Everything You Need to Know About Marketing

In today’s email:

• 🍲 The Secret Sauce : 3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your UGC 

• 📈 Platform Benchmarks: Google, Facebook, & TikTok

• 🧑‍🎨 Creative Insights: Don’t Sleep on Pinterest

• 📰 Industry News: YouTube Shorts’ Ad-gility

• 🥤 Brand Highlights: Poppi - Soda’s Back, Baby

• 🤖 Tech Talk: Instagram's 90-Second Reel Dilemma

THE SECRET SAUCE 🍲

Tripling Your Impact: 3 Ways to Repurpose UGC

Unlocking the secret sauce for successful campaigns often hinges on one powerful ingredient: user-generated content (UGC). UGC is a potent force that can showcase products and wield tremendous influence in the ecommerce sphere. But what if there was a way to amplify its impact even further?

Savannah Sanchez, an experienced UGC creator, shed light on a transformative strategy: repurposing a single video into three distinct ads. Here's how you can unlock the full potential of your UGC footage:

1. Point of View (POV): Leverage POV text overlays to position your product creatively. This way, you can integrate unique selling points into the narrative and captivate your audience with compelling visuals and music.

2. Unboxing or "Get Ready with Me" (GRWM): Embrace unboxing videos to showcase your product's features and packaging intricacies. You can also research how your target audience incorporates your product into their daily routines. These testimonial-style videos resonate deeply with viewers and create authenticity and trust.

3. Video Overlays: Blend close-up shots of your product with footage of the creator using it, overlaying both against a blurred background. This dynamic approach instantly provides viewers with valuable information. This is a great way to enhance engagement and retention.

By repurposing UGC content, you can multiply your marketing efforts and connect with your audience on a deeper level. So, why settle for one ad when you can effortlessly create three from a single UGC masterpiece?

PLATFORM BENCHMARKS 📈

Let’s Take a Look…

This week’s edition examines industry data from May 9-16 compared to the previous seven days. Google Ads experienced a significant shift with a much higher CPA at $23.99, marking a 23.56% increase from the previous week. However, the ROAS declined by 10.40%, while CPM and CPC both rose compared to the previous week.

Meta ads saw a slightly higher CPA at $38.69, up by 5.86%. Other metrics showed minor decreases: ROAS down by 1.67%, CPC down by 0.06%, and CPM down by 0.83%. Similarly, TikTok experienced a higher CPA with a 4.22% increase over the previous week, coupled with a 4.52% drop in ROAS, indicating less efficient spending. CPC increased by 5.14% and CPM by 1.11%, aligning with this trend.

CREATIVE INSIGHTS 🧑‍🎨

Don’t Sleep On Pinterest: Your Overlooked Marketing Channel

Pinterest's ad revenue has soared sixfold from 2017 to 2022, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. This surge shows how advertisers are increasingly drawn to the platform's unique features. Unlike some platforms where users might steer clear of ads, Pinterest users are more engaged with promotions.

According to Pinterest's Australian country manager, Melinda Petrunoff, ads are not just tolerated but embraced as valuable content. In fact, users often save ad content because it provides them with relevant and inspirational ideas.

Notably, there has been a significant rise in user-generated content (UGC) on Pinterest compared to just four years ago. This shift underscores the importance of incorporating real people into Pinterest ads and new influencer marketing strategies. 

In February 2024, Pinterest and Google also struck a deal which allows Pinterest to host Google Ads. This strategic move, coupled with Pinterest's clear user demographic – predominantly female with a growing presence of Gen Z users – lays the groundwork for a significant shift in advertising dynamics.

With Pinterest's user-friendly interface and emphasis on inspirational content, it's no surprise that the platform is becoming a hotspot for creative experimentation. With these creative ideas in mind, brands can tap into Pinterest's vast pool of over 500 million engaged users, and unlock new possibilities for visual storytelling.

