TLDR Marketing 2024-06-21

A new study by the United Talent Agency (UTA) found that 73 percent of entertainment and marketing creatives believe generative AI will elevate content and 75 percent of those currently using AI say they are creating higher-quality work with it. The marketing creatives in the study were more bullish on AI than the entertainment creatives, but not overwhelmingly so. The results from the study suggest that these industries are shifting from fear and resistance of AI to curiosity and cautious optimism about it.

According to a new report by Reddit, Gen Z is increasingly turning to personalized recommendations and trusted sources over traditional search engines for product discovery. The generation is also particularly sensitive to inaccurate information and lack of reviews, reflecting their desire for trustworthy research experiences. The report shows that Reddit is a highly trusted platform, similar to friend and family recommendations, and highlights its unique ability to provide reliable insights to users.

Two-thirds of Google searches end without a click, while many social platforms suppress posts with external links. 3 tactics to create effective zero-click content on social media: present the complete content or solution within the social media post, which leaves the audience with no unanswered questions and positions you as a reliable source; tease the audience with a sneak peek of the main idea to pique their curiosity, which incentivizes them to click-through or sign up; and distill the essence of your content into a succinct yet impactful summary within the post, which provides value to your audience and compels them to navigate to the full content.

This piece covers how the author validated their service idea by engaging with potential customers on Twitter and launching on Product Hunt. Utilizing no-code tools, they developed a quick solution to solve a specific problem — submitting Black Friday deals across multiple platforms. Their strategy included targeted outreach to founders, offering early bird discounts, and focusing on over-delivering to secure testimonials and feedback.

If you've succeeded in getting your target audience to your website, don't waste the precious seconds they'll spend on it. Avoid prompting users to make a purchase without also providing context about your offering, in case they aren't familiar. Only direct users to schedule a demo if it's actually necessary for them to understand the product — if so, explain to visitors what a demo will entail. If it's not possible to provide specific pricing information on your site, then explain the factors that go into it rather than simply telling users to call to find out. Extraordinary claims (without proof) and unrealistic stock imagery leave visitors questioning rather than trusting. Avoid asking for information in forms that isn't actually necessary.

Social marketers are looking for new ways to increase ROI. They're using AI to create better content (and 71% of them say it outperforms non-AI content), jumping on brand-appropriate trends, and optimizing for social commerce.

→ Download the report to see the full survey results and get access to an exclusive video panel.

Marketing Brew is hosting a half-day event on June 25th that'll uncover how to adapt your influencer marketing strategy in today's creator economy. A virtual ticket costs $99.

Spotify introduced a new feature that allows all podcasters to upload videos directly to its platform. Creators previously had to use Spotify for Podcasters or a hosting partner for video uploads, but now any creator can upload videos alongside their audio podcasts using their preferred hosting service.

Sketchy instantly creates black-and-white drawings of any object, place, or scene. Whimsical is ideal for detailed flowcharts, mind maps, or sequence diagrams. Data Analyst cleans, analyzes, and visualizes uploaded data from CSV, Excel, or Zip files. Podcast Search finds specific podcast episodes or helps discover new podcasts. Canva lets you describe the social media post, graphic, or design you want in a few sentences, and generates an editable draft.

Instagram users are worried about AI scraping their photos for Meta's AI systems, leading to posts claiming copyright over their content. Legal experts state these posts have no effect, as Meta's terms grant it a license to use user content. US users have limited privacy protections and cannot opt out, while European users can due to stricter laws. Options include setting accounts to private or deleting data with specific commands. The only surefire way to prevent content use in AI training is not to post it.

A PPC agency grew its brand by leveraging Reddit for marketing, engaging in subreddit discussions and offering expert advice without direct selling. This approach led to new clients, industry collaborations, and speaking opportunities. It showcases Reddit's potential for organic growth and thought leadership. Reddit's forum format unexpectedly boosted SEO, enhancing the agency's online presence.

Having a shared definition of Growth helps everyone to stay on the same page.

An interview with Taylor Moore, Senior Social Media Manager for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, where she discusses which animals get the most engagement, the zoo's Twitch strategy, and a story of a post that reached 48M views.

Cetaphil's "Made for Phil" campaign targets male consumers with humorous videos, unique packaging, and partnerships with over 100 male influencers, including NFL player Xavier Legette.