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  • Attention On Social Is Shifting 🚨 TikTok Group Chat Is Here 💬 Instagram Embracing The 'Photo Dump' 🚛

Attention On Social Is Shifting 🚨 TikTok Group Chat Is Here 💬 Instagram Embracing The 'Photo Dump' 🚛

Also: All The Reveals At Made By Google 2024

Happy Friday Marketing Engineers!

If you’re new, welcome aboard 👋. If you're a seasoned Engineer, thanks for sticking around! Coming up today: a great AI cheat sheet, 3 micro lessons on writing better copy, and 13 great TikTok tips and tricks.

Is there something else you’d like to see here? Got a hot tip? Hit reply and let us know what you think. 🧠 Or smash a button on our feedback poll at the bottom!

🚀 Adam

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🗞 Marketing News

Social media platforms like Meta, X, and LinkedIn are altering their algorithms and reducing the visibility of news content and link posts, prompting publishers and marketers to explore alternative promotional strategies. This has led to increased engagement on secondary platforms such as Reddit and Snapchat, with Reddit experiencing significant traffic growth due to its partnership with Google. As a result, advertisers are diversifying their budgets, shifting funds away from X and towards platforms like Reddit and Snapchat, in search of new opportunities.

TikTok is introducing group chats for direct messages, allowing up to 32 people to chat together, although the feature is not yet available everywhere and has age restrictions for users under 18. Also, TikTok is adding stickers to DMs, enabling users to engage visually and create custom stickers for others to use. These updates enhance the platform's messaging capabilities, providing users with more ways to interact.

Instagram has expanded its carousel feature, now allowing users to add up to 20 photos or videos in a single post, doubling the previous limit. This update aligns with the growing trend of "photo dumps," where users share multiple images or videos at once, moving away from the platform's original emphasis on single, curated photos. Also, Instagram is making "Views" the primary metric across all content formats, bringing it closer to TikTok's functionality, which already allows up to 35 photos in a single carousel post.

🤖 AI

Google unveiled its new Pixel 9 series, including the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, featuring enhanced cameras, larger displays, and the integration of Gemini AI as the default assistant. The event emphasized the widespread integration of Gemini AI across Google's products, showcasing its capabilities in live demos, such as conversational interactions and content creation. Also, Google announced updates to other products, including the Pixel Watch 3, Pixel Buds Pro 2, Nest Thermostats, and the new Google TV Streamer, all enhanced with AI features and improved designs.

Common AI terminology to help readers grasp the complex jargon often associated with artificial intelligence. Various AI models, such as large language models and diffusion models, are described in terms of their functions and significance in the AI landscape. Also, key players like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google are highlighted for their roles in advancing and shaping the future of AI.

A new system designed for fully automated scientific discovery, capable of independently conducting research, including generating ideas, executing experiments, and writing papers. It has already demonstrated the ability to produce research papers with novel contributions in fields like diffusion modeling, supported by an automated peer review process that evaluates these papers with near-human accuracy. Despite its promise, the system faces challenges and ethical considerations, including limitations in its current capabilities and the potential for misuse, underscoring the need for careful oversight as the technology evolves.

AI is increasingly integrated into corporate decision-making, transforming boardroom dynamics and enhancing C-suite responsibilities. However, this integration brings challenges, including the need for robust governance, transparency, and the upskilling of employees to effectively work with AI while managing risks and ethical considerations. Looking forward, AI will augment rather than replace human judgment, providing valuable insights that must be aligned with organizational goals and ethical standards.

🧠 Hacks & Tactics

Great copywriters use the technique of incubation, taking breaks to let their brains subconsciously process information and make connections. They also employ contrast by combining opposing elements, creating interest and making their writing more engaging. Also, using the "So what?" exercise helps uncover the core benefits of features, ensuring the copy addresses what prospects truly desire.

For sign-up screens, focusing on functionality rather than creating a delightful, emotionally engaging experience is more effective, as functional designs prioritize practicality and usability. Evidence from sign-up screen redesign experiments by Ring, AllTrails, Nextdoor, and Spotify shows that simpler, more functional designs consistently outperformed more elaborate, delightful designs, with even small additions like illustrations negatively impacting sign-up rates. Distracting elements and increased app size from visual additions can reduce sign-ups, so boring and functional designs are recommended to improve user registration rates.

