Today's Digital Marketing Pulse
Ad tech vendors pivot to cloud‑hardware ownership to cut latency and costs
Vendors are splitting between owning their own cloud infrastructure and renting from public clouds such as AWS, Google Cloud and Azure. SSPs PubMatic and Index Exchange introduced containerized solutions—Decision Fabric and Index Cloud—that let DSPs run models on‑premise, lowering latency and data‑transfer expenses. The shift balances cost savings against control of the stack.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Accenture Song acquires influencer marketing agency Whalar
ADSQUIRE Launches First Lawyer Ad Inside ChatGPT, Opening AI Legal Marketing Frontier
ADSQUIRE announced it has placed the first lawyer advertisement inside OpenAI's ChatGPT, marking a historic entry for legal marketing into conversational AI. The campaign promotes Pennsylvania personal‑injury education and showcases the agency’s push to claim early inventory on emerging AI platforms. The move could reshape how law firms acquire leads as consumers shift from search engines to chat‑based discovery.
Meet the YouTube Whisperers, a Booming Class of Advisors Behind MrBeast and Other Million-Dollar Channels
YouTube’s creator economy is maturing into a high‑value industry, with the platform now delivering 12.7% of U.S. streaming traffic and having paid out over $100 billion to creators since 2021. A growing class of consultants, exemplified by Paddy Galloway, charge $15,000‑$12,000 per...
Google’s UCP Update: Carts, Catalogs, And Loyalty In AI Shopping via @Sejournal, @Slobodanmanic
Google expanded its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) on March 19, adding Cart, Catalog, and Identity Linking capabilities and a streamlined onboarding flow in Merchant Center. The Cart feature lets AI agents bundle multiple items in a single transaction, while Catalog provides...
Modern Marketing With MichaelAaron Flicker – This Week’s Thinking With Mitch Joel Conversation
Episode #1035 of Thinking With Mitch Joel features behavioral‑science expert MichaelAaron Flicker discussing the paradox of modern marketing: unprecedented data, tools, and precision coexist with fragile consumer trust, attention, and loyalty. Flicker, who founded his first company at 14 and...
AI Adoption Hits 16.3% Globally, Prompting a Strategic Shift in Digital Advertising
Microsoft’s 2025 Global AI Adoption Report finds 16.3% of the world—about one in six people—now use AI tools daily. Yeahmobi says the milestone is reshaping ad targeting, with mature markets moving toward performance‑driven messaging and emerging markets focusing on accessibility...
Klaviyo Shares Tumble 32% After Earnings; Glynn Capital Exits Position
Klaviyo Inc. saw its shares plunge 32% on May 5 after reporting a 28% revenue jump and raised guidance, while Glynn Capital Management disclosed it had sold its entire 456,805‑share holding for roughly $9.8 million earlier in the quarter. The twin...
Humanoid Robot Fight Goes Viral as Bay Area Store Prepares for Season 1 Launch
Cix Liv’s virtual‑reality firm showcased the first public duel between Engine and Unitree humanoid robots at its new San Francisco store, sparking a viral video that has drawn millions of views. The showdown sets the stage for the Ultimate Fighting...
Google Drops FAQ Rich Results From Search via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google announced the deprecation of FAQ rich results, ending their appearance in Search on May 7, 2026. The Rich Results Test and reporting in Search Console will be removed in June, with API support ending in August. While the FAQPage schema...
How to Buy Podcast Ads: A 2026 Playbook
Podcast advertising has moved from experimental to a core media category, with global ad revenue reaching $4.02 billion in 2024 and U.S. spend at $2.57 billion. The playbook outlines how B2B marketers can treat podcast buys with the same rigor as paid...
What Bulk Buyers Actually Need From a Publishing Partner
Bulk buyers of guest posts are shifting focus from the cheapest links to reliable, scalable publishing partnerships. Agencies that manage 20‑100 placements each quarter need predictable workflows, consistent editorial standards, and responsive human support. The Good Men Project exemplifies this...
