Stop Counting Ghost Conversions
đŻHow to find the growth you actually created, how Reddit is shaping what people buy and what AI learns, and more!
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In this newsletter, youâll find:
đŻ Stop Counting Ghost Conversions
đïž Inside Redditâs New Marketing Power Shift
đ Ad of the Day
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đŻ Stop Counting Ghost Conversions
Every dashboard looks good until you ask the one question no one wants to answer:
âHow much of this wouldâve happened without us?â
Thatâs where most brands fall apart. Platform reports celebrate inflated wins. Incremental data exposes the truth, and the truth is brutal, 40 to 60 percent of whatâs being credited to ads isnât growth at all.
The real edge isnât chasing attribution perfection. Itâs learning to live inside that 10% margin where your numbers actually mean something.
đĄ Why the 10% Rule Matters
When your platform-reported and incremental conversions align within 10%, youâve reached what performance operators call true incrementality.
Thatâs not luck. Itâs precision.
â Platform shows 1,000 conversions.
â Incremental shows 900.
â Youâre driving 90% real, new customers, not just intercepting existing ones.
Compare that to most accounts:
â Platform shows 1,000.
â Incremental shows 400.
â 60% of âsalesâ were just traffic passing through.
Hitting the 10% gap isnât about better reporting. Itâs about building systems that create demand, not just capture it.
âïž How to Build for the 10%
Design for curiosity, not convenience. Use a creative that sparks first-time intent, not remarketing fatigue.
Run weekly holdouts. Small, consistent lift tests reveal where real growth comes from.
Reframe KPIs. Measure the percentage of new buyers per campaign, not just ROAS.
Work in lockstep with finance. Incremental growth is the only number your CFO believes.
When you optimize for verified impact, scaling stops feeling like a gamble.
đ What the Data Is Proving
The fastest-growing brands in 2025 share one thing in common: their traffic velocity converts into real incremental lift. Itâs not about who spent the most. Itâs about who measured the smartest. Attribution tells you what happened. Incrementality tells you what mattered.
The 10% rule is where those two finally meet, the space where performance turns into proof and proof turns into confidence.
đïž Inside Redditâs Marketing Power Shift
Reddit is now shaping two major fronts, how people shop and how AI learns. From gift searches to brand visibility in chatbots, its communities are influencing what people buy and how brands are found.
The Breakdown:
1. Holiday Shopping Conversations Begin Early - 79% of Americans are researching gifts earlier this year, prioritizing control and authenticity. Reddit communities fuel this shift, with gift-related discussions spiking 150x during Prime Day. Shoppers rely most on Reddit for categories like gaming, electronics, apparel, and beauty.
Seven in ten users say Reddit helps them find thoughtful gifts across top verticals like home appliances, pet products, and experiences. With shoppers crowd-sourcing insights and reviews, Reddit has become the digital word-of-mouth hub that influences real purchase intent.
2. Reddit Leads the AI Discovery Layer - Reddit is the #1 trusted source cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity for real-world insights and humans as well. As brands shift from SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), engaging authentically in Reddit communities now boosts both trust and AI visibility, turning discussion into discoverability.
Social listening reveals trends, competitor gaps, and emotional motivators, helping brands learn what audiences value before creating campaigns.
Reddit Pro can help you to find, engage, and understand customers directly on Reddit for free. It tracks audience trends, enables AI-generated profiles, supports direct engagement, and measures what content performs best on the platform.
đ Ad of the Day
What Works:
1. Premium Framing Through Pair Logic - âOne for your vanity, one for your bagâ makes the set feel intentional, not excessive, it subtly justifies a higher ticket by tying luxury to practicality. Frame bundles as lifestyle enablers, not add-ons, utility disguised as elegance elevates perceived value.
2. Price Badge with Strategic Transparency - Highlighting â$208 ($266 value)â signals savings without discounting prestige, the deal feels rewarding, not cheap. When selling premium, reveal value, not markdowns, positioning the price as access, not reduction, preserves brand stature.
3. Composition That Mimics a Product Flat Lay - The top-down shot with the box slightly turned feels editorial, hinting at unboxing anticipation without resorting to lifestyle clutter. Design for digital tactility, make still images feel touchable and experiential.
This ad captures âquiet opulenceâ through precision, every detail reinforces that luxury isnât shouted, itâs implied through form, restraint, and emotional economy.
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