Today's Digital Marketing Pulse
LinkedIn expands post analytics with network‑reach breakdown
LinkedIn is rolling out expanded post analytics that separate reach into in‑network (connections and followers) and out‑of‑network (non‑connections) percentages. The new metrics appear in the discovery section of a post’s impression data, showing creators how much of their audience comes from algorithmic distribution such as feed recommendations and reshares.
They Printed 10,000 Flyers. Then Their QR Codes Went Dark.
Across industries, QR code platforms lure businesses with free trials that generate dynamic codes, only to deactivate them once the trial ends, leaving printed materials useless. The article cites a restaurant chain that printed 10,000 flyers only to see the QR links break after a 14‑day trial, forcing a costly reprint or subscription. Dynamic QR codes now dominate a $13 billion market, but the trial‑to‑paywall model creates hidden expenses and brand damage. FreeQR proposes a permanent‑free alternative that keeps codes active without a subscription.
Lead Magnets Are Dead: Embrace Organic, Dynamic Funnel
Lead magnets as we know them are dead in 2026. Here's where Marketers and Founders doing their own marketing are going wrong... 1. Relying Solely on Paid Ads to Lead Magnets For years, I watched B2B Marketers and Founders pour...
Imagine Affiliate Review: Is This the Right Affiliate Agency for Your DTC Brand?
Imagine Affiliate is a boutique agency that helps Shopify DTC brands earning $20K‑$500K per month build true customer‑acquisition affiliate programs, avoiding coupon‑driven revenue cannibalization. By recruiting SEM affiliates, content publishers, and media buyers, it shifts the channel from discount redistribution...
How Email Marketing for Automotive Businesses Drives Leads and Sales
Email marketing, though long‑standing, remains underutilized in the automotive sector, yet it now drives measurable leads and sales as buyers research vehicles online before visiting showrooms. By embedding sign‑up forms on dealer sites and deploying automated nurture sequences, dealerships can...
#508 - The TikTok Shop Playbook for Creator-Driven Growth
In this episode, host Shivali Patel interviews e‑commerce veteran Josh Hadley about scaling sales on TikTok Shop by leveraging small creators. Hadley shares how his brand turned a 25% revenue drop into a 100% YoY growth surge by building a...
OpenAI Pulls Plug on Sora Video Generator After Six Months, Sparking Debate on AI Video in Marketing
OpenAI announced the shutdown of Sora, its standalone AI video platform, just six months after launch. The decision follows rapid user adoption, a surge of deep‑fake and copyrighted content, and mounting moderation challenges. Marketers are left to reassess the viability...
Proving GEO ROI Sparks New Scaling Demands
You can't make this up. Client hired a new marketing leader and pressed me to "prove the value of GEO" and why they should continue investing. I put together a presentation to demonstrate the value based on what we've accomplished....
Integrate AI Now to Halve Ecom Workload and Dominate
How to run an ecom brand in 2026 using AI for half the work: - Use AI to generate 10x more ad creatives than UGC creators can produce - Build a custom GPT trained on your customer service FAQs so new...
Why Your AI Media Stack Is Leaking Revenue — And What Fixes It
Many B2B marketers have invested in AI-driven bidding, dashboards, and attribution tools, yet revenue gaps persist. Jonathan Prantner of OneMagnify explains that the root cause is fragmented data foundations rather than the AI tools themselves. He introduces an AI‑native media...
Marketers Chase Reddit Hype, Ignore Lasting Brand Value
Marketers suddenly want to prioritize Reddit efforts because they think "it helps with LLMs" but no one cared about Reddit prior to AI search being all the rage. If this was 2016, no one would be prioritizing Reddit. And that's...
Meta Aims to Position WhatsApp as the New Frontier in Customer Relations
Meta is positioning WhatsApp as a core channel for B2C customer relations, citing that 80% of users interact with brands weekly and a billion daily business‑consumer conversations occur. The platform now supports promotions, live‑shopping, abandoned‑cart recovery (15‑20% recovered), payments and...
