The landscape of ad spending has changed significantly in recent years. We have seen a major shift in marketing campaigns from before the pandemic to now. Everything from graphic styles to personalization has evolved, and so has spending. With more brands in the mix, advertising spending is consistently rising.

The question is, why are some still hesitant to adjust their spending? The simple fact is that budgets must change over time. If your budget doesn’t evolve, you won’t be able to compete with the growing number of brands advertising online.

Let’s break down what you need to know if you plan to keep up in the increasingly competitive advertising landscape.

Related: Is Your Advertising Spend Going to Waste? If You Don’t Fully Understand This Metric, It Might Be

Supply and demand dictate spending

Let’s begin with the current situation. Advertising rates are increasing, which means you’ll need to increase your budget to attract the quality of traffic you want. The cost of effective online advertising is determined by supply and demand. When more companies vie for the same ad placement, the price for that placement goes up.

What are the reasons for this recent rise? Firstly, the pandemic fueled a surge in e-commerce as consumers shifted from brick-and-mortar stores to online retailers. However, this boom has been met with challenges. When the world shut down, brands significantly decreased — or even halted altogether — their marketing costs. Now that the economy has picked back up, competition has returned with a vengeance. The dominance of Google Ads and Facebook Ads has also created a double-edged sword for advertisers. While these platforms offer massive reach and targeting capabilities, their popularity has driven up advertising costs. This is due to a classic case of supply and demand. With more businesses vying for the same ad space on these platforms, bidding wars erupt, inflating the cost per click or impression. This trend is further amplified by limitations on data tracking, making it harder for advertisers to pinpoint their ideal audience. The result? Steeper costs for businesses to reach their prospects online. Additionally, the increased popularity of online shopping has attracted more advertisers, driving up competition for consumer attention and inflating the cost of advertising space. These factors are creating a complex landscape for e-commerce businesses, demanding innovative strategies to navigate the new realities of the online marketplace. That, combined with a growing population of advertisers, as well as many brands having moved their marketing online due to remote culture, means costs are, and will only continue, climbing.

Take advantage of technology and automation

Although many business owners decide to take the DIY approach due to cost, the opportunity cost of not knowing how to properly target an audience, use tools to improve your outcomes, and reduce your per-click and per-impression costs is typically far more expensive than working with an expert. One way to produce highly relevant ads is to take advantage of today’s technology. Artificial intelligence can learn more about each subset of your audience than you likely ever could imagine. Moreover, the best AI marketing tools make it easy to use your data to create highly relevant advertisements. So, if you’re still combing through spreadsheets, hoping to find a trend, it’s time to upgrade your technology.

Smart marketing tools and marketing automation are your biggest allies in navigating this challenge. Automation can take the reins on managing your ad spend, constantly searching for the best inventory based on past performance, as well as ongoing ad rates and top-performing channels. Identifying and prioritizing these top-performing channels ensures your budget is directed toward the most impactful avenues. Marketing tools can further serve as cost-cutting allies by pinpointing the most precise targeting options, taking the guesswork out of online advertising and giving you time and energy to take back to other areas of your business. This laser focus eliminates wasted ad spend and time, ensuring your message reaches the exact audience you desire and ultimately reduces your overall ad spend.

Related: 4 Marketing Budget Hacks That Will Boost Your Business in 2024

Plan in advance for disrupted seasons

The holidays may be far away, but from an ad fund standpoint, it’s something you’ll want to be prepared for long before they’re right around the corner. Brands can adhere to various holiday seasons, some may want to up their ad spend tremendously during this time and others may want to reevaluate it. Beyond the holidays, other seasonal events can significantly impact advertising costs. Events like major sporting competitions (e.g., the Olympics, FIFA World Cup), award shows, and even back-to-school season can see increased competition and higher ad rates. These periods of time play a significant role in driving up the cost of advertisements. It’s no secret that consumers like to spend more money during the holiday season compared to their typical spending behavior. As such, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve for your yearly holidays and to note that those periods are when advertisers are most interested in attracting their target audience. That means demand for advertising typically sees significant increases on an annual basis, but keeping an eye out for this and planning ahead will keep you at the forefront. It’s important to make these periods and planning part of your overall marketing strategy.

