Guess what 😊

IT’S HERE! Your favorite digital marketing newsletter has arrived in your inbox! 🔥🥵 See what’s hot this Wednesday:

• Twitter and Meta in their own hot messes:
• Following in Twitter’s footsteps, Meta is laying off 13% of its workforce. Meta says Apple’s privacy policy updates have caused the company’s net Income to plummet and they need to restructure. We are sending positivity to all the workers affected by these changes.

• * “Who Are You” by The Who plays in the background* Twitter’s recent blue check verification issue caused quite a scandal. (If you’re not up on the tea, Twitter allowed Blue subscribers to display a verified blue check on their account. This caused a slew of imposter accounts to spread false information.) But don’t worry too much, they are working to return the official gray verification checks back to the true accounts.

• In the pandemonium, alternative social platforms are gaining traction:
• Look in the sky. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s BeReal! MarketingCharts has the deets about this hot new social platform including its apparent appeal to young women. 66% of BeReal’s adult audience members are women ages 18-24! And the app also seems to be reaching men 25-34. Maybe BeReal will become more of a real deal in the year ahead.

• Mastodon users have been surging since Musk’s takeover. The increase in uploads on Google Play and the App Store was quite cuckoo worldwide. The decentralized social platform is definitely a contender to watch with these numbers….

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Lasagna Love 🌟

We learned about Lasagna Love from Melissa Latham, who is one of the volunteer chefs. (Another awesome person we learned about through The Connective!) This amazing global nonprofit and grassroots movement aims to positively impact communities by connecting neighbors with neighbors through homemade meal delivery. They also seek to eliminate stigmas associated with asking for help when it is needed most. Their mission is simple: feed families, spread kindness, and strengthen communities. You can learn more here.

There are lots of ways to help, we made a cash donation but perhaps you can volunteer as a chef, a la Melissa.

• 2023 is just around the corner and 2023 budget planning is well underway. It’s the time when setting expectations for ROI is critical to gain approvals for your marketing initiatives. SEO is one of the hardest digital marketing initiatives to explain to executives in terms of time and results. Get some guidance on how to define and manage SEO expectations.

• Want less data but more insights? This MarTech article explores using “decision playbooks” to identify the most important success metrics you need to quickly get agreement on next steps. 👣

We hope you’re finding ways to stay positive in these digitally tumultuous times. Sometimes the best thing to do is keep on keepin’ on,

Natalie

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I had a thought…

What if we all did one more nice thing every day? Perhaps it’s holding a door or paying for someone else’s coffee. Imagine how much nicer, more vibrant our lives would be. Just a thought…. Anywho, here’s some news for ya!

• And SNAP! Just like that. Snapchat has 2 new big partners:
  • Snap advertisers can monitor performance, optimize campaigns and events, and sync their product catalogs through BigCommerce.
  • Amazon’s got a hand in Snap-topia, as well. This partnership will allow users to try on different sunglasses. The cool part is that it will be integrated with product pages, so you’ll see real-time prices and if the items go out of stock.

• When ad-free streaming first came out, many people were relieved to avoid those darned commercial breaks. Now with ad-supported streaming channels like Hulu and Paramount+, we’re back to having ads thrust upon us. This chart from eMarketer indicates TV viewers find these streaming ad breaks more reasonable than live TV but there are limits. E.g., only 46% of Peacock viewers feel the number of ads they see is reasonable.

Why We 💗 What We Do…

One of our clients, Fratelli Carli, was just rated among the best 20 Italian companies to work for, according to Corriere della Sera, in collaboration with the research company Statista. They’re committed to responsible progress in terms of quality products, as an employer, and more. Check them out!

• Here ye, here ye! Google shall removeth-eth Similar Audience Segments August of 2023. Translation: Google will be relying more on automation and “more powerful, tested, privacy-centric automated solutions.” Read the scoop in Search Engine Land and learn more from Google.

• Some Twitter users are seeking alternate platforms, including Mastodon. No, not rock band, Mastedon, but the decentralized social media network, Mastodon. Learn what’s up with the platform here.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 One Warm Coat 🌟

“Our mission is to provide free coats to children and adults in need while promoting volunteerism and environmental sustainability.” This national nonprofit holds coat drives and donations to protect people from the cold. They repurpose used outwear to stay as sustainable as possible. We’re sure you’ll warm up to their mission. Visit their website: One Warm Coat.

• Look up in the clouds: it’s a bird, it’s a plane – no, it’s Google rebranding Data Studio to Looker Studio. The news of this move was announced last month but you may not have realized it until the logo on Data Studio dashboards changed this week. Of course there is going to be a Pro version now too, so looker out for Google to push upgrades.

• 54% of B2B marketers say they expect to be spending more budget in 2023 in both content creation/strategy and digital marketing categories. Where will they be spending less? Account-based marketing (ABM). Marketing Charts has the full breakdown.

Sending positivity your way today and every day.

Regards,

Natalie

*best Elvis impression*

🎶 But you can’t help…

Falling for our digital newsletter 🎸

We’re meant to be… shared with your friends!

Hi,

Thanks to the 1440 for the above quote, reminding me of the importance of making ripples if you can’t make waves.

I hope your October going well. Mine certainly is! I had hip surgery early this month and am already walking without assistance. The wonders of modern medical technology and awesome medical professionals. Zero pain, just a little discomfort, nothing more than Tylenol needed.… Can you imagine?

So I’m back and as you can imagine, I have had a lot of time to read and absorb great content that I want to share with you, the compassionate people who are leading businesses in new directions through alignment with purpose for you and your teams. It isn’t always easy, I know, but the intention really paves the way to great outcomes.

