Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) 🌟

Pennsylvania has over 700,000 veterans, the fourth largest population in the U.S.! DMVA connects veterans to programs and services available to them. Some of these services/programs include grants, benefits, special initiatives, and more. Learn more: DMVA.

• SURPRISE – Gen Z is good at social media! If you’re a brand looking to appeal to Gen Z on socials, hire a Gen Z (or many:-). But be warned, there most likely will be elements of risk-taking involved.

• Google and Reddit signed a licensing agreement, so Google AI can use Reddit’s content for training. Have you noticed Reddit ranking higher in the results these past few months? Yeah, we have too. Learn more.

• Not digital marketing news, but undeniably some of the most genuine, heart-warming news I’ve heard in a while…. A widow donated $1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to cover Albert Einstein Med School tuition in perpetuity. If you have a minute, check out the student’s reaction!

DBE Perspective… 💭

IT’S… ALIVE! (AI, that is.) Like Frankenstein, many search marketers were initially fearful of AI chatbots. But, we believe that if you teach it well, AI Frankenstein can help you!

You are unique. You are awesome. You got this. 😎

Natalie

Have you heard through the grapevine?

What’s Hot Wednesday has a LinkedIn Newsletter too!

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Access Fund 🌟

As a climber and nature-lover, the Access Fund is one of my favorite advocacy organizations for both. They are working for sustainable access to climbing areas across the nation, while educating others how to advocate. If you’re all about nature and vertical adventure, check them out: Access Fund.

Fun tidbit: My college climbing club supported this organization by selling pet rocks….You’d be surprised how many adults filled a pet-rock-shaped hole in their lives.

• eMarketer Insider Intelligence reports “More than a third of marketers will increase their brand marketing investments this year.” This seems to align with the idea of growing online Brand Authority that we covered in a recent blog post.

• TikTok is in a tiff with Universal Music Group (UMG). UMG pulled the music from artists like T-Swift, Billie Eilish, and more over a dispute around compensation. Whether this will last a week or much longer is up for debate. The banter sounds a little reminiscent of a certain relationship on the show, Friends. Anyway, they are clearly “on a break.”

• PPC is getting a new look… and it’s not super original. With new segmented audience approaches and the rise of visual content, PPC is starting to look like paid social. This SEL article gives some strategies to keep up with the change including innovating with creative content and embracing audience-centric targeting.

• LinkedIn has some pretty diverse perspectives on the Super Bowl ads. 🏈 Check them out here.

DBE Perspectives… 💭

*Pink Floyd’s Time starts playing as you read*

Time is a construct… we’ve all heard that before. But have we truly contemplated how numeric time may give us unnecessary stress, particularly in the workplace? I’ve got some insights for you and your team… especially for my chronic multitaskers out there. You can feel accomplished without doing a million things all the time. Check out this piece on time in the workplace!

I hope your day is ten times better than my attempt to write rhyming couplet.😁

Happy Wednesday!

Natalie

If SEO & SAIO were Romeo and Juliet, who would be who?

• SEO is totally Romeo calling up to SAIO’s window in the wee hours of the night.
• SAIO is the player, Romeo, left completely awestruck by SEO’s wisdom and beauty.
• I don’t really care as long as the ending is happy. 😀

Share your answer here, then, share us with your friends – send ‘em this link!

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Yoga Alliance Foundation 🌟

Yoga Alliance Foundation works to bring equitable access to yoga while supporting yoga professionals. They support refugee programs, give scholarships, support the scientific study of yoga, and much more. If you are interested in their cause, check them out: Yoga Alliance Foundation.

• Google Search Ads CPC increased by 17% YOY and 9% QOQ in Q4 2023. Are more advertisers getting more confident in paid search? We’ll have to keep watching.

• Eddie the Terrible, the dog you didn’t want to adopt. In Ann Handley’s most recent newsletter, she reminded us of the brilliantly crafted, beautifully blunt dog adoption posting. The posting worked so well that Eddie was eventually adopted. It shows the power of amazing copywriting to grab the attention of the right people. She, also, reminded us that generative AI is great for getting started, but a unique human touch may just be the cherry-topper to make writing GREAT. I agree 1001%.

• Social media and the law system seem to be inextricably linked these days. Meta, TikTok, X, Discord, and Snap CEOs appeared before the US Senate on Jan 31st to address child protection. Each CEO cited multiple efforts dedicated to young user protection, while Senators posed tough questions to present their case that the platforms need to have more protections in place.

