Top Marketing Trends for 2026: Performance, Digital, Content & AI Strategies Redefining Growth

Q: What are the most effective digital marketing strategies for 2026?

Own first-party data, activate retail/commerce media, deploy AI for creative testing and predictive optimisation with human oversight, use shoppable video and live commerce, and measure impact with incrementality tests and media mix modelling rather than last-click attribution.

Q: How important is community and sustainability in 2026 marketing?

Very. Owned communities (e.g., Discord, apps) provide durable engagement and first-party insights, while clear sustainability reporting and purpose-led messaging help build trust and drive retention.

Written by Shannon Purcell

Oct 31, 2025Oct 31, 2025

Marketing is entering a new era. The most successful digital marketing strategies for 2026 are powered by trust, creativity, and automation that actually perform. From AI in marketing to content and influencer marketing trends, 2026 will demand precision, transparency, and better measurement across every channel.

Looking Back at 2025 — What Actually Happened

Before we map 2026, a quick reality check on what shaped 2025:

Authenticity won out. Micro- and nano-influencers consistently beat celebrity blasts on engagement and trust.
Retention rose in priority. With higher media costs, teams invested more in loyalty, re-purchase flows, and win-backs.
First-party data moved centre stage. Brands built stronger collection points (quizzes, forms, loyalty) and cleaner pipelines for segmentation and measurement.
Ad mixes diversified. Marketers tested CTV, native, and commerce media to reduce reliance on a single walled garden.
Content met commerce. Shoppable video and live formats shifted from pilot tests to everyday tactics.
AI entered production. Generative tools sped up creative and copy, while ethics and disclosure became part of the brief.

Why it matters for 2026: these outcomes set today’s baseline. The job now isn’t to “try” them — it’s to systemise, measure, and scale them with better data, AI oversight, and clearer ROI guardrails.

Here’s what every marketer should prioritise now:

1. Influencer Marketing 2026: The Creator Economy Matures

Micro- and nano-influencers remain highly effective for trust and niche relevance. In 2026, brands will increasingly combine them with larger creators who bring scale alongside performance measurement.

How to make it work:

Use creator marketplaces (e.g., Collabstr, TikTok Creator Marketplace, Meta tools) to identify high-engagement talent.
Structure partnerships over 6-12 months with specific KPIs tied to outcomes like repeat purchase or new signup.
Integrate influencer content into the overall performance marketing strategy for full-funnel visibility.

2. Digital Marketing Strategies 2026: Loyalty Outperforms Acquisition

With rising media costs and data limitations, retention and loyalty are becoming as important as new-customer acquisition.

Action steps:

Develop loyalty programs and automated flows to increase repeat purchase rates.
Use interactive content (surveys, quizzes, loyalty offers) to collect zero-party/first-party data for future targeting.
Allocate budget with an eye toward lifetime value and re-engagement, not just initial conversion.

3. Performance Marketing Trends 2026: Privacy, First-Party Data & Clean Rooms

Third-party cookies are no longer the sole focus — performance marketers now must build robust first-party data ecosystems and privacy-safe infrastructure.

Key strategies:

Create interactive data capture methods (quizzes, gated content, loyalty sign-ups).
Enable clean-room partnerships (e.g., using AWS Clean Rooms or Snowflake) to link data while respecting privacy.
Shift from granular third-party targeting to behavioural cohorts built on your own data assets.

4. Retail & Commerce Media Take Centre Stage

Retail media networks (RMNs) and commerce media channels are experiencing rapid growth and are expected to capture a larger share of ad spend in 2026. For example, worldwide retail media advertising was projected at $169 billion in 2025.

What brands should do:

Activate with major RMNs (Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Instacart Ads) while aligning with your performance funnel.
Use retailer-owned data for remarketing and repeat purchases.
Integrate RMN campaign outcomes into your measurement stack for incrementality and long-term value.

5. Content Marketing Trends 2026: Shoppable Everything

Content is no longer just storytelling — it’s commerce. Shoppable video, livestream shopping, and integrated commerce experiences will be must-haves in 2026. For example, experts estimate live commerce could account for up to 20% of e-commerce transactions by 2026.

What to test:

Embed product links in videos and social posts (“Watch & Buy” formats).
Host livestream shopping events with products, Q&A, and exclusive offers.
Expand into CTV (connected TV) or second-screen video formats that allow direct product actions.

6. AI in Marketing 2026: From Tools to Agents

Generative AI is already widely used; in 2026 the focus turns to AI agents — systems that can plan, execute and optimize campaigns autonomously while remaining under human oversight.

Best practices:

Use AI for creative generation, media testing and optimization workflows, but maintain human review for brand tone and trust.
Be transparent: indicate when AI is part of your campaign creation (“Co-created with AI”).
Combine AI insights with your own first-party data to personalize experiences authentically and ethically.

7. Optimising for AI Assistants & Voice Search

As AI-driven search (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) shapes user behaviour, marketers must optimise content for natural-language queries and FAQ formats.

Practical steps:

Structure content with clear Q&A markup and long-tail phrases.
Add FAQ schema to appear in featured snippets and AI answers.
Prioritise helpful, human language over keyword stuffing.

8. Measurement Reset: Incrementality over Attribution

As ad channels fragment and data signals become more complex, measurement needs to evolve. Linear attribution is no longer enough.

How to adapt:

Conduct incrementality tests (hold-out groups, geo tests) to isolate media impact.
Adopt media mix modelling (MMM) alongside analytics that track creative fatigue and engagement decay.
Build dashboards that tie performance back to lifetime value, not just last-click conversions.

9. Ad Spend Outlook & Media Inflation

Global ad spending is still growing, though at a moderating pace: recent forecasts indicate a rise of 7.4% in 2025 to ~US$1.17 trillion, and 8.1% in 2026 to ~US$1.27 trillion.

Implications for marketers:

Plan for higher CPMs and longer learning curves for new channels.
Emphasise budget flexibility, creative testing cadence, and channel diversification.
Prepare media buying strategies that account for inflation and shifting mix (digital continuing to dominate).

