Today's Digital Marketing Pulse
Accenture Song Acquires Whalar to Bolster Influencer Marketing
Accenture Song announced the acquisition of Whalar, adding a 170‑person global creator agency and keeping co‑CEOs Emma Harman and Jo Cronk in place. The deal also includes a three‑year strategic partnership that gives Accenture access to Whalar’s talent‑management, technology and venture assets, integrating the creator network with Accenture’s data and AI capabilities.
Keyword Intent: What It Is and How to Use It in Your SEO Strategy
Keyword intent, the precursor to search intent, guides which keywords belong in a SEO strategy. The article outlines four primary intent categories—informational, commercial, transactional, navigational—and adds two often‑overlooked types: local and branded. It advises using intent as the first filter, leveraging tools like Ahrefs’ AI intent identification to classify and prioritize keywords. Mixed‑intent queries should be tackled by selecting a primary intent or creating separate content for each stage.
U.S. Ad Composite Rises On Bullish Update From Madison & Wall
Madison & Wall revised its 2026 U.S. advertising outlook, lifting total ad growth to 10.2% and ex‑political growth to 8.1%, up from its December 2025 benchmarks of 8.9% and 6.6% respectively. The upgrade incorporates Winterberry Group’s forecast, nudging MediaPost’s composite...
IAB Sweden Expels Meta: Warns Advertisers About Fraud, Brand Safety
IAB Sweden’s board voted to expel Meta from its membership, citing the platform’s inadequate measures against fraudulent advertising. The decision follows a procedural correction after an earlier March 10 vote was invalidated. Meta has until the April 15 annual general...
AI Mode Data, Ask Maps & Branded Queries Go Live – SEO Pulse via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google’s AI Mode now cites its own properties three times more often, with self‑citations climbing from 7% to 21% and a shift toward organic search results pages. The company also launched Ask Maps, a conversational AI feature in Maps that...
Madison & Wall: Ad Revenue To Rise On Good Economic Trends
Madison & Wall analysts Brian Wieser and Luke Stillman have upgraded their U.S. advertising revenue forecast, citing surprisingly resilient consumer spending despite recent headwinds such as higher gas prices and subdued spring‑break activity. The firm sees a modest but steady...
Is Google Hitting Self-Promotional Listicles Hard Again?
Google’s latest algorithm update is targeting self‑promotional listicles and other thin content produced by large language models. SEO experts Lily Ray and Gagan Ghorta have documented significant organic traffic declines for enterprise sites that rely on mass‑produced AI‑generated articles. The crackdown, first...
From Bedroom Demos to Studio Dreams: Why Brands Ditch Influencers for High-Production Livestreams
Brands are abandoning low‑budget influencer livestreams in favor of high‑production, brand‑controlled video commerce. Zara’s recent five‑hour Douyin showcase, hosted by a supermodel, drew over one million viewers, illustrating the power of polished, immersive experiences. The shift is driven by the...
New Google Business Profile Playbooks With Local Optimization Tips
Google has emailed site owners new Google Business Profile (GBP) Playbooks that outline local‑listing optimization tactics. The playbooks are available as PDFs for specific verticals—restaurants, hotels, tour operators, service‑area businesses—and a General Business Playbook covering universal best practices. A Google...
Growth Happens When You Stop Posting More
I grew my Instagram from 60 to 370 followers in the last month. For a long time I was the person watching everyone else grow thinking… “What are they doing that I’m not?” Then I found something that completely changed how I approach...
Mobvista Reports $2.05bn Revenue for 2025 as Mintegral Drives Growth
Mobvista posted full‑year 2025 revenue of $2.05 billion, a 35.7% jump from 2024, driven primarily by its programmatic platform Mintegral. Mintegral delivered $1.96 billion in revenue, up 35.9%, with AI‑powered smart bidding accounting for more than 80% of that income. Gaming remained...