• What are the secrets of effective leadership that can be applied to your role in the marketing industry? There are some solid takeaways by Martech including:
  • Turn challenges into inspiration
  • Nurture a culture of innovation and empower your team
  • Adapting to change: Leading through market disruption
  • Influencing and collaborating in marketing leadership
  • Developing and mentoring future marketing leaders

Bonus: the article includes a shout-out and link to a sidebar interview with long-time DBE friend and referrer Ruth Stevens.

Have a wonderful rest of the week,

Natalie

What music do SEOs like? 🎵
ALT=ernative

What’s Mario’s favorite search engine? 🔍
Yahoo!

What is a popular search engine for ghosts? 👻
Ghoul-gle!

Share these jokes and our signup link with your favorite marketing friends!

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Wikipedia 🌟

If you have a smartphone, you’ve probably used Wikipedia to win a disagreement or two. “When did this movie come out?” “Who originally sang this song?” We’ve been there. That’s why we’re choosing them as our spotlight this week. They’ve saved us a few times, it’s time to give them a little support back: Wikipedia.

• Many of us think AI is smarter than us on all levels. 🤖 Even though some AIs can pass the bar exam, they are missing out on a crucial, simplistic element (most) humans have: common sense. This TED Talk by Yejin Choi outlines why AI is not yet the sharpest crayon in the box. Even though the talk took place last April, the point still rings true. When testing a variation of her prompt: “Would I get a flat tire by bicycling over a bridge that is suspended over nails, screws, and broken glass?” I get the same “Yes” response from ChatGPT. I even explained why it was wrong and asked the same prompt with a car. No change. AI still has a ways to go for ultimate knowledge domination…

• Google is moving where the reports are found in the UI for some accounts. If you need some help finding it, here’s SEL to the rescue!

• We’ve been hearing stories about how some in the executive suite/board don’t understand marketing goals and capabilities. For example, the Snoop Dogg ad for Solo Stove was a witty awareness play. Because the ad did not derive significant revenue in six weeks, Solo viewed the campaign as a failure and replaced the CEO. CMI points out the failure wasn’t the revenue, but the missing CTA that could have engaged audiences and guided them down the customer journey if sales, not awareness, was the real goal.My thoughts tie into the intro. Perhaps if there were more thoughtful pauses throughout the campaign creation process, maybe they would have picked up the mistakes in marketing CTA and analysis. Thank you to Amy Masters for sharing this with us.

Before you go off for the rest of your day, take a moment to pause. See how it might give some distance between you and the demands or stresses of Wednesday.

You’re awesome,

Natalie

What’s the new coolest trend?📈🤳😎

1. Find your digital marketing friends.
2. Creatively bring up WHW in all conversations with them. Examples of totally not-awkward conversational K-turns:
   • “That’s cool you got a new car… Have you heard of the What’s Hot Wednesday newsletter??”
   • “You need help finding your phone? I’ll help! Once I do, I’ll show you how to sign up for What’s Hot Wednesday!”
   • You: Knock, knock.
     Your Friend: Who’s there?
     You: What’s Hot
     Your Friend: What’s Hot, who?
     You: What’s Hot Wednesday! You should sign up today!
3. Okay, maybe don’t use those. But you should bring us up with your friends. Send them all the signup link. 😁

DBE Perspective… 💭

Think with Google, with the help of The Behavioural Architects, has published its latest research on “how people decide what to buy while they’re in the messy middle of their purchase journey.” The research offers tips on how to boost consumer confidence (or should we say authority?) based on your website content.

For more on Brand Authority, check out our new blog post From Brand Authority to EEAT to SEO to SAIO.

DBE Perspective PART 2… 💭

Yes, there is a part 2 to your favorite segment of the WHW newsletter!

We know that SAIO and SEO work together, BUT they have different implementation strategies… one big difference is keywords. Instead of the SEO “one keyword per page rule, ”SAIO works with one topic and a few long-tail search terms. How does that work? Good question! Find out in “The SAIO Strategy: SEO Keywords vs. SAIO Topics.”

• FINALLY, LinkedIn rolls out sponsored articles. (Woohoo!) In the past, there was the problem of LinkedIn not liking you leading people to your off-platform blog, but wouldn’t let you sponsor your LinkedIn article. This is an exciting new feature to get your thought leadership content out to more people!

