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!

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.

User-Generated Content (UGC) isn’t just a buzzword — it’s one of the most effective ways to build trust, expand reach, and drive conversions for your brand.

UGC typically consists of raw, unedited content created by users and shot with their personal phones. These images and videos provide a more authentic feel compared to high-budget, commercial photoshoots.

A recent study found that 56% of consumers say they are more likely to buy a product after seeing it featured in a relatable or positive UGC photo.

In other words, people trust people (not brands).

Social media is the natural starting point for UGC, but it shouldn’t stop there. Here’s a full breakdown on how to fully activate your UGC marketing efforts across social, email, website, and even IRL (yes, offline still matters too).

Social Media Integration: Make UGC the Heart of Your Feed

UGC originated on social media and thrives on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Instagram Stories. Many brands simply repost user content, but miss out on opportunities to take their UGC strategy to the next level.

Here are 3 Ways to Elevate Your UGC on Social Media:

1. Adapt UGC specifically for each social platform

• Consider audience demographics and adjust caption language to fit them. Add text overlays with relevant lingo.
• Experiment with trending sounds to make your content feel more native.
• Test story vs. feed placements to see which drives more engagement.
• Trim longer videos into more digestible, shorter form content.
• Add interactive features, such as polls, questions, and sliders, to Stories.

2. Create a UGC-focused series on your feed

• Showcase your product in a variety of settings with a carousel post.
• Highlight the diversity of your audience.
• Prompt users to post organically about your brand with hopes of getting featured on your page.
• Build brand trust by showing how you’re listening to your followers.

3. Convert high-performing UGC into paid social ads

• Utilize social media analytics to determine which content will work best for your ads.
• Add call-to-actions and sale promos to drive conversions.
• Combine UGC with traditional ads to give them a new twist.
• Create collaborative ads with users or influencers and leverage their following or handles.

With these strategies, one UGC asset can easily become dozens of high-performing social posts. The best part? UGC costs 50% less than traditional ads and delivers 4x higher click-through rates.

Email and Website: Bring UGC Into the Conversion Funnel

Many brands limit their UGC marketing strategy exclusively to top-of-funnel content. By incorporating UGC into your email flows and website, you can further build trust and strengthen your overall consumer experience.

Recent studies have shown that UGC improves email click-through rates by 73% and product pages with UGC experience a 91% lift in conversion rates.

Here’s How to Embed UGC Deeper into Your Digital Experience:

Email Marketing:

• Plug UGC into your welcome series. Showcase real customers using the product — instant social proof.
• Try a “fan-favorite” section featuring creator or customer quotes.
• Use UGC in post-purchase upsells — seeing how others styled or used the product can drive repeat orders.
• Experiment with UGC for new product announcements to generate hype.

On-Site UGC Strategy:

• Add a “See it IRL” section under product photos to help consumers picture themselves with the product. (e.g., for fashion brands, users can better understand sizing with UGC examples)
• Embed TikToks or Reels directly on product pages to showcase virality.
• Feature rotating UGC on your homepage to spotlight your community (e.g. Fabletics does a great job showcasing social proof).
• Pair UGC with product reviews — a picture is worth a thousand words.

When users see others loving your brand across emails and your site, it creates the nudge they need to click “Add to Cart.” Overall, this can make your brand feel more “human” and better resonate with your customers — especially when they see users who look like them using your products.

Offline Channels: Yes, You Can Bring UGC Into the Real World

UGC doesn’t need to live and die online. Agile brands are taking their user-generated content offline and turning it into tangible trust builders at retail, events, and beyond.

Some ideas for bringing UGC to life:

• Print Lookbooks or Postcards that incorporate UGC for packaging inserts.
• In-Store Displays that feature customer testimonials or top-performing UGC frames.
• QR Codes on Packaging linking to UGC video tutorials, recipes, or style guides.
• OOH Advertising can integrate UGC onto billboards and public transport to stand out and build trust.

The bottom line is that UGC is portable. Whether your product is sitting on a store shelf or your brand is hosting a pop-up, showing real people using your product makes it feel less like marketing — and more like a recommendation from a friend.

UGC Works — But Only When It’s Strategic

? Quick Recap:

• Social media is your playground — use UGC to stay native and consistent.
• Emails and websites should lean into UGC for trust and conversion.
• Offline isn’t dead — bring UGC into the real world for in-person authenticity.

Why Partner with GeistM?

We’re not just a UGC agency — we’re a performance powerhouse. At GeistM, our in-house expert team combines high-impact UGC creation with strategic distribution across all channels. From TikTok-style videos to Instagram-worthy style inspo, we help brands create UGC that converts.

