đŸȘ™ Zuck bucks to replace ads?

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Happy Monday! In investing, they say “time in the market beats timing the market.” Same thing goes in business. Most people aren’t willing to put in the consistent work it takes to succeed — and that’s a good thing. Because it creates opportunity for those of us who are.

The quote at the bottom of today’s newsletter is another one of our favorite reminders for anyone playing the long game.

Now, here’s what’s happening


Digital Marketing News

  • Virtual “Zuck bucks” could help Meta become less dependent on ads. With the metaverse in mind, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company is aiming to develop new tokens and digital currencies to decrease its dependence on revenue from advertising.
  • TikTok dethrones Snapchat as teens’ favorite app. 33% of teens surveyed in a new poll ranked TikTok as their #1, with Snapchat taking the top spot among 31% of teens. Interestingly, Instagram ranked #1 in terms of engagement with 89% reporting they use it every month.

  • You’re not the only one getting Slack messages at 9 PM. A new Microsoft study reveals up to 30% of workers have a “third peak” of productivity late in the evening. The study also found the average workday has expanded by ~1 hour, with the average person working twice as much after hours. Check out today’s Working For Yourself section for more on how to combat work creep.

Working With Clients

Do This to Avoid Making New Clients Seasick

What’s the most high-stakes aspect of working with clients?

A) The sales process
B) Submitting your work for approval
C) Seeing how your work performs
D) Getting paid

Answer:

None of the above.

The most high-stakes aspect of working with clients is the onboarding process.

That’s because the onboarding process sets the tone for the rest of your work together, including what expectations they have, and how they perceive your work.

In fact, according to ZenDesk, 62% of B2B customers buy again after a good customer service experience.

But unfortunately, most freelancers don’t have a structured onboarding process in place.

So new clients are stuck feeling like they’re prepping to cross the Atlantic in a rubber dinghy


Instead of a $40M yacht that will get them safely and smoothly to their final destination.

If you want to give your clients clarity and confidence that the project is going to be a smashing success, develop a rock-solid onboarding process.

This should include:

  • Signing an official agreement
  • Filling out any worksheets + background docs you need to start the project
  • Getting access to any software tools, ad accounts, shared folders, etc
  • Discussion of timeline, budget, project expectations
  • A kickoff call to review and make sure everything is in order before you begin

If your onboarding process could do with a little bulking up, make sure to check out today’s referral section.

Working For Yourself

Sorry, I’m OOO

The numbers are in:

For many of us, working from home often means working (a lot) more than 8 hours a day.

And with notifications pouring in from dawn ‘till dusk (and sometimes even long past then)…

Maintaining more than a shred of work/life balance is a constant battle.

So here’s a simple tip to help you stay stane:

Use “work speak” to set effective boundaries.

Since your home and your office may be the same place, being “out of office” doesn’t have to apply only when you’re away from the computer. 

It can simply mean you’re unavailable.

Whether that’s because you’re doing deep work on a project or going deep into the latest season of Bridgerton.

And “meetings” don’t always have to be work-related — they can also be calls to catch up with family or friends.

Bottom line is:

Many people have an easier time understanding (and respecting) your boundaries when you use the right language to set them.

From The Paid Ads Gig

One Ad a Day Keeps the Low ROAS Away

Coming up with killer ad ideas doesn’t always require creative genius.

You just have to be savvy enough to save a great ad when you see one in the wild.

Add one new ad to your swipe file every day and you’ll never lack for creative ideas.

Whether it’s going to the Facebook Ad Library and checking in on your favorite advertisers (because you do keep a list of them, right?)…

Or simply grabbing a screenshot when you see a banger in your news feed
. 

It only takes a few minutes each day.

Get yourself a tool like SnagIt and/or the GoFullPage Chrome extension and you’re all set.

Quote of the Day

“Whatever you face, whatever you’re doing will require, first and foremost, that you don’t defeat yourself.”

— Ryan Holiday