• With the death of the cookie, marketers are finding ways to utilize 1st-party data (maybe zero-party and second-party) data in a privacy-centric way through AI. Marketing Dive points out that large companies with massive amounts of 1st-party data will have a leg up over smaller ones. A way around this could be “data co-ops that allow entities to share data that can be used to fuel generative AI efforts.” However, if enough companies share data on this large scale, it still looks suspiciously similar to third-party cookies. We’ll have to see how it all plays out.

• Google has laid off hundreds of people specifically in the advertising sector. Many believe the support experience is going to get worse and as an agency we can attest to this.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Home Sweet Hudson 🌟

Once a special needs person reaches the age of 21, they are disqualified for the IDEA (federal) services they’ve used throughout their life. Home Sweet Hudson helps ease the burden of this transition for caregivers and special needs people in the Hudson County area. Learn more about them here: Home Sweet Hudson.

Don’t forget… you’re awesome! 😎

Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day,

Natalie

Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys has been stuck in my head. 🎵

Did you know that high-pitched noise in the intro was created by an electric-theremin. Learn more about the song here.

And if you’re pickin’ up our good vibrations, share our WHW signup link to your buddies. 🏄

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 ProPublica 🌟

ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force. Since 2007, ProPublica has been dedicated to “exposing corruption, informing the public about complex issues, and using the power of investigative journalism to spur reform.” Find how you can support them: ProPublica.

• New year, new content. Learning anything comes with trials and errors. Finding your ideal content mix is like an ongoing experiment. Kelsey Raymond reminds us of that in this MarketingProfs The biggest takeaway is learning to listen: listen to sales, your audience, the key performance indicators… then, formulating it into action!

• Google’s shutting down websites made with Google Business Profiles in March. They are suggesting alternate platforms like Wix, WordPress, etc.

Hey, you’re doing great and you’re awesome. Don’t forget that. 🙂

Enjoy the week!

Natalie

Interestingly, today is Ditch your New Year’s Resolution Day.

That seems pretty quick, huh – not even a month into 2024!

Luckily, you don’t have to abandon your resolution of sharing our newsletter with as many buds as you can! Send our WHW signup link to all your favorite people today!

DBE Perspective… 💭

Here’s the 4-1-1. Niki, our CEO & President, guest-spoke on the Systems Simplified podcast, hosted by Adi Klevit. She delves into how a business can entwine networking and expert delegation for clear expectations and efficiency. Listen now to hear how you can apply to your business or team!

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 10,000 Degrees 🌟

Their mission? Achieve education equality and to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to realize their full potential and positively impact their communities and the world. 10,000 Degrees has reached more than 16,000 students/families, awarding more than $8.6 million in scholarship rewards.

• How is the Google algorithm choosing search structured snippets for your ads? The big takeaway is to accurately describe what your webpage is about in your meta description without keyword stuffing.

• Hootsuite reports (in a super-cool, interactive way) social media trends for 2024. Here’s the list they gave:
  • Balancing the rise of AI with your audience’s need for authenticity
  • Focusing exclusively on the social platforms that provide that positively impact ROI. Mastering a few is better than being “ehh” on all of them.
  • Using social media to publish entertaining content in favor of brand promotion

• Don’t we all love seeing fun, distinct, creative branding? Here are some fun creative options from Piktochart.

I hope you had a marvelous rest of 2023 and are looking forward to 2024’s opportunities. 🙂

You’re a rockstar,

Natalie

Here’s a haiku in celebration of the new year:

a new year started

here’s digital marketing

news for your pocket

Make sure your friends have access to all the digital marketing they need. Share this link! 📧

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 No Kid Hungry 🌟

1 in 5 kids in America live with hunger today. No Kid Hungry is working to solve problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. They offer school meals, grants, advocacy, research and more to help their cause. They even have a “Free Meal Finder” to help anyone find help near them. Learn more: No Kid Hungry.

• Social Influencer campaigns are super nuanced and require the right touch. SocialFly, a highly recognized social media agency in NY, has a quick influencer marketing post to make sure you get the most from your programs!

• The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the only company in the world that can reliably make the world’s most advanced AI chips. In AI expert Rob Toews’ Ted Talk, he discusses the major problems with this fact including: 1. rising political tensions between Taiwan and China and 2. no other company (including Samsung and Intel) can reliably make these chips at scale. TSMC chips are pivotal for tech giants like Google to progress in AI development. The talk gives perspective on how global politics can enhance or impede our advancement of technology.

