Today's Guide to the Marketing Jungle from Social Media Examiner... | Presented by |  |
It's Hug a Vegetarian Day, Alluser! It's safe… our Director of Editorial assures us they don't bite.
In today's edition:
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⚜️ Today's Tip of the Day is for AI image generation
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🖌️ A Discord & Midjourney quick-start guider
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🔩 AI tools to boost revenue
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🎙️ Producing quality podcasts
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Reddit ads tools
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New tools from Meta
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TikTok search ads
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🗞️ Additional industry news from Instagram, LinkedIn, and more
Want to raise the quality of your AI-generated images? Looking for prompt inspiration that's easy to model?
Use This Image Prompt Library
Freeflo is a free visual prompt inspiration tool–sort of a visual dictionary of prompts, that lets you browse images, then copy the prompt used to create the image.
{subject} in the style of fairy tale, vintage, color pencil, highly detail, pastels You simply swap in your subject and paste the prompt into your image generator!
Bookstore in the style of fairy tale, vintage, color pencil, highly detail, pastels.
Today's advice provided with insights from Jeff Sieh, a featured guest on the AI Explored podcast.
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How to Get Started With Midjourney and Discord
Are you interested in giving Midjourney a try? Is getting setup in Discord holding you back? These step-by-step instructions will have you up and running with the web version of Discord in no time.
Create a Discord Account
Note: If you already have a Discord account, skip this step.
First, go to Discord's website and click on "Login."
Next, click on the Register link; the link can be found under the "Log in" button at the bottom of the popup.
Here, you enter your account details:
When your details are complete, click " Continue," then follow the prompts to verify that you're human.
Discord will send you a verification email; open it and click on the link to confirm your account. Then click on the Continue to Discord button, and you'll see a popup titled "Create Your First Discord Server."
Leave this as is and open a new tab to get setup with Midjourney.
Pro Tip: If you're comfortable with Discord, you can download the desktop version instead of using the web app.
Join the MidJourney Bot Discord Server
In your new tab, visit the MidJourney website.
Click on "Sign Up," then Continue with Discord and follow the prompts to verify your humanity again.
In the popup that appears, click "Accept Invite" to join the MidJourney Bot Discord server.
Now, the bot will lead you through setup. The first thing you'll do is read the Terms of Service and click on the "Accept TOS" button.
Ready for a quick and easy-to-follow tutorial? Click on the Start Tutorial button.
After the tutorial, you'll be asked to subscribe to a new plan or connect to your existing Midjourney account.
After subscribing, you can begin creating images.
Start Using MidJourney in Discord
First, click on the Midjourney icon (the boat sail) to open the server. Next, navigate to one of the Newcomer Rooms #newbies channels in the MidJourney Discord server.
Type "/imagine" in the chat, followed by a description of what you want to create.
/imagine a serene sunset over the mountains
MidJourney will process your request and generate images within a minute. You can then click on the generated images to upscale them, make variations, or save them to your device.
You're all set to begin using MidJourney on Discord!
Today's advice is provided with insights from Social Media Examiner's Editorial team.
AI Tools for eCommerce
Are you looking to leverage AI to boost your eCommerce sales? Want to know where to apply AI for the most significant impact?
In the rapidly evolving eCommerce landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) revolutionizes how businesses connect with customers and optimize their operations.
One of the most significant impacts of AI for eCommerce is its ability to deliver highly personalized experiences made possible by AI's ability to analyze vast amounts of data from customer interactions, including:
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Clicks
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Impressions
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Conversions
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Add-to-cart actions
Use the eCommerce Equation
To understand and optimize your online retail performance, you need to figure out where AI can significantly impact your results.
For example, do you need to optimize for traffic—increasing the number of visitors to your site, AOV—encouraging customers to spend more per order, or conversion rate—improving the percentage of visitors who make a purchase?
The eCommerce Equation can reveal where you should focus your efforts:
GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) = Traffic x AOV (Average Order Value) x Conversion Rate
After you identify what you need to optimize for, you can consider AI tools and optimizations through the lens of this equation to see how incorporating them could impact these core metrics. Here are three types of tools to consider:
AI-Powered Tools to Improve Your eCommerce Results
Several AI-powered tools are reshaping the eCommerce landscape. Here are six types to consider.
AI-Powered Email Marketing Tools
Platforms like MailChimp and Movable Ink use AI to:
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Segment customers based on behavior and preferences
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Personalize email content based on the customer's journey
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Adjust messaging for different stages (e.g., abandoned cart, frequent browser, new customer)
AI-Powered Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
Tools like Finn by Interplay offer AI-powered chatbots that:
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Guide customers through the purchasing process
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Suggest complementary products to increase AOV
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Provide personalized recommendations based on customer preferences
AI-Powered Sales Engagement
Apollo.io is an AI-driven platform that enhances sales processes and customer outreach, which is particularly valuable for B2B eCommerce:
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Crafting AI-generated, personalized outreach messages.
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Gathering and analyzing vast amounts of data about potential customers, providing sales teams with rich, actionable insights.
