Andrew Tan

A marketing measurement perspective that I don't see represented often is that, for a substantial proportion of advertisers, last-click really is optimal. If a fairly new mobile app with low TAM penetration scales exclusively on Facebook, how much actionable insight is gained by introducing complex measurement machinery? While I'm certainly guilty of advocating it, the viewpoint that more sophisticated measurement infrastructure is always better strikes me as overly generalized. In certain contexts, orchestrating experiments or building, tuning, and deploying probabilistic models probably won't meaningfully impact advertising efficiency. And in those specific (again: not all!) contexts, with limited data and a homogenous (possibly, single-channel) channel mix, reducing interpretability and overhead might do more harm than good. Creating complexity where last-click may perform just as well as an ensemble of methodologies doesn't actually optimize the bias/variance tradeoff -- it may not reduce bias sufficiently to compensate for a large increase in variance.

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I met with a founder who’s bootstrapped an impressive local newsletter media business that reaches millions of people per year and makes $5M/year of revenue. But, he was in rough shape due to recent changes in Instagram’s algorithm causing his traffic to plummet, and ad dollars have been harder to get since the good old ZIRP days. He wanted me to invest in his business and is raising some VC money to shake things up. We’re all guilty of this. We look at an industry, shake our heads and declare it "dreadful" - a lost cause, doomed to fail where time, effort and money go to die. But some of these “dreadful” businesses that most people try to avoid are the ones I’m honestly most excited about right now. The media business is a prime example of this. I was reminded of it the other day. And as the founder was explaining his challenges, he uttered the fatal words: "media is a dreadful business." That's when I had to stop him in his tracks. Here’s my point of view: If you build a media business, you own a rare resource: people's attention. Which attention you own is "your business." Monetize the right high-value audience, and you've got a beautiful business. And how you monetize that attention is also "your business." Monetize correctly through subscriptions, paid community instead of ad dollars, and suddenly you've got a high-margin, high-impact model. The status quo of media business is to find advertisers and optimize around impressions. But the most interesting way to monetize media is to build your own internet products (marketplaces, SaaS, communities) and optimize around monthly recurring revenue. The reality is the most dreadful businesses just need to be reoriented to be beautiful ones. New business model, new distribution channel, attach a creator to it. The truth is, there are no dreadful businesses - only dreadful “status quo” mindsets. When you approach an industry with curiosity, creativity, and an unwavering belief that there's beauty to be found, even in the most seemingly bleak of landscapes, that's when the magic happens. After all, some of the most beloved, profitable businesses in the world started out being called "dreadful." And these days we call those businesses cash machines. History is rich with examples of 'dreadful' industries reborn through innovation. Someone comes in and looks at it completely different. And it becomes a golden business. That fires me up.

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A killer blueprint for how to maximize value on premium domains. Friend.com founder @AviSchiffmann recouping his $1.8M investment in less than a week? I’d call that a win! 🏆 #domains #branding #growthhacking

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tl;dr: Finding external advocates for your product is one of the most foolproof ways to build developer trust. If you’re generous enough with your incentives, loyal customers don’t just become endorsers — they become revenue-generating machines. Your biggest fans could be generating 10% of your revenue. At ScraperAPI, our affiliate program did just that by converting loyal users into top salespeople. Here’s how we spotted the opportunity: We realized that a lot of our customers would outsource web scraping tasks to freelance software engineers who would use the same tool over and over again for different companies. That left us with a great opportunity to build relationships with those freelancers who had the potential to bring us more and more new customers over time. Here’s how we did it in practice: It’s super simple. We offered killer incentives to everyone involved: -25% recurring commissions for affiliates -10% first-month discount for the new customers they referred Because our product was well-designed and easy to use, freelancers were happy to recommend us over and over again.