Let us help you turn likes and comments into clicks and conversions. Reach out to GeistM today to unlock your next wave of UGC-driven growth.

Written by: Simon Kuflik

Q1 always starts off strong, fueled by ‘new year, new me’ energy, big budgets, and a surge in consumer intent. Brands come out of the gate swinging, eager to capitalize on resolution-driven demand and high engagement. But as the calendar flips to Q2, things start to shift. We’re in that in-between season: the post-Q1 cooldown before summer’s Q3 ramp-up, then the holiday season’s strong finish in Q4.

At GeistM we keep a close eye on spans shifting and audience behaviour evolving. We’ve seen movements in key ad metrics like CPM, CTR, and CPC. Whether you’re an advertiser calibrating your spend or a marketer fine-tuning your funnel, understanding these Q2 trends is crucial to staying ahead.

Let’s dive into the key Period-Over-Period (PoP) trends we’re seeing this quarter — and what to watch moving forward.

• Mid-April 2025 
• End-April 2025
• Mid May 2025
• End May 2025
• Mid June 2025
• End June 2025

Mid-April 2025 (1st-15th)

Meta CPMs

Key Takeaways:

• Our analysts noticed stable CPMs in the first half of April.
• The biggest decrease of -31% came from the Health & Wellness vertical.
• An increase of +6% was noted across International verticals (those operating outside of the US).

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• The team noticed a -14% decrease in CPCs during this time.
• A drop of -32% came from the Sports & Supplements vertical.
• The only jump of +3% came from the International vertical.

Meta CTRs

Key Takeaways:

• We noticed a +12% rise in CTRs in the first half of April.
• The largest increase, at +38%, came from the Sports & Supplements vertical.
• While the most notable decrease of -20% came from the Health & Wellness vertical.

When asked, this is what Senior Analyst, Matthew Whitaker, had to say:

“CPMs held steady this quarter, while CPCs saw a noticeable decrease and CTRs experienced a healthy lift. Additionally, it’s important to monitor any tariff-related impacts or shifts in client pricing, inventory, or supply chain dynamics, as these external factors can influence campaign performance and strategy in subtle but meaningful ways.”

End-April 2025 (16th-30th)

Meta CPMs

Key Takeaways:

• According to our analysis, CPMs remained stable during the second half of April.
• CPMs dropped by 18% in the Home & Family vertical.
• The Food & Beverage vertical saw the largest increase of 12%.

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• An overall 7% decrease in CPCs was noticed by our analysts.
• The Fashion & Beauty vertical saw the biggest drop of -20%.
• The largest jump of +14% came from the International vertical.

Meta CTRs

Key Takeaways:

• CTRs rose by +5% during this period.
• An increase of +26% was noticed by the Sports & Supplements vertical.
• The most notable decrease of -9% came from the Health & Wellness vertical.

According to our Senior Analyst, Matthew Whitaker, these are some moments to look out for, 

“With the tariff impact, now is the time to check on our clients for any updates to their prices, inventory, or supply chain. And with Memorial Day around the corner, it’s also a good time to check if any clients are running promotions during that period.”

Mid-May 2025 (1st-15th)

Meta CPMs 

Key Takeaways:

• Our analysts noticed a 4% decrease in CPMs during the first half of May.
• Fashion & Beauty vertical faced the largest decrease of 10%.
• The largest jump of 7% was seen by the Home & Family vertical.

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• CPCs decreased by 26% during this period.
• A large drop of 24% came from the Fashion & Beauty vertical.
• None of our verticals saw an increase in CPCs.

Meta CTRs

Key Takeaways:

• There was an 18% jump in CTRs at the beginning of May.
• A large jump of 38% came from the Home & Family vertical.
• An 8% decrease in CTRs came from the Food & Beverage vertical.

End May 2025 (16th-31st)

Meta CPMs

Key Takeaways:

• Our CPMs remained stable during this period.
• A 14% decrease came from the International vertical.
• A large increase of 35% was observed by the Health & Wellness vertical.

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• Towards the end of May, there was a 21% increase in CPCs.
• A large drop of 14% was noticed by the International vertical.
• While the Home & Family vertical saw a massive increase of 53%.

Meta CTRs

Key Takeaways:

• Our analysts noticed a 28% drop in CTRs.
• The only increase of 11% came from the Food & Beverage vertical.
• The biggest decrease of 29% came from the Fashion & Beauty vertical.

According to Senior Analyst, Matthew Whitaker, here are some moments to look out for in June: 

“With Father’s Day and summer approaching, brands planning seasonal promotions or campaigns should align their messaging accordingly — and ensure budgets are allocated to support these key marketing moments.”

