What if there was a way to generate 6.9x higher engagement on your ads in a cost-effective manner? 

There is a way, and it’s called UGC (user-generated content). This powerful content strategy has risen to the top in recent years and shows no signs of slowing down. It’s authentic, engaging, and, most importantly — very impactful.

So, what exactly is UGC? Why is it so important? And how can it transform your digital marketing efforts? Here’s a full breakdown:

What Is UGC?

At its core, UGC refers to any content — photos, videos, reviews, or even social media posts — created by everyday consumers, not brands. Unlike traditional polished advertising or professionally produced content, UGC is raw, real, and relatable. This provides a sense of authenticity that resonates deeply with audiences and makes the content feel more native and less sponsored.

Creating UGC can be as easy as taking a picture of a product or service with your iPhone. Simply holding a product in your hand or showing a realistic use case prompts users to engage with and trust your content.

Types of UGC

UGC comes in all types of content formats — making it a versatile tool for marketers. Here are some popular examples:

• Videos:Think unboxing videos, product tutorials, talking to the camera, or TikTok-style reviews.
• Photos:Lifestyle/POV shots of consumers using your product/service, typically taken with a smartphone.
• Reviews:Leverage testimonials left by customers on your website or third-party platforms to boost credibility.
• Social Media Posts:Organic mentions of your brand by users sharing their experiences online can be used for social proof.

Why UGC Is a Game-Changer for Digital Advertising

Over the past few years, UGC has become a winning strategy in performance marketing, and for a good reason. Here’s why brands are leaning heavily into UGC:

1. Authenticity

Overly-produced ads stick out like a sore thumb when scrolling through your social media feed. UGC feels more relatable and genuine because it can appear as native content with real user sentiment. The numbers don’t lie — 84% of consumers trust UGC recommendations over branded content.

2. Boosts Engagement

If you’re looking to boost engagement on your content, UGC is the best place to start. According to recent data, UGC generates 6.9x more engagement and 4x higher CTRs (click-through rates). Potential customers are more likely to engage with your ads if they don’t even realize it’s an ad to begin with! It also encourages users to comment, share, and interact with the content — and with your brand.

3. Cost-Effective

Unlike professional studio-produced ads, which are expensive and time-consuming, UGC allows brands to tap into agile content that requires little overhead. Partnering with UGC creators or UGC agencies is far more affordable than a full-scale production — UGC ads see a 50% reduction in CPC (cost-per-click), and 85% of Marketers say UGC is more cost-effective. 

4. Content Diversity

One of the best parts about UGC is the variety it can bring to your marketing efforts. Testing different styles is a crucial part of running social media ads, and UGC allows for endless options. 

Plus, utilizing different backgrounds or UGC creators can help you appeal to more diverse audiences.

The Impact of UGC on Consumer Behavior

UGC doesn’t only look good on your feed, but can dramatically impact how people interact with your brand and funnel.

1. Drives Conversions

At the end of the day, marketers truly care about getting the most conversions. Leveraging real testimonials and showing products in a natural setting can help consumers reach the buying stage faster and more frequently. Websites that use UGC see 29% higher conversions. 

2. Increases Brand Loyalty

When customers see user content featured by a brand, it creates a sense of community and accountability. This helps consumers feel more seen and encourages active engagement with your content. Brands that effectively utilize UGC see a 162% increase in revenue per visitor, which shows its direct impact on customer retention and loyalty.

3. Emotional Resonance

UGC connects emotionally to audiences by portraying real-life experiences rather than polished ads. It’s no wonder that 60% of millennials find UGC more compelling and authentic than traditional advertising. This emotional sentiment also helps boost brand recall so consumers better remember your products.

How GeistM Can Help You Leverage UGC

Here at GeistM, we specialize in helping brands harness the power of UGC to create campaigns that drive serious results. With our team of in-house UGC experts and diverse network of UGC creators, we’re able to create engaging content specifically tailored to your brand’s voice. From social media to native online advertising platforms, GeistM ensures your UGC campaigns are optimized for maximum reach and impact. Whether that’s increasing brand awareness, boosting engagement, or driving conversions — we’ve produced incredible results across a wide range of verticals with UGC-driven campaigns.

User-generated content isn’t just a trend — it’s the future of digital advertising. So, let’s make your brand part of the conversation. Contact GeistM today to unlock your full advertising potential with UGC.

Written By: Simon Kuflik

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.

Written by: Emma McHugh

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

Managing advertising campaigns efficiently is crucial for success. If you’re venturing into Meta Ads for the first time or working with an Agency partner like GeistM, understanding the role of Business Manager is essential.