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Is Wunderkind truly the savior of DTC email growth, or just a mirage? 👇👇👇 Opinions are split—while some hail it as a top revenue accelerator, others (like myself) are less enchanted, witnessing firsthand its disappointing underbelly. Enter Digioh , the dark horse revolutionizing the market right under Wunderkind's nose. I've dissected six reasons why Digioh is different. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀. Are you a Wunderkind lover, or on the fence about its superpowers? #emailmarketing #emailgrowth #dtcemails

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Less than a 0.5% improvement — that's what most A/B tests deliver when you're changing headlines or images. We recently helped a $6B membership organization examine how users moved through their platform. 💡 Getting into the weeds revealed something crucial: The number of people listed on accounts rarely matched who made it through checkout. The feature was poorly implemented, so we rebuilt it from scratch and saw… - Their order size jumped 32% - Overall conversions increased by 27% Our main test always compares the old experience to the new one, holistically. ⚙️ During our navigation redesign, we found hero nav items distracted users from their main journey. Moving them to the footer — where they served a smaller, focused group — drove the lift. 🎯 Every project's testing is context-dependent, varying based on goals and KPIs. Multivariate testing requires significant traffic to validate each half-percent improvement. These small changes matter and add up, but they *must* be guided by the complete picture. That's why we test the entire experience first— Prove the new version works better… then optimize the details.

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new episode alert: Magnite $MGNI CEO Michael Barrett breaks down the future of independent ad tech. we talk competing with Google, why The Trade Desk won, and what actually works in M&A. Plus some great insights on leading turnarounds: https://lnkd.in/eAKc84Qi

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𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐤𝐓𝐨𝐤 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: $𝟔𝟎𝟎𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟗𝟏 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 & 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝. Client Overview: A newly launched health and supplement brand partnered with us to establish a strong presence on TikTok Shop in the USA. Starting with no prior audience, brand recognition, or sales, our goal was to build visibility, trust, and revenue rapidly. Challenges: Zero TikTok Presence: As a brand new entrant on TikTok, there was no established follower base or prior engagement. Limited Brand Trust: Gaining audience trust was crucial to converting viewers into first-time customers. Intense Content Competition: The brand needed to stand out among established health and supplement brands with significant TikTok followings. Our Strategy: Shop Setup: Created an optimized, visually appealing TikTok Shop storefront designed for easy navigation and compelling product displays. Product Syncing from Shopify: Synced products directly from Shopify to TikTok Shop for streamlined inventory management and accurate product information. Listing & Review Import with SEO Optimization: Imported existing listings and customer reviews to establish initial credibility while enhancing listings with targeted keywords for greater visibility on TikTok Shop. Influencer Partnerships: Partnered with health-focused influencers to develop relatable, high-quality content that connected with health-conscious audiences. Targeted Advertising: Launched a precise ad strategy aimed at health-conscious users interested in wellness, supplements, and fitness, effectively driving traffic to the storefront. Content Creation: Produced educational and engaging videos that highlighted product benefits, wellness tips, and health guidance, helping build trust and generate interest. Results: $600k in sales generated within 91 days Significant brand visibility with a strong early sales trajectory This case exemplifies how a well-executed TikTok Shop strategy—including product syncing, SEO-optimized listings, influencer partnerships, and targeted ads—can drive exceptional growth and visibility for new brands in competitive markets. #tiktokshop #tiktokshopads #tiktok #brands

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Following the likes of Robinhood & Salesforce, brands are betting the farm on owned media, but 90% of b2c brands are overestimating their upside. 2 things that differentiate those marquee efforts from most companies: Mass Appeal - Sherwood (Robinhood) and Salesforce+ are going after 2 of the largest audiences, respectively, in consumer investing and sales/marketing. But let's say you operate an insurance marketplace, a telehealth company, or... a mattress company... What are the real odds consumers subscribe to your newsletter? Investment - Sherwood is not messing around. They've hired a cadre of top talent, and then went and bought Chartr to sprinkle on top. You need to be creating a TON of great content to have a chance at creating a real consumer media brand, and too many owned strategies are being built on the back of 2-3 person teams. The truth is... b2c brands need to find audiences offsite, by leveraging their content/data into earned. Tell interesting stories, and create relationships that allow you to syndicate those stories at large.

