What is Sponsored Content?

Sponsored content, sometimes referred to as advertorials, is a collaborative form of advertising in which a brand partners with a publisher to create content that resembles the publisher’s usual editorial style. According to Indeed, unlike traditional ads that stand apart from editorial content, sponsored posts blend seamlessly with the surrounding material, offering value to the audience while subtly promoting the sponsor’s message.

Brands often leverage sponsored content to extend their reach and connect with new or niche audiences. This approach is also beneficial for individuals or influencers seeking to enhance their credibility, as it combines paid promotion with authentic-seeming content that resonates with readers?.

Sponsored Content Vs. Organic Content Performance

It’s been several years since the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) began requiring influencers and publishers to label sponsored content with tags like “#Ad” or “#Sponsored.” At first, many marketers worried these requirements might reduce engagement, assuming audiences would ignore content clearly marked as an ad.

Now, however, we know that these labels don’t harm performance. Research from sources like Influencer Intelligence reveals that, as long as the content feels authentic, relevant, and aligns with the publisher’s typical material, audiences engage just as much with sponsored posts as they do with organic ones.

In fact, high-quality sponsored content — especially when it’s produced collaboratively and offers genuine value — can foster trust and resonate deeply with audiences.

This finding reflects an industry-wide understanding that rather than having a negative effect on engagement, paid and sponsored posts can even enhance credibility when brands prioritize quality and meaningful storytelling in their sponsored content.

The Benefits Of Using Sponsored Content In Your Content Marketing Strategy

Sponsored content offers a range of strategic benefits for brands looking to connect with audiences more effectively. Here are some key advantages:

1. Trust and Credibility Building: 

Sponsored content leverages the credibility of established publishers, allowing brands to benefit from the trust that audiences already place in these platforms. This “borrowed trust” can significantly enhance a brand’s reputation, making it more approachable for audiences who might otherwise be skeptical of direct advertising, according to McClatchy.

2. Enhanced Storytelling for Deeper Engagement: 

Sponsored content often aligns with the publisher’s editorial style, allowing brands to tell authentic, memorable stories that connect on an emotional level. LinkedIn explains that this narrative approach fosters richer engagement than traditional ads, as audiences feel they’re engaging with content that resonates rather than a sales pitch.

3. Clear ROI and Optimized Tracking: 

One of the main advantages of digital sponsored content is the transparency it offers, with brands able to track clicks, leads, and sales, providing a clear view of ROI. Hootsuite highlights that this insight enables data-driven adjustments in real-time, optimizing campaigns and budgets for better returns.

4. Longer and Less Intrusive Exposure: 

Unlike traditional ads — which many viewers find intrusive — sponsored content blends naturally into the user experience, giving brands longer exposure without causing ad fatigue or annoyance. This seamless integration encourages positive associations with the brand.

5. Precise Targeting and Broader Reach: 

As Hootsuite points out, Sponsored content on social platforms enables brands to target audiences with exceptional precision, reaching specific demographics and behaviors that would be harder to access through conventional channels. Brands can also use lookalike audiences to reach larger, highly relevant groups, enhancing visibility and influence.

Conclusion

In today’s digital landscape, sponsored content has evolved into a powerful tool for brands to expand reach, build credibility, and foster engagement in ways that traditional advertising cannot. By prioritizing high-quality storytelling, precise targeting, and seamless integration, brands can achieve meaningful and measurable outcomes through sponsored content.

At GeistM, we specialize in creating exceptional sponsored content through our extensive publisher network and talented team of content creators. Contact us today to discover how we can help elevate your brand’s presence and connect with your audience in impactful ways.

Businesses constantly seek ways to optimize their marketing efforts and ensure that every dollar spent yields measurable results. That’s where performance marketing comes in. 

What is performance marketing? 

According to Medium, “Performance marketing is a digital strategy where advertisers pay only when specific actions are completed. These actions can include clicks, leads, sales, or other measurable results.”

Other forms of marketing usually ask businesses to pay upfront without guaranteeing results; that is where performance marketing stands out. It’s no wonder performance marketing is quickly becoming the go-to approach for businesses looking to maximize efficiency and ROI in their campaigns.

How does performance marketing work?

For performance marketing to work efficiently, the interests of both advertisers and marketing partners need to be aligned. A successful performance marketing strategy involves the following:

• Set clear objectives: The advertisers need to have clear goals – Leads, sales, and how much they are willing to pay for specific actions.
• Pick your networks: With performance marketing, many different networks are available. But remember to be open to exploring new opportunities suggested by the advertisers. 
• Track actions: Performance marketing relies heavily on data analytics to track and measure how users interact with your campaign — where they drop off and what makes them convert. 
• Get started: Create launch plans, make engaging ads, keep track of optimizations to make them perform better, and finally pay for the outcomes. 

Who are the leading players in performance marketing? 

Retailers

This includes both B2C and B2B businesses that are looking to promote their products or services through partners or publishers. Big Commerce states, “49% of consumers depend on influencer (via publishers) recommendations to purchase.” So, retailers who work with performance marketing agencies drive huge sales. 

Publishers

Publishers come in many forms, such as blogs, apps, product reviews, and more. Essentially, these act as an extension of the brand and have much more freedom than the brand itself. Here at GeistM, our in-house content and creative team helps create content to inform and educate consumers about the brand. In addition, we host this content across our network of publishers, fostering greater trust with users by providing valuable information in a familiar and reliable environment. 

Tracking

Tracking platforms are essential for both retailers and publishers — they are a one-stop shop for information. Setting up tracking is the perfect way to keep track of leads, users, conversations, and overall campaign performance. 

If you don’t use a third-party tracking system, our analysts at GeistM have the expertise to set up performance tracking and make the right optimizations to maximize your ROI. 

What are the different KPIs?