Here’s an overview from our growth experts that answers some key questions about Business Manager and its integration with agency partners.

What is Business Manager, and Why Do I Need It for Meta Ads?

Business Manager is a tool provided by Meta that allows businesses to manage their advertising activities, pages, and assets in one place. It’s particularly useful for companies that are working with multiple ad accounts, pages, or partners.

Why You Need Business Manager

• 1. Centralized Control: It helps you organize your advertising efforts and control who has access to your assets.
• 2. Collaboration with Agencies: If you’re working with an agency like GeistM, Business Manager simplifies the process of granting them access to your ad accounts and assets. Or, you can set up additional ad accounts under your Business Manager that are specific for them.
• 3. Improved Security: You can manage permissions and roles, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive data.

What Are the Requirements to Set Up a Business Manager with an Agency Partner?

To set up a Business Manager account, you’ll need:

• 1. Log In to Business Manager: Go to your Business Manager account.
• 2. Business Settings: Click on “Business Settings” from the main menu.
• 3. People and Partners: Select “Partners” in the left-hand menu.
• 4. Add a Partner: Click on “Add” and enter your agency partner’s Business Manager ID or email address.
• 5. Assign Roles: Choose the level of access you want to grant (more on permissions below).

When partnering with an agency, it’s crucial to discuss and finalize the roles and permissions in advance to ensure smooth collaboration.

How Can I Add My Agency Partner to My Business Manager?

Adding an agency partner to your Business Manager involves a few straightforward steps:

• 1. Admin Access: Full control over the Business Manager, allowing them to manage everything. This is generally not recommended unless necessary.
• 2. Advertiser Access: Can create and manage ads, view performance metrics, and edit ad settings. This is a common choice for agencies. RECOMMENDED.
• 3. Analyst Access: Limited to viewing ad performance without the ability to make changes.

Carefully consider the level of access based on the responsibilities you want your agency partner to have.

What Is a Facebook Pixel and Why Is It Important for My Ads?

Facebook Pixel or Meta Pixel is a piece of code that you place on your website. It collects data on user interactions and helps you track the effectiveness of your ads. This is also known as client-side tracking.

Importance of Meta Pixel

• 1. Tracking Conversions: It allows you to measure the actions users take after clicking your ads.
• 2. Audience Targeting: You can create custom audiences based on visitors to your site, helping you retarget users effectively.
• 3. Optimization: The pixel helps optimize your ad campaigns for specific actions, such as purchases or sign-ups, improving overall ad performance.

What Is a Facebook Conversions API and Why Is It Important for My Ads?

Unlike the Facebook Pixel, which operates client-side (tracking events from a user’s browser), Conversions API or CAPI sends event data directly from your server to Facebook. This means that it can capture events even if the user’s browser blocks cookies or JavaScript. This is also known as server-side tracking.

CAPI allows businesses to send various types of event data, such as purchases, sign-ups, and page views. This can include details about the user (like email or phone number, if hashed) and the actions they took on your website.

Importance of CAPI

• 1. Enhanced Data Accuracy: By reducing reliance on client-side tracking, CAPI improves the accuracy of the data you collect. This is especially important as browser privacy settings become more restrictive.
• 2. Improved Ad Targeting: With more reliable data, businesses can create better-targeted ad campaigns, leading to improved ROI.
• 3. Greater Control Over Data: CAPI provides businesses with the flexibility to choose what data to send to Facebook, enabling more tailored tracking and measurement strategies.
• 4. Better Cross-Device Tracking: Since the Conversion API captures events from the server, it helps track user behavior across different devices, enhancing the understanding of customer journeys.

Which Pixel Should I be Using? Should My Agency Use A Different One?

At the end of the day, choosing between CAPI and the Meta Pixel depends on your business’s needs and goals. If you’re concerned about data privacy and cookie blocking, then the Conversion API is the better choice. The Pixel is a good tool if you’re starting with Facebook advertising.

However, you do not have to choose anymore. It is now best practice to utilize both CAPI and the Meta Pixel at the same time. This ensures that nothing falls through the cracks and you can  track as much data as possible.

You might be wondering if we use both the Meta Pixel and CAPI, wouldn’t we be collecting multiple of the same events? Yes, you will, however, since Meta is able to see the same event come in through both the browser and server, they will keep one event and discard the rest, a process called deduplication. 

This duplication process is important and why it’s consideredbest practice to share the same pixel with your agency and to NOT create a separate pixel for them. When creating a separate pixel tracking the same events, you will see duplicating results and not understand who is providing the most value.

