🐬Holly Miller Anderson

My latest opinion piece of critical thinking on the internal Google documents "leak" including a breakdown of Rand Fishkin's overview and Mike King's insights. Plus...I outline my top 5 takeaways for SEOs & marketers as a north star: 🔎 Discovery 🕵‍♀️ Decipher 🤳 User Experience 📰 Content 📲 Mobile-friendly Read the full article on Search Engine Land https://lnkd.in/gFhxbzdZ

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Instacart not having negative keywords as an option is the best example of what "machine learning" actually costs brands to support. The best solution I've found? Take their auto applied keywords and make their bid the lowest possible (30 cents). I built a really solid ads structure supporting each of our Target sku's and woke up to us bidding on "Ben and Jerry's" as a "optimized auto applied suggesition" for our Vanilla Ice Cream Whey. Gee, I wonder what sophisticated dev team decided "auto bid on product title". Yeah, in the world of CPG there could neeevvverrr be issues with that. Who leads this team and how much do you make. (Hint: too much). Happy Friday to everyone except overpaid leadership that don't actually understand what they're building and get paid boat loads of money for it.

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The simplest AOV boosters I've seen work for most DTC brands with multiple similar products: Pack your products in a bundle Increase variety by increasing the bundle size (E.g. flavor) Name the bundle a special name (E.g. Ultimate KETO bundle) Test the quantity/discounts to hit the sweet spot for max Revenue per User

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Your digital advertising just got a privacy reboot 🔒 Discover how data clean rooms enable brands and publishers to securely collaborate on audience insights while protecting customer data. LiveRamp's new guide explores 12 ways that top marketers: ✨ Build richer profiles from data locked in silos 🎯 Optimize targeting and frequency across walled gardens 📊 Measure granular ROAS and incrementality metrics Learn how smart marketers are turning signal loss into business wins: https://lnkd.in/d-xFJP_q #datacollaboration #dataprivacy #measurement

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Why did Stitch partner with Talon.One? Three main reasons... 1️⃣ In working with Braze customers, we've seen an incredible amount of pain with their existing loyalty platforms (looking at you, Punchh & CrowdTwist, Inc.). 2️⃣ The platform is 👌. The response time and the ability to customize workflows is elite. 3️⃣ The combination of Braze + Talon.One is a marketer's dream. Scale, capability and efficiency bridging marketing & loyalty together.

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Why a boring plain-text email could be a solid winner this Black Friday. → Pattern interrupt: You've probably been sending beautifully designed templates all year long. A plain-text email can be a refreshing change, standing out in crowded inboxes and making readers more likely to engage with your message. → Personal connection: Plain-text feels more personal—like a one-on-one message from a friend rather than a brand. Use this to your advantage to thank your customers for their loyalty and entice them with your best offers. → Boosted deliverability: Without heavy images or special elements, plain-text emails are less likely to get caught by spam filters or banished to the promotions tab. That means better odds of landing in front of consumers exactly when it counts. → Quick turn-around: If things aren’t going according to plan, plain-text emails can be quickly put together and sent out. They’re your go-to solution for extra campaigns or unexpected pivots. Are you planning to use plain-text emails this BFCM?

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This is a great perspective on the "path to purchase." In this latest report, Mars United Commerce presents a new approach to the classic “path to purchase” that starts with shopper mindsets rather than the more traditional focus on behaviors or tactics in this latest report. Download your copy here: https://lnkd.in/gCkj6Ysz #pathtopurchase #ecommerce #commercemarketing #strategy

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🚨 Your obsession with CRO is killing your brand! Here's the cold, hard truth most marketers are too scared to face: ❗ Conversion rates and catchy hooks are just the TIP OF THE ICEBERG. You're fixating on surface-level metrics while ignoring the massive factors lurking beneath the surface. ❗ The REAL game-changers you're ignoring: → Brand/founder story  → Product relevance  → Timing relevancy  → Pricing strategy  → Competitor activity (they're eating your lunch while you tweak button colors) Early adopters can share their stories, creating a sense of authenticity that spreads across the community. Concept of timing relevancy is why we see many brands adopting a "drop" strategy. Leverage timing relevancy and pricing strategy - maybe marketing it as a one-time deal. These hidden factors are your future. Ignore them at your peril. ❗ Challenge: → Stop the obsessive dance with conversion rates → Start playing the long game - build a brand, not just a funnel → Create a strategy that actually works Think I'm exaggerating? Brands like Brunello Cucinelli built a $1B empire on story and relevance, not just conversion tricks. In-depth version: https://lnkd.in/gpS4tWbR You're welcome to roast me in the comments 😘 #brand #ecommerce #dtc

