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For the longest time, clicks were the go-to measure of success. They’re easy to track, simple to explain, and look great in reports. But sometimes a click is just an accidental tap or the result of some “clickbait” headline or tiny little x no one can see. Does that really tell us anything about genuine engagement?

In my opinion we should be focused more on attention, meaningful interactions, and real outcomes. Metrics like time on page, scroll depth, and conversions can give a better picture of how people connect with your brand. Sure, clicks still have their place, but they don’t always capture the full story.

Relying on last-click attribution can overlook important moments in the customer journey, like brand awareness and consideration, that don’t show up in a simple click count. It’s becoming clear that clicks are just one piece of the puzzle. If we really want to understand success, we need to look beyond that single number and embrace a more holistic view of engagement.

Ari’s View: A lot depends on the medium. Clicks are the lingua franca of search and social, so why are we so scared of using them with banners? But for CTV or DOOH it makes no sense.

Ever scrolled through your social media feed and wondered if you can really trust that headline? You’re not alone. A recent poll asked people how much they trust news from unknown sources on social media, and most were pretty skeptical.

So, what’s behind all the doubt? For some, it’s the idea that “unknown” can mean all kinds of things—maybe it’s a random blog or a less familiar news outlet. Others argue that big, well-known publishers aren’t automatically trustworthy either. Just because a brand is recognized doesn’t guarantee it’s free of bias or misinformation.

At the heart of it all is reputation, but even that’s up for debate.

For anyone sharing content, the lesson is pretty clear: transparency and credibility matter. Simply posting something isn’t enough to win people over. Showing that you’ve done your homework, citing reliable sources, and being open about potential biases can help build trust in a sea of skepticism.

In a world where news, opinions, and clickbait all blend together, staying curious and questioning everything might just be the best way to navigate our feeds. After all, trust can’t be taken for granted. It’s earned, one article at a time. So whats this mean for advertisers? This means placing ads on reliable sources is more important than ever to maintain credibility and consumer confidence. Don’t buy blindly, ask the right questions, vet your publishers often.

Ari’s View: The source of the content matters enormously. Despite what some billionaires on Twitter might say, mainstream journalism, although flawed, has a better track record than random accounts on social who’s motivations and backgrounds are unknown.

Reddit’s user growth hit 39% year-over-year but fell just shy of analyst targets. Still, the real star is revenue: a 71% jump to $428 million, with 92% of that coming from ads. CEO Steve Huffman attributes some traffic “volatility” to Google’s search algorithm changes, noting many people find Reddit through external searches especially when they’re not logged in.

Beyond ads, Reddit is making moves in AI licensing deals with Google and OpenAI, allowing those companies to train their models on Reddit’s user-generated content. This “other revenue” contributed $144.7 million in 2024. Despite some stock market ups and downs since its IPO in March, Reddit’s value is still up over 30% this year, reflecting investor confidence. With new features like the AI-powered Reddit Answers in the pipeline, the platform seems poised to keep growing, both in terms of user engagement and revenue potential.

Ari’s View: Humans connecting with humans will always be a good business.

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