How Can I Add My Agency Partner to Manage My Pixels?

To give your agency partner access to your Facebook Pixel, follow these steps:

• 1. Log In to Business Manager: Go to your Business Manager account.
• 2. Data Sources: Navigate to “Data Sources” and select “Pixels.”
• 3. Select Your Pixel: Choose the pixel you want to share with your agency.
• 4. Assign Partner: Click on “Add People” or “Add Partner” and enter your agency partner’s Business Manager ID.
• 5. Set Permissions: Determine the level of access they should have regarding your pixel.

By providing your agency partner with access to your Pixel, you ensure they can optimize your ad campaigns effectively.

Conclusion

Using Business Manager in conjunction with an agency partner can streamline your advertising efforts on Meta platforms. By understanding the setup process, roles, and tools like Facebook Pixel and CAPI, you can enhance your advertising strategy and drive better results. Whether you’re new to Meta Ads or looking to optimize your existing campaigns, Business Manager is an invaluable resource for managing your digital presence.

Or, you can simply contact GeistM, where our expertise goes beyond helping you understand your data. We specialize in optimizing campaigns to maximize ROI, ensuring your marketing efforts deliver the best possible results.

Written By: Marc DeMattie

Whether we like it or not, artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay. 

AI is revolutionizing industries and transforming how we interact with the world. From personalized recommendations on streaming platforms to advanced data analytics in business, AI is reshaping our experiences and capabilities. 

Embracing these advancements is not just about keeping up with trends; it’s about leveraging powerful tools to drive innovation, efficiency, and growth in every aspect of our lives.

This blog explores the best AI tools of 2024, from chatbots to AI image generators and everything in between, to help you enhance productivity, creativity, and efficiency. 

Keep reading to discover the best AI tools, or skip to…

• Best AI Chatbots
• Best AI Voice Generators
• Best AI Art and Image Generators
• Best AI Paid Media Tools
• Best AI Sales Tools
• Best AI Tools For Productivity

Best AI Chatbots

ChatGPT

A product of OpenAI, ChatGPT is an AI language model that generates human-like text responses based on the input it receives.

Key Features:

• Natural Language Understanding: ChatGPT can comprehend and respond to complex queries naturally and coherently.
• Adaptability: It is versatile and can used across various domains, including customer support, content creation, and more.
• Continuous Learning: The more you interact with it, the better it gets, making it a constantly improving tool.

Benefits:

ChatGPT’s adaptability and continuous learning make it a valuable asset for businesses looking to automate routine tasks and enhance customer interactions with a highly reliable and efficient AI assistant?. 

Intercom’s Fin

Fin by Intercom is designed to streamline customer support operations by automating responses to common customer queries.

Key Features:

• Customer Support Automation: Handles up to 50% of incoming customer queries automatically.
• Contextual Understanding: Maintains the context of conversations for more natural and effective interactions.
• Seamless Integration: Integrates well with Intercom’s existing suite of tools, enhancing overall workflow efficiency.

Benefits:

Fin is a game-changer for customer support teams. It allows them to focus on more complex issues while ensuring customers receive quick and accurate responses to their common questions?.

Jasper Chat

Jasper Chat is designed to assist with various writing tasks, from drafting emails to creating social media posts.

Key Features:

• Content Creation Assistance: Helps generate various types of content quickly and efficiently.
• Search Engine Optimization: Offers keyword suggestions and optimization tips to ensure content ranks well on search engines.
• Tone and Style Adaptability: It can adapt its writing style to match your brand’s voice, ensuring consistency and personalization.

Benefits:

For marketing professionals, Jasper Chat is an essential tool. It not only speeds up the content creation process but also enhances the quality and effectiveness of marketing materials by ensuring they are optimized for search engines and aligned with brand guidelines?.

Best AI Voice Generators

Murf AI

Murf AI is a sophisticated AI voice generator that creates lifelike voices for various applications, such as podcasts, videos, and presentations.

Key Features:

• Extensive Voice Library: Over 120 voices in multiple languages to choose from.
• Voice Cloning: Ability to clone voices to create personalized content.
• Voice Emphasis Controls: You can fine-tune pitch, speed, and tone.
• Third-Party Integration: Works with tools like Google Slides, Canva, Adobe Audition, and more.

Benefits:

Murf AI stands out by producing studio-level voiceovers that ensure high-quality output. Its versatility makes it suitable for a wide range of content types, including educational and corporate materials.

LOVO AI

LOVO AI specializes in AI-generated voices, offering tools for text-to-speech conversion, voice cloning, and content creation.

