We’ve been doing this for over ten years through our blog, social media, courses, and other content formats like Rock Content Magazine and Marketing Backstage.

Two years ago, we decided to deliver not only high-quality content targeting our persona’s main search intents but also weekly news in a marketing newsletter: The Beat.

This week, The Beat reaches its 100th edition, and it’s safe to say we’ve learned a thing or two along the way.

To celebrate this milestone, we’re pulling back the curtain on The Beat to reveal all the details of our newsletter, from our production process to the numbers we’ve achieved over the years.

Another marketing newsletter?

Marketing newsletters are not exactly a new concept. There are hundreds available, many of which are quite good.

So, before The Beat even thought about seeing the light of day (or our readers’ inboxes), we had to answer the question: how can we ensure our newsletter stands out from the rest?

We chose to make The Beat stand out from the crowd with two specific features:

1. The Beat is an interactive newsletter (yes, Rock Content is serious about content experience). Readers can interact with various elements and enjoy an experience that goes beyond written content.

If you want to know more about The Beat’s interactive design process, I highly recommend you read this article.

2. It’s more than just “news for the sake of news.” Besides covering everything that happened during the week, we discuss how each topic impacts your strategies—with insights from our experts on each subject.

Now that you and The Beat have been introduced, let’s start our behind-the-scenes tour.

An overview of The Beat in numbers

To kick off our tour, we’ve gathered some of the most interesting facts from these 100 editions to help you get familiar with our newsletter:

• 2 years of publication
• 100 editions in total, always published on Fridays
• 10,836 subscribers, gained 100% organically

An overview of The Beat in topics

We also analyzed the most frequently covered topics in The Beat and created a word cloud. Here’s the result:

The themes “SEO” and “Marketing” were the most covered over these 100 editions, for obvious reasons. But we’ve also talked a lot about social media, data, and, of course, Artificial Intelligence.

Best editions so far, according to our audience

We might be biased because we love every edition of our newsletter, but our audience has particularly enjoyed three:

#1. Welcome to The Beat: The very first edition at its official launch. We made a lot of noise about the project’s inauguration, resulting in one of the most accessed editions to date.

#83. Influencer Marketing in 2024: This edition featured a comprehensive article with data on Influencer Marketing in 2024, discussed Google updates, and included a full interview with the VP of Marketing at Aircall.

#24. Organic mobile traffic is dropping: This edition was packed with interactive elements like charts, quizzes, and reaction buttons.

Editor’s picks: Best editions of The Beat for Rock Content

I know, I know. When it comes to results, our opinion might not matter much. But as the editor of The Beat, I do have my favorite editions. Here are some of them:

#21. We tested the new Instagram feed in advance: I’m biased not only because I’m the editor of The Beat but also because I wrote the main article of this edition. It is truly amazing: interactive elements, a new podcast episode with the Senior Market Research Manager at SemRush, and exclusive interviews… it turned out excellent.

#28. TikTok now threatens Google: Remember the controversy about Google’s own data showing that Gen Z preferred searching on TikTok over Google? Of course, we covered it.

#50. Our first look into Google Analytics 4: Another edition I tip my hat to. The cover story reveals Rock Content’s behind-the-scenes look at how we were adapting to GA4, while the rest of the edition covers the launch of Bing Chat and the TikTok ban issue in the United States.

#68. 30+ questions, answered: How AI is changing SEO: Finally, the edition where we brought in the Head of SEO at Wix to chat with our VP of Marketing about the future of SEO with the AI boom, answering over 30 questions from our audience. Super informative.

It’s great to look back and see how The Beat has served as an information channel for marketing professionals on key topics over the past few years.

The Beat process: step-by-step for creating an interactive newsletter

As we continue our tour, let me walk you through the step-by-step process of our routine with The Beat.

Today, the newsletter is created by two people on our team: myself, responsible for writing, editing, and distributing the newsletter, and Creative Designer Nayara Medeiros, who designs the newsletter and its visual materials.

This was the initial process we designed, and it has remained pretty much the same until today:

Step 1. Gather the content for the edition

Every Tuesday or Wednesday, I decide which content will be included in the edition.

To create the newsletter content, I consider a few points:

• What topics have we covered on the blog this week?
• Do we have any audiovisual material worth including? For example, podcasts, social media content, or videos.
• Are there any extra interesting content pieces for this edition? For example, interviews or case studies.
• Is there any rich material that could be featured in this edition?

Step 2. Writing the content for The Beat

With that in mind, on Wednesday, I start creating the newsletter content. The Beat has a fixed structure, so I always work within that framework, dividing the content into three parts:

Interactive Experience:

• Title
• Newsletter introduction
• Content: title + author + introductory paragraph
• Interactive elements
• Closing

The content generally follows this pattern:

Email: Unlike most newsletters, The Beat’s content is not presented in the email but within the interactive experience. So, the email serves as an additional distribution point, inviting subscribers to read the full content. It follows this structure:

• Title
• Introduction
• Summary of what the subscriber will find in the edition
• CTA for the interactive experience

We’ve conducted many tests on how this email should look and are always testing changes to increase open rates and, of course, CTR. Today, this format works well.

Copies for distribution: Finally, I also create the copies for promoting The Beat on social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, and Telegram) and via push notifications, including guidelines for captions and creatives.

Step 3. Creating the interactive experience

With the content ready, it’s now in the hands of our Designer.

On Thursday, Nayara builds the entire interactive experience for The Beat (she detailed the process here) and also creates the cards we’ll use for promoting the edition. The result looks like this:

Once everything’s ready, we review each piece, test the links, and I schedule the email and social media posts.

And that’s it! By the first hour of business on Friday, The Beat is fresh in our subscribers’ inboxes!

Corporate Newsletter: The strategies that have worked best for The Beat

Last but not least, let’s talk about some strategies we’ve tested over the past two years that have delivered the best results for us (after all, I know you might want to replicate them in your company, too).

Here we go:

1. Have more than one distribution point for the newsletter

This might surprise you, but email is not the main distribution channel for The Beat today. As I mentioned, whenever a new edition is released, we distribute it across various Rock Content channels.

One of the main ones is right here on our blog: a micro-interactive experience where you can subscribe to the newsletter without even leaving the page. By the way, have you subscribed yet? 

2. Create a special monthly edition for the general leads base

First of all, if you’re thinking about creating a corporate newsletter for your brand, don’t assume your leads base will automatically be your subscribers.

This mistake can seriously harm your newsletter’s performance and even your email domain.

Subscribers need to opt-in to receive your newsletter and genuinely want to receive it. So, send editions only to those who have actually signed up for your content, agreed?

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t invite your leads base to check out your newsletter and, if they wish, subscribe for more content. We did this for a while with “The Monthly Beat,” a special monthly edition of The Beat, summarizing the most important events of the month.

The monthly newsletter was partially accessible (meaning the reader could only see the beginning of the content. To read the rest, they had to subscribe). This action alone doubled our number of new monthly subscribers.

3. Incorporate visual and interactive elements that complement the article

This is the main reason why The Beat is no ordinary newsletter, and I simply love the possibility of creating content that subscribers can interact with.

4. Special editions

We’ve had a few themed editions of The Beat, usually to promote specific material that Rock Content was launching.

Two examples:

#30. Ok, diversity sells. But how about changing the world? An entire edition on Marketing, Diversity & Inclusion, created to promote the sixth edition of Rock Content Magazine with the same theme.

#94. AI Virtual Influencers: We needed to promote the State of Marketing Report, a partnership between Rock Content, HubSpot, and other companies, so we created a special edition of The Beat with insights from the report.

In both cases, The Beat helped boost growth marketing results without losing its essence and objective of providing quality content to subscribers.

Which brings me to my final point…

5. The main and non-negotiable principle: Be relevant

Nobody wants a corporate newsletter that only talks about the company and its products.

The Beat has never been, and never will be, about Rock Content.

It’s about bringing the top marketing and content topics of the week, explaining how each topic directly impacts the lives and strategies of marketing professionals and brand owners, from the perspective of our experts as content marketing leaders.

Yes, it speaks a lot about the brand. It brings awareness, authority, and even growth results. But its content will never be about that. It’s about being truly relevant to our subscribers.

And that’s what makes The Beat so unique, for the past 100 editions, and for many more to come.

And since we’re talking about The Beat, how about subscribing now? There, you’ll find all the trends that matter in the digital marketing landscape. Enjoy!

The post 100 editions of The Beat: Behind the scenes of our interactive marketing newsletter appeared first on Rock Content.

Seriously, imagine being an artist in this AI-driven world.

If you’re an artist, you might feel a bit uneasy with some AI advancements. Not because you think AI will replace you, but because you might be afraid of two main things:

1. AI stealing your intellectual property to generate artwork.
2. People not recognizing the value and originality of your work after believing they can generate any creative work with AI.

These are genuine concerns, and driven by them, many artists have decided to ditch Meta’s social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. But if they still need to share their art and build communities, is there an alternative path?

Apparently, there’s one, and it’s called “Cara.” In this post, I’ll answer most of your questions about the platform. Dive in!

What Is Cara?

“Cara is a social media and portfolio platform for artists.” Straightforward, right? That’s how they define themselves on Cara’s “about” page.

In response to the spread of generative AI, Cara aims to filter out AI-generated images, providing a space where genuine human creativity can be easily found and appreciated. 