Lenovo Launches ‘Pixel Deficiency’ Campaign Spotlighting Monitor Range
Lenovo has rolled out a digital‑first campaign called “Pixel Deficiency” to spotlight its monitor portfolio in India. The initiative features a four‑part, 45‑second film series that dramatizes how poor display quality can hinder work, gaming, design and study tasks. By...
Why More CMOs Are Questioning Their Longtime Marketing Stack
Enterprise CMOs are increasingly dissatisfied with large marketing suites such as Adobe Experience Cloud and Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Recent interviews with 52 enterprise teams reveal 94% frustration, with high costs, low adoption, and complex vendor lock‑in. The generational shift toward...
Fluent, Inc. Announces Partnership with Squire to Expand Commerce Media Solutions Beyond Traditional Retail Platforms
Fluent, Inc. announced a partnership with Squire, the all‑in‑one barbershop management platform, to extend its commerce‑media solutions into appointment‑based environments. The collaboration leverages Fluent’s experimentation framework and a Databricks‑backed data clean room that fuses Squire’s first‑party data with Fluent’s identity...
Synscribe Launches SEO AI Agent That Autonomously Executes SEO & GEO – Claims to Replace Traditional Agencies
Singapore‑based Synscribe unveiled a multi‑tenant AI agent built on the open‑source OpenClaw framework that autonomously handles end‑to‑end SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) tasks. The agent performs keyword research, creates landing pages, builds links and even drafts blog posts, reducing...
The AI SEO Checklist For Restaurants
AI‑driven search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity no longer rely on traditional SEO signals such as meta tags or backlinks. Instead they pull from third‑person, recommendation‑style content and trusted mentions across the web. For restaurants, this means they can...
Industry Snapshot: Meaningful Media Planning
5th Element’s CEO Muneef Khan says media planning in 2026 has moved from buying audiences to buying moments, using a behavioral cascade model that aligns each touchpoint with a decision trigger. He warns that algorithms are conservative and must be...
Google Says They Deploy Hundreds Of Undocumented Crawlers via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google’s podcast revealed that the historic "Googlebot" label now covers hundreds of distinct crawlers operating across its product suite. Internally, these crawlers use a SaaS‑style fetching service, nicknamed "Jack," which exposes API endpoints for web requests. Most of these specialized...
AI Can Now Do Marketing. Now What? (523)
In this episode, Rose and Polizzi dissect the rapid infiltration of generative AI into marketing, highlighting recent reports from Anthropic that predict up to 65% of marketing jobs could be displaced and Meta's acquisition of the AI‑centric social platform Moltebook....
The Stack: Ad Prices Rise, Retail Dominates, and Moderation Falls Short
Meta announced a 2‑5% fee increase for advertisers in Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the UK, effective July, to offset Digital Service Taxes and other location‑based levies. At the same time, the Meta Oversight Board criticised the company’s deep‑fake...
An Experiment
The author notes LinkedIn’s ever‑shifting distribution algorithm and questions the long‑standing Monday‑Wednesday‑Friday posting rhythm. A new theory suggests Tuesday‑Wednesday‑Thursday may yield better reach, prompting the writer to restructure their posting schedule accordingly. Starting next week, primary LinkedIn posts will follow...
Are CAPIs The Next Phase Of Performance TV?
Streaming giants are adding conversion APIs (CAPIs) to bring performance‑driven measurement to connected TV. Netflix unveiled its CAPI alongside new targeting options, while Roku and Comcast have introduced self‑serve APIs aimed at SMB advertisers. CAPIs promise to bridge the attribution...
Are CAPIs The Next Phase Of Performance TV?
Streaming giants are bringing conversion APIs (CAPIs) to connected TV as advertisers demand measurable performance. Netflix unveiled its CAPI alongside new targeting options, while Roku, Comcast and LinkedIn already provide similar APIs for CTV measurement. CAPIs promise to close the...
Ulta Beauty CEO Announces TikTok Shop Launch, 11.8% Net Sales Jump: ‘We Got Our Swagger Back’
Ulta Beauty announced it will launch a storefront on TikTok Shop next week, becoming one of the few multi‑brand retailers on the platform. The launch was revealed during the Q4 2025 earnings call, where the company reported an 11.8% rise...