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Turn one event into 2.8+ million impressions? New case study w/ Vin Matano 🐝 and Demandbase out now! - Follow our DICE framework to maximize your event ROI so you don’t have to roll the dice with in-person content. D-esign I-deate C-apture E-dit - DESIGN your event content plan before the event. Factor the RSVP list, influencer partners, and key marketing messaging before the start time. This will inform the topic selection and shot planning during the event. The more homework you do upfront, the easier it is to hit a home run at the event. IDEATE on content topics and thoroughly prepare. Be intentional and formulate a concrete shooting plan. This can include video topics, storyboarding, branding, and questions for the participants. You want to focus primarily on execution during the event, so it’s key to get the preparation in order. CAPTURE your event in a versatile manner. Now that you have your content plan, you can focus on 1) DOCUMENTING the event and 2) CREATING original content at the event. You want a fair balance of both so you can produce versatile videos (short form, interviews, hype video, recap, long form) with original b-roll. EDIT your raw assets into usable content. Think carefully about how you want to distribute the content. Fast-paced short form is great for organic social while more cinematic shots can serve as promotional reel for future events and sponsor activation. DO NOT post anything raw. Create with audience enjoyment top of mind. - Watch the full video for a detailed breakdown. Hosting an event and interested in turning it into a content factory? Hit up EventShark 🦈

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Not all CMS platforms are created equal. How do I know? We've powered agencies and marketing technologies alike, where websites were just a means to support the broader goals of a franchise’s business. If you're relying on a single agency or platform to handle your paid ads, social media, listings, reviews, websites, content, advanced SEO—all of it—you’re doing it wrong in 2025 and beyond. The franchise space comes with unique complexities and technical requirements, from corporate to local management, and native integrations with industry-specific tools. These alone demand technical expertise—not to mention design, testing, Google updates, and more. Do you really think your websites are reaching their full potential in their current setup? Are your franchisees happy with their websites? Join us, we were built for franchise. #franchise #websites

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Agencies shouldn't have advertised minimums. Yet...many do. I hear the following from agencies, often. "If they don't have $X per month, we don't want to chat with them" A better reframe is "most of our clients spend $X per month with us" The reason I think it's worth it to explore, most of the time, is because I see budgets balloon every single day. In 2024 alone, I've seen the following. - Brand came to me with a budget of $20k/mo. Ended up signing a retainer for close to $100k/mo. - Brand came to me with a budget of $7k/mo. Ended up signing a retainer for $15k/mo. - Brand came to me with a budget of $10k/mo. Ended up signing a retainer for $30k/mo. - Brand came to me with a (project) budget of $50k. Ended up with a budget of $200k. Agencies who want to grow, should explore. They have to. You'll potentially waste some time. But, you'll potentially find some great clients. When agencies tell me they have minimums, I joke, that brands don't always walk around with a sign on their forehead with their budget on it. To get to the big budgets, you have to be willing to talk about the small stuff, sometimes. If you do, and you think long term v short, over time, you'll be really really really really really glad you did.

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Video put together for Zillow Is AI getting out of hand? Or paying $1,000s for UGC creators + usage rights is out of hand? I think the latter if you want to make videos like this for 2% of the cost Comment UGC and I'll send you the link (must be following)

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🔥 Hot Ones Has Been Sold for $82.5 Million Buzzfeed just announced that they have sold Hot Ones to a group of investors including Chris Schonberger (the original founder of the series), Sean Evans (the host of the series), Crooked Media, YouTubers Rhett and Link's Mythical Entertainment and Soros Fund Management. Hot Ones is part of the First We Feast media brand, which hosts several food-related celebrity shows on their YouTube channel, like Pro Moves, Snacked, and The Burger Show. Hot Ones is the most successful digitally native "talk show" on YouTube, with the unique format of interviewing celebrities while they eat progressively spicier hot wings. What started as a funny concept ten years ago has now become a major stop on press tours, with actors like Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman going onto the show to promote Deadpool & Wolverine or people like Shaq creating legendary memes from their appearances. And that's an underrated part of Hot Ones' creative genius -- the fact that almost every episode creates memes and moments that people want to share on social media. In a press release announcing the sale, Chris Schonberger specifically mentioned the company's intention to expand into "new platforms, live events, and talent acquisition." The straightforward playbook would be for Hot Ones to build itself up as a broader media platform, with several shows under its brand and a roster of talent, all of which they can monetize in several different ways. First We Feast is the modern, digitally native version of the Food Network. And I completely expect them to grow as a massive pillar in pop culture. #hotones #media #entertainment #content #youtube #film #buzzfeed #food