Mid-June 2015 (1st-15th)

Meta CPMs

Key Takeaways:

• The middle of June saw a 6% decrease in CPMs.
• The largest decrease, 13%, came from the International vertical.
• The Sports & Supplements vertical saw an incredible 18% jump.

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• There was a 6% decrease in CPCs during this period.
• The International vertical saw the largest drop of 14% in CPCs.
• An increase of 11% came from the Home & Family vertical.

Meta CTRs

Key Takeaways:

• Our CTRs remained stable during the first half of June.
• An 8% jump in CTRs was noticed by the Fashion & Beauty vertical.
• A decrease of 10% in CTRs came from the Home & Family vertical.

Here’s what Senior Analyst, Matthew Whitaker, had to say: 

“If any brands are running promotions or aiming to leverage important marketing moments, it’s up to the account teams to budget accordingly. This includes events like the July 4th weekend for Independence Day as well as summer campaigns throughout Q3 that focus on seasonality-driven messaging and content.”

End-June 2025 (16th-30th)

Meta CPMs

Key Takeaways:

• A 7% increase in CPMs was observed during this period.
• None of the verticals noticed a decrease in CPMs.
• The largest rise, at 11%, came from the Food & Beverage vertical.

Meta CPCs

Key Takeaways:

• During the second half of June, there was a 3% increase in CPCs.
• A 4% drop in CPCs was observed in the Food & Beverage vertical.
• The Health & Wellness vertical saw an 11% increase in CPCs.

Meta CTRs

Key Takeaways:

• Our analysts noticed a 3% increase in CTRs during this period.
• The Food & Beverage vertical experienced a notable 14% increase.
• Whereas the Health & Wellness vertical reported a 10% decrease in CTRs.

According to Senior Analyst, Matthew Whitaker, these are some moments to look out for during the beginning of Q3: 

“It’s officially Prime Week, with Prime Day extending across four days this year—from July 8th to July 11th, 2025. During this period, some brands may increase their spending not only on Amazon but across multiple platforms, so it’s worth scaling in the coming days. Additionally, the Back-To-School season is fast approaching in August, making this a key time to plan ahead.”

How GeistM Can Help

At GeistM, staying ahead of industry trends isn’t just what we do — it’s what we excel at. Through real-time optimizations and data-driven strategy, we ensure your campaigns stay efficient, effective, and always one step ahead of the curve.

As the year progresses and the digital landscape continues to evolve, now is the perfect time to partner with a team that knows how to navigate the complexities of platforms like Meta — and beyond. Let’s work together to turn shifting trends into strategic wins. Reach out today and see how GeistM can help you lead the charge.

Written by: Nitanti Alur with insights from Mathew Whitaker

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

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

Influencer marketing has become a cornerstone of digital advertising, enabling brands to connect with consumers through authentic, trusted content. 

The success of this strategy lies in its ability to build authentic connections, as followers trust influencers for their honest, relatable endorsements. However, as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to gain ground, the potential for AI-driven influencer marketing to disrupt this dynamic grows. The introduction of AI influencers, as well as AI-generated ads mimicking real influencers, raises critical questions about trust, consent, and authenticity.

Let’s explore how AI is reshaping influencer marketing, the risks it poses to authenticity, and best practices for leveraging AI while maintaining the trust that your brand and influencer partnerships rely on.

The Rise of AI in Influencer Marketing

Artificial intelligence is transforming many industries, and influencer marketing is no exception. 

From predictive algorithms that suggest the most effective content creators to AI-powered tools that generate influencer-like avatars, brands now have more options than ever for reaching their target audience. AI can streamline campaign processes, enhance personalization, and deliver data-driven insights that can optimize influencer partnerships.

However, as AI becomes more integrated into the influencer marketing landscape, brands must tread carefully. AI tools are capable of creating hyper-realistic, synthetic influencers, but some are manipulating existing influencers’ images and voices without their consent. These AI-generated personas may look authentic, but they lack the genuine connection real influencers and creators have with their followers.

The Risk of AI-Generated Content

A recent incident has highlighted the risks associated with AI in influencer marketing. Arielle Lorre, a well-known beauty influencer, discovered that her likeness had been used in an AI-generated video promoting a skincare brand — without her permission. The brand used AI technology to create a video of Lorre endorsing their product, but Lorre had never worked with the brand, never filmed a video for them, and never even used the product being promoted.

@ariellelorre

TikTok attorneys and legal experts – please weigh in!

