Happy Wednesday! New inflation data drops this morning, and much like our crypto portfolio, experts expect it to show inflation has already peaked. With last week’s red hot jobs report, the economy continues to send mixed signals, so today’s print should be interesting.
Mentioned in today’s newsletter: Lyft, Shopify, and Google. Plus what separates world class service providers from riff raff, 5 tips for making a good impression on Zoom, and the retargeting mistake even veteran media buyers make.
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes and 29 seconds
Making the Rounds
- Lyft launches new media and advertising business. The announcement of Lyft Media lists 4 different ways advertisers can reach customers, including digital rooftop screens as well as in-app placements.
- Shopify merchant growth stalls out. The ecommerce platform added just 71k new merchants in the first half of the year, compared to 680k in 2020 and 314k in 2021.
- Google faces potential class-action lawsuit over data collection of Incognito mode users. A group of California residents are claiming the company violated state and federal laws by collecting data on site visits where Google Analytics or Google Ad Manager are deployed.
Working With Clients
What Separates World Class Service Providers From the Rest of the Riff Raff
Unlike high school, “my dog ate my homework” doesn’t cut it when you’re a working freelancer.
So if you want to get 5-star reviews, referrals, and repeat work from high-quality clients, the recipe is simple:
Don’t miss deadlines.
It sounds simple, we know — but trust us… getting your work in on time will instantly set you apart from the competition.
Don’t believe it? Try hiring a freelancer and see for yourself.
And if you find yourself struggling to hit deadlines you set…
Here’s what to do:
- Do a time audit on your next project
- Add 24-48 hours on top
- Use that as your next deadline
Once you’ve got a grip on how long each task or project takes you on average…
You shouldn’t have any trouble hitting deadlines.
Working For Yourself
5 Tips For Making a Good Impression on Zoom
Video calls are a necessary evil when it comes to running a remote freelance business.
Whether it’s for closing deals or staying in sync with clients…
It’s one of the most effective tools in your toolkit for communicating clearly and strengthening relationships…
But only if you show up like a professional.
Check out this article from our friends at The Verge for 5 simple tips on how to make a good impression on video calls:
[READ]: Five tips for looking (and sounding) great on a video call
From The Paid Ads Gig
The Retargeting Mistake Even Veteran Media Buyers Make
Retargeting is a key part of any paid ads strategy.
Even in a post-iOS 14 world.
But there’s one common mistake we see even experienced advertisers making with their retargeting strategy:
Not retargeting people to a different offer.
If someone sees your ad, clicks on it, hits your lander, but doesn’t opt-in or buy…
Retargeting them with same offer again and again amounts to saying:
“Hey, I know you decided you didn’t want this the first time you saw it… but how about now??”
Can this approach produce *some* results?
Yes.
But as a skilled media buyer, you can do better…
By retargeting them to a different offer (and ideally, one that lowers the commitment.)
For example:
- Retargeting ecom buyers with a free + shipping offer
- Retargeting info product buyers with a quickstart guide
- Retargeting SaaS buyers with free 7-day trial
- Retargeting coaching clients with a low-ticket group challenge
Presenting them with a new offer creates a “reason why” for your ad…
And increases the chance they’ll take action.
Gig Alert
Looking for clients? These freelance jobs were posted on Upwork in the last 24 hours:
Quote of the Day
“There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will to execute them.”
— Seth Godin
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