The Top Three

🏆 THE INDUSTRY’S MOST IMPORTANT STORIES TODAY

🥇 POSITION YOUR AD TO ACTIVITY LEVELS

People react to ads differently depending on how busy they are. A study of more than 570,000 mobile ad views found that brands should be doing a better job matching their message to the viewer’s state of mind to improve how their product is received—even if it doesn’t always immediately boost sales. more

• When someone is busy, they prefer ads that clearly explain a product’s features and benefits.

• When relaxed, people like emotional or story-based ads.

🥈 IMPORT META CAMPAIGNS INTO REDDIT

Reddit $RDDT ( ▲ 5.03% ) has introduced new tools for smaller businesses, including the ability to import ad campaigns directly from Meta $META ( ▲ 1.67% ) platforms. They also added a review page to catch errors before launch and integrated Google Tag Manager for better performance tracking. An improved “Events Overview” helps advertisers confirm tracking setup. more

🥉 NEW “TEST FEED” FOR MICROSOFT ADS

Microsoft $MSFT ( ▲ 1.81% ) Advertising introduced updates including a “Test Feed” for Shopping campaigns to check for errors without affecting live ads and a simplified “Primary Feed” for local inventory ads. Other changes involve ad disclaimers, longer video ads, and more Performance Max tools. The Optimization Score will be replaced by a Digital Maturity Score in May. more

Today’s Other News

📰 EVERYTHING ELSE THAT MATTERS

Advertising 📣

• AdMob Reporting: Google $GOOG ( ▲ 1.7% ) AdMob has updated its reporting to combine ad performance data with user activity metrics. This allows app developers to see how different ad formats and sources affect user behaviour by linking their apps to Firebase. This helps publishers better understand how ads impact their users and optimize performance. more

• Microsoft Consent: On May 5, Microsoft Advertising will start requiring advertisers targeting users in regions like the EEA, UK, and Switzerland to get explicit user consent before using tracking technologies like cookies. Advertisers must use Microsoft's Consent Mode or integrate with approved consent platforms to comply and avoid disruption to ad tracking and performance data. more

• PMax Guidelines: Starting May 1, Google Ads Performance Max campaigns will automatically use brand guidelines if consistent assets like logos and business names are provided. This change applies first to the Google Ads interface, then to the API in June, with full rollout by July end. If you’re using a third-party tool that relies on the API, check to see if there’s an update from that provider. more

• Immersive Ads: Google is expanding its Immersive Ads, which appear inside gaming environments like virtual billboards. They have added video formats and partnered with platforms like Roblox. This partnership allows Roblox to use Google Ad Manager to offer advertisers formats like Rewarded Video within its experiences, integrating ads more naturally into gameplay. more

Social Media 📱

• Best Post Times: Based on data from 30,000 businesses, Sprout Social suggests the best times to post on social media for engagement in 2025. more

  • Facebook works best in mornings

  • Instagram from 10 AM-3 PM

  • LinkedIn 10 AM-1 PM

  • Pinterest around 1 PM

  • TikTok 2 PM-5 PM

  • X (formerly Twitter) 9 AM-2 PM

• Substack Video Feed: Substack has launched a new “Media” tab in its app featuring a vertical, TikTok-style video feed. This allows users to discover short videos (up to 10 minutes) uploaded by creators on the platform, regardless of whether they subscribe to that specific creator. This move follows similar features added by other platforms like X and Bluesky. more

• Instagram Comments: Instagram introduced “Partnership Testimonials,” allowing brands to pay creators to write short (up to 125 characters) sponsored endorsement comments on ad posts. This aims to integrate influencer recommendations more directly into conversations. As you can imagine, there are concerns about authenticity and potential user backlash if the comments feel forced or unnatural. (Which they will, of course.) more

Agencies 💼

• Voice AI Views: A report shows that while ad agencies are using AI voices for internal drafts, most still prefer human voices for final ads. They believe human voices connect better emotionally. Agencies increasingly record voiceovers remotely. Clients often request diverse voice talent that sounds friendly and relatable for their campaigns. more

Hiring 🤝🏻

• Yahoo Hires CMO: Yahoo $YHOO ( 0.0% ) has appointed Josh Line, formerly Chief Brand Officer at Paramount Global, as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Line will oversee Yahoo's global brand strategy and marketing efforts. The hire is part of Yahoo's push to revitalize its brand image — and maybe draw on its “OG” status online. more

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📈 HOW DIGITAL MARKETING STOCKS ARE DOING

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