Key Takeaways for 2026 Marketing

Automate with clarity. AI agents powers are real — but transparency and human oversight build trust.
Own your data. First-party data, clean-rooms and loyalty ecosystems are now foundational.
Invest in commerce-enabled content. Shoppable video and retail media channels are expanding rapidly.
Measure smarter. Incrementality, MMM and lifetime value tie campaigns to long-term impact.
Stay agile. As performance marketing trends 2026 emerge, the brands that test, learn and pivot fastest will win.

Ready to dive deeper and truly transform your marketing strategy this year? Contact GeistM to see how we can help elevate your game in 2026 and beyond. Let’s make it a year to remember!

What are the biggest marketing trends for 2026?

AI agents, retail and commerce media, shoppable and immersive content, voice and AI-assistant search optimisation, stronger first-party data strategies, and modern measurement (MMM + incrementality) are the key trends shaping digital and performance marketing in 2026.

How should SEO change for AI assistants in 2026?

Prioritise helpful, natural-language content structured as questions and answers, add FAQ and How-To schema where appropriate, use concise definitions and summaries, and ensure authoritative sourcing so your answers are eligible for AI-generated results and featured snippets.

Is influencer marketing still effective in 2026?

Yes. A hybrid approach works best: long-term partnerships with micro or nano creators for trust and niche relevance, complemented by larger creators for efficient reach. Tie creator activity to concrete KPIs like repeat purchase, ROAS, and lifetime value.

What are the most effective digital marketing strategies for 2026?

Own first-party data, activate retail and commerce media, deploy AI for creative testing and predictive optimisation with human oversight, use shoppable video and live commerce, and measure impact with incrementality tests and media mix modelling rather than last-click attribution.

How important are community and sustainability in 2026 marketing?

Very. Owned brand communities (e.g., Discord, private apps) build durable engagement and first-party insights, while clear sustainability reporting and purpose-led messaging help build trust and drive retention.

What budget shifts should brands expect in 2026?

Expect continued reallocation towards retail media, search within retailer ecosystems, CTV and video, and high-performing paid social. Plan for longer learning phases and higher CPMs, and reserve budget for creative refreshes and testing.

How to Avoid Common Black Friday Marketing Pitfalls

Written by Matthew Whitaker

Oct 8, 2025Oct 21, 2025

Black Friday is a massive opportunity for brands, allowing them to drive sales volume unseen at any other time of year. The shopping holiday can also be a minefield of common marketing mistakes that can result in huge losses in potential profit. Whether brands wait until it’s too late to start their Black Friday campaigns, use ineffective creatives, or make many other potential mistakes, brands’ best bet is to know and plan for these pitfalls ahead of Q4.

That’s where GeistM comes in, using a data-first approach to help brands avoid costly errors during the Black Friday frenzy while making smarter, more profitable decisions.

Here are the most common pitfalls that companies run across and how you can solve them

Pitfall 1: Waiting Too Late to Start Your Black Friday Campaigns

What goes wrong: Many brands start their Black Friday campaigns as late as November, forgoing the chance to warm up audiences and prime them for conversion. Starting late can often result in overspending on last-minute purchases as well as poor funnel performance.

GeistM’s fix: Begin campaigns as early as September and, at a minimum, by October. This pre-Black Friday period is a great opportunity to use content-driven strategies that can educate, engage, and energize audiences before the peak season. Starting early also gives brands time to build awareness, test creatives, and nurture potential customers, setting themselves up for stronger conversions when peak shopping season arrives.

Pitfall 2: Targeting Too Broadly and Ignoring Audience Segmentation

What goes wrong: Targeting is key during Q4, as brands want to ensure their ad spend isn’t wasted on low-intent or irrelevant audiences. Unfortunately, many brands overlook this pitfall and allocate significant amounts of spend to unqualified users. Poor targeting not only drains budgets but also leads to missed opportunities with high-value customers who are ready to convert.

GeistM’s fix: Our team builds detailed, data-backed personas and continuously refines targeting for precision. This ensures that ad spend is directed towards the highest-intent audiences, maximizing ROI and minimizing wasted budget.

Pitfall 3: Using Generic, Discount-Heavy Creative That Fails to Engage

What goes wrong: There are plenty of brands that consider a generic creative with “50% off” messaging to be sufficient for their Black Friday campaigns. A creative of this quality will not be effective in the long run, as it will likely face creative fatigue in a short time, as well as overall low engagement.

GeistM’s fix: We develop person-driven, emotionally resonant creatives focused on value and urgency. By tailoring messaging to specific audiences and refreshing creatives regularly, we keep engagement high and prevent fatigue throughout the season.

Pitfall 4: Skipping Content Marketing to Warm Up Audiences

What goes wrong: Another common mistake brands make is missing the chance to build trust and nurture prospects before hitting them with an offer during November. Without pre-Black Friday content, brands risk appearing pushy or purely sales-focused, failing to engage potential customers and missing the opportunity for prime audiences for conversion.

GeistM’s fix: We leverage editorial content, such as gift guides and product reviews, in mid-funnel campaigns. A benefit GeistM possesses is that its owned-and-operated publishers offer a third-party perspective, helping build trust and authenticity for consumers.

Pitfall 5: Network diversification

What goes wrong: There are brands that exclusively run Black Friday campaigns on Meta, relying solely on one platform to reach their audience. This narrow approach causes them to miss out on a multitude of users active on other networks, such as Taboola, Google, or TikTok, limiting their reach and potentially leaving significant revenue on the table. Diversifying ad channels not only expands audience exposure but also provides more opportunities to test messaging, optimize performance, and maximize ROI during the high-stakes holiday season.

GeistM’s fix: We are experts in several networks, ensuring brands can access users across a far broader part of the Internet than just Meta’s limited scope. Our multi-network approach helps brands optimize performance, reduce their reliance on a single channel, and capture more revenue during critical campaigns, such as Black Friday.