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INTERVIEWS OF 2024 SXSW PITCH WINNERS: Dhavel Patel of Lotus Every March in Austin, 50 of the world's most impactful startups showcase their talents at SXSW Pitch. Today we begin a series of short interviews with some of the category winners from the 2024 event. Founder and CEO Dhaval Patel has been growing Lotus for three years. At this year's SXSW Pitch, his San Jose based startup emerged as the winner of the "Smart Cities, Transportation & Sustainability" category. Patel's short answers to our questions are below. SXSW: What is Lotus?  Patel: A wearable ring that controls objects at home by pointing. See https://www.getlotus.com/ SXSW: What community does Lotus serve? Patel: Folks with limited mobility -- older adults, veteran soldiers, people with disabilities.  SXSW: Who is your all-time favorite entrepreneur? Patel: Warren Buffett. SXSW: Best startup-related advice you have received? Patel: Don't start building first, find the need first. SXSW: Current entrepreneurial trend that excites you the most? Patel: Desire for tech that is intuitive and simple. SXSW: Fail fast or perseverance? Patel: Persevere in failing fast repeatedly. SXSW: Favorite VC? Patel: Andreessen Horowitz. SXSW: Favorite gadget or device? Patel: Apple AirPods. SXSW: Government can best support startups by Patel: Moving faster. SXSW: Most over-hyped technology at present? Patel: AI. SXSW: Most under-hyped technology at present? Patel: Consumer hardware. SXSW: What did you enjoy most about your experience at SXSW? Patel: The people -- each person wanting to make the world a better place. SXSW: What is your best trait as an entrepreneur? Patel: Simplifying complex problems. SXSW: What is your best advice for other startups? Patel: Focus (say "no" to more). Learn more about Dhaval Patel of Lotus plus other 2024 SXSW Pitch winners by listening to the audio of their session at this year's event. See https://lnkd.in/gHtwQB8n Applications for SXSW Pitch 2025 will open in late summer. See https://lnkd.in/gE2hcVPK #sxsw, #sxsw2024, #startups, #founders, Chris Valentine, Dhaval Patel, SXSW, #venturecapital, #entrepreneur, #entrepreneurs, #startup, #founderstories, #sxswpitch, Lotus (Techstars'23), #techstars, #Austin, #ATX, #creativity, #innovation, #hardware, #consumerhardware, #pitch, #accessibility,

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Meta's introduction of incrementality-based optimization, revealed at Performance Marketing Week in June and officially introduced last week, is strategically shrewd: - Meta has natively facilitated lift studies for years, so it knows that its platform is incrementally accretive; - Meta is the singularly largest publisher for most eCom advertisers, and its contribution is likely being undervalued by psuedo-deterministic measurement solutions; - Meta would prefer to reduce its dependency on direct data transfer, even through server-to-server mechanisms, and it has slowly been increasing its reliance on aggregated attribution data from 3P measurement tools (see: AEM changes last year). Optimizing for incrementality will simply increase platform CPMs while shifting more budget allocation into Advantage+.

