'Top Rated' or 'Best Seller'? Ask Where, Not Which.

[00:00:01] It is Tuesday, January 30th. Today, Top Rated or Best Seller. Why Where You Sell is important as How You Sell. Also, TikTok's latest product tagging test could turn every video into an ad.

[00:00:15] The surprising reason some brands are seeing a reach boost on TikTok and threads is coming for What's Left of Twitter? I'm Tod Maffin. That's a head today in Digital Marketing. Do you want someone who understands you like no other?

[00:00:33] Someone who can be your wish and want to experience the most beautiful adventure of your life? The shopping platform Shopify revolutionizes millions of companies worldwide. With Shopify, you only focus on your online shop. Without programming or design knowledge.

[00:00:51] Thanks to the efficient integration of social media and online marketplace, you can sell and sell through Instagram, eBay and Co. It was never easy to reach new target groups. Shopify offers on a single secure platform all tools to build up your online business.

[00:01:10] Test without cost and present a business of the world. shopify.de.try Simply enter shopify.de.try and start. Made for Germany. Powered by Shopify. There is a new hidden weapon in your persuasion arsenal,

[00:01:28] but its effectiveness depends on a secret map, one drawn with cultural lines, not city streets. When it comes to online shopping, new research has found that labels like top rated could be more effective than best seller, especially in certain cultures.

[00:01:46] This comes from a comprehensive study conducted this past November, which looked at the impact of those labels on consumer behavior. Researchers found a clear distinction between interdependent and independent cultures. In interdependent cultures, often found in Asia, South America and the Middle East,

[00:02:05] labels emphasizing community approval like top rated significantly influenced purchasing decisions. For example, in India, people were willing to pay 28% more for a tablet if it was labeled top rated rather than best selling. A study also noted that Americans with more interdependent personalities showed a similar pattern.

[00:02:28] But in independent cultures like those in North America and Europe, there's no significant difference between the two labels. Both top rated and best seller have a similar impact. The research analyzed more than 1800 products and 8700 brands. There were limitations to the study.

[00:02:46] It didn't explore the effect of combining both labels, nor did it focus on digital products or services. It also didn't test regions where neither interdependent nor independent culture is dominant. So what is the takeaway for retailers and online marketers? If you're targeting interdependent cultures,

[00:03:04] emphasizing how much people like a product could be a more effective strategy than just bragging about it sales figures. For independent cultures, either approach works equally well. Tiktok is trying to figure out how to make every scroll a potential shopping spree.

[00:03:26] Their latest test could turn almost every post into a shoppable storefront by automatically tagging objects in videos and linking them to similar products in the Tiktok shop. No more relying on people to tag your products. The AI will do it for them.

[00:03:43] This would be, of course, a game changer for Tiktok's e-commerce ambitions. Previously, only influencers and brands got the product tagging privilege. But now this could extend to the entire user base. Tiktok keeps trying to make commerce work on their platform.

[00:03:58] It's been phenomenally successful in Asia, but less so in Europe and North America. The company is targeting 17 and a half billion dollars in US sales this year. But the road to e-commerce glory isn't paved with rose petals, counterfeit concerns linger,

[00:04:14] and some users feel overwhelmed by the barrage of influencer ads lately. The challenge for Tiktok will be to balance monetization with genuine entertainment without turning the app into a glorified shopping mall. Still, the potential is undeniable. Automatic product placements could make Tiktok shop more accessible

[00:04:34] to regular users while offering content creators new avenues for earnings. If they can curate the experience to avoid spam and knockoffs, this could be the key to unlocking a whole new layer of engagement and revenue for Tiktok's and marketers alike.

[00:04:55] Tiktok is, of course, the king of short form video and its vertical format is what's made it so popular. But now the app is experimenting with a new way to watch videos horizontally. Tiktok has started asking some users to submit videos

[00:05:08] that are designed to be viewed in landscape mode. To watch these videos, you click on a full screen button and turn your phone sideways. Tiktok is telling creators that if they submit horizontal videos, the platform may boost their views. So why is the company making this move?

[00:05:25] A few possible reasons. Tiktok is trying to be more like YouTube for one, the king of long form video. It definitely wants to attract some of YouTube's audience by offering a similar viewing experience and with them add dollars.

[00:05:39] Also, Tiktok wants to get more content that will play well on TVs. The company has been working on different ways to make its app more watchable on televisions and horizontal videos would be a good fit for that. Also with Tiktok for a moment,

[00:05:56] the company has a new guide out teaching brands how to be funnier or at least how to try to inject humor into your content. The guide is based on a study that they did that found that 30 percent of users cite humor as a major factor

[00:06:09] influencing their purchasing decisions. Seventy percent of viewers find the most enjoyable aspect of Tiktok ads is their ability to make people laugh. If you don't have the funny on your own, Tiktok suggests collaborating with established creators since they're more likely to understand Tiktok style of humor.