? original sound – Arielle Lorre

The video, which featured Lorre’s image and voice, was shared on social media as part of a marketing campaign. When Lorre found out, she was alarmed, as she had never agreed to the use of her image in this manner. The brand explained that their external agency had sourced AI-generated avatars from an online platform, unaware that Lorre’s likeness had been used without her consent.

This situation raises a major concern: If AI can manipulate content to create videos, images, or entire personas that look and sound like real influencers, how can consumers trust the content they encounter online?

Lorre’s case underscores the potential for AI to erode the authenticity that makes influencer marketing so effective. When consumers feel that they are being misled by AI-generated content, it can damage the trust that influencers have worked hard to build with their audiences.

The Importance of Authentic Influencer Partnerships

While AI offers several advantages, it is essential to preserve the authenticity at the heart of influencer marketing. Real, human influencers and creators build trust by sharing personal stories, experiences, and recommendations with their audiences. This connection fosters loyalty and engagement, a quality that AI-generated content cannot replicate.

User-generated content (UGC) remains one of the most powerful tools in a brand’s influencer strategy. Consumers trust real content from authentic influencers because they know it comes from a place of genuine experience. AI-driven influencer marketing may offer efficiency, but it cannot replace the human connection that drives successful influencer partnerships.

Brands must focus on collaborating with influencers who have established credibility through genuine engagement with their followers. The key is to work with creators who share their true experiences and values, fostering trust in the process.

Best Practices for Navigating AI in Influencer Marketing

1. Prioritize Transparency and Consent

Ensure that all influencers have given explicit consent for their likeness or voice to be used in AI-generated content. Avoid using AI to impersonate influencers or create fake personas that could damage the trust consumers place in your brand.

2. Leverage AI for Optimization, Not Substitution

Use AI to enhance your campaigns rather than replace human influencers altogether. AI tools can help analyze data, optimize campaign performance, and suggest relevant content, but the human element should remain central to your marketing strategy.

3. Ensure Ethical AI Use

If AI is part of your influencer marketing strategy, establish clear ethical guidelines. Be transparent with your audience about when AI is used, and avoid misleading consumers with manipulated content that could jeopardize brand integrity.

4. Work with Real Influencers and UGC Creators

Focus on partnerships with influencers who have built their following through authentic content. UGC creators, in particular, offer an opportunity to tap into real, organic engagement with your target audience.

5. Monitor and Review Content

Actively monitor the content being produced and shared by influencers to ensure it aligns with your brand values. If AI-generated content is used, ensure it’s done ethically and transparently.

The Future of Influencer Marketing in an AI-Driven World

AI is a powerful tool that can drive efficiency and enhance personalization in influencer marketing, but it must be used responsibly. As brands explore the potential of AI-driven influencer campaigns, they must be cautious not to compromise authenticity or the trust that influencers have built with their followers.

The key to successful influencer marketing in the AI age lies in finding the right balance — leveraging AI for optimization while maintaining the human connection that makes influencer marketing so effective. By collaborating with genuine influencers, respecting their image rights, and being transparent about the role of AI, brands can maintain trust and credibility in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Are you looking to enhance your influencer marketing strategy? GeistM specializes in performance-driven content marketing and influencer partnerships. Our team can help you navigate the complexities of AI-driven marketing while maintaining the authenticity that fuels consumer trust. Contact us today to learn more!

Written by: Shannon Purcell

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.

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

Summer 2025 is right around the corner, and if you’re like us, your mind is already at the beach, enjoying barbecue parties, and feeling that refreshing hint of something lighter in the air. For a marketer or someone in business, summer is not just sun, fun, and frolicking; it’s a great chance to connect with shoppers who are set to spend and create memories in this season. 

So, how will you create a special aura for your brand this summer against a thousand other worthy competitors? Let’s look at some key summer marketing ideas for 2025 and how to make this summer the most profitable one yet.

Personalize For the Summer Mindset

Summer is not just a season—it’s a state of?mind. And people are feeling wanderlust, craving outdoor adventures, and like treating themselves, especially if it’s a case of all work and no play. If you want your brand to matter, you need to tap into that mindset, and every interaction needs to?feel authentically personal.

The first?step is to figure out a smarter way to use your data. Don’t just spam everyone with the same deal. Instead, consider where your customers live, what the weather is like in their city, and what they’ve bought from you in the past, and personalize accordingly.

A user in?Miami may not buy the same things as someone in Seattle. Perhaps your Miami customers receive a promo for?reef-safe sunscreen and inflatable pool floats, while your Seattle shoppers see cozy picnic blankets and waterproof speakers.

