A zoo in eastern China is on the defensive after getting called out for having fake bears.

Some people on the internet questioned whether the zoo’s bears were real after photos circulated showing one standing upright on slender hind legs.

The zoo denies that, claiming that certain bears do in fact stand like humans.

Here’s your daily rundown…

• Twitter Expands Ads - Revenue Share Plan Opens Up

• Youtube Ad Blocker Crackdown - New Initiative

• New B2B Ad Network - Intuit Gets In The Game

• Google Ads Benchmarks - Key Data Revealed

• Customer Avatar - Essential Marketing Tool

Lurn Bytes: Your Daily News Download

X (Twitter) Expands Creator Ad Revenue Share Program - The floodgates of X's creator ad revenue share program are now open to all creators worldwide, aiming to cash in on high engagement posts. This comes with stringent requirements and may incentivize provocative content, even sparking debates on hot-button issues. With Twitter desperate for ad revenue, we’ll see if this moves the needle…

Ad Blocker? YouTube Says Think Again - YouTube is standing its ground against ad blockers. The platform warns viewers of potential video playback disruptions, pushing for either allowing ads or switching to YouTube Premium. While frustrating for many Youtube users, it could open up more inventory for their popular ad program…

Intuit Targets Small Businesses with New B2B Ad Network - Financial tech giant, Intuit, is shaking up the marketing world by launching SMB MediaLabs - a first-of-its-kind B2B ad network catering to small businesses. We’re still waiting on details, but it seems that the ad network will cover Intuit’s core products like Quickbooks, TurboTax, Credit Karma and Mailchimp...

Google Ad Benchmarks For Your Industry

When you start running paid ads, one of the toughest questions is “are these ads performing well?” It’s helpful to know what a successful ad campaign looks like.

That’s why if you are running, or plan to run, Google PPC ads, this is a MUST-READ article.

TLDR - Google Ads Industry Benchmarks: Your Guide to Understanding PPC Performance

This article offers a deep dive into Google Ads industry benchmarks. It helps digital marketers looking to understand whether they are underperforming, over-performing, or right on track with their PPC campaigns.

Here are 3 essential takeaways:

Understand Industry-Specific Metrics: The article reveals the key metrics for twenty industries, including the average click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), conversion rate (CVR), and cost per action (CPA). You can use these to compare your own performance.

Industry Highlights: From dating services boasting an impressive average CTR of 6% to legal services commanding one of the highest CPCs, you’ll see the standout trends in various industries.

PPC Performance Analysis: It not only provides data but also explores what these figures mean for your campaigns. You’ll see how specific industries can enhance their PPC performance.

Whether you’re a rookie media buyer or a seasoned marketer, this article is a must-read to see how your PPC efforts measure up against industry standards. You might just find the insights you need to optimize your Google Ads strategy and improve your ROI.

How To Quickly & Easily Create A Customer Avatar

No matter your line of business, knowing your customer is your golden ticket to success.

But how well do you REALLY know your customer?

Can you speak their language? Can you anticipate their desires, their worries & frustrations? Do you understand their browsing patterns, their online playgrounds? Welcome to the world of customer avatars!

Creating a customer avatar allows you to paint a VIVID portrait of your ideal customer.

When you take the time to create a clear customer avatar, you will:

• Tailor your marketing to the right audience

• Pinpoint their pain points and desires

• Segment customers for more personalized campaigns

• Improve both your offers AND your marketing

Wondering how to gather the info to build your customer avatar? You're in luck! The internet is overflowing with FREE tools that can turn you into an avatar crafting master. Here are some powerful ones to get you started:

1. Surveys: Online surveys are your gateway to customer insights. Spice them up with some attractive incentives to get more responses1

2. Focus Groups: Old school conversations! Bring together a representative group of customers and ask them pointed questions about their challenges, frustrations and your products/services.

3. Google Analytics: Already have a website with traffic? Great! Let a tool like Google Analytics give you clear data about who is getting into your funnel and buying your products.

4. Social Media Polls: Snap polls on your social media channels can give you quick, reliable feedback and insights about your ideas.

5. Online Communities: Find the places online where your target audience gathers. Look at websites like Quora_, Reddit and old school forums. Observe the conversations that are happening and you’ll gain tremendous insights into your customers.

With all of these, you're looking for insights into age, location, gender, income, language, opinions, interests, and browsing habits - the ingredients that make up your ideal customer avatar.

Roll up your sleeves and start digging into these tools. Remember, knowledge is power, and in this case, the power to sell more effectively and successfully. So, what are you waiting for? Go create some compelling customer avatars!

ICYMI - The Biggest Stories You May Have Missed

Facebook Crosses 3 Billion Active Users - It’s been a good week for Meta. Not only did they report strong quarterly revenue - driven by ad sales - but they also announced that for the first time, they have over 3 billion monthly active users. That’s quite the turnaround from the rough 2022 the company went through…

Twitter Offers 50% Discounts On Ad Packages - While Meta is having a good week, Twitter/X is having a rough week. After a sudden brand change that isn’t catching on, they’ve also had to resort to offering steep discounts to attract new advertising dollars. While this is bad news for the company, it’s good news for digital marketers looking for a deal…

Threads Daily Active Users Are Way Down - While it’s mostly been a good week for Meta, the news coming out of their Twitter challenger, Threads, is not great. While Threads had a strong start, it has struggled to keep users engaged. According to a recent study, there are fewer than 12 million active users a day on Threads, compared to over 100 million active users for Twitter…

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