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Meta’s new rules mean that if your website falls into a “restricted” category then certain website actions are now off-limits for ad optimisation. Some actions which have been effected include: donations, lead generation, or purchases. A lot of charities fall under the “health and wellness” category, so they’ve been hit hard by this change.

Meta says it’s all about protecting user privacy but the lack of transparency around how sites are classified makes this extra tricky.

: Without conversion tracking, Meta’s algorithms can’t target your ideal supporters as accurately.

 Say goodbye to custom audiences based on website actions.

: Awareness campaigns are still fair game, as are any campaigns with conversion goals which take place on Metabut direct-response fundraising is taking the biggest hit.

There are a few things you can try to overcome these changes…

Think Meta made a mistake? Hit that appeal button and see if you can get your website reclassified. This does mean going around the houses with Meta Support, which we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemy but you might get somewhere!

: Focus on campaigns that don’t rely on website conversions. Utilise Meta for prospecting and awareness and convert that interest elsewhere.

Keep all your conversion goals within Meta

: Eg. run a Meta Lead Gen form synced to your CRM, rather than directing people to the forms on your website.

Track clicks through Meta, not conversions

: Use Google Analytics to measure ad performance.

Some charities are launching separate domains for fundraising campaigns to sidestep restrictions. By directing your ad traffic to a domain which isn’t flagged as “health and wellness” you can sidestep the restrictions.

Meta isn’t the only channel in town! Check out:

 – Great for awareness and video focused campaigns.

 – Alternative platforms with unique targeting options.

 (like My Thank You) to turn appreciation into action.

Yes, these changes are a curveball but you’ve got this! Adapt, experiment, and stay ahead of the game. Meta isn’t the only player in town and with the right strategy, your charity can keep making an impact.

Meta’s new ad restrictions: What charities need to know

Oddly satisfying videos have become one of the biggest content genres on the internet. On TikTok, the 

 views. For context, that’s around 18 video views for every person on the planet. 

Smart brands have jumped on this trend for their own social strategy and it has proven to be a major success for businesses in those “boring” industries.Videos from 

like this one of him taking a swimming pool from green to clean

, have amassed millions of views and an audience of 14.5+ million.

The Hydraulic Press Channel—while not technically set-up for brand marketing purposes—is a textbook example for anyone working in the machinery biz. Turns out, hydraulic presses + everyday objects = the stuff of content magic. Their 

 has 9.5M+ subscribers, they have 2.6M+ followers on 

Now, if you’ve been in the digital marketing space for *ahem* a while, you might remember a certain brand that revolutionised this type of content. First launched in October 2006(!!) Blendtec’s “

” series was on nearly every marketing team’s radar. They blended everything from 

, just to prove how powerful their product could be. As a result of this one idea, 

What this type of content proves is that 

the elements of your business that seem boring to you, could be completely novel to your audience

this 60 second video of a man cleaning a rug

If you’re looking for a content idea that demands little production (but has the potential to take your social channels to new heights oddly satisfying videos could be just the thing.

Blendtec Founder, Tom Dickson, talks about the success of “Will it blend?”

Get content inspo from the original /oddlysatisfying subreddit

An interview with Lauri and Anni Vuohensilta from The Hydraulic Press Channel

Wightlink Ferry pokes fun at the ASMR trend

The psychology behind oddly satisfying videos

In the pool with…Armin Ulrich from Placid

—a toolkit that helps brands streamline their content with dynamic templates. 

 brand can use ASMR videos to their advantage. So, of course, we had to ask him about it…

In a sentence or two, describe your idea about how brands can use oddly satisfying content?

Brands can remix existing content (such as podcast highlights or educational videos) with oddly satisfying content to increase viewer retention and tap into current trends.

What are some examples of ASMR videos that brands could pair with their own content?

Closeups of people or machines cutting, squishing or crumpling things

Closeups of people baking, building legos, sewing, painting, crafting

Why do you think ASMR videos are so successful?

ASMR videos are the brain tickles of the internet. They’re like a sensory escape for people, offering some form of relaxation and entertainment.

Have you seen an example of a brand using ASMR content really well?

