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Monday, August 31st, 2020 | By: Meg Grasmick

UK marketers are disgruntled, Instagram got duped and, wow, you've got a lot of podcasts to download. Read on 👇

Marketing Takes a Dip (and not in the pool)

2020 has thrown plenty of curveballs in our field, and the impact on marketing is another one to add to the score ⚾. While 41% of marketers are returning to their Facebook ad campaigns, the general uncertainty surrounding budgets and campaigns is far from over. As a result, marketers are now reducing budgets for the end of the year.

According to MarketingWeek:

43.9% of marketers plan to decrease their budgets for the last six months of the year. This will affect new hires and campaign spend as well.
Over 30% of brands admit pulling back on commitments with agencies. Freelancers will notice the shift as well.

The results of this study are unexpected, as many in the field have noticed a bolstering of marketing spend. The 500 marketers questioned in this study are based in the UK, so you may find a different reality where you are.

We're All for Reels, But Scammers are Too

Reels is a new short-form video feature on Instagram which comes amidst the contentious future of TikTok in the U.S. The content will live in a new feed on the Explore page. While many users are excited about Reels, scammers are finding an excuse for foul play 🤯.

Image of Instagram Reels from instagram.com

A mere few hours after Reels launched, scammers began selling fake views. There are plenty of websites where you can buy views, and some botnet managers are even selling them on encrypted apps. One seller who accepted payments in Bitcoin said that he profited so much on views that he can now afford a nice car and home.

While this manager claimed that the app doesn't care, Facebook responded that they do not condone this behavior and will continue to leverage new technologies to remove spammy accounts. Apparently, TikTok was harder to fool.

Our Top 10 Podcast Recs

There's nothing better than getting into a good podcast, especially if it's informative about your industry and offers a little respite around 8:45 in the AM. As marketers, industry news is a staple in our professional diet. Let's start off with three, and you can click ahead for the rest.

The GaryVee Audience Experience

The GaryVee-bankrupt marketer is hard to come by these days. If you don't agree with everything he says, you at least know who he is. With this podcast, you get the whole experience: real talk, tangents and some gosh darn good storytelling. He put his nose to the grindstone at his family's liquor store for several years and is now a thought leader worth $160 million.

The Business of Digital

Hosts Dave Rohrer and Mat Siltala produce solid content on everything digital 👨‍💻👩‍. Whether you're interested in high-level topics like leadership and management, or something more granular like which keyword tools to use, this one is worth a listen.

5 Minute Marketing

Running short on time? Brian Moran's podcast is perfect for a short stretch or walk. Brian is another self-made entrepreneur who's been through all the highs and lows of starting a business. Download some episodes and learn what he has to say to startups.

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To Go With Your Coffee Break ☕

Who's In Your Audience? 👥

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