Unified “Single Brain” Platform Supercharges Marketing Efficiency
My bet is everyone is going to have something River-like at their company. We have been doing this for the last 2 months at my company - we call it 'Single Brain'. Since we're a marketing services company, we...
Low Engagement Signals Need to Rethink Your Threads Strategy
The lack of engagement on my last 20 posts suggests I am terrible at @threads. What should I change?
BookTok Fuels 821 Million Book Sales, Turns Authors Into TikTok Creators
BookTok has generated a record‑breaking 821 million book purchases in 2021, with the #BookTok hashtag topping 78.7 million posts. The TikTok sub‑community is reshaping publishing by demanding that authors act as short‑form video creators, a shift that retailers and houses are scrambling...
Unlock LinkedIn Growth: Free Consultation for First Three
Ayoooo On May 19th, I’m helping people build a real presence on LinkedIn. The same systems that got me to 100K followers can help you grow your audience too, that'll help you network and get paid. The next 3 people who...
AI Replicates 0‑to‑10K X Growth in 3 Months
I grew the 𝕏 account of @vitaliidodonov from 0 → 10K followers in just 3 months. Then I trained an AI on my exact strategies so you can get the same results. Reply "X" and I'll DM you the link to try...
Google Adds Five AI Link Overlays to Search without New Click Metrics, Sparking SEO Concerns
Google rolled out five new AI-generated link overlays in Search this week but did not provide any additional click‑through data for publishers. The move intensifies a year‑long dispute as studies show click rates plunge when AI Overviews appear, while Google...
GlobalGPT Launches Open-Access AI Content Suite
Ok this is kind of wild. GlobalGPT just quietly added Seedance 2.0 and Wan 2.7. No invite code. No regional barrier. No waiting list. You can now generate AI ads, comic videos, dance clips, cinematic shots, and running videos from one tab. https://t.co/XaLDs2Qr5c
Martech Shift: Cockpit Turns Into Engine Room
The Great Martech Inversion: When the Cockpit Becomes the Engine Room by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/o8VHexq82B @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #Marketing #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #TechNews #AI #CX #CRM #MarketingSuccess #MarketingStrategy #AIAgents https://t.co/xCi4XFaQ7b
OpenAI Rolls Out Self‑serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT, Adds CPC Bidding
OpenAI has launched a beta self‑serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT in the United States, letting advertisers buy placements directly and introducing cost‑per‑click pricing alongside its existing CPM model. The rollout brings major agency holding groups and tech partners into the...
24‑hour Test Proves Ghost Can Mimic Substack Landing Page
So I did a 24 hour test with a Substack-like landing page, using a customized version of the Ghost Nikko theme. https://t.co/1QQhIhgHXg
Keep FAQs: They Still Boost SEO Without Rich Results
You may have heard by now that Google is dropping support for all FAQ rich results So, should you remove all FAQs from your content? No. No. And probably not. Google previously stopped showing FAQs for the vast majority of publishers in August...
TikTok Director Says 77% of Interested Shoppers Search for Product Info After Seeing Affiliate Content, with Comments Driving Purchases
TikTok’s North America director of beauty, wellness, and personal care, Donte Murry, revealed that 77% of shoppers who encounter affiliate content on the platform subsequently search for more product information. He emphasized that combining sponsored and affiliate videos meets shoppers...
Google Ends Support for FAQ Rich Results in Search, Removing Reporting From Search Console in June and August
Google announced that FAQ rich results will cease to appear in search results after May 7, 2024. Reporting for FAQ structured data will be removed from Search Console in June, and the related API endpoint will be disabled in August. Publishers...
DoubleVerify Flags 140% Jump in AI‑driven CTV Fraud, Warning Advertisers of Rising Risk
DoubleVerify’s 2026 Global Insights report reveals AI‑powered fraud schemes on connected TV grew 140% in Q1 2026 versus Q1 2025. The surge spans bot and data‑center attacks, hits both direct and programmatic buys, and underscores the need for verification tools...