Over the years, marketers have watched demand climb during the holiday season and seemingly fall after the holiday season. However, that seasonal drop seems to be shrinking each year. Ultimately, marketers seem to be anticipating the drop in demand following the holiday season, and as such, many are saving meaningful amounts of money for this period. This causes an increase in demand that rivals the holiday increase, which in turn means you should continue to consider adding more to your ad fund during these times. Having a marketing automation partner can help set you up for success by automating the process for you.

The bottom line

The bottom line is that the marketing industry has a history of fast-paced evolution, and that evolution isn’t likely to end anytime soon. As more and more advertisers join the fray, demand will likely continue to grow, leading to inflated advertising prices. Make sure your brand is keeping ahead of the competition by planning for the future and potential shifts in advertising.

Several years ago, I was involved in a professional conflict that consumed all my energy, focus and time. I was working with a colleague I had known for years. It was an important project to me, and part of it became a point of contention between us. I passionately believed that my approach was the right one, and I was determined to see it through. My colleague disagreed and felt her approach was more robust than mine.

The more I pushed, the more resistance I encountered. Our meetings became tense, the emails we exchanged seemed filled with increasing sharpness and the project’s progress slowed to a crawl. It wasn’t just about the project anymore; it felt like a personal battle I had to win. I was convinced that if I didn’t fight for this, the entire project would fail, and I would wonder what could have been.

However, as the weeks dragged on, I realized that this battle was taking a toll on the project and me personally. My stress levels were through the roof, my relationship with my colleague was deteriorating and the project that we had been so excited about turned into a source of dread. The breaking point came when I confided (okay, complained) to a trusted friend who asked, “Is this fight worth it? What are you trying to win here?”

That question hit me like a ton of bricks. I had become so focused on winning the battle that I lost sight of the bigger picture. Ultimately, I had to step back, reassess and make the difficult decision to let go of my stance for the greater good of the project and my relationship with my colleague. It wasn’t easy, but it was the right decision.

That experience taught me a crucial lesson about leadership: not every battle is worth fighting. As leaders, we must learn to choose our battles wisely, knowing when to push forward and when to let go.

Here’s how I approached this delicate balancing act.

1. Evaluate the impact on the bigger picture

One of the most important considerations when deciding whether to fight a battle or let it go is understanding the impact on the bigger picture. Will winning this battle benefit the project, the team or the company in the long run or is it more about personal pride?

Leaders who consistently focus on the bigger picture rather than getting bogged down in minor details seem more likely to navigate complex challenges successfully. I’ve watched other leaders gracefully step back even when I knew they believed they were right in that situation. It’s essential to stop and assess whether the battle you’re fighting is aligned with the project’s overall goals and vision.

Related: 3 Signs You’re Letting Pride Get in the Way of Being Successful

2. Assess the possible cost of the battle

Every battle comes with a cost—time, energy, relationships or resources. Before engaging in any conflict or disagreement, it’s essential to weigh these costs against the potential benefits. In my case, the price was the deterioration of a long-standing relationship with my colleague and the stagnation of the project’s progress.

Research from the University of California (their various studies on conflict and leadership) found that leaders who weigh the costs of conflict before engaging in one are more effective in maintaining a cohesive team and driving long-term success. This means you should consider the immediate fallout and the long-term consequences of engaging in a battle.

3. Determine what’s truly at stake

It’s easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment and lose sight of what’s really at stake. Is this battle about a critical issue that will significantly impact the success of the project or company, or is it more about your ego and proving your point is correct?

In my experience, many uncomfortable situations that seem important now are driven by personal pride rather than business necessity. By stripping away the emotional layers, you can focus on what truly matters. I have found that when I focus on objective outcomes rather than emotional satisfaction, I’m more successful in conflict resolution and decision-making.

4. Recognize when to let go for the greater good

Sometimes, the best decision a leader can make is to let go. This doesn’t mean giving up; it means recognizing that your energy and resources might be better spent elsewhere. Letting go can be an incredibly difficult decision, especially when you’ve invested a lot of time and effort into a particular project, but it can also be the most strategic move.