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Create and optimize personalized email sequences based on customer behavior and preferences.
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Predictive lead scoring
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Analyzes campaign performance and suggests improvements.
How to Measure the Impact of AI-Powered Solutions in Your Business
Tracking the progress of your efforts using quantitative metrics is crucial to knowing whether AI is working for you. While there's no universal benchmark for success, looking at the overall impact on your business rather than individual metrics will help assess whether AI is helping or hindering your sales:
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Compare your GMV, traffic, AOV, and conversion rates before and after implementation
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Consider customer satisfaction metrics like NPS scores, ratings, and reviews
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Evaluate employee satisfaction, as AI can often streamline processes and improve work experiences
Today's advice is provided with insights from Sharon Gai, a featured guest on the AI Explored podcast.
Podcasting: How to Create a Better Show
Are you ready to elevate your podcast game? Wondering how to create a show that will attract a growing audience?
Know Your Audience Intimately
Understanding your audience goes far beyond noting basic demographics. It's more about knowing who your listeners are when they're at home.
To gain this understanding:
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Engage with listeners on social media to learn more about your audience's interests and needs.
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Analyze where listeners discovered your podcast to reveal insights into their broader media consumption habits and interests.
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Explore other content your listeners consume: Understanding the other podcasts, shows, or content your audience enjoys can help you position your show effectively.
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Ask the eulogy question. What specific aspect would listeners miss most if your show ended? The answer can reveal your podcast's unique value proposition.
Choose a Show Format
If you're a subject matter expert, consider an interview-style show with a co-host who can ask questions and facilitate the discussion.
When choosing a co-host, look for someone with complementary knowledge or skills so they can effectively draw out your expertise through questions. A great solution is to find someone representing your target audience's perspective because they can ask the questions your audience is wondering about.
Pro Tip: If your show has multiple voices, you'll need to designate one clear leader to direct the flow of conversation. This "traffic cop" role is crucial for maintaining focus and ensuring a smooth listening experience.
While interview formats with guests and hosts are standard, a solo show can help you stand out. That said, solo shows are challenging to execute. They require significant preparation and editing to maintain energy and engagement throughout the episode because it's all on you.
To make your solo show successful, script your content thoroughly to ensure a clear structure.
Then, aim to keep your episodes short (e.g., 9-10 minutes) and pay special attention to transitions between topics, using sound design or music to break up your segments.
Manage Your Guests and the Conversation
Have you ever recorded an interview that went too far off course or didn't result in a good conversation?
While each guest's expertise or perspective can add a unique element to the episode, your listeners expect you to deliver value.
Brief, pre-interview calls allow you to map out the general arc of the conversation and identify critical topics or stories to cover, all while ensuring your guest understands the show's format and audience.
Edit Ruthlessly
While many podcasters pride themselves on being authentic by making minimal edits, intelligent editing enhances authenticity by clarifying your intended message. Remember, editing doesn't mean removing your personality or all imperfections. Instead, it's about crafting your message's most straightforward, most engaging version.
So, what edits should you consider?
Start with a complete human-created transcription of your best episode. Critically examine the transcript and use a red pen to note unnecessary filler, unclear explanations, or tangents that distract from the main points.
This process often reveals significant opportunities for improvements you can make, such as:
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Tightening your introductions so you get to the main content faster
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Places to clarify explanations of complex topics
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Removing off-topic discussions that didn't add value
Use these notes as a guide to edit your next episode, focusing on narrative flow. Creating a compelling narrative arc is crucial for keeping listeners engaged, so think carefully about the structure of your episodes, even if it means rearranging content in post-production.
