Today in Digital Marketing

We've known it was coming for years, so why do marketers feel even LESS ready for the cookiepocalypse than they did before? Also: Pinterest wants your board content on TikTok. Ad agencies are swimming in AI. And Threads gets even more connected to the fediverse. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Should brands disable comments on social media posts? Or leave them on, even if they attract negative comments? Science has an answer. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Did you use AI to make that product image? No? Then why is Meta telling everyone you did? Also: Local Service Ads expand to Maps, whether you want them to or not... unboxing goes big... YouTube editing goes long... and a dispute over programmatic ads heats up with advertisers caught in the middle. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A crazy new bug on Meta's ad platform is selling products at big discounts — and the merchants have no idea it's happening. Also: Sorry, why can't I exclude past buyers from my Facebook ad campaigns any more? Amazon's huge sales database is being put to work. And Instagram expands its livestreaming by letting you restrict it. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Government regulators sound the warning on AI spokespeople, as the marketing industry and social media platforms scramble to ramp up their avatar game. Also: LinkedIn goes B2C, consumers prefer year-round Pride support, and more on Google's decision to force many companies off using credit cards to buy ads — today, an insider's view. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Google won't let some companies pay for ads by credit cards any more, in a move that could cost businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Has the final gauntlet been thrown? A technical change to how YouTube ads are delivered may break ad blockers for good. Meta backs down on AI training. LinkedIn's new promotional tools will cost you. And Spotify's latest announcement — is it bad news for digital agencies? Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dumb it down — new research says the simpler you make your headlines, the more people will click on them. Also: Instagram's latest ad format is just as irritating as it sounds. A huge player exits the ad business entirely. And podcast listeners might just be the nicest people ever! Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Brand safety tools claim platforms they measure are '99% safe.' But can marketers trust those numbers? Probably not. Also: YouTube adds the single biggest item from marketers' wish lists. TikTok's new search feature could sell more of your products. And garbage in, garbage out — the sad and dangerous state of AI search summaries. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The app that wanted the world to be more authentic has been acquired. Google says the next search update might restore some penalized sites. Why marketers are starting to be wary of ad verification platforms. And is it the return of the hashtag? Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's happened again. This time, Adobe scrambles to reassure marketers it's not going to steal their work in the service of AI training. But can its track record be trusted? That, plus updates to Meta's Conversions API, LinkedIn pulls one of its most effective ad targeting tools, and much more. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Deepfakes are the next challenge for brand safety. Reddit's Ads API is out, barely. LinkedIn has a new video ad product. Instagram updates carousels. And the toggle switch inside Microsoft's ads platform you might want to turn off. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Why is Google dumping up to three-quarters of your ad results into an unmarked bucket? HubSpot is about to get more expensive. Finally, a framework for data deletion requests. And Microsoft's change to shopping campaigns is coming whether you want it or not. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A nasty cyberattack is targeting big TikTok accounts — and all you need to do for your account to be compromised is read a DM. Also: Why Google may stop indexing your brand's web site next month. Which products sell more when you use an animated banner ad. And podcast audiences may have been massively undercounted. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Enshittification comes to the Instagram feed — how will users react to the new ad format which stops them from scrolling through content? Also: Google slows way down on its AI search results... SEO pros figure out how to get their brand into those results... and Shopify's acquisition could mean a huge bill for you. Our Sponsors: * Check out Miro: miro.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy