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.
Your First AI-Powered Win-Back Campaign in 30 Minutes Flat
The post argues that win‑back campaigns, when powered by AI, can be set up in under 30 minutes and deliver high ROI. It highlights that reacquiring a churned customer costs five to seven times less than acquiring new ones, and properly segmented programs recover 15‑30% of lost users. The author outlines a four‑step AI workflow—segment by churn reason, generate tailored copy, schedule using temporal landmarks, and escalate offers. A ready‑made prompt chain lets marketers execute this process without extensive data engineering.
Scheduling Trial Reels Makes Frequent Posting Viable
I have been SO hesitant to test out a full strategy with Trial Reels. A lot of people have said you find success when you are posting to it 2-10 times a day... and I just don't have time for that...
Trust In AI Search Could Drop With Ads, Survey Shows via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
A February 2026 Ipsos Consumer Tracker survey of 1,085 U.S. adults found that 63% say ads in AI‑driven search results would erode their trust, while only 24% disagree. The same data show a majority (52%) doubt ads would simplify the...
TCL’s Internet Services Arm Partners With AdTech Agency Affinity for Smart TV Advertising
Chinese electronics maker TCL’s internet services division, TCL FFalcon, has teamed up with ad‑tech firm Affinity to serve as the primary demand partner for its Smart TV advertising platform. The integration will enable global brands to programmatically buy inventory across...
NetLine, Demandbase Join Forces to Elevate ABM Programs
NetLine and Demandbase have launched a native integration that merges programmatic lead generation with account‑level intelligence, directly syncing Demandbase’s curated account lists into NetLine campaigns. The partnership bridges the longstanding gap between high‑level ABM insights and buyer‑level engagement, enabling marketers...
Marketing Skills v1.6 Adds Community, Intel, and Growth Tools
Marketing Skills v1.6.0 is out. What shipped: 🆕 /community-marketing — build and leverage online communities for product growth. Strategy principles, platform selection (Discord, Slack, Circle, Reddit), launch playbooks, ambassador programs, and health metrics. 🛠️ SparkToro — audience research and behavioral intelligence. Discover where...
Brand Loyalty Can Force Google to Rank You
This site does almost zero SEO. You know what it has? • 20% of traffic is branded/navigational (people looking for this site) • It sells its own popular products • Loyal fan base If you can force Google to rank you because...
NEW Upgraded Keyword Data in SparkToro’s Audience Research Reports
SparkToro announced upgraded keyword data in its audience research reports, shifting focus from sheer comprehensiveness to relevance. The new system surfaces higher‑intent search terms while automatically filtering out off‑topic queries across verticals such as modern lighting design, Costa Rica travel, and...
Building AI Tools for Viral UGC Marketing
As you know, coding now is not a problem. So... I'm going deep into UGC and MARKETING. Build tools to help me build viral content for Instagram/TikTok. Showing progress on real use-cases, what works and what doesn’t. The project is a...
Semrush Data Shows Unusual Turkey Traffic Spike Anomaly
OK, let's talk turkey. No really, I mean the country. :) Semrush data looks very wonky for the country. Every site I'm checking surged through the roof for Turkey, but not for other countries. There must be some type of...
Signal Shifts: How Finance Advertisers Are Quietly Rewriting the Media Mix
Financial services advertising is undergoing a strategic overhaul as fintech firms allocate roughly 75% of their media budgets to digital channels, outpacing traditional banks’ 60% share. In the investment segment, digital spend surged 68% year‑over‑year while TV budgets contracted, prompting...
Mekale Jackson of Under Armour: Trust the Culture and Let the Story Lead
Mekale Jackson, senior director of global social media strategy at Under Armour, leverages his 18‑year sports‑marketing background to fuse culture and storytelling across the brand’s product lines. Recent initiatives such as the Gunna x Under Armour Wunna Run 5K series and the episodic “Full...
Creator Natalie Marshall Turns $500 Deal Into Multi‑Million‑Dollar Influencer Empire
Natalie Marshall transformed a modest $500 brand deal into a creator business worth multiple millions and launched Expand Co‑Lab, a creator‑led influencer marketing agency. Her rapid rise underscores how small partnerships can be scaled into full‑service agencies in today’s influencer...
What OpenAI’s TBPN Deal Reveals About Branded Entertainment’s Limits
OpenAI has acquired the daily tech‑talk show TBPN for a low‑hundred‑million‑dollar price, adding a platform that already generates over $30 million in ad revenue. The purchase gives OpenAI access to a roster of high‑profile tech leaders and a credible, audience‑first format...
Callen Devises Product Hook For Hulu, Disney+ 'Drama'
Disney+ and Hulu launched “The Drama You Want” campaign, turning iconic series moments into tangible product‑like items sold on Facebook Marketplace. The initiative leverages influencers and a mix of OOH, AV, digital, and social media to boost visibility. Concurrently, Hulu...
India’s Financial Sector Spent Less on TV Ads in 2025 but Flooded the Internet
India’s banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector cut TV ad spend by 16% in 2025, ending two years of growth, while print ad space surged 64% over the 2021 baseline. Radio advertising rose 45% year‑over‑year, and digital impressions exploded...
