ChatGPT Text on Images, YouTube Ads and Shorts Change, Shopify Filemonk App – ECH News

Tips include:

• Adobe Stock Contributor Account Changes
• Ideogram releases version 2A and the 3.0 right behind it
• ChatGPT Images can now do text
• Printify switches to Stripe – with deadline to convert
• Shopify Filemonk app releases improvements
• YouTube rolling out auto dubbng
• Change to YouTube midroll ads
• Change to YouTube Shorts
• Total revamp of the DIY SEO course
• Where to get deeper insights on the news you need

AI Image News

Adobe Stock Contributor Account Changes

If you sell images on Adobe Stock, including AI images, they prefer that you have only one account.

If you have more than one account now, you don’t need to make any changes.

But, as of March 25, you can’t create additional accounts without approval first.

They are also introducing account verification via phone number now too.

Ideogram 2A Released

Most of the folks who use Ideogram do so because it was one of the few AI image generators that had great images and could do stunning text on them too.

Their latest upgrade features:

• Faster image generation
• 50% fewer credits used – meaning you can generate twice as many

And the best part about Ideogram is that they already had a generous number of credits on the free version.

But with the paid Turbo version, it’s even faster with less credits.

Here’s the comparison:

• 2a uses 1 credit with ~10 seconds generation time
• 2a Turbo uses 0.5 credits with ~5 seconds generation time

Ideogram 3.0 Released

Well, they didn’t wait long to issue yet another new version right behind the 2A release.

I don’t really see any new features compared to 2A, just better quality.

They are going hard after branding for marketers with these improvements. Think logos and consistent colors on all images.

ChatGPT Images Can Now Do Text

Ideogram is not the only AI image generator that can do text on images.

Microsoft Designer can do it too. But its graphics are okay, but only if you don’t require photorealistic.

Well, OpenAI just upset the whole apple cart on this topic.

They just released an upgrade to images created using 4.o that can do infographics and more.

The text is perfect on all of the demos I’ve seen.

And while the images are not quite as photorealistic as Midjourney, they are definitely on par with Ideogram. In fact, they may be a bit better because this whole model has been reworked.

See a demo on YouTube and a better one on TikTok.

This is still rolling out to some folks, so check if you have the latest version. Some folks are saying that they see it on the web version but not desktop too.

So many folks are trying this thing that it is overloading their servers. So if you’re getting slow responses, that’s why.

Ecommerce News

Printify Switches to Stripe

If you have a Printify account, you have until March 31 to get your payment processing verified with Stripe.

This is a BIG change, especially for those of us who have long used PayPal.

With the Stripe setup there are:

• No minimum 
• No auto tax deductions

The last time I used Stripe many years ago, I didn’t like that they held my money for a few days and/or that they did auto deposits.

I prefer that the money be held in my account until I decide to make the deposit, even if that is the same day.

Maybe that has changed.

Shopify Filemonk App Improvements

I really like the Filemonk app for delivering digital downloads on my $5/mo Shopify Starter plan, and is the app I teach in my course on how to do this.

Improved app features: (note that some of these are only on the paid plan)

1. Use your own domain to send emails
2. Protect your content with download limits & PDF watermarking
3. Block high risk orders & disable access on refunds automatically
4. Sell custom/personalized digital content like artwork

More improvements coming:

Here’s a quick snapshot of what’s next – 

1. Improved & faster process to set up digital products
2. Sell digital content without orders! (Custom free download pages)
3. Organize files in folders
4. Schedule content delivery to sell preorders!

In the course, I teach how to use the free version of Filemonk and storing the files on Google Drive, which is also free.

But, I have a client who is switching over from Thinkific to the Shopify Starter plan so she can sell multiple products at a time.

She sells in enough volume to warrant using the paid version, plus their file storage.

So, I’ll get a look at those settings and the new improvements and I will update the course with them soon.

Video News

YouTube Rolling Out Auto Dubbing

AI voice has improved so much that now YouTube will be using it to provide auto dubbing of your videos into other languages.

Once your channel has it, you can turn it off for the whole channel or turn it off on a per-video basis when you upload a new one.

My channel doesn’t have it yet, but I’ll be making a video about it as soon as I get it.

Change to Midroll Ads

Don’t you just hate it when you’re watching a YouTube video and then right in the middle of sentence an ad pop up?

YouTube is trying to fix that with changes to their midroll ads.

Starting in May, they are going to be more careful where they place midroll ads to ensure it is at a natural break point in the dialogue.

I think this has a lot to do with the AI techniques they are using for the auto dubbing combined with their tool that can automatically add chapter headings even if you don’t have a transcript or timestamp loaded.

One of the settings on monetized channels is an automatic ad slot system. If you have that turned on, and I suggest you do, then no changes are needed for you to get this midroll upgrade.

I agree with YouTube that this change will help stop abandonment on your videos right when the midroll ad pops up. And that will mean more money for you and for YouTube.

Change to YouTube Shorts

YouTube is changing how it counts Shorts views to include the number of times a short video starts to play or replay.

FYI, YouTube now considers any video under 3 minutes as a Short. And those are super hard to monetize.

But there is a trick to keeping your quick videos out of Shorts, and I’ll be sharing that in a new YouTube workshop. See below in the SEO News section.

SEO News

Revamped DIY SEO Course

If you’re a subscriber to BlogAid News, then you’ve been reading in Tips Tuesday that I’ve made a major change to the DIY SEO course.

The name will be changing to DIY SEO Everywhere.

And I’m expanding it to include:

• AI Search
• Substack
• Medium
• Pinterest
• YouTube

Last week we did a workshop on AI Search and this week we’re doing a workshop on AI Metrics in GA4 and GSC as well as in EZ Metrix so you can see all the traffic you’re getting from AI Search.

I also helped a client set up her YouTube channel, and while doing that, I created a super helpful checklist for us