Winning the Split-Second War for Attention

In the time it took you to read this sentence, you could have won (or lost) a customer.

In the age of micro-moments, every second is an opportunity to make or break a connection. Let’s dissect the anatomy of these split-second decisions and how to position your brand to win them consistently.

Let’s talk about:

• Why you should optimize for sends over any other metric

• How to capture audience attention in a split-second

• How you can leverage the latest social tools and shifts in user behavior for intimate audience interactions

Headlines

Each email, I’ll share a piece of news or statistic that’s caught my eye.

• Instagram Introduces Private Livestreams for Close Friends. (The Verge)

  • This feature aligns with the growing trend of engaging loyal audiences in more private settings. Social media usage is increasingly splintering into smaller, intimate groups through DMs, group chats, and private spaces. For brands, I’d look into leveraging this trend for community management, building fandoms by offering exclusive content to dedicated followers, and test new ideas with a select audiences. Think bottom-of-the-funnel/increasing LTV/reducing churn as your goals.

• Instacart Teams Up with YouTube for Shoppable Ads (Adweek)

  • Instacart expands its partnership with Google to introduce shoppable ads on YouTube, allowing viewers to click and buy products for same-day delivery directly from Instacart.

  • This is a prime opportunity for CPG brands, and we plan to test it. In a world where convenience is king, the ability to get a product delivered almost instantly can dramatically reduce purchasing friction.

• Claude AI launches 3.5 Sonnet, the best performing AI model on the market. (Claude)

  • It’s (as of this writing) now the highest rated model across several AI leaderboards.

  • People are making awesome stuff with Claude. This guy made Tetris, this guy made a Twitter/LinkedIn mashup. As LLM’s both improve and become more commoditized, we should be leveraging multiple models to help improve employee efficiency and automate repetitive tasks (like research for this newsletter — thanks CrewAI + Claude!).

• Reuters’s research shares short form video as news leader in social (TikTok/YT big winners) (Reuters)

  • Key findings include video platforms becoming more important, as TikTok, Insta, and YouTube snap up key usage. 66% of people across the globe are getting their news from short form video content.

  • This trend highlights a major shift from legacy media to creators. Even if your brand isn’t in news, consider delivering industry updates or relevant content in a mobile-friendly short-form video format. This tactic is especially promising for B2B, helping you engage your audience more effectively with topical content pillars and growing a top of funnel audience.

• TikTok Challenges Google with New Image Search in TikTok Shop (TechCrunch)

  • TikTok is testing image search capabilities in TikTok Shop, allowing users to find similar products by taking or uploading photos.

  • The low-hanging fruit here is for CPG brands. We’re seeing heavy adoption of Pinterest and TikTok shopping, both now equipped with image search, with video likely to follow soon. It’s a prime time to integrate visual and video content into your marketing strategy to capture and convert your audience more effectively.

Private Sharing Is Your North Star

Instagram's CEO has dropped a bombshell: "sends" – content shared privately in DMs and Stories – are now the holy grail of engagement metrics.

What Does This Mean For Your Brand?

1. Create content your ideal customer can't resist sharing with their inner circle

2. Redefine Your Success Metrics

3. Check The "Sendability" Litmus Test

The Algorithm Arms Race: Instagram vs. TikTok

The battle between Instagram and TikTok is reshaping the social media landscape, with algorithms at the forefront. Success now hinges on speed, personalization, and constant adaptation.

Must-Do’s For Brands:

1. Your Brand Needs To Capture Attention Instantly

   • Develop scroll-stopping visuals that communicate your message in milliseconds

   • Craft captivating, informative captions optimized for silent viewing

     • Crucial Stat: 50-80% of social videos are watched on mute (Instagram's Adam Mosseri, Digiday)

     Enhanced Strategy: Create an iconic first frame that becomes your brand's visual signature, instantly recognizable to your audience

2. Optimize for Retention and Rewatchability

   • Target a minimum of 90% viewer retention for short-form content (tough to hit, but you’re rewarded greatly)

   • Design content that encourages multiple views, boosting average scroll-through rates

   • Key Tactic: Incorporate unexpected twists or ironic elements to make your content memorable and rewatchable

3. Craft Relatable, Story-Driven Content

   • Weave personal or brand stories into your content to increase viewer investment

   • Keep language and concepts simple and universally understandable

   • Engagement Hack: Use a clear 'why' in your content to make it more relatable and shareable

The Shift From Public Broadcasting to Intimate Interactions

Key Features Driving Change:

1. Enhanced private messaging

2. Close Friends for Posts and Reels

3. Flipside (secondary profiles)

4. Collaborative Collections

5. Group Profiles and Notes

Even B2B Marketers Can Get In The Game

Let's explore these strategies through CloudCollab, a totally made up B2B SaaS (AI-powered PM tool) for remote teams.

1. Create Exclusive Inner Circles

   • Strategy: Use private Stories for sneak peeks and beta testing

   • CloudCollab Example: Send private Instagram Stories to "CloudCollab Innovators" showcasing upcoming AI features, encouraging DM sharing with teams

2. Leverage Micro-Communities

   • Strategy: Launch members-only platforms for peer learning and networking

   • CloudCollab Example: Share Discord server invites via Close Friends stories, creating an elite user club

3. Personalize at Scale

   • Strategy: Implement tiered feature releases and tailored onboarding

   • CloudCollab Example: Use Flipside to give Inner Circle members early access to new UI designs or AI capabilities

4. Amplify User Advocacy

   • Strategy: Share insider content for users to post publicly

   • CloudCollab Example: Privately share infographics on remote work productivity, encouraging public posting by members

5. Gather Rich Feedback

   • Strategy: Use private features for in-depth product discussions

   • CloudCollab Example: Utilize Collaborative Collections to discuss UI/UX improvements with select designers

Ye Olde Goodbye To Universal Analytics (UA)

We say goodbye, goodnight, and farewell to Google’s Universal Analytics.

Google is officially discontinuing Universal Analytics on Monday, July 1, marking the final phase of its transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). If you haven’t made the switch to GA4 you need to move quick.

UA, my team and I bid you adieu.

Interested supercharging your marketing strategy? Let’s talk.