In honor of Thanksgiving, The Spark writers are taking the week off.
We're grateful for our wonderful clients, the employees, and you, our loyal readers.
Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!
Google Takes AI to the Max
Stuck with writer’s block, outdated graphics, or just a little intimidated by Google Ads? Google’s Performance Max ads tool hastwo new AI features to help marketers diversify and scale their campaigns with insight-based recommendations.
Unveiled in 2020, Performance Max has already streamlined advertising on Google’s platforms by scanning a company’s assets and suggesting strategies for bidding, placement, and more. Now, two new generative AI features will help marketers launch campaigns faster with unique, performance-based recommendations for:
Text: Performance Max can generate new ad copy, headlines, and descriptions based on your current content (website, existing ads, etc.) and your prompts (ex. “Make a Thanksgiving ad”). If you’re adjusting your campaigns, Performance Max will also make text recommendations based on past performances of your previous ads.
Images: Performance Max can create customized, high-quality visuals based on your prompts. Its advanced editing tools can even update your existing images, including scaling and resizing them for different ad styles.
TL;DR Google’s new Performance Max AI features generate text and images to help marketers optimize and scale their campaigns.
Reel Data, Reel Results
Navigating social media algorithms can feel like being stuck in an escape room, with only mysterious clues to help you find the answers. Meta is dropping another hint for marketers with the introduction of A/B testing for Instagram Reels. A/B testing can take some of the guesswork out of content creation, giving marketers reel data on what audiences want to watch.
Meta will let users test up to four different captions or thumbnails per individual reel. The results will be displayed on your dashboard, and the winning version will appear automatically on your account’s feed after the test is complete. Unlike on other short form video platforms like TikTok, Reels thumbnails display directly in your feed, making it especially important to know what catches a viewer’s eye. And different caption styles work better for different topics and audiences. Now you can test whether a longer caption on a short video will draw viewers in by adding additional thought leadership or context, or whether you should keep it concise and snappy to keep users scrolling.
TL;DR: Meta introduces A/B testing for Reels captions and thumbnails, helping marketers find what resonates best with their audience.
WHAT LIT US UP
Beating B2B Buzzwords
SEO, CTA, PPC, MQL … As B2B marketers, we definitely speak our own language, something LinkedIn leaned into in its latest campaign: No One Knows What You Do.
The series of videos features parents doing their best to navigate the buzzwords required to explain what their B2B children do (like speak in acronyms and sell clouds). At first glance, the content brilliantly connects with its target audience (B2B marketers) with a touch of comedy. But there’s more for B2B marketers to glean here.
LinkedIn’s campaign uses humor to clearly and concisely address a complex topic and make it more accessible for their audience, which is a useful strategy B2B marketers can use across industries. This tactic can help you break down complicated jargon or processes for potential clients, empowering them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions, while adding a sprinkle of your brand’s personality. It also reinforces your brand’s thought leadership power — you recognize your audience’s pain points, find a new way to connect with them, and offer them valuable information they’ll need going forward.
TL;DR:LinkedIn’s latest video campaign connects with B2B marketers using comedy and clear, concise messaging.