📊 New metric.

New changes coming to the Google Ads API, Microsoft rolls out a new ad format, and lots more. April 13, 2023 [Read in browser]( [logo] [sponsor]( Good morning, we made a mistake yesterday. We [missed a link]( and cut a fine in half. The FTC actually fined Nature’s Bounty $600k, not $300k. If only our editorial blunder were a Hogwarts spell. Nature’s Bounty would probably feel very grateful. Does this mean we’re muggles instead of wizards? ADVERTISING Microsoft introduces onsite and offsite ads, plus ad updates from Google [article-image] Sorry to peel you away from Super Mario and Luigi, but we have to talk about two other giants… Onsite and offsite at the same time: Well this is big. [Microsoft Ads released its PLA Extension](, which allows you to run ads both onsite and off—and from the same budget. Whoa. Why is this important: Onsite ads naturally attract higher intent buyers on retailer websites. And now you can use retailers’ first-party data and Microsoft audience’s potential to attract users through offsite channels. Very nice. Who can use PLA extensions: If you’re currently working with sellers powered by Microsoft PromoteIQ, get in touch with your account reps to start using the feature. Wave goodbye to parts of Google Ads API: Apparently Google [is deprecating]( the “Keywords Plan Ad Group Forecast” and “Keyword Plan Keyword Forecast” API functionalities. The removal is scheduled for June 1, so if your apps rely on these features, make sure to update them so you don’t get affected with the coming changes. And another pair of updates: Google announced that [vehicle ads are now available in Canada](, giving you more options when promoting vehicles in this market. Also, [you may be able to qualify for the new Business Information program](, allowing you to display your business name and logo in search ads. If you’re in this limited group, you should see an option to complete advertiser verification and unlock the feature. SOCIAL MEDIA Just in: TikTok pushes for in-stream shopping, Twitter is removing legacy blue accounts, and Meta has a new metric TikTok has a dream, and it’s not giving up… Living for live shopping: Even though in-stream shopping hasn’t caught on in the US, TikTok is inviting select retailers to [promote their products during live videos via clickable links](. TikTok seems determined to make this work, and is incentivizing influencers to push items in by offering hefty commissions. But will it be enough to incentivize shoppers? Guess we’ll see… Not accepting checks: Elon Musk has tweeted that Twitter legacy blue check marks [will go away on 4/20](, hinting at the popular “weed day” meme. Accounts that had a blue tick—mostly notable people or recognized businesses—but didn’t pay for the new Blue subscription will lose it. Unless Elon changes his mind… again. New API metric: Also, Meta has [introduced a new metric to the Page Insights API]( that shows you the view count of videos posted, shared, or cross-posted to your Page in addition to videos posted on other Pages. Cool. Why we care: TikTok’s latest effort to bring live shopping closer to the US audience could finally work. Influencers are influential, after all. And if it does, that could be good news for e-commerce brands. And it seems like Meta’s new metric is useful if you’re promoting video content and need to figure out what type of videos people actually watch… And if you had a Twitter legacy account, well… guess it was fun being blue while it lasted. SPONSORED BY ITERABLE Where DoorDash, Warby Parker, and Asana go to create a truly personalized joyful customer experience. 3 days left to register! [article-image]( If you want to step up your marketing game and [create memorable customer experiences at scale…]( … Hear directly from movers and shakers like Ukonwa Ojo Kuzi-Orizu, Shivvy Jervis, and Andrew Boni who are building highly profitable customer experiences… … And exchange insights, creative ideas, and storytelling tactics with like-minded professionals from around the globe… … Then register [for Activate Summit](! On April 17–19, this hybrid summit will show you how to close the data activation gap and give you a seat at sessions led by leaders at Sandboxx, PGA, NBC Universal, and others. Bonus: Register now for a chance to win a $1000 gift card from Airbnb. You could be one of the three winners announced during the conference! [Register now and get your chance to win.]( ADVERTISING What to know before you bid on low-volume keywords [article-image] Google Ads is supposedly auction-based, right? So logic dictates that when you pay for ads, you’re outbidding the competition. The more competition, the more you pay. … And you’d think the same logic would apply if there’s no competition. But what if we told you that’s not true? As Kasim Aslam [breaks down in his thread]( – Google doesn’t want you to pay zero dollars for low volume clicks. There’s no money in it! So here’s what Google does. It slaps on a vague metric called Ad Rank threshold, which is a minimum bid that needs to be made before the ad is shown. Basically a bottom or reserved price. What determines this price? The Ad Rank threshold depends on “opaque factors,” such as: - The value advertisers place on users engaging with their ads. - The nature of users’ search terms. - The auctions of related queries. … And similar. You can read more about it [on Google’s website](. What does this mean? Well, you’ll pay either way. If the keyword is competitive, the auction