A helpful exercise is to ask yourself, "What would the listener's next question be?" Does the conversation match that expectation? If things seem off-kilter, consider the following adjustments:
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Move a guest's anecdote earlier in the episode to hook listeners
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Group related topics together, even if they weren't discussed sequentially
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Add brief narration or transitions to smooth the flow between segments
Today's advice is provided with insights from Tom Webster, a featured guest on the Social Media Marketing Podcast
Amazon Generative AI Tools: Amazon has announced new generative AI tools designed to help sellers grow their businesses and enhance the customer shopping experience. Project Amelia is a beta AI assistant that provides personalized recommendations, insights, and information to help sellers optimize their businesses. It can answer questions about business performance, compare trends, and offer guidance. A new AI-powered video generator allows sellers to create engaging video advertisements quickly and at no additional cost. The tool generates custom videos from a single product image to showcase product features, leveraging Amazon's retail insights to create relevant content for customers. A+ Content AI generation helps brands create custom content for their product pages, including rich image carousels and comparison charts. By inputting descriptive terms and product images, sellers can generate narrative content and lifestyle imagery highlighting their products and brand identity. In addition, Amazon will soon allow sellers to create multiple listings simultaneously by uploading a spreadsheet with basic details. The AI will then simultaneously generate rich titles, bullet points, and descriptions for multiple products. Source: Amazon
Reddit Ads Inspiration Library: This newly launched Ads Manager tool helps advertisers, particularly small businesses, create more effective ads on the platform. The inspiration library offers a collection of top-performing Reddit ad creatives that resonate well with the platform's communities. An AI model analyzes each ad to identify and highlight the creative best practices. This feature allows advertisers to get inspired by high-performing Reddit ads, sorted by net upvotes and click-through rate (CTR); Find relevant ads by filtering based on campaign budget, placement, format, industry, or objective; Learn from the top 3 creative best practices identified for each ad. Other recent additions to the Reddit Ads Manager include an AI copywriter in beta, which generates Reddit-specific ad copy based on best practices and user inputs, and an image auto-cropper that adjusts imported campaign images to Reddit's recommended display ratios. Source: Reddit
YouTube Seasons: A new feature allows creators to organize their videos into seasons and episodes, making it easier for viewers to navigate and binge-watch content on TV platforms. The new format will resemble the layout of popular streaming services like Netflix, featuring full-screen episode descriptions and a hierarchical structure of seasons and episodes. While YouTube has not specified how this new formatting will appear on desktop and mobile interfaces, it is expected to be implemented across all platforms. Source: The Verge
Pinterest Collages: Pinterest has announced two new features related to collages. Collage Remixing lets you allow others to remix your collages and use them as templates or starting points for their creations. The collage remixing feature is now available globally on iOS and Android devices wherever Pinterest is accessible. Collage Sharing lets you convert your collages into dynamic videos that can be downloaded and shared on various social media platforms. Source: Pinterest
Snapchat My AI: The platform's CEO confirmed its chatbot will integrate with Gemini. Source: PR Newswire
TikTok Subscriptions: The platform announced the rollout of the LIVE Subscription offering to include eligible non-LIVE creators in certain regions. They will be made available to additional markets over the next few weeks. Content creators can design their Subscription packages with three distinct tiers, choosing benefits that align with their unique style and community needs, such as exclusive communication channels, members-only content, community recognition, and tailored rewards. Source: TikTok
X Block Button: The platform reportedly plans to eliminate the existing block feature, potentially allowing public account posts to remain visible even to previously blocked users. Per Elon Musk, "The block function will block that account from engaging with, but not block seeing, public posts." Source: @Nima_Owji and @ElonMusk via X
YouTube Community Violations: YouTube is testing a new feature that allows creators to edit content that has been age-restricted or removed due to certain Community Guidelines violations. If creators address the problematic portions of their videos, the age restriction may be lifted, or the video may be reinstated on the platform. Eligible creators will have the option to revise their content directly in YouTube Studio using a video editor. After making the necessary changes, YouTube's policy team will review the updated version and adjust their policy decision accordingly. Creators can appeal decisions instead of making edits if they prefer. Source: Google
Instagram Reels Sonic Sound: The new signature sound will play at the end of every downloaded Reel. Source: Instagram
LinkedIn Top Voice Badge: The platform is retiring the gold badge and discontinuing users' ability to earn the badge automatically through contributions to collaborative articles starting October 8, 2024. Source: LinkedIn
Linkedin Revenue Attribution Report Updates: A new, 32-page overview provides in-depth explainers on how each element of the report functions. Source: LinkedIn
LinkedIn AI-Powered Prompt Questions: LinkedIn has quietly removed the questions that appeared under most posts on its platform for Premium users. These prompts were part of a larger AI initiative announced by LinkedIn in November 2023. Source: Fast Company
New Meta AI Tools: Meta has announced significant updates to its AI products, showcasing new capabilities and expanded features. The latest updates introduce voice interaction capabilities, allowing users to converse with Meta AI using speech on platforms like Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram DM. Users can even choose from various voice options, including AI voices of celebrities. Additionally, Meta AI has gained the ability to understand and respond to questions about photos shared in chats and perform advanced photo editing tasks. The company is also testing an automatic translation and dubbing feature for creator content, starting with English and Spanish. On the content creation front, Meta has expanded its "Imagine" feature to Facebook feed, Stories, and profile pictures. It is also introducing AI-generated content in feeds based on user interests. Source: Meta
Reddit Machine Translation: The feature is rolling out to 35 additional countries, including Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Philippines, Spain, and countries in Latin America. Source: Reddit
TikTok Academy: The new educational program helps marketers and agencies improve their skills in creating, managing, and measuring TikTok ad campaigns. Source: TikTok
TikTok Search Ads: The platform announced a new campaign type that offers advertisers complete control over content appearance on the search results page, support for Traffic and Web Conversion objectives, and enhanced targeting capabilities. Search ads appear among search results within the in-feed experience. They are accessible after a user initiates a search query from the For You page. Source: TikTok
YouTube's Conversational AI Tool: Initially introduced to select YouTube Premium members in the United States last November, the feature is now being offered to all YouTube Premium members in the US on Android devices. The tool appears as an "Ask" button below videos, allowing viewers to ask questions, find related content, and explore related content without interrupting playback or leaving the YouTube app. Source: YouTube
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