Pitfall 6: Optimizations

What goes wrong: A surprise to many marketers is that some brands launch their Black Friday campaigns and make no edits throughout the holiday shopping season. Without ongoing optimizations, campaigns can underperform due to shifting audience behavior, fluctuating competition, or creative fatigue.

GeistM’s fix: We understand that making optimizations and testing different ideas at every level of a campaign is pivotal to ensuring maximum efficiency during Q4. In fact, we do not stop testing; instead, we continue to find new opportunities for efficiency and scale.

Pitfall 7: Neglecting Deep Post-Campaign Analysis to Inform Future Strategies

What goes wrong: A major mistake that can be made is neglecting to perform deep post-campaign analysis to inform future Q4 strategies. Without reviewing key data, brands miss critical insights that could improve targeting, messaging, and overall campaign ROI in subsequent years.

GeistM fix: Fortunately, we always perform comprehensive post-mortem analyses to drive more efficient and profitable campaigns in future Q4 periods and ensure we apply the learnings to the next year.

Conclusion

Success during the Black Friday period requires data-driven budget management, audience focus, creative relevance, content marketing, real-time optimizations, segmentation, and post-campaign insights.

GeistM does not miss any of these pivotal aspects and focuses on opportunities for sustained growth. Considering the importance of the Black Friday period for a major portion of brands’ yearly sales, working with a partner who understands the intricacies of digital marketing is of paramount importance.

Contact GeistM to prepare your next Black Friday campaign with precision and confidence.

Boosting Customer Acquisition While Reducing Costs: The Power of Paid Social and Whitelisted Editorials

Written by nitantialur

Jun 18, 2025Oct 8, 2025

In today’s hyper-competitive digital landscape, brands are under increasing pressure to scale customer acquisition while reducing costs. Traditional strategies are no longer sufficient to capture attention and drive action. Instead, savvy marketers are turning to a powerful combination of paid social advertising and whitelisted editorial campaigns to drive more efficient outcomes.

The Challenge: Balancing Growth with Cost Control

Scaling a business requires a robust customer acquisition strategy, but doing so efficiently is no easy feat. With rising customer acquisition costs (CAC) and an oversaturated social media marketing space, brands must innovate to stay ahead.

That’s where paid social and whitelisting come into play.

What is Paid Social Advertising?

Paid social media advertising involves placing ads on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn to reach highly targeted audiences. When executed well, paid social allows marketers to:

Reach new prospects based on demographics, behaviors, and interests.
Test creative quickly and at scale.
Optimize campaigns in real time.

However, the effectiveness of these campaigns can be hampered by ad fatigue and consumer distrust of branded content. People are inherently skeptical and seek third-party validation. That’s where whitelisting offers a solution.

Whitelisting: The Editorial Edge

Whitelisting is a tactic where brands run ads through the social media accounts of trusted influencers or publishers. This method lends authenticity and editorial credibility to what would otherwise be traditional paid content.

Whitelisted editorial campaigns allow brands to:

Bypass skepticism toward brand-owned ads.
Capitalize on the trust and engagement influencers have built with their audiences.
Seamlessly integrate messaging into native content formats.

In essence, it’s a modern way of combining influencer marketing with digital marketing performance goals.

Why This Combo Works: Acquisition Meets Efficiency

By combining paid social advertising with whitelisted campaigns, brands can significantly enhance customer acquisition metrics while also reducing costs. Here’s how:

1. Higher Engagement Rates

Whitelisted ads typically outperform brand-owned ads in engagement due to the trusted voice of the influencer.

2. Lower CAC

Better engagement and click-through rates often translate into a lower customer acquisition cost.

3. Scalable Testing

Brands can test multiple influencers/publishers and creatives in parallel, identifying the best performers quickly.

4. Extended Reach

Tap into niche audiences that may be difficult to reach through traditional paid social tactics alone.

5. Improved ROI

The mix of trust-driven content and platform-level optimization tools enhances the return on ad spend (ROAS).

Tips for Brands Looking to Leverage This Strategy

Choose the Right Partners: Not all partners deliver the same value. Successful performance marketing relies on collaborating with content publishers and creators who align with your brand values and effectively reach your target audience. At GeistM, we take it further — with our network of high-performing publishers, we help brands connect with ideal audiences to drive measurable results at scale.
Craft a Unified Message: Ensure your messaging is consistent across both your social media marketing efforts and editorial partnerships. However, make sure that the editorial partner maintains their voice.
Monitor and Optimize: Use A/B testing and platform analytics to continuously refine your campaigns.
Stay Compliant: Make sure all sponsored content is clearly disclosed according to FTC guidelines.

Final Thoughts

For brands focused on customer acquisition in a cost-conscious environment, blending paid social with whitelisting offers a compelling pathway forward. For more than a decade, GeistM has been pairing the precision of performance marketing with the authenticity of white-listed content to help companies unlock more effective, efficient campaigns that not only scale reach but also lower costs.

In the evolving world of social media marketing, this hybrid approach is the new gold standard for sustainable growth. So contact us today to get started!

Written by: Marc DeMattie

The Best Ads Of Q2 2025, According To Marketing Experts

Written by nitantialur

Jun 11, 2025

Welcome to the second quarterly roundup of GeistM’s Best Ads of 2025! After a strong start to the year, Q2 delivered even more bold ideas, fresh creative strategies, and unforgettable storytelling.

From refreshing product launches to unexpected satire, these campaigns captured our attention — and kept us talking.

You know the drill: Each month, our team votes on the most impactful ads we’ve seen, selecting the ones that push boundaries, resonate emotionally, and set a high bar for the industry.

Here are our top picks for the Best Ads of Q2 2025 — the standouts that defined the season.

Best Ads of April – May 2025

Best Ads – Honorable Mentions:

The Ordinary

This ad is brilliant because it uses a striking visual — a mountain of cash — to highlight the brand’s commitment to fair pricing. By rejecting celebrity endorsements, The Ordinary positions itself as transparent and consumer-first, showcasing their commitment to value and integrity.

Surreal Cereal

Similar to The Ordinary’s ad above, this ad for Surreal Cereal sidesteps expensive endorsement deals while still capturing attention. It uses the power of name recognition without actually using celebrities.

