Control Your Reels Feed with Instagram’s “Your Algorithm”
👍 Control your Reel feed
In December, Instagram launched a new feature called “Your Algorithm” that gives users more control and transparency over the content they see in the Reels feed.
Rather than relying solely on AI decisions, users can now tap an icon in the Reels tab to view a summary of the topics that Instagram’s AI believes match their interests – based on their engagement history – and then add or remove topics to guide future recommendations.
The tool makes suggestions more relevant by aligning recommendations with what users explicitly want to see, and also allows them to share their interest summary on Stories if they choose.
10 Proven Ways to Boost Your Ecommerce Conversions
Struggling to Turn Clicks into Customers?
Optimising your ecommerce website comes down to one key objective: boosting revenue.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but with the right mix of strategies, you can attract high-quality traffic, improve conversion rates, and increase average order value (AOV).
In this article, we’ll break down 10 practical ways to optimise your ecommerce website, so you can drive more traffic, convert more customers, and grow your online sales.
Psst… The average conversion rate of a Shopify store is just 2–3%. If yours is below that, it’s time to optimise!
1. Target High-Intent Keywords
Dig into keyword research tools to uncover what your ideal customers are actually searching for. Focus on terms that show buying intent (e.g. “buy organic skincare NZ” vs. just “skincare”). Use these across product titles, meta descriptions, category pages, and blog content to improve visibility and attract qualified traffic.
2. Optimise Product & Category Pages
Make each product page work hard. Use clear, benefit-driven copy, sharp images from multiple angles, and highlight key features like shipping, sizing, or sustainability. Category pages should be SEO-friendly, fast-loading, and help users easily browse and filter products.
3. Streamline Site Structure & Navigation
Confused customers don’t convert. Keep your navigation clean and intuitive. Group similar products, use clear labels, and ensure it only takes 2–3 clicks to reach any product. Add breadcrumb trails and a powerful search function to improve the overall shopping experience.
4. Improve Mobile Experience
With most ecommerce traffic coming from mobile, your site must be fast, responsive, and easy to use on any device. Buttons should be thumb-friendly, text readable without zooming, and the checkout process should feel seamless on smaller screens.
5. Build Trust Signals
Give visitors confidence to buy by displaying customer
If you’re relying only on referrals to bring customers to your business, we need to have a little chat. Because, WTF are you doing?
Are referrals bad for business?
No. I don’t hate referrals. They’re one of the easiest ways to win new customers, because the trust is already there, thanks to the person referring them (who is probably already a customer of yours).
So there’s nothing wrong with a good referral. The problem is relying only on referrals.
That’s like handing your car keys to a 16-year-old on their learner licence, then being frustrated when they crash it.
Why shouldn’t you rely on referrals alone?
Sales are the thing that keeps your business afloat. And your business is your baby, right?
So why would you hand control of your sales to anyone else, even your most incredible customers, friends, and family? Why wouldn’t you want to be in control, with referrals as the nice wee cherry on top?
What happens when referrals dry up?
You may be getting plenty of referrals right now. Good for you, as you should be. But are you really going to wait until they’ve dried up to build a new pipeline of leads?
Because they will dry up. I’m not saying that to scare you. It’s just the reality.
You have to diversify your lead sources to keep your sales safe.
It’s the same with any marketing. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket. You can’t market your business on one platform and expect everything to be fine and dandy forever.
Can digital marketing work as well as referrals?
Yes. If you market correctly, sales from digital marketing can be just as effortless as sales from referrals. The key is knowing what your target audience needs to know in order to buy from you.
The short version
Referrals are great, but you don’t control them.
They will dry up at some point, so build other lead sources before that happens.
Don’t rely on one channel or one platform.
Done right, digital marketing brings in sales just as easily as referrals do.
If you have an online shop, you’ll know how heartbreaking abandoned cart figures can be. The fix is an abandoned cart email sequence: a short series of personalised emails that brings shoppers back to finish their purchase.
70%
of online shopping carts are abandoned
Why do shoppers abandon their carts?
Most shoppers ditch their carts because they’re either not ready to buy, or they get distracted and leave.
So what are you going to do about it? Leave money on the table? Fuck no!! An abandoned cart email strategy turns those lost sales into customers.
Our top 3 abandoned cart email tips
1. Make it personal
Use their first name and show them the exact products they left behind.
2. Offer a discount or free shipping
A small incentive can get shoppers over the line. But don’t offer it straight away. Save it for the second, or even third, email in your sequence.
3. Include social proof
Customer reviews and how-to demonstrations build trust and credibility, and reassure shoppers they can rely on your brand.
When should you send abandoned cart emails?
