When’s the best time to post on social?

Meta Unleashes More Powerful AI Tools for Advertisers

Meta is supercharging its generative AI offerings for advertisers—starting with the ability to create entirely new product images.

Some context: Last October, Meta rolled out a generative AI tool for advertisers that allowed them to create different backgrounds for a product image. Now? Advertisers can fully reimagine creative assets with AI-generated "full image variations." 

How it works: Meta’s image generator allows advertisers to submit existing assets and ask the AI to alter it (ex. input a picture of a coffee cup in a cafe and ask Meta to produce an image of the cup surrounded by coffee beans and lush leaves). The AI will then generate several potential image ideas. 

Meta also teased upcoming features (to be released by year-end), including:

• The ability to generate full images from just a text prompt

• AI-generated text for ad copy with improved brand voice-matching  

• AI-generated text overlays to images in popular fonts

According to Meta, the tools will allow advertisers to spend less time and fewer resources repurposing assets across placements and formats. 

Between the lines: As the platforms’ fight for ad dollars heats up, Meta is turbocharging its AI capabilities to slash production costs and optimize performance for advertisers. But with AI generation comes the potential for deceptive advertising—and scaling quality control will be crucial to maintain consumer trust.

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This Is the Prime Time for Posting  

Do you know the optimal time to share an IG Reel or LinkedIn post? A new report from Sprout Social aims to provide some guidance.

The numbers: Sprout analyzed engagement data across over 34,000 businesses to identify peak posting times for the top social apps. You’ll want to bookmark this →

• Facebook: Weekdays from 9am to noon 

• Instagram: Weekdays from 9am to 2pm

• LinkedIn: Tuesdays/Wednesdays from 10am to noon  

• Twitter: Weekdays from 9am to 3pm

• TikTok: Weekdays from 2pm to 6pm

• Pinterest: Tuesdays to Fridays at 1am (!?)

Okay but…what does it mean? Mornings tend to be engagement hot spots across most feeds as people start their days, while weekends consistently result in lower traction for most brands. As for that wacky outlier, Pinterest? Early AM posting on Pinterest seems to align with when users are "struck with inspiration."

How to use this info: This report is a useful starting point for experimenting with your posting cadences. But remember: There's no one-size-fits-all formula to social. Between audience behaviors, algorithms, and content types, the ideal times will vary. Pay attention to when your audience is active and hungry for your brand's content as you optimize.

Read more → Brands Flock to Retail Media as TV Advertising Wanes

Advertisers are pouring money into retail media networks like those run by Amazon, Walmart, and other consumer giants as spending on traditional TV takes a back seat.

So what’s the shift? While TV advertising declines amid cord-cutting, retail media offers a new "mass reach" channel: Global retail media ad spend is projected to more than double from $114 billion in 2023 to nearly $234 billion by 2027—accounting for over 25% of total digital ad spend.

The key drivers:

• Ability to advertise at the point-of-purchase via in-store screens, sites, and apps

• Access to valuable first-party consumer data from retailers 

• Brand safety advantages over open web as data privacy regulations shake up digital ads

Top retail ad players in the U.S. include Amazon (75% market share), Walmart, Instacart, eBay, and Etsy. Walmart is aggressively expanding its network across 170,000 in-store digital screens.

The opportunity: "Brands no longer wake up with a recipe to buy X amount of TV. They wake up trying to buy growth and outcomes," said Sean McCaffrey, president and CEO of GSTV. Retail media's rich data helps optimize for that.

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Today From MarketerHire: How to find an expert Amazon marketer

Want your brand to win on Amazon? 

You’re not alone. Amazon has quickly become an advertising powerhouse—reaching almost $50 billion in ad revenue in 2023.

But succeeding on Amazon requires a number of unique skills, including:

• Data-driven decision-making

• Mastering the search algorithm

• Leveraging promotions

• …and more.

And finding the right individuals with these skills can feel impossible. Want some tips on how to find your expert Amazon marketer?

Ready to succeed on Amazon? We’re ready to play matchmaker.