By featuring everyday people who happen to share names with global icons like Michael Jordan, Dwayne Johnson, and Ronaldo in their video, Surreal Cereal creates a humorous twist that’s memorable. The billboards quoting these “names” add a layer of satire, poking fun at traditional celebrity endorsements — which seems to be a trend at the moment!

It makes audiences do a double-take, talk, and share — everything great marketing is meant to do.

Best Ads of April – May: Runner Up

Lucky Energy Drink

This ad is another one that uses a loophole in a hilarious and refreshing way. By claiming to be the “#1 Energy Drink in New York*” and then immediately clarifying with the fine print “*On this truck,” it alludes to how brands often stretch the truth with flashy marketing claims. Like the Surreal Cereal campaign, it uses humor and honesty to stand out in a sea of exaggerated advertising — and that’s exactly what makes it so effective.

Best Ads of April – May: WINNER

Bebax Coffee

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BEBAX COFFEE | ?????? ???? (@bebaxcoffee)

This post by Bebax Coffee is the winner of GeistM’s Best Ad Contest for April/May! The video features a mesmerizing shot of rich coffee being poured directly over an Instagram caption, creating a visual that blurs the line between the screen and reality. It’s a unique, eye-catching edit that stands out in a sea of generic reels. The coffee itself looks delicious, but it’s the crisp ASMR of it filling the glass that really pulls you in — you can almost smell it, feel the warmth, and instantly crave a sip.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for checking out our roundup of the best ads from April and May! Come back next month for another round of standout campaigns from 2025. Ready to take your next campaign to the next level? Get in touch with us today!

Written by: Emma McHugh

5 Performance Marketing Errors That Are Killing Your ROI

Written by nitantialur

May 28, 2025Oct 8, 2025

The digital advertising ecosystem has been seismic. Targeting capabilities have changed due to privacy regulations, AI has transformed how we create and distribute content, and consumer behavior is evolving at breakneck speed.

While technology continues to evolve and advanced platforms have emerged, most brands still make basic errors that quietly erode their ROI. More than half of underperforming ads aren’t due to poor product or messaging – they’re underperforming due to structural issues that only hide until you learn to identify them.

Here are 5 vital mistakes inhibiting your marketing performance and strategic solutions to turn your results around.

1. Having the Correct Purchase Funnel

Consider your marketing funnel an ecosystem in which all parts must cooperate.

The Issue: The vast majority of brands overinvest in either awareness efforts (“Look at us!”) or conversion strategies (“Buy now!”) to the detriment of the all-important mid-funnel. This disconnection produces a jarring user experience, asking someone to marry you before the end of the first date.

When auditing underperforming campaigns, we always see either a high top-of-funnel spend with no proper nurture flows or overly aggressive conversion strategies to those who don’t even know who they are. Both strategies bleed cash with no sustainable returns.

The Fix: Strategic balance at all stages of the customer journey. The most successful campaigns often distribute resources at all stages of the funnel, with an understanding that prospects at different levels of familiarity with your brand have different needs.

Special attention should be given to the consideration phase as it forms a crucial bridge between awareness and purchase intent. It’s a midpoint where potential buyers weigh their choices, compare attributes, and finally persuade themselves to make a purchase. GeistM excels in designing engaging mid-funnel experiences that lead prospects through this decision-making process.

Every stage of a funnel demands unique messaging as well as metrics for performance. Proper alignment sends high-quality leads naturally to conversion points without necessitating high-pressure behavior or deep discounting strategies that cut into margins.

RDNE Stock project/Pexels

2. Neglecting Your Creative Strategy

Creative fatigue happens faster than most marketers understand, even for excellently targeted efforts.

The Issue: Human psychology remains constant – we naturally screen out repeated stimuli. Whatever that same advertisement creative, repeatedly viewed, that person’s brain essentially ignores it. Even highly polished ads can fail to grab attention or build trust if they don’t feel fresh or authentic.

Your high-performing creative assets from last month can effectively disappear this month, regardless of your advanced targeting criteria. Instead of fixing the real issue – ads that have turned into wallpaper – marketers more often than not react by spending more or adjusting targeting parameters.

The Fix: Use a dynamic creative development system and User Generated Content (UGC) to create an impact. Top-performing marketers treat creative assets as recurring resources that have to be replenished.

Develop a formal testing framework that assesses multiple ideas in a single instance against objective performance criteria. Build asset variations to honor each channel’s distinct context instead of recreating the same efforts everywhere. What works on TikTok does not often cut it in LinkedIn or traditional display markets.

The most advanced marketers have elaborate creative calendars that organize refreshes before performance levels decline. This anticipates creative fatigue instead of waiting until ROI is affected.

3. Poor Tracking & Attribution

You’re deciding in the dark if your measurement system isn’t accurately reporting campaign performance.

The Issue: Attribution has become exponentially more complicated in today’s multi-channel media world. Linear customer journeys of yesterday have given way to intricate journeys that take place over multiple devices, touchpoints, and platforms.

Most brands still use overly simplistic attribution models with a distorted picture of marketing effectiveness. Technical problems exacerbate these challenges – inconsistent tracking deployments, faulty pixels, and conflicting naming conventions distort the performance picture. The outcome? Strategic misdirection that diminishes good channels as it amplifies poor ones.

The Fix: Establish a holistic measurement method that accounts for real buying behavior. Use uniform tracking protocols in all marketing touchpoints as well as digital assets. Establish standard naming conventions that all follow with no exception.

Most importantly, shift from outdated single-touch attribution methods to more advanced ones that consider how channels interact along the purchasing process. Standardize regular tracking audits to identify problems before they taint your decision-making information.

The brands that generate spectacular marketing returns always have strict measurement discipline.

These brands understand that proper attribution isn’t an analytical detail, but a strategic importance that allows for precise optimization as their competitors squander resources on inefficient tactics.

4. Targeting Too Broad (or Too Narrow)

Determining optimal targeting balance involves systematic testing instead of making educated guesses.