In the end, letting go allowed me to refocus on the larger goals of the project and rebuild the strained relationship. Letting go when necessary makes one more adaptable and better equipped to lead, a key trait of successful leadership.

Related: Conflict Is Inevitable But Necessary. Here’s How to Stay Calm During an Argument and Rebuild Afterward.

5. Learn from the battle

Whether you fight a battle or let it go, there’s always a lesson to be learned. It’s crucial to reflect on the experience, understand what worked and what didn’t, and apply those insights to future decisions. Every battle, win or lose, is an opportunity for growth and learning.

An article from the Center for Creative Leadership stated that leaders who regularly reflect on their decisions and learn from their experiences are more resilient and effective in their roles. This practice of reflection helps in making better decisions in the future. It also enables you to look at things differently — ensuring you’re not just fighting battles but choosing the right ones.

Looking back on that challenging time when I was butting heads with my colleague, I realize that learning how to choose my battles was a valuable lesson in my leadership journey. It’s easy to get caught up in the details and fight for every inch while losing sight of the larger goals. However, authentic leadership is about making strategic decisions that benefit the team and the project.

As leaders, we must step back, assess the situation clearly and decide when to push forward and when to let go. This isn’t about avoiding conflict or backing down; it’s about being wise, strategic, and focused on what truly matters. By choosing our battles wisely, we can lead more effectively, build stronger relationships and achieve greater success.

Ultimately, the battles we choose to fight — and those we choose to let go — define us as leaders. It’s in these deciding moments that we demonstrate our true leadership capabilities.

If you’re tired of wrestling with endless piles of paper or struggling to manage digital documents across multiple apps, this could be your solution. It’s time to streamline your workflow and embrace the simplicity of an all-in-one PDF reader.

With PDF Reader Pro, you can seamlessly edit, sign, and manage your documents all in one place for just $49.99 (reg. $159) for life. This powerful tool will help you transform your office into a paperless, more efficient environment—one that prioritizes productivity and organization.

PDF Reader Pro isn’t just another document viewer. It’s more of a comprehensive PDF solution designed to tackle any task, whether you need to make quick edits or securely sign contracts.

From filling out forms to managing multiple files in a single document, PDF Reader Pro has the versatility and tools to help your business function more efficiently:

• Edit, merge, and split PDFs effortlessly—perfect for combining reports or breaking up large files.
• Convert PDFs to DOCX, PNG, and TXT formats to ensure your documents are easily shareable and editable.
• Sign contracts and agreements digitally using the built-in signature tools; no printing is required.
• Secure your documents by adding or removing passwords to control access.

Imagine eliminating the time spent searching for physical files, organizing stacks of papers, or running back and forth to the printer. With PDF Reader Pro, you can digitize your entire workflow, ensuring your files are accessible, organized, and easy to manage—all while reducing clutter.

The app’s page editor also allows you to rearrange, rotate, or delete pages, making it simple to keep your documents clean and professional.

Whether your industry is finance, law, or project management, PDF Reader Pro helps you stay on top of your tasks. It’s the ideal tool for anyone dealing with contracts, agreements, or large documents. The app’s user-friendly interface ensures you can complete tasks quickly and without hassle, while its advanced features like password protection and custom stamps keep your documents secure.

Take your office paperless with lifetime access to PDF Reader Pro for just $49.99 (reg. $159).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

As exciting as it may be, learning a new language can often feel like a daunting task, with the typical endless vocabulary drills and grammar exercises. But Beelinguapp is here to change the game.

This innovative language learning app takes a fresh approach by combining audiobooks and dual-text reading to create an immersive, engaging experience. And right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to Beelinguapp—and all 14 of its languages—for just $34.99 (reg. $100) when you use code TAKE5 at checkout.

Traditional language learning methods can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially for busy professionals. Beelinguapp offers a new, intuitive way to learn, making it easy to fit into your daily routine. Instead of memorizing endless vocabulary lists, you’ll follow along as you read and listen to a native speaker, seeing the same text in two languages side by side.

