and a bunch of new perks like… - Real-time trends on the home page that update every hour. - Links connecting trending topics to relevant articles. - Highlights on what’s trending in your country or region. Now that’s something to work with. Good riddance: YouTube has [decided to scrap overlay ads](—the pop-up banner ads that appear at the bottom of videos—starting April 6. YouTube says pop-up ads were a “legacy format” that worked only on desktop and were “disruptive for viewers.” Wonder what we’ll get instead… Why we care: Content marketers and SEOs often rely on Trends to hunt for topics, so this fresh makeover may help you brainstorm relevant ideas. And if your article is trend-worthy, you may get featured on the home page and get an influx of new traffic – so it’s potentially a new promotional channel, too. And overlay ads? Can’t say anyone will miss them, though we will probably see a more mobile-friendly video ad format replacing them at some point. Speaking of videos… SPONSORED BY WISTIA 80+ million videos analyzed. 1500+ marketers surveyed. Here’s what you need to know… [article-image]( Brands, and their audiences, have one resounding message: We. Love. Video. [Wistia analyzed over 80 million videos]( uploaded between 2018 and 2022 across more than 425,000 accounts. Then Wistia surveyed 1,500+ marketers to find out how they’re planning their video marketing strategies for the upcoming year. [The result is this free 2023 State of Video Report](, and it's chock-full of information you can use to develop an intelligent video marketing strategy of your own. Here are just a few key takeaways: - Longer videos are the fastest growing video segment. - LinkedIn and YouTube are the top distribution channels. - Customers are willing to convert for great video content. - Most brands are using video to build awareness and influence buyer behavior. So if you want to get the latest benchmarks, insights, and resources to build a smarter video marketing strategy, Wistia’s got you covered. [Download the 2023 report for free.]( E-COMMERCE Want to reduce returns? Give gifts [article-image] Customers love bundles. What nobody tells you is that a lot of times, at least one item from that bundle gets returned. Don’t worry. There is a workaround, a way to frame your offer so that customers are less likely to return those items. And it has to do with buyer psychology. Here’s what we mean… Thomas McKinelay [shares an example of two different promotions:]( - Buy a blazer and get a matching tie for $60. - Buy a $60 blazer and get a matching tie for free. Now imagine you see a similar, slightly cheaper blazer shortly after buying this one. Which of the two promotions would make you less likely to return the blazer? According to research, the second offer makes returning much more difficult. Because if you frame the second product as a part of a bundle package, people are much more likely to return an item vs. something they got as a gift. The finding comes from an interesting experiment. People were given two options – buy a sweater for $49 and get a free scarf, or buy both for $49.90. Those who chose the second option were 14% more likely to make a return. Additionally, people said they were two times more likely to return an item in a bundle promotion (30%) compared to items that came with a free gift (15%). Interesting… But why does this happen? Thomas says it’s because of how we perceive value. - Bundle promotion is utilitarian. We look through utilitarian lenses – how much money will we save. - Free gift is hedonistic. On top of being a good deal, the shopper sees it as valuable, of being a free item, which is exciting. The bottom line: When customers buy a gift promotion, they feel like they’ve gotten more value from it than a bundle promotion, and they’re less likely to return it. Definitely worth testing in your future campaigns. SPONSORED BY STACKED MARKETER PRO Create a high-converting landing page in minutes—without coding or hiring a graphic designer [article-image]( Imagine creating an entire landing page mockup… from a few text prompts. In “[A Marketer’s Complete Dive Into AI - Part 1](," we show you how to do this step by step, using an AI tool called Midjourney. You’ll see the exact prompts used—and the stunning results. You’ll also learn how to generate logos, videos, and social media posts in minutes — not hours or days. [Interested? Try Stacked Marketer Pro for $7 to read the report!]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS Common mistakes that’ll sink your copywriting—and how to fix them [article-image] In copywriting, the difference between mediocre and great can be as simple as a few common mistakes. Unfortunately, mistakes happen to the best of us—even if you’re pretty good at writing copy. Want to rise above everyone else? These are the mistakes to avoid: - Focusing on features instead of benefits. Most people don’t care that your snowboarding jacket is made with UltraHighTech™ material—and few will get what that means. They mainly care about whether or not it’ll keep them warm. - Writing about the product instead of the outcome. Taking the first bullet point a step further. People don’t really care about your snowboarding jacket. They care about having a fun, comfortable, memorable time out on the mountain. Sell that. - No alignment between ad copy and landing page copy. When someone clicks your ad, they should arrive at a landing page that echoes and expands upon what they just read. If they don’t see anything familiar, they’ll drop off. There are several more huge mistakes to avoid, but we don’t have the space for everything here. … But if you want to learn more, sign up to Stacked Marketer Pro and [take our Copywriting Essentials course](. No matter how experienced a copywriter you are, you’ll get tools, templates, and frameworks that will instantly level up your skills—and help you avoid whoppers like the ones we mentioned above. ROUNDING UP THE STACK [E-COMMERCE:]( A secret to more sales? Never skip a seasonal holiday campaign. Klaviyo has 100+ dates for your 2023 marketing calendar so you can be there for the moments your customers care about, plus real-life marketing examples. [Download your free guide.](* [GOOGLE:]( Ever seen an image, ad, or even a meme on foreign language and wished you could translate it? Well, the Google genie made that wish possible. Just use the new “Image” option in Google Translate, upload an image, and let it do its magic. [TIKTOK:]( The clock’s tiking and toking. A new bipartisan legislation could give the US administration the power to restrict, or even ban, TikTok in the country. Will they do it? Nobody knows. But the US already banned TikTok on government phones… [INFLUENCER MARKETING:]( Heard of virtual influencers? These “creators'' exist only in the virtual world, and some of them are amassing millions of followers. In fact, 58% of users that follow influencers follow at least one that’s not real… Potential brand ambassadors? [META:]( Can’t stop this leak. Facebook’s large language model, given only to approved researchers and government bodies, showed up online. It’s the first time a major tech company’s AI model was exposed to the public… Not a record to be proud off. [GOOGLE:]( Save the date. Google I/O, one of the most anticipated tech conferences this year, will take place on May 10. Expect news and updates about Bard—Google’s own ChatGPT—the new Android version, and more. We’re ready. *This is a sponsored post BRAIN TEASER What is more useful when it is broken? You can find [the answer here.]( [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT Modern day Indiana Jones [article-image] The Dutch National Archives made a trove of secret documents available to the public—as they do every year—including [a real World War II treasure map](. Apparently this hand-drawn map shows where German soldiers hid valuables as they were retreating. Estimated value? $20M in today’s money. Wow. Hundreds of detectorists and diggers rushed to find it. To no avail. So, what happened? There’s a few theories: - Best case scenario – Someone actually finds the treasure and we hear it on the news. - Acceptable scenario – There’s a theory about one soldier aware of the treasure’s whereabouts surviving and recovering it. - Worst case scenario – The entire story is made up. In any case, watch out for news coming from the Netherlands about a secret treasure being uncovered. There’s still hope. Excuse us while we fetch our whip and fedora… SHARING IS CARING Chilly? Put this on. We’ll never leave you out in the cold. When you refer our newsletter to other smart marketers—and they subscribe—we send you the coveted Marketer Zip Hoodie (50 referrals). And you’ll 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! 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