💾 Facebook’s Done It Again

In Today's Issue

• Facebook’s Moving the Target . . . Again

• Growth Hacks

• Social Media Marketing Roundup

• Decoding E-Commerce Success

• Alas, Poor Europe!

• Psychological Biases in Marketing

Want Detailed Targeting For Your Facebook Ads? Read This First!

Google Chrome’s moves on 3^rd party cookies have taken up a lot of bandwidth here at DDU over the past few weeks. A lot of folks are wondering where they can turn for the data they need to make confident moves on ad performance.

On top of that, Meta will be removing some detailed targeting options. When Jon Loomer shared that information on his YouTube channel, it sparked a lively discussion “on the quad” here at DDU (by quad, we mean Slack 🤓).

Is this an example of Meta falling in line and going with the flow that’s been established by Chrome? That might be the case. After all, getting privacy right without surrendering revenue is as important to platforms as it is to the marketers who use them.

That’s why we still have to be on our toes and track all the changes that are happening in our world. The pendulum has to swing past the center to favor marketers again; that’s the way pendulums work. Until it does, getting ROI out of ad spend will be a tough hill to climb.

But it’s equally possible that these most recent moves are motivated by something else entirely. Is this just another example of a platform taking something away in the name of privacy while they prepare to offer it in the form of a paid feature with the other hand?

That’s the theory that many of our members are floating out inside our private DDU Community. If you want to get in on the action, you can try Data Driven Insiders for 7 days and  get in on the discussion. We want to know what you think!

No-Fluff Marketing Industry News & Insights

We all agree marketing is the lifeblood of every business. 

But are you wondering which new customer acquisition channels brands are finding success with? Trying to figure out how to create landing pages that actually convert clicks into customers? Debating on taking Tik Tok seriously or not? 

Well more than 72,000+ world class CEOs, Founders, & Marketers are getting the answers to all of those questions and more by simply reading Growth Daily for 5 minutes every morning! 

Dubbed “The WSJ of marketing” by its readers, Growth Daily delivers the most impactful news, tips, tools, and insights for all things business growth!

Subscribe here to become a master growth marketer!

😰 40% of Main Street SMBs Say Online Marketing Costs are a Challenge

Conducting online business gives every company the ability to access a global market if they choose. In a cooling economy, these opportunities are essential for brick-and-mortar SMBs to expand their reach. However, a recent study by PYMNTS found that small- to medium-sized businesses struggle with a range of factors as they navigate the digital transformation.

4 out of 10 SMBs said marketing costs are their biggest challenge. Security issues and website development and maintenance were other top concerns. In response, programs like Google’s digital coaches program and Mastercard’s marketing hub are offering the tools and training SMBs need to succeed.

📱Reading the Tea Leaves on Social Media Marketing in 2024

If social media is a big part of your plan for the coming year, you should probably check out LYFE Marketing’s Social Media Trends 2024: Unveiling the Future of Social Media Marketing. It will give you a glimpse of the 20 most important keys to success in the months ahead.

If you’re still on the fence when it comes to social media marketing, you should definitely check this study out. Ethan Cramer-Flood at Insider Intelligence is predicting that digital ad spending is set to increase by 13.2% this year compared to just a 2.4% boost in spending on traditional ads.

🥼 A Not-So-Scientific Evaluation of PMax

What happens when an admittedly biased search marketer gets a perfect opportunity to conduct a real-world test of the difference between Google’s Performance Max and brand search campaigns?

If that search marketer is Jonathan Kagan, a VIP Contributor at Search Engine Journal, you get a blow-by-blow breakdown of what happens when you turn Pmax off for a week while letting the control group of brand search campaigns run as usual. Jonathan’s analysis won’t win any awards for scientific rigor but it does highlight what makes PMax hard to trust. The numbers surprised Kagan and they might surprise you too.

• Favorite platforms for finding creators to work with - Twitter

• I got 58 clicks in Ads but only 7 real sessions in Analytics - Reddit

• Decoding E-Commerce Success: The Role of SHAP Values in Data-Driven Predictions - Medium 

• What is the best SEO strategy for 2024? - Reddit

• Marketing misalignment - Chris Walker on LinkedIn

Accelerating Europe: Competitiveness for a new era

Western Europe has been setting the bar for the rest of the world on important initiatives like sustainability and inclusion. But, according to a recently released study by McKinsey, there is room for improvement on measures of competitiveness that will be essential to future growth.

One of the most striking observations in the study: “Europe is home to iconic high-growth, high-profitability champions in almost all sectors. But even before new challenges came into the frame, signs were beginning to flash that its competitiveness was eroding.”

Can Europe maintain its progress on sustainability and inclusion without sacrificing progress on economic growth? McKinsey argues that it takes all three to build a robust presence in the new geo-economic era.

The study identifies six areas where European corporations lag in comparison to the United States. It goes on to examine seven factors that will be key to reviving European competitiveness.

There’s a lot at stake for the global economy. Will Corporate Europe work with policymakers to navigate the present challenges successfully?

• 4 ½ Psychological Biases Every Marketer Needs to Know - No BS Marketing Podcast

• Mercedes Stunt Marketing at Vegas Strip - Twitter

• The five phases of Figma's Community led growth - In Depth Podcast

• How To Build A Successful Personal Brand in 2024 (Full Masterclass) - The Futur

• In-Ear Insights: Unlocking Workforce Potential With Generative AI- Trust Insights

• Using Personality Traits to Improve Targeting - Content Marketing Institute

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