The Issue: The targeting pendulum oscillates erratically from one extreme to the other in most organizations. They either cast excessively broad nets, wasting impressions on unqualified prospects, or create overly limited parameters, spurning scaling beyond current customers.

Both strategies compromise campaign effectiveness.

Overbreadth waters down your communications and overspends in acquisition. Overnarrowness produces fake performance boundaries and censors learning about high-value audience slices outside your existing client base.

The Fix: Progressive audience targeting in sync with the funnel stage. Intelligent targeting adjusts its aperture as the prospect traverses the funnel – broad at the awareness stage, where it can capture potential interest, refined in the consideration stage according to engagement signals, and finely targeted in the conversion stage through high-intent behaviors. This funnel-based strategy acknowledges that audience strategy is not fixed but changes in synchronization with the customer journey.

GeistM is the best at applying such a progressive strategy, dynamically adapting targeting parameters as prospects showcase greater purchasing intent. We start with strategically tuned parameters to identify potential interest, then add secondary targeting layers in response to actual engagement metrics.

GeistM binds demographic building blocks into behavior-based signals for every stage in the funnel. We use your first-party data to build high-performing seed audiences and then scale strategically through sophisticated lookalike modeling that beats the performance of typical platform-defined targets. Our ongoing refinement procedures ensure your targeting changes along with altering consumer behaviors while maximizing reach and relevance concurrently.

5. Over-Reliance on One Channel

Hybrid diversification allows companies to hedge specific risks, reducing their impact.

The Issue: Despite all the recent cautions about over-reliance on a single platform such as Google or Meta, most brands still focus their digital investment on a narrow channel mix. This narrow focus exposes them to algorithm fluctuations, competitive CPM spikes, and platform-specific disruptions.

As performance inevitably dips in their key channel, such organizations must make difficult decisions – accept worsening outcomes or give up their key acquisition source with no alternatives in place.

The Fix: Create a balanced channel portfolio that taps into the distinct strengths of various platforms while counterbalancing their inherent weaknesses. This diversity builds resilience against each platform’s challenges as new growth avenues are opened.

Start by identifying 2-3 core channels that have reliably delivered acceptable performance, such as TikTok, Taboola, or Reddit, then reserve a percentage of the budget towards experimenting with new ones with high potential audience alignment. Test these new channels against achievable performance expectations, considering their learning curve.

Most advanced marketing organizations realize the interdependent quality of multiple channels along a purchase trip. They see that platforms impact each other’s performance instead of functioning in separate silos. This allows for more strategic resource use with a maximized collective impact.

Artem Podrez/Pexels

How GeistM Reengineers Your Marketing Performance

Solving these core marketing challenges needs specialized talent and focused resources. GeistM provides complete solutions using our in-house expert team that uniquely reveals and fixes performance marketing inefficiencies. Our method combines advanced funnel architecture, scientific creative optimization, advanced attribution modeling, exact audience development, plus channel diversification.

What sets our approach apart is our unapologetic emphasis on measurable results instead of fluff metrics. We uncover structural vulnerabilities in your marketing foundation that other traditional agencies tend to miss, then make systematic adjustments that drive sustained performance improvements.

Our technology infrastructure allows unprecedented levels of visibility into campaign effectiveness at all marketing funnel stages. This lets us make incremental edits aimed at continuously optimizing rather than making wide-scale, dramatic strategic changes based on limited information.

Don’t let these ROI killers sap your marketing potential. GeistM’s seasoned performance marketers can review your current approach and determine areas for dramatic improvement. Contact GeistM today and let’s unlock the ROI your marketing deserves.

Written by: Brent Barnhart

UGC 101: Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing a Successful UGC Strategy

Written by nitantialur

May 14, 2025Oct 7, 2025

Why do so many brands post unpolished, raw social media content nowadays?

It’s called UGC (user-generated content) and allows for more native, relatable, and authentic connections with consumers. A recent study showed that UGC-based ads receive 4x higher click-through rates than traditional ads.

So here’s a full breakdown on developing and executing a UGC strategy that resonates with users and drives results.

Step 1: Setting Objectives

Like any ad campaign, a successful UGC strategy starts with defining clear goals. A few things to narrow down should be:

Are you looking to increase brand awareness or drive sales?
Who is your target audience?
What platforms will you be using?
Do you want to prioritize static or video content?
What value propositions or messaging are you trying to highlight?
Does partnering with influencers make sense for this campaign?

Determining the right audience, channels, and messaging is crucial for developing strong UGC. For example, younger audiences will connect better with trending TikTok-style content, whereas older demographics may respond better to testimonial videos. The best UGC blends seamlessly into what users already see on their social media feeds.

Research viral content formats and see if they would work for your brand: unboxing videos, GRWM, hauls, day-in-the-life vlogs, ASMR — all the inspiration you need is on social media.

Depending on your messaging and target audience, partnering with influencers can provide social proof, expand your reach, and drive higher engagement. The key is collaborating with influencers whose values align with your brand, ensuring the partnership feels natural to their audience.

Step 2: Content Creation and Collection

Now that you’ve established your objectives, it’s time to source the most suitable UGC content for your campaign.

Creating UGC content can be as simple as taking a picture or video of a product with your phone. To get the best results, our UGC experts recommend:

Using bright, natural lighting.
Positioning the product in a realistic setting.
Featuring handheld shots to showcase the product more naturally.
Avoiding overly branded scripts or messaging and leaning into more casual language.
Utilizing strong hooks and CTAs to grab users’ attention.

Although it can be simple to create yourself, outsourcing UGC content is also a great option. Partnering with influencers, creators, and UGC agencies, like GeistM, allows the experts to handle creative, so you can focus on running the ads.

Another way to collect UGC is by tapping directly into your users. Many consumers organically post about the brands they love, which you can directly recycle for ads. Ensure you get users’ permission, and then you can build a comprehensive library of authentic content.

Step 3: Implementation and Management

After building your collection of UGC, now you need to figure out the best way to distribute and manage it. We recommend testing various styles across platforms, then doubling down on what’s working best.

