Howdy everyone! It’s a big week for marketing with the Super Bowl airing and Valentine’s Day happening as well. I’ll be outside the US when the Super Bowl is airing, so I’ll be interested to see if people actually care about it elsewhere.

By the time you read this, I hope to be on vacation and giving my brain a break 🧠. Friendly reminder for everyone to do the same from time-to-time if you're able. After all, a rested mind is a productive mind.

Alright, on to this week’s roundup!

Social Media & The Creator Economy

• Meta may shut down Fb and IG in the EU over data-sharing concerns. This comes hot on the heels of Google Analytics coming under fire in the EU for data residency as well.
• Social media apps and data is a thing. One study reveled that TikTok shares your data more than any other app. Bonus: it’s not clear where the data goes.
• LinkedIn is testing profile notifications. Can’t wait to get notified for some self-serving professional content.
• Instagram is doing a big live shopping event this Valentine’s Day. Get all the details on brands, influencers, and categories here.
• Twitter is still adding users, to the tune of 6M new users in Q4. It’s the first quarter after CEO Jack Dorsey stepped away, so continued growth is a strong signal for the platform’s longevity.
• Design is important and a differentiator when it comes to social media. Here are the top design trends shaping social media in 2022.
• Instagram added new features for Safer Internet Day (I just learned this is a thing!). New features include bulk deleting of your content, new security checkup features, new two-factor authentication, and account recovery features.
• In a look ahead to 2022, YouTube confirmed they’re going big on shopping this year. Shoppable videos, livestreams, and everything that will make visitors shop more are coming this year.
• Tumblr launched a tip jar feature to help creators monetize their content. Shockingly, this headline is not from 2013.

SEO, Email, & Content Marketing

• How long does SEO take to get results? This is my favorite question, which I often answer with my favorite answer: it depends. But plan for 4-12 months, depending on what you’re doing (this is why we have a minimum six-month commitment at Forgematic now). There are a few variables included competition, links, and content. Here’s a deep dive into how those things factor into time to value.
• If you have a new idea for a content piece, should you write a blog post or a Twitter thread instead? Rand Fishkin put together this framework to help you decide.
• SEO isn’t just for Google search. There’s a lot of optimization to be done on Amazon’s search engine. Here’s a guide for Amazon sellers to stand out via SEO on the platform.
• Running email marketing for an e-commerce brand? Here's How to write better abandoned cart emails this year.
• France has joined Austria as the second country in the EU to rule Google Analytics illegal for violating GDPR. If you’re worried about this, there are several great (and easier to use.) alternatives available now. My personal favorites are Fathom and Plausible.

Copywriting, Branding & Advertising

• This thread of TikTok ad examples is great.
• Google Chrome is getting a slight logo update. You’ll probably start to see it soon. Looking at the 2008 design makes me wonder wtf we were thinking back in the late aughts.
• Advertising space for this year’s Super Bowl is the most expensive to date, with brands spending $6.5 million for 30 seconds. Here’s how much that $6.5 million could buy in digital media instead.
• On a related note: State Farm, a heavy sports advertiser, is skipping the Super Bowl TV ads this year in favor of TikTok.

For Fun

• If you’re looking to grow your career in marketing this year, here are the most valuable digital marketing skills to have on your LinkedIn Profile.
• How Robinhood’s Psych Experiment Backfired Horribly. Or, how meme stocks changed the company forever.

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