Prioritize New Customer Rate Over ROAS for Growth
ROAS is quietly the most deceptive metric that nobody knows how to track. The moment you push into cold audiences, ROAS can drop. And every operator trained on it pulls back exactly when they should push. Almost every account we inherit has...
Best Web3 Marketing Agencies in 2026: Top 5 Picks for Crypto Growth
The article identifies the five leading Web3 marketing agencies for 2026— theKOLLAB, Single Grain, RGray, Crowdcreate, and Cryptic—highlighting their specialized services, notable results, and ideal client types. It notes the Web3 marketing market grew to $1.97 billion in 2024 and is...
This Pretzel Startup Turned a Viral TikTok Moment Into Months’ Worth of Sales—In Just Three Days
Baltimore entrepreneur Marcus Moore’s pretzel brand Moore Crunch went viral on TikTok after a news clip hit 2 million views, prompting a three‑day order volume normally seen over three to four months. The company, launched in October 2022, offers five flavors at...
Meta's New Attribution Inflates CPA, Leaves Optimization Unclear
Meta has rolled out their updated attribution settings to many accounts yesterday. This resulted in 30-50% increases in CPA in platform. But Northbeam showed zero changes. If you see a banner at the top of your ads manager it was...
Cubs' VDX.tv Partner Faces Scrutiny Over Deep Fan Data Collection
The Chicago Cubs' partnership with VDX.tv, a sports streaming vendor, has come under fire for harvesting extensive fan data—including IP addresses, device identifiers, browsing behavior and location—through cookies that persist for up to 90 days. Privacy advocates warn the practice...
U.S. District Court Dismisses X Corp. Advertiser Boycott Lawsuit
A U.S. District Court has dismissed X Corp.'s lawsuit alleging a coordinated advertiser boycott, ending a high‑profile case that could have reshaped ad‑tech policies. The ruling leaves advertisers and platforms to navigate brand‑safety concerns without a court‑mandated remedy.
Synter Emerges From Stealth With AI Agent to Execute Paid Media Campaigns
Synter has launched from stealth with an AI‑driven advertising operations platform that lets marketers issue natural‑language commands to manage paid campaigns across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and other networks. The agent connects via official APIs, eliminating the need for manual dashboard...
From a Side Quest to Serious Business: Has Gaming Entered the Marketing Mix?
Gaming has moved from a peripheral budget line to a core component of the Middle East marketing mix. A PwC survey shows 23.5 million gamers—about 67% of Saudi Arabia’s population—and 7.3 million in the UAE, prompting brands to allocate significant spend to...
Dettol Celebrates Mothers’ Quiet Acts of Protection in Nostalgic Campaign
Dettol’s latest Mother’s Day digital campaign spotlights mothers’ quiet, everyday acts of protection, using a nostalgic photo‑album narrative to illustrate care from infancy through school years. The hero film debuted on YouTube and was amplified across TikTok, Meta, Snapchat and...
7 Best Rebrandly Alternatives for Scalable, Measurable Link Management
Marketers are outgrowing Rebrandly’s focus on branded short URLs, seeking platforms that combine branding with deep analytics, automation, and cross‑channel integration. The guide highlights seven alternatives—Branch, Bitly, JotURL, RocketLink, ClickMeter, TinyURL, and Short.io—each catering to different needs from enterprise attribution...
Music Labels Hire ‘Clippers’ to Fake Viral Hits
Music Labels Turn to “Clippers” to Manufacture Fake Viral Buzz at Scale “Clipping” is a viral marketing tactic where teams flood social platforms with content to fake organic virality Labels and agencies hire ‘clippers’ to mass-post memes, clips, and content across TikTok,...
