The review keeps working after the sale
People who read bad reviews before listening paid $17.29 to see a show, against $20.45 for people who read none. The review changes the experience, not just the purchase.
Marketing in 3 · Topic
11 issues of Marketing in 3 on UGC, newest first. Each one explains a new peer-reviewed study in plain English, with steps to apply it.
The label does not read as artificial. It reads as lazy.
Posts carrying TikTok's AI label collected 7% to 8% fewer likes at the same reach. Not because people distrust AI. Because the label says the creator did not try.
Nobody styles a photo of a bad cookie
Judges called 72.3% of the photos in positive Amazon reviews well composed, against 39.7% of those in negative ones. Nobody stages a complaint.
Busy enough to be interesting, tidy enough to be read
Thumbnails with a middling amount going on won the clicks at 5.48 out of 7. Middling colour harmony lost them at 3.41. Two dials, pulling opposite ways.
Caught, not told: the worst way for an AI actor to be found out
Viewers who worked out the actor was AI rated the ad 2.83 against 4.59. Being told afterwards hurt far less, and priming people made them twice as likely to notice.
Write the post for them and they will send it
Handing customers a ready-made post lifted sharing from 0.4% to 2.1% in a real gym campaign, and quietly stopped unhappy customers posting at all. How to use it, and where it gets uncomfortable.
The dislike button that made people post more, and shout less
A noticeable drop in reputation made Reddit users 8.5 points more likely to post the next day and softened their strongest opinions. What that means for ratings, scores and community design.
Reviews close tourist traps and lift the hidden gems
After EU roaming fees ended, low-rated restaurants in Rome were twice as likely to close and high-rated ones sold 5.6% more. What reviews do to quality.
Why weekend reviews are harsher, and when to ask for one
Weekend reviews carry fewer 5-star ratings and more 1–3 star ratings, across 33 platforms. Why it happens, and why you should ask for reviews on weekdays.
When brand memes sell, and when they flop
In a field test, a meme ad doubled click-through (1.40% against 0.65%) and raised ROAS from 1.14 to 1.52. Memes work only when mature and for mainstream products.
How to answer customers who praise you online
Replying to a 5-star review by downplaying the praise made 60.8% of people choose that business over one that repeated the compliment. Wording that works, and what to avoid.