IKEA's "Oddly IKEA" campaign is a great example

. They combined ASMR with visuals of their products being assembled, creating an experience that was as engaging as brand-centric.

Finally, what advice would you give to brands that are going to start applying this ASMR strategy to their social channels?

If you’re sourcing ASMR content, don’t overthink it—just go with the trends that are currently hitting the mark.

If you’re creating ASMR content of your own, think about how you can make it more on-brand. For example: If you sell art suppliers, create an ASMR video with the sound of brushstrokes. Or if you’re a drinks brand, the fizz of a beverage.

Create an oddly satisfying video for your brand or a video that pokes fun at the oddly satisfying trend (like 

That's our wrap up on the oddly satisfying trend. Now all that's left to do is start experimenting! 

Hydraulic presses and other "oddly satisfying" content

Take Nude, for example, they’re an app helping people save for their first home. On TikTok, they’re 

 and creating relatable content for their target audience—like 

this video that peeks into the notes app of a first-time buyer

Juno is a financial education app for women—“The Duolingo of Money” as it says in their bio. We love how they 

curate topical articles on the subject of women’s wealth

 and use their videos to add further context. The content itself might not be particularly “funny”, but it’s a fun and engaging way to educate people about money (without sending them to sleep)

A special mention has to go to Starling Bank, which does an incredible job of partnering with creators. Our faves include 

Jack’s impression of that friend with an inconvenient bank

Monica and Christopher’s hairdresser gossip about Chris and his new bf opening a joint account

 (with Starling, ofc). This is an ideal social strategy if you, or the people in your marketing team, would rather sit through a 12hr crypto-bro podcast than be on camera 

One thing we’ve noticed about these fun-ance brands (sorry) is that their content is 

less about money itself, and more about people’s personal relationships with money

. From the challenges of saving for a home, to buyer’s remorse—it’s all about relatability. When you think of the ways money can impact your audience’s lifestyle, you’ll have a fat stack of fun content ideas in no time 

Step Bank’s Educ-ATE series teaches Gen Z how to save money on food

Go Fund Yourself masters the art of crowd-sourced content

Monzo’s senior social media manager talks about their content strategy

New obsession: The Fintech Marketing podcast from 11:FS

Cleo uses this ‘duet this’ feature to find their new ‘Chief Spending Officer’

In the pool with…Yoann from Nude Finance

, the app that helps you save for your first home. He’s based in London and previously headed up growth for the likes of Depop and Deliveroo.

Why do you think finance, in particular, has had such a massive tone-shift in the last decade?

I think it has a lot to do with the rise of mobile-first banking. Before, banks would always speak to their customers face-to-face in-branch, but now, a lot of people manage their money through apps. Without this human-to-human contact, finance brands are bringing a more human side to their tone of voice and content.


What advice would you give to marketing teams in finance who want to start making fun content, but they’re working for a very traditional brand?

I would say, forget everything you’ve done, forget all the processes, and all the rigid branding and go back to “what do people actually share with each other?” Either, one-to-many (e.g. on TikTok) or one-to-one (e.g. what do you send to your friends on WhatsApp?)

My other piece of advice would be to prioritise being responsive. For a piece of content to resonate, you can’t plan it 3 months in advance. And it can’t go through multiple rounds of approval. You have to monitor what’s happening on the internet today and be ready to react.

What’s your favourite piece of fun content from Nude?

Our Time to Buy a Calculator. It’s basically a lo-fi version of what the Nude app does. It’s fun, it’s interactive and it still brings us customers.

For you, what’s one of the easiest fun content ideas to execute?

Pay content creators (not influencers, content creators) to make videos for you every day. They can either shoot content at home, or interview people on the street. It’s super straightforward.

And if you want to start even smaller, create memes. Research the trending memes that are doing the rounds on the internet that week, and tailor them to your business or industry. You could make up to 5 in half an hour. Easy.

What would be in your target customer’s notes app? 

That's a wrap on finance for this series. Did we cover the best brands or is there some we've missed? Drop us a DM on social and let us know what you think.

The brands making finance fun on TikTok

Hollis Funeral Home is a father-daughter business based in Syracuse, NY. They have 930K+ followers on TikTok and over 20 million views. And it’s because they show this personable side to funerals and embalming. E.g. 