Depending on your needed outcomes, there are a few different methods: 

• Cost per Click (CPC): Advertisers pay every time a consumer clicks on the ad. 
• Cost per Lead (CPL): When payment is made each time a user completes a form of signs up — popular for apps or monthly subscriptions
• Cost per Acquisition (CPA): Highly effective for e-commerce businesses looking to drive sales and only pay when consumers make a purchase.
• Cost per Mille (CPM): Mainly when advertisers pay for every 1,000 impressions of their ad. It’s mainly used for brand awareness campaigns.
• Life Time Value (LTV): This is not a payment metric but measures the lifetime relationship between the retailer and users.

What are the main types of performance marketing?

Performance marketing goes beyond ads; it focuses on various areas.

Sponsored Content 

Sponsored content is a form of content marketing where a dedicated article or video is featured on a website that regularly publishes content. Unlike traditional ads, sponsored content seamlessly blends with the surrounding editorial material, offering value to readers while subtly promoting a product or service. Users typically land on these articles through external ad links, and retailers pay for the content to be created, hence the term “sponsored content.”

At GeistM, we specialize in crafting high-quality sponsored content hosted on our trusted network of publishers. Our team creates engaging, informative content designed to educate consumers about products, helping them make well-informed purchasing decisions. By combining educational value with strategic promotion, we ensure that sponsored content resonates with readers while aligning with brand goals.

Affiliate Marketing

This is a type of digital marketing where businesses partner with individuals or companies (affiliates) to promote their products or services. They earn a commission for driving traffic or sales through their unique referral links, often through blogs, websites, or social media channels. 

Native Advertising

This form of advertising doesn’t look like a typical ad; it can be banners or display ads. They can be neutral and function on any site that they are placed on. They fit “natively” on the page and can be dynamically based on each user viewing the content. 

Several different native networks facilitate these kinds of ads. Here at GeistM, we are experts at advertising on native networks such as Outbrain and Taboola. We manage everything for our clients on these networks straight from Kick-Off, with daily reporting, constant communication, and detailed insights. 

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

SEM is a strategy that promotes websites by increasing their visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) through paid advertising. Advertisers bid on keywords relevant to their business and pay only when users click on their ads. At GeistM, we create result-oriented strategies tailored to our partners’ needs. We take the time to understand your business, perform our due diligence on competitors, and analyze all the data necessary to ensure we have everything we need to achieve your goals. Plus, since we use a third-party site (not the brand site), we have more freedom regarding brand promotion.   

Social Media Marketing 

We’ve all heard of social media marketing, which is when we use social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to gain traffic and increase brand awareness. We know that advertising across more networks is better; you can’t just stick to one. We specifically write content that is catered to each network and succeed in optimizing campaigns for them. 

At GeistM, we maximize media spending and strategically collaborate with a diverse range of partners to secure lower rates, providing unparalleled opportunities for testing and optimization. This approach delivers real value by enabling more efficient experimentation and quicker scaling across platforms, helping brands accelerate growth while optimizing performance.

What are the benefits of performance marketing?

Performance marketing is the future of digital marketing, and here are a few of the benefits.

• Pay for results: As retailers, you only pay when you see results and not in the hopes of potentially getting a client after seeing an ad
• Trackable Performance: It’s completely measurable and transparent. Brands can now see the entire click-to-consume path of each buyer. 
• Targeted Audience Reach: With performance marketing, campaigns are typically hyper-targeted, allowing you to reach specific audiences based on demographics, behaviors, interests, and more. 
• Scalability: As you find winning campaigns and strategies, you can increase your spend in those areas to drive even more conversions.
• Real-Time Optimization: Because performance marketing relies heavily on data, you can monitor results in real time and make adjustments on the fly. This means you can continuously optimize your campaigns to improve performance and maximize ROI.

Why GeistM is the Performance Marketing Agency You Need

Since performance marketing is growing exponentially, there are lots of agencies that offer it. But here at GeistM, we are experts at it. Our in-house content team is designed to create content and graphics that attract users and create conversions. And let’s not forget about our growth team that continuously tracks performance and optimizes campaigns to ensure your brand succeeds. 

We are a team that’s always innovating and thinking outside the box regarding how we create content, the graphics we use, and the audiences we create — we understand the user journey and know what makes them convert.

Are you ready to get started with performance marketing? Contact GeistM today!

Written By: Nitanti Alur

As marketers, we eat, sleep, and breathe creativity. Every day, we’re surrounded by ads and campaigns that push the boundaries of innovation, storytelling, and strategy. We’re always on the hunt for ads of all formats that make us say, “Wow, I wish I’d thought of that!”

Once a month, we take a step back to appreciate the ads that stood out to us the most. Our team shares their top finds from “the wild” and we all vote to determine our ultimate favorite.

Now, we’re excited to share our top picks from Q3 2024. These ads not only impressed us but inspired ideas and set the bar even higher for what’s possible in marketing. 

So, without further ado, let’s dive into our selections—keep scrolling to see which ad came out on top every month, or skip to

• Best July Ads 2024
• Best August Ads 2024
• Best September Ads 2024

Our Favorite Ads from July 2024

First, let’s cover some honorable mentions:

Chicken Of The Sea

As millennials, we’ll always remember the 2003 reality TV moment when Jessica Simpson mistook tuna for chicken because of the brand name “Chicken of the Sea.” Now, 21 years later, this ad humorously revisits that iconic mix-up with the help of her daughter, Maxwell.

Love Holidays

We love this ad because it cleverly combines the power of positive reviews with a fun twist on a classic saying, making it both memorable and trustworthy. It’s a smart way to show that Loveholidays is all about happy customers.

Surreal Cereal

This one stood out because it speaks directly to us as marketers, hooking us with the bold “ROI” and then delivering a cheeky, unexpected punchline about cereal. It’s a super smart and playful way to grab attention while connecting with a target audience that appreciates a bit of humor.

Best Ad Runner Up:

Marc Jacobs x Nara Smith

@marcjacobs

The Tote Bag, made from scratch by @Nara Smith

? original sound – marcjacobs

This one perfectly blends Nara Smith’s creative flair with Marc Jacobs’ brand, making it feel fresh, fun, and completely on-trend. Not to mention the clever concept of “baking” a tote bag from scratch is captivating, hilarious, and totally unexpected. This ad nails the TikTok vibe.

