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.
TripleLift Names Timothy Jasionowski CPTO, Adds Benjamin Felix as CMO to Push Unified Ad Tech
TripleLift announced the appointment of Timothy Jasionowski as Chief Product and Technology Officer and Benjamin Felix as Chief Marketing Officer. The hires are intended to accelerate the company’s TL Spark platform and deliver a more integrated advertising stack across the open web, CTV and retail media.
Create Reference Guides, Not Blogs, for Lasting Impact
Stop writing blog posts. Start writing reference documents. The shift: Posts are consumed once. References are bookmarked and revisited 10+ times. I turned one 4,000-word reference guide into $35K in client's revenue bcz pple kept coming back to it. Make...
The HFF Masterclass: Running A Newsletter
Veteran film executive Ted Hope argues that newsletters represent the third major disruption to the cinema business, after the internet and digital capture. In his May 6, 2026 masterclass he explains how easy-to-use platforms let creators build direct, two‑way relationships with audiences....
Blue Bite’s Matthew Shay on Connecting Real-World Signals to Digital Engagement: A Demand Gen Report Q&A
Blue Bite’s Director of Media Matthew Shay explains that B2B buyers now interact across a web of channels, devices, and real‑world moments before speaking with sales, forcing marketers to adopt contextual, connected, and measurable omnichannel strategies. He highlights the company’s...
IAB Tech Lab Seeks Public Comment On Standardized Signals For CTV Ad Portfolio
IAB Tech Lab has updated its technical specifications to create a standardized signaling framework for the Connected TV (CTV) Ad Portfolio, covering emerging formats such as Pause, Menu, Overlay, and Squeeze Back ads. The proposal, developed with industry working groups,...
OpenAI Opens ChatGPT Ads Manager to U.S. Advertisers, Drops $50K Minimum Spend
OpenAI has launched a beta self‑serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT in the United States, removing the $50,000 minimum spend and introducing cost‑per‑click bidding, a conversion pixel and a conversions API. The company also signaled that third‑party measurement and cost‑per‑action bidding...
Advertisers Spent $1 Billion on Criteo in Q1, Up 8% Year-Over-Year
Criteo processed $1 billion in media spend during Q1 2026, marking an 8% year‑over‑year increase and the first time the company crossed the billion‑dollar threshold. Despite the higher spend, total revenue fell 9% to $425 million, reflecting a broader decline in its core...
When Digital’s Trackability Breaks Down, Radio Has an Opening
A tech‑savvy client shifted Q1 spend from digital to radio after confronting rising Google Ads costs and opaque attribution. The digital model’s auction‑driven pricing forced higher bids merely to maintain market share, while multi‑channel data became fragmented and unreliable. In...
CredSpark Launches Banter: A New Brand Focused on Transforming B2B Marketing and Sales Through Interactive Experiences
CredSpark has launched Banter, a new B2B brand that converts static marketing assets into interactive, data‑driven experiences. The platform leverages over 400 million interaction data points and AI‑enhanced analytics to deliver real‑time lead scoring, segmentation and actionable buyer insights. Banter’s capabilities...
The ‘Hair-On-Your-Pillow’ Theory of Contextual Advertising
Shirley Marschall’s column revisits contextual advertising, arguing that the same ad can feel premium in one setting and intrusive in another, much like a stray hair on a pillow. The piece traces how contextual buying fell out of favor as...
VisRank Launches Free SEO and AI Search Visibility Audit Tool
VisRank has launched a free, 30‑second online audit that scores a website’s visibility across SEO, AI readiness, security and local presence. The tool evaluates 49 signals and delivers a 0‑100 Visibility Score along with prioritized fixes. It emphasizes Answer Engine...
![Is Your Small Business Showing Up in Local Search? Here’s How To Find Out [Webinar] via @Sejournal, @Lorenbaker](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://cdn.searchenginejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2-2-27.png)
Is Your Small Business Showing Up in Local Search? Here’s How To Find Out [Webinar] via @Sejournal, @Lorenbaker
A free SEJ webinar hosted by Thryv trainers will teach small‑business owners how to ensure their Google Business Profile and other local listings appear across AI assistants, voice searches, Maps, Yelp, and emerging ChatGPT‑style results. The session covers the most...
It’s Time To Stop Letting Platforms Grade Their Own Ad Fraud Homework
Ad fraud has become a multi‑billion‑dollar problem, with scammers exploiting automated bots to flood platforms with fake engagement. Meta disclosed that roughly 10% of its 2024 revenue stems from scams and banned goods, and its internal data suggest 15 billion scam...
VIOOH Partners with Abode Media to Expand Programmatic DOOH Footprint
VIOOH, a leading global digital out‑of‑home supply‑side platform, announced a programmatic partnership with Abode Media, the UK’s premium residential DOOH network. The collaboration adds more than 250 screens across 230 high‑value residential buildings in London, Manchester and Birmingham, delivering over...
Turn Failing Sites Into 100K Monthly Visits
I truly believe I could take ANY failing online business and get them to 100K visits/month using SEO in 180-360 days. Here's exactly how I'd do it: 1. Build (or rebuild) a topical authority map first 2. Write, rewrite and rewire all...