One UGC video can be repurposed into countless ads with different music, voiceovers, and messaging. Experiment with positive vs. negative messaging and feed vs. story placements to see where your content drives the most engagement. You can also tap into AI tools to change the backgrounds of images and create lifelike voiceovers, instantly.

Once your content is live, watch the engagement levels and comment sections closely. How are users reacting to your content? This can serve as a direct feedback loop to optimize assets and an opportunity to respond to users’ questions. Understanding the sentiment within your comment section can help you build more informed content in the future.

And if you’ve spent all this time and effort developing UGC, but it doesn’t end up performing well, here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Adhering to strict brand guidelines (ends up feeling sponsored and inauthentic).
Forgetting to tailor content for each platform — adjusting captions, video length, and aspect ratios for appropriate channels, and following the platform safe zones (where your text will get cut off).
Not designing for sound-off — utilize captions.
Not including a strong hook or showing the product within the first 3 seconds.

To recap…

UGC Drives Results: User-generated content generates 4x higher click-through rates than traditional brand ads.

Start with Clear Objectives: Define your campaign goals, audience, platforms, and messaging before creating and collecting content.

UGC Content Should Feel Natural: Platform-specific content that feels native will resonate better with users. Utilize natural lighting, realistic settings, and trending formats. and strong hooks for maximum engagement.

Test, Adapt, Optimize: Experiment with different styles and formats, repurpose content across platforms, and closely monitor engagement for future optimizations.

Why You Need GeistM

At GeistM, we’re a performance marketing agency specializing in high-impact, authentic UGC, crafted end-to-end by our in-house creative experts. Not only do we produce scroll-stopping content, but our paid-social strategists integrate it into optimized campaigns that deliver measurable results.

You don’t have to juggle it all yourself. Partner with GeistM, and we’ll transform your static visuals into genuine, conversion-driving UGC—so you can focus on growing your business while we fuel your next wave of growth and engagement.

Written by: Simon Kuflik

Reinventing Ad Tech: Moving Away from Data Exploitation Toward Consumer Empowerment

Written by nitantialur

Apr 24, 2025Oct 8, 2025

The digital advertising landscape has long been dominated by a few key players who leverage vast amounts of personal data to serve highly targeted ads. While these targeted ads can be effective, they come at a cost, both to consumer privacy and the broader trust between advertisers and their audiences. Now, however, a transformative shift is underway—one that prioritizes individual rights and transparency over unchecked data harvesting. It could change the very foundation of ad tech.

The Data-Driven Dilemma

The current ad tech ecosystem is built on a system of data extraction and exploitation. Advertisers collect personal data from users, often without explicit consent, and use it to make highly detailed profiles for targeting purposes. While this has driven the success of giants like Google and Facebook, it has also sparked widespread concerns about privacy violations, manipulation, and a lack of transparency.

Consumers are increasingly aware that they are the product being sold to advertisers. According to a report, over 70% of people find personalized ads invasive, and many have expressed discomfort with the idea of companies knowing more about them than they’re willing to share. This rising skepticism signals a breaking point. As a result, people seek alternatives to traditional ad models—ones that respect their privacy and put them in control.

Consumer-Centric Ad Tech: A New Era

This growing demand for privacy-respecting alternatives is driving innovation in ad tech. New business models are emerging that place the power back in the hands of consumers, giving them more control over what data is shared and how ads are served. One of the most promising developments in this space is the rise of blockchain-based advertising solutions.

Blockchain technology, with its decentralized nature, offers a transparent and secure way to handle data. It allows consumers to control access to their personal data, enabling them to decide which brands can use it for advertising purposes. This protects user privacy and fosters mutual trust between consumers and brands. By allowing consumers to directly opt-in to data sharing, brands can ensure that their marketing efforts are transparent and ethical, which could lead to stronger relationships with their audience.

The Role of the Consumer in Ad Tech’s Future

In this new paradigm, the consumer is no longer just a passive recipient of ads. Instead, they actively participate in the advertising ecosystem, selecting which brands they wish to engage with and monetizing their own data. This shift could pave the way for a more sustainable and ethical ad tech landscape, where advertisers are held accountable for the data they collect and how they use it.

But the benefits of consumer-centric ad tech go beyond just privacy. When consumers have control over their data, they’re more likely to engage with relevant ads and feel less resentful about being marketed to. The result? Better user experiences, increased engagement, and smarter ad spend. This leads to more positive experiences and more efficient ad spend for brands.

The Future of Ad Tech: Empowering Consumers

Advertisers must adapt to the changes accompanying them as the digital advertising industry shifts toward more transparent and consumer-driven models. Rather than relying on invasive tracking and data manipulation, they’ll need to focus on building authentic relationships with their audience. Success in the next era of ad tech will depend on empathy, ethics, and empowerment. By respecting consumer privacy and empowering them to control their data, the ad tech industry can rebuild the trust it has lost in recent years.

This shift will require rethinking how ads are served, how consumer data is collected, and how ad revenue is distributed. But in the end, it promises a more ethical, transparent, and consumer-friendly ad ecosystem. The future of advertising lies not in exploiting data, but in empowering consumers to control their digital experiences.

GeistM: Leading the Charge in Ethical Ad Innovation

At GeistM, we embrace transparency, consumer empowerment, and ethical data practices as the foundation of our performance marketing approach. We’ve built a reputation for creating meaningful brand-to-consumer connections without relying on intrusive data tactics.

By leveraging third-party content strategies and respecting user privacy, we deliver personalized, performance-driven campaigns that resonate with today’s privacy-conscious digital audiences. GeistM leads by example as the industry evolves—proving that exceptional marketing results can be achieved through trust, integrity, and putting consumers first.

Authenticity in Sponsored Content: Key to Building Trust, Engagement, and Driving Conversions

Written by nitantialur

Apr 23, 2025Oct 8, 2025

Sponsored content is one of the best ways to combine storytelling with performance marketing.

Designed to educate and entertain while promoting your product or service, sponsored content has become a staple of modern brand strategy, particularly for marketers navigating the increasingly blurred lines between traditional and digital advertising.