The platform (in open Beta) addresses the ethical concerns of current AI tools, advocating for regulations to protect artists’ rights. They stand against artwork being scraped from artists’ portfolios without consent to train AI models. 

They also ensure that AI-generated content, if allowed at some point, will be clearly labeled.

Who Is Cara’s Founder and Team?

The founder is a badass woman named Jingna Zhang, who graduated from the School of Business at Stanford University and has been in the art industry for 20 years. 

She believes the Cara app is the new home for artists since major companies left them adrift.

The team comprises volunteers like Katie Borisov, a Senior Production Engineer, and Jake RT, a PhD Student and Full-Stack Engineer. 

The volunteers claim to dedicate themselves to fostering a community that respects and prioritizes the human factor in art.

What Does Cara Look Like?

“It looks like X (former Twitter) and Instagram had a baby,” I read in one of Reddit’s threads, and it’s probably the best description of Cara’s look and feel so far.

When you open the app you immediately see a box that says, “What’s happening?” with a 5000-character limit. Below it there’s the feed where pictures and videos from other artists appear after you follow them.

On the right side, you can see a few sections:

• Latest Discussions;
• Open Talk — where people drop any thoughts they’d like to share and others can interact with them;
• Latest — trendy hashtags, and
• Artwork Categories.

The top menu includes options like access to Cara’s blog. The blog isn’t popular yet, with low traffic and short-form posts, but it’s updated regularly. Topics discussed include events, Cara’s new features, troubleshooting info, and even a selection of the community’s work.

There’s also a Jobs board to help artists find job opportunities and a “Buy Cara a Coffee” button for donations, starting at $5.

What Does Cara Mean for Artists?

Imagine a magical island where AI can’t touch your art—no scraping, no stealing, just pure, unadulterated creativity. That’s what Cara intends to be for you!

It’s a social media platform tailor-made for artists who are tired of Meta’s AI antics. Cara grew faster than a speeding brushstroke, leaping from 40,000 to 650,000 users in a week because artists have had enough.

On Cara app, you can showcase your masterpieces without the fear of them being fed into a soulless machine. It’s like Instagram and X had a baby, but the baby respects your copyright.

So, what does Cara mean for artists? For many, it means freedom, respect, and a vibrant community that gets them.

An expert take on Cara

I asked Tiago Belotte, CoolHow Lab founder and AI specialist, for his thoughts on Cara, and here’s what he shared:

“The Cara app is undoubtedly a great option for artists and creatives in general who don’t want their work used to train AI. Especially at a time like this, when in most parts of the world there is no specific legislation protecting copyright. Even more, there is no transparency from platforms about which content has been, is being, and will be used for training AI systems. The mass adoption of Cara and other new apps like Noplace, which has been all the rage in the USA lately, reflects the importance of considering people’s opinions on a topic that has such significant impacts on our lives and work.”

How Does Cara Protect Artwork?

Cara adds “NoAI” tags by default to all the artwork uploaded to the platform. They describe it as a door lock to prevent the bad guys (AI data miners) from getting in.

But they also warn that some experienced unwanted visitors might break in regardless of the lock. They see it as a first step in protecting artists’ privacy, but not the definitive solution.

With Cara’s partnership with the University of Chicago’s Glaze project, your art gets an extra shield against AI scraping.

How does Glaze work on Cara?

Imagine your artwork wearing an invisibility cloak against pesky AI copycats—that’s Glaze in action! Glaze is a tool designed to thwart generative AI models from mimicking an artist’s unique style.

By subtly altering your artwork, Glaze makes it super tricky for AI to replicate your creative flair. It’s like giving your art a secret handshake that only human eyes can truly appreciate!

What Are Cara’s Pros and Cons?

I must admit, I downloaded the app just to poke around for now. Plus, I’ve read a few Reddit threads on the app to come up with this list. Here’s my take on Cara’s pros and cons:

Pros

• Small artists can feel more welcome since the app won’t favor just the popular and already established artists.
• AI art won’t overshadow human-made art.
• The platform includes tools specifically designed for artists, such as portfolio hosting, customizable home feeds, and automated AI image detection and filtering.
• The platform layout is simple and straightforward. It’s easy to find information.
• By partnering with the Glaze project, Cara offers additional protection against AI mimicry, helping artists safeguard their unique styles.
• Cara’s commitment to ethical practices in the use of AI and data privacy resonates with artists concerned about the misuse of their work.
• It’s just in the beginning but already has a considerable number of users and interesting features, showing promise for the near future.

Cons

• It may segregate artists and keep them away from clients who most likely won’t be on this social media, unlike Instagram, where artists have more opportunities to reach and interact with the general public.

In one of Reddit’s threads, a user stated: “I just checked it out and I really like that their explore page shows a bunch of posts with just a handful of likes, made by creators with small numbers of followers. […] I’m really curious about the job prospects through Cara. […] If the community is all artists, who’s paying for work?”

• You might notice some dust balls rolling around since it’s still a bit empty compared to Instagram or Facebook.
• Some users claim that it may not feel like social media, but rather like ArtStation.
• The platform shuts off quite often. I had to reload the page a few times in 30 minutes of use.
• As a fully bootstrapped platform with a small team, Cara may face challenges in scaling and providing consistent support to its rapidly growing user base.
• Without venture funding or a clear monetization strategy, Cara’s long-term financial sustainability might be a concern, affecting its ability to innovate and expand.

Is There Anything Shady in Cara’s Privacy Policy?

I read Cara’s privacy policy from top to bottom and couldn’t find anything too shady, but here are some important highlights to help you decide if you want to create an account on Cara:

• No Auto-Gathered Info: No personally identifiable information is automatically gathered. Pay attention to the word “automatically” because later in the text they mention that they may gather some personal information (like your name and email) with your consent through forms and surveys to improve their product.
• User Responsibility: You’re responsible for the personal information you decide to share.
• No Selling Info: They promise never to sell your personally identifiable information to third parties.
• Children’s Privacy: Cara explicitly requests that people aged 16 and under do not submit any personal information, and any such information discovered will be deleted.
• Non-Personal Info: Non-personal information like the browser being used, IP address, accounts you connect, and types of interactions you have may be gathered to “enhance your online experience” (they repeat this multiple times).
• Cookies: They use cookies to save preferences and passwords for you, and to collect info processed by Google Analytics so they can see the number of sessions, users’ locations, and other information that may help them improve their site. You can reject cookies anytime.
• Updates: The privacy policy was last updated on January 2, 2023, and may be updated at any time. “You are bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit this page to review the then-current Online Privacy Policy to which you are bound.”
• Opt-Out: Users can opt out of receiving communications from Cara and can request the deletion of their accounts and personal data.

A conspiracy theory?

Some users worry that Cara doesn’t allow AI-generated work yet because they’re actually trying to collect high-quality artwork to train AI themselves. 

This kind of conspiracy theory doesn’t hold water, though, since Jingna, the founder herself, joined in 2023 the lawsuit against Stability AI, DeviantArt, Midjourney, and Runway for exploiting artists’ work. 

Now, Cara’s founder is suing Google for the same reason, along with fellow creatives.

Final Thoughts: Pondering the Future of Art in an AI-Driven World

As we navigate this AI-driven world, it’s important to think about the implications of using artists’ work without permission. The Cara app is a shining example of how we can preserve genuine human creativity in an era of AI.

Picture a world where every unique piece of art is at risk of being copied by machines. For artists, this isn’t just a worry—it’s a real threat to their creative expression. But even if you’re not an artist, shouldn’t we all be a bit concerned?

AI has brought amazing advancements, but it also raises serious ethical questions. If we let AI learn from and mimic human creativity without consent, we risk losing what makes art so special. 

It’s not just about protecting artists’ jobs; it’s about preserving the soul of creativity itself.

Cara offers a glimpse into a future where technology and human artistry can coexist peacefully. It’s a reminder for all of us to think about the role of AI in our lives and the values we want to uphold.

The post From Meta to Cara: Where Artists Reclaim Their Creative Freedom appeared first on Rock Content.

Most of a website’s success stems from attracting users in the first place, and for that, you need to do well with search engines. When people use Google, you want the search results to point to your site. Achieving that goal comes from the practice of SEO.

Within that practice, you have a specific tool at your disposal. It doesn’t constitute the whole of SEO, but it’s important enough for you to read about it today. That tool is known as a sitemap.

What Is a Sitemap?

When you have a website, it often consists of multiple pages. All of those pages fall under a general domain. For example, this post is on the Rock Content bog. The main domain is rockcontent.com, and the blog is a section of the website under that primary domain.

A sitemap is a list of every page for a website that is under the main domain. So, any page you can load on the Rock Content domain should be visible on the sitemap.

Sitemaps come in different shapes, sizes, and designs, and they offer many uses and purposes — all of which will be covered in this post.

As you go through it, remember that in most cases, sitemaps are either made in XML or HTML. You can also have both.

What Is the Purpose of a Sitemap?

We can think of 3 main purposes:

1- Facilitating search engine crawling

The leading reason to use a sitemap is to make it easier for search engine crawlers to navigate your entire site. This usually helps your SEO rankings, as the crawlers can more easily ascertain the content and value of your site.

It’s worth noting that XML maps tend to optimize better for this purpose.

How does this work?

It’s pretty simple. Web crawlers automatically navigate web pages to take note of all content and put that through their algorithms for search rankings.

