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Write Better Case Studies

NOVEMBER 6, 2023

Get more mileage out of your stellar client success stories by avoiding these common case-study mistakes:

Start with the story, not the customer. Traditional case studies opened with a generic company description. Instead, move this info to the end or in a sidebar in favor of immediately engaging the reader with interest and tension right from the opening sentence.
Describe the experience, not the features. Many marketers make the mistake of highlighting only product and service solutions, which is informative, but potential leads want to know more about your thought process, or they why behind the how.
Describe the impact, not just the results. Flashy results should be included, of course, but don’t forget to translate for readers what the results really mean. What is the realized impact of these numbers?
Tie your CTA to the story. Instead of slapping a “Contact us” CTA at the end of your case study, compel your audience to reach out for the same results they’ve just read about.

Check out the full story at Case Study Buddy.

16 New Google Ads Features

NOVEMBER 5, 2023

Google has added 16 new features to its Ads Editor to improve your campaign efficiency:

App Install Ads deep links.
Automatically created Ad Strength assets.
Asset source in asset report.
Additional fields in Discovery product ads (Videos, Long headline, Path 1, Path 2)
In-feed video ads.
Text mode for selecting videos.
Campaign level broad match.
Video view campaigns.
Search themes in Performance Max campaigns.
Replace Text tool for product groups.
Device targeting in Discovery campaigns.
Brand settings for Search and PMax campaigns.
Dynamic Search Ads features in PMax.
Ad format controls for Video reach campaigns.
Demand Gen ad group level location and language.
PMax dynamic Search Ads upgrade tool.

Check out Search Engine Land to learn about each feature.

Canonical Tags Dos and Don’ts

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

When you have identical or near-identical pages on multiple URLs, canonical tags communicate to search engines which page to rank by pointing the tag(s) from the duplicates to the original.

Do ensure that the canonical tag points from the duplicate pages to the original page.
Do consider using canonical tags when it makes sense to indicate the preferred version to search engines.
Do use absolute URLs in canonical tags to help search engines recognize them.
Do monitor Google Search Console for reports of canonical tag overrides and fix duplication issues promptly.
Don’t rely solely on canonical tags to correct duplicate content issues; it’s just a hint to search engines.
Don’t use canonical tags when there is no duplicate content; they are meant for handling duplicate content situations.
Don’t assume that Google will always follow the canonical tag; Google may prioritize other signals in some cases.
Don’t misuse canonical tags to redirect link equity from one page to another if there’s no duplicate content.
Don’t overlook other signals like internal links, XML sitemaps, encryption, and content quality, which can influence search engines’ choice of the canonical URL.

U.S. Children are Showing More Interest in Podcasts

OCTOBER 31, 2023

A new study finds that, when it comes to podcasts, kids are starting to listen up. Here’s the breakdown on U.S. children and podcasts:

48% of children listen to podcasts every week.
67% of children listen to podcasts at least monthly.
48% of children listen with a parent always or most of the time.
71% of children listen with a parent at least half of the time.
93% of parents surveyed noticed their children have more interest in podcasts over the last year.
65% of kid podcast fans and parents take podcast recommendations from family and friends.
58% of kids and parents find podcasts via social media.
Children are most interested in comedy, action/adventure, stories, education, and music/nursery rhymes.
93% of parents surveyed say their children are more likely to listen to podcasts based on a familiar character or entertainment franchise.
Children consume podcasts at home, mostly on weekends and afternoons.
Children enjoy podcasts for 11 to 20 minutes at a time.
82% of children consume podcasts on YouTube, and 55% do so on Spotify.
9 out of 10 parents who consume podcasts monthly are willing to pay for a subscription to children’s podcasts.

Dig into the numbers over at PodNews.

Blogs Rank High in SERPs, Study Finds

OCTOBER 29, 2023

A new study has found that the top 5 Google search positions are most often occupied by blog content. It makes a lot of sense, too—blogs are useful to consumers and they tend to adhere to SEO best practices.

