Inside this edition
Briefs: Latest Updates.
Paid Ads Playbook: YouTube Shorts Micro-Funnel: 7-Day, Low-Risk Creative Test.
Content Strategy: Hub-and-Spoke Pillar for Search + Social.
Mini Case study: TikTok lower-funnel, simplified.
Toolbox: Hootsuite.
Business Hub: Stripe Checkout + Digital Product: launch a 1-page offer.
Free Course: SEO foundations (2025 beginner course).
Briefs
Meta Marketing API added “opportunity score,” surfacing optimization ideas beyond Ads Manager.
TikTok and iHeartMedia launched a multiplatform partnership spanning podcasts, broadcast/digital radio and live events.
Meta outlined initiatives to help brands connect through culture across its apps, with guidance and case work for culturally tuned creative.
Paid Ads Playbook
YouTube Shorts Micro-Funnel: 7-Day, Low-Risk Creative Test
Goal
Find the winning cut length for vertical video and seed a retargeting list.
Setup
Create one Google Ads Video campaign with three vertical edits of the same concept: 10s, 15s, 30s. Shorts prioritizes 9:16 and supports vertical across video-eligible campaigns, so keep assets 1080×1920 with captions.
Creative rules
Hook in the first 3–5 seconds, quick demo or proof, clear end-card CTA. Skippable ads can be skipped after 5 seconds, so front-load the value.
Steps:
Upload videos to YouTube, then build a Video campaign in Google Ads using skippable format and vertical assets. Keep targeting broad.
Link GA4 to Google Ads, enable Google Signals, and create an audience: “Visited landing page, no purchase/lead.” This exports automatically to Google Ads for remarketing.
Run 7 days without edits. On day 4, pause the worst length and keep budgets steady.
Budget
10–20 USD/day for 7 days. No mid-week budget swings.
KPI targets
primary view rate ≥ 25 percent; CPV ≤ 0.02–0.03 USD (market varies); CTR to site ≥ 0.5 percent. Judge by the primary KPI first.
Tools
1. Google Ads Video campaign builder;
2. YouTube for hosting; GA4 with UTMs;
3. CapCut/phone editor.
Shorts-optimized vertical specs and support ensure native delivery.
Success by day 7
One length wins on view rate and drives acceptable CPV/CTR, and your GA4 remarketing list is populating for next week’s offer.
Content Strategy
Hub-and-Spoke Pillar for Search + Social
Topic clusters build topical authority and create helpful internal links. One hub with tightly linked spokes is a durable pattern for both SEO and user experience. It helps search engines understand your expertise and gives readers a clean path to deeper resources.
Pillar plan
Hub: AI Content OS for Small Teams.
Spokes: scorecard, templates pack, tool stack, 30-day publishing plan.
Link each spoke to the hub and to at least one sibling spoke to reinforce relevance and keep readers circulating.
Platform executions
LinkedIn: turn the scorecard into a swipeable PDF document post at 1080×1350 per page. Teach the framework slide by slide and end with a direct CTA to the hub.
X: publish a 6-part mini thread covering pain, the 4-part OS, one quick proof, a 1-minute checklist, the hub link, and a soft CTA to reply for templates. Keep every post scannable.
Short vertical video: 30–40 seconds showing a before to after demo of the OS. Hook in the first 3–6 seconds, use captions, and finish with a clean URL or QR plus one action.
Hooks, CTA, KPIs
Hook formula: Struggling with [pain]? Steal my 4-step [framework] to get [outcome] in 7 days.
CTA template: Grab the full OS and editable templates at [link]. Comment “OS” and I’ll send the checklist.
Track: hub page signups, LinkedIn saves rate on the document post, and 3-second hold rate plus click-through from the short video.
Mini Case Study
TikTok lower-funnel, simplified (FitX)
FitX tested TikTok’s Smart+ automation to sell gym memberships in Germany. Smart+ beat other lower-funnel setups with a 67% higher conversion rate and 31% more purchases in the test period.
Why it matters to creators and SMBs
Smart+ reduces manual tinkering by automating targeting, bidding, and creative optimization, which is ideal when you have limited time and budget. Recent product updates added module-by-module control, so you can keep automation on while locking the levers you care about.
What to do now
Set up pixel/Events API and a purchase goal. Launch one Smart+ campaign with broad targeting and 5–10 creative variants that hit pain, proof, and offer. Let it run 7–14 days without changes, then compare CPA and purchase volume to your manual baseline. If creative fatigue appears, swap only the ad, not the campaign, to avoid re-learning.
KPI to confirm impact
Primary: CPA at or below your payback threshold. Secondary: purchases up ≥20% week over week while maintaining CTR and view-through. If results are promising, layer Spark Ads from strong UGC and test ROAS bidding once you’ve logged 50+ purchases for steadier optimization.
Toolbox
Hootsuite
Why this tool
Hootsuite centralizes social scheduling, publishing, and analytics across platforms. Connect accounts, plan a week in minutes, use recommended times, collaborate securely, and track engagement to grow audiences efficiently with insights.
Setup in 10 minutes
Create an account, connect your social profiles, open Planner, and compose your first post. Turn on recommended times so the calendar highlights high-engagement slots.
First win workflow
Draft three posts: a tip, a proof screenshot, and a soft CTA to your lead magnet. Drop each into recommended times and schedule. Use “best time to publish” in Analytics if you want a heatmap of optimal posting windows. After one post publishes, confirm it appears on each network and in your queue.
Troubleshoot, privacy
If a post fails, re-authenticate the profile and verify permissions; AutoSchedule on web relies on recommended times, which you can toggle in settings. Update your privacy page to note third-party schedulers and data access via connected accounts.
Business Hub
Stripe Checkout + Digital Product: launch a 1-page offer
Sell a simple digital product or starter course using Stripe’s hosted Checkout page, then drive traffic with Google Ads Demand Gen across YouTube, Shorts, Discover, and Gmail. It’s fast, compliant, and built to convert.
Process
Create a Stripe product and price, then generate a Stripe-hosted Checkout link. You get a prebuilt, conversion-optimized payment UI with Link and modern wallets; no backend needed.
Publish a lightweight landing page (Notion or Carrd) with a clear promise, one image, FAQs, and your Checkout button. Ensure the page meets Google Ads destination requirements before you advertise.
Launch a Demand Gen campaign using one 15–30s vertical video and one image variant. Start broad, add UTMs, and optimize to site visits and purchases.
Price test and scripts
Offer a Core plan and a Plus plan (anchor pricing). In your video: hook in 3 seconds, 1 benefit, 1 proof, CTA “Grab it now.”
In copy: “Get the starter kit today-instant access via secure Stripe Checkout.”
Troubleshooting
If payments fail or methods don’t show, check your payment-method settings and product configuration in Dashboard, then recreate the Checkout Session. For ad disapprovals, fix destination clarity, policy violations, or missing business info.
KPI and no-code option
Success = first 10 sales or 2–3% click-to-purchase this week; scale the winning creative. If you prefer pure no-code bundling, embed Tally + Stripe on a Notion page and start collecting payments immediately.
Free Course
SEO Full Course 2025 | SEO Tutorial for Beginners