New ?? 5 marketing insights??- #84

In a world where authenticity is the key to meaningful connections, this week I’ve rounded up some of the most insightful trends reshaping marketing.

Plus, learn how to optimise your product page UX and how to appear in ChatGPT.

1. Surreal’s billboards are redefining authentic marketing

My favourite marketing campaigns are usually the ones by food brands. The best ones are always bold, unique, and tell a story. I’ve seen some great ones circulating on LinkedIn over the past few weeks, but these billboards by Surreal Cereal win hands down.

What can we learn from them as marketers? That advertising no longer needs to be perfectly polished. While traditional cereal brands target a broad demographic, Surreal is focused on connecting with young, fun, and health-conscious consumers who find their silly ads relatable, not unprofessional.

2. Everything you need to know about the YouTube algorithm

YouTube is the OG of video content, and in case you haven’t heard—it’s not going anywhere. More brands, especially in B2B, are embracing a YouTube strategy, whether by repurposing blog content or creating how-to videos designed to generate MQLs.

But how does the YouTube algorithm actually work, and how can you optimise it for the best results? Neil Patel explains that the algorithm prioritises individual viewer behaviour, preferences, and performance signals like watch time.

Read on to discover his 11-step framework for how to maximise your video’s search potential, from optimising file names and descriptions to using end screens and clickable links.

3. Currys employee-generated content is delivering better ROI than paid ads

What has a better ROI—organic or paid? Well, it depends on your strategy and brand. But one organic growth trend that has gained massive traction is the rise of employee-generated content (EGC).

Large electronic retailer Currys explained that for a long time, their social media strategy revolved around pushing promotions. However, after shifting their focus to entertainment and engagement as the top priority, they found that after just a year, TikTok EGC content delivers a higher ROI than paid advertising.

So if you haven’t already, take this as your sign to start making employee-generated content!

4. Rand Fishkin: How to appear in ChatGPT results

Focus on creating high-quality relevant content? Not exactly.

Rand Fishkin recently highlighted an article by Stephen Wolfram that challenges the way we think about SEO in the era of LLMs. Turns out, appearing in AI-generated is about word placement and how models predict the next most likely phrase.

I’m no SEO expert, and Rand explains it far better than I ever could. Check out his latest video post on X.

5. UX mistakes that drive users away on product pages

Baymard Institute revealed that 51% of sites have a “mediocre” or worse Product Page UX. In their experiment, users abandoned suitable products due to UX issues. So, what were the main problems?

1. 79% of sites use horizontal tabs for product page layout, which 27% of participants overlooked, missing out on valuable content.
2. 91% of sites don’t feature “in-scale” images. One participant mentioned that, unlike their parents, they don’t want to measure items out and prefer a more visual approach (I totally get that!).
3. 55% of sites selling wearable products don’t show humans wearing them, which creates a scale issue and makes it harder for users to visualise how the product fits.
4. 66% of sites didn’t incorporate social media visuals, which is a missed opportunity for social proof. Many of us have bought something online, only for it to look totally different in real life. Featuring images from real customers can bridge that gap and build trust.

Small business shout-out

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Thanks for tuning in this week! We also send Five Insites by email if you’d prefer to receive it that way. If you have any feedback or want to suggest a small business for a shoutout, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn—I’d love to chat!

Thanks, Izzy Marketing Assistant at Insites