Best Ad WINNER

Skin1004 SPF

@skin1004_official

No Skipping SPFs EVERYDAY!!! ; ) #skin1004 #centella #kbeauty #koreanskincare #skintok #glowyskin #glassskin #skincaretips #fyp #sunscreen #trustfall #spf

? original sound – SKIN1004 Official – SKIN1004 US

Now for our winner. This one combines the viral trust fall trend, with the “trust no man” saying. What makes it hilarious is the sound of him landing on the floor while she starts talking about why you should only trust SPF to protect you. The contrast between the physical comedy of the trust fall and the serious message about sun protection creates a memorable and amusing moment. 

Our Favorite Ads from August 2024

Honorable mentions from August:

WeTransfer

We love this ad because its serious appearance and hook that catches your attention. After reading a few sentences, you realize it’s a joke, which makes you want to keep reading. This ad cleverly turns an ongoing user frustration—expired links—into an inside joke between the brand and its users. By framing the update as a satirical “break-up” post, WeTransfer makes the audience feel understood in a humorous way. It’s an attention-grabbing, relatable way to connect with users while addressing a common pain point.

Best Ad Runner Up – August: Heinz x Marvel

We love how this ad mashes up two totally unrelated things—superheroes and condiments. It’s a fun, pop culture-meets-food pairing that you can’t help but remember. The trendy ‘can’t unsee it’ line sticks in your mind, keeping Heinz top-of-mind in a clever way. Plus, this campaign coincided perfectly with the movie launch, boosting its popularity even further.

Best Ad in August WINNER

Dentistry

We love this ad because it uses silly humor to grab attention. Immediately, your focus goes to the man’s missing tooth, even though he is, in fact, missing an eyebrow too! This makes the message of how important dentistry is witty, powerful, and extremely effective

Our Favorite Ads from September 2024

Honorable mentions from September

Kitkat

This is a brilliant example of how design can enhance a message. The KitKat bar fits perfectly into the visual structure of a calendar, which is very recognizable to us as marketers! It reinforces the product’s “take a break” slogan in a clever, visually satisfying way while resonating with the target audience of overworked professionals.

Best Ad Runner Up – September

Purple Mattress

This ad uses humor and an unexpected twist to grab attention while demonstrating the product’s key selling point: irresistible comfort. The narrative of robbers and cops falling asleep on the mattress is playful, memorable, and communicates the mattress’s ability to make anyone fall asleep instantly. The ad also highlights the Purple Mattress’s unique features in a fun and engaging way, making the product seem so good that even in a high-stakes moment, sleep wins.

Best Ad (or email marketing) WINNER in September

Get Phyllo

We’re obsessed with this creative and personal email from GetPhyllo. The meme format breaks the usual cold-email monotony, making it memorable and engaging. By using humour and a personal touch, GetPhyllo makes their outreach feel human, helping to create a connection with the recipient rather than just a typical sales pitch.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our roundup of the best ads from Q3 2024! Each campaign showcased here brought something unique to the table, from playful humor to inventive storytelling. Make sure to check back next month for a fresh selection of our top ads of 2024.

Written By: Emma McHugh

Digital marketing is ever-changing, and understanding the mechanics behind Meta’s advertising metrics — like CPM, CPC, and CTR — can be the difference between a successful campaign and an unsuccessful one. 

If you’re reading this, you probably use these matrices every day. But in case you need a refresher, here’s a summary of what they mean: 

CPM

It stands for Cost Per Mille, or as we refer to it, Cost Per Thousand. It represents the cost marketers will pay for every thousand digital ad impressions. These impressions occur every time an ad is displayed on a user’s screen, regardless of whether they interact with it.

CPC

Cost Per Click determines how much we pay as advertisers for the ads placed on websites and social media based on the number of clicks the ads receive. This is also known as PPC (pay-per-click). 

CTR

Click-through rate, summarized by Investopedia, is “the percentage of individuals viewing a web page who view and then click on a specific advertisement that appears on that page. Click-through rates measure how successful an ad has been in capturing users’ attention. The higher the click-through rate, the more successful the ad has been in generating interest.”

Now that we have a slight refresher on key metrics, here are the CPM, CPC, and CTR rate trends that the GeistM analysts uncovered during Q3 of 2024: 

• Mid August 2024
• End August 2024
• Mid September 2024
• End September 2024
• How GeistM Can Help

Mid August 2024 (1st -15th)

Meta CPMs

Key Takeaways:

• GeistM analysts saw a 5% decrease in CPMs at the beginning of August
• The Food & Beverage vertical saw the most significant drop in CPMs at -25%
• The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the most considerable increase of 38%.

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• GeistM analysts noted an 11% decrease in CPCs
• The Fashion & Beauty vertical saw the most significant reduction at -22%
• The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the most considerable increase of 14%.

Meta CTRs 

Key Takeaways:

• During the 1st half of August, GeistM analysts identified a 6% decrease in CTRs overall
• The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the largest increase at 21%
• The Food & Beverage vertical encountered the largest CTR decrease at -26%.

Here’s what GeistM Senior Growth Analyst, Matthew, had to say regarding these changes, and his predictions for the remainder of August:

“I have noticed an ebb and flow pattern for CPMs, CPCs, and CTRs during Q2 and Q3. In one period (half a month), the metrics will all improve at once, and in the next period, they will all decline again, and vice versa. It’s less common (though it still happens) for metrics to move in the same direction for two periods in a row.

Prime Day has a major effect on CPMs and CPCs, seeing a jump in the metrics as we approach and go through the sale day and a large drop after the sale is over.

In terms of my predictions, Back-To-School efforts are moving into full swing now, which will likely cause an increase in CPMs during the second half of August.”

End August 2024 (16th – 31st)

Meta CPMs

Key Takeaways:

• GeistM Data Analysts saw a 9% increase in CPMs towards the end of August
• The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the biggest decrease in CPMs at -33%
• The Food & Beverage vertical saw the biggest CPM increase at 24%

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• GeistM Analysts found a 2% increase in CPC at the end of August
• The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the largest CPC decrease of -14%
• A 1% CPC increase was seen in the Food & Beverage vertical

Meta CTRs

Key Takeaways:

• By the End of August the GeistM Data Analysts noticed an 8% increase in CTRs
• The Food & Beverage vertical saw the largest CTR increase of 23%
• The largest decrease came from the Sports & Supplements vertical with -21%

Our Senior Growth Analyst, Matthew, shared his insights on these changes and his expectations for September. 

“CPMs and CPCs both increased. With the majority of Verticals seeing a sizable scale in spend, we noted an increase in all rates.

We need to keep an eye out on performance during Q4. Costs may rise around this fall season going into the Election Day period and we’ll see consumer spending rise as well with Black Friday Cyber-Monday Promo Period conversations.”

Mid September 2024 (1st -15th)

Meta CPMs

Key Takeaways:

• GeistM analysts noticed that CPMs remained stable in the first half of September
• The Sports & Supplements vertical saw the largest drop in CPMs at -14%
• The International vertical noted the biggest increase of 3%

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• An increase of 4% was seen in CPCs during the first half of September by the GeistM analysts
• The Home & Family vertical saw the largest decrease of -11%
• While the largest increase of +21% was seen by the Food & Beverage vertical

Meta CTRs

Key Takeaways:

• GeistM analysts saw CTRs decrease by -4% during the first half of September
• The Home & Family vertical saw the largest increase of 15%
• The Food & Beverage vertical encountered the largest decrease in CTRs of -19%

Here’s what our Growth Analyst, Cher Chen had to say about these shifts in trends and what might happen towards the end of September 

“CPMs and CPCs both increased slightly. 

The Moments to look out for heading into spooky season are Columbus Day, Halloween, Election Day period, Thanksgiving, Black Friday Cyber-Monday Promo Period. 

With many accounts starting to run promos & varying spend levels in October, it is essential to put spend where it’s most cost-efficient!”

End September 2024 (16th – 30th)

Meta CPMs

Key Takeaways:

• GeistM analysts noticed stable levels of CPMs in the second half of September
• The Health & Wellness vertical saw the largest drop in CPMs at -7%
• The Fashion & Beauty vertical noted the biggest increase, with +16% in CPMs

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• Our analysts noted an 11% increase in CPCs
• The Health & Wellness vertical noticed the largest decrease of -10%
• The Fashion & Beauty vertical had the most significant increase of +34%

Meta CTRs

Key Takeaways:

• We noticed an 11% decrease in CTRs at the end of September
• The Sports & Supplements vertical noticed the largest increase of 7%
• The latest decrease of -19% was noticed by the Food & Beverage vertical

Here’s what Mathew, our Senior Growth Analyst, had to say about these trend shifts and what we need to keep an eye out for in October. 

“Overall CPMs increased 0.91%, with the Fashion & Beauty vertical seeing the largest increase in PoP at 16%.

Moments to look out for heading into spooky season: Amazon Prime Day, Columbus Day, Halloween, Election Day period, Thanksgiving, Black Friday Cyber-Monday Promo Period.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to over-communicate in Q4 to navigate all projects & decisions.”

GeistM Can Help You Tackle Fluctuating Rate Trends

At GeistM, our paid social marketing analysts closely monitor all metric trends and optimize your campaigns accordingly.

As we move further into the year, partnering with us could be your pivotal step towards mastering Meta’s advertising. Contact us today to learn how we can help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of Meta and beyond.

Written by Nitanti Alur with insights from Matthew Whitaker

Diversifying networks has never been more important for marketers. 

Meta has long been the go-to for digital advertising or even information gathering. But, they’ve had a number of struggles over the last few years, and consumers have been moving to different platforms to get their daily dose of brand knowledge. 

Take Gen Z, for example, who predominantly gathers information from TikTok, with 35% expressing that a potential ban would critically impact their access to information, underscoring the platform’s engaging and interactive nature.

Advertising platforms are subject to shifts due to various demographic preferences and other factors. The unpredictability of networks means that relying solely on one could risk obsolescence. Diversification is not just beneficial; it’s essential for staying relevant in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Essentially, you need a mix of social media advertising and native networks:

What is the difference between social media advertising and native networks?

“Social media marketing is a type of digital marketing that uses social media platforms to promote your brand and offerings to your ideal customers. Your posts will likely include a combination of text, images, videos, and stories that position your brand in a positive light and capture a relevant audience. Depending on your budget and particular goals, social media marketing might also include paid social ads that allow your brand to appear in front of the right people at the right times.”

According to Forbes 

“Native advertising is a paid strategy where ads fit seamlessly with organic content. Users most commonly see them as social media ads in their feeds, but they also appear on blogs and news websites, looking like other editorial posts. Native ads are subtle and use content that better engages users.” 

According to Single Grain

They are both different but also similar in many ways. Hence, the perfect marketing strategy balances the two well — relying on one marketing network simply isn’t enough anymore. 

Here at GeistM, we take that into consideration, offering a range of networks to help diversify your marketing strategy: 

5 Native Networks to Add to Your Marketing Strategy

TikTok

While you might think TikTok is only for GenZ and dance videos, you’d be surprised to find that all age ranges exist on the platform. While 36.2% of their audience falls within the 18-24 age range, forming the majority, it’s crucial not to overlook the 7.9% aged 45-54 and the smaller, yet still significant, 6.2% who are 55 and older.

Although it might be one of the newer platforms, with over 150 million users in the US and an estimated 55.5 million users making purchases through the platform in 2023, TikTok Shop is a great place to make a mark for your brand. 

It’s not just a platform that people doom scroll on. The viral #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt tag shows that it’s a great platform to advertise. In June 2024, the beauty brand, Canvas Beauty, set a TikTok US record with a 6-hour live stream that generated $1 million in sales.