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🚨 Shifting the cookie countdown to 2025 hasn’t changed the growing necessity for a new paradigm in digital advertising’s approach to data. Individual-level targeting might feel familiar, but change is coming, and clinging to the past will only become more costly, complex, and risky. In this piece, Marko Johns, UK Managing Director and International Head of Agency at Seedtag, explains how contextual approaches deliver effective and sustainable advertising aligned with the emerging privacy-first status quo. 🌱 Curious to learn more? 🔎 Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/etKk8vrR #SurveillanceAdvertising #Contextual #AI #PrivacyFirst #AdTech

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We're all in on catalogs because they have staying power. Most of your digital ads are forgotten about almost immediately after they're seen. With catalogs: you'll see sales for 60-90 days after your recipients receive them. Why? Initial Spike vs. Long-Term Value Sure, you might see a spike in orders right after the catalog goes out. That’s great, but don’t be fooled into thinking that’s the whole story. The real value of a catalog is in its slow burn—the way it nurtures your audience and drives sustained interest over time. Why do they have a slow burn? Catalogs Aren’t Just Trash: Unlike digital ads that get lost in the noise, physical catalogs hang around. Customers keep them, refer back to them, and let them inspire future purchases. It’s like planting a seed and letting it grow. Long-Term Engagement: The beauty of a catalog is its ability to keep your brand top of mind long after it’s first seen. Customers might not buy immediately, but they remember your brand when they’re ready to make a purchase. Building Trust: Catalogs provide a tactile, trustworthy experience. They offer a curated look at your products, helping to build a deeper connection with your audience. This trust translates into loyalty and repeat business. What to Do with This Info? Monitor the Long Game: Track how your catalog influences purchases over time. Look at the data 60-90 days out to truly gauge its effectiveness. Optimize for Longevity: Make sure your catalog is designed to be a keeper—something customers want to hold onto and refer back to. Stay Engaged: Use the catalog as a touchpoint in your ongoing marketing strategy. Follow up with digital efforts that align with the catalog’s messaging. Remember, effective catalogs are more than just marketing tools—they’re long-term investments in your brand’s relationship with customers. BTW. . . check this spread from the catalog our design team designed for Blu Dot:

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The need to shift DTC strategies is a lesson in learning from past examples. Prioritizing consumers at each step, brands are leaning toward practices that include them more in the process for growth that's led by retention, profit, and an increase in sustainability. #DTC #Retail #FashionBrands #Consumers

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« If you think you know consumer behavior, think again. Middle-income consumers are feeling the squeeze and worrying about inflation but aren’t holding back on splurges. Rather than sticking to tight budgets in retirement, aging consumers are splurging too. Speaking of older shoppers, it turns out that the brand loyalty they’ve long been known for is a thing of the past*». Splurges…yes putting the greatest product innovations forward by using the number 1 logo for innovation Voted Product of the Year Worldwide 100% voted by consumers, influent peers, and believing in consumers paying for added value if they trust your proposition, is the best way to go! *Source: State of the Consumer 2024: What’s now and what’s next. McKinsey & Company

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I've been asked the same questions frequently lately regarding labelizer tools, segmentation scripts, and the Shopping Booster. Specifically about how to handle data post-sales period, when the data no longer reflects typical performance. 🛒📊 During sales periods, conversion rates, order values, and purchase intent are generally higher, while profit margins may be lower. 📈 This inflates product performance data, and when advanced campaign setups rely on past data to move products between performance buckets, it can become problematic. Historical data that doesn’t reflect future performance can lead to overspending on products that performed well on sale but may underperform afterward. Google offers a fantastic tool called Exclusion Period 🛠️, which helps adjust its algorithm post sale periods. However, this feature only impacts the algorithm itself, leaving reporting in Google Ads unchanged. Since tools like labelizer scripts and ProfitMetrics Shopping Booster base their product movement rules on historical reporting data from the API, that data still reflects inflated metrics. So, the question is: Should we disable these tools and scripts after sales end, then reactivate them with a shorter lookback window for performance data? The challenge is that many products won’t have enough data with a shorter lookback window. One workaround is to download custom labels for products before the sales period begins. Afterward, you could pause the tools/scripts, then re-upload those labels to restore pre-sales data. But let’s be honest, this can be time-consuming. ✨ That’s why we’ve introduced the Exclusion Period feature directly into Shopping Booster! ✨ This feature allows you to exclude specific sales periods directly in the settings: - With a 90-day lookback window, segmentation rules will consider 90 days of data while excluding your sales periods, such as Black Week (November 24–30). This ensures data reflects typical product performance. - You can also schedule exclusions! For example, you can set the exclusion period to activate on December 1, allowing you to continue segmentation during Black Week and seamlessly normalize your data afterward. 📅✅ Used alongside Google’s native Exclusion Period, this feature gives you better control over both algorithms and reporting while correcting for periods of inflated metrics. 💡 I'd love to hear your thoughts, how do you currently handle this challenge in your setup with labeling tools? 🤝