Timing is key. Send too soon and it feels pushy. Send too late and they’ve moved on. Here’s the sequence we typically use:
Email 1
4 hours
A friendly, personalised reminder of what they left behind.
Email 2
20 hours
Build trust with reviews and social proof.
Email 3
36 hours
Sweeten the deal with a discount or free shipping.
Put these tips to work and you’ll recover lost sales and turn abandoned carts into money in the bank.
Want an abandoned cart sequence set up for your online shop?
Frequently Asked Questions About Abandoned Cart Emails
What is an abandoned cart email?
An abandoned cart email is an automated email sent to shoppers who added products to their cart but left without buying. It reminds them what they left behind and encourages them to come back and finish their purchase.
How many abandoned cart emails should I send?
A sequence of three works well: a friendly reminder, a follow-up with reviews and social proof, and a final email with a discount or free shipping offer.
When should I send abandoned cart emails?
We typically send the first email 4 hours after the cart is abandoned, the second at 20 hours and the third at 36 hours. Too soon feels pushy, and too late means they’ve moved on.
Should I offer a discount in abandoned cart emails?
A small incentive can help, but don’t offer it straight away. Save it for the second or third email so shoppers who were always going to buy don’t get a discount they didn’t need.
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A general rule of thumb suggests 7-10% of total revenue.
But it varies based on your goals and growth stage.
Here’s how much you should spend on marketing depending on your goals:
Startups
Around 11-12% of revenue.
Maintain market position
2-10% of revenue.
Steady growth
5-25% of revenue.
Other tips:
01
Look at your previous marketing efforts and their outcomes. This can help you understand what strategies worked and what didn’t, which can inform your budget allocation.
02
Spend time investigating your target audiences and spend your money where they are listening, watching, reading or scrolling.
03
Take into account your projected revenue and other business expenses. Your marketing budget should be a portion of your total revenue, but it should also be enough to achieve your marketing goals.
04
Remember be flexible, your marketing budget might need adjustments throughout the year based on the performance of your campaigns, changes in the market, or shifts in your business goals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marketing Budgets
What percentage of revenue should a business spend on marketing?
A general rule of thumb is 7-10% of total revenue. The right amount for your business depends on your goals and growth stage.
How much should a startup spend on marketing?
Startups typically spend around 11-12% of revenue on marketing, as building awareness from scratch usually takes more investment.
How much should an established business spend on marketing?
To maintain your market position, around 2-10% of revenue. If you’re aiming for steady growth, 5-25% of revenue, depending on how fast you want to grow and how competitive your market is.
Should my marketing budget change during the year?
Yes. Your budget may need adjusting based on how your campaigns perform, changes in the market, or shifts in your business goals, so build in some flexibility.
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If you’re using Facebook or Instagram to promote your business, you’ve likely seen the little blue “Boost Post” button encouraging you to get more eyes on your content. It’s tempting, right? A few clicks and your post reaches more people. But here’s the catch.
Boosted posts are not the same as Meta ads. If you’re serious about getting results, you need to know the difference.
What’s the problem with boosted posts?
Boosted posts are easy to use, but that’s about where the benefits end. They’re fine if your only goal is more likes or comments. They fall short when it comes to real business results like sales, leads, or website traffic.
Boosted posts
Very limited targeting options
Little control over where your money goes
Can’t align with goals like conversions or lead generation
Often deliver vanity metrics (likes, reach) rather than ROI
Quick, but limited
Meta Ads Manager
Full control over your audience targeting
Campaign objectives for sales, traffic, leads, and more
Retargeting, A/B testing, and custom audiences
Flexible ad formats across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger
Built for results
Why do you need targeted Meta ad campaigns?
If you want a return on your investment, you need Meta Ads Manager. Properly set up campaigns put you in front of the right people, at the right time, with the right message. That’s how you generate actual business results.
Get better results from your social media ads
At Rushton Marketing, we don’t do guesswork. We build targeted Meta ad strategies that are data-driven, results-focused, and tailored to your goals. Whether you’re in Ashburton, Timaru, or beyond, we help you make the most of every marketing dollar.
Frequently Asked Questions About Boosted Posts and Meta Ads
What’s the difference between boosting a post and running a Meta ad?
A boosted post promotes an existing post with limited targeting and goals, mostly likes, comments and reach. Meta Ads Manager gives you full control over targeting, campaign objectives like sales, leads and traffic, retargeting, A/B testing, and ad formats across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.
Is boosting a post on Facebook or Instagram worth it?
It can be if your only goal is more likes or comments on a single post. If you want sales, leads or website traffic, a properly set up campaign in Meta Ads Manager will give you a much better return.
