INSIGHTS FROM EXPERTS ON LINKEDIN
John Peslar shares how Canva’s new integration with Claude AI lets you create pro-level designs with just a text prompt, no templates or design skills needed. In under two minutes, it can build branded carousels, resize for different platforms, and even replicate your top-performing content. It’s a major shortcut that could replace expensive design workflows for just $39/month.
Steve Patti offers advice for B2B SaaS marketers looking for a career shift that goes beyond just “promotion” and helps build full marketing muscle. He suggests avoiding VC/PE-funded companies and exploring sectors like semiconductors, fintech, and infrastructure, where marketers can own more of the 4Ps. He also flags industries to avoid and highlights those that have brand value but heavy regulation.
Monica Leary shares a quick Google Ads trick: filter for search terms without spaces to catch and block broad, irrelevant one-word keywords. These usually waste spend, and she recommends adding them as exact match negatives. It’s a super simple way to clean up campaigns fast.
Miles McNair shares that some Google Ads accounts now show detailed performance data for each RSA headline – clicks, conversions, and more. This update finally moves ad testing beyond vague labels like “best” or “learning” and back into real, granular optimization. He suggests checking your account (under assets) and starting to rethink your testing framework.
Carly Martinetti breaks down new data showing AI models favor genuine PR content, like news coverage and editorial mentions, over paid ads and press releases. As AI-generated search grows, brands that rely on native ads or “sponsored journalism” are being ignored. The winners? Companies with true earned media and solid PR fundamentals.
Mike Ryan reports that Amazon has fully pulled out of product ads on Google Shopping, a massive move that could shake up the ad landscape. It’s unclear why – maybe AI, maybe internal strategy, but it signals a shift in how Amazon wants to play. Competing retailers might cheer, but brands that benefit from Amazon’s ad spend could take a hit.
Logan Lyles explains how adding a short survey right after webinar registration, before the event even starts, helped him 5x conversions to booked sales calls. Instead of a dead-end thank-you message, qualifying leads get the chance to schedule a call immediately. This small change speeds up the funnel and increases pipeline before the webinar even goes live.
Blake Strozyk lays out a clear example showing how new B2B paid ads programs typically lose money in the early months, but pay off long-term through recurring revenue and customer lifetime value. The key is compounding – each customer becomes more valuable over time, especially in SaaS. It’s a reminder that ad spend is an investment, not an instant ROI machine.
Patrick Cumming shares a story that exposes how relying on the classic marketing funnel leads to wasted budget and missed pipeline goals. He explains that most buyers aren’t ready to buy just because they enter your funnel – 95% are out-of-market. Instead of chasing short-term leads, marketers should focus on awareness and being remembered when those buyers do become ready.
Charlie de Thibault argues that companies are burning cash on non-brand search, especially for high-ticket products. He’s seen brands pull significant spend with zero impact on revenue, proving that only a tiny fraction of buyers are influenced by these clicks. His advice: test, trace, and stop blindly feeding the ad machine.
WHAT'S NEW IN THE INDUSTRY
A new report from the B2B Institute and IPA says marketers need to build stronger relationships with their CFOs. High-performing marketing leaders are aligning closely with finance, using shared language and clear metrics to show business impact. If you want to protect budgets and prove value, it starts with understanding how finance thinks.
Google just rolled out a subtle update to the Optimization Score column in the Campaigns view. Now, when you hover over the score, you’ll see a small pop-up with an instant suggestion, like adding sitelinks, without needing to open the full Recommendations tab. It’s a handy shortcut, but since it doesn’t show up for every campaign yet, it may still be in testing.
Google Analytics now supports Reddit Ads, letting advertisers import cost data for better performance tracking across platforms. It also launched new reports and audience templates focused on lead generation, helping marketers see where leads come from, why some drop off, and how to better retarget or exclude them. These tools make it easier to understand the full funnel and improve conversion results.
Google has introduced a new conversion metric called Branded Searches that helps advertisers see how many people search for their brand on Google or YouTube after seeing an ad. This lets marketers measure upper-funnel impact and brand interest in a way that wasn’t easy before. Right now, it tracks searches within 30 days of an ad view but doesn’t yet support optimization, though Google might add that later.
Microsoft Advertising now lets advertisers set Lifetime Budgets for Audience Ads, giving better control over total spend for campaigns lasting up to a year. This feature simplifies budgeting, reduces daily management, and includes overspend protection with refunds. It’s especially useful for fixed-budget or seasonal campaigns, making Microsoft Audience Ads more flexible and easier to manage.
Amazon has completely stopped running ads on Google Shopping, a move that could lower costs and increase visibility for other retailers. This sudden exit affects global markets and leaves room for competitors to capture clicks that Amazon once dominated. While some see this as a chance to test new strategies, the big question is whether Amazon will return or if this signals a longer-term shift in their ad strategy.
That’s the scoop for this week! If you found this valuable and any useful insights caught your eye, feel free to share them with your network.
Until next week!
