September 5, 2025 | Vol. 106
⚠️AI Cut Traffic by 25%... What Now?...
The marketing world just served up another week of plot twists. While everyone's chasing the latest shiny object, smart marketers are reading between the lines. Here's what really matters and the moves you should make now.
Signal > Noise (Why it matters)
TikTok's Ticking Time Bomb (Sept 17 deadline).
The Reality: Platform uncertainty is driving brands to diversify NOW—not later.
What it means: Repurpose your top TikTok content for Reels and YouTube Shorts immediately. Test which formats translate best before you're forced to pivot Source
Instagram's iPad Play Changes Everything
The Reality: Vertical-first content is getting horizontal competition. Creators will optimize for multiple aspect ratios.
What it means: Start creating content with flexible framing. Think "safe zones" that work both vertically and horizontally. Reuters
Prime Video's Ad Inventory Explosion
The Reality: CTV is becoming as measurable as digital—and twice as effective.
What it means: If you're running Q4 campaigns, lock in CTV inventory now. Prices are climbing fast as Netflix joins the party. Adweek
What it means: If you're running Q4 campaigns, lock in CTV inventory now. Prices are climbing fast as Netflix joins the party. Adweek
📈💻 AI Search Reshapes the Game
The Reality: Google's AI overviews are cutting organic traffic by 25%. Traditional SEO is dying.
What it Means: Focus on becoming the source AI cites. Create comprehensive, schema-rich content and build authority in your niche.
🎁🎎 Holiday 2025: The Early Bird Gets the Sale
The Reality: Inflation anxiety is pushing holiday shopping earlier than ever.
What it Means: Launch holiday campaigns in October, not November. Bundle products and emphasize value over discounts.
📺🏈Sports Content = Social Gold
The Reality: NFL's content expansion proves sports adjacency drives massive engagement.
What it means: Package your expertise around sports moments. Create "game day" content that ties to your brand naturally.
Play of the Week (do this in < 30 min)
List your top 10 customer questions. (check support tickets, sales calls)
Turn each into a 50–80 word answer with a product/offer tie‑in.
Add FAQ schema markup for search visibility.
Repurpose as social content. (carousel posts, video answers)
Metric to Track
Website Direct Traffic (7-day avg)
Record you website direct traffic this week: [______]
Compare to your 4-week baseline (avg of last 28 days / 4): [_______]
Note: If down >5% - Why?
Note: If up > 5% - Why?
💬 STRAIGHT TALK FROM THE CRAZY
The marketing industry loves to overcomplicate simple truths.
Here's one: Your customers don't care about your creative awards—they care about solving their problems faster and cheaper than your competitors.
Stop optimizing for industry applause. Start optimizing for customer results.
JIM
P.S. Want a 10‑min sanity check on your Q4 plan (no pitch)? Hit reply—I’ll share what similar teams are seeing.
