Robo-Hosts

AI is venturing into new territory, stepping up to the podcast mic with Google’s Notebook exploring AI-generated podcasts. Instead of listening to The Diary of a CEO’s Stephen Bartlett interview a successful businessperson, or two former bachelor contestants chew the fat about their weekend antics, is your daily commute about to be narrated by an algorithm? We sincerely hope not. The pros? The time-saving potential for content creators is massive—imagine churning out episodes while you sleep! The cons? Well, while it’s great for time management, what about losing human touch? Would anyone actually want to listen to a pair of robots who lack the capacity for independent thought banter back and forth?

Anyway, as with most developments in Ai, it’s always intriguing to watch them play out, to say the least.

Explore the edges of AI’s talkative new trend.

The Shopify Scoop

It probably comes as no surprise, but 79% of Australians are tightening their belts on spending due to inflation. A new Shopify report spills the beans on what truly tickles the fancy of unified customers. Spoiler: they crave value, and—surprisingly—not just discounts. That’s pushing retailers to truly step up their game to really showcase value, not just through price but through quality and these great experiences. Shopify’s latest insights reveal that a whopping 54% of consumers are hunting for the best deals, blending lower prices with high-quality offerings. But here’s a golden nugget of info worth taking note of: 32% would stick with a brand if they were able to offer them a seamless experience. So, in a world where every penny counts, personalisation isn’t just a nice to have, it’s a pretty important piece of the pie. The report also includes suggestions on how to embrace unified customer engagement to not just attract but keep your customers coming back for more.

And as Black Friday approaches, incorporating these insights can make all the difference – read below for more on gearing up for the biggest shopping day of the year below.

Black Friday Buzz

As the countdown to Black Friday begins, now’s your moment to sync your sales strategies with the rhythm of the season. With heavy hitters like JB Hi-Fi already setting the stage, it’s crucial to amp up your SEO and get your deals playlist ready. According to experts, starting early could help you hit all the high notes when November rolls around.

According to WooCommerce, beginning your Black Friday communications 20 days in advance significantly increases customer engagement. They suggest warming up your audience with pre-Black Friday promotions in October to build excitement and gather valuable data which can inform your strategies.

Meanwhile, Inside Retail emphasises the importance of preparing your logistics and promotional strategies well in advance to ensure everything runs smoothly during the shopping frenzy. They note that starting early allows businesses to fine-tune their offers and ensure inventory meets demand, a crucial step for maximising sales during this pivotal retail event​.

We’ve collated a heap of great resources here for those wanting to get on the front foot (and you should be). Check out these strategies and checklists to ensure your Black Friday promotions are pitch-perfect.

Resources:

Inside Retail’s Time to Start Preparing

WooCommerce Black Friday Checklist

Shopify Viral Black Friday Campaigns

Age Debate

With debates swirling around the age appropriateness of social media, the conversation about setting age limits is hotter than ever. The Australian Government is the latest to propose enforcing an age limit when it comes to social media. Should platforms put an age gate to keep the young’uns out until they’re 16? Or even younger? It’s a digital can of worms that could change the social landscape significantly. While we think an age gate for those under 16 is a good idea, how they will enforce that is yet to be seen – and how it will affect platforms like Snapchat and TikTok, where a decent percentage of their users are under the age of 15.

Apple Takes a Bite

In a move that’s shaking up social media marketing and ruffling a few feathers amongst the small business set, Meta / Facebook posts that you boost via the app on an iOS device now carry a 30% commission fee. That’s right, Apple is slicing a hefty chunk off the top of your ad spend, which could mean rethinking your budget or your platform strategy. Meta did announce the changes some time ago, but it seems to have only started playing out the last few months. So if you’ve been wondering why your boosted posts aren’t doing as well as they used to, it could be because 30% of your budget is now going to Apple, rather than your actual ad spend.

The workaround? Make sure you’re only boosting posts / using Ads Manager via a PC or laptop instead of your phone to dodge Apple’s fees. This suggestion from Meta, while seemingly practical and better for your ad strategy in the long run, feels a little bit like they’re skirting around policy implications rather than addressing the underlying friction between app developers and Apple’s policies. How will this affect your ROI, and is it time to reassess where your ad dollars are going?

Keen To Dive In?

If you love what we’ve shared above and want to be kept in the loop with our weekly email, The Brief, you can sign up here. We’ll only send you things we love and think you’ll find useful, and you can unsubscribe at any time. And if you need some help exploring any of the above within your own marketing strategy, or you need a rebrand, a custom website built from scratch, Google or social ads, print materials, blog posts – or the whole lot – we’d love to chat. Drop us a line here.