This side-by-side format is the core of Beelinguapp’s unique approach. It allows you to compare your native language to the one you’re learning, improving your understanding in real time. It’s like a language-learning karaoke, where you can follow the text in both languages while listening to a fluent speaker guide you through the pronunciation.

Beelinguapp caters to modern learners by offering 14 languages, including Spanish, English, German, French, Korean, and more. With its audiobook-style lessons and an ever-growing library of texts, you can choose from a wide variety of content—whether you’re interested in fairy tales, news articles, science papers, or novels.

This flexibility allows you to learn the way that best fits your lifestyle, all while gaining real-world conversation skills. The app provides texts at different levels, so you can start as a beginner and gradually build up to more advanced reading and listening skills.

If you’re hoping to learn a new language to help grow your business, this might be just the approach you need.

Through October 27, you can get a lifetime subscription to Beelinguapp for just $34.99 (reg. $100) when you use code TAKE5 at checkout.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

In May, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that “the next industrial revolution has begun,” and AI will drive “significant productivity gains.” It looks like he’s right — industry demand for Nvidia’s next-generation AI chip, Blackwell, is through the roof.

“Blackwell is in full production, Blackwell is as planned, and the demand for Blackwell is insane,” Huang told CNBC on Thursday. “Everybody wants to have the most, and everybody wants to be first.”

Related: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s Biggest Worry Shows that Success Has a Downside

Nvidia first announced Blackwell in March and stated that it was the most powerful AI chip in the world with advanced security capabilities, better performance, and more memory. The biggest names in AI, including OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Google, will use Blackwell to power their AI efforts.

^{Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang displays the new Blackwell GPU chip, left, and the Hopper GPU chip, right, in March 2024. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

“There is currently nothing better than NVIDIA hardware for AI,” Tesla and xAI CEO Elon Musk stated, at the time.

Since the initial announcement, Blackwell has hit a few snags in production, leading to delays. Nvidia CFO Colette Kress said in late August that the company has fixed the issue and expects to ship “several billion dollars” worth of the chip in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Related: Nvidia’s Immense Market Power Is Worrying Investors — Here’s Why

The chip costs between $30,000 to $40,000 and took $10 billion to develop.

Huang said that Nvidia has updated its platform significantly with Blackwell, and intends to continue updating it. Nvidia has increased performance by two to three times from its 2022 Hopper chip to its Blackwell chip, which Huang says increases revenue for Nvidia’s customers by two to three times.

“What we’re looking at now is the beginning of the next wave of AI, the biggest wave of AI,” Huang told CNBC. “This is really about companies around the world using AI to be more productive as their digital employees and AI agents and co-pilots and however people describe them, as well as using AI, generative AI, to revolutionize the way they build their products and the products they build.”

Huang said last month that intense demand for Nvidia’s technology and software keeps him up at night. On Wednesday, Nvidia partnered with Accenture to train 30,000 of Accenture’s employees on Nvidia’s technology.

Related: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says Nuclear Energy ‘Is a Wonderful Way Forward’ to Keep AI Data Centers Running

Anyone who has found success as an athlete will tell you that sport teaches lessons that go far beyond the playing field. If you’re looking to succeed in the competitive business environment, there may be no better models than champion athletes. What is it that allows these individuals to achieve greatness? What makes someone a winner? There’s not a single answer. Rather, it’s a combination of things. We’re sharing five of them here. If you follow these lessons, you’ll be poised for a championship in the business world.

Related: 4 Productivity Tips from Extreme Athletes That Will Make Your Business Stronger

Show supreme confidence

Champions have a robust belief in themselves and their ability to succeed. Importantly, this does not mean they expect the journey to be easy. Most things worth having require tremendous effort. Champion athletes devote “blood, sweat and tears” in pursuit of excellence, and they’re willing to make the sacrifice because they know it will pay off. Self-doubters abandon the journey when it gets too hard or when they encounter a few obstacles. Champions persevere because they believe in themselves to the core. This stout self-confidence becomes self-fulfilling. When you fully believe you’ll win if you keep on grinding, you’ll out-grind your less confident competitors. Supreme confidence leads to supreme effort, and supreme effort leads to success.

