Digital briefing, October 20: Meta's incrementality tests, phone calls as content, Gemini Notebook
Today: ad incrementality testing, speech data for search, new content controls in Gemini Notebook, and YouTube Shorts incentives.
- Advertising
Meta highlights incrementality testing that measures ads' real impact; DSW case shows a 23% sales lift #
Meta explained how ad agencies use 'incrementality' testing to measure how much sales the ad actually created. Agency Tinuiti combined both online and in-store sales for shoe brand DSW into a single campaign and compared it against the old setup. The new structure increased total purchases by 23% and in-store purchases by 45%, while also improving return on ad spend by 15%.
What it means for your business: To understand whether your ads are actually driving sales, temporarily removing a small group from the ad audience and comparing results can show you whether your budget is going to the right place.Source: Meta for Business — Performance Spotlight: How Agencies Are Testing for Incrementality
- Search
SEJ webinar explains how phone conversations can fuel search and AI content #
In a webinar recap published by Search Engine Journal, Lisa Salvatore and Brian Barranger from CTM discussed how customer phone calls offer valuable data for marketing, sales and product teams. Their recommended approach: first align teams on a clear definition of a 'qualified call,' then turn recurring questions and objections into a content roadmap. They stressed that the exact words customers use when asking questions can be carried over into FAQ pages and ad copy.
What it means for your business: Adding the questions your customers frequently ask over the phone or through forms to your website and FAQ page can boost your visibility both in search engines and in AI-generated recommendations. - AI
Google introduces a new workflow in Gemini Notebook giving users more control when creating slides and videos #
On October 19, Google announced a new 'co-creation' workflow for Gemini Notebook's Slide Deck and Video Summary generation. Users can now approve topic suggestions first, then use a new 'Refine' button to request changes to the plan, such as adding a summary at the start or reordering scenes. Those who want quick results can skip this step and generate output directly, as before. The feature will roll out globally to all Gemini Notebook users within the coming week.
What it means for your business: Being able to review and edit the AI's suggested content before approving it saves you from having to fix it later.Source: Google Blog — How to shape your slides and videos with Gemini Notebook
- Social media
YouTube tests new Shorts bonus and shopping partnership incentives for invited creators #
According to Social Media Today on October 19, YouTube is testing a bonus program that offers extra pay to invited creators who post Shorts regularly and perform well; some invitations require posting at least 16 Shorts per month. The platform is also expanding its shopping affiliate program, introducing extra commission opportunities from brands for videos that feature products. The test is currently open to invited creators in the US, UK, Germany, Brazil, Japan and South Korea; applying without an invitation isn't possible at this stage.
What it means for your business: If you work with content creators to promote your products, YouTube's new shopping partnership incentives could make collaborations more appealing by offering extra commission opportunities on product videos.Source: Social Media Today — YouTube tests new Shorts incentives