When you have an optimized XML sitemap, the crawlers will view that, and it will help them make decisions about how they organize and catalog the information for the search engines. Basically, you’re giving the crawlers a road map to follow. That reduces any risks of making mistakes with your content or even failing to identify some content on your site altogether.

2- Enhancing user navigation

The other leading reason for sitemaps caters to users. HTML sitemaps can make it easier for humans to find what they want on your website. That’s good for traffic, user satisfaction, and most other metrics you might watch after you publish a website.

3- Indicating updates and changes

Finally, both XML and HTML sitemaps help inform people (and search engines) when you make any changes to the site. You just added a whole merchandise catalog that wasn’t there before? Your sitemap will make that obvious.

Benefits of Sitemaps

We’ve said, it works like a map to crawlers. Here are more details:

Improved indexing

You have already seen that sitemaps help web crawlers find things on your website and tag them correctly. This leads to better indexing.

Indexing is a term used by search engines to describe how they catalog information on the internet. Those catalogs are then put through search engine algorithms to determine which sites show up at the top of the list.

Your sitemap helps these systems tag your content so that it is indexed correctly in their master catalogs.

Better SEO performance

Naturally, if you want to show up first in search results, proper indexing becomes paramount. If the web crawlers are not tagging your site correctly, it can and likely will adversely affect your results.

A simple sitemap prevents the most common errors, and that usually improves your search results right away.

Perhaps more importantly, the sitemap also shows the web crawlers how you value and rank information on your site. The map shows a hierarchy of the pages in the domain. Whatever you put at the top of the site is assumed to be the most valuable, and that impacts how the algorithms present your content to search queries.

Additionally, your sitemap shows a list of updates and changes, so if you put some work into SEO, that will be reflected in the sitemap, and it can help the search engines find and account for those changes faster.

Enhanced visibility for new content

Remember how sitemaps can help users and search engines see when you change or add things? Well, that provides a direct benefit when someone visits your website. You can use the sitemap to funnel people to the new content, making it easier to find and more noticeable in the first place.

How to Create a Sitemap

I know it may sound scary, but the good news is: it’s simple.

Tools and methods

As you learn how to make a sitemap, you will find that you can create sitemaps by hand or using automation tools.

If you create it by hand, you just need a text editor that allows you to save XML files. You can use that to create the map, and then you can upload the XML file to Google for indexing.

If you want to use automation tools, you have a plethora of options.

Some of the best sitemap generator tools include the following:

• XML-Sitemaps.com
• Rank Math
• Slickplan.com
• Sitebulb
• And countless others

Many tools support both XML and HTML, but make sure any tool you pick can generate in the language you choose.

Creating an XML sitemap step-by-step

The easiest way to create an XML sitemap is to use a generator tool. The exact steps will depend on the tool you pick, but here’s what you can expect:

1. List every URL on your website.
2. Enter the list into your generator tool. It should code them into XML for you.
3. Tag the sitemap. You can add information like when the page was modified last or how often you make changes.
4. Submit the site to Google.

If that seems easy, it is. Most tools simplify the process and walk you through each step.

If you want to do things by hand, you can follow the steps laid out by Google. It’s the same process, but you’re typing things yourself, which will take a little more time than using a generator.

Common mistakes to avoid

Sitemaps can be simple, but there are still common mistakes.

The most common is having an out-of-date map. If you change your website, update the sitemap. You only need to add the new pages, subtract deleted pages, and change the tags to reflect the changes. In most cases, it takes a few minutes.

Also, focus on consistency. The sitemap should match the layout of your website content. That’s where you get the most SEO value.

At the same time, clarity is everything. A sitemap should not feel like a maze, and it should not feel complicated. You’re trying to make things easy for users and bots.

Lastly, make it accessible. The XML map is great for search engines, but your map can also improve the user experience. Make the HTML map visible (usually as a header or at the bottom of each page).

What Should Be in a Sitemap?

Essential elements of a sitemap

You want to include every page that you would like to appear on search engines. For large sites, that might take some time, but you do want all of them on the map, and organized logically.

If you’re unsure where to start, focus on the most important pages and then build from there:

• Home page
• Category pages
• Subcategories
• Contact
• Blog
• Brand information

Priority and frequency tags

In addition to the content list, you want accurate tags. The most important tags are priority and frequency.

Priority tags allow you to rank your own content for the search engines. You can rank things from 0.0 to 1.0, where 1.0 is the most important. Tags default to 0.5, so rank your most important pages higher than that and your least important pages lower than that. Ranking everything at a 1.0 will not help your search results. Create a hierarchy based on how you value your content.

Frequency tags tell the crawlers how often you typically make changes to the site. These tags start at “never” and scale to “always.” If you are not constantly updating the site, you can pick a timeframe that makes sense for how you manage the site. Remember the scale includes hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.

How to Submit a Sitemap to Google

Using Google Search Console

First, navigate to the Google Search Console. You will need to sign in to get started.

On the side of the page is a bar that allows you to select your website. Go ahead and do that. There will be an option labeled “Sitemaps.” Click on it.

You will see a list of any submitted sitemaps. If you have not submitted a map, click on the box labeled “Add a new sitemap.” It will allow you to upload the sitemap, and once you do, click “submit.”

Once you submit, it will show up in the list of sitemaps. If there are any problems, the list will show you specific errors that were found with yours. You can correct them, update the map, and you will be good to go.

Best practices for sitemap submission

After you submit the map, confirm that it is in the submitted list and free of errors.

If you have a large website, remember that map does have a size limit: 50MB or 50,000 URLs.

How to Use a Sitemap

Integrating sitemaps with SEO strategies

When you devise an SEO strategy, you will identify specific pages where you want to steer traffic. Make sure those are listed correctly in your sitemap, and prioritize them accordingly.

If your strategy shifts over time, update the tags and priorities to reflect your new strategy.

The sitemap is a single tool in this endeavor. Simply keep it up to date as you go, and it will serve you well.

Monitoring and updating sitemaps

You should periodically check in on your sitemap. Make sure Google can still see all of your pages (on the Search Console). Make changes to the sitemap as needed, and upload those changes in the console.

These simple practices will keep your sitemap up-to-date and functional.

If your site is large enough, consider sitemap audits. They allow you to take a detailed look at the whole site periodically. This ensures that information is accessible and logical and helps you extract the most value from your sitemaps.

Real-World Examples of Effective Sitemaps

E-commerce

A great example of an HTML sitemap can be found on Aribnb.com (in a footer at the very bottom of the page). With countless listings under the domain, Airbnb is managing a huge list. Yet, the sitemap is easy to understand and follow.

Content-rich blog

If you want to see a sitemap working hard in a more content-focused space, then look no further than Gizmodo. As one of the most popular blogs of all time, it can show you exactly what a content-focused sitemap looks like.

One more example here

Perhaps the best was saved for last. Amazon is one of the largest and most used websites in the world. It would seem a waste to exclude it from these examples. So, here’s one among the many Amazon sitemaps. You can see that it covers specific information in a clean and easy-to-follow way.

Conclusion

Sitemaps can boost your SEO by helping you optimize your website layout. More importantly, they tell web crawlers critical information that aids in indexing. On top of that, they can help users navigate your site, leading to a better experience.

If you want to push your SEO to the next level, including professional help with sitemap planning and creation, then start with our on-page SEO checklist.

Sitemaps FAQ

What are sitemaps used for?

Sitemaps are used by search engines to understand the layout of a website and prioritize pages and information within the site. They are also used by people to navigate to the page they want when visiting a site.

Are sitemaps still a thing?

Yes, sitemaps are still a thing. In fact, Google recommends keeping your sitemap up to date.

Where are sitemaps?

Sitemaps are lists that show the structure of pages within your website. They show where individual pages fit within the hierarchy of the whole site.

What are the main types of sitemaps?

You can make XML and/or HTML sites. XML sitemaps are for Google bots to help them index your site. HTML sitemaps are for users to see the easy navigation on your page.

Are sitemaps necessary for SEO?

Sometimes. Very small websites that are not updated frequently can get away with skipping sitemaps, assuming you have good internal linking. For all other websites, sitemaps help with your SEO rankings.

What is the difference between a website and a sitemap?

The website is the content that people can browse on the internet. It includes all of the front-facing and behind-the-scenes information necessary for the website to work.

A sitemap is really just a clean list of all of the pages on your website that can help search engines and people get what they want.

Is it OK to have multiple sitemaps?

Yes. In fact, for large enough sites, this becomes mandatory. You can create sitemaps for different purposes. All of your static or slowly changing content can live on one map, while your rapidly changing content might live on a different map.

Do search engines use sitemaps?

Yes. The sitemap helps the engines catalog your information. You can also use tags to tell the engine which pages are most important within your website and how often they should check back in to rank the changes you make.

Are sitemaps automatically generated?

No. Search engines do not automatically generate sitemaps. That said, automation tools can do all or most of the work for you. As an example, some content management systems will make sitemaps for you as a service.

The post Sitemaps: A Comprehensive Guide to Enhancing Your Website’s SEO appeared first on Rock Content.

In 2024, online shopping is more than just an option. Most modern consumers consider it essential, making ecommerce a huge opportunity for brands to exceed customer expectations.

Successfully managing every aspect of a growing ecommerce store can be challenging. However, the right tools can help take the guesswork out of setting up your store, content creation, and more.