Nextdoor

The neighborhood network is real. You can reach your consumers where they are by targeting them through location, demographic segmentation, and interests. With over 88 million users (known on the platform as “neighbors”), it’s a network with great potential. 

According to Nextdoor, 25% of all conversations involve neighbors asking for recommendations for local businesses. And 79% of customers say they trust online reviews as much as the personal recommendations they receive from those in their network. So, if you can get one neighbor talking about your brand, chances are you can get the whole neighborhood to chime in.

Pinterest

Pinterest is an exciting platform that depends heavily on engagement. Half of its user base considers it a shopping destination, and users save over 1.5 billion Pins across more than 10 million boards every week. 

It’s a platform that relies on visuals, and the more engaging the visual, the better the performance. Plus, its “ready to buy” consumer base is great for traffic and sales for premium products. A study by Pinterest recently showed that “content related to the seasons, holidays, or other everyday moments is incredibly popular on the platform. If your business offers products or services that fall into these categories, you’ll see 10 times more awareness and 22% more sales.”

Taboola

Many of us might not have realized, but Taboola has been around for years — a decade, in fact. It’s one of the most dominant native networks for advertisers, reaching over 1.4 billion unique monthly users. According to data released by Taboola, “it serves a staggering 450 billion content recommendations every month.” 

Taboola excels in advertising, offering robust ad placements and audience targeting options complemented by a user-friendly interface. What truly distinguishes Taboola ads is their credibility. Endorsed by leading publishers such as NBC News and Business Insider, these high-profile affiliations underscore Taboola’s reliability and effectiveness. This makes it an essential tool for anyone looking to enhance their content marketing strategy. 

Outbrain

This independent native advertising platform hosts thousands of publishers, enabling businesses to place native ads across the “open web”—beyond the confines of paid search and social networks. This strategy allows companies to engage with a vast consumer audience directly on their preferred websites, where they are spending increasing amounts of time. 

According to Outbrain, “these ads reach approximately 1 billion consumers each month outside of social media”, offering significant exposure and engagement opportunities. 

When a consumer clicks on a native Outbrain advertisement, they are directed to a content page—be it a blog, video, or product information page—tailored by the advertiser. A well-executed Outbrain native ad can significantly capture and hold people’s attention. In fact, Outbrain reports that native ad campaigns benefit from 28% higher time spent and 180% higher leads.

Why GeistM for Native Advertising? 

Incorporating a diverse range of networks into your marketing mix enhances stability and reach. At GeistM, our growth analysts possess extensive expertise that enables your brand to advertise across multiple networks effectively. We’ve cultivated strong partnerships with these platforms, ensuring a seamless integration of your campaigns.

Moreover, our in-house content and creative team specializes in crafting targeted content uniquely tailored for each platform. Leveraging our expansive network of owned and operated publishers, we can revolutionize your performance marketing strategy to not only identify but also directly engage your audience across various networks, maximizing your marketing impact.

Visual content is more than just an attention-grabber; it’s a powerful tool for conveying your brand’s story and forging a deep connection with your audience. 

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, captivating visuals are essential for making an immediate impact. They’re more engaging than text alone, capture attention quicker, and can hold it longer. This is especially important since attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. 

Big digital advertising agencies understand the importance and power of ad creatives and invest tons of time and money into creating them. 

Before we delve into some effective visual storytelling strategies that can up your creative marketing game, let’s talk about the core principles of visual content and how it can elevate your brand’s narrative.

The Power of Visual Content and the Science Behind It

Visual content — like images, videos, UGC, and graphics — plays an important role in storytelling and emotional engagement. Our brains process visuals at astonishing speeds, with research indicating that images can be understood in as little as 13 milliseconds.

Here’s why visual content is indispensable:

• Memory Retention: Visuals enhance memory retention. After three days, people remember about 65% of visual content compared to just 10% of text.
• Emotional Resonance: Visuals evoke emotions more effectively than words, creating a lasting impact.
• Increased Shareability: Visual content is more likely to be shared on social media, increasing a brand’s reach and visibility.
• Boosts Conversion Rates: Visual content can influence purchasing decisions. High-quality images and videos of products or services can enhance their appeal, leading to higher conversion rates. The same goes for authentic UGC.
• Instant Storytelling: A single image can tell a complex story instantly, without lengthy explanations. We all know the saying that an image says more than a thousand words.
• Attention-grabbing: Visuals naturally draw attention, making them the first thing people notice online.
• Humanizes the Brand: Visuals, especially user-generated content that shows behind-the-scenes content or customer stories, can humanize a brand. This helps in building trust and a more personal connection with the audience.

Understanding these psychological principles is crucial for creating compelling visual content.

Visual Creative Marketing Strategies to Captivate Your Audience

Exploring various forms of visual content can uncover innovative ways to engage your audience. Here are some tips that can help you boost your performance. 

1. Focus on the story, not just the visuals.

Visual storytelling goes beyond mere images. Visuals should weave a clear and consistent narrative for your brand. Even if each visual asset doesn’t convey an obvious story on its own, your audience should be able to follow the overall narrative.

Our advice? Think like a storyteller. What is the message you want to convey? Then plan your visual media to represent and relate this message across all your platforms.

We love how the mindfulness app Calm executes this. 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9xYZeyORMh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

2. Capture Authentic Moments with Photos.

Photos serve as windows into the past, connecting your audience with the emotions and experiences captured in each frame. Whether it’s a candid team shot or a stunning product photo, images build authenticity and trust.

Dove’s #TurnYourBack campaign used simple yet powerful photos to raise awareness about the negative effects of social media filters. These images helped drive deeper connections while championing a cause.

https://www.instagram.com/dove/p/CpgUo0fvJdh/?img_index=1

3. Align Your Visual Storytelling with Your Marketing Content Strategy.

Simply posting a photo or video online and waiting for results to flood in is not a strategy. Nor is relying on the hope that your visual content will go viral — it most likely will not. Like any content marketing format, visual storytelling requires an effective strategy to convert views into conversions. 

