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!

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
🌟 Alex’s Lemonade Stand 🌟

This foundation is close to our teams’ hearts. The story behind the ALSF is remarkable: When Alex was 4 (she was diagnosed with childhood cancer just before her 1st birthday), she wanted to set up a lemonade stand and use the money she earned to help doctors find a cure. Her first “Alex’s Lemonade Stand,” raised $2,000 in one day. She continued to grow the program with the help of an amazing community of supporters. When she passed away at the age of 8, her stand and inspiration had raised more than $1 million. ALSF was started by her parents in 2005 to continue the work that Alex began. Their mission is simple: to change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families, and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer. We are inspired by Alex’s story and donated in memory of Ronald Hogas. Here’s where you can learn more and support a wonderful cause: Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

• Meta and TikTok are exploring the possibility of ad-free subscription tiers in response to the EU data privacy regulations. It will be interesting to see what the future holds in the US if they roll out a similar version here.

• Did you know you can get verified on LinkedIn? Ya, it’s a thing!

• I’m a HUGE fan of the Duolingo marketing. Here’s their latest cleverness: a job listing for an Owl Trainer for their mascot, Duo the Owl. 🦉 The application process is intense – see below:

Hope you got some giggles out of that last bullet. 🙂 Enjoy your week!

Natalie

What’s cooler than being cool? 🆒😎

Sending your digital marketing friends this signup link to join the WHW party!

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Black Girls Do Bike 🌟

With over 100 chapters across the globe, Black Girls Do Bike is promoting equality in the biking community for women – especially women of color. They offer support, organize rides, and promote skill-sharing in a supportive community of passionate cyclists. As an REI Cooperative Action Fund nonprofit grantee, they’re connecting people to the outdoors, which is a fabulous mission to have! Learn more about their mission and how you can support: Black Girls Do Bike.

• When’s the last time you took a hard look at your competitors? 68% of the senior marketing leaders surveyed believe they will be facing stiffer competition with B2B product companies putting that figure at 73%. What’s causing the competitive concern? Innovation and the emergence of new global competitors show the biggest gains when compared with the same data captured 5 years ago. More from Marketing Charts.

Wishing you a fabulous rest of your week.

Happy Wednesday!

Natalie

P.s. If you’re looking to live more mindfully, a friend and fellow yoga community member, Cynthia O’Connell, recently co-authored a book, The Elevation Principles: Ascend the Ladder. It’s a wonderful reminder of the importance of mindful awareness, giving easily actionable techniques to get started!

Send your buddies this signup link to join our dazzle! (Yes, a group of Zebras is called a dazzle. With all those stripes ya can’t be surprised! 🦓)

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Smile Farms 🌟

Smile Farms has become a nonprofit leader in creating meaningful jobs in agricultural settings for adults with developmental disabilities, almost none of whom have worked before.Their founding story is super sweet, too. Jim McCann, Founder/Chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc., had a brother living in Independent Group Living Home (IGHL), a residence for people with developmental disabilities, so he teamed up with the home’s CEO, Walter Stockton, to create this program. Learn more about what they’re doing: Smile Farms.

• How is AI being used by companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Sprout Social? (Hootsuite is another platform using an AI generative chatbot function.) Read the sections on “Responsible AI use in marketing” and “The consequences of losing consumer trust” to understand the potential issues associated with the use of AI marketing tools.

• Speaking of ethical AI, Hans van Dam’s Ted Talk, “What happens when AI writes a TED Talk…” struck a chord with me. He talks of overcoming AI bias by allowing more “poets” into the AI project room. By “poets,” he means those interested in how language and people influence each other. What I loved is the idea of “teaching AI to help us become better people” by instilling thoughtful values from the start.

• Google removed the individual and ad-group keyword forecasting in Keyword Planner due to the lack of use. This doesn’t affect us as we can still conduct Google keyword research for our clients.

• The constant notification pings on our phones leaves our brains in a perpetual state of alert. Turning off non-essential notifications, setting app timers, and leaving the phone out-of-sight can help give your brain a reprieve and, hopefully, get you back to appreciating the moment. 😊

Toodles,

Natalie

Why shouldn’t you gossip in a corn field? Too many ears around. 🌽

What is a scarecrow’s favorite fruit? The straw-berry. 🍓

What should you wear to keep warm in autumn? A har-vest. 🎃

Welp, That’s fall folks! 🍂

*insert pause as the audience roars with laughter*

Tell all your friends these awesome, autumn jokes, AND send them a link to join our digital marketing party!

Some Thoughts… 💭

Speaking of SAIO knowledge, we put together this SAIO and SEO FAQ to answer and breakdown some top questions on chatbots. Could we BE any more serious about this awesome new strategy???

Now let’s pivot, pivot, pivot onto Snapchat and this week’s Do Good Spotlight!

• Snap and Microsoft are partnering to leverage Chat Ads API in Snapchat’s My AI. This will create a more targeted approach to ads.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Operation USA 🌟

Operation USA (otherwise known as OpUSA) has been helping people across the world recover from disasters, disease, and poverty for 44 years. They’ve delivered $450 million in aid for relief and development projects worldwide. Learn more and how to support: Operation USA.