How Can Long-Tail Landing Pages Cut Digital Ad Spend?
Digital advertisers face soaring costs on broad, high‑competition search terms, prompting retailers to explore long‑tail keywords. By building dedicated landing pages for niche queries such as “round wooden coffee table,” brands can secure cheaper clicks and higher Quality Scores. The...
Adobe AI Powers Enterprise Creative Workflows, Not Just Images
The market is comparing Adobe's AI to image generators in LLMs like ChatGPT. That is the wrong comparison entirely. Adobe just reported record Q1 FY2026 results = $6.40 billion in revenue, 13% subscription growth, and AI-first ARR more than tripling year...
Big Meta Spend? Audit These 5 Critical Inputs
Spending $50K+/month on Meta ads doesn't always mean your account is set up right. It could mean you're scaling the wrong inputs faster. Here are 5 things to audit in Ads Manager this month:
From Invisible to In-Demand: Kylie Chown on Owning Your Online Brand
LinkedIn strategist Kylie Chown will headline the WIICTA Mentorship program on April 28, teaching early‑career professionals how to transform a low‑visibility online profile into a high‑demand digital brand. She stresses that recruiters and hiring managers now evaluate candidates online before...
Final “Price Reduced” Comparison Ad Launches Post‑Campaign
"Price reduced" - this is the last of 3 versions of the comparison ads we created. These will run after "the hardest part" campaign concludes. https://t.co/8z7h6OZ8jj
Criteo CEO Discusses AI‑Powered RecSys, Automation, OpenAI Deal
This week on the Mobile Dev Memo podcast, I interview Criteo’s CEO about the company’s RecSys system for retail use cases, its Criteo GO automation platform, and its recently-announced partnership with OpenAI. https://t.co/Tuy7wrnLJg
Spicy Chicken Wing Appears Ahead of Wingstop Flagship Opening in New Stunt via Hello
Wingstop generated buzz in Parramatta Square with a giant, spicy chicken wing stunt orchestrated by creative agency Hello, prompting widespread social media chatter. The stunt heralded the opening of Wingstop’s Australian flagship store on March 13, positioned in a youthful,...
Google Ads Support Hold Music Frustrates Advertisers
Google Ads support hold music is driving some advertisers crazy - @adsliaison will pass it along https://t.co/l9RAl8Csbi https://t.co/lE8piC6L9Q
Master AI Visibility Without Sacrificing SEO
🚨 Who’s Winning the AI Visibility Race, and How to Compete Without Risking Your SEO? Don't miss the free webinar hosted by @AdelleKehoe of @Similarweb where @lilyraynyc and I will be going through the biggest insights from...
Product Manager
Magellan AI, an all‑in‑one platform for audio advertising intelligence across podcasts, streaming audio, and broadcast radio, is hiring a remote Product Manager in the United States. The role will own the feature roadmap, prioritize product improvements, and work closely with...
Win by Targeting Overlooked Channels Competitors Ignore
Your content isn't too niche. Your distribution is too narrow. Embrace the channels your competitors are too lazy to show up on... That's where you win.
LinkedIn Shares Tips on Optimizing Post Content for AI Chatbots
LinkedIn released a guide showing how members can shape their posts to appear in AI chatbot answers. The research finds that long‑form articles, newsletters and posts account for 60% of AI citations, with optimal length between 800 and 1,200 words....
We Analyzed 8,566 Keywords Across 14 SaaS Domains to Measure Reddit’s Impact on B2B Search… Here’s What We Found
A recent analysis of 8,566 keywords across 14 SaaS domains shows Reddit now frequently outranks B2B vendors in organic search. Reddit appears in the top three positions for 40‑45% of keywords and beats every competitor on more than half of...
Google Leaves Door Open to Ads in Gemini
Google senior executive Nick Fox told WIRED the company is "not ruling out" ads in its Gemini AI app, marking a reversal from earlier denials. The firm is using its AI‑powered Search experience, AI Mode, as a testing ground for...