Here, we’ll introduce you to some of today’s best ecommerce tools.

19 Essential Ecommerce Tools for Managing Your Online Store

Don’t assume that all ecommerce tools are the same. While catch-all tool suites do exist, many top tools focus on one aspect of running a successful ecommerce business.

Ecommerce tools for internal communication and management

Large ecommerce brands aren’t one-person operations. Their success is the product of an entire team’s hard work and dedication. The following tools are must-haves for any ecommerce brand that needs to keep team members connected.

1. Slack: Slack is a streamlined messaging program that’s terrific for boosting productivity and improving communications. The platform organizes team conversations into channels for optimal organization and accessibility.

2. Trello: Trello facilitates smooth project management with features like visual organization and real-time collaboration. Options like drag-and-drop functionality and automation make it user-friendly.

3. Coda: Coda covers a variety of communications-based tasks, including calendar creation, tracking docs, etc. It also offers a Shopify pack that makes it easy to integrate the platform with your store.

Ecommerce tools for content creation

Amazing content is the heartbeat of any digital marketing strategy, and the right tools can help you create the best. Here are a few options to consider integrating into your next campaign.

4. Canva: How your content looks is just as important as how it reads. Canva makes creating great-looking content simple with user-friendly templates and an intuitive interface. Users also get access to a robust free stock image library.

5. Adobe Express: Formerly Adobe Spark, Adobe Express simplifies the process of content creation via desktop or mobile. Brainstorm endless options for blogs, social media, tutorials, and more with AE.

6. WriterAccess: The success of your marketing content hinges on quality, so hiring the right writers and creators is crucial. WriterAccess is a top-tier talent network where ecommerce brands can connect with professional copywriters, bloggers, designers, and more.

Ecommerce tools for sales and logistics

Although many ecommerce platforms come with built-in sales and logistics support, tools can be a solid way to add functionality.

Here are a few key options:

7. ShipStation: ShipStation helps ecommerce brands streamline shipping and order fulfillment operations. Key benefits and features include configurable automation, robust reporting, and access to reduced shipping costs.

8. Oberlo: Oberlo makes drop-shipping easy and intuitive with options like automated order fulfillment and detailed shipment tracking. Users also benefit from full customization, easy product importing, and 24/7 support.

9. Shipwire: Shipwire covers a variety of different tasks for dedicated ecommerce merchants, including shipping rate optimization, detailed order management, customer experience management, etc.

Ecommerce tools for marketing

A comprehensive marketing approach that includes well-chosen tools can take your ecommerce campaigns from good to great. The following tools offer several varieties of marketing support for growing brands.

10. Mailchimp: Email newsletters are among the most effective ways to reach customers and nurture leads. Mailchimp makes building and maintaining yours easy with user-friendly design features, detailed data tracking, and Shopify integration.

11. Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a comprehensive social media tool that helps marketers leverage their digital presence. Manage all of your social media in one place, effortlessly schedule posts, and more.

12. HubSpot: If you’re looking for a powerful catch-all tool to help with marketing, it’s hard to beat HubSpot. Enjoy user-friendly access to robust content management systems, sales automation, marketing workflows, etc.

Ecommerce analytics tools

Tracking and understanding user behavior, traffic patterns, and overall return on investment (ROI) is an essential part of ecommerce success. The following ecommerce analytics tools can help you stay ahead of the game.

13. Google Analytics: This free but powerful staple tool from Google belongs in every ecommerce marketer’s toolbox. Develop a deep understanding of how your customers think in real-time, analyze traffic patterns, identify valuable audience behavior trends, etc. with this game-changing program.

14. SEMRush: SEMRush is another robust toolkit that covers many bases. Ecommerce marketers use it to streamline keyword research, site audits, social tracking, competitive analysis, and more.

15. Optimizely: Optimizely specializes in helping ecommerce merchants deliver an exceptional user experience in a variety of ways. Leverage it to perform valuable A/B testing, SEO analysis, personalization tasks, etc.

Ecommerce tools for customer service

Thorough customer service is an absolute must when it comes to keeping ecommerce customers coming back.

Take the hassle out of making sure your customer service system is flawless with top ecommerce tools like the following:

16. Zendesk: Zendesk is a multichannel system for managing your customer service, consumer engagement, and data management needs. Standout features include a live chat option, a ticketing system, and thorough help desk support.

17. Acquire: If you’re looking for a way to facilitate faster, better customer service across multiple channels, Acquire is a fantastic option to consider. Clients can leverage it to access unified conversation views, easy access to customer information, and robust omnichannel support.

18. Zoho: Zoho is one of several AI tools for ecommerce capable of handling many aspects of your marketing campaigns. Among other things, Zoho can help you manage customer relationships with options like AI sales assistants, sales pipeline management, etc.

Ecommerce platforms

Ecommerce platforms can be tools, in a sense, but they’re so much more than that. They offer marketers access to comprehensive toolkits designed to complement one another and support ongoing success. Key examples include Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, and Magento.

Check out our comprehensive write-up on ecommerce platforms to learn more about how they can help you succeed in ecommerce.  

Integrating Interactive Content with Ecommerce

Interactivity is red-hot when it comes to creating engaging content these days. Interactive content engages ecommerce customers by making them partof an entire experience.

Integrating interactivity into your strategy can help you:

• Boost lead generation
• Increase conversions
• Enhance lasting brand awareness

Here are some more benefits to be aware of.

Personalized shopping experience

Interactive tools like personalized quizzes do more than just treat customers to a bit of good, clean fun. Match creative, engaging questions with carefully chosen results to recommend key products that are just right for your target audience.

Enhanced product understanding

Leveraging interactivity to elevate content types like ebooks, videos, and infographics can enhance your ecommerce strategy. Use them to educate your customers on the benefits of specific products and key service features.

Increased customer engagement

Creative interactive tools can also help existing and potential customers make decisions. For example, interactive calculators help consumers visualize the potential costs and savings associated with an option.

[Bonus] Tool 19: Ion, the best tool for interactive content creation

Ready to get to know one of the best, most comprehensive ecommerce tools out there today? Take a closer look at Ion, Rock Content’s answer to incredible interactive ecommerce content. It helps you cover all your bases effortlessly thanks to benefits including the following:

• Ability to create interactive calculators, ebooks, quizzes, graphics, and more without the need for coding knowledge
• Comprehensive data on content engagement and user behavior
• Quick-start templates that take the guesswork out of getting started
• Data-based targeting and personalization tools

In other words, Ion has everything you need to create amazing, head-turning interactive content your audience will love.

Case study: Successful integration of interactive content

Need more proof that interactivity is totally where it’s at when it comes to ecommerce success? Have a look at how Pedro Lopes used interactive content created with Ion to smash his ecommerce goals.

“I don’t work as a designer, nor as a programmer,” says Lopes. “But that didn’t stop me from catching sight of the endless possibilities Ion could offer me.”

Lopes used this tool to create content that increased his conversions by an impressive 431 percent. And most incredibly of all, he accomplished this in just two short months.

Ecommerce Tools FAQ

Still have questions about ecommerce tools and how you can use them to boost conversions for your brand? Check out the following FAQs for additional insight.

What is an ecommerce tool?

An ecommerce tool is a dedicated app or software program that supports various aspects of running a successful ecommerce store. Possibilities include plug-ins and individual programs, as well as entire platforms. Comprehensive tool suites like SEMRush can also be considered ecommerce tools.

What are the four types of ecommerce?

The four primary types of ecommerce are:

• B2B (business to business)
• B2C (business to consumer)
• C2B (consumer to business)
• C2C (consumer to consumer)

What are the three of the most common e-commerce technologies?

The world of ecommerce technology is vast and comprehensive. Popular examples include shopping cart software interfaces, payment processing gateways, and customer relationship management platforms (CRMs).

What is the most popular ecommerce platform?

With over half a trillion dollars in net sales in 2022, Amazon is recognized as the most popular ecommerce platform.

Ready to take your ecommerce strategy to the next level and beyond? Check out this free conversion assessment resource from Rock Content.

Stop leaving money on the table and start sending conversions through the roof today!

The post Ecommerce Tools: 19 Best Options to Drive Sales This Year appeared first on Rock Content.

When maximizing Google visibility, pay-per-click ads are terrific ways to supplement your organic digital marketing efforts. However, most go straight for standard Google Ads, overlooking Google Shopping ads altogether.

Here’s a look at what you need to know to get started and leverage this underrated option in your favor.

What Are Google Shopping Ads?

Also sometimes called product listing ads (PLAs), Google Shopping ads are paid advertising options available to marketers. They’re concise ads that appear at the top of appropriate Google Search results, on YouTube, etc.

Google Shopping ads differ from standard Google PPC ads by focusing solely on product showcasing. They also substitute text for pictures, helping attract visual buyers.

Benefits of Google Shopping Ads

Any brand that offers products for sale can benefit from incorporating Google Shopping ads in its ongoing paid marketing strategy. Key benefits include the following:

• Google Shopping ads support visibility by appearing in highly prominent places. These include the top of relevant SERP results, on Google Images, etc.
• They attract highly qualified, convertible leads—dedicated shoppers ready to buy.
• Google Shopping ads are easy to set up and manage, especially compared to other PPC options.

How Do Google Shopping Ads Work?

Google Shopping ads leverage existing Merchant Center data about your products to determine where and how best to display your ads. To set up your product feed, you simply link your Merchant Center account with your Google Ads account.