Before your creative team starts brainstorming, ensure they address these crucial questions:

• What are we trying to accomplish with our visual content?
• Who is our target audience? What types of content experiences engage them?
• What problems does our brand solve?
• What is our vision of what makes our brand unique? How can we communicate these messages compellingly and consistently?
• What metrics will we use to measure success? For which search terms should this image appear in search engine results?

^{Photo Via: Tinder}

4. Simplify Complexity With Graphics

Graphics, such as charts and data visualizations, transform complex data into engaging visual stories. They make information more accessible and understandable, cutting through the noise with clarity.

We’re big fans of Spotify’s Wrapped campaign, which offers customers a personalized recap of their music journey. Using vibrant colors and striking graphics, Spotify transforms each user’s listening history into a fun and highly shareable data story.

^{Photo Via: Cosmopolitan}

5. Dynamic Storytelling with Video Formats

Videos combine moving images and sound to create a multisensory storytelling experience. Whether you create short clips like Memes that are humorous and highly shareable and can spread your message quickly or you hire a UGC creator to create authentic videos that gain trust — videos are versatile and impactful. They should play a major role in your overall marketing strategy. 

Embracing Visual Storytelling

Mastering visual storytelling enables you to capture attention, evoke emotions, build trust, and inspire action. It’s a highly powerful medium to convey your message and leave a lasting impression on your audience in an ever-evolving digital world when done correctly. Building a high-level visual storytelling marketing strategy takes experience and expertise, which is where digital advertising agencies and creative marketing agencies can step in. 

How can GeistM help?

At GeistM, we excel in enhancing visual storytelling strategies to maximize conversions through innovative and engaging content. Our expertise in user-generated content (UGC) videos allows us to create authentic and trustworthy visuals that resonate deeply with your audience, and combined with our unique content strategy they can help you to maximize results. 

Additionally, our comprehensive approach includes utilizing memes, infographics, animations, and other dynamic video content to ensure your brand’s story is compellingly told across all platforms, ultimately leading to higher engagement and increased conversion rates.If you’re ready to take your storytelling to the next level, contact us today.

Written By: Julia Steiner

In the twenty-first century, the avenues for digital marketing are endless, with methods like email, social media, SEO, OTT, and countless others emerging regularly. These techniques allow businesses to reach and engage with their target audiences in more personalized and innovative ways than ever before.

But which form of marketing remains as crucial today as it has for centuries? Word-of-mouth, commonly referred to as Third-Party Endorsements or Third-Party Validation today.

“Third-party endorsement is defined as solicited or unsolicited recommendation from an entity or individual who is neither manufacturer nor seller of the product/service.”

– MBA Skool

4 Reasons why Third-Party Endorsements are Important for your Brand

1. Establishing Trust 

In the era of information overload, earning trust has become increasingly challenging for brands, with consumers growing increasingly skeptical. This is where third-party endorsements come into play, serving as credibility in a sea of promotional noise. When consumers see endorsements from reputable sources, whether it’s industry experts, influencers, or established publications, they are more inclined to believe in the endorsed brand.

2. Increasing Brand Authority 

Where brands are constantly competing for consumers attention, third-party endorsements help to amplify brand visibility and establish authority within your industry. When your brand is featured on reputable platforms, it gains instant credibility and recognition, elevating its status in the eyes of consumers.

“When an unaffiliated or third-party expert talks positively about your brand, it can be an instant credibility booster that takes out of the equation you simply boasting about your own product.” –  Entrepreneur

3. Building Brand Loyalty

Nowadays, consumers seek meaningful connections with the brands they choose to support. When consumers see their favorite influencers or trusted publications endorsing your brand, they feel a sense of affiliation, strengthening their loyalty over time.

4. Creating Social Proof

Third-party endorsements serve as social proof, reassuring consumers that they are making informed choices supported by the experiences and opinions of others. Whether through customer testimonials, influencer collaborations, or media features, these endorsements help overcome consumer skepticism.

“Third-party validation that provides ‘social proof’ that we are not only relevant but also experts in what we claim to do for our target markets. Bottom line: Establishing and continually increasing credibility is essential for nearly every professional and business owner today.”

– Forbes

Read Our Blog On The Power Of Brand Awareness 

How to Leverage Third-Party Validation for Your Brand with GeistM

GeistM employs a multifaceted strategy to develop third-party endorsements for your brand. By owning a variety of publisher sites, including subdomains and related profiles  across social media. We leverage our extensive in-house network to create compelling campaigns with content crafted by our team. This ensures that your brand is showcased across a variety of platforms with high-quality, engaging content. 

Additionally, GeistM collaborates with a wide network of external publishers and UGC creators, allowing our clients the opportunity to widen the reach of these endorsements further. Our expertise in the Native Network space is also incredibly useful to expand the impact of the non-branded, third-party content we create.

This comprehensive approach allows GeistM to provide an unparalleled level of exposure and credibility, helping your brand connect with a broader audience through trusted third-party perspectives.

GeistM: A Testament to the Power of Third-Party Validation

By leveraging our extensive network of publishers and industry experts, GeistM facilitates third-party endorsements that resonate with diverse audiences, increasing brand credibility and driving conversions. 

Whether coming from an industry expert or a peer, GeistM’s team of editors and creatives meticulously craft non-branded, third-party content to endorse your brand in the most impactful way. 

In conclusion, third-party endorsements are an indispensable asset to modern marketers, offering a means of building trust, amplifying authority, fostering emotional connections, and overcoming skepticism. 

Want to know how we can help your business with third-party validation? Contact us today to learn more.

Written by Emma McHugh

In today’s fast-paced marketing landscape, utilizing a complex network of strategies and tools is necessary to foster the loyalty of a diverse array of audiences. 

Marketers must continuously innovate and adapt to stay relevant in this ever-changing scene, employing creativity and analytical precision. As a result, marketing strategies are becoming more personalized, aiming to meet each audience segment’s unique demands and preferences.

Digital marketing and performance marketing stand at the forefront of this revolution, each playing a crucial role in the narrative of modern advertising.

