Hello and welcome!

In case you’re new here, this is your weekly dose of digital marketing news and data to help you make informed decisions. Stay tuned to the end for a dash of mindfulness to ease the stress of the day.

• 72% of respondents to a recent survey said AI-driven personalization and generative AI will affect their business the most in 2024. Here’s the scary part: “AI is also powering hyperpersonalization by using complex user data such as real-time browsing behavior and predictive digital preferences to create highly customized experiences.” What could go wrong with that? We should all be pondering the ethics of that question.

• What is a position-less marketer? According to Optimove, this marketer has a diverse skill set and can adapt and collaborate to drive business outcomes. Is this the direction marketing is going in the automated, AI-driven future? Our thought: AI still needs inputs and oversight from well-versed specialists in some of today’s key digital marketing roles – SEO, PPC, Data Analytics, etc.

• Generative AI is a hot topic (still), but how are people actually using it? As a marketer, I found this interesting because “content creation & editing” was the second-most popular use. We go into this in our latest POV, but as a reminder: AI should be an assistant, not the sole writer.

• We all know social media shows us what we want to see. If Joe Schmoe engages with a video of monkeys doing the tango, naturally, the algorithm will show him more dancing monkeys. The day Joe takes a trip to the jungle, with the thought of seeing these hairy performers live, he’ll be in for a rude awakening. Now, this is a silly example, but the topic can be ANY topic. We need to be aware that social media algorithms silo our information. A way we combat this is through ethical marketing, based on the principles of transparency and accuracy. Get more about ethical marketing and disinformation from ClickZ.

• We’ve been talking about antitrust suits for Google, Meta, and Amazon, but what about Apple? U.S. regulators are now also targeting Apple for monopolizing the smartphone market. Are there other situations we take for granted that may be up for targeting by regulators?

Has Written Content Become the “Um Like” of Marketing? 💬

Um, like, I mean, you know, uh…

We are all familiar with these filler words…. We tune them out whenever someone is talking and just listen to the stuff that matters.

The same thing happens with poorly written content. Unless content is created with the audience in mind, it becomes as meaningless as the filler words peppering English sentences. Why has some written content become so boring, and how do we fix it? Read more in our latest POV: Has Written Content Become the “Um Like” of Marketing?

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Recently, I had a stranger treat me unkindly.

I didn’t respond and went on my way. It was a small interaction, but it made me think (as pretty much everything does). Maybe this person had a bad day or believes they’re stuck in an unhappy life path.

In a later conversation with Niki , our amazing CEO, she shed some light on these kinds of interactions. She said we have three ways to respond: 1. react with the same hostility, 2. pretend to ignore it, or 3. genuinely respond with civility.

When we choose the high-road option in #3, we surpass our own ego and show kindness to someone who may need it. Whether they rethink their actions is not up to us. But we all know deep down if we show more kindness and compassion, the world can be better.

Looking forward to seeing you here next week!

Natalie

Growing season is here 🌱

If you love to garden, here are some awesome hacks for you!

Hey y’all!

August may be drawing to an end soon, but we are far from stopping this digital marketing train!

🚅📰📰📰📰📰🚃

 

• Our friend and CEO from The Mather Group, Josh Greene, shared some facts about the State of Wikipedia 🧩🌍. See their facts below or email josh@themathergroupllc.com for more info and to be added to his email briefings:
  • “The total editing activity on Wikipedia has been high this month and last, compared to what we saw the previous quarter.”
  • “The Wikimedia Foundation announced that they’ve entered into enterprise commercial access deals with Google and The Internet Archive.”
  • “There has been an increase in activity on Conflict of Interest message boards since the start of the summer. A good indication that the community is not taking conflict of interest issues lightly.”

• 🍎 Apple is thinking about bringing ads to pre-installed apps (like Maps and Books) on Apple devices. Interesting that this is happening so close after the iOS 14 update… coincidence? We think not!

• Here’s a new approach to offering insights on SEO best practices: “The WORST SEO advice I heard this year (and what you should do instead)”. We don’t agree with all the recommendations, but, as a whole, it’s a good reminder to keep your content fresh and avoid overstuffing your content ⁠— and tags ⁠— with keywords.

• And here’s an opposite approach to discussing SEO from the very same Search Engine Land ⁠— “6 fundamental truths about SEO” ⁠— to which we simply say “preach!”

• For our e-commerce clients, check out these underused tactics to step up your SEO game.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Hydrocephalus Association 🌟

Affecting over 1 million Americans, Hydrocephalus is a chronic, neurological condition marked by an excess accumulation of fluid in the brain. The Hydrocephalus Association’s mission is to “find a cure for hydrocephalus and improve the lives of those impacted by the condition.” See more about what they do and plan to do: https://www.hydroassoc.org/

As always, please let us know if you’d like us to spotlight and donate to a cause that’s close to your heart. 💗

• Think With Google closed its series on digital transformation with this article based on a survey of how next-gen leaders deal with uncertainty. Three common traits emerged:
  • break from traditional comfort zones
  • think cross-functionally
  • elevate the board’s role
    • Our take on the last trait, if you don’t have a board, is to seek out advisors who can help push you in new directions.
• Chipotle is onto us. 👀 Their newest piece of merch has us cracking up in guilty delight.🍋

I hope you’re taking care and enjoying the last bits of summer! 🌻

Stay awesome,

Natalie

Why didn’t the email subject line go to the party? 📧

It had no body to go with.

…

We’re smart. We’re pretty nice. AND we tell jokes!
How could you not share us with your digital marketing buddies?

Send them this link! 😁