To let Google know which products you want to be advertised, simply enter them into the provided spreadsheet.

As with standard Google ads, you pay for each Google Shopping ad by the click. You have two choices when setting your bid—manual or automated. Allowing Google to set your bids automatically has its benefits, but be mindful of your budget.

Cost of Google Shopping Ads

On average, Google Shopping ads are much more cost-effective than standard ads—between $0.46 and $1.20 per click. (The average cost for a standard ad is $2.69 per click.) However, setting a reasonable budget to avoid overspending is still important. Remember to:

• Start small until you get the hang of things.
• Carefully track and analyze your results, adjusting as needed.
• Double down on ad types that do especially well.

How to Set Up Google Shopping Ads

Getting set up with Google Shopping ads is a reasonably user-friendly process. Just follow these simple steps:

• If you don’t already have a Google Merchant Center account for your products, start by creating one.
• Link your Merchant Center account to your Google Ads account.
• Set up your product feed by filling out and uploading the provided spreadsheet.
• After setting your advertising parameters and budget, launch your campaign.

Where Do Google Shopping Ads Appear?

Google Shopping ads appear across a wide range of Google products. The most prominent, sought-after place is at the top of relevant main SERPs. However, additional possibilities include the following:

• Google Images
• Gmail
• Google Shopping
• YouTube
• Google Display Network

What Do Google Shopping Ads Look Like?

Generally speaking, Google Shopping ads are simpler, more streamlined, and more visual than standard Google ads. Displayed elements include:

• High-quality imagery of the product
• Product name
• Product price
• Stores where the product is for sale
• Average star-based consumer rating

How to Optimize Google Shopping Ads

From everyday consumer product campaigns to complex B2B marketing options, Google Shopping ads significantly add to any strategy. Here are some tips for optimizing yours to the fullest.

Improve product feed quality

As with standard Google Ads, quality counts when it comes to your feed input. Use high-quality photos of your products to entice customers. Make titles descriptive and appropriately keyword-rich. Place the most essential information at the front of your titles to ensure display.

Utilize negative keywords

Prevent your ads from appearing in irrelevant searches by adding negative keywords to your strategy. Negative keywords are exactly what they sound like—keywords and phrases you don’t want associated with your products.

For example, let’s say you’re selling high-end designer tennis shoes. You wouldn’t want your ads popping up under searches for “cheap tennis shoes” or similar phrases.

Common Mistakes to Avoid With Google Shopping Ads

Knowing what to avoid is just as necessary as understanding best practices when creating effective ads. Be careful about these common mistakes.

⇒ Poor product data quality

Google Shopping ads that contain poor-quality images, vague titles, etc., will not deliver results. Be thorough when providing your ad data, and include star ratings for your top-rated products.

⇒ Ignoring negative keywords

Without negative keywords, Google Shopping products are highly likely to show up in irrelevant search results. Always include them to ensure you reach your intended audience.

⇒ Lack of performance monitoring

Don’t just “set it and forget it” when it comes to your Google Shopping ads. Keep track of your results and performance, and make adjustments as needed on an ongoing basis.

Conclusion

Thoroughness in your digital marketing strategies is key if you’re serious about reaching your ideal customer. Including well-orchestrated Google Shopping ads is a solid way to reach qualified customers and boost conversions.

Are you ready to learn more about how to send your bottom line through the roof? Check out this comprehensive resource on how to use the buyer’s journey to your advantage!

Google Shopping Ads FAQ

Do you still have questions about using Google Shopping ads? Here are some FAQs to help.

What are Google Shopping ads?

Google Shopping ads are small, picture-concise ads that appear at the top of SERP results and across multiple Google products.

Are Google Shopping ads worth it?

Yes, when complete and well-crafted, Google Shopping ads can help you affordably reach more purchase-ready customers.

How much does it cost to advertise on Google Shopping?

Pricing varies, but the average cost is about $0.66 per click.

How do I enable Google Shopping ads?

Set up a Google Merchant account if you don’t already have one. Then, connect it to your Google Ads account.

What is the difference between Google Shopping ads and search ads?

Google Shopping ads are product-specific, while search ads can also cover services. Also, Google Shopping ads include pictures and do not support keyword-based bidding.

How can I make Google Shopping ads profitable?

First and foremost, focus on image and asset quality. Track and analyze performance, making adjustments as needed.

The post Google Shopping Ads: How to Use Them Effectively to Boost Your Sales appeared first on Rock Content.

All of this, of course, followed a reliable, data-based method.

I’m not a UX expert. Despite having taken statistics classes in college, analyzing data in a structured way wasn’t something I was familiar with as a Creative Designer at Rock Content until then.

Even so, I accepted the challenge and started thinking about some hypotheses to test. In this article, I will explain:

• How I helped increase our click-through rate by 50% by changing the position of a banner on our blog.
• How, even though I’m not a Growth Hacking expert, I managed to acquire and implement a testing mentality to bring more results to my work.

This article will go straight to the point. However, if you want more context about what Growth Hacking or A/B Testing is, I recommend reading this article and this one too.

The Hypothesis

After some brainstorming, I prioritized testing the position of a CTA on Rock Content’s blog. This prioritization followed the ICE Score methodology, which involves estimating based on three parameters: Impact (how much the test result can affect metrics or the test object itself), Confidence (our level of confidence in the success of the test), and Ease (how easy it would be to implement the test).

Compared to my other test ideas, changing the position of the CTA from the sidebar to the fixed footer had the highest ICE Score.

In the following image, you can see the CTA with the message “Human Crafted Content: Find top content freelancers on WriterAccess. Try for free” on the right side of the blog.

The question I asked myself was: is there any other position where this CTA would be more visible to the user?

From this, I developed a hypothesis with the following premises:

1. The Sidebar Placement: The sidebar on the right, due to visual hierarchy, is generally a place for secondary and/or complementary content, as pointed out in this article published by the Norman/Nielsen Group:

“The right-hand side of the page consumes maybe 20% of your available pixels: the most precious resource on computers. It can serve many significant and practical purposes. It’s a place to feature secondary content — to recommend or extend the user’s journey to other areas of your site.”

2. Banner Blindness: The content contained there may go unnoticed by the user, who is used to looking away from banners and advertisements (or elements on the page that resemble them):

“People disregard colorful boxes in the margin of the page because such graphical treatments are commonly applied to ads. In fact, anything that’s overly large or colorful risks being ignored, and user attention tends toward the left side of pages. In usability studies, we frequently observe users overlooking items they need even when these items are in plain sight. When questioned after the study, they tell us again and again, ‘I saw that, but it looked like an ad, so I ignored it.'”

3. Centralized Main Content: The main content of the blog post is found in a centralized area of the page, but when there are two columns within this area, the text is in the left column. To reach the end of the article, the user needs to scroll to the bottom of the page.

These premises then generate the following hypothesis:

By leaving the CTA fixed to the bottom of the screen, we can take advantage of the scrolling action to increase our click-through rate.

When the CTA is in a sidebar, it can easily escape the user’s attention, assuming the main content is in a larger area on the left of the page and the user scrolls down to continue reading. In other words, when reading the text, the user keeps the CTA close to their field of vision at all times.

Before starting the tests, I looked for examples of websites that used a fixed bar at the base. I found some examples, of which I highlight:

Active Campaign

The email marketing and CRM automation platform already places a form field and a CTA for the free trial period in the fixed footer (highlighted in green in the image below).

WPForms

WPForms is a plugin that facilitates the construction and implementation of forms within websites made with WordPress. In the fixed bar, they placed two CTAs: one to purchase the plugin and another directing users to reviews.

The Test

The time had come to put the hypothesis to the test.

To do this, we had to establish the parameters to be tested and the success criteria.

With the help of our testing analyst (oh, right—Rock Content takes this so seriously that we have a person on the Marketing team focused exclusively on testing), we decided to comparatively analyze the click rate between the CTA on the sidebar and on the fixed footer.

We set a target of at least a 10% increase in the footer bar rate compared to the sidebar rate. Statistically, this would prove that the fixed bar is more effective in driving traffic to the trial page than the sidebar. More traffic to the trial page means more opportunities to convert. Trials are another very important metric but require a longer testing period to achieve statistical relevance. This continuation of the test is being carried out now for a longer period. For our purposes, it was enough to check whether clicks actually increased significantly with the change in the position of the CTA.

The idea was to activate the fixed bar for 30 days and make a comparison with the sidebar retroactively.

Determining Click-Through Rate

The click rate would be determined through the relationship between visits to pages where the fixed bar was located and the number of clicks on the CTA in a monitored period of time. We calculated it as follows: the number of clicks on the CTA divided by the total number of page views. The result is then multiplied by 100.

Also read: What is Click-Through Rate and How to Increase Your CTR

Collecting Data

To get these numbers, we used two tools: Google Analytics and Clarity, from Microsoft.

Both the sidebar and the fixed bar were applied to all post pages on the English version of the Rock Content blog. This way, Google Analytics provided us with the total number of page views during the monitored periods.

For the CTAs, we created unique links with UTM and were able to count clicks using Clarity. In Clarity, we filtered unique sidebar and fixed bar links for the intervals in which we monitored each bar version.

Test Applied and Comparing Results

The fixed footer bar with the CTA was implemented on the blog on September 19th and, while the test ran for 30 days, we collected retroactive data from the sidebar.