[00:06:27] It also encourages partnerships through its creator marketplace. Other recommendations made in the guide include to use trending memes to boost your reach remix popular videos. Apparently remixes have led to a 14 percent increase in ad view time and just generally take some creative risks

[00:06:45] if your brand voice permits it, including styles like surrealism and informal content, both of which are very well received on the app. Let's be honest, retros can be boring. And if you're the organizer, you know it's more than just running a meeting.

[00:07:04] You have to synthesize and categorize themes, get the team involved, assign next steps and make it all a fun safe space where teammates want to participate. Miro is the visual collaboration platform that helps you run effective, engaging and actionable retrospectives. We use Miro at our agency

[00:07:22] to map out a client's messaging for our engagement team. That can be complicated, a lot of events, but making it visual and sharing it directly with our client sped things way up. Plus, our side can share spitballing ideas with private mode.

[00:07:37] The client doesn't get to see our thoughts until we've decided on the approach. Whether you work on the marketing side or in product design, engineering or UX, bring your team together on Miro. And your first three Miro boards are free when you sign up today at Miro.com.

[00:07:55] That's three free boards at Miro.com. Wünschst du dir jemanden, der dich versteht wie kein anderer? Jemand, der deine Wünsche wahr werden lässt und mit dir das schönste Abenteuer deines Lebens erleben möchte? Die Commerzplattform Shopify revolutioniert Millionen von Unternehmen weltweit.

[00:08:16] Mit Shopify richtest du im Nu deinen Online-Shop ein, ganz ohne Programmier oder Designkenntnisse. Dank der effizienten Einrichtung und intuitiven social media und online marketplace Integration kannst du über Instagram, eBay und Co werben und verkaufen. Neue Zielgruppen zu erreichen war noch nie so einfach.

[00:08:34] Shopify bietet auf einer einzigen sicheren Plattform alle Tools um dein Online-Business aufzubauen. Kostenlos testen und ein Business der Welt präsentieren. Shopify.de-try besuchen. Einfach Shopify.de-try eingeben und loslegen. Made for Germany, powered by Shopify. Threads, Meta's answer to Twitter is getting popular again.

[00:08:59] After flatlining on growth a bit last year, the app is now showing impressive numbers, tripling its downloads in December. This propelled threads into the sixth most popular app that month, averaged across both Apple and Google platforms. Threads initially had a record breaking launch,

[00:09:16] amassing 100 million registered users in just five days. But downloads declined from September through the end of the year. This December growth spike is likely tied to Meta's promotional efforts, including displaying ads on Facebook, featuring threads, most viral posts. As of now, threads has about 160 million users

[00:09:35] with active users also on the rise since Meta's last update in October. While threads is gaining ground, its parent company, Instagram, outperformed it in December. Instagram became the most downloaded app with 54 million installs surpassing even TikTok. Some analysts say this reflects consumers' disinterest in TikTok's recent e-commerce pushes.

[00:10:04] And finally, the information is reporting this afternoon that PayPal told its staff to expect layoffs at the company. Specific numbers aren't known, but what is known is the decision comes shortly after their new CEO introduced new AI driven features aimed at boosting user and merchant engagement.

[00:10:21] Since coming aboard in September, he's been vocal about PayPal's high costs. In November, he said he only wanted to invest in the company's most profitable growth areas. The tech sector has a whole, particularly fintech companies, flourished during the pandemic, benefiting from the surge

[00:10:38] in online shopping and remote work. But now as growth slows down, tech giants are scaling back. Recently, Google announced significant job cuts across various departments, including ad sales and YouTube. Salesforce also reduced its workforce by around 1% and eBay is planning to lay off 1000 employees.

[00:11:04] Follow us on threads we are at today in digital marketing or follow my personal account at Todd Mappen. Thanks for listening. See you tomorrow. Did you know that tens of thousands of German companies use Shopify already? From innovative startups to family companies with long tradition?

[00:11:48] The Shopify commercial platform revolutionizes millions of companies worldwide. With Shopify, you can sell products across popular channels, whether it's personal POS system or a comprehensive e-commerce platform. Social media and markets like Facebook, Instagram and eBay are also supported. Thanks to the constantly growing selection of innovative functions

[00:12:10] and the reliable technical support, it's very easy to build your business with Shopify. Whether product presentation or order and payment development. Shopify offers everything you need for the development of your business. That's how you can focus on your business.

[00:12:26] Shopify is free to try and bring your business forward. Shopify.de-try So Shopify.de-try Made for Germany, powered by Shopify.