🌊 Core update.

How a major social media app plans to avoid international bans, Google’s latest core update is here, and more. March 16, 2023 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good morning. They say you shouldn’t read the comments, but sometimes we can’t help ourselves. They’re just too funny. Like this one from a recent unsubscribe: “Too much content too often. You're killing the excitement." Ouch. Let's hope today's issue gives you a thrill... or two. GOOGLE Analytics gets custom channel groups, plus another core update [article-image] We’re feeling mixed emotions about today’s news, and we’re guessing you will, too… Hooray flexibility: The newest Google Analytics 4 (GA4) feature [lets you build personalized channel groups]( either by using Google’s default channel group for starters, or by making one from scratch. That should help you modify channel names according to company preferences, optimize criteria, and even add or remove them. Nice, right? Plus, a little how-to: Google released its [official course on server-side tagging]( for GA4, which should teach you how to better manage your data, performance, and privacy. … And given the complexity of GA4, we’ll take any guidance we can get. Take a deep breath, SEOs: Google’s [March core update is out](, so there’s a chance it will shake up search rankings once again. Sigh. The rollout should be completed in the next two weeks, so keep an eye on your dashboards… Why we care: Custom channel groups should help you better segment and track website traffic, opening up more optimization opportunities and better insight. And while a new core update may sound scary, as long as you’re following Google’s guidelines, there’s probably nothing to worry about. Hopefully… TIKTOK Operation: Avoiding the banhammer As Rocky Balboa would say, fighters fight. And it looks like TikTok won’t go down without one. Turns out the company is [considering a few potential scenarios to avoid crackdowns]( by European and US governments. Worst case scenario? Bye, ByteDance: Leaks from inside the company claim TikTok’s leadership discussed breaking off from parent company ByteDance, which is based in China. In that case, the company could either go public, or be sold to the highest bidder. Interesting. Hello, Project Texas: Another plan involves moving all US data to servers hosted by Oracle. A multi-agency security panel was supposed to investigate how secure the data is, but so far, there’s only been cricket noises. Meanwhile, the bans keep coming: The UK is the last country to [ban the app on government devices]( after the US and several European countries. With so much smoke, no wonder TikTok is rushing for the nearest fire extinguisher. Why we care: It’s the first time we’ve received inside intel about TikTok’s plans, and it may offer marketers some hope for the future of the platform. At the moment, TikTok is willing to sever Chinese ties in order to remain in major markets. But is that enough to escape the bans? Time will tell… SPONSORED BY UPFLUENCE People trust influencers, not ads. Are you marketing accordingly? [article-image]( It’s a creator's market out there and it isn’t slowing down any time soon. Stats consistently prove influencer marketing to be one of the most effective channels – but you have to do it right. Finding the right creators to promote your brand can be painfully tedious, time-consuming and expensive. Thankfully, Upfluence's database of vetted creators makes finding and choosing the perfect creators easy. … Which is why over 1600+ brands [use Upfluence to meet influencers and affiliates and manage campaigns.]( And that’s not all. Upfluence allows you to send products, upload briefs, sign contracts, generate promo codes, track sales and make influencer payouts — all from one platform. You’ll run effective, profitable campaigns in half the time… Ready to focus on building lasting creator partnerships that generate positive ROI? [Boost revenue with Upfluence today]( ADVERTISING It’s time to transition away from Google similar audience segments. Here’s how… [article-image] You’ve probably heard the news by now… In August, Google will remove similar audiences from all ad groups and campaigns, which means you’ll have to find another solution to replace this extremely efficient targeting feature. Luckily, Chelsea So wrote [a useful guide]( that should help you transition smoothly to a different, equally efficient strategy. Pack your bags, it’s time to move… First, take inventory of where you’re currently using similar audience segments. You’ll find this in the Audiences under the Shared Library. From there, you can filter for similar use segments throughout your campaigns. Export that. Second, use smart bidding and change to value-based tracking. This will help Google to switch to machine learning and improve its quality signals. Third, use customer match to improve Google’s signals for search and optimized targeting. The good news is, customer match lists are automatically included as a signal for smart bidding. Upload your high-quality customer match data to assist once audience segments are gone. Fourth, test audience segments based on your data insights. Chelsea says you should create custom segments for users that searched your most profitable search queries – one for branded, and one for top performing non-branded search terms. Use your data insights to find high-indexing and affinity segments for your first-party audience segments, then use it to create a new combined segment, and test! Then, test optimized targeting for performance and audience expansion for each consideration. It’s best practice to add first-party data and expand slowly from there. Finally, request access to beta to turn off demographics expansion. You can do this by contacting your Google rep. Why bother? Because Google will ignore your demographic exclusions if you use video action campaigns with optimized targeting. Urgh… Yes, it’s techy, but necessary. Chelsea also recommends you migrate to Google Analytics 4 so you can have a headstart when Universal Analytics sunsets. Good luck! SPONSORED BY INBOX MAILERS Your customer is reading emails when suddenly, this happens… [article-image]( Timing is everything in business — and in email. That's why Inbox Mailers developed the technology for sending emails right when your subscribers are in their inbox. This "trigger" technique has been proven to [consistently generate 50% – 70% open rates]( each and every time. … Not a bad way to supercharge your mail, user engagement, and email deliverability, without any extra effort! [Learn for free how it works.]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS Stop mistaking your loyalty program for a referral program [article-image] Let’s set the scene: you’ve just launched your brand’s referral program. You’re giving one $5 off coupon for your customer’s next purchase for every friend they refer to your store. “What’s wrong with that?” Well, you’ve actually created a loyalty program. A lot of people use loyalty programs and referral programs interchangeably. But there’s one crucial difference between the two: Loyalty programs focus on retention and lifetime value (LTV). Essentially, you’re incentivizing your customers to come back for more. Think vouchers and points for every purchase they make, redeemable only at your store. … While referral programs should focus exclusively on customer acquisition. You want your incentives aligned with that goal and that goal only. Refer a friend and make $5 cash? That’s a referral program. But what if you want to have a loyalty incentive-based referral program? Then you’re killing two birds with one stone, right? No, not necessarily. You’re actually using incentives that are misaligned with the ultimate goals of each individual program, which often causes disappointing results. The Crew’s Insight: Keep your referral program cash-based, and your loyalty program store credit-based. That way, you’re truly maximizing the goals of each program. Besides, who said you had to pick just one? ROUNDING UP THE STACK [MARKETING COURSES:]( Want to make your business visible online, even if you’re starting from scratch? Learn from Ahrefs, the global experts in SEO and content marketing. Their courses like "Blogging For Business" were $799 and are now $0! [Get better at digital marketing.](* [LINKEDIN:]( ChatGPT, but for job descriptions? Yep, LinkedIn is introducing an AI-powered job description tool to help you fill in the blanks when you’re adding jobs to your profile. Now that seems useful… [GOOGLE:]( Fake reviews tanking your local business reputation? Not anymore. Google now lets you report reviews on Local Service Ads. But there’s a catch – this doesn’t apply to verified accounts. Still better than nothing… [ADVERTISING:]( Well, well… looks like Facebook can’t process user behavioral data to enhance its targeting—at least not legally. A Dutch court ruled that Facebook lacked “proper legal basis” by failing to inform users of the practice. That’s an “ouch” for advertisers. [SEO:]( Hmm, smells techy. Google’s John Mueller just dropped some extensive hreflang advice, mostly about whether you should implement it for language subdirectories already nested within a region subdirectory. The answer? It depends, of course. *This is a sponsored post BRAIN TEASER You have me today, Tomorrow you’ll have more; As your time passes, I’m not easy to store; I don’t take up space, But I’m only in one place; I am what you saw, But not what you see. You can find [the answer here.]( [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT Flamingos amigos [article-image] Guess who has a vibrant social life? Flamingos. These pink creatures take “birds of a feather flock together” to the next level by [forming friendships based on their personalities](. For example… - More extroverted, assertive flamingos group together. - Submissive flamingos prefer the company of their introverted buddies. We can almost see the jocks strutting and swaggering, while the shy wait quietly, hoping to get invited to the next saltwater pool party. Almost sounds like high school all over again… SHARING IS CARING “The style is too casual/chatty for me.” —a reader who unsubscribed Apparently some people prefer their marketing news to be stiff and formal. Hey, power to ‘em. But smart marketers enjoy relatable marketing news and insights. And there’s a chance you know a few of them. Would you take a few seconds to share our newsletter with someone who would appreciate our newsletter? 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