ClickZ Digital Ad Platform Newsletter - 11.28.2024

PLUS: TikTok’s affiliate links are reshaping creator commerce

Author

Priscilla Soedarpo
November 28, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Welcome to ClickZ Digital Ad Platform News, your essential newsletter for digital marketers and e-commerce professionals. This Thanksgiving, with Black Friday just hours away, we’re here to help your campaigns sparkle and your sales shine!

Here’s what’s trending in digital advertising:

📊 Meta Metric Shift: Meta now tracks views for content performance, standardizing metrics across Facebook and Instagram.
🎯 Twitter (X) Tips: Boost eCommerce success with platform-specific content and interactive strategies.
🛍️ TikTok Shopping: New affiliate links let creators add products directly to posts, simplifying the shopping journey.
📱 Threads Updates: Enhanced features like AI trend summaries and improved search boost engagement.
🔮 2025 Social Trends: AI-driven content, Gen Z messaging, and cross-border shopping are key to future success.

Guest At the Table 🍴

Black Friday is here, and for many brands, the hard work is done—you’ve set the stage and prepared for the biggest shopping event of the year. But as I’ve seen time and time again, the brands that succeed now are the ones that obsess over the right metrics and adapt quickly to what’s happening in real time. Here are two key areas I believe every marketer should focus on to maximize success this Black Friday:

1️⃣ Benchmarking

Benchmarks are your compass. They don’t just show how well campaigns are performing—they reveal opportunities to improve as the data rolls in. From CPMs to order volumes, understanding how your results stack up against industry benchmarks will help you refine your approach and stay competitive.

Looking ahead to 2025? Post-BFCM benchmarking will be invaluable, and Fospha’s next report will include fresh data to help you plan for the future. Follow us to make sure you don’t miss it. 📊

2️⃣ Measurement

Still relying on Last Click attribution? It’s holding you back. At the most competitive time of year, top brands are using advanced measurement tools to stay ahead of the curve. Fospha gives you a clear, cross-channel view of YoY performance, enabling you to act on the right signals—not misleading ones.

The insights you gather now can set you up for a strong 2025. If you’re ready to take your measurement strategy to the next level, there’s no better time to start than today.

🌟 Let’s make this Black Friday your most successful yet!

Harvest Highlights 🥕

Meta is transitioning to views as the primary metric for content performance on Facebook and Instagram. This change affects reels, videos, posts, and stories, consolidating performance tracking. For non-video content, views replace impressions, counting every display instance, even repeat views by the same user. This could inflate numbers for non-video formats, impacting metrics like CPM.

For video content, views replace plays, with updated metrics like minutes viewed and average minutes viewed. These changes aim to simplify insights and will be reflected in Meta's Business Suite and ad tools. While standardization offers convenience, it's crucial to assess if these metrics provide meaningful insights. As these updates roll out, the impact on campaign performance and reporting will become clearer.

Marketing on X (formerly Twitter) remains vital for engaging affluent, educated audiences. Success requires platform-specific content, timely promotions, and budget-friendly advertising. Interactive content and data-driven strategies enhance engagement. While X excels in real-time interactions, consider alternatives like TikTok or Instagram Threads if they better align with your goals.

DIGIDAY

TikTok is testing a new feature allowing creators to add product links from affiliate networks like Amazon and Walmart directly to posts. This integration simplifies shopping, enhancing TikTok's role as a shopping platform. It's a strategic move amid potential U.S. bans, benefiting creators, brands, and TikTok itself.

Threads is enhancing its app with AI-generated trend summaries, improved search filters, and landscape video viewing. These updates aim to boost user engagement and align Threads with competitors. The changes may be a strategic response to rising interest in Bluesky, positioning Threads as a strong social media contender.

Meta highlights five key social media trends for 2025: generative AI enhancing content creation, Gen Z driving business messaging, rising video content consumption, increased cross-border shopping, and the growing influence of creators. These shifts emphasize the importance of adapting to evolving consumer behaviors and leveraging technology for business success.

Feast of Influence 🥧

Tara Jackson on LinkedIn: It’s one of best weeks of the year for so many #ecommerce brands but it does also mark one of the busiest periods of the year 

Here are 3 key stats that we pulled from Black Friday last year: 

🤯 Record online spending: In 2023, U.S. consumers spent over $9 billion online on Black Friday alone

📲 Mobile shopping surge with over 50% of all Black Friday online sales in 2023 coming from mobile devices — the easiest way for people to shop these days 

📈 Growth in 'Buy Now, Pay Later' especially for larger purchases, showing that more shoppers are spreading the cost of their holiday spending. 

Jake Abrams on LinkedIn: Harsh DTC growth truth

Optimizing your 7DC Meta CPA is only half the job.

- You need to build the ecosystem of people who know you
- You need to get tastemakers to hype you
- You need to seriously grow 1 organic channel
- You need answer every objection on your site
- You need to delight customers & get them to come back

STOP treating growth like a transactional sales funnel.
START building a brand that your audience knows, trusts, and loves.

James Gray on LinkedIn: The reactions to Jaguar and Spurs’ (expensive) rebrands this week been pretty negative…

Spurs removed the only title they've had and Jag, well, some commentary suggests they've essentially pivoted and become a new vegan cosmetics brand targeting Gen-Z... thoughts?

The Golden Gobbler 🍗

Retailers are adapting to a shorter holiday season by starting sales earlier, with major players like Amazon and Walmart leading the charge. Despite fewer days between Black Friday and Christmas, sales are expected to rise. Consumers are shopping both online and in stores, with economic factors influencing behavior.

Dynamic Search Ads remain crucial in Google Ads strategies, even with Performance Max campaigns. They offer targeted control over ad descriptions and website sections. Regular optimization and strategic setup uncover new keyword opportunities, enhancing main search campaigns. 

TikTok Shop is experiencing a record-breaking festive season in the UK, with trends in pre-loved luxury, beauty, fragrances, and appliances. LIVE shopping sessions and trending hashtags like #TikTokShopBlackFriday are driving engagement. The platform anticipates significant growth in advertising spend, enhancing its retail impact this Christmas.

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