  Our thoughts: this is a situation to watch, but technology–or the people behind it–seem to find a way to move forward and we bet AI chips are no different. But, as John Lennon said, “Imagine….”

Why We 💗 What We Do…

We love our Do Good Spotlights, so we’re going to give them another shoutout here! If you have the ability and want to donate time or resources to good causes, here’s a list of reputable organizations to consider: Do Good Spotlight Roundup 2023.

I hope you’re having a wonderful, happy, healthy December. If you are celebrating anything, I hope it’s seriously awesome. Wishing you the best in the new year, as well!

Natalie

Here’s some fun facts about penguins: 🐧

• Their cute ‘lil tuxedo appearance is a feathery camouflage called “countershading.” Any fishy predator looking up will see the white belly blending into the water’s surface – all those below will see the back blending into the dark sea floor. #genius
• A group of penguins in the water is called a “raft.” When they’re chilling together on land, it’s a “waddle.”
• Penguin ancestors came from Australia… why some species decided to move that far south is beyond 🥶

Why am I talking about penguins this week?

They’re cute. Do I need a better reason to talk about penguins? 🤷

Anyway, send your friends this signup link to join the WHW “waddle!”

DBE Perspective… 💭

SAIO & SEO have more in common than they seem. Parts of the strategies are strikingly different (like keyword optimization), but they both help you reach a goal of increased visibility across organic channels. Marc Engelsman takes you through the best practices and effects of SEO/SAIO on each other in “The Yin and Yang of SEO and SAIO (or is it SAIO and SEO?).”

Do Good Spotlight
🌟Home for Good Dog Rescue🌟

Home for Good Dog Rescue has saved 10,000 dogs in 11 years! Think of how many games of fetch, dog piles, and doggie play dates were enjoyed because of their work. Home for Good Dog saves dogs from kill shelters in the South and places them with foster families until they get placed in forever homes. Check out their website and fall in love with their pups on socials. 💖

• We’ve talked about X’s Grok before. Did you know that it answers in a “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”- esque way… suggesting questions to ask and responding with hardy sarcasm, and real-time Tweets. Yes, this is cool, but X has its dark side of misinformation and bias. How will those play out in their new xAI?

• The global advertising market is showing positive results despite the challenging year of inflation and conflict. The overall market is expected to improve in 2024, specifically around major events like the Olympics and the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.

• You may have seen these floating around LinkedIn… Collaborative articles are becoming increasingly popular (at least in my feed). Basically, a group of experts are invited to provide knowledge and insights on a general question. Anyone can view or interact with these articles. These are another great way to build up your LinkedIn thought leadership!

Happy Wednesday!

Natalie

Congrats for making it to the bottom of this longer issue!

What’s your reward, you say? 🏆

Here’s a beautiful signup link that you can send your friends!

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Toys for Tots 🌟

Quick quiz: what organization has distributed 652 million toys to 291 million deserving children? If you guessed Toys for Tots, you’d be right! The Marine Toys for Tots Program’s mission is to collect new unwrapped toys and distribute those toys to less fortunate children at Christmas. Learn how you can support them: Toys for Tots.

• Have you ever been to an all-you-can-eat buffet with none of the dishes labeled correctly? That same confusion you get wondering if that dish on the back burner is chicken or pork is what advertisers feel on the Google Search Partner network (GSP). Advertisers have reported finding their ads on questionable websites, some of which were blocked. And this is why DBE tends to avoid the GSP network for our clients….

• Listening is one of the hardest skills to learn. It’s not something you can take a seminar on and call it a day. It’s an everyday practice. A constant choice. A meaningful awareness of yourself. A heartful connection with another. Quick Study posted a thoughtful piece on listening in marketing. I especially recommend reading the part about “transit hub” vs. “community” brands. Knowing where your brand lies in that mix is crucial to how you can best serve your customers.

• Marketing Charts has data from Dentsu on what roles CMOs are prioritizing for the next 12 months vs. the last 12 months. Top priorities include “ensuring effective brand management” and “developing the overall customer experience.” The story notes that B2C CMOs are held more accountable for customer satisfaction and advocacy while B2B CMOs are more likely to be responsible for the delivery of digital transformation programs.

See you on the flipside, friends. Have a superb week!💖

Natalie

Tap dancing is an incredible skill… and these brothers make it look easy! 🕺🏻🕺🏻

I don’t know about you, but I am inspired. 🤩

Perhaps you’re inspired enough to share us with your friends…. Here’s the link!