We considered the period between August 19th and September 19th, and the numbers were as follows:

WriterAccess Offer in Blog Sidebar (US&CA)

Period: August 19th to September 19th

For the test to be a success, the click rate needed to be 10% greater than 0.077%, which is at least 0.084%. After 30 consecutive days of testing, the fixed bar numbers were:

WriterAccess Offer in the Blog Fixed Footer Bar (US&CA)

Period: September 19th to October 19th

Validating the Results

Our results were better than expected, with a 50% increase in the click rate, instead of the estimated 10%.

To gather valuable insights, data should never be read without context. Spikes in clicks can happen due to several factors, such as a promotional period. Therefore, a valuable tip is to always do an extra check of the data and observe whether the timing or sources of data collection are subject to any specific context.

Even with the good results in the initial test, I chose to monitor more periods in subsequent months to see the behavior of the click rate and check for any trends. I did two more rounds of testing with the fixed bar and obtained the following data:

WriterAccess Offer in the Blog Fixed Footer Bar (US&CA) – November

Period: October 19th to November 19th

WriterAccess offer in the blog fixed footer bar (US&CA) – December

Period: November 19th to December 19th

To my surprise, the click rate not only remained the same but also showed an upward trend in the following months, reaching 0.134% in Oct/Nov and 0.151% in Nov/Dec.

Lastly, I calculated the average clicks of the two CTAs during the period in which they were active. This way, we could have a more general notion of how the two versions of the CTAs performed to prove the initial hypothesis:

WriterAccess Offer in Blog Sidebar (US&CA) – July to September

Period: July 1st to September 19th (period in which the CTA in the sidebar was active)

WriterAccess Offer in the Blog Fixed Footer Bar (US&CA) – September to December

Period: September 19th to December 29th

With this comparative average, we can see that changing the CTA to the fixed bar at the end of the page more than doubled the click-through rate.

This metric is an important and positive indicator that it was worth questioning user behavior when faced with a certain layout and looking for hypotheses on how to positively impact the click-through rate. This shows how much a “simple” change in positioning can influence metrics and contribute to optimizing the click-through rate.

A test with a heat map might be a good complement to the analysis to see the areas of the screen with the most user activity in each version of the CTA (side or footer bar), even comparing the differences between the two areas dedicated to CTAs in each case.

Conclusions and Lessons

Among the lessons learned throughout this testing process, I would like to highlight that:

1. Hypotheses and tests don’t need to be complex. Straightforwardness and ease of implementation are important factors in the ICE Score. The best scenarios are those in which we can identify simple opportunities that bring major, positive impacts.
   
2. It is essential to adopt a reliable methodology, both in establishing parameters and in collecting data. Even using retroactive data in the comparison (as was the case in this test), we need to ensure that the comparison makes sense and is not biased. We should use the same data sources, the same evaluation methods, and, if possible, carry out extra checks to identify trends or specific contexts that could bias the results.

This exercise helps to end the myth of complexity in testing routines, teaching how to observe, structure hypotheses, prioritize, define evaluation parameters, collect data, and generate consistent insights.

It’s something within the reach of not only any marketing professional but also creative professionals. There will always be a new hypothesis to be tested, and doing this in a structured way brings very valuable learning.

The post Side Banner or Fixed Banner? How I Increased Our CTR by 50% by Changing the Banner’s Position on the Blog appeared first on Rock Content.

With lots of award categories like Film, Digital Craft, Innovation, and more, the festival celebrates great work in many areas. A single campaign can even win multiple awards.

One thing that stood out at this year’s event was that humanity and humor proved to be essential in cutting-edge creativity. While AI’s role is growing, the festival showcased a strong commitment to problem-solving and impactful innovation through creative ideas. Which was evident across the stages and Grand Prix winners. 

Additionally, the event spotlighted the importance of diversity and inclusion as fundamental pillars of innovation. The festival showed how diverse perspectives and inclusive practices can drive more impactful creative work.

In this article, we’ll explore key trends and innovations that emerged from the festival, providing insights to inform and inspire your next big campaign. Let’s dive in!

Key Trends and Innovations

Artificial Intelligence in Advertising

This year, as we expected, AI took center stage at Cannes Lions. Generative AI is revolutionizing how campaigns are crafted, bringing a new level of creativity and efficiency. Imagine creating personalized ads in real-time, customized to individual preferences. That’s the power of AI!

Generative AI is transforming the way brands interact with their audiences. By analyzing huge amounts of data, AI can predict trends and create highly relevant content that connects with specific audiences. This technology is also changing how people search for and interact with content.

AI is already playing a bigger role in creativity: it was used in 12% of all entries submitted this year. However, the innovation seen at the Festival was still human-inspired, highlighting the synergy between technology and human creativity. As Mira Murati, CTO at OpenAI, noted, AI is becoming more accessible through intuitively designed tools that don’t require specialized skills. She emphasized that “the technology comes to you.”

Examples and Case Studies:

• OpenAI’s Innovations: OpenAI demonstrated its latest AI tools that help brands create personalized content more efficiently​. Murati also emphasized the importance of this development, stating: “It’s a ‘shared responsibility’ in figuring out how the technology comes into the real world. Even when we think about job displacement or how we elevate certain skills, roles, that’s quite dependent on how we shape the technology and the way we shape it will shape our society. I don’t see [it] as a predetermined outcome.”

• Spotify’s Innovation: There were great examples of brands innovating with familiar tools and channels. However, one that caught my attention for its innovation and creativity was Spotify. Spotify won the Digital Craft Lions Grand Prix with ‘Spreadbeats’, the first music video to be coded and experienced within, guess what, an Excel spreadsheet! Yes, you read it right… Innovations like this open doors to infinite possibilities, including considering Spotify as a video platform (videos are everywhere!).

AI is beyond automation; it’s about how you can use it with creativity. We know that AI can analyze huge amounts of data to predict trends and create content that connects with specific audiences. However, there’s concern that the democratization of tech tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney will lead to what Jeriad Zoghby, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Interpublic Group, called “enhanced mediocrity.” He noted, “Without differentiation, the competitive middle is starting to swell”.

Elon Musk, CTO of X (for me, always Twitter!), offered some advice: “This is the most interesting time in all of history. So enjoy the ride.” 

As well said by Alexander Chen, Director of Creative Lab at Google:

Data-Driven Marketing

We all know that, more than ever, data is gold. First-party data, collected directly from your audience, provides deeper insights into consumer behavior. This year, the focus was on taking this data to drive smarter marketing strategies.

With Google planning to phase out third-party cookies by 2025, marketers are looking for alternatives to gather and utilize data effectively and ethically. Apple’s privacy updates, such as App Tracking Transparency, are pushing marketers to adapt. These changes require brands to find new ways to collect and use data responsibly while respecting user privacy. 

First-party data allows brands to really ‘read their audience’s minds’! Providing deeper customer insights and leading to more personalized and effective campaigns. Experian highlighted that campaigns leveraging first-party data significantly boost ROI and customer engagement.

As Denise Persson, CMO at Snowflake, put it, “Marketing has always been all about, how do I continue to optimize and how can I do more with less? AI will be big for these use cases.”

Collaborations and Partnerships

Strategic collaborations were a highlight at Cannes Lions 2024, with numerous partnerships announced that promise to drive innovation and growth in the advertising industry. These partnerships occurred in different areas, from technological advancements to creative content development.

One significant partnership that stood out was between Omnicom and Amazon Ads. This duo is combining their strengths to integrate Amazon’s ad tech into Omnicom’s platform, increasing data connectivity and insights for better targeting and personalization. 

A fun and creative example was the ‘Michael CeraVe’ campaign. This Grand Prix winner in the Social & Influencer category started as a joke on Reddit, linking actor Michael Cera to the skincare brand because their names sound similar. The playful campaign took off on social media, blending humor and creativity to generate buzz and engagement. The perfect blend!

Besides bringing innovation and growth (and laughs!), these kinds of partnerships can also transform the entire advertising industry. Imagine the possibilities…

Talent and Culture

The importance of diversity in a team was a major focus at Cannes Lions 2024. Nick Law, Creative Chairperson at Accenture Song, said that creativity “requires more than just one way of thinking” and offered some interesting advice for building a strong creative culture: “work with freaks, make scary stuff, and have some bloody fun.”

It’s not that difficult to find marketing professionals with inflated egos. But don’t fall into that trap! In any collaboration, trust is fundamental. As Kika Douglas Castroviejo, Chief Creative Officer of 180 Global, wisely observed, “creating without ego” is crucial as it “widens your aperture of understanding”.

The case of Renault’s double Grand Prix winner ‘Renault – Cars to Work’ was highlighted as a great example. Amy Lanzi, CEO at Creative Commerce Lions, praised it, saying, “The Jury was profoundly impressed by Renault’s innovative approach to solving genuine human dilemmas and pain points, while simultaneously driving business sales.”

Realizing that creative talent can come from anywhere opens up new levels of inclusion and brings in diverse perspectives. “You are what makes companies human, what makes brands human,” said Unilever’s Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, Esi Eggleston Bracey. So true!

Some brands are getting in on this, revolutionizing recruitment by changing outdated perceptions. Take Heineken’s ‘Bar Experience,’ as an example. This Gold PR Lion winner turned hospitality jobs from dead-end gigs into valuable, formative experiences.