Unity Follows AppLovin, Roblox Brand Deal Controversy and Wuthering Waves' Live Ops Success | Week in Views
Unity announced it will shut down the ironSource ads network and is exploring a sale of Supersonic as its latest earnings beat guidance. Roblox revealed that starting in January 2027 it will take a cut of in‑game brand partnership revenue,...
Yap Era: Authentic Voices Replace Polished Tech‑bro Content
I'm convinced the "yap era" of social content is not a trend... It's a course correction. People got tired of over-produced content that felt empty (and WAY too tech bro-y). They want real information, real stories, from real people.
The Analytics Infrastructure Shift Happening Now: How Conversational Analytics Is Reshaping Marketing Intelligence
Marketing analytics is undergoing a fundamental shift as large language models become answer engines, turning zero‑click searches—now about 60% of queries—into the primary consumer touchpoint. Traditional dashboards, built for static reporting, can no longer provide the real‑time why behind sudden...
Unity to Shut Down IronSource Ads Network and Explore Supersonic Sale as Revenue Beats Guidance
Unity reported first‑quarter revenue of $505‑$508 million, comfortably beating its $480‑$490 million guidance, and forecast adjusted EBITDA up to $135 million, a 58% year‑over‑year increase. The company announced it will shut down the IronSource Ads Network by April 30 2026 and is actively seeking a...
Social Media May Soon Require Warning Labels, Shaking Ecosystem
Proud of this little graphic I made for this week’s ICYMI newsletter: Is Social Media About to Get Slapped with a Warning Label? And what does that mean for all of us in the ecosystem (creators, marketers and platforms)?! https://liahaberman.substack.com/p/icymi-is-social-media-about-to-get
AppLovin’s Real Moat Is MAX Mediation, Not AXON
on $APP new short out now from HEDGEYE with a 30% downside report - AppLovin's competitive moat is not primarily AXON, its machine learning model. It is MAX, the mediation platform that controls over 60% of mobile...
Tenetic Takes On ‘Gaps’ in Ad Performance, Measurement
Tenetic, an AI‑driven insights platform, has launched the Tenetic Institute to tackle structural gaps in advertising performance measurement as spend shifts toward retail media, creator channels, and AI‑influenced environments. The initiative will examine the disconnect between spend allocation and measurement,...
Master Three Metrics to Scale Beyond Q2 Chaos
You just spent 3 crazy months reacting to • Tariff chaos • Targeting changes • Algorithm shifts But ask yourself these 3 questions to help you scale consistently in Q1 without worrying about any chaos in Q2. QUESTION 1: Does your offer convert...
Commerce Media ‘Firmly in the Growth Phase’, Finds SMG’s New Maturity Index
SMG’s newly launched Commerce Media Network (CMN) Maturity Index reveals the sector is solidly in a growth phase, with 58% of networks classified as mid‑market and 28% reaching mature status. The Index evaluates networks across three dimensions—What (capabilities, data, inventory),...
Stop Overthinking: Comparison Sabotages Your Content Confidence
I've been talking to clients who overthink and question everything when it comes to posting content. And there are 2 camps they find themselves in. The first is they are so deep in comparison that it makes them question everything they...
#372 VIRAL VIDEO PROMPT: Real Estate Agent Viewing Video
In episode #372, host discusses a viral real‑estate video that showcases a luxury home as more than a property—it's presented as the embodiment of the American dream. The conversation breaks down the marketing tactics used in the video, including cinematic...
Q4 2025 Malformed & Fraudulent CTV Bundle IDs Risk Report
Pixalate’s Q4 2025 report reveals that between 52% and 85% of Connected TV (CTV) bundle IDs are malformed, unidentified, or fraudulent across major platforms, with LG Smart TV at 85% and Apple TV at 69%. Only 9%‑60% of impressions use legitimate App Store...
Essential Site Assets: The Big
If you want more and better talks, you’ll need a few key marketing assets on your site. This is the big 3. Or maybe the big 103?
