The Paid Social Marketer Newsletter - 02.06.2025

Snapchat Hits 11M Paid Subs

Author

Zihan Lyu
February 06, 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.

Editor’s Pick 🌟

Amazon’s “walled garden” has kept brands guessing—until now. Fospha’s latest research reveals the true impact of DTC ads on Amazon sales by measuring Unified ROAS (Shopify + Amazon revenue):

🔹 TikTok: +80% higher ROAS when Amazon is included

🔹 Meta: +46% higher ROAS (a major shift at scale)

Paid Social drives purchase intent—consumers click today but buy on Amazon later. Now, for the first time, it’s measurable.

Sector Spotlight 🎥

In 2025, influencer marketing integrates with paid social, prioritizing authenticity, inclusivity, and purposeful engagement. Social commerce and ethical marketing trends enhance consumer interaction and drive platform performance. Advanced analytics refine strategy effectiveness, offering marketers actionable insights for fostering strategic connections and achieving digital marketing success.

Google's Demand Gen updates bring transformative tools to eCommerce marketing, enhancing ad placement precision and creative capabilities. Emphasizing vertical integration, these changes promise improved ad performance and stronger consumer engagement. Notably, Demand Gen's enhanced return on ad spend surpasses traditional social media.

Snapchat's overhaul in ad business, coupled with AI and immersive technologies, has propelled its ad revenue and user engagement. With 11 million paid subscribers and 423 million daily active users, Snap's tactical shifts present significant opportunities for enhancing consumer interaction and broadening earnings potential in burgeoning international markets.

Indie beauty brands like Nectar Life utilize social media data to enrich personalization strategies, crucial in eCommerce marketing. By leveraging platforms like TikTok for authentic engagement, these brands refine product development and consumer interaction, driving loyalty and growth.

Influencer Corner 📣

Emma Chamberlain Has Changed the Creator Playbook

☕ Chamberlain Coffee just went from URL to IRL—opening its first café in LA.
Emma didn’t stop at influence. She built infrastructure, scaled smart, and now owns the experience.
Creators who think beyond digital? They’re the ones building brands that last.
And the next phase of commerce is where we experience it, not just what we buy.

5 Brand Experience Trends You Can’t Ignore💥

This year, brand experiences are getting sharper, smaller, and more intentional. Here’s what’s shifting:

🍕 Food is the new hook—expect more brands to blur the line between snack and experience.
🙅‍♀️ Fewer influencers, more fans.
🔗 Ecosystem cohesion – No more standalone events.
🎯 Hyper-targeted events.
📏 Smaller, better – Less flash, more depth. Micro-dinners, niche pop-ups, and intimate moments will define 2025.

2025’s Boldest Marketing Moves (So Far)

The best campaigns this year are immersing, entertaining, and building community.

From L’Oréal’s influencer ski trip to TALA’s Pilates pop-up, brands are designing experiences people want to be part of.

Celebrity and creator collaborations (Rhode x Tate McRae, Bella Hadid x Miss Sixty, Dunkin’ x Sabrina Carpenter) continue to dominate, while interactive activations like Glossier’s Black Cherry vending machine prove that exclusivity drives engagement.

Who’s doing it best so far?

Performance Pulse 📈

Gen Z's digital fluency demands brands to innovate with seamless, personalized, and multichannel strategies in retail media. Integrating entertainment and value alignment into campaigns, brands can shape lasting loyalty. Swift adaptation to these evolving expectations is crucial for success in the dynamic retail media landscape.

In the digital realm, merging brand and performance advertising is crucial for success. The report highlights the necessity of integrating brand equity with performance tactics, revealing that a balanced approach substantially boosts ROI, while a performance-only focus may backfire. Strategic budgeting and harmonious tactics ensure continued engagement and growth.

TikTok introduces GMV Max, an AI-driven tool to optimize advertising for retailers. This innovation automates campaign management, enhancing ad efficiency and profitability, while adapting to TikTok Shop's ecosystem. GMV Max streamlines ad operations, enabling businesses to focus on growth, reflecting strategic advancement in retail advertising.

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