Why use Meta Ads Manager instead of the Boost button?
Ads Manager lets you choose an objective that matches your business goal, target the right audience, retarget people who already know you, and test different ads to see what works. That’s what turns ad spend into measurable results rather than vanity metrics.
Do I need an agency to run Meta ads?
Not necessarily, but getting results takes the right objective, audience, tracking and ongoing testing. Rushton Marketing builds and manages targeted Meta ad strategies for businesses in Ashburton, Timaru and beyond.
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Hashtags used to be the go-to tool for getting found on social media. That’s changing. Platforms now read the words in your profile and captions to decide who sees your content, which means keywords matter more than hashtags.
30%more reach from keyword-rich captions
2xas many likes compared with hashtags alone
Source: Hootsuite study
What is social media SEO?
Social media SEO means using relevant keywords in your profiles and posts so algorithms understand your content and show it to people who are actively searching for it. It works just like traditional SEO, only on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn instead of Google.
Where do social platforms look for keywords?
Most major platforms now index your content based on four things:
Username or handle
Include what you do or where you are if it fits naturally.
Display name
Add a keyword next to your business name so you show up in search.
Bio or about section
Say clearly who you help, what you offer, and where you’re based.
Captions and post copy
Write the way your audience searches, using the words they’d type.
Do hashtags still matter?
Hashtags can still support discoverability, but they’re no longer the star of the show. Focus on keyword-rich content that speaks directly to your audience.
Quick rule: keep hashtags to a useful 3–5 per post and let your captions do the heavy lifting.
Growing on Facebook and Instagram comes down to seven things: a clear strategy, strong profiles, paid ads, real engagement, consistent posting, the right collaborations, and tracking what works. Here’s how to get each one right.
Start with a strategy
Decide what you want to achieve, who you’re talking to, what you’ll post, and how often. Everything else builds on this.
Optimise your profiles
Complete every section and use quality photos, video, and descriptions that show exactly who you are and what you do.
Invest in paid ads
Boosted posts and targeted Meta Ads put you in front of the right people and send them to your website or online store.
Engage with your audience
Reply to comments, messages, and reviews quickly. Run polls, giveaways, and competitions to get people involved.
Post consistently
Share content that’s useful, relevant, and interesting, and plan it in a content calendar so you never go quiet.
Collaborate with influencers
Partner with creators and local voices in your niche to reach new audiences and build credibility.
Track your results
Use Facebook and Instagram Insights to see what’s working, measure your return, and adjust your strategy as you go.
Want a social media strategy built for your business?
You can now advertise in ChatGPT and Google admitted that the AI answer at the top of the search results is now the whole ballgame for a huge chunk of queries.
If you run a business and neither of those sentences meant much to you, that’s fair. You’ve got a business to run. You’re good at what you do. That’s what we’re here for.
If you’re seriously wondering where your marketing dollars should go for the next 12 months, you need to understand the importance of AI.
Not because AI is ’taking our jobs’ and will one day rule the world”
But because two very specific, very practical opportunities just opened up, and most of your competitors haven’t clocked either one yet.
ChatGPT Ads are live in NZ
ChatGPT Ads went live in New Zealand, Australia and Canada in April, and I’ve been in the Ads Manager myself setting up a campaign for our own agency.
The overview:
The minimum daily budget is $25. You can currently optimise for clicks or reach (conversion optimisation is listed as “coming soon,” so if you’re chasing leads and sales directly through the platform’s own optimisation, that’s not quite here … yet).
Ads sit in a clearly labelled, subtly shaded box underneath ChatGPT’s response, and OpenAI is firm that they don’t influence what the AI actually tells the user.
Targeting is contextual rather than the cookie-based retargeting you’re used to from, for example, Meta: it’s matched to what someone is actively discussing in that conversation, plus context hints you provide describing the kinds of conversations your business is relevant to.
My 2 cents:
Budget: A $25 daily minimum is a relatively low bar to test a brand-new channel.
Results: Early click-through data across the platform is still sitting under 1%, which sounds rough until you remember every new ad platform starts messy while the algorithm learns. Early Facebook ads were a bloodbath too. No conversion optimisation yet means this is a top-of-funnel play right now, not a direct-response one: think brand visibility and getting in front of people while they’re actively researching, not a hard sell.
Recommendations:
Sign up directly at ads.openai.com and have a play. We’re in the process of training and learning how they work as well so sing out if you get stuck. While we don’t claim to be experts yet we will be soon!
Write your context hints like you’re describing a real conversation, not stuffing in keywords. “Struggling to get results from Facebook ads” works. “Marketing” on its own doesn’t.