Another case that caught my attention was McDonald’s Japan. They won the Gold Social & Influencer Lions with the campaign ‘No Smiles,’ where they encouraged employees to be their true selves at work.

Creative Excellence

“Even when you have AI in the mix, the heart of the creative process is still people,” said Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s VP and General Manager of Advertising. It’s not only about storytelling. This is an important ingredient, of course! And it can (and should!) be combined with a lot of traditional techniques like illustration, stop-motion animation, and so on.

One example that also caught my attention was the collaboration between LOEWE and Suna Fujita, which resulted in a 35% increase in revenue.

Another piece that couldn’t be out from this article was the Film Craft Lions Grand Prix winner ‘The Square Meter.’

Going deep into your story before crafting it is key. As Alexander Schill from Serviceplan Group put it, “Go really deep into what you want to tell before crafting the shit out of it.” Respecting culture helps shape these stories, like in Unilever’s ‘Transition Body Lotion’ campaign.

Simplicity is crucial. It’s about your approach too. As a photographer (in my free time!) I couldn’t agree more with Riccardo Fregoso from Dentsu Creative who said, “The moment you reduce the possibilities, you start to focus.” 

Award-Winning Campaigns

Among this year’s winners, it was tough to decide which ones to highlight here… But after some thought, I chose the campaigns that touched me (and I hope they inspire you as well!). They stood out for their creativity, innovation, and understanding of their clients’ needs while making the world a better place.

Coca-Cola’s “Thanks for Coke-Creating”:

Won the Gold Lion for its collaborative campaign, proving the power of user-generated content and community engagement. This campaign grabbed attention and sparked conversations, perfectly aligning with Coca-Cola’s commitment to innovation.

Heinz’s “A.I. Ketchup”:

This Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix winner had a fun twist. Heinz had asked people worldwide to draw ketchup, and they all drew Heinz. This year, they asked AI to draw ketchup, and guess what? The AI drew Heinz too! Through humor, they showed that even AI knows Heinz is the real deal. Good catch!

KPN’s “Piece of Me”:

This Creative Strategy Grand Prix winner educated youth about the risks of online shaming and sharing intimate photos. Partnering with Dutch pop star MEAU, Dentsu Creative Amsterdam launched a song and music video inspired by real fan stories. The campaign went viral, achieving over 33 million views and becoming a Top 3 Spotify hit in the Netherlands.

Volkswagen & Livelo’s “Trucker Napp”:

Bronze Lion for creatively addressing driver safety. This campaign combined safety with engagement, using creative methods to address a critical issue in an impactful way.

Renault’s “Cars to Work”:

Double Grand Prix winner for solving social mobility issues by offering cars to job seekers. Amy Lanzi praised it for addressing real human dilemmas while boosting business sales.

Johnnie Walker’s “Errata at 88”:

Entertainment Lions for Music winner, reviving a forgotten female pioneer of Bossa Nova in Brazil, securing her cultural legacy.

You can check all the winners, including the ones highlighted here, on the official page by clicking here.

These campaigns exemplify the power of creative excellence in advertising, showing how bold, authentic narratives and innovative approaches can leave a better and lasting impression.

Future of Advertising and Marketing

Emerging Trends

Cannes Lions 2024 highlighted some trends that need attention:

Generative AI:

AI is not just for tech geeks anymore. It’s making ads super personalized and engaging, creating dynamic content that really clicks with audiences. Imagine ads that know what you want before you do! Sometimes I think they already do it… 

Data-Driven Insights:

With third-party cookies going extinct, first-party data is the new gold rush. It offers better insights and respects privacy, helping brands understand their customers like never before.

Sustainable Branding:

Being green is no longer optional. Brands are committing to eco-friendly practices and transparent reporting. Doconomy’s 2030 Calculator is a prime example of how sustainability can be integrated innovatively into brand strategies. This tool allows brands to be transparent about their carbon footprints, empowering consumers to make informed decisions. 

Immersive Experiences:

AR and VR are taking center stage, making brand experiences more interactive and engaging. Heineken’s “Pub Museums” turned ordinary pubs into immersive museums, wowing audiences with experiential storytelling.

Diversity and Inclusion:

Authentic representation is crucial. Initiatives like Group Black’s push for more diversity in marketing are setting new standards and showing that everyone deserves to see themselves in ads.

Partnerships and Collaborations:

Teaming up is the way forward. Think of Omnicom and Amazon Ads enhancing data connectivity, or TikTok and Instacart creating shoppable videos. These collaborations are driving innovation. Now think about whom you can partner with and make a difference. 

Laughter is the best medicine:

Funny ads are back! Humor is proving to be a powerful tool for driving engagement and building brand loyalty. Everyone loves a good laugh, and brands are capitalizing on that. Be cool!

Weird Works:

Embracing the odd and weird is grabbing attention. Campaigns like Pop-Tarts’ ‘The First Edible Mascot’ show that being different can make you stand out in the crowded ad space. The weird is the new nice!

Cultural Fluidity:

Tapping into cultural moments is key. Heinz’s viral campaign with Taylor Swift is a great example of how aligning with what’s trending can boost your brand’s relevance.

These trends show the infinite possibilities of advertising! A field full of challenges and opportunities for those ready to innovate and adapt. Like Bruce Lee once said: “Be water, my friend”.

Opportunities and Challenges

Challenges are just hidden opportunities. As the advertising world keeps changing, businesses and marketers are met with exciting opportunities and big challenges.

Potential Opportunities for Businesses and Marketers:

Hyper-Personalization:
Using advanced data analytics to create highly personalized customer experiences. Spotify’s “Spreadbeats” campaign is a great example of how personalized audio content can build deeper connections with listeners.

Content Commerce:
Mixing e-commerce with content makes it easier for consumers to buy products as they engage with content. Innovative approaches in this area can drive significant engagement.

Global Reach:
Digital platforms help brands reach a global audience more efficiently, opening new markets and expanding their global footprint. 

Challenges to Be Aware Of in the Evolving Landscape:

Data Privacy Regulations:
Stricter privacy laws mean marketers need new ways to collect and use data responsibly. With third-party cookies disappearing by 2025, adapting to privacy-focused strategies is a must.

Ad Fatigue:
With so many digital ads, it’s hard to keep consumers engaged without overwhelming them. Brands need to innovate to capture attention without being intrusive.

Technology Integration:
Keeping up with rapid tech changes can be tough, requiring continuous learning and adaptation. Companies like Uber and Google show how using cutting-edge tech can lead to innovative marketing strategies.

These opportunities and challenges highlight the dynamic nature of the advertising world, offering a mix of excitement and hurdles for those ready to innovate and adapt.

Conclusion

As we wrap up our chat about Cannes Lions 2024, it’s clear that this festival remains a hotspot for creativity and innovation in advertising. This year, AI stole the show, making ads more personalized and engaging than ever. The shift towards first-party data became even more crucial with privacy regulations tightening up.

Sustainability and social responsibility were big themes, with brands showcasing their commitment to eco-friendly practices and authentic representation. Digital transformation, new tech, and strategic partnerships are reshaping the industry. Comedy made a comeback, and embracing the weird proved effective.

The award-winning campaigns highlighted the power of bold, authentic storytelling and innovative approaches. The future of advertising is dynamic and full of potential. By embracing these insights, you can stay ahead and excel in your marketing efforts.

I hope these insights inspire you to push the boundaries of creativity in your own campaigns.

The post Insights from Cannes Lions 2024: Trends, Innovation and Inspiration appeared first on Rock Content.

It only makes sense that AI would break into this aspect of professional life and try to automate as much as possible. In fact, you can leverage AI tools to help you write great emails that still keep an essential human touch.

You can also use AI to spot AI-written emails, collect data, and do a lot more. That’s why today’s conversation will focus on AI email tools and how people interact with them.

The Best AI Tools for Email Writing

With so many options available for email writing, let’s jump right in with the best tools.

ChatGPT is the first to come to mind, and for good reason. It’s one of the most powerful AI writing tools, and you can certainly use it to create emails. It’s extremely intuitive and easy to use. On the downside, it doesn’t come with the very best in email compatibility, but it still works.

Next up is Microsoft Copilot. Microsoft’s generative AI can write entire emails for you, and it integrates perfectly with Outlook, assuming you use Outlook. It’s not as friendly with other email platforms, but you can still make it work.

Third on the list is AI Copilot by Rock Content. Like the other contenders on this list, this AI tool serves a wide range of functions and helps with many kinds of writing. One area where it shines is in email writing. You can write single emails or entire marketing campaigns.

You can find plenty of additional writing tools, but when it comes to email, these three stand out the most.

How to Use AI to Write Emails

Regardless of which AI tools you choose, you need to know how to use them.

Now, specific interfaces and instructions will vary from one AI to the next. Loading up Microsoft Copilot is a little different from logging into ChatGPT.

Assuming you can access the AI in the first place, using content generation with email writing follows some consistent steps.

If possible, you can load a template that the AI will follow. This can help with things like introductions, subject lines, and signatures.

Once templates are done, you can tell the AI what you want it to write. You will need to provide context-building information — like who you are emailing and why. It can turn that information into a formal email.

For example, in AI Copilot, from Rock Content, this is the screen where you tell the tool what you want it to do:

Once you have the AI email, please do not send it as is. AI writers are very useful, but they still have a long way to go. You want to put a little time into personalizing the email. If that isn’t viable (such as for a cold contact email), you still need some of your personality and authenticity to shine through.