Like a champion athlete, a winning entrepreneur stays committed when things are tough. Tomorrow’s industry leaders are those who will continue to refine their current pitches and marketing strategies as many times as it takes to reach a breakthrough. They will not be deterred by rejection but rather will learn from it, make adjustments, and come back stronger. This willingness to learn and improve, in fact, is another defining feature of champions.

Always look to improve

Champion athletes, while supremely confident, also possess enough humility to know they always have room to learn and grow. When they take a loss, they review the game film to identify the mistakes they’ve made and see where they need to adjust for the next time. Even when they win, they look at what they could have done better. They also seek input from others. When a coach points out a flaw in their technique, they’re receptive to the feedback and incorporate it into their training. They also look to teammates and even to opponents to learn what others are doing well.

As an entrepreneur, if you lose out on a deal or find a competitor holding a larger share of your targeted market, then look at what they are doing to succeed. Be open to learning and humble enough to seek help from others. Champions are usually their own harshest critics, and their high standards drive them to keep improving. So even when you have some successes, continue looking to level up.

Focus on what you can control

Champions do everything they can to control the variables involved in their sport. Knowing that they can’t fully control the outcome, they go all-in on what they can control, including attitude, effort, and preparation. Entrepreneurs ought to do the same by analyzing their markets, rehearsing presentations multiple times, and scouting both their competition and their potential customers. If you’re meeting with a client, study them ahead of time so you can anticipate the questions they may ask and have impressive answers prepared. Be obsessive about your preparation.

A corollary to this lesson is focusing your post-hoc explanations on what you can – or could have – controlled. After a tough loss, champions do not blame the referee. Instead, they look at what they could have done differently so the referee’s calls would not have mattered. As an entrepreneur, be cautious of attributing bad results to luck or of claiming things weren’t fair. When you do so, you lose motivation to make adjustments for next time. Instead, follow a champion’s lead and know there’s always something you could have done better.

Improvise when needed

Even as champions focus on what they can control, they also recognize that they can’t control everything. Rarely does something go exactly as planned, and the best performers adapt and improvise. Something can always go wrong, and rather than panicking when it does, winners stay confident and make the needed adjustments. Thus, even as you work to control what you can embrace the uncertainty of your sport – or your business, as the case may be.

Related: 5 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Pro Sports Teams

Be flexible

You may have noticed that the lessons described above hold some contradictions. Champions have supreme confidence yet also believe they need to get better. They also focus on what they can control while accepting they can’t control everything. Thus, another key to success is adapting your mindset based on the situation at hand. Champions have the mental flexibility to do so seamlessly. Rather than looking for a recipe to follow every time, they embrace the fluidity required to succeed consistently.

This willingness to adapt – to possess an unfixed mindset – is the main premise of the book Extreme Balance: Paradoxical Principles That Make You a Champion, published by Entrepreneur Press. This volume, which I have co-authored with champion athlete and coach Ben Askren and successful business leader Joe De Sena, describes how various champions balance contradictory principles to succeed in their respective sports. It includes chapters such as “Thinking You’re Good Enough and Thinking You’re Never Good Enough,” and “Preparing for Everything and Expecting the Unexpected.” These sections expand upon the lessons described here – and many others – in greater depth. If you want to be a champion entrepreneur, it’s a great resource to help get you there.

Bank of America customers reported issues accessing their accounts on Wednesday, from log-in problems to balances incorrectly listed at $0.

Bank of America has acknowledged in a statement that “some clients are experiencing an issue accessing their accounts” and the company is working on the problem.

“These issues are being addressed and have largely been resolved,” the statement read. “We apologize for any inconvenience.”

According to Downdetector, there were more than 12,000 queries around 1 p.m. EST. As of 5 p.m., more than 3,000 people were still reporting issues. Reports say the problem is widespread, with people reporting outages from Los Angeles to Nebraska.

Bank of America did not yet publicly say what caused the issue but told CNN that service was mostly back to normal.

Amazon doesn’t want its employees to talk to any other AI chatbot — except Cedric.