Move Beyond the Click: Scaling Lead Gen with LinkedIn and Zapier
LinkedIn’s Conversions API (CAPI) paired with Zapier lets B2B marketers send downstream funnel events—such as demos booked or deals created—directly to LinkedIn without relying on browser pixels. MarketerHire reported a 30% drop in cost per qualified lead and a 35%...
The Hidden Tax of Broken Ad Attribution on LinkedIn
LinkedIn marketers often discover that reported clicks and cost‑per‑lead don’t match actual CRM conversions, leaving many leads tagged as "unknown" or "direct." The discrepancy forces teams to spend hours each week reconciling data, slowing strategy and eroding confidence in dashboards....
The Direct Supply Myth: Why CTV Inventory Looks Better Coming From A Streamer Than Directly From A Publisher
Industry advocates have promoted “direct supply” in CTV as a shortcut to transparency and efficiency. In practice, most impressions travel through OEM and streamer distribution agreements that grant those partners control over ad decisioning, signal access, and pod composition. This...
How Brands Are Advertising AI
The advertising sector is grappling with how to market AI amid a flood of hype, misinformation, and growing consumer fatigue. Agencies are shifting focus from sheer visibility to building credibility, emphasizing proof over promises. Industry leaders warn that AI discussions...
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What I Learned in My Three Glorious Months as a Product Marketer
Jimmy Daly reflects on a three‑month product‑marketing role, distilling practical lessons that span workflow organization, cross‑team alignment, and audience ownership. He highlights using Todoist to run a transparent content calendar and cites Stewart Hillhouse’s owned‑audience framework as a strategic north...
Adobe Completes $4.5 B Acquisition of Semrush to Boost AI Brand Visibility
Adobe announced the completion of its acquisition of Semrush Holdings, integrating the SEO platform into its AI‑driven Experience Cloud. The deal, valued at roughly $4.5 billion, positions Adobe to offer end‑to‑end brand visibility tools and intensifies competition among martech giants.
Consistency Beats Occasional Virality for Lasting Growth
Harsh truth: You don’t have a content problem. You have a consistency problem. One viral post won’t fix months of silence.
Structure Your Content: Pillars, Clusters, and Internal Links
Stop publishing random blog posts. That's the wrong move. Start here: // Map your content topics // Create pillar pages // Build supporting clusters // Connect everything with internal links Structure matters more than you want to think.
Ulta Beauty’s AI‑Driven Rewards Program Generates 95% of Sales
Ulta Beauty’s chief marketing officer Kelly Mahoney says the company’s AI‑enhanced rewards program now fuels 95% of its sales, drawing on data from 46.7 million members. The move highlights how AI‑driven personalization can turn loyalty programs into the core revenue engine...
Test, Iterate, Analyze: The Real Content Strategy
Don’t build a content strategy if you’ve never won organically on these platforms. Tf u doing. Build out a testing strategy. Become obsessed with the analytics. And move fast as hell.
Marketing Lessons From 20 Years at Google - Dan Taylor
In this episode, Dan Taylor, a veteran of nearly 20 years at Google, shares how search and Google Ads have evolved from a niche channel to a massive, AI‑driven marketing platform. He highlights key breakthroughs such as the shift to...
EP258: How Ashley Kalus Hit 397% Year-Over-Year Growth on a Medical-Grade Scar Brand
In episode 258 of the High Voltage Business Builders Podcast, Ashley Kalus disclosed a 397% year‑over‑year revenue surge for her medical‑grade scar care brand, reaching $743,800 in verified sales with a 20% net margin. The growth stemmed from a disciplined...
FTC Settles Lawsuit over Alleged X Ad Boycott
The Federal Trade Commission settled its lawsuit accusing Elon Musk of alleging a coordinated ad boycott against X. A federal judge ruled the FTC’s civil investigative demand violated the First Amendment, leading to the case’s dismissal and a settlement notice....
Combine Data Credibility with Human Impact for Powerful Stories
The stories you use in your marketing need a spine. Data gives you credibility. Human impact makes people care. You need both.
Contento Technologies Launches Content-Driven Digital Growth Platform to Help Brands Scale Visibility and Engagement
Contento Technologies unveiled an expanded version of its GoContento platform, a content‑driven marketing suite that blends SEO, editorial publishing, and brand promotion. The service promises to boost brand visibility, authority, and measurable engagement by distributing content across a global network...
POSSIBLE 2026: Industry Experts Dish On AI – And Other Trends To Watch
At the POSSIBLE 2026 conference in Miami, ad industry leaders debated the practical impact of agentic AI on advertising workflows. While hype persists, experts highlighted AI’s role in accelerating measurement, optimizing campaigns, and streamlining agency‑advertiser collaboration. They also flagged ongoing challenges...
POSSIBLE 2026: Industry Experts Dish On AI – And Other Trends To Watch
At POSSIBLE 2026 in Miami, ad‑tech leaders acknowledged that AI is shifting from hype to practical workflow integration. Executives highlighted how generative and agentic AI are accelerating campaign measurement and optimization while also adding new media‑buying complexities. The dialogue also focused...