INDUSTRY NEWS 📰

Shorts Shakeup: YouTube's Ad-gility

YouTube is unveiling an exciting new feature called "YouTube Select Shorts." This feature aims to empower advertisers to strategically place their ads alongside top-performing Shorts content. This new feature allows brands to choose where their ads appear across five categories:

• Entertainment

• Beauty 

• Fashion & LIfestyle 

• Food & Recipes 

• Gaming 

• Automotive 

This announcement comes as YouTube Shorts continues to grow, now reaching a whopping 2 billion logged-in users every month. Plus, Shorts viewership on TVs is soaring thanks to improvements in how short clips are presented on YouTube's CTV app. This is a golden opportunity for advertisers to tap into Shorts' popularity and get their message in front of a wide audience.

This announcement comes at a time when YouTube's global advertising revenues are soaring. In 2023 alone, YouTube's advertising revenues reached approximately $31.51 billion. This is an impressive increase of almost 8% from the previous fiscal period. 

As part of this rollout, YouTube has also added a dedicated section in its "ABCD's of Effective Ads" framework, offering tips to maximize Shorts content. While some tips may sound familiar from platforms like TikTok and IG Reels, they provide valuable advice for making Shorts more engaging. 

Advertisers should check out these tips to refine their Shorts strategy and connect better with viewers. 👀 Don't miss out on this chance to ride the wave of Shorts' popularity and connect with your audience.

BRAND HIGHLIGHTS 🥤

Poppi’s Sippin' Success: Soda’s Back, Baby

In this month’s edition of Brand Highlights, Ascend wants to showcase Poppi. 

Poppi, a brand redefining soda for a health-conscious generation, has revolutionized the CPG (consumer packaged goods) beverage space. Founded by husband and wife duo Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, Poppi emerged from Allison's quest to alleviate stomach discomfort. Leveraging the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, Poppi delivers a fun-to-drink product with genuine wellness benefits.

What sets Poppi apart is its bold approach to branding. Embracing vibrant colors and retro-futuristic graphics, Poppi's eye-catching designs resonate with its target audience of Gen Z and Millennials. Through savvy digital marketing strategies, including influencer partnerships with celebrities like Post Malone and Olivia Rodrigo, Poppi has cultivated a devoted following.

Poppi's in-store displays are not just cans on shelves; they're vibrant, playful installations reminiscent of a cool hotel in Palm Springs or a nostalgic college party. Exclusive giveaways, collaborations with prestigious brands, and humorous marketing campaigns further elevate Poppi's visibility and engagement. The brand's commitment to customer education, online discounts, and a vibrant TikTok community solidify its position as a leader in the beverage industry.

Poppi has redefined soda and captivated the hearts and wallets of consumers in search of a health-conscious beverage option. This blend of innovation and flavor has firmly established Poppi as a beloved choice among soda aficionados and wellness enthusiasts alike.

TECH TALK 🤖

Reel or No Reel: Instagram's 90-Second Dilemma ⏳

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of Instagram's elusive algorithm? At a recent creator event, Instagram's CEO Adam Mosseri peeled back the curtain. Among the key takeaways, Mosseri emphasized that posting Reels longer than 90 seconds can negatively impact reach within the app.

This is an interesting development because the maximum posting length for Reels created within the app is 90 seconds, but you can upload much longer clips. This raises the question: Why does Instagram permit Reels longer than 90 seconds if they hinder viewer engagement?

Along with this revelation, Instagram cautioned against practices detrimental to reach. This can include sharing content from other sources with watermarks, engagement baiting, and posting low-quality content. 

On the flip side, Instagram’s content team gave some lackluster posting advice, such as generating authentic engagement and posting at optimal times. But there were some helpful tidbits sprinkled in. They suggested that posting content simultaneously across platforms could enhance branding and spark broader discussion.

As we ponder the “why” behind Instagram's allowance of lengthier Reels, let's take these insights and use them to create content that truly captivates our audience. Keep an eye out for more insider tips and tricks in our next Tech Talk!

Check out Andrew Hutchison’s article for more information.

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• Programmatic Advertising

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• A Complete Guide to Short-Form Video Content

• The Next Generation of Google Analytics

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