Key Features:

• Extensive Voice Library: Over 500 voices in 100+ languages.
• AI Script Writer: Generates scripts quickly using AI.
• Video Editor: Integrates voiceovers with video content seamlessly.
• Voice Cloning: Allows you to clone your own voice.

Benefits:

LOVO AI allows for extensive customization, enabling you to fine-tune voices by adjusting emotional tones, pronunciations, speed, and intonation. This versatility and user-friendly design significantly reduce the time required to produce high-quality audio and video content?. 

ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs is an AI voice generation software that produces highly natural and fluent synthetic voices that can be used as voiceovers, audiobooks, virtual assistants, and more.

Key Features:

• Speech Synthesis: Converts text and audio into lifelike speech.
• VoiceLab: Allows creation and customization of unique voices.
• AI Dubbing: Translates and dubs existing videos.

Benefits:

Eleven Labs delivers high-quality, natural-sounding AI voices, making it ideal for various content types. Its accessible plans include advanced features like voice cloning without requiring high-tier subscriptions, offering great value.

Best AI Art and Image Generators

Midjourney

Midjourney is an AI-driven art generation tool designed for creative individuals and professionals. Simple text prompts enable you to produce images in many styles, from photorealistic to abstract.

Key Features:

• High-quality Settings: It offers various model versions, including specialized models for different art styles, such as Japanese Anime and Manga.
• Community-focused: Operates via Discord, fostering a vibrant community where users can share and discuss their creations.
• Adaptive Canvas: Can generate a wide range of styles and high-resolution images, making it highly adaptable to user needs.

Benefits:

Midjourney is ideal for creative individuals and professionals who want to explore diverse artistic styles and engage with a community of like-minded users. However, it requires a subscription, and its Discord-based interface may be a learning curve for some.

Canva AI

Canva’s Magic Studio suite leverages AI to simplify and enhance the creation of visuals.

Key Features:

• AI Photo Editor: Canva AI integration allows you to transform photos, erase clutter and background noise, and fine-tune your images at the touch of a button.
• User-friendly Interface: As part of Canva’s Magic Studio suite, the AI tool is designed to be intuitive and accessible, even for users with no prior design experience.
• Variety of Templates: It offers an extensive library of templates and design elements, empowering users to enhance their creativity and easily produce professional-quality visuals.

Benefits: 

Canva is perfect for designers, content creators, and businesses requiring quick, high-quality visuals. Its user-friendly interface and powerful AI capabilities support many professional and creative applications, ensuring you can produce captivating assets with minimal effort. This tool is especially valuable for those looking to streamline their design process while maintaining high visual quality standards.

Best AI Paid Media Tools

Optmyzr

Optmyzr is a powerful tool designed to manage and optimize PPC campaigns. 

Key Features:

• Bulk Editing: Allows for multiple changes across campaigns quickly.
• Account Management: Manage, edit, and view multiple Google Ads accounts simultaneously.
• Optimization Suggestions: Provides actionable recommendations to improve campaign performance.
• Integration: Works well with Google Sheets, Google Analytics, and other Google tools.

Benefits: 

Optmyzr is highly user-friendly, making it perfect for beginners. It enhances efficiency by automating tasks and supporting bulk editing, significantly reducing manual work. The platform provides insightful analytics for fine-tuning campaign performance and is cost-effective, helping manage budgets efficiently by optimizing bids and other elements.

AdCreative.ai

AdCreative.ai specializes in generating AI-driven ads and marketing materials quickly and efficiently. 

Key Features:

• AI-Generated Ads: Creates professional-grade ads based on user inputs.
• Copy and Caption Generation: Produces compelling ad copy and captions.
• Performance Tracking: Monitors how audiences engage with ads and optimize future ads using machine learning.
• Versatile Formats: Supports the creation of images, banners, and videos.

Benefits: 

AdCreative.ai saves you valuable time with its rapid ad creation process. It leverages data and machine learning to continuously improve ad performance. Additionally, it supports multi-platform ad creation, ensuring a wide reach across various advertising channels.

Smartly.io

Smartly.io is a platform that automates the creation and management of advertising campaigns. It is highly regarded for its ability to handle large-scale ad operations for big brands.

Key Features:

• Ad Creation: Facilitates the creation of image and video ads using numerous templates.
• Campaign Management: Allows for the simultaneous management of multiple campaigns.
• Analytics and Reporting: Provides detailed data and reports on ad performance.
• Brand Compliance: Ensures ads adhere to brand guidelines and assets.