With feeds flooded by influencer marketing, branded content, and ads at every scroll, authenticity is the only way to stand out.

Why Authenticity is Key to Sponsored Content Success

Authenticity isn’t just a buzzword. In a landscape flooded with clickbait and overselling, today’s digital users are more attuned than ever to content that feels off. That’s why brands investing in content marketing campaigns must focus on realness — not just reach.

At GeistM, we believe authenticity starts with truly knowing your audience. We tailor each piece of content to align with specific demographics’ tone, interests, and expectations, using past engagement data to understand what actually resonates.

Whether we’re creating content for Gen Z beauty buyers or B2B tech decision-makers, our approach ensures the message feels organic and relatable, not forced.

The Role of Branding and Storytelling

Brand storytelling is the glue that turns authenticity into an effective marketing strategy. Instead of leading with the product, we lead with a story that mirrors the audience’s challenges, aspirations, or interests. This helps the brand message emerge as a genuine solution, creating a more emotional connection with readers.

When done right, storytelling turns sponsored content from a pitch into a relatable experience. It elevates brand perception and builds trust, two key drivers of long-term customer loyalty and improved content marketing ROI. This process isn’t just about a single campaign — it’s about building long-term relationships with your audience by consistently creating authentic, relatable content.

The Common Pitfalls in Sponsored Content

Here are a few traps we’ve seen brands fall into:

Overt promotion: If it reads too salesy, users will scroll past it.
Tone or brand mismatch: Audiences can quickly spot when content doesn’t align with the platform or publisher — it feels off and breaks trust.
Lack of value: Content that doesn’t inform, entertain, or solve a problem instantly loses value.
Ignoring data: Failing to use performance insights to improve future campaigns wastes time and budget.
Inconsistent messaging across the funnel: When the story or tone shifts between touchpoints, it feels inauthentic, and audiences pick up on it fast. Authenticity means a consistent, genuine experience from first touch to final conversion.

Best Practices for Achieving the Right Balance

To strike the right balance between branded messaging and reader value…

We lead with a relatable story — starting with a moment or challenge the audience connects to, then showing how the product naturally fits in.
We focus on insights, not product features — speaking to what the audience cares about, not just what the brand wants to say.
We match the editorial voice of the publisher or platform — so the content feels native, trustworthy, and engaging from the first sentence.
We prioritize visual storytelling and organic design — ensuring the experience feels seamless, not salesy.
We embed clear, relevant calls to action — always helpful, never pushy.
We test and iterate constantly — using real engagement data to optimize performance and drive results.

The GeistM Method

At GeistM, we’ve run thousands of sponsored content campaigns across multiple verticals — from personal finance to fashion & beauty, food & beverage to sports & entertainment.

Our process is creatively driven and performance-optimized. At the core, it all comes down to data-informed relatability.

Audience Mapping & Insights

Each campaign begins with deep audience mapping and a historical performance review. Having run thousands of campaigns and worked with hundreds of brands, we leverage this wealth of historical data to inform our best practices.

We analyze performance from brands within the same vertical and target demographic to understand which angles, tones, and CTAs have resonated. This ensures that each new piece of content is not just informed by past insights but also uniquely tailored to maintain its relevance and connection with the audience. This approach allows us to create original content that feels relatable and engaging, fostering long-term trust with the audience.

Third-Party Validation

What sets us apart is how we present that content. By publishing through one of our trusted publisher channels and driving traffic via our social handles, we ensure the message feels like it’s coming from a third-party perspective, maintaining authenticity and avoiding the obvious “branded” feel. This builds audience trust, as the content feels more like a recommendation from a trusted source than an overt advertisement.

Transparency in Sponsored Content

In the age of ethical advertising, we ensure that every piece of sponsored content we create is fully disclosed to readers in a manner consistent with platform guidelines. We maintain transparency while ensuring it is woven seamlessly into the user experience, so it never feels like an overt advertisement. This transparency helps preserve trust and allows the content to remain authentic, without compromising the integrity of the audience’s experience.

Testing & Optimization

Our in-house technology, Blackfire, allows us to A/B test front-end creatives in real-time and quickly identify when something isn’t resonating with your audience. Through this testing, we can rapidly adjust messaging to find what works best.

We also continuously optimize mid-funnel content by analyzing user behavior via heat maps, scroll depth, and bounce rates — to pinpoint which parts of the content are resonating and which aren’t. This iterative, intelligent approach ensures that every touchpoint engages authentically with your audience and improves post-campaign insights for future strategy.

We’re hands-on throughout the process, dedicating time and attention to continuously monitor and adjust, so that every dollar spent drives real value.

In Summary

In a digital landscape saturated with content, authenticity is no longer optional — it’s critical. Sponsored content, when done right, is a powerful tool that combines storytelling, strategic branding, and data-driven optimization to create genuine, relatable experiences that build long-term relationships with audiences.

At GeistM, our in-house content and creative team takes a hands-on approach to ensure every campaign feels authentic, leveraging our deep audience insights, third-party validation, and real-time testing to fine-tune every detail. We’re committed to ethical advertising practices, ensuring full transparency while keeping the content seamless and organic.

By continuously optimizing throughout the funnel, we maximize the impact of each touchpoint, ensuring that your budget drives real value and resonates with your audience.

Ready to elevate your sponsored content strategy with relatable content that converts? GeistM’s method is designed to deliver authentic, high-impact campaigns. Get in touch today to see how we can help your brand connect with its audience.

Written by: Emma McHugh

Beyond AI: The Human Element in Digital Marketing and Advertising

Written by nitantialur

Apr 17, 2025Oct 8, 2025

As artificial intelligence continues to make strides in digital marketing, many believe it will eventually replace the human touch in advertising altogether. But while AI can analyze data, predict behavior, and even automate certain ad placements, it cannot replicate the one thing that remains central to effective marketing: human connection.

