I’m not going to make any predictions outside these two: 1) TikTok will continue to lead and be copied, and 2) Content marketing will become more important than it’s ever been.

Thanks to everyone that completed our reader survey. Your feedback was great, and I’m going to add new sections plus finally get our community rolling early this year.

And finally, I launched Forgematic’s agency and consulting wing in early December. In a sentence that’s wild to type: I think I’m at capacity, until I manage to hire some help.

And with that, here’s this week’s shorter-than-usual-because-holidays roundup:

Social Media & The Creator Economy

• 2021 was the year of the TikTok takeover. Now we have a crazy data point to back that up. In 2021, TikTok was the most visited website domain on the planet. It overtook Google, which is usually comfortably resting at the top. Mind blown.
• If you haven’t made the TikTok leap yet, you might find this guide from Inc. helpful: How to Become an Award-winning TikTok Creator.
• Instagram is going to keep pushing Reels as long as TikTok is wearing the crown. Later.com put together 7 predictions for Reels for 2022. Number 5 is the biggest for me: “Reels will have a separate identity to TikTok.”
• Alright, last TikTok story. The app is launching a food delivery service that will pay creators of viral dishes. So now you don’t have to bother making those sweet viral TikTok chef dishes, you can get them delivered to you instead!
• I’ve been taking Twitter a lot more seriously lately. Being mindful about what I’m posting, sharing tips, and more. I can’t bring myself to do threads, though. A lot of them make me 🙄. Here’s one that’s actually useful and is all about Tweeting better, from one of my favorite marketers, Katelyn Burgoin.
• Have you ever had social media block? You know, when you feel like you don’t have anything to share, or you feel like you’re out of ideas? Buffer put together quick tips to overcome mental block.
• OnlyFans has been steadily trying to become a platform for all kinds of creators and shake it’s “adults only” image. The latest move: elevating Ami Gan to CEO. She’s the only person besides OnlyFans founder to have this role.

SEO, Content, & Email

• Writing for SEO is hard. A lot of the time, it feels like you’re Grindin’ like The Clipse. Here are 42 (!) tips to for anyone to follow to write better for SEO.
• Amanda Natividad is one of my favorite marketers, especially because she shares excellent threads. Like this one, that’s all about how to get savvy at making better content.

Copywriting, Branding, & Advertising

• Wanna know how to make remarkable TikTok ads? This thread by Savannah Sanchez is like a cheat sheet to get you started, or make you better.
• Litmus put together a great guide on CTAs (Calls-To-Action) for email marketing. Pay special attention to the “bulletproof buttons” part!
• Meta is introducing changes to Facebook’s ad targeting starting on January 19th. What’s changing? Fewer targeting options for advertisers. You’ll no longer be able to target people based on social causes, health conditions, or demographic characteristics. Yes, it took until 2022 for this to happen. No, I’m still not going to use Facebook.
• Marketing Brew put together a nice roundup of the most creative ad and brand campaigns from 2021. The Iceland tourism parody of Meta’s rebrand is chef’s kiss.
• Microsoft bought AT&T’s ad tech platform Xandr. Advertising isn’t going anywhere, especially if these two giants are doing ad tech deals together.
• A second headline about ad tech acquisitions? Yep. GumGum (a contextual advertising company) acquired Playground xyz, which provides attention metrics.
• I love color theory and appreciate websites that aren’t just the usual blue and white combo. Here’s how to choose a color for your website. Shameless plug: I just rebranded the Forgematic website to black and purple. I’m going through a Purple Rain moment.

Woo! You made it to the end. Thank you so much for being here for another week!

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