Post Playbooks, Not Opinions, for Steady Leads
If you want consistent inbound, stop trying to go viral. Start trying to be useful. Most freelancers post opinions. Few post playbooks. Here is a simple weekly content system that actually drives leads: Monday: Share a specific lesson from a client win (with numbers). Wednesday:...
AI Reveals Your Brand's Weaknesses, Then Fixes Them
I ran https://t.co/f9IW600hsB on its own website. It gave itself an 𝗙. 📉 Which is hilarious, if you think about it. Even my own AI was basically like: we need to talk. 🤖 So I took its recommendations, fixed the positioning, tightened...
Meta Is Testing Clickable Links in Instagram Captions for Verified Subscribers
Meta is piloting clickable links within Instagram post captions for users subscribed to Meta Verified. The test allows up to ten links per month and currently appears only on the mobile app, not the desktop site. Creators have long requested...
March Madness Is Making DOOH a More Responsive Channel
March Madness concentrates fan attention across screens, venues and streets, creating a prime moment for advertisers. Digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) is shifting from pre‑planned, static placements to real‑time, programmatic delivery powered by AI and contextual triggers. Brands can now sync creative...
Google Halves Search Referrals, Still Leverages Publisher Content
Is Google taking news publishers' traffic away? Sweet mother of media, are they ever. From 2023-2025, referrals from search dropped by almost HALF. Brutal. Insulting. Infuriating. And ironic given that Google is certainly training its AI answers on publishers' work. 🙄
Stop Wasting $50K on Remarketing, Add Prospecting
The most expensive mistake I'm seeing on Meta right now: → $50–70K/month in ad spend → 90% of it running to remarketing → Zero prospecting. Zero incremental lift. Just recycling brand content to existing audiences The brand thought Meta wasn't working. Their agency...
Spreetail Introduces the Brand Experience Portal (BEx)
Spreetail has unveiled the Brand Experience Portal (BEx), a real‑time dashboard that consolidates sales, advertising, and fulfillment data for its brand partners. The platform integrates existing tools such as Price Pulse, Promise Pro, True Ads, and Smart Shelf, delivering AI‑driven...
Guest Posts Require Far More Effort than They Seem
Today, an exec says to me, "Must be easy to have a newsletter that's all guest posts." I hope Lenny Rachitsky doesn't mind, but I told him this story: Early last December, Lenny reached out to me about something, and...
Stop Apologizing in Content—Own Your Presence
Stop apologizing in your content. ”Sorry I look a mess… sorry if you can hear my kids… sorry… sorry…” You are giving people a reason to scroll. They probably didn’t notice, but you just wasted 3 seconds apologizing, and you just...
Nielsen Deep Sixes Sigma Radio, Ad Monitor Terminates Soon
Nielsen announced the termination of its long‑standing SIGMA Radio service, effective March 31, 2026, with the final daily and weekly reports slated for April 1 and April 6. The service has been a cornerstone for broadcasters, advertisers, and agencies to verify radio ad...
One Optimized Evergreen Post Beats Dozens of Trend Content
RT @NealSchaffer One strong evergreen piece, properly optimized and updated every 6-12 months, can outperform dozens of trend-chasing posts. Here's how to choose the right format, target the right keywords, and keep it performing. https://t.co/ZeXh529Z1f #SEO #ContentMarketing
B2B Buyers Watch YouTube First; Rank There
Most B2B video strategies stop at demos buried on a website. That’s the problem. Buyers learn on YouTube months before they hit your homepage. If you’re not ranking for their questions, you’re already a quarter behind. https://t.co/tCBEXd7L4I
Why Hotels Should Add Bing to Their Channel Mix
Hotels traditionally rely on Google Ads for paid search, but the article argues that adding Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) can broaden reach and drive incremental direct bookings. Bing’s network, which includes Bing, Yahoo, and partner sites, captures a sizable share...