??The $10,000 Thumbnail: How Mr. Beast Crafts Thumbnails That Capture Attention

If you are reading this through linkedIn then you might want to subscribe directly. Subscribing to a newsletter is a great way to get information without relying on the algorithms and control of social media channels.?

Every week, I provide a summary of the latest digital marketing news, saving you the time and effort of going through it all yourself. Here are the top 5 news stories for this week:

1 - Bytedance Revenue Increased 43% In The Last Quarter

According to reports by The Wall Street Journal and tech news site The Information, ByteDance's revenue in the third quarter last year soared roughly 43% year on year to US$30.9 billion.?

So What?

Increased revenue indicates that more advertisers are gravitating towards the platform, leading to greater competition and, eventually, higher costs for advertisers. Marketers should view this as an opportunity to expand their organic reach on the platform instead of solely relying on paid advertisements. Indeed, superior content is crucial. For tips on enhancing video content, refer to my newsletter from last week.

Read more here..

2 - Google Pilots New Ppc Ad Format

Google has been spotted experimenting with a new pay-per-click (PPC) format that closely resembles Local Service Ads. Although these have not been officially announced, they appear poised to become a significant component of your advertising strategy once they go live.

Read more here..

3 - New AI Claims To Be Better Than Chat GPT

Anthropic, an AI startup supported by Google and receiving significant venture capital investment, possibly reaching hundreds of millions more, unveiled the newest iteration of its generative AI technology, Claude. The firm asserts that this AI chatbot surpasses OpenAI's GPT-4 in performance.?

Read more here..

4 - $10,000 For A Thumbnail? Insights On How Mr Beast Creates Compelling Thumbnails For His Videos

Thumbnails on YouTube are without a doubt one of the most crucial aspects of your video, second only to the title. YouTube provides insights into how Mr. Beast crafts his thumbnails. Here's a summary:

1. Trust is key - Avoid using misleading thumbnails that don't accurately represent the video's content.
2. Consistency - Maintain a consistent visual identity in your images.
3. Visual clarity - Steer clear of clutter. Ensure your thumbnail conveys a clear message. This approach also benefits the video's concept. If summarizing the video in a thumbnail is challenging, you might be attempting to convey too much.
4. Testing - Experiment with different thumbnail variations. YouTube has recently introduced the ability to A/B test your thumbnails, so it's a good idea to take advantage of this feature.

Read more here..

5 - Unlikely Friendships: Exploring How Brands Collaborate on Unique Products

We are currently witnessing a trend of limited drops, which has significantly contributed to the growth of brands such as Crocs and Stanley. Television shows are now adopting this strategy, hoping to increase viewership or Blu-ray sales. Here are two notable collaborations I came across this week that got my attention:

• Heinz and "The Godfather" collaboration presents a pasta sauce “offer you can't refuse”. Pasta here..?
• Avantcha Tea and the Netflix show "Gentlemen" have teamed up for a unique collaboration. Tea here..?

Let me hear from you. If there's something you've found helpful, simply reply to this email with your thoughts, and I promise to get back to each one of you. Your input means a lot! ??