Top Influencer Marketing Firms for Brands and Marketers
Influencer marketing agencies remain essential for brands seeking scalable creator campaigns, with 85% of marketers rating the channel effective per the 2026 Benchmark Report. The guide evaluates five leading firms—HireInfluence, Influencer, Nine Agency, Monks, and Disrupt Agency—detailing their minimum spend,...
ChatGPT 5.3 Upgrade Cuts URLs by 20%, Drops L
Added a note about March 4, 2026 to my algo update list. Not a Google update, but it looks like ChatGPT's upgrade to GPT 5.3 instant resulted in it showing 20% fewer urls in answers. If your LLM visits are down...
Kentucky Fanatics Extends Partnership With University of Kentucky, Adds NIL Component for Student-Athletes
The University of Kentucky has extended its partnership with Fanatics for 12 years, adding a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) component that grants select student‑athletes access to Fanatics’ influencer marketing platform. Through the Fanatics Creator Program, athletes can open affiliate...
Avoid Ghost Citations: Embed Your Brand in AI Answers
What is your "Ghost Citation" percentage by AI model? A ghost citation is when your content gets a link in an AI answer, but your brand doesn't get mentioned in the text of the answer. We saw a client's post had...
MEDvi Rehashes 2008 Acai Rebill Tactics Unethically
Everyone surprised by tactics MEDvi is using really wasn't around for the great acai berry rebill tactic of 2008-2009, it's the same shit with new offer and tech Still highly unethical IMO but the same exact type of builder / approach
Stop Firefighting, Start Fixing: ProOps Consulting’s Chris Quinn on Why GAM Workflows Are Broken, and What to Do About It
ProOps Consulting’s Chris Quinn warns that many publishers rely on manual, fragmented Google Ad Manager (GAM) workflows, causing revenue leakage especially during high‑volume periods like Q4. The lack of dedicated development resources and a sparse GAM add‑on marketplace forces ad‑ops...
Align Your Brand Signals for Bigger Impact
Are your testimonials, PR, and thought leadership telling the same story? If not, you’re diluting your impact. Kriste Goad shows that alignment across signals can drive significantly better results—without increasing spend. 🔗 https://t.co/7HPf04EXSf #fuoco #AEO #hcmktg
Use AI to Assist, Not Replace Authentic Expertise
AI content is easy to create. That’s exactly why it’s easier to ignore. Lacey Reichwald says Google is rewarding expertise + authentic voices. Use AI to assist. Not replace. See what’s next in search: https://t.co/gVeYqeWbe3 @ahamediagroup #marketingstrategy #hcmktg https://t.co/kdh4VfQNPa
ChatGPT Search Is Citing Fewer Sites, Data Shows via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
ChatGPT Search is citing fewer websites per response following the early‑March shift to the GPT‑5.3 Instant model. Data from Resoneo, using Meteoria’s tracking of 400 daily prompts over 14 weeks, shows average unique domains per answer dropped from 19 to...
Gated Content Is Dead in the AI Era
The invisible vendor: Why gated content is a death sentence in the age of AI by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/61e0ibAVS3 @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #SalesEnablement #Marketing #MarketingStrategy #MarketingSuccess https://t.co/O8It1o0eFv
Google Trusts Site, Driving Massive Post‑update Rankings
https://t.co/g44C5uqw6b seems... trusted by Google. :) Massive gains with the December 2025 broad core update. I'm seeing this when analyzing a client's situation btw. They are everywhere when checking important queries for that client... https://t.co/YDIijP80Sf
Keyword Blocking Demonetized More Than Half Of Reuters’ Brand-Safe Stories
A joint study by Integral Ad Science (IAS) and Reuters found that over half of Reuters' brand‑suitable news pages would be demonetized by typical keyword blocklists, despite meeting IAS' Context Control Targeting standards. In the news section, 54% of URLs...
Today's Top Marketing AI News From Leading Sources
Top #Marketing #AI News Stories from today: https://t.co/z8PnQXTKJg Top stories from @martechismktg @verge @DigiMarketingWF @iAdvanceSnrCare @sejournal @CenturionShow @SmartBrief @Oracle @Digiday and more. https://t.co/gyQQgUXRJU
Use Reddit Trends Data to Boost SEO Insights
Are you using Reddit Pro? -> How to use Reddit Trends data for SEO *Topic Ideas *Brand sentiment *Monitor competitors *Trends and popularity https://t.co/rCR4e4Lk9j via @seosmarty https://t.co/GMd5sR5w28
Amazon Turns Alexa Smart Speakers Into a $26 B Voice‑Driven Sales Engine
Amazon has repurposed its Alexa+ smart‑speaker platform into an autonomous sales channel, letting the voice assistant make purchases, run ads and share revenue with developers. The move taps a $26 B global smart‑speaker market and deepens the value of Prime subscriptions.
Instagram Launches TikTok‑style Shop, Reshaping Influencer Marketing
Instagram just copied a big TikTok feature. Meta now has their own TikTok Shop. It’s either gonna ruin Instagram… Or revolutionize Influencer Marketing… https://t.co/wnlWi5RDr7
Free Scorecard Reveals Your Content’s AI Search Ranking
Most content marketers have no idea how their content scores in AI search engines. So I built a free scorecard to make it easy. It covers everything from content depth + entity optimization to technical structure and authority. Try it: https://t.co/hulXxcwVxg https://t.co/n8EbGfoBY1
The Supply Advantage: The Intelligence Infrastructure Driving 2026 Political Performance
Generative AI is reshaping how American voters consume information, creating a new frontier for political campaigns ahead of the 2026 midterms, which are projected to cost $10.8 billion with programmatic buying accounting for over half of digital spend. Campaigns face hidden...
Measure Conversions, Not Likes: Move Audiences Forward
The most important analytics for creators: Not: • Likes • Followers • Comments But how many people you move to the next step. The: • Stanger to a follower • Follower to a lead • Lead to a client Focus on those numbers
Seeking Confirmation: Does Twitter Downrank Links?
It looks like the "does twitter down rank links?" question should be fully resolvable with this. Do we have an answer yet?
SEO Wins From Reddit Pro
Reddit has launched Reddit Pro, a free dashboard that gives businesses on‑platform analytics, visibility tools, and ad options. The suite includes a Trends section that tracks keyword mentions, provides AI‑generated sentiment analysis, and offers a Questions filter for content ideas. Users...
Self‑promotional Listicle Sites Still Suffering Post‑algorithm Crash
Not all sites with self-promotional listicles have been hit, but for the handful that were hit on ~Jan 21, the crash is still crashing. As a reminder, these sites used dozens/hundreds/thousands of self-promotional listicles (plus other spammy approaches) https://t.co/Ri1SdOPJ1t
Reddit Beats Paid Ads on $50+ SaaS Keywords
Here’s the brutal part. On high-CPC SaaS keywords ($50+), Reddit’s win rate hits 67%. You’re paying a premium for ads. A Reddit thread is taking the organic click. The money keywords are where Reddit is strongest. https://t.co/PlWF0NT1Gq
The Top 6 Search Engines Market Share & The AI Search Engines To Watch via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
As of March 2026 Google commands roughly 90 % of global search traffic, edging just above the 90 % threshold after a brief dip in early 2026. Bing has risen to about 5 % worldwide and exceeds 10 % in the United States, boosted by AI‑driven...
Meta's Ad Money Masks Massive Strategic Misses
$META is great at one thing, and it prints money like no other: ad targeting They are absolute dogshit at everything else. Worst capital allocators among Mag 7, and that is a list that includes $AMZN
Ad Fraud Erodes Budgets, Demands Enterprise-Wide Defense
Ad fraud drains budgets and threatens defenses, requiring a united response across the enterprise. https://t.co/cvCXkLKs5u
Three First-Party Data Strategies Retail Brands Are Prioritizing Now
Mid-market retail brands are shifting to three core first‑party data tactics as third‑party cookies disappear. Loyalty and membership programs now focus on exclusive experiences rather than simple discounts, generating richer purchase and preference signals. Progressive profiling spreads data capture across...
Media Must Adopt New Funding Model After Ad Removal
Good to see The American Prospect get rid of programmatic ads https://t.co/ok8pZfIhl0 People should support it, but we need a new funding model for the media https://t.co/KAdV4BPWze
A Hook And A Story In 60 Seconds. The Prompt Bringing Me New Subscribers Every Week.
The author reveals that a compelling first sentence – a hook – is the decisive factor in whether a post captures attention. By using a simple AI prompt called the Story Crafter, writers can generate a hook and a 75‑100...
GSC Logging Bug Inflated Impressions Since May 2025
Yep, almost a year of inflated impressions in GSC. Was "The Great Decoupling" as bad as we thought? We'll all find out soon. My latest on SER -> GSC Logging Error Yielded Inflated Impressions Since May 2025 https://t.co/pDMNoq6Qxz https://t.co/KiDPUNx2gE
GSC Logging Error Yielded Inflated Impressions Since May 2025
Google disclosed on April 3, 2025 a logging error that has been inflating Search Console impression counts since May 2025, while clicks and other metrics remain unchanged. The flaw means nearly a year of visibility data may be overstated, prompting analysts to treat...
Day 1 of the 8th Annual Campaign Optimization Series (#COSeries)
Demand Gen Report launched Day 1 of its 8th Annual Campaign Optimization Series, a multi‑day digital event aimed at B2B marketers navigating a privacy‑first, AI‑mature landscape. The morning session featured Demandbase’s Hannah Jordan and Anthony Yee discussing how to leverage...
AI-Driven Email Personalization Strategies that Actually Work
HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing report shows 93.2% of marketers confirm that personalized or segmented email experiences generate more leads and purchases, with nearly half exploring AI to scale those tactics. The guide explains how AI‑driven email personalization leverages unified...
The Happiness Assembly Line: Why Voltas Beko Opened up Its Factory to Influencers
Voltas Beko, the Tata‑Arçelik joint venture, has turned its Ahmedabad plant into a "Factory of Happiness," inviting more than 20 influencers to film the production of refrigerators and washing machines. The influencer program, now in its third year, aims to...