The Limitations of AI in Building Trust

Consumers value authenticity. There’s a growing awareness of how AI-driven ads can feel disingenuous. A recommendation from a bot simply lacks the nuance and emotional weight of advice from a trusted friend or fellow human. AI can suggest products based on algorithms, but it cannot tap into the deeper emotional triggers that influence purchasing decisions. Humans understand context, empathy, and the importance of trust in relationships – elements that AI, as sophisticated as it is, cannot replicate.

Take influencers, for example. Their authenticity and relatability are key reasons why they’ve become such powerful figures in digital marketing. When an influencer recommends a product, they’re often seen as a friend or peer offering honest advice. Their audience trusts them because of the genuine human-centered interactions they foster, not because a machine generated a recommendation based on data points.

AI is a Tool, Not a Replacement

Instead of replacing the human element, AI should be viewed as a tool that can support and empower marketers to connect with their audience on a deeper level. AI can streamline the process of identifying target demographics, analyzing consumer behavior, and providing insights that were previously time-consuming to gather.

But at the end of the day, it’s the emotional resonance and authenticity of the human touch that fosters long-term relationships with customers.

Marketers should focus on using AI to enhance the personalization of their ads while retaining the core of human-driven marketing – the ability to build trust. For example, AI can be used to identify which products are most likely to appeal to a specific audience, but it’s up to the marketer to craft compelling narratives and messages that truly connect on a personal level.

The Future of Advertising: Collaboration Between Humans and AI

Moving forward, the most successful advertising strategies will be those that combine the best of both worlds: AI’s efficiency and data processing power, alongside human creativity and emotional intelligence.

As AI continues to evolve, the role of the marketer will shift from being a purely analytical decision-maker to a creative leader who knows how to use AI’s insights to craft meaningful and engaging ads.

By blending human intuition with AI-driven insights, advertisers can create campaigns that feel more personalized, authentic, and ultimately, more effective. The future of digital marketing isn’t about replacing humans with machines – it’s about how they can work together to deliver more powerful, personalized, and trustworthy advertising experiences.

Why GeistM is Built for This New Era

With years of experience driving performance and building brands, we understand that successful marketing is rooted in emotion, storytelling, and connection. Our in-house creative team specializes in crafting personalized, compelling content that resonates with audiences—something AI can’t fully replicate. Built on transparency, authenticity, and trust, we ensure your messaging feels real and connects on a deeply human level.

At GeistM, we’re not trying to replace the human touch with AI—we’re using AI to amplify our human expertise. That’s what sets us apart, and that’s why we’re the right partner for brands looking to thrive in this new marketing landscape.

Looking Back at 2025 — What Actually Happened

1. Influencer Marketing 2026: The Creator Economy Matures

2. Digital Marketing Strategies 2026: Loyalty Outperforms Acquisition

3. Performance Marketing Trends 2026: Privacy, First-Party Data & Clean Rooms

4. Retail & Commerce Media Take Centre Stage

5. Content Marketing Trends 2026: Shoppable Everything

6. AI in Marketing 2026: From Tools to Agents

7. Optimising for AI Assistants & Voice Search

8. Measurement Reset: Incrementality over Attribution

9. Ad Spend Outlook & Media Inflation

Key Takeaways for 2026 Marketing

1. Leverage Early Holiday Shopping and Record E-Commerce Growth

2. Optimize for Mobile Shopping: The Rise of M-Commerce

3. Full-Funnel Marketing: Engage Consumers from Discovery to Purchase

4. Personalization: Meeting Consumer Expectations for Tailored Experiences

5. Embrace Sustainability and Ethical Marketing

6. Maximize the Power of Short-Form Video and Live Shopping

7. Capitalize on New Year’s Resolutions and Wellness Trends

8. Utilize Data-Driven Insights for Predictive Campaigns

How GeistM Can Elevate Your Holiday Marketing

FAQs: Holiday Marketing Strategies for 2025/2026

Pitfall 1: Waiting Too Late to Start Your Black Friday Campaigns

Pitfall 2: Targeting Too Broadly and Ignoring Audience Segmentation

Pitfall 3: Using Generic, Discount-Heavy Creative That Fails to Engage

Pitfall 4: Skipping Content Marketing to Warm Up Audiences

Pitfall 5: Network diversification

Pitfall 6: Optimizations

Pitfall 7: Neglecting Deep Post-Campaign Analysis to Inform Future Strategies

Conclusion

The Challenge: Balancing Growth with Cost Control

What is Paid Social Advertising?

Whitelisting: The Editorial Edge

Why This Combo Works: Acquisition Meets Efficiency

1. Higher Engagement Rates

2. Lower CAC

3. Scalable Testing

4. Extended Reach

5. Improved ROI

Tips for Brands Looking to Leverage This Strategy

Final Thoughts

Written by: Marc DeMattie

Best Ads of April – May 2025

Best Ads – Honorable Mentions:

The Ordinary

Surreal Cereal

Best Ads of April – May: Runner Up

Lucky Energy Drink

Best Ads of April – May: WINNER

Bebax Coffee

Final Thoughts

Written by: Emma McHugh

1. Having the Correct Purchase Funnel

2. Neglecting Your Creative Strategy

3. Poor Tracking & Attribution

4. Targeting Too Broad (or Too Narrow)

5. Over-Reliance on One Channel

How GeistM Reengineers Your Marketing Performance

Written by: Brent Barnhart

Step 1: Setting Objectives

Step 2: Content Creation and Collection

Step 3: Implementation and Management

To recap…

Why You Need GeistM

Written by: Simon Kuflik

The Data-Driven Dilemma

Consumer-Centric Ad Tech: A New Era

The Role of the Consumer in Ad Tech’s Future

The Future of Ad Tech: Empowering Consumers

GeistM: Leading the Charge in Ethical Ad Innovation

Why Authenticity is Key to Sponsored Content Success

The Role of Branding and Storytelling

The Common Pitfalls in Sponsored Content

Best Practices for Achieving the Right Balance

The GeistM Method

Audience Mapping & Insights

Third-Party Validation

Transparency in Sponsored Content

Testing & Optimization

In Summary

Written by: Emma McHugh