In this video, where Eileen rates the outfit that someone will wear to their own funeral

Eileen's dad, Charlie, is an internet treasure

Funeral directors actually want you to live

Over in Washington, you have Return Home Terramation. They specialise in natural human composting (you might’ve seen their work in 

). In their day-to-day content, you’ll see everything from their 

CEO geeking out over hursts at a funeral convention

their team talking about their wishes for when they die

. And then, there’s the normal workplace stuff like 

 (because it turns out, funeral directors actually want you to live).

We’re also loving the chatty, walk-and-talk style of 

 that Guardian Angel weren’t afraid to post on a brand account, and this 

“How well do you know your loved ones” festive quiz

Professionals in the death space—funeral directors, nurses, estate planners—are trained to contain their emotions in front of families. But through fun content, these brands are showing the personalities behind the people who look after our loved ones when they pass. And there’s something so comforting about that.

Long conversations about death with The Glam Reaper

This company that turns ashes into diamonds has over 1.7M followers

Big Led answers all your weird questions about embalming

There’s an entire podcast about undertaking

People tag Lauren the Mortician to warn others about dumb ways to die

6 tips for creating content in sensitive industries (e.g. funerals, legal etc)

In the pool with…Conor and Michael from Mortuary Marketing

Based in Chicago, Conor and Michael Cooney are the Founders of 

. Michael himself is a fourth-generation Funeral Director and Embalmer, and Conor is a Digital Marketing Specialist (he previously worked for the Walt Disney Company). Together, they’re changing the way funeral homes market themselves.

Why do you think fun content is so successful in the death industry?

Contrary to popular belief, funeral directors possess a great sense of humor, which often goes unrecognised. Up until recently, people haven’t had the opportunity to see that side. It’s like we’ve pulled back the curtain.

Why did you decide to niche down and work specifically with funeral homes?

We come from a line of funeral directors spanning four generations, affording us an intimate understanding of the industry's traditions and challenges. Funeral directors work year-round and often struggle to keep up with the times. It’s a very traditional industry and we saw the immense potential for modernisation and creativity.

Which piece of content have you had the most fun making?

What advice would you give to funeral homes that are interested in creating content that’s more fun (but are scared of coming across as disrespectful)?

First and foremost, maintaining a tone that is tasteful and respectful is paramount for funeral homes. The gravity of the subject matter should never be forgotten, and sensitivity to the emotions of grieving families should guide the content creation process. But, it's essential for funeral directors to connect with families on multiple levels. This means crafting content that not only aids families during their challenging times but also resonates with them in their current life circumstances.

, crowdsource “Ask us anything you want to know about [industry]” questions from your audience and make a video answering them.

And that's all we've got on the death industry. We hope that's provided some food for thought. If marketing can be brought to life (see what we did there?) in death, then surely there's no sector off limits.

Who knew the death industry could be…fun?

March brings with it some exciting notable dates including International Women’s Day (8th) and the first day of Spring (20th). Keep scrolling for some key March dates to help inspire your content calendar this month.🙌

National Bed Month is an annual awareness campaign that has taken place every March since 1990, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of sleep. This March, The Sleep Charity are encouraging us to dedicate some time to improving our sleep, which in turn can have a positive impact on our overall health.

Are you a brand with a focus on self-care? Could your customers benefit from tips for improving sleep? This could be a valuable way of tying in the awareness month with your brand content.

1st March - Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day 🥞

We look forward to Pancake Day like we look forward to Christmas here at Swwim. Crepes, American style, banana pancakes, galettes, we love every type of pancake.

Shrove Tuesday (aka Pancake Day) always arrives 47 days before Easter and is the day before Ash Wednesday which signifies the start of lent.

Recipe Reels, topping themed polls and pancake puns are all fun ways to weave Shrove Tuesday into your March calendar.

This year World Book Day is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Each year World Book Day commits to boosting joy through reading and offers every child a free book in exchange for a voucher.  Each year WBD has a different theme, with this year’s being "You Are A Reader".

There are lots of great events going on for WBD, you can find out more over on their 

Books are a great talking point. Get to know your audience better by asking them what their favourite book is using an Instagram story question box. Or perhaps help them get to know your brand better by sharing your team’s top reads for March.