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Back in 1997, The New York Times highlighted a “Roundtable in Multimedia” attended by senior media executives. They lamented that apart from a few exceptions like pornography websites and Amazon, no one had cracked the code for a viable 'interactive' media business model. Fast forward to 2024, and Fable has launched Showrunner, a revolutionary platform known as the “Netflix of AI" , which allows users to create their own TV shows with just a few prompts. 📺✨ The way we create and consume content has evolved dramatically. But what does "interactive media" really mean today? We break it down, exploring how it intersects with massive shifts in technology, culture, and new media. And how with a growing "Swipe before Type" generation, there is now an ingrained expectation of interactivity in all digital experiences. We dive into the future of interactive media and gaming and see where we're headed next! Link in comments. #InteractiveMedia #Gaming #AI #TechRevolution #ContentCreation #NewMedia

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Meta Advertisers: If your conversion tracking & ad structure are wrecked, creative can’t save you.   Just talked to a $25M brand running a strong creative motion.   But it looked like a 5th grader set up conversion tracking and ad accounts.   They’re putting out great statics & videos every week.   Starting with great creative frameworks & high-converting ad templates.   Even running a proper whitelisting play.   But it wasn’t enough to scale ads aggressively. B/c they had:   😡 Limited server-side tracking   😡 Only CAPI v. better options - Blotout, Elevar   😡 No micro-conversions - only orders   😡 Broken attribution - inaccurate GA4, no Northbeam   😡 Too many campaigns - crushing Meta’s ML’s potential   😡 Bad budget allocation - to Tests vs. Winners   😡 Too much ABO, too little CBO   😡 Too much retargeting - faking growth w/o incremental profit   --   Bums me out when good brands get in their own way (often bc of bad agencies). Yes, creative is a massive lever. But you’ll never be A+ if sleeping on the above.

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TREND Emerges as the Premier Alternative to TikTok Amid U.S. Ban Salt Lake City, UT - December 13, 2024 - As TikTok's U.S. operations are set to cease on January 19, 2025, TREND steps into the spotlight as the most comprehensive alternative for creators and brands. With a feature set designed to not only replicate but exceed TikTok's capabilities, TREND is poised to redefine the landscape of short-form video content and commerce. Feature-Rich Platform for Creators and Brands: Innovative Revenue Opportunities: TREND doesn't just match TikTok's capability for brand deals; it expands on it with features like Live Selling and Tips on All Videos, enabling creators and brands to monetize content in multiple ways. Enhanced E-commerce Integration: With every user equipped with a TREND Shop page, creators can list products for sale directly from their profiles, enhancing the earning potential for both brands and influencers. The platform's unique Shoppable Video Feed separates commerce from entertainment, giving creators more space to express themselves while providing a dedicated space for product discovery. Advanced Algorithm and Community Engagement: TREND's algorithm draws inspiration from Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok for a unique content discovery experience. Additionally, a built-in Voting System allows the community to influence what trends by upvoting content, creating a democratic approach to popularity. Superior Revenue Sharing: TREND offers a 46% direct revenue share to its creators, setting a new industry standard and outpacing competitors like Google Shorts. This transparent and favorable model ensures creators are rewarded equitably for their content. Founder's Vision and Experience: TREND has been under development for the past three years under the guidance of its visionary founder, Joel Otterstrom, known as Grandpa Alpha Dev, who brings over 25 years of e-commerce experience to the table. Having pioneered the first Hosted Shopping Cart, his goal with TREND was clear: to build a platform that not only competes with TikTok but surpasses it in supporting creator and brand earnings. As the curtain falls on TikTok in the U.S., TREND invites all creators and brands to join a platform where innovation meets opportunity. With a commitment to free speech and a warm, welcoming community, TREND offers a sanctuary for those looking to continue their digital journey without compromise. Explore TREND's full potential at https://lnkd.in/gJupeEbG. Whether you're a creator looking for new ways to earn or a brand aiming to engage with a vibrant community, TREND is where your next chapter begins. TREND is a next-generation social media and e-commerce platform dedicated to empowering creators and brands through innovative tools, community-driven content discovery, and unmatched earning potential. Founded on the belief in free expression and fair compensation, TREND is redefining how content is created, shared, and monetized. Contact: [email protected]

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