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BIZADVICE

Ideas and information to help you improve and grow your business.
ADVERTISING

Consumer pessimism causes dramatic changes in advertising campaigns

6/13/25

AS CONSUMER SENTIMENT drops rapidly, brands are tightening budgets and lower-funnel campaigns remain a lifeline for performance, according to findings in a new study by AdRoll. Tactics are shifting as TikTok’s ad prices rebound and Google pauses its privacy overhaul.

TikTok's CPMs began climbing in March and reached their 2025 high in April (just 6% below last year's levels) despite continued uncertainty around its U.S. presence. At the same time, Google has officially stepped back from its original plan to phase out third-party cookies, providing advertisers with short-term relief. However, experts caution against a renewed reliance on legacy targeting methods, as privacy-first alternatives continue to gain traction.

Google's AI-powered search is upending how consumers discover brands and how marketers reach them, the report says. The rollout of AI Mode, a new conversational search experience with ad placements in AI Overviews, marks a fundamental shift in search behavior. Early data shows that these AI-driven results have already reduced click-through rates on traditional listings by more than 30%, prompting brands to rethink their organic strategies and explore emerging ad formats.

"We're seeing a fundamental shift in how people discover and engage with content, says George Castrissiades, general manager of connected TV at AdRoll. "To stay competitive, marketers need to diversify beyond traditional channels and embrace cross-platform strategies that span the full funnel. Channels like connected TV are especially powerful in this environment. Research shows that when CTV is integrated with other tactics, it can drive an 11% lift in purchase intent."


MANAGEMENT

AI delivers $1.36 return for every $1 invested, study reveals

6/12/25

COMPANIES ARE REALIZING a 136% spike in return on investment (ROI) from AI in financial technology. Savings exceed $1.36m for every $1m invested over a three-year period, according to a global survey.

Amid economic turbulence, fueled by tariffs and global trade disruptions, AI is being tied directly to enterprises' financial performance. 

The findings were revealed in Basware's AI to ROI report, conducted by independent research firm Financial Times Longitude 

The survey found that companies investing in AI are able to tackle more efficiently their biggest challenges—data accuracy, fraud detection, and process delays. Three out of four companies report that AI enables its employees to focus on strategic activities instead of repetitive manual work.

It's not solely about saving money but funding the ability to accelerate growth," says Jason Kurtz, CEO of Basware.

Are you losing out by not making enough use of AI technology?

MARKETING

Marketing non-essential products likely to become a lot tougher

5/27/25
MANY AMERICANS SEE their financial situation worsening in the future, leading to even everyday essentials becoming less affordable. Businesses who sell non-essential items are therefore likely to face strong headwinds as they try to market their products. What to do about it.
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MANAGEMENT

American business reputations with consumers are slipping over prices and value; steps you should take

5/22/25
Many companies are failing to fulfill consumer needs as inflation has shifted America's focus and priorities toward seeking value and spending more carefully. According to The Axios-Harris Poll 100 Rankings on Corporate Reputation this failure is the reason Trader Joe's ranked first—followed by other value-prioritizing brands like Toyota and Arizona Beverage Company—among the top 10 most reputable companies in the country this year.
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MANAGEMENT

What workers want in their 401(k) retirement plans

5/19/25
ALMOST ALL WORKERS saving in 401(k) plans (93%) say it is important for their retirement plans to provide options for converting savings into guaranteed monthly retirement income that never runs out, while 87% think employers have a responsibility to help employees achieve retirement income security.
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SMALL BUSINESS

Small businesses need to sell online to capture younger customers, study finds

5/15/25
TO CAPTURE CONSUMER SALES, small businesses need to sell online. Businesses with a brick-and-mortar store need to sell both online and in-person. That is the conclusion in a new survey of shopping habits in the latest GoDaddy Consumer Pulse* survey of 1,500 U.S. consumers polled in March.
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ECONOMY

Language barriers daily challenge almost seven in every 10 US enterprises

5/13/25
Nearly 70% of US enterprises face unexpected operational challenges due to language barriers on a daily basis and almost two-thirds (61%) of leaders admit they have underestimated the impact of these barriers on their business, according to a new survey. How companies are addressing these challenges with innovation solutions, including artificial intelligence.
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MARKETING

Study offers advice for business as consumer sentiment turns deeply negative

5/12/25
MORE THAN HALF of all Americans plan to cut non-essential purchases as tariffs take effect, according to new findings from Trade Winds, an ongoing research initiative designed to track consumer sentiment and behavior in real time. Many are already changing their spending behavior.  How you should react.
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MARKETING

The marketing crisis you didn't see coming

5/12/25
Traffic and visibility are vanishing for many businesses as traditional search strategies are breaking down, according to SOCi's 2025 Consumer Behavior Index. For marketers, this is a wake-up call: adapt to this fragmented reality now, or risk becoming invisible, irrelevant, or untrusted in the eyes of today's digitally fluent consumers.
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SMALL BUSINESS

Learn how to run a successful small business from those who know

OVER 10 YEARS, journalist Graham Fysh interviewed 120 successful small businesses, researching in depth the factors that lay behind their profitable ventures. As he probed deeper, he found common strands that linked them.
He found that the winning small business owners all had taken 10 steps that contributed to their success. The steps are outlined in detail in this book.
It is packed with real-life examples and case studies so the reader can see how the businesses applied the 10 steps to make their ventures successful.
These steps can work for you, too, whether your business is only a concept, a start-up or an established company seeking to advance. Indeed, 10 Proven Steps to Small Business Success is essential reading for all small business owners.
Now on sale for $9.97
MARKETING

Most consumers mark emails as spam at first glance—what you should do to build engagement

5/8/25
ALMOST ALL CONSUMERS check their emails daily, but eight in 10 mark messages as spam based solely on appearance, according to a new survey from ZeroBounce. For brands and marketers, this growing skepticism poses a major challenge. Even well-intended emails might  never be opened. We look at what you can do to to get your emails read.
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This book will make a great coffee-table book for your reception area

The 135 ads in Awesome Automobile Ads: 1930s Edition are a fascinating view of the cars of those days that any lover of cars will will appreciate. Can be read over and over again; there is always something new to discover in its pages.

Buy this great book for your reception area now
MANAGEMENT

A short course in how to choose a domain name

3/29/25
IN HONOR of the humble domain name turning 40 this month, a new survey by GoDaddy asked consumers to spill the tea on what they consider red and green flags when it comes to a business's domain name. Although different generations had varying opinions, they all agreed on two things: size and spelling matter.
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MANAGEMENT

Are your employees experiencing 'quiet cracking'?

4/9/25
A study of 1,000 U.S. employees has uncovered a silent crisis in the workplace that's going largely undetected — a phenomenon its researchers have coined "Quiet Cracking."

MANAGEMENT

Here's a test you might just fail

3/1/25
ARE YOU MAKING the best use of information on your customers to drive your business growth? Chances are you are not doing so. After all, 86% of U.S. companies are failing this test, according to a new study.
Why is this important? The study finds that those U.S. companies that make good use of customer data in marketing, sales, service and product development achieve considerably higher income growth.
Check out what you should be doing
BIZADVICE

MORE EXPERT TIPS

Check out these earlier advice items from our archives
HOW TO SUCCEED IN RETAIL
SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS TIPS
TIPS ON MANAGING A BUSINESS
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