5W Research Shows AI Citation Overlap with Top Google Results Plummets Below 20%
5W Research reports that the share of top‑ranking Google pages cited by AI tools like ChatGPT has collapsed from 70% to under 20%. The finding forces marketers to reallocate spend from traditional SEO to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to protect...
Ad Council Launches $148M Digital PSA Blitz to Spark Teen Mental‑health Talks
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, NAMI and the Ad Council unveiled fresh "Seize the Awkward" public‑service ads on May 5, 2026, deploying $148 million in donated media across broadcast, digital, social and out‑of‑home channels. Partnered with Pinterest, Snapchat and TikTok, the...
What Does the TikTok Sale Mean for Advertisers?
On January 22, 2026 TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC—backed by Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX—acquired majority control of TikTok’s U.S. operations, while ByteDance retained a 20% stake. The platform’s ad infrastructure, auction mechanics and creator ecosystem remain active for its...
The Moment Is the Medium
Retail media must adapt to an AI‑driven, fragmented path to purchase, focusing on influencing shoppers at the exact moment they decide to buy. While large‑language models shift intent signals outside retailer ecosystems, the actual transaction still often occurs within a...
Google Expands UCP Checkout to Main Search Shopping Results
Google has extended its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) checkout from the AI‑Mode interface to the main Google Search results, adding a “Buy” button directly in product overlays such as Wayfair’s listings. UCP creates a shared language between AI agents and...
Arc XP Connect London 2026
Arc XP Connect 2026 is an invitation‑only executive forum held on June 10 in London for senior media leaders. The one‑day event will explore monetization tactics, audience‑engagement strategies, and AI‑driven organizational transformation. Participants will hear case studies from The Washington...
Google’s Preferred Sources Are Officially Live: The Marketing Impact
Google has rolled out Preferred Sources worldwide, letting users star the publications they trust so those outlets appear more often in Top Stories and a new "From your sources" carousel. The feature adds a user‑driven layer to search personalization, moving...
OpenAI Rolls Out Ad Tools, Targeting SMB eCommerce
ChatGPT launches a CAPI, a pixel, and self-serve "It’s not hard to imagine how the ad platform evolves from here. OpenAI is almost assuredly building a platform in the image of Meta’s, which means it will cater the platform to...
New Video Explains Why Ad Relevance Matters
If you like me annnnd you like YouTube, I think you're gonna like my latest video all about ad relevance. https://t.co/yVzFZLK6n8
Will OpenAI’s New Measurement Tools And Ads Manager Prove Its Worth As An Ad Channel?
OpenAI unveiled a self‑serve ads manager and a conversion API (CAPI) alongside a cost‑per‑click (CPC) bidding model, shifting from its earlier high‑minimum, CPM‑only approach. The new platform eliminates the $200,000 minimum spend—now fully removed after a recent $50,000 reduction—making ChatGPT...
Leading Digital Sales From the CRM Ghost Trenches
The CRM Ghost: Leading from the Digital Trenches by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/sIBWlQRGtG @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #SalesEnablement #RevOps #Marketing #MarketingStrategy #MarketingSuccess #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence https://t.co/n0GmaNRfBR
Newbies Chase Citations, Neglect Organic Traffic Trends
They’re repeating the same SEO mistakes because they just entered the chat and have no experience doing SEO. They’re also often only monitoring “citations” and ignoring what’s happening to their organic traffic in the meantime. I plan to write about this soon.
Will OpenAI’s New Measurement Tools And Ads Manager Prove Its Worth As An Ad Channel?
OpenAI has unveiled a self‑serve ads manager and a conversion API (CAPI) alongside a cost‑per‑click (CPC) bidding option for ChatGPT ads. The new platform eliminates the previous $200,000 minimum spend, later reduced to $50,000, allowing smaller advertisers to buy directly...
PAA Impressions Boost Views, but Not Clicks
It's pretty common. An impression could be someone loading page 1 on Google, you're on the PAA, hit 1 impression, but nobody clicks those back to your site.
Rethinking Content Calendars and Integrated Campaigns in 2024
How do you guys feel about companies that are still running their corporate blog with "content calendars" and doing "integrated campaigns"?
Free Benchmark Report Reveals SMS & Email Performance Trends
Zeta Global’s latest Marketing Benchmark report shares aggregated data on the performance of SMS and email marketing campaigns, along with expert commentary on industry and channel news. Free, no-form download > https://t.co/KX6zwD49rb #digitalmarketing https://t.co/2KoYvadftG
Google's Search Surge Meets AI Job‑Displacement Fears—Strategic Implications
The same week Google hit record Search revenue, AI insiders were privately predicting mass job displacement. Here's what both mean for your strategy. https://t.co/uiuYNcAAfB via @gregjarboe, @sejournal
Quality Engagement Beats Vanity Metrics on LinkedIn and X
Brilliant post from @Lisapatb . "It’s tempting to focus on vanity metrics like the sheer number of likes or followers. But here’s the truth: both LinkedIn and X prioritize engagement quality over quantity."