Turn Stagnation to Max Surge

šŸš€ Expanding the right way, without making mistakes that lead to failure

Howdy Readers šŸ„° 

In this newsletter, youā€™ll find

šŸŒŸ Expanding Your DTC Brand? Hereā€™s a Smarter Way to Do It

šŸš€ Instagram's New Ad Strategy and Confusing CTA Guidelines

šŸš€ Brave and PayPal Innovate Digital Advertising with User-Focused Platforms

If youā€™re new to ScaleUP then a hearty welcome to you, youā€™ve reached the right place along with 50k+ CEOs, CMOS, and marketers.šŸ˜‰ Letā€™s get into it, shall we? Oh! Before you forget, if someone forwarded this newsletter to you, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss out!

TOGETHER WITH TABOOLA

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They blend naturally with the content around them so users see ads about products they care about in the right timing and context, leading to CTRs being 8 times higher than display ads!

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GROWTH

šŸŒŸ Expanding Your DTC Brand? Hereā€™s a Smarter Way to Do It

As direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands grow, hitting a plateau is a common challenge. A frequent suggestion to overcome this is to expand into new segments with distinct messaging and advertising strategies. However, there might be more effective approaches. Hereā€™s why and how to navigate this growth phase wisely.

You canā€™t operate a DTC brand with isolated positionings for each segment i.e., Separate landing pages and Ad accounts for each segment. Customers interact with your brand through various touchpoints you canā€™t fully control.

Consider their journey:

ā€¢ They encounter your ads on social media.

ā€¢ They engage with your organic content.

ā€¢ They research your brand on review sites.

ā€¢ They return through search engines after weeks or months.

Trying to control this journey with separate messaging strategies could be more effective. Instead, hereā€™s a more cohesive approach:

1. Broaden Your Brandā€™s Overall Positioning

Your brandā€™s core messaging should resonate broadly across all target segments.

Example: Apple

  • Started as a computer company.

  • Now positions itself as a tech lifestyle brand.

Apple didnā€™t separate its products; it integrated them under the umbrella of innovation and lifestyle. The iPhone, iPad, and Mac all serve different needs but are part of the same ecosystem.

2. Identify the Common Thread Across Segments

Determine the universal need or question your product addresses for all segments.

Example: Patagonia

Serves hikers, surfers, and environmentalists.

Common question: ā€œHow can I enjoy the outdoors while protecting the planet?ā€

Answer: ā€œWe build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.ā€

3. Deepen Your Current Messaging

Your primary homepage and messaging should cater to a broad audience. Then, create specific sections for individual segments.

Example: Amazon

  • The homepage caters to a general audience.

  • Specific sections for books, electronics, fashion, etc., cater to niche needs without diluting the brand.

Amazonā€™s main page is a one-stop shop, but its detailed category pages serve specific customer needs effectively.

P.S. While you implement these, the obvious first result is more traffic to your website, to ensure this traffic goes further into the funnel, Use Smart Recognition, it helps you capture email IDs of the majority of traffic and is CAN-SPAM Complaint. Try it for free now

The Takeaway:

Donā€™t try to micromanage your customersā€™ diverse journeys with fragmented strategies. Instead, broaden your core messaging, find the universal needs your product meets, and deepen your engagement with specific segments within this framework.

INSTAGRAM

šŸš€ Instagram's New Ad Strategy and Confusing CTA Guidelines
Insights from Social Media Today

Whatā€™s Up? Instagram is stirring the pot with unskippable video ads and mixed messages on call-to-action (CTA) strategies, causing varied reactions from users and creators.

The Breakdown:

Image Via: X @adithya_ssh

Unskippable Ads: Instagram is testing a new ad format where users must watch a video ad in full before continuing to scroll. These ads, which feature a countdown timer, aim to increase ad visibility but might disrupt the user experience by halting seamless scrolling.

AI-Recommended Content: With AI-generated content now filling half of usersā€™ feeds, Instagram sees an opportunity to integrate more ads without significantly affecting the user experience. However, the forced viewing aspect remains controversial.

Confusing CTA Guidelines: Instagram has recently provided conflicting guidance on how to use CTAs effectively. Initially, it advised against posting Reels longer than 90 seconds but later offered tips on creating longer Reels. Additionally, the platform warned against using specific engagement-baiting CTAs, which could reduce post reach.

Impact on Automation: This inconsistent advice is concerning for marketers who use automation tools designed to prompt specific user interactions. They might need to adjust their strategies, focusing more on fostering genuine engagement and asking open-ended questions to avoid potential penalties.

Staying informed and flexible is crucial for brands and creators to successfully navigate Instagramā€™s evolving policies. By adapting to these changes, they can maintain strong engagement with their audience and make the most of Instagramā€™s platform, despite the shifting guidelines and features.

ADS

šŸš€ Brave and PayPal Innovate Digital Advertising with User-Focused Platforms
Insights from Brave and Media Post

Whatā€™s Up? Brave and PayPal are transforming digital advertising with their latest innovations. Brave's new Search Ads and PayPal's Advanced Offers introduce fresh approaches aimed at enhancing user experience and utilizing extensive data resources.

The Breakdown:

An example of an ad on Brave Search

Brave Search Ads:

User-Friendly Search Experience: Brave Search is gaining traction among users seeking alternatives to Google and Bing, prioritizing privacy and user experience. Key features include Code LLM for coding queries, Goggles for personalized search filters, and an AI-powered answer engine for instant, detailed responses.

Ad Rollout: Brave Search Ads are now accessible in the U.S., Canada, the UK, France, and Germany. Brands can evaluate their Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) with 14 days of free advertising before committing to paid campaigns. Ads are priced on a cost-per-click basis with pre-negotiated rates.

PayPal Advanced Offers:

Expanding Ad Business: PayPal is leveraging its rich user data, including purchase and spending behaviors, to bolster its advertising services. This also includes data from Venmo, acquired through Braintree in 2013.

Precise Targeting: PayPal Advanced Offers enable highly specific ad targeting, down to the SKU level. This dual revenue model from ads and payment transactions is set to attract advertisers by offering precise targeting capabilities.

By integrating Brave's and PayPal's new ad platforms, businesses can enhance their digital marketing strategies and achieve improved ROI. These platforms emphasize user experience and leverage comprehensive data to deliver precise and effective advertising solutions.

QUICK HITS

šŸ”Ž There are 8.5 billion searches per day on Google. Are you showing up? If not then youā€™re losing sales. Ignite Digital are the SEO experts with over 13 years of experience. You can request your FREE competitive analysis from Ignite Digital and they will respond on the same day! 

šŸŒ With over 250 million influencers and creators worldwide, how do you begin to find the right partners for your brand? Ryan Prior from Modash interviewed 4 senior influencer marketers to learn how they approach influencer selection. Discover more ways to find your best niches here!

šŸ’³ Meta is offering a 14-day money-back guarantee for its Meta Verified subscription, which includes a blue checkmark, enhanced account support, and other features for $14.99 per month. 

šŸ”’ Google will implement Restricted Data Processing (RDP) to limit data usage for non-personalized ads to comply with new state privacy laws and user opt-out preferences in 2024.

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