Good morning guys

This week in the news…

• Youtube introduced reactions and automations for live streaming
• Microsoft updated their ad platform again
• Bard just got a whole lot smarter and is coming to Google search any day now
• If TikTok spontaneously disappears, we’ll meet you over at Lemon8

Let’s jump in, 

Josh

P.S. The ultimate SEO strategy. 😎

THIS WEEK’S MOST IMPORTANT MARKETING NEWS

GOOGLE ANNOUNCED THREE NEW SEARCH FEATURES FOR TRAVEL

If you’re in the travel or vacation industry, Google has three new features just for you. 

• “Price guarantee” for flights. This will refund users the difference if the price of their flight drops after they book. 
• A new way to browse hotels, allowing users to swipe through photos and read reviews. 
• Find things to do while on vacation and includes suggestions for attractions and tours.

These new features are designed to make it easier for users to find and book the best deals on travel, and to help them plan their trips more effectively.

META UNLOCKED A NEW “BROADCAST” CHANNEL TYPE FOR GROUPS

With this new feature, admins and moderators can now push community updates, special offers, promos, and other important messages. Simple update but can be really handy if using Facebook groups is a big part of your marketing strategy.

YOUTUBE INTRODUCED REACTIONS & AD AUTOMATIONS

YouTube is adding new features to live streaming, including reactions, ads automation, and a new live control panel. Reactions will allow viewers to react to live streams with emojis, while ads automation will allow YouTube to automatically insert mid-roll ads. The new live control panel will give creators more control over their live streams. 

MICROSOFT UPDATED THEIR AD PLATFORM

Microsoft has seen a significant increase in attention since releasing its Bing Chatbot. Trying to capitalize on the surge in traffic and usage they released four new features to enhance Microsoft Advertising. 

• Professional Service Ads: now globally available and opens up industries like real estate, tax services, doctors, clinics, and more. 
• Bulk management in Asset Library: bulk delete and move assets and folders. 
• Target bid value: you can now view and edit current target bid value with the campaign grid. 
• Upgrade to Enhanced CPC: all campaigns will be upgraded to Enhanced CPC for you. No action required.

TIKTOK ADDED AFFILIATE COMMISSIONS FOR US CREATORS

TikTok is testing an affiliate marketing program that will allow creators to earn a commission on the sales of products they promote. Sellers decide on commissions usually ranging from 5% – 20%. This is an opportunity for buyers and sellers to make extra money on the platform. Apparently, advertisers and TikTok executives don’t care about the pending US ban. 

GOOGLE OPENED BETA TESTING FOR ADS AI CREATOR

Google is testing a new AI tool that can help businesses create Google Ads. The tool is still in beta, but it has the potential to make it easier for businesses to create effective Google Ads campaigns. It could generate ad copy, split tests and more based on information that businesses provide about their products and services.

LINKEDIN LAUNCHED NEW PERSONALIZATION FEATURES & ENHANCED SEARCH

These updates will help you connect better with your audience and increase relevant content on your feed. 

• Suggested posts: content from people and groups you may be interested in.
• Tailored content: relevant to your professional goals.
• Advanced search tools: find specific information more easily using filters.

USEFUL LINKS

GROWING UP NEWSLETTER

Ok, this one is for my SaaS and software marketers. Brendan humble-brags that 78% of his subscribers read each email he sends out. That’s wild. But it makes sense because his emails share the results of the regular survey he sends to 600 SaaS marketers asking them what they’re doing that works (for their marketing and career tactics). So if you don’t want that, I don’t know what to do with you.

If you’re ready to get those emails right away, click this guy 👇

AMPLIFY THE POWER OF YOUR SALES COPY BY USING DESIRE STACKING

This is a copywriting technique that appeals to multiple layers of a person’s desires in order to increase the likelihood that they will take action. Alen Sultanic argues that desire stacking is an essential tool for any copywriter who wants to create effective sales copy. Definitely worth checking out if you write any sort of sales material.

GOOGLE BARD JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT SMARTER & IS COMING TO SEARCH

Bard got a serious update that significantly improved its math and logic capabilities. These updates will help Bard better understand and respond to prompts that ask for multi-step solutions to word and math problems. Coding abilities are up next and coming soon. They are also integrating Bard into Google Search any day now.

