How To Drive Sales With Shoppable Ads 💸 | The Paid Social Marketer Newsletter

PLUS: How Brands Are Measuring Social Media Impact

Author

Zihan Lyu
February 20, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

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Welcome to The Paid Social Marketer, your essential newsletter for social media marketers and eCommerce professionals.

🛑 Before We Get Into It…

🚀 eTail West 2025 is almost here! Want the inside track on game-changing trends, must-know insights, and key takeaways from the event?

Sector Spotlight 🎥

SHOPPABLE AD INNOVATION

Shoppable ads transform eCommerce by facilitating in-ad purchases, optimizing platform performance. Key players, including Instagram and TikTok, streamline this with product tags and instant checkouts. By integrating user-generated content, strategic discounts, and compelling narratives, marketers can harness these ads for powerful consumer engagement and immediate conversion, enhancing digital marketing initiatives.

PAID SOCIAL STRATEGIES

AI is reshaping paid social marketing by reshaping social media management for SMEs, driving scalability and cost efficiency. Through AI-driven analytics and tailored content, businesses can boost consumer engagement and optimize platform presence. These innovations provide strategic insights that deliver actionable strategies for confronting digital marketing challenges head-on.

TIKTOK MARKETING TRENDS

Influencers make a social media video about Sponge Cake the cat in New York City’s Times Square

TikTok creators, influential in U.S. social landscapes, showcase varied engagement strategies, vital for enhancing consumer interactions. Boasting over 5,000 followers, they emphasize humor, entertainment, and promotions through frequent, rich content posts. By tactically embedding links and avoiding the "influencer" label, they maximize platform performance and brand visibility.

SOCIAL MEDIA INSIGHTS

In 2025, the evolution of social media success demands moving beyond vanity metrics to emphasize genuine engagement and AI-enhanced analytics. These strategies reshape consumer interaction and platform performance, offering actionable insights and innovative solutions. With a focus on meaningful engagement, they drive strategic relevance in optimizing paid social marketing effectively.

Influencer Corner 📣

Poppi’s Super Bowl Ad Proves Influencers Belong on the Big Stage

While most brands kept influencers out of their Super Bowl spots, Poppi did the opposite—starring Alix Earle, Jake Shane, and Robert Rausch in a campaign that extended far beyond the 30-second slot.

✅ Authenticity: Alix has been a real brand advocate, making the ad feel natural.
🔥 Cultural reach: These creators are shaping Gen Z’s conversation.
🥤 Longevity: The campaign didn’t stop at TV. Behind-the-scenes content kept the buzz alive online.

Should more brands follow suit?

Why Community-First Brands Win Gen Z

Listen up, brands 📢

Gen Z wants more than a product—they want connection. Brands that focus on experiences, values, and real engagement are turning customers into loyal advocates.

🔹 REFY brings its biggest fans together, hosting trips with founder Jess Hunt.
🔹 Gymshark turns its audience into participants, from online content to live events like Lift Miami.
🔹 Represent builds beyond fashion, creating a global running club and behind-the-scenes YouTube content.

Community is the future of brand loyalty.

Performance Pulse 📈

MARKETING STRATEGY

Why do some products feel irresistible before you even try them? Think Rhode’s caramel-drizzled lip balms and Jacquemus' butter-stacked visuals, they both tap into something deeper than aesthetics—they trigger craving.

Brands are using sensory marketing to spark instant desire, from food-inspired packaging to ASMR-worthy textures. Touch, scent, and even sound are shaping how we shop, making products feel indulgent before they even land in our hands.

This shift is about the science of attraction.

DYNAMIC ADVERTISING INSIGHTS

An era of media fragmentation in 2025 pressures brands to adeptly balance niche personalization with wider impact. This dynamic demands strategic engagement, weaving micro-targeting with mass advertising, to sustain brand coherence. Successful approaches integrate contextual precision and agile adaptability, ensuring robust consumer connections and lasting brand resonance amid diverse digital ecosystems.

DIGITAL MARKETING INNOVATION

With 30% of consumer brands still lacking a social commerce strategy, opportunities abound for those focused on digital marketing. Samy Alliance highlights the importance of community interactions and influencer partnerships. Embracing platforms like Instagram and TikTok with integrated shopping features, alongside engaging short-form videos and humanized content, is crucial for enhancing brand presence and consumer connection.

DIGITAL RETAIL INNOVATION

Retailers can redefine their digital marketing strategies by reclaiming retail media networks (RMNs), harnessing first-party data and innovative advertising approaches to boost revenue. Investment in skilled talent and cutting-edge technology is crucial. These unified platforms enhance international campaigns, offering strategic insights that integrate data-driven advertising with improved consumer engagement and brand alignment.

Social Media Marketing

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