Have a magnificent rest of your week!

Natalie

If you got something good outta this fun edition of WHW, here’s a link to share with your friends at Central Perk. ☕

P.S. There were 6 references. How many did you get? 😁

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 4-H Council 🌟

Who took part in 4-H as a kid? I am just learning more about it now, and it looks really awesome. It gives kids the opportunity to take part in hands-on projects in science, health, agriculture, and civic engagement. They do a lot of great things. Here’s how to support them: 4-H Council.

• MarTech covers a new Gartner report that “challenges conventional wisdom on holiday marketing.” The usual focus of marketing to holiday shoppers is on price and savings. Gartner’s report suggests that this year’s marketing focus should also include ESG values of the company and its products to appeal to the GenZ and Millennial audiences.

Why We 💗 What We Do…

One of our best team qualities is our ability to stay connected while remote. Stacy Sarno, our Office Manager extraordinaire, and I pulled together our best methods to share with your team. Check it out: Staying Connected with Your Remote Team

• Google is committed to using AI through Performance Max, which has led to more conversions for advertisers, according to Google. They, also, claim advertisers have gotten more conversions at a similar cost per action but don’t say anything about overall cost. We’re keeping an eye on it….

Einstein said, “…the past, present, and the future are real illusions, that they only exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.” Wrapping it up in a pretty bow, that means there is only now. The past and future only exist when we think of them in the present moment. So truly experience the moment you’re in. Don’t let it slip away without a conscious gratitude.

Natalie

Tell your friends to sign up for What’s Hot Wednesday because what other newsletter will talk about digital marketing and work wellness WHILE slipping in references to random stuff I find interesting?

I thank you for your dedication to read to the end of this article. You’re awesome. 👏

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 American Bird Conservatory 🌟

For more than 25 years, American Bird Conservancy has been standing up for birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Their emphasis is on results and working in partnership. They innovate and build on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats, and build capacity for bird conservation. Check them out: American Bird Conservatory.

• How confident are you in your ability to measure ROI? The bad news is fewer than two-thirds of marketing professionals answer this question with “High Confidence.” The good news is the channels that marketers have the highest confidence in ROI measurement are digital: social media, video, search, and display. The raised eyebrow we have with the data is the higher confidence in social media over search – really?!

• Amazon sponsored products will appear on Pinterest, Lifehacker, Hearst Newspapers, Buzzfeed, and more. Shopping is going next level with convenience. Seriously.

• X (previous alias: Twitter) has partnered up with Integral Ad Science (IAS) “to provide brand safety and suitability certification for advertisers.” Ads that are certified will appear according to Global Alliance for Responsible Media guidelines.

¡Adiós, mis amigos!

Natalie

You know those songs that seem like they were written about your life?

Sean Callahan hit the nail on this head with these bops that can relate to marketing.

(I’m cracking up at “Going Mobile” by The Who. 😂)

Anywho, now’s the time for me to remind you to tell your digital marketing friends to join us – here’s the link!

• To no one’s surprise, companies with flexible work options have been hiring faster than those who don’t, according to WSJ. One key finding in the story is that “workers view hybrid work arrangements as equal to an 8% pay increase”.

Google’s Updates:

○ In advance of the holidays, Google has improved insights to help marketers gain early learnings to shape their campaigns and bidding strategies. Changes include expanding access to the Search top slot, reducing onboarding time for local inventory ads, and enabling marketers to quantify the impact of online-only bidding vs. Smart Bidding for store visits.
○ If you’re doing the backend work for websites, you might want to check out the changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results.
○ Performance Max best practices received an update… check em out!

• Pinterest may have seen slower QoQ growth in users, BUT it also saw an increase in engagement and younger users. See more in Marketing Dive.

Peace out, y’all!

Natalie

We took out a personal ad and though we’re nobody’s poet… we thought it wasn’t half bad:

 

If you like digital marketing

 

And getting caught up on AI

 

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Click this link to subscribe today!🎵

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 The Access Fund 🌟

If y’all haven’t heard, I am a huge climber and nature-lover. The Access Fund is an advocacy organization 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.

• Think with Google offers “3 compelling use cases for AI, according to creative leads.” Embedded in the use cases (and called out by Google) are these interesting takes on AI:
  “We must always remember to place the human truth at [our campaign’s] core.”
  “At the heart of our business are the principles of empathy and reason. We try and build those into everything.”
  “AI is not just about ethics; it’s literally a business problem for us. If we’re not using AI the right way, it could lead to bias because of the training samples.”

• Looking to expand your ever-developing knowledge of social media? Cool, cool, cool. Search Engine Journal has got a nice list of courses for you to explore.

Don’t forget to live for the moment y’all!

Natalie

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, digital marketing goes on, yeah

That’s why you should tell your friends to join our newsletter. Send ‘em this awesome link!