Benefits: 

Smartly.io offers excellent scalability, making it ideal for large businesses with extensive advertising needs. It boosts efficiency by automating many aspects of ad production and campaign management. The platforms use data-driven insights to optimize advertising strategies, improving overall campaign effectiveness.

Best AI Sales Tools

Gong.io

Gong.io is an AI-powered conversation analytics tool that analyzes sales calls, meetings, and emails to provide deep insights into sales interactions.

Key Features:

• Call Recording & Transcription: Automatically captures and transcribes sales calls for easy reference.
• Conversation Intelligence: Identifies key moments, talk ratios, and trends in sales conversations.
• Deal Risk Alerts: Notifies you when deals are in danger, allowing proactive intervention.
• Sales Coaching: Provides personalized feedback based on real-world data.
• Market Intelligence: Understands industry trends and competitor strategies.

Benefits: 

Gong delivers enhanced insights into sales conversations, offering unparalleled visibility into sales interactions. By analyzing detailed conversations, it helps sales reps enhance their performance. Gong can also integrate seamlessly with popular CRM platforms, ensuring smooth workflow integration and data consistency.

Clari

Clari is a revenue operations platform that provides AI-powered insights for optimizing sales performance and improving revenue predictability.

Key Features:

• Automated Activity & Relationship Tracking: Eliminates manual data entry.
• Sales Process Visualization: Provides a panoramic view of the entire sales process.
• Real-Time Coaching: Delivers actionable insights and alerts in real time.
• Mutual Action Plans: Enhances collaboration between sales teams and buyers.
• Integration: Seamlessly integrates with CRM and other sales tools.

Benefits: 

Clari provides accurate sales forecasts and predictive analytics, ensuring reliable planning. It can enhance pipeline management by identifying bottlenecks and facilitating smooth sales processes. Clari also promotes enhanced collaboration through mutual action plans and supports data-driven decisions with real-time insights, helping teams make informed choices effectively.

Apollo AI

Apollo AI is a comprehensive sales engagement platform that combines lead generation, email tracking, and sales automation.

Key Features:

• Extensive Contacts Database: It has access to over 265 million contacts.
• Email Tracking:> Monitors email opens, click-through rates, and responses.
• Personalized Outreach: Uses AI to craft hyper-personalized emails.
• CRM Integration: Ensures reliable data coordination and teamwork.
• Automation: Simplifies outreach efforts and shortens sales cycles.

Benefits: 

Apollo offers comprehensive tools for sales engagement, streamlining various aspects of the sales process. It easily integrates with existing CRM systems, ensuring smooth workflow integration. Plus, it simplifies and automates outreach efforts, improving efficiency and productivity.

Best AI Tools For Productivity

Mem

Mem is an AI-powered note-taking app that organizes and connects your notes automatically.

Key Features:

• AI Tagging: Automatically tags and links notes.
• Powerful Search: Easily find and retrieve notes.
• Integration with Calendar: Syncs notes with your calendar for better organization.

Benefits: 

Mem offers effortless organization, automatically keeping your notes well-structured without manual effort. It enhances accessibility by making it quick and easy to find and use your notes whenever needed.

Zapier

Zapier is a workflow automation tool that connects different apps and automates tasks.

Key Features:

• Custom Workflows: Create automation workflows without coding.
• Wide Integration: Supports over 2,000 apps.
• Conditional Logic: Automate tasks based on specific triggers and conditions.

Benefits: 

Zapier increases efficiency by reducing manual tasks and minimizing errors through automation. It is highly versatile, capable of automating a wide range of processes across various platforms, making it an invaluable tool for streamlining workflows.

Fireflies.ai

Fireflies.ai is an AI tool that transcribes meetings and generates detailed notes.

Key Features:

• Real-Time Transcription: Transcribes calls and meetings in real time.
• Smart Summaries: Provides highlights, action items, and clickable timestamps.
• Versatile Sharing: Easily share transcripts via links or QR codes.

Benefits: 

Fireflies improves meeting productivity by capturing important details without the need for manual note-taking. It facilitates collaboration through easy sharing and access to meeting notes, ensuring all team members stay informed and engaged.

Final Thoughts

The transformative impact of AI in 2024 is undeniable, revolutionizing productivity across various sectors. From sales and marketing to workflow automation and meeting efficiency, AI tools are enabling businesses to operate more effectively.

Take the first step towards a more efficient future by trying out these tools and experiencing their benefits firsthand.

And If you’re looking to elevate your brand’s digital presence further, consider partnering with GeistM. Our team of growth and content marketing experts is dedicated to driving results through data-driven insights. 

Written By: Shannon Purcell-Miggan

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.

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