Here’s an example of the results you get from AI Copilot:

So, read through the email and rewrite phrases that sound particularly robotic or unlike you.

Once you’re done, you can send the email.

If you’re trying to do this at scale, you may need to dedicate a writer (or writers) to the task of humanizing your content. As for AI, as long as it integrates with your marketing tools, it can pump out emails faster than you can send them.

Free AI Tools for Email Writing and Sending

When it comes to the specific tasks of writing and sending emails, which AIs do the best?

ChatGPT stays on the list, as it has a free version that works well.

Beyond ChatGPT, you can consider any of these, as their free versions integrate with email platforms and simplify email writing and sending:

• GMPlus
• WriteMail
• HubSpot AI Email Writer
• Ghostwrite

While these tools offer a lot of power to your email processes, keep in mind that they are free. That means you will get limited support at best, and the free versions of AI tools usually come with sparse features.

If you want greater automation and more resources at your disposal, consider upgrading to a paid service.

How to Tell if an Email Was Written by AI

Let’s start with a hard truth. You cannot, with absolute certainty, tell if something was written by an AI or a person. It’s easy to think otherwise, but you’re underestimating the size of this problem.

You might think it’s easy to spot low-quality bots and AI writing, and that’s mostly true. The problem is that there are some impressively poor writers out there, and sometimes content that certainly must be bad AI is actually written by a living, breathing human.

The opposite situation also makes this difficult. The best AI writers are pretty good, and at the very least, they write a little better than the average human. How do you distinguish imperfect AI writing from imperfect human writing?

As you can see, it’s tricky, and there are no perfect methods. Despite that, a few tricks and tools can help you mostly identify AI emails. They aren’t foolproof, but they work more often than not.

First, there are a few things you can identify with your own eye.

Good AI writers use perfect grammar, spelling, and syntax. Occasional typos are usually an indicator that something was written by a human, as odd as that may seem.

On top of that, AI emails tend to follow similar formulas. Different AIs will mix up the formulas compared to each other, but if you get a slew of emails from someone, and they all follow the exact same presentation, then it’s probably AI. Even if you write all of your emails from the same template, you can’t help but vary things at least a little. It’s human nature.

So, those tips can help you spot AI, but you can also use tools. Remember, the tools aren’t perfect either, but there are algorithmic tests that can spot a lot of AI writing. They are especially useful in finding content that is written by competent AIs that aren’t quite at the top of the game.

Just remember one thing. Occasionally, the best tools will still flag human content as AI, and that’s just because human writers can be a little robotic from time to time. It happens, and you can always double-check your AI tools using the tips you just learned.

Adding Authenticity to Communication

There’s a lesson to learn in all of this. The same scrutiny you level at emails you read will be leveled at emails you send. People will wonder if your emails are written by AI or not. The best way to address that potential issue is to add authenticity to your communications.

Some of this comes from your own personality, but some of it comes from strategy and processes. If you have to send out a lot of emails — especially for marketing purposes — then it helps to utilize systems of authenticity.

A perfect example of this can be found with the AI Copilot at WriterAccess. This service pairs seasoned writers with AI. While the AI does the bulk of the busy work, humans add authenticity and “humanity” to the writing to take away from the robotic consistency you might otherwise get.

Here’s how it is simple to request this type of service in WriterAccess:

This service allows you to save money by leveraging the efficiency of AI while still maintaining the benefits of professional human quality in your email writing. You can create single emails or entire email sequences. The service adapts easily, and you can get started with a 14-day trial at WriterAccess.

The post AI Email Writer: Top Tools, Benefits, and How to Spot AI-Written Emails appeared first on Rock Content.

If you’re like me, you’re often excited about AI advancements. But how far are you willing to go to contribute to it?

I know the title of this article sounds a bit clickbaity, but I’m sorry, it’s just the reality.

There’s no way to put it nicely: your public posts shared on Meta’s platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, are being used to train Meta’s AI models, and you can’t tell them to stop.

Why? Because you agreed to it when you created your account on these platforms. 

I know, I don’t usually read social media privacy policies either and didn’t know until recently that Meta could do this.

But What Kind Of Data Are They Collecting?

It’s not just me saying this. On Meta’s website, anyone can read:

“As we shared in September, we use publicly available online and licensed information to train AI at Meta, as well as the information that people have shared publicly on Meta’s products and services. This information includes things like public posts or public photos and their captions. In the future, we may also use the information people share when interacting with our generative AI features, like Meta AI, or with a business, to develop and improve our AI products.”

Now you tell me if the title is clickbait or just an unsettling reality. Well, at least they cross their hearts about not reading our private messages. 

But hey, that’s the bare minimum, right?

Meta privacy measures and user control

Meta claims a commitment to privacy and has established a robust internal Privacy Review process. 

This includes evaluating potential privacy risks and implementing measures to mitigate them, they say. 

They operate under five core values: privacy and security, fairness and inclusion, robustness and safety, transparency and control, and governance and accountability.

Do you trust them?

What Can Meta Do With Your Data?

Meta uses the information you share on its platforms to power their generative AI models. 

These models, which include tools like Meta AI and AI Creative Tools, are designed to enhance user experience. Their goal is to solve complex problems, provide real-time answers, and allow for creative expression. 

What does this mean?

The data collected is used to teach AI models to understand relationships between different types of content. 

For instance, text models are trained to predict language patterns and generate conversational responses. Image models learn to create new images based on descriptive text inputs.

Is Everyone Subjected To Meta’s AI training?

Actually, not everyone is subject to having their info repurposed for AI training. 

If you live in the UK, any of the European Union (EU) member states, or the European Economic Area (EEA) you benefit from stricter data protection laws. 

Why? Businesses outside these regions but processing data of UK or EU citizens must comply with the UK’s Data Protection Act (DPA) and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

So, if you live in the UK or EU, initially, you could follow a few steps in the “Settings and Privacy” menu to opt out of Meta’s AI training.

Now, you don’t even need to worry about it. Meta has completely paused their AI model training in Europe, due to the tightening of European data regulations.

Is this a step back for European Innovation?

According to Meta, it is. Meta admitted to being disappointed and defined the situation as “[…] a step backward for European innovation, competition in AI development [that] further delays bringing the benefits of AI to people in Europe.”

The CNIL disagrees! The French data protection authority published its first recommendations on applying the GDPR to AI system development. According to CNIL, it’s all about innovating while respecting people’s rights—what a novel concept, right? 

They’re confident that with the right guidelines, we can have our cake and eat it too. We can enjoy the perks of AI without trampling on privacy.

What If I Don’t Live In The UK Or EU But Don’t Want Meta To Use My Data?

Some people have been posting on Meta’s social media, saying they don’t allow their data to be used for AI training.

Something like: “Hey Meta, I’m not giving you permission to do this. Stop.” And obviously, things don’t work like that.

As I said, we accepted the terms (even if we didn’t read them), and there’s no way to opt-out.

But there’s always “the road less traveled by” (channeling Robert Frost) — you could delete your published content or your entire account and live like the Incas. 

Another option is to set everything to private, since the terms only apply to public information. I like this one better.

However, although you can delete content or make accounts private, it’s challenging to erase your digital footprint, especially when others might share information about you.

A little something you can try

Meta has a form hidden in its privacy center called “Data Subject Rights for Third-Party Information Used for AI at Meta.” You can fill it out to ask Meta to delete any personal info used for their AI.

But, here’s the kicker—Meta doesn’t just automatically do it. They review the requests to see if they’re required by local laws to remove your data.

Some folks, like Alanna Smith, a small business owner in Toronto, have tried this route. She had to prove her data was actually used by Meta’s AI, which is kind of like proving your cat isn’t the real boss of the house—nearly impossible!

Smith never got a confirmation, so she’s left wondering if her request even went through. And when asked, Meta’s spokesperson didn’t give any details about how many people have successfully opted out. 

So, good luck with that!

Is There a True Way Out?

It depends on what you consider a way out. But, hey, have you heard of the Cara app?

The Cara app is a new social networking platform designed specifically for artists to share their work without the fear of it being used to train AI models.

Cara positions itself as a safe haven for creatives. It ensures that images posted on its platform are not scraped for AI training purposes.

Cara achieves this by implementing features like “NoAI” tags on all posts, signaling to AI scrapers not to use the content.

While these tags might not be foolproof against determined data miners, they represent a significant step towards protecting artists’ work.

Should You Be Worried About Your Data?

Alright, let’s get real here. Should you be worried about Meta using your data to train their AI models?

Despite Meta’s core values and privacy measures, it’s totally understandable to have some concerns about your data being scooped up for AI training. 

Sure, Meta offers transparency and control features, but let’s be honest—the sheer amount of data they collect can feel a bit overwhelming.

The real worry boils down to the balance between control and transparency versus the vast amount of data Meta collects and uses. 

On one hand, Meta’s generative AI models promise some seriously cool features and better user experiences. But on the other hand, this comes at the cost of extensive personal data usage.

And for those of us outside the protected regions, opting out of data usage for AI training is usually not an option. 

So, what do you think? Is the trade-off worth it for those nifty AI features, or does the idea of your data being used make you want to rethink your social media habits?

The post Meta Is Using Your Data To Train Their Generative AI Models And You Can’t Opt Out appeared first on Rock Content.