Based on the data, the report offers these recommendations:

Make sure your blog content is designed to address your audience’s needs, interests, and problems.
Don’t let quality slip. Consistent cadence and strong writing informed by data yield results.
Put your analytics to use in order to align your content with search behaviors and user intent.
Refresh your content regularly to stay relevant and well ranked.

Check out the full report by Brightedge Research.

New Survey Forecasts Consumer Holiday Spending

OCTOBER 25, 2023

Decking the halls and overhauling the strategic decks? Here are the key takeaways from the 2023 Deloitte Holiday Retail Survey:

Holiday spending is making a spirited comeback, with consumers planning to splurge an average of $1,652, exceeding pre-pandemic figures for the first time, despite inflation concerns, presenting opportunities for retailers as consumer confidence bounces back.
Consumers are in the mood to make the holidays fun again, driven by increased participation, price expectations, and higher spending from certain income groups. Consequently, retailers can cater to this interest with non-gift items like holiday decorations and furnishings.
As consumers brace for higher prices, they’re adjusting by buying fewer gifts, increasing their spending on gift cards, and capitalizing on promotional events, making it crucial for retailers to seize opportunities during these promotional periods—especially because consumers plan to condense their holiday shopping to 5.8 weeks this year.

Check out the full report at Deloitte.

7 Takeaways on Influencer Marketing from AWNY

OCTOBER 24, 2023

Advertising Week New York concluded last week, so here are 7 takeaways re: influencer marketing from Marketing Brew’s Katie Hicks:

Go after high-quality influencers, pay them accordingly, and trust them to do their thing.
Define and share your objectives, like do you want an influencer to flash the product in the first few seconds or not?
Don’t ruin relationships by trying to control the script. Content is more likely to perform well if it’s on-brand for the creator.
Jump in on collaborations with creators that feel organic and inuitive.
Read the comments! And pivot based on sentiment.
Don’t perpetuate inequities in influencer representation. Diversify your partnerships.
Forge partnerships with perfect-fit creators before they launch their own ventures and end up competing with you.

Read the rest at Marketing Brew.

4 Unconventional Marketing Tactics

OCTOBER 23, 2023

If you want to make a splash, consider these alternative marketing strategies:

Ambush Marketing: This tactic involves taking advantage of a relevant event to surprise the target audience with a marketing stunt, but it carries risks of offending event organizers if not executed correctly.

Undercover Marketing: This tactic aims to subtly engage potential customers without their awareness, often through product placements or the use of undercover agents.

Ambient Marketing: This tactic uses creative and visually striking placements of brand messages or logos in public spaces, often requiring consideration of local regulations.

Experiential Marketing: This tactic encourages active public participation in interactive activities outside their comfort zone to create memorable and engaging brand experiences, with a focus on obtaining necessary permissions.

Check out Entrepreneur for more.

5 Pitfalls of Google Ads Location Targeting

OCTOBER 22, 2023

Here are 5 common pitfalls of setting your Google Ads location targeting:

Avoid gut decisions: Don’t rely solely on personal biases and experiences; use data from Google Analytics to understand where your prospective customers are coming from and how well they convert.
Don’t target based on demographic profile: Towns and cities have diverse populations, so don’t restrict your location targeting solely based on demographic profiles. Focus on improving ad targeting for specific demographics and other audience signals.
Don’t over-rely on CRM data: While CRM data can be valuable, customers may search from various locations. Use CRM data as a starting point for analysis but not as the sole determinant for location targeting.
Be cautious with radius targeting: Setting a radius for location targeting can have an exponential impact on the audience reached. Reducing the radius is a way to control campaign costs.
Regularly revisit your targeting: Locations, people’s habits, and search behaviors change over time. Revisit and update your location targeting settings at least every six months to ensure your campaigns remain effective.

Check out Wordstream for more.