To create engaging TikTok content leverage trending audio, use green screen effects, incorporate both niche and trending hashtags, and capture viewers' attention with a strong hook in the first few seconds. Best practices for posting include targeting specific times, such as evenings and Fridays, and maintaining engagement by responding to comments and retaining low-performing videos for potential future traction. Utilize TikTok's tools and analytics for effective content management and strategy refinement based on performance insights.

⚙️ Machine Shop

Brand trust has become increasingly vital as discerning consumers, especially from Gen Z, demand high-quality, transparent, and ethical practices from brands. Social media plays a critical role in building this trust, serving as a key platform for brand interaction, reputation management, and consistent communication of brand values. A Marketing Engineer should maintain consistent messaging across channels, use technology ethically, engage responsively with customers, and monitor feedback through sentiment analysis, engagement metrics, and customer loyalty indices. This is the way. {m}

The "inspect element" tool is invaluable for SEO, providing the ability to view and modify a website's underlying HTML and CSS, which is useful for diagnosing issues, testing changes, and competitive analysis. It offers specific functionalities for SEO tasks, such as identifying fonts, colors, and images, analyzing link attributes, and detecting broken code, all of which help optimize a site's search engine presence. Also, the tool supports more technical audits like schema validation, enabling users to directly inspect and troubleshoot schema setups within their browser, essential for enhancing a site's clarity and visibility to search engines.

There are two types of sunset flows: one for subscribers who never open emails, which requires a short campaign to prompt engagement or removal, and another for previously engaged subscribers who have stopped interacting, involving a series of 2-4 emails to re-engage them. The primary focus of sunset flows is on encouraging opens and clicks through carefully crafted subject lines and content, which ultimately enhances email deliverability and sender reputation.

Starting SEO early and maintaining consistent efforts are important for startups, as SEO strategies compound over time, leading to sustainable growth and making it difficult for competitors to displace established rankings. Prioritizing search intent over product messaging and adhering to Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) framework ensures high-quality, credible content. Collaborating with customers, industry experts, and partners helps create valuable content, while avoiding common SEO mistakes and continuously refining the strategy based on performance data is essential.

🔮 The Future

Gen Z places a high priority on retirement benefits, with many unwilling to accept a job that doesn’t offer a company-administered 401(k), reflecting their concern for long-term financial security. They also value skill-building opportunities, viewing them as essential to career success, and are drawn to employers that offer robust learning and development benefits. Also, flexibility in work arrangements is a key expectation, as Gen Z seeks a work environment that supports a sustainable work-life balance.

Sustainable business growth is best achieved through consistent, long-term advertising investments rather than short-term, aggressive campaigns focused on immediate returns. Relying on short-term tactics, such as "day trading attention" on social media, is risky and often leads to diminishing returns, as evidenced by the declining stock prices of many companies that adopted such strategies. Building brand equity over time is essential for fostering customer loyalty, differentiation, and long-term profitability, which is accomplished through patient and consistent marketing efforts.

TikTok is expanding its presence beyond smartphones to a variety of screens, including TVs, digital billboards, and devices in locations like restaurants, bars, and rideshare vehicles. Although the platform is increasing its reach, it is taking a cautious approach to monetization, focusing on enhancing the user experience before fully integrating ads and e-commerce features. This strategy is designed to introduce TikTok to new audiences, particularly those who may not use the mobile app, and to showcase the platform’s broader content potential beyond just entertainment.

The White House Creator Economy Conference gathered 100 creators and professionals to discuss critical issues such as mental health, AI, and financial stability, with a notable absence of social media platforms and entertainment industry representatives. President Biden made an extended appearance, engaging directly with attendees, signaling the administration's commitment to addressing the challenges facing the creator economy. The event emphasized the importance of supporting creators through policy changes, with a focus on mental health and the evolving role of AI in the industry.

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✌️ Team Marketing Machine

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