Travel is big this year, so consider promoting click-worthy travel essentials, summer skincare, or curated kits that make packing?quick and easy. And don’t forget to keep it convenient?— nobody wants to scroll through pages of options when looking for an organized last-minute escape. The more you can predict your customers’ needs, the?more likely they will pick you over the competition.

Shift To Awareness-Driven Campaigns

If your products aren’t geared toward summer, this is actually your moment. The smartest brands aren’t scrambling for attention in Q4 — they’re laying the groundwork now.

Use this quieter season to build awareness campaigns that prime your audience for Fall and the holiday season. That means showing up early in their feeds, inboxes, and search results — before they even know what they’ll be shopping for.

Think of this phase as brand courtship: spark interest, tell your story, and start building trust. Whether it’s influencer partnerships, interactive social content, or value-driven emails, investing in awareness now ensures that when your key season arrives, you’re not just in the mix — you’re already on the shortlist.

It’s a smart way to stretch your budget and win mindshare before the holiday noise kicks in.

Launch Early For Travel And Seasonal Planning

Anyone who has booked a last-minute vacation before will agree that the most desirable spots fill up fast. The same goes for summer marketing. The winners in the brand race are the early worms.

Launch your summer campaign way before Memorial Day. This is when people start plotting out their plans, booking trips and vacations, and shopping for everything under the sun, from bathing suits to BBQs. By the weekend before the Fourth, most shoppers would have done all their big-time spending. 

Don’t catch up, get ahead with some behind-the-scenes promos, early bird special treats, or a big countdown to the summer launch.

Optimize Digital Channels for Summer Shopping 

It’s a fact: summer shoppers are on the move. They’re checking you out from lounge chairs by the pool, airport gateways, and rest stops along the way. And if you’re not ready with a solid mobile digital foundation, you’re getting left behind.

Warm up your content and creative with summer vibes. Swap deep shadows for daylight ones; add a nice sunshine-inspiring kind of copy; and put together some demos of your products in action — sunscreen at the beach, travel duffel bags in the great outdoors, or picnic basket in the warm midmorning sun. 

Your site must load very quickly and perform its best on mobile because, when the sun is out, nobody will want to waste their precious, short summer time on a slow page.

Lean Into Short-Form Video

Short-form videos on sites such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are where trends will go viral this summer, and this is your chance to get your brand seen.

Consider making bite-sized, mobile-first, and highly visual content. Demonstrate your product at work, give timely summer travel tips, or treat your audience to a behind-the-scenes look into your team’s summer habits. Remember, be authentic and relatable because no one wants a stiff ad once you’re in holiday mode.

Don’t know where to start? Try a “What’s in my beach bag?” video, a cooking demo in the summer, or a travel tip featuring you using your product. The more you make it seem like they’re beside you for all the fun activities you get up to, the better your results will become. 

Highlight Sustainability in Summer Products

Eco-friendly is no longer a buzzword — it’s a must-have for many shoppers, especially in summer. People spend more time outside and want to be assured?that their purchases aren’t harming the planet.

If you sell reef-safe sunscreens, reusable?travel gear, or goods with eco-friendly packaging, advertise the heck out of them! Share the story of your sustainable choices, flaunt the certifications you’ve earned, and encourage?customers to join you in changing the world. Maybe you could organize a beach clean-up or work with influencers passionate about sustainability. 

Plan for Back-To-School and End-of-Summer Campaigns

Summer slips away too quickly, and everyone is looking toward fall before anybody knows it. The best companies begin tracking into advertising mode by mid-July to capture the back-to-school crowd.

It’s way more than just selling notebooks and backpacks. It’s a way to help the families get ready and organized, get them out of vacation mode, and start stocking up for a new semester.

It might even be a series of “last calls for summer fun” promotions, a tutorial on preparing for the school season, or kits that make the hectic morning routine easier. 

Partner with a Digital Marketing Agency

Let’s face it: summer marketing can be intimidating. While reaching for the stars should be attempted for every occasion, all you need is the right partner. And that’s where GeistM comes in. 

Making waves should be easy for you with us as your lifeguards: with GeistM on your side, we will guide you along the ride, keep you from sunburn, and do some marketing magic with your audience. Our paid social team works with a hands-on focus that’s very much about knowing your brand, your goals, and your customers. 

We work with real-time intelligence, forward-thinking strategy, and tons of energy to create campaigns that resonate with freshness, authenticity, and are uniquely you. We’ll plan, test, and optimize every touchpoint with you so that your summer marketing strategy works smarter and harder with measurable results. 

Ready to have the most successful summer ever? Contact GeistM to learn how we can help you build campaigns that engage, convert, and keep your brand on everyone’s lips all summer.

Written by: Brent Barnhart

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