Adobe Finalizes Semrush Acquisition, Bolstering AI‑Driven SEO Suite
Adobe announced the completion of its acquisition of Semrush, integrating the SEO platform into its Customer Experience Orchestration suite. The move comes as AI‑generated traffic to U.S. retail sites jumped 269% year‑over‑year, underscoring the urgency for marketers to secure visibility...
Close the Loop: Real Traffic Validates AI Experiments
You need to close the loop. Most of you aren't. Everyone's using AI to spin up 50 landing pages, 150 ad variations, entire feature sets in a weekend. It feels like you're testing everything. But you're not. You're just guessing at scale. If you...
PubMatic Expands Agentic AI to Indirect Programmatic Deals, Sparking 80% YoY Revenue Surge
PubMatic announced that its AgenticAI platform will now handle end‑to‑end programmatic deals beyond direct publisher contracts. The move helped the company post an 80% year‑over‑year rise in its AI‑driven revenue segment, lifting total Q1 revenue to $62.6 million. Executives say the...
KPMG India Teams Up with CleverTap to Boost AI‑Driven Customer Engagement Consulting
KPMG India has entered a strategic alliance with AI‑first martech platform CleverTap, merging the firm’s transformation consulting with CleverTap’s real‑time analytics and AI‑driven engagement suite. The partnership targets reduced churn, higher lifetime value and compliance‑ready customer ecosystems for corporate clients...
Teads Posts 7% YoY Revenue Dip as Video‑ad Market Tightens
Teads announced Q1 2026 revenue of €266 million, a 7% year‑over‑year drop, as the programmatic video marketplace feels pressure. The company offset the decline with 5% growth in gross profit, a 50% surge in CTV revenue, and a 20% cut in...
Reputation in the Age of Permanent Visibility
The Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines’ new "State of Digital" report shows that two‑thirds of top brand touchpoints now happen online, signaling deep digital integration. While organizations gain data‑driven decision‑making and responsive content systems, the report warns that digital...
Brands' Secret AI Use Tops Social Media Sins
Brands hiding their use of AI in social posts is their biggest social media sin, according to a Sprout Social survey. 28% Unlabeled AI-Generated Content 23% Engagement Bait 14% Political Commentary 13% Automated DMs 12% Posting Too Much
Instagram Pivots to Champion Long‑form Creators for Next Years
Instagram’s VP of Product says she’s thinking about how the platform can best support long-form creators over the next 1-2 years — a complete reversal of IG's previous focus on short-form, shareable content https://liahaberman.substack.com/p/icymi-instagrams-return-to-long-form
ASI Study Finds Promo Products Yield $0.006 Impressions, Beats Digital Ads
The Advertising Specialty Institute released a 2026 Global Advertising Impressions Study showing promotional products generate brand impressions at just $0.006 each, a fraction of the cost of TV and digital media. The findings, based on surveys of nearly 5,000 consumers,...
AI Will Separate Strategic Agencies From Basic Set‑ups
AI won’t kill Meta ad agencies. It will expose the ones that only sell basic setup work. Businesses still need humans for strategy, positioning, creative thinking, and profitable scaling. But agencies ignoring AI will absolutely fall behind, because speed and execution...
Sprout Social Posts 11% YoY Revenue Rise, Beats Q1 2026 Forecast
Sprout Social posted $121.5 million in Q1 2026 revenue, an 11.2% year‑over‑year increase, surpassing analyst forecasts. The company highlighted strong AI‑driven product adoption, a record $24.7 million non‑GAAP free cash flow, and an inaugural $50 million share‑repurchase program.
AI Writes Clear, Conversion‑Focused Copy for Free
I built a skill that writes conversion-focused marketing copy — headlines, CTAs, value propositions, and full page copy for homepages, landing pages, pricing pages, and feature pages. You describe your product and audience, and it writes copy that's clear over clever,...