Set expectations around clicks and reach, not conversions, until OpenAI ships that optimisation. Track your own attribution in the meantime.
Start small and specific. One ad group, a handful of well-chosen context hints, a modest daily spend, and watch what happens before you scale.
This channel could very well replace Google and Social ads so get prepared for that. But being early on a platform with billions of daily conversations and comparatively little competition for attention, at a $25/day entry point? That’s the kind of window that doesn’t stay open for long.
Meanwhile, “ranking on Google” isn’t what it used to mean
While everyone’s been distracted by ChatGPT ads, the ground has shifted under organic search too, and this one affects every single client we work with, whether they run ads or not.
Google’s own search team has said the quiet part out loud: their AI Overviews are built on the same core ranking systems as regular search, using retrieval-augmented generation to pull from indexed pages and “query fan-out” to break your one question into several related searches behind the scenes. Their official line is that good SEO is still good SEO. I mostly agree with that. But “mostly” is doing some work in that sentence.
Here’s the bit that should actually change …
How you think about content: research on which pages get cited inside AI answers found that pages sitting at position 21 or lower in traditional Google results still got cited by ChatGPT almost 90% of the time. Separately, other research on AI-cited sources found the overlap between top-ranking Google pages and the sources AI engines actually cite dropped from around 70% down to under 20%.
Ranking #1 on Google and getting chosen by an AI answer are becoming two different games. You can win one and lose the other.
Why? AI systems aren’t ranking pages, they’re selecting, summarising and stitching together an answer from whichever sources are clearest, most specific, and easiest to extract a direct answer from. Keyword density and backlink volume matter less than whether your content actually answers the exact question being asked, in a format the model can lift cleanly.
What you can do:
Lead with the answer. Put the direct, plain-English answer to the question in the first sentence or two under each heading, then explain your reasoning after. AI systems (and impatient humans) grab the top of the section.
Structure like you mean it. Clear H2/H3 headings phrased as actual questions, short paragraphs, bullet points and tables where they genuinely help. This isn’t dumbing content down, it’s making it extractable.
Stop publishing one-off posts and start building topic clusters. A single brilliant blog post on “AI SEO” won’t cut it if the rest of your site never mentions the topic again. AI systems trust sites that clearly own a subject.
Check your robots.txt. This is the one everyone forgets. If you’re on Cloudflare, its default settings have blocked AI crawlers for plenty of sites without the owner realising. You could be doing everything else right and still be invisible because a bot can’t get in the door.
Keep it fresh and specific. Generic, thin, AI-generated filler content is the fastest way to get ignored by the very AI systems you’re trying to get cited by. Original insight, real numbers, real examples: that’s what gets lifted into an answer.
None of this replaces solid, human-first SEO. Real expertise, genuinely useful content and a fast, crawlable, well-structured website were always the foundation, and they still are. What’s changed is the finish line. It’s no longer just about the blue link. It’s about whether the AI answering someone’s question decides your business is the one worth mentioning.
The takeaway
ChatGPT ads and AI SEO are two sides of the same coin: attention is moving inside AI conversations, whether that’s a sponsored placement or an organic citation. The businesses that treat this as “something to figure out eventually” are going to spend 2027 trying to catch up to the ones who started testing now, while the field is still relatively uncrowded and the entry point is a $25 daily budget.
You don’t need to overhaul everything by Friday. You need to pick one thing from each list above and actually do it this month. That’s how every channel shift I’ve watched in 15 years of doing this has played out: the early, unglamorous, slightly imperfect action beats the perfectly planned strategy that never launches.
If you want a hand figuring out where to start, that’s literally what we’re here for. Get in touch and let’s build you a plan that doesn’t involve guessing.
Every so often, the platforms remind you who’s really in charge. This is one of those months.
Meta’s putting a meter on its AI tools, Google’s changing how Smart Bidding spends your budget, and both want more of your data in the name of “personalisation.” None of it is optional. All of it needs a response. Here’s my take on each, and what I’d do if it were my account.
1. Instagram’s AI tools: “free” is becoming “for now”
What’s happening
Adam Mosseri has confirmed Instagram’s generative image and video tools will cost money eventually.
Right now you get a daily cap before you’re locked out.
Soon, that cap comes with a “subscribe for more” prompt.
My take
Fair enough. These models aren’t cheap to run.
It’s also the oldest trick in tech: give it away free until it’s part of your workflow, then charge for the version you can’t live without.
What to do
List which content workflows rely on Instagram’s AI tools.
Decide which are worth paying for, and which were only handy because they were free.