will determine the price. If not, Google will determine the price for you. It’s odd, but true. Bottom line: Just because a keyword is low-volume doesn’t mean it is cheap. The verdict? Before you bid on high-volume keywords, always have the Ad Rank threshold in mind. Meaning you’ll probably never pay zero or bare minimum if you're targeting a quality keyword. This doesn’t mean you should avoid low-volume keywords of course, but knowing this will help you plan your budget accordingly and avoid inconvenient surprises. Good luck! SPONSORED BY SALESFORCE How 6,000 marketing leaders are creatively handling budgets, privacy, and more [article-image]( Think that marketing is all doom and gloom? Not so, according to the 8th Edition State of Marketing Report. This survey of 6,000 marketing leaders [reveals how marketing departments are tackling tight budgets, privacy, and other urgent issues in 2023](. Inside you’ll find ideas for: - Becoming more efficient with spend in the face of economic uncertainty. - Preparing for the retirement of third-party cookies. - Enhancing the customer experience and meeting evolving customer needs. [Get the free report now.]( THE CREW’S INSIGHTS How to use ChatGPT to write effective Facebook Ads [article-image] At this point, you know that ChatGPT can write copy. But, not many people give it enough direction to write copy that actually sells. We’ve spent the past few months experimenting with AI marketing—and we’ve figured out how to get ChatGPT to write Facebook Ads that are, actually, pretty damn good. Here’s a prompt format to try: “Write a [tone] Facebook Ad using the [framework] copywriting framework. Use concrete, easy-to-visualize words.” For a specific example… “Write a cheeky Facebook Ad using the CAB (credibility, attention, benefit) framework. Use concrete, easy-to-visualize words.” With the prompt above, ChatGPT gave us three strikingly different, and surprisingly good, Facebook Ads. The Crew’s insight: Play around with this format to find what works for you. If you’re writing something other than Facebook Ads, swap another format—like Google Ads or newsletter sponsorships—in there. See what happens. It’s all good fun. By the way… We just wrote an entire deep dive about using AI in your marketing. Covering topics like copywriting, design, and even landing page mockups. Want to read it? [Sign up to Stacked Marketer Pro.]( ROUNDING UP THE STACK [CUSTOMER STORIES AT SCALE](: Swap paid UGC for authentic customer stories with Vouch. The video platform helps you capture authentic testimonials at scale with an easy, always-on process. [Sign up to test out the recording experience today.](* [ADVERTISING:]( Digital ad revenue can’t stop, won’t stop. Despite forecasts of reduced growth in 2022 due to things like post-pandemic consolidation and inflation… it just didn’t happen. Instead, digital ad revenue grew 10.8% to $209B. Nice. [SEO:]( Hmm, turns out private domain registration might affect rankings after all. At least according to Fabrice Canel from Microsoft Bing. Google has rebuffed these claims before, but Fabrice says “Whois data helps establish trust and gain knowledge.” Seems clear enough. [LINKEDIN:]( “Whoa, you actually work there?” LinkedIn launched a free verification system that helps you prove your identity and your workplace using CLEAR or Microsoft Entra platforms. We’re not sure yet if this is useful or another clout piece… [AI MARKETING:]( Guess who can save half a million bucks and 20k hours, outperforming elite crowdworkers in the process? Yep, GPT-4. Two researchers found the language model is extremely proficient in annotating text… and replacing human labor. Uh-oh. [BUSINESS:]( Finally slowing down? US annual inflation was 5% last month, the slowest since 2021. It seems “core inflation”—not including volatile food and gas prices—did remain steady, so while it’s too early to launch fireworks, it’s certainly a hopeful sign. *This is a sponsored post BRAIN TEASER What weighs more: A pound of feathers or a pound of stones? You can find [the answer here.]( [poolside-logo] POOLSIDE CHAT The happiest places on earth [article-image] If the hormones serotonin, dopamine, and endorphin were countries, they’d probably be Finland, Iceland, and Denmark. Weird comparison? Well, according to the World Happiness Report – [these are the top three happiest countries in the world.]( Maybe it’s cold up north, but it sure ain’t gloomy. If you’re open to a little digital nomad adventure, these might be the places to visit this summer. And if you’re already there… don’t stop smiling, please. SHARING IS CARING We probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but… Did you know you can join Stacked Marketer Pro for $0? Yep. When you get to 100 newsletter referrals, you get one month of Stacked Marketer Pro membership—normally $99 a month—for free. And you unlock other rewards along the way, like: - The Crew’s Top 10 Insights (2 referrals) - The Ultimate Holiday Marketing Deep Dive (4 referrals) Hit your custom link below to unlock exclusive content, merch, and membership! [article-image]( [CLICK TO SHARE]( Or copy your referral link: [ [SUBSCRIBE]( | [SM PRO]( | [ADVERTISE]( You are receiving this email because you want to know what is going on in digital marketing. If you aren't thrilled about our emails, reply and let us know why. Or you can unsubscribe from all daily updates by clicking [here.]( Our postal address: Spectrum IT Solutions GmbH, Canettistrasse 1/Top 0107, 1100 Wien, Austria