A Tuesday report from Business Insider revealed that Amazon has a new internal AI bot called Cedric that securely allows employees to get their questions answered and generate document summaries — without ChatGPT. Amazon drew the comparison in a leaked internal document, stating that Cedric is “safer than ChatGPT” and that the tool aims to boost productivity.

Amazon’s caution with third-party chatbots isn’t new. In a January 2023 document, an Amazon lawyer warned employees from sharing code or Amazon confidential information with ChatGPT and wrote that there had already been occurrences where ChatGPT’s output aligned with internal data.

Amazon joins companies like Accenture and Edelman in creating custom AI tools for employees.

Related: Amazon CEO Mandates Employees Work in the Office 5 Days Per Week Starting January: ‘Strengthening Our Culture Remains a Top Priority’

Amazon also plans to incorporate AI into other parts of its business. Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman told employees in August that in the next two years, “it’s possible that most developers are not coding” because AI will fill in the gaps.

He said that software engineers will be tasked more with innovation and thinking about customer needs than with coding.

In the second quarter of 2024, Amazon had over 1.5 million employees.

Related: Amazon Is Reportedly Tracking ‘Coffee Badging’ Workers and Their Real In-Office Hours

Around 10 a.m. Monday, Verizon users began reporting outages on social media and to Down Detector that they have no service except SOS mode. Verizon acknowledged the “issue impacting service” at 11:48 a.m.

We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue.

— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) September 30, 2024

The issue has been ongoing since its peak this morning when it had more than 100,000 queries — Tom’s Guide reports the number is down to the 40,000 range.

Reuters reports that the FCC is investigating and “working to determine the cause and extent of these service disruptions.”

At 5:04 p.m., Verizon updated customers on X and said it was a “network issue” that has “started to be restored.”

“We continue to work around the clock to fully resolve this issue,” they added.

Verizon engineers are making progress on our network issue and service has started to be restored. We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience some of our customers experienced today. We continue to work around the clock to fully resolve this…

— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) September 30, 2024

Here’s what we know.

Where Is Verizon Down?

The massive Verizon outage appears to be across the U.S. with users from California to Ohio to Florida reporting issues.

Does Verizon Know About the Issue?

The company is aware of the issue, though it has not stated publicly what caused the outage. On its website and social media, Verizon said network engineers are working to identify and solve the problem.

Is AT&T Also Down?

Although users were also reporting issues with AT&T, the company said they are not experiencing outages, and it is just a residual effect.

We are not experiencing a nationwide outage. Our national network is operating normally. Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers are having attempting to connect to users on another network.

— AT&T News (@ATTNEWS) September 30, 2024

What Is SOS Mode?

SOS mode occurs when your phone can’t connect to a network, though users still should be able to call 911.

Did you know that the lighting in your company and home office can affect your productivity as well as your mental health? It’s probably not surprising then that the typically harsh overhead lighting doesn’t do you any favors.

If you want to create a more productive or upbeat work vibe, whether you’re in the office or working from home, this sleek corner floor lamp can help. It arrives with more than 16 million lighting colors, multicolor lighting effects, and a handy remote control for only $59.97 (reg. $149). This offer is only valid until the end of the day.

The easiest upgrade for your office

This floor lamp fits comfortably in the corner of your company office space, living room, and home office, taking up little floor space thanks to its minimalist design. It also arrives in a sleek black metal construction that blends in with the rest of your office or home decor, while its weighted rubber bottom provides a buffer between your floor.

Since it comes with more than 16 million colors to choose from and 300+ multicolor effects, what color will you select for your workday?

It utilizes soft-whtie integrated LEDs for more ambient lighting, but you can choose blue if you’re dealing with numerous administrative tasks and need complete focus. If you’re a solopreneur trying to develop a new business strategy, select yellow to get your creative juices flowing. When you’re ready to change the vibe, the included remote control lets you conveniently shuffle between all options to find the proper lighting for your workday needs.

Improve your daily productivity with a quick change in your lights.

Add this minimalist corner floor lamp with 16+ million light colors to your office for just $59.97. You have until the end of today, September 29 at 11:59 PM Pacific, to scoop up this deal.

StackSocial prices subject to change.