Today's News

She’s a 10, But She Writes ‘Ten’

POV: TikTok Is Coming for Your Search Ad Budget

TikTok Enhances Brand Safety Measures

Google’s AI Takes a Seat at Your Desk

Pinterest’s New Remix Feature

X Says “Bye-Bye” Block Button

She’s a 10, But She Writes ‘Ten’

When it comes to numbers in marketing, the key is to stop spelling it out — literally.

Have you ever wondered whether it's better to write numbers as digits (e.g. “7”) or spell them out as words (e.g. “seven”)? New research reveals that using digits in marketing copy — such as ads, websites, and packaging — can boost sales.

Don’t spell it out

The study found that when consumers see numbers written as digits, they are more likely to click on ads and convert.

They also find the number shared to be more precise and helpful.

Using digits instead of words made reviews 10% more helpful

Customers were up to 15% more likely to buy the product.

Why it works

The research suggests this works because digits look more natural and appropriate compared to words, which makes them easier for consumers to process. The study's researchers call this the “Number format effect”.

When consumers question a brand’s credibility, they rely on familiar cues, like numbers presented as digits, which enhances this effect.

POV: TikTok Is Coming for Your Search Ad Budget

TikTok is coming for the OG search giant, Google, with the launch of its Search Ads Campaign tool today.

This lets advertisers target ads based on what users are actively searching for, building on the existing Search Ads Toggle.

Previously, TikTok’s search advertising model was relatively unique, relying on algorithms to match ads with searches without letting marketers select specific keywords.

Enhanced control

Now with the new tool, advertisers gain more control over how their ads appear in search results.

The new search ads will support both video and carousel images.

Brands will have the option to target either traffic or web conversions.

TikTok vs. Google

However, Digiday reports today, that TikTok isn’t likely to siphon off Google’s search ad dollars anytime soon — if at all.

Currently, the Search Ads Campaign tool is only available in the U.S., with plans for a broader rollout early next year.

TikTok Enhances Brand Safety Measures

As TikTok expands its search advertising features, the platform is also looking to address brand safety concerns by launching a new misinformation measurement system yesterday.

This aims to reassure advertisers that their ads won’t be placed alongside misleading content.

The company developed this new capability with its measurement partners in response to the addition of misinformation to the Brand Safety industry standards earlier this year.

New partnerships

TikTok has partnered with three third-party measurement companies —DoubleVerify, Integral Ad Science, and Zefr —to deliver detailed post-campaign data. This information shows what content was shown before and after ads in their ads in the For You Feed.

Google’s AI Takes a Seat at Your Desk

Google's AI is trading in its search bar for… your desk?

Google announced today that it’s bringing its AI chatbot, Gemini AI, into its corporate workspace product for free — well, included with the workspace price. This is for its standalone app, not the AI integrated into the company’s products like Google Docs or Gmail.

Set to launch in Q4, Gemini will be included as a standard feature on Workspace Business, Enterprise, and Frontline plans.

Privacy first

The tech giant says that Gemini will follow the same enterprise terms as other key Workspace services, such as Gmail and Docs, and won’t use an organization’s data, generated responses, or user prompts to train its AI model.

Workspace Administrators will also have the option to control whether Gemini keeps generated responses and user prompts, as well as set limits on how long this information is stored.

Security features

To protect against cybersecurity threats, Google is launching a ‘Security Advisor’ tool that will deliver insights directly to IT administrators.

The tool includes a range of safe browsing and data protection features for Chrome, Gmail, and Google Drive, and it will be available to paying Workspace customers in the coming weeks.

Pinterest’s New Remix Feature

Pinterest launched a new remix feature today, letting users build upon existing collages and mood boards, which could boost user-generated content linked to your brand's visuals.

How it works

Just like the Remix feature on platforms like Instagram and Snap, Pinterest’s new option lets users borrow and personalize existing collages by adding their own images, text, and drawings to create their own version.

When a remix is posted, Pinterest automatically credits the original creator by linking back to their collage.

For brands and users that prefer not to be remixed, there's an option to disable this feature in the settings.

Discovery and sharing

Pinterest is also making it easier for users to download and share collages in video format with different styles, such as regular video, time-lapse, unscramble, ink, and analog to other social platforms.

These new remixing and sharing options are now being rolled out to users globally on iOS and Android.

X Says “Bye-Bye” Block Button

Usually, when you block a hater from your brand account, they aren’t able to see your posts any more—right?

Not on X, though.

Elon Musk confirmed this week that X will dramatically change how the block functionality works on the platform.

BREAKING: X is about to remove the current block button, meaning that if an account is public, their posts will be visible to the blocked users as well!

— Nima Owji (@nima_owji)
6:03 PM • Sep 23, 2024

While you can still block someone, blocked users will now be able to see your brand’s public posts. This means your only way to keep your updates under wraps is to post privately or limit visibility to your followers only.

While it is true that users you’ve blocked have been able to see your posts if they were not logged in, that logged-in block did bring down the rhetoric and abuse some accounts saw.

The numbers don’t lie

Meanwhile, despite Elon Musk’s claims that X is hitting record highs in usage, the latest data tells a different story: the platform is losing user interest.

According to new insights, X has recently seen a decline in users in both the U.S. and the U.K. in recent months, coinciding with Musk's continued emphasis on his political views.

Last month, amid reports of race-based riots in the U.K., Musk posted that “civil war is inevitable” in the region, which appears to have triggered an exodus of U.K. users from the app.

Data from Similarweb indicates that active daily users in the U.K. have plummeted from 8 million a year ago to around 5.6 million now, with more than a third of that drop occurring since the summer riots.

The decline is also occurring in other regions, not just where the platform has been banned, like Brazil. In the same 16-month period, X’s active users in the U.S. have dropped by almost a fifth.

This decline aligns with X’s own reports regarding its EU user base. As part of its obligations in the EU, X must provide regular updates on its user numbers in the region. In its most recent report, covering the first half of 2024, X noted a 5% decline in EU users.

– 30 –