The Top Three

🏆 THE INDUSTRY’S MOST IMPORTANT STORIES TODAY

🥇 META ADDS RATINGS TO ADS

$META ( ▲ 1.67% ) is adding ratings and reviews to Facebook ads. After a user makes a purchase from an ad, the platform may now ask them to rate and review their purchase experience. All these ratings and reviews are collected on the Facebook Page level and can be displayed on your ads. more

• You can manage reviews in Meta Business Suite by going to 'All tools' and selecting 'Ratings and reviews' under 'Manage.' You can also reply to or report reviews.

• If you don't want to show ratings, you can turn off this feature in the same section.

• Note: This tool may not be available to everyone yet.

🥈 GOOGLE MAPS TAKES ACTION AGAINST FAKE LISTINGS

🧑‍⚖️ Google vs. scammers: Google Maps $GOOGL ( ▲ 1.57% ) is taking down 10,000 fake business listings and suing a scam network behind them. more

• The lawsuit alleges that a man linked to a broader scam network created fake business profiles on Maps and sold them for profit.

• The issue came to light when a locksmith in Texas reported someone was impersonating them on Maps, prompting the lawsuit this week.

🥉 U.S PODCASTING HITS RECORD HIGHS

🗻 Podcasting hits a new peak: New data shows podcast consumption in the U.S. has hit a record high, with more than half of Americans aged 12+ listening to podcasts monthly.

• Overall, 70% have listened to a podcast, and more than half of them have watched also watched a podcast.

• 75% have consumed podcasts in audio or video format, totalling around 210 million people.

Today’s Other News

📰 EVERYTHING ELSE THAT MATTERS

Advertising 📣

• 🙏 PPCers prayers have been answered: Google Ads now lets you hide all recommendations in one click. Previously, you had to hide each recommendation one by one, but now, there's one click to rule them all. more

• Google Analytics 4 has started rolling out two new features: Annotations and Anomaly Drivers. Both features are limited in availability but are expected to be more widely available soon. more

  • Annotations let users add contextual notes to reports.

  • Anomaly Drivers use machine learning to identify factors behind data anomalies.

• Publishers are feeling the squeeze as open programmatic ad auctions see sharp revenue declines. Many are reporting double-digit drops in CPMs, with some down as much as 30% in online display ad prices compared to last year. The slump, which started late last year, has only worsened, affecting multiple ad tech platforms. Digiday warns this downturn may be more than just a seasonal dip... it could be a sign of a deeper structural decline in the open market.

TikTok Bid 🎵 

• Perplexity, the AI search startup, proposed a bid to acquire TikTok and transform its U.S. operations today. Their plan includes rebuilding the platform’s algorithm in U.S. data centers under American oversight and making the recommendation system transparent and open-source. more

Social Media 📱

• Threads finally lets you set the following feed as default, along with several other updates like adding up to 10 topics to your profile, updated topic tagging for posts, and reply controls. The video player is also getting a much-needed upgrade with pause, play and skip buttons. more

• LinkedIn 🤝 Calendly: The professional network has added Calendly integration for profile CTA buttons. Premium users can add a custom “Book and Appointment” button to their profile, which will direct users to their Calendly schedule. more

Commerce 🛒 

• 🛍️ TikTok made them buy it: U.S. shoppers under 60 spent an average of $700 on TikTok Shop last year, with each purchase averaging $60, per PartnerCentric. Gen Z, unsurprisingly, leads the way, using the feature most and placing growing trust in influencers. Personal accessories and household items were the most popular categories. more

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