What Is Digital Marketing?

“Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use digital channels, such as social media marketing, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). It’s a symphony of strategies, creativity, and technological prowess orchestrated to create a harmonious connection between brands and their target audience.” 

–Medium

What Is Performance Marketing?

“Performance marketing widely centers around lead generation and conversion. Banner (Display) ads, native advertising, content marketing, social media, and search engine marketing (SEM) are channels of Performance Marketing… To be more particular, it is ‘results-based’ marketing to achieve specific key performance indicators (KPIs) while maximizing return on investment (ROI) and propelling business growth.” 

–Medium 

Performance marketing works very closely with digital marketing. They are intertwined, and you need both to have a successful campaign. Performance marketing is excellent at driving conversions and sales, while digital marketing gets you more brand loyalty and customers that’ll stick with you. Ultimately, amalgamating both can help you succeed. 

It’s difficult for any company to achieve this balance independently, so we recommend partnering with an agency like GeistM to maximize your ROI. 

Who Are We?

GeistM is a leading performance marketing agency that specializes in in-house content and UGC creation for some of the world’s most notable brands.

Our full-service approach allows us to profitably acquire new customers for our clients by creating assets, managing campaigns, and leveraging content data to showcase your brand’s product offerings from a third-party perspective. 

What Makes Us Stand Out?

In-House Content And Creative Team

We couldn’t call ourselves a leading performance marketing team without having a dedicated, in-house content and creative team. Our content and creative team develops UGC-style content, from videos, static images, and articles, that can reach an audience your branded content generally wouldn’t. These teams work together to ensure that your customers know all the benefits of your product even before they reach the landing page. 

Read our UGC vs Influencers Blog to learn more about User Generated Content.

Third-Party Endorsements

At GeistM, we have a network of over 100 publishers  — including several owned and operated websites — that can host our content. This allows us to educate our users on our clients through a third-party perspective, adding an extra level of trust that your branded social handles and landing pages cannot achieve. 

Network Testing

Our team has vast experience testing a wide range of networks. We believe that adding more networks to your marketing mix will help you reach a wider audience. We have formed relationships with representatives from many different networks, so we always know what’s new and what can be tested. From social networks to native networks, we know how to exceed our clients’ goals, and the results from our campaigns speak for themselves.

Within the paid social realm, we test a variety of platforms, such as Meta, Pinterest, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Nextdoor, and more. We conduct this approach strategically to set our clients up for success. 

We leverage our media spend and partner mix to unlock lower rates and offer testing opportunities you wouldn’t consider. At GeistM, we manage everything for our clients on these networks straight from kick-off, with daily reporting, constant communication, and detailed insights—you won’t have to worry about anything; leave everything to us. 

Read our Why More Networks Equal More Stability Blog to learn more about different networks.

Search Engine Marketing 

No marketing strategy is complete without search engine marketing. That’s why it’s one of GeistM’s core offerings. We take the time to understand your business, research your competitors, and analyze all the data necessary to ensure we help you achieve your goals. 

We use the SKAG strategy (Single Keyword Ad Group) to ensure that each of our keywords captures the highest relevance. Through constant testing, competitor research, and bid management, we are able to leverage high-quality scores to maintain an efficient CPA and acquire new customer growth. 

Read our Why You Should Be Leveraging Google Discovery Blog

A Few Of Our Success Stories

We can give you all the ideas, but we need to prove that our strategies work as well. So here are just a few of our successes. If you want to know more, visit our case studies page. 

Lowering CPA 

CPA, or Cost Per Acquisition, is one of the most common conversation rate matrices in marketing. And each company wants a lower CPA — as low as possible. 

One of our clients wanted to increase conversion volume quarter over quarter while maintaining CPA efficiency to ensure profitable growth. We successfully scaled conversion volume by 16x while maintaining multiple active networks, achieving a CPA 21% below the goal. 

Want to learn more? Read the full case study here 

Incrementality And Acquiring New Customers

Acquiring new customers is essential for any business, but it’s hard to know where to put your marketing spend. The best way to analyze your budgets and make sure you’re spending your money effectively is through incrementality.

We were asked to help a client determine where best to allocate spending. We tested the content funnel across different Facebook placements for three months and discovered Geist’s efforts alone drove an average incrementality rate of 93.6%. 

Learn more: Reading the full case study here

Cultivating Life Time Value (LTV) Customers 

Content is always the basis of brand authenticity, and that’s what we do best here at GeistM. 

So, after noticing customers canceling after the first shipment, a health & wellness client asked for content specifically designed to help with LTV. Our in-house content team created two content pieces that helped educate and alleviate a lot of skepticism about the project. After 8 months, the same month one customers reordered with a 25% retention rate.

Interested to know more? Read our full case study here

Elevating ROAS

ROAS, or Return On Ad Spend, is one of the fundamental KPIs of marketing, and it’s one of the best ways to judge the success of your campaign. 

A US-based vacation rental client approached us looking to achieve profitable ROAS growth. They struggled to maintain CPAs (Cost Per Acquisition) below $120 on Meta. Using GeistM’s performance marketing strategies, we spent $922,894 and drove 9632 new customers for an average CPA of $95 and ROAS of 2.85, which decreased 20.83% over an 18-month period. 

Learn More: Read our full case study here 

GeistM: The Ultimate Solution To All Your Marketing Needs 

Marketing is about trying and testing different approaches to find the right one that works for your brand. It can be hard to figure out what to test and how to test it. This is where GeistM can help. We can maximize your ROI by testing and helping you reach audiences you can’t reach yourself. 

Don’t try to figure it all out yourself. Performance marketing can be a challenge, so contact us today!

Written by: Nitanti Alur

In today’s digital landscape, marketers are presented with a plethora of data that offers profound insights into campaign effectiveness. 

Data empowers us to fine-tune our strategies and drive our campaigns to new heights, so mastering the art of data interpretation is not just an advantage; it’s a necessity. 