8th March - International Women’s Day 💁🏻‍♀️

provides an important moment to showcase commitment to women's equality and gives us an opportunity to celebrate the amazing ways women and girls around the world have continued to push forward in shaping a more equal future.

The theme for IWD 2022 is #BreakTheBias. The movement is encouraging us all to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality. The IWD website has a wealth of information and 

 for brands, it’s well worth taking a look at.

The IWD website has some great ideas for ways that you can celebrate International Women’s Day including holding a digital event, launching a new initiative or delivering a female-focused activity. Perhaps you could hold an Instagram Live discussing ways to #BreakTheBias, or gather quotes from females close to you about how they break the bias.

Crufts ‘the greatest dog show in the world’ takes place in March and around 20,000 dogs are expected to head over to the NEC arena in Birmingham for the event. Crufts celebrates “every aspect of the role that dogs play in our lives" and depending on your brand, this could be a great theme to mirror within your content this month.

If Crufts is a relevant event within your brand industry, or something your audience is interested in, perhaps you could post a reactive story series as the event is going on and utilise the Instagram stickers such as the question box or poll. Everyone loves a bit of dog content, right?!

St Patrick’s Day began as a religious holiday and over time evolved into a full-scale celebration of Irish culture. On the 17th March, you can expect to see parades, music, drinking and a lot of green!

Has your brand got ties to Ireland? Share your favourite St Patrick’s Day traditions, create a green-themed recipe or share a roundup of the best events going on. Get creative and think of how you could incorporate your product into the content.

Spring will be springing this month and we are very happy about this! Warmer days are on the way, along with fresh starts, beautiful blooms and very cute baby animals.

There are lots of ways to move your content over from being winter-centred to more spring-focused. Think about switching up the colour scheme of your content to suit the bright tones of spring. If your brand offers seasonal products, now could be the time to switch up the focus to your warmer weather goods.

Mother’s Day provides us with the opportunity to celebrate all the mother figures in our lives, in the many forms they come in.

Celebrate the many roles of mother figures - perhaps share authentic stories from your team or customers. It's important to be inclusive with your marketing efforts when focusing on topics such as Mother’s Day, as whilst this day can be filled with love, that won’t always be the case for everyone. Make sure your content represents the diversity of your audience.

Social Media Calendar Dates For March

When you think of Pinterest, you wouldn’t be alone in associating it with moodboards, wedding planning and your go-to source of hair inspiration. Perhaps one of the last things you would think of is it being a money-making machine. But as all evolving technology seems to do, Pinterest breached the world of commercial sales.

Through increasing brand authority and awareness, and now being able to sell products directly on the app, Pinterest is quickly becoming more and more popular with brands who are discovering that it can benefit their store in more ways than one.

How you can use Pinterest to drive traffic to your ecommerce store

Often left behind when competing with the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, Pinterest is another social media site that can help brands connect directly with existing and potential customers.

By sharing aesthetically pleasing pins and pinboards that match branding and create synergy between platforms, companies can establish more trusting relationships with their audiences, therefore helping drive traffic to their websites.

However, this more ‘organic’ method is not the only option anymore when it comes to traffic driving from Pinterest.

Last year, Pinterest partnered with the popular e-commerce software, Shopify. This collaboration has allowed customers to buy products directly from Pinterest with ‘Buyable Pins’, making the site an additional sales channel and a valuable asset for brands.

Promoted content has higher success rates on the Pinterest app, making paid campaigns worth the ad spend. But don’t just take our word for it, the stats speak for themselves! 1 out of 2 Pinterest users have made a product purchase after seeing a brand promoted pin, and a whopping 

 of users use the platform to plan their purchase decisions. With more than 

 monthly ‘pinners’ it comes as no surprise that Pinterest is the number 2 overall source of social media traffic to Shopify stores.

It’s clear that for brands seeking e-commerce store traffic, Pinterest is quickly becoming an essential and popular business tool. Have we got you ‘Pinterested’? Reach out and see how we can help you make money on Pinterest!

Stat Sources - Pinterest Business and Shopify

How To Make Money On Pinterest

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