2. Meta Ads: audience labels and a much longer purchase window
What’s happening
The Audiences section has been redesigned around custom audience labels: Customers, Engaged Audiences, Unlabeled, Lookalikes and Saved.
Meta’s value rules, which let you bid differently for high-value customers, only work if your audiences are labelled.
The purchase retention window has gone from 180 days to 730 days. Everyone was auto-upgraded on 18 May unless they opted out.
My take
Labels are a useful nudge if you run retargeting or LTV-based strategies. For smaller accounts without the audience volume, they’re mostly noise.
The 730-day window is the bigger risk. You could be paying to reach people who bought two years ago and have zero intent to buy again. That dilutes spend and quietly pushes up frequency.
What to do
Only label audiences where a value rule would actually change your bidding.
Check your purchase audiences this week.
If 730 days doesn’t match your buying cycle, set it back down. Don’t assume Meta’s default is doing you favours.
3. Google Ads: two budget changes that can cost you
What’s happening
From 17 August, Smart Bidding is recalibrated for budget-constrained campaigns. It now aims to hit your target ROAS or CPA exactly, not beat it.
Budget pacing for ad-scheduled campaigns has already changed. Google now spends your daily budget × 30.4 a month, regardless of your schedule.
Previously, a Monday to Friday schedule spent roughly your daily budget × the number of scheduled days.
My take
Both are the kind of change that shows up as “why did we overspend by 40%?” in a client call.
If campaigns are quietly beating target right now, enjoy it while it lasts.
The pacing change is the urgent one. We watched several client accounts blow through budget in the first week of June because of it.
What to do
Check daily budgets on any campaign using ad scheduling or dayparting. Today.
After 17 August, review your caps and bring them closer to the results you’re actually seeing.
4. Instagram Stories: more toys, different job
What’s happening
Instagram has published a full 2026 guide to Stories.
Features in the spotlight: Add Yours, Countdown, Prompt stickers for private Q&As, Collage and AI restyling.
500 million people watch Stories every day.
My take
Stories aren’t a reach play anymore. Reels and carousels win for discovery.
They’re still brilliant for depth: staying front-of-mind with people who already follow you.
What to do
Use Stories for retention, not growth.
Post behind-the-scenes content, polls and Q&As that make followers feel like insiders.
5. Google Search: Personal Intelligence in AI Mode
What’s happening
Personal Intelligence connects your Gmail and Google Photos to AI Mode results.
Search for holiday activities and it can pull from your hotel bookings and travel photos. Shop for a coat and it factors in your usual brands.
It launched in Labs for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, and is expanding to nearly 200 countries without a subscription.
My take
Watch it, don’t act on it yet. It’s early, it’s opt-in, and the privacy questions are obvious.
It shows where search is heading: less about keywords, more about context Google already owns. “Relevant” is about to get a lot more personal.
What to actually do this month
Check Google Ads daily budgets on any scheduled campaign. The pacing change is already live.
Review caps on budget-constrained campaigns after 17 August.
Check your Meta purchase audience window, and set it back down if 730 days doesn’t fit.
Start planning for the day Instagram’s AI tools stop being free.
The first three will actually save or cost you money. Everything else is worth knowing.
Questions about any of this for your own accounts? You know where to find us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Instagram’s AI tools going to cost money?
Adam Mosseri has said Instagram’s generative image and video tools will eventually be paid. Right now there’s a daily usage cap, and a “subscribe for more” prompt is expected to follow.
What changed with Meta’s purchase retention window?
Meta extended the purchase retention window from 180 days to 730 days, and accounts were auto-upgraded from 18 May unless they opted out. If your buying cycle is shorter, adjust it back down so you’re not spending on past buyers with no intent to buy again.
How is Google changing Smart Bidding for budget-constrained campaigns?
From 17 August, Smart Bidding aims to hit your target ROAS or CPA exactly when a campaign is limited by budget, rather than outperforming it. Review your budget caps so they reflect the results you’re actually seeing.
How does Google Ads budget pacing work with ad scheduling now?
Google now spends your daily budget × 30.4 per month regardless of your ad schedule. Previously, monthly spend was roughly your daily budget × the number of scheduled days, so campaigns that only run on weekdays can now overspend if daily budgets aren’t adjusted.
Are Instagram Stories still worth posting?
Yes, but for retention rather than reach. Reels and carousels perform better for discovery, while Stories are best for keeping existing followers engaged with behind-the-scenes content, polls and Q&As.
What is Personal Intelligence in Google AI Mode?
It’s an opt-in feature that connects your Gmail and Google Photos to AI Mode, so search results can draw on things like your bookings, photos and usual brands. It launched for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers and is expanding to nearly 200 countries without a subscription.
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