There are several data points to consider within marketing campaigns, but ROAS is arguably one of the most important.  

According to Adjust, ROAS “shows the profit achieved for each advertising expense and can be measured both on a high level and on a more granular basis. 

Whether you want to measure ROAS for an entire marketing strategy or look at performance at the campaign, targeting, or ad level, it’s a key metric for measuring and determining strategic success.”

In this article, we explore how GeistM increased the ROAS for a long-term vacation rental client, and how we can help you achieve similar results. 

ROAS in Marketing Campaigns

Focussing on ROAS puts you in control and enables you to make informed decisions to optimize your campaigns for better results. 

The idea of a “good” ROAS can differ depending on the business, platform, and campaigns. However, according to the Influencer Marketing Hub, “most companies ideally want to achieve a 4:1 ratio, or generate $4 in revenue for every dollar spent on the campaign.”

GeistM Travel Client Case Study 

A US-based vacation rental client approached us looking for profitable ROAS growth. They had been struggling to maintain CPAs (Cost per acquisition) below $120 on Meta. 

As we already know, many factors can affect your business’s ROAS. At GeistM, we used many different marketing strategies to put this vacation rental client on the map. Our in-house content and creative team worked hand in hand to create engaging content that would encourage travelers to use this particular company. 

But our marketing strategy was more than just the basics; we did an in-depth analysis and tried various interest and geo-targeted audiences to find what worked best. 

Over an 18-month period, we spent $922,894 and drove 9632 new customers for an average CPA of $95 and ROAS of 2.85. This is a huge success compared to what the client had been achieving internally.

Why Choose GeistM?

GeistM excels at creating and maintaining a successful content marketing strategy. With the help of our growth, content, and creative experts, you’ll receive a full-funnel strategy designed to help your business achieve success. 

So, instead of wasting your budget trying to figure out why you aren’t reaching your ROAS goal, Contact GeistM today and find out how we can help.

Written by: Nitanti Alur

In today’s digital age, effective marketing strategies can make or break a business. With the vast online landscape and ever-evolving consumer behaviors, businesses must have proficient digital marketers on board. These skilled professionals possess unique abilities that enable them to successfully navigate the complexities of the digital world. 

With many corporations implementing digital marketing practices and hiring experts, let’s look at the top skills required:

1. Data Analysis and Insights

One of the fundamental skills is the ability to analyze data effectively. Digital marketing is highly data-driven, and understanding key metrics and insights can significantly impact a campaign’s success. 

An adept digital marketer can interpret data from various sources, such as website analytics, social media platforms, and advertising campaigns. By leveraging these insights, they make data-backed decisions, optimize campaigns, and identify new growth opportunities. This removes the guesswork in your marketing strategy and ensures that you generate optimal value from your marketing budget.

2. Strategic Thinking and Planning

Successful digital marketers possess strategic thinking and planning skills. They can develop a comprehensive strategy aligned with your business objectives. These professionals assess your target audience, competition, and industry trends and create roadmaps that maximize your online presence. 

A proficient marketer will consider factors like content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), social media, email marketing, and paid advertising to develop a cohesive and effective marketing plan that drives conversions and pushes your business forward.

3. Writing & Editing

This just may be the most crucial element because content marketing is still king. Digital marketers need to understand how to source and write compelling content that makes for excellent blog posts. They also need to turn a weak piece of content into one that truly catches your audience’s attention. 

A great marketer has exceptional content creation and storytelling skills that captivate audiences and build brand awareness. They create relevant and convincing content tailored to different digital platforms and compose impactful messages that establish trust and build relationships.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

Comprehending the intricacies of search engine optimization (SEO) is essential so your website and content rank higher in search engine results. Implementing effective SEO strategies can increase your website’s visibility, improve organic traffic, and generate valuable leads.

Digital marketing experts are skilled in keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and technical SEO aspects. They’re aware that Google’s algorithm is constantly changing, and that they need to look out for what’s trending to ensure your content reaches the ideal target audience.

5. Conversion Rate Optimization 

The goal of every marketing campaign is to drive traffic to a site and capture customers. Conversion rate optimization involves testing various web pages, content pieces, calls-to-action, ads, and more to see what converts the best. 

Digital marketers have to run intelligent A/B tests, gain data and make the necessary strategic adjustments to increase revenue per visitor, acquire customers, and continuously grow your business.

6. Graphic Design & Video 

Much of today’s marketing world is driven by visuals. Content across a variety of platforms performs better when accompanied by thoughtfully designed graphics. If you want to target your audience with high-performance ads, you should create and edit your own visuals – from banner ads, email banners, and logos to short videos with and without voiceovers. 

We all know that videos are taking over the internet due to their higher engagements, conversion rates, and SEO rankings. Many programs – Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Rush, and more – can help you create excellent visual content. 

7. Continuous Learning and Adaptability

The digital landscape is ever-changing, with new technologies, platforms, and trends emerging daily. A proficient digital marketer is hungry for knowledge and committed to continuous learning. They keep up-to-date with industry trends, algorithm shifts, and evolving consumer behavior. 

By keeping their skills sharp, digital marketers deftly adapt and form innovative strategies that ensure your business remains ahead of the curve. Some ways to do this are maintaining online certifications (Google Analytics Excel, Adobe, etc), following the latest industry news from reputable sources (Ad Age, Mashable, etc), and attending webinar training sessions through networking sites like LinkedIn. 

Becoming a proficient digital marketer requires a diverse skill set and a deep understanding of the digital landscape. By mastering data analysis, strategic thinking, content creation, SEO, and adaptability, you can take your efforts to new heights. However, navigating the complexities of digital marketing can be challenging if you don’t have access to the right expertise. That’s where our digital marketing agency comes into play. 

At GeistM, we pride ourselves on possessing all the essential skills for proficient digital marketing. Our team comprises data-driven analysts, strategic thinkers, creative content creators, SEO experts, and adaptive professionals. We combine our expertise and experience to create tailored digital marketing solutions for diverse clients from various industries, to drive tangible results for your business. Contact us today!