HOW TO CREATE & OPTIMIZE YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Over 120 million visitors use Youtube every single day. This article will walk you through exactly how to create your channel and how to optimize it. Here are four quick tips to give your channel the boost it deserves…

• Choose the right keywords: When you create videos, make sure to include relevant keywords in the title, description, and tags. This will help people find your videos when they are searching for information on YouTube.
• Create eye-catching thumbnails: Your thumbnails are the first thing people will see when they come across your videos in search results, so make sure they are eye-catching and relevant to your videos.
• Write effective titles and descriptions: Your titles and descriptions should be clear, concise, and relevant to your videos. They should also include keywords that people are likely to search for.
• Use YouTube Analytics: YouTube Analytics is a powerful tool that can help you track your channel’s performance. Use it to see what videos are performing well, and make necessary adjustments to your content.

14 WAYS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR ECOMMERCE SITE’S UI FOR MORE SALES

If you sell physical products online, your goal should be to remove all frustration from your shopping experience. This article from Forbes can act as a checklist to evaluate where there’s friction on your site and where you can improve.

Achieving work-life balance can be tough for anyone, but it’s especially challenging for marketers, entrepreneurs, and business owners who are often expected to be “on” all the time. Sound familiar? Why? Because the job of a marketer is never over. Ever. 

Here are two simple tips to find that elusive work-life balance. 

Turn Off Notifications

We are constantly being bombarded with notifications from email, social media, slack messages, and other apps. It’s easy to get distracted and thus not get anything done. Here are some tips to stay focused:

• Turn off notifications during non-working hours.
• If you’re a Mac user, set up a customized focus time with what apps, contacts, and notifications you want.
• Use an app like Freedom.to to block unwanted websites/apps.
• Remember that productivity is more important than time spent working.
• But if tracking your time helps you, try Toggl. Their free version is great.

Another useful strategy to avoid getting overwhelmed is to set up work time. Instead of waking up and immediately checking into other people’s agendas for you (texts, calls, voicemails, emails, etc…), check into your priorities and get your creative work done in the morning. Take care of everyone else’s monkeys in the afternoon. This strategy is known as time-blocking and can be incredibly useful to add a little more structure to your workday. 

“If you don’t produce, you won’t thrive—no matter how skilled or talented you are.” – Cal Newport

Say “No” Way More Often

Many marketers suffer from shiny object syndrome—they have too many ideas and don’t know where to start. To overcome this, it’s important to prioritize your goals and focus on the things that will move the needle for you and your company. This means saying no to opportunities that don’t align with your goals.

It’s not always easy to say no, but it’s essential for success. By focusing on your priorities and saying no to distractions, you can achieve your goals and make a real impact.

• Set dumb goals. (Yup you read that right.)
• Be honest with yourself about your time and bandwidth. 
• Learn to say “no” the right way. You don’t want to come across as a jerk.
• Delegate to your team. 
• Here’s an article that goes much deeper on this topic.

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” – Warren Buffet

At the end of the day, figuring out your own work-life balance is up to you. We’re all living in a work environment that changes almost daily and it’s hard to keep up. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to working as a marketer and keeping up with the demands of life. Take these strategies, implement them into your day, and see what happens. Adjust and tweak till you find something that works great for you. And don’t give up. This is tricky for all of us, but you got this!

INTERESTING STUFF

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🛑 PUBLISHERS SUE GOOGLE FOR $4.2 BILLION IN LOST AD REVENUE

⚡️ CHATGPT IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY BY 59% AND GOT 4.5 / 5 STARS FROM INDEPENDENT QUALITY GRADERS

🤥 HOW GOOGLE IS TACKLING FAKE REVIEWS

🧹 WARNER BROS. IS CONSIDERING MAKING A HARRY POTTER-BASED TV SERIES

🤖 NEW AI UPGRADE COULD BE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM HUMANS (DEC 2023)

🦁 BRAVE – THE MOST POPULAR PRIVACY-FIRST BROWSER – LAUNCHED A SELF-SERVE ADS PROGRAM

🍋 IF TIKTOK SPONTANEOUSLY DISAPPEARS, WE’LL MEET YOU OVER AT LEMON8

💬 FOUR WAYS TO USE CHATGPT-4 FOR FREE