March 2026 SEO Updates: Core, Spam, AI Title Links
SEO Video recap covering the March 2026 core update and the fast Google March 2026 spam update, AI-generated title links in Google, new Bing AI reporting, PPC and so much more https://t.co/qvTqfZ540s Sponsored by @DudaPlatform with industry mentions of @glenngabe @mordyoberstein...
Google Adds Seasonal Creative Theming to PMax Asset Groups
Google has introduced Asset Group Theming within Performance Max, allowing advertisers to apply seasonal motifs to existing asset groups without rebuilding them. The feature clones a high‑performing group, adds themed image backgrounds, and suggests matching headlines and descriptions while preserving...
Social Influence: The Sole Lead Generation Driver
The 2026 Reality Check: Why Social Influence is the Only Lead Gen That Matters by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/FckfDIdoyM @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #Salesforce #Marketing #Leadership #MarketingStrategy #MarketingSuccess https://t.co/A9EnDvrUCs
Concise, Value‑Driven Messaging Beats Bloated Creative
Concise, value-driven messaging consistently outperforms bloated creative because it respects time, sharpens intent, and drives faster decisions. Here are 9 ways to achieve this >> https://t.co/oMeJACDuou #emailmarketing #digitalmarketing https://t.co/BqsADxVvqM
Google Merchant Center Will Highlight Vehicle Ads Data Quality Issues
Google announced that starting mid‑April 2026, Merchant Center will surface data‑quality issues for Vehicle ads directly in the account‑issues page. The new checks compare each vehicle's feed attributes—availability, condition, price, mileage, VIN, and landing‑page URLs—with the corresponding details on the...
Get a Discounted SEO Audit for Your Site
It's been quite a long time since I last managed an e-commerce website. Who wants some SEO work done for their site? I'll audit yours at a discounted rate to get things going.
AI Redefines Healthcare Search: Visibility Over Clicks
Search isn’t broken. It’s evolving. AI is changing how healthcare brands show up— visibility doesn’t always mean clicks anymore. Lacey Reichwald breaks down what’s changing in healthcare search—and what isn’t. 👀 👉 https://t.co/gVeYqeWbe3 @ahamediagroup #marketingstrategy
Semrush Holds First Data on ChatGPT Ad Performance
Well, I know one company in our industry that has data about how ChatGPT Ads are performing. @semrush :) https://t.co/2O5V5dJZSN
Meta's Creator Partnerships Down for a Week, No Update
Meta's creator partnerships has now been broken for a week. Still no word from Meta on the fix. https://t.co/aF10GFNR7l
Flex Ads Boost CPA Performance 30‑60% Day‑over‑Day
Every single ad that was a Flex ad across my entire portfolio saw anywhere from a 30-60% increase DoD in CPAs.
Start with High‑intent Search, Not Months of Waiting
Most B2B teams wait months for pipeline. Target everyone. Optimize for clicks. Build awareness. Then hope it turns into revenue. Flip it: •Start with high-intent search •Send traffic to demo •Capture demand already there •Expand after proof Start with buyers, not browsers. https://t.co/6mptqJgD9z
Unity's AI-Powered Ad Platform Vector Transforms Mobile Advertising
In this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast, I speak to Felix The, the SVP of Advertising Product and Engineering at Unity. We discuss Unity’s AI-enabled advertising system, Vector. https://t.co/YKAGMtaYaP
Creating Your Own Ad Media Boosts Sales in AI Era
Building your own advertising media to grow sales in the age of AI. What I’ve been doing since January. It seems to be working so far.. https://t.co/6JLvoZiqA8 #SmallBusiness & Deal Making #SMB https://t.co/QXBIMMaGJE
OpenAI’s $100M Ad Spend Fueled by Novelty Demand
OpenAI’s $100MM advertising run rate is almost entirely a function of “novelty demand” since they launched a primitive product with little optimization capacity. Relevant questions: 1) How much better does the platform get?, 2) Where does demand settle when they...