Organic Search Still Dominates, But Zero-Click Surge Reduces CTR
100 SEO insights for 2026: 1. Organic search drives 53% of all website traffic. 2. U.S. organic traffic was down 2.5% YoY. 3. Zero-click searches reached 60%, with mobile at 77%. 4. AI Overview appearance rose from 6.49% to 13.14%. 5. Organic CTR fell to...
Target Launches 2-Tier Creator Program: One For Superfans, One For Pros
Target unveiled a two‑tier creator initiative aimed at boosting social commerce. Club Target rewards everyday creators and superfans with weekly challenges and gift‑card incentives, while Target Ambassadors, built on the LTK platform, courts professional creators with higher commissions and deeper...
Google Adds More AI Search Links, Still No Click Data For SEOs via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google rolled out five new link features for its generative AI search, shifting inline links closer to the supporting text, adding an "Explore new angles" section, expanding source quotes, introducing hover previews, and labeling subscription content. The changes aim to...
Create Content that Answers Questions Before Buying
Great content doesn't chase searches. It answers the questions people ask before they're ready to buy.
OpenAI Skips Agency-First Mistake, Learns From Google
OpenAI Read the Google Playbook. The Question Is Whether Marketers Did Too. Misunderstood Marketing - : Every Ad Platform That Went Agency-First Had to Walk It Back. OpenAI Didn't Wait. https://t.co/4yvevGcvYH
Day 18: The Quiz That Turned A Live Audience Into 2,300 Subscribers
Ellen Yin of Cubicle to CEO turned a simple live quiz into a high‑conversion list‑building engine. By displaying a QR code early in her talks, she guides the audience through a 10‑question personality quiz that doubles as a buyer‑persona classifier....
CEO's Paid Partnership Repost Sparks Authenticity Doubts
Just saw a CEO quote repost a paid partnership post. Made me question the authenticity of what they shipped and whether to believe the claims made or not. Glad this label now exists. https://t.co/SR0Lh3nvtO
AI Deduces Personal Traits From Ad Exposure Alone
AI can infer personal traits from ad exposure patterns alone, turning everyday advertising streams into detailed profiles without direct access to private data https://t.co/2QKj8k2XtP
Maury Povich Came Out of Retirement to Star in a New Campaign for This AI Tool for Creatives
Maury Povich, the 87‑year‑old former daytime‑talk host, returned from retirement to front Air’s new AI‑enhanced creative‑team platform campaign, "On Air with Maury Povich." Air, a cloud‑based operations and asset‑management service launched in 2021, has raised more than $70 million from investors...
ChatGPT Reveals Key Insight on Attribution Modeling
Nice little gem ChatGPT popped out during a conversation on multi-touch attribution (MTA), marketing mix modeling (MMM), and incrementality testing. https://t.co/aBXe4iLE3u
Influencers Earn Money Through Brands, Virality, or Division
The 3 routes to influencer $ (v.i.): 1. Brand deals/"human billboard," & usually beholden to (multiple) brands 2. Platform partners/desperate pursuit of virality, usu via clickbait/negative emotional arousal 3. Monetize audience/usually involves cultivating "us vs them" dynamic.
Unity Posts 17% Revenue Rise to $508M, Shifts Focus to AI Creation Tools
Unity Technologies announced Q1 2026 revenue of $508 million, a 17% year‑on‑year increase, driven by AI‑enhanced advertising and engine tools. The growth comes as the company finalizes the shutdown of IronSource and records a $347 million net loss tied to one‑time impairment...
Google’s Online Estimates Filter Pushes Contractor SEO to Embrace Pricing Transparency
Google has added an “Online estimates” filter to Google Maps, hiding any contractor that lacks on‑site pricing. The change forces local‑search marketers and SEO firms to overhaul tactics for kitchen, bath and remodeling businesses, with early adopters reporting revenue spikes.
Repeated Exposure Fuels Belief; Everyone Markets Ideas Online
Two thoughts from Sinan Aral "We tend to believe false information more after repeated exposure to it. People also tend to believe what they already think." “In the Hype Machine, everyone is a digital marketer, whether we’re fighting for ideas or...