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3 Key Actions to Increase AOV Through Merchandising [And Significantly Boost Your ROAS] → Many businesses focus solely on optimizing their ad spend, but the real secret to maximizing your ROAS lies in... Increasing the Average Order Value (AOV) And I've said that the best way to do this is through good merchandising. Effective merchandising goes beyond just displaying best-selling products; it’s about strategically positioning them to influence buying decisions. Here’s how we do it... → Understand Your Audience Know what products people buy first and what they buy next. This helps create an effective purchase flow. We kicked off by offering products that were easy to sell and grabbed attention. Think about this: a customer comes to your store for a basic pair of shoes. Now, if you know what they’re likely to buy next, you can guide them toward a premium pair that complements their purchase. → Upsell and Downsell Strategies After the initial purchase, offer customers additional products (upsell) or cheaper alternatives (downsell). This strategy creates a better shopping experience for your customers, encouraging them to buy more in a single visit. After all, it's never a bad idea to remind them to buy a case for their new phone. → Create Product Bundles They’re already interested, so why not give them an irresistible offer? Imagine you’re shopping for skincare products and see a bundle that offers everything you need for a complete routine. It’s convenient, and you save money compared to buying each item separately. By implementing these 3 actions in your strategy, you can significantly increase your AOV and therefore ROAS Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments; let's have a conversation! → And follow me to stay updated. #ecommerce #ecombusiness #DTC #D2C #marketing

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Great article on Nike's push for a DTC (direct-to-consumer) strategy, what is working and what isn't. The data digital media buying can give us is helpful and undoubtedly enticing. However, demanding every investment made shows a direct thread to an ROI is not a recommended strategy. There will always be benefits to investing in growing your brand, even when it doesn't directly tie to an end sale. Nike's investment in reminding people who they are and what they stand for is important, just as is their advertising of a specific shoe to a specific targeted customer. Both are needed for success, not just one or the other. It can be tempting (especially in complicated economic times) to push to make every last dollar invested have a clear ROI. Not all ROI is direct.

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Reminder: vanity metrics like follower count, views, er, emv + miv aren't indicative of sales We've become obsessed with these numbers - but they are pretty hollow Take the #1 TikTok today 9M views as of 1 minute ago A 665% increase in the # of followers A whopping 2827% increase in comments And 177% increase in shares Yet all of this only generated $87.87 in actual revenue on TikTok Shop…. Social commerce is not influencer marketing Viral content (even if it's #1!!!) doesn't guarantee sales Influencer metrics have always been fuzzy But it's even harder to navigate the era of infinite content You have to dig deeper to understand your audience and what drives them to purchase You need to do more than chasing likes and views You must focus on building community and meaningful connections because that will lead to long-term customer relationships and consistent sales growth Influencer marketing of the past always felt like manipulation crazy high follower count / views / reach / emv numbers seem life changing!!! Until they're not It just means they can charge high fees and make campaigns look more successful than they are I want to see actual revenue because it can be used for financial reporting No CFO would accept EMV or MIV as a legitimate metric for financial statements because they're not based on real monetary transactions Instead of relying on vanity metrics, focus on concrete data that directly ties to your business goals Track actual sales, conversion rates, customer lifetime value, and return on ad spend These metrics might not look as flashy in a pitch deck, but they'll give you a much clearer picture of your marketing effectiveness and help drive real business growth If you can't clearly explain how a metric translates to revenue or business objectives, it's probably not worth obsessing over… I obsess over people who convert it’s the end of influencer as we know it… Gen Z sees through the bs… they are influenced by authenticity, authority, and shared ideas influencers are the commoditization of individual social media reach They are very different things and brands are confused because influencer marketing teams keep showing flashy numbers that give them fomo How many of you have paid exorbidant fees up front only to generate $87.87 The industry must transform to create meaningful, measurable impact that drives real business growth It's time to redefine influence as the ability to inspire action, not just attention That is if you want to sell your things #thegreatfashionreset #creatoreconomy #communitycommerce #contentistheproduct #tiktokisthestore

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Shopify stores spend an average of $300 per email campaign if working with freelancers. Agencies? They charge upwards of $3000 per month for a full email marketing strategy. For many Shopify brands, this isn’t sustainable. But email marketing remains one of the most crucial channels for growth, driving significant ROI when done right. We built MyBranz Email AI to solve this. From planning campaigns to segmenting customers, we’ve automated the entire process of email marketing. I thought we were just automating email generation to save Shopify brands time. I was wrong. It turns out we’re empowering small businesses to take control of their marketing without the heavy costs. Shopify stores can now scale with AI-driven email campaigns, saving hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in the process. For small stores and single founders who do not have time to do email marketing, they can plan their entire month’s content in less than 30 mins for a 1/4 of the cost. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching, the need for efficient, cost-effective email marketing has never been greater. Are you ready to join our beta and automate your email marketing? #emailmarketing #AI #Shopify #BFCM #Ecommerce

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