So here are a few investments in your time that I hope are winners for you:

• Did you know there’s a generation between the baby boomers and Gen X? I didn’t until I read through this, IMHO, spot-on piece about “Generation Jones”.

• Spoooky for October…here are the probabilities of buying a haunted house by state.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 New Jersey Future 🌟

We have to think smart when it comes to land and people. New Jersey Future works to use land sustainably to benefit people now and in the future. They conduct research, develop policies, advocate, and assist to keep communities healthy and nature protected. Honestly, they do so many things, you might want to read more for yourself here: New Jersey Future.

• This could be stretched to be about sustainability too: the rise of McBasements in McMansions (and bigger homes) via The Wall Street Journal.

• I’ve returned to this podcast many times. While I was in the throes of the healing process, once again, I listened to the compilation of interviews with Maya Angelou on Oprah Winfrey’s Master Class. Was there a more compassionate, intuitive, educated woman to ever walk this earth? She’s one in a billion and I’m so glad we have not only her wisdom but her own words in her own voice to help us navigate the challenges of living and leading companies compassionately when it’s a relatively new concept with lots of resistance from the old guard.

• This is great: keyboard shortcuts (for Mac, PC, and websites)! Thanks to The Connective’s newsletter for sharing with the members—and now I’m sharing with you.

• Fast Company features Brian Chesky of AirBNB in their story of why more F500 companies should be run by “creatives.” What do you think?

• If you haven’t heard of the social platform Be Real, you may want to check it out. But first read this piece by a marketing exec, fellow Chief, and mom, Valerie Moizel, who didn’t “get it” until her teens explained it’s actually kinda’ the antidote to staged social posts.

There were so many other stories to share, I think I’ll save them for next week. Please let me know what you think of these, please continue to suggest not for profits for us to feature (and donate to), and if you are running a company or have a suggestion for a company to feature in the Noteworthy section, shout it out. In the meantime, stay strong, stay focused, and keep bringing your best self to all that you do. Don’t strive for excellence, just strive for the best you can do each day. Remember, ripples count!

As you pass through childhood, many of the fears you had slowly fade. What your kid brain thought was the literal monster under the bed gradually transforms into a metaphorical one. And there are quite a few scary notions for our marketing selves. But, hey, what is October without a few frights? *Insert evil laughter* These ghoulish ideas are the subjects of only the most terrible nightmares.

 

HELP! You’re Trapped… in the Past!

“Marketing moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” That’s how that Ferris Bueller quote goes, right? Anyway, one of the kick-yourself marketing mistakes is missing out on leading tech and techniques.

How to Prepare:

• Stack your inbox with the latest marketing newsletters (like our What’s Hot Wednesday). This will help you stay up to date on the latest news.
• Attend industry conferences and webinars. Social media platforms almost all have some sort of live webinars running at least monthly.
• Look for different courses/certifications. Of course, there are all the basic ones like Google Ads, Google Analytics, Meta, etc. LinkedIn Learning has a very extensive list of course topics in all industries. Hootsuite has, also, some interesting social media certifications.

 

No One Knows You…r Brand

In the fiction book, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the main character makes a deal and trades away everyone’s ability to remember her. Imagine your brand being the brand reincarnation of this tale! #YIKES

How to Prepare:

• Many social ad platforms offer brand lift tests (like LinkedIn and Facebook) to see how your audience is recalling your brand/advertising. This will help confirm or deny your suspicions.
• Spreading brand awareness takes time. Be clear and realistic with your marketing goals.

 

Losing Control… of Your Internet Speed

Come on, this report’s been downloading for the past 30 minutes… and it’s only at 7.8%!

How to Prepare:

• Have ready backup options if the internet is playing turtle. Confirm if there is a wired hookup to the internet in your residence.
• If you’re on the go, there are some reliable hotspot tools out there. Make sure to look at all the options and read the fine print before agreeing.
• If your internet is going to be out of commission for a substantial time, look for a co-working space nearby. The facility should have a secure internet connection, but you should check beforehand.

 

Being Chased… by a Persistent Platform Salesperson

*Receives 30th email this week on switching social scheduling platforms*

You: 😤

How to Prepare:

• If you are interested, try looking for the company online before clicking any links. See if there are reviews from others in your position (i.e., other small business owners or marketing pros).
• If you aren’t interested, you don’t have to listen. Set that sender to “junk” and say goodbye to those pesky notifications! 📂⬅📧

 

Falling… Into Deadlines

🎶 “Monday, I could wait ’til Tuesday / If I make up my mind

Wednesday would be fine / Thursday’s on my mind

Friday’d give me time / Saturday could wait

Sunday’d be too late”

Sting’s “7 Days” may be about something completely different, but it applies to the ever-constant temptation of procrastination. Sometimes waiting just a little too long can cause a plan to go kablooey.

How to Prepare:

• Deadlines approach quickly in marketing. No one wants to be a Procrastination Pat. Blocking out time in your calendar may be what’s needed to keep you on track with tasks, decisions, and deadlines.

 

Being Naked… on Data

You look in your data dashboard and everything is EMPTY. *duh duh duuuhhh* 😬 What a woe!

How to Prepare:

• Before calling in the rest of the marketing brigade, is it simply a connection issue or a platform update. No platform is perfect and things get outta whack every once in a while.
• QA. QA. QA. Don’t want to make a mistake? QA it yourself AND have another team member look through your data connections and tracking setup. We all love the peace of mind a solid QA process gives us!

 

Powering Through the Fright

With spooky season comes frights and horrors, 👻

but to make it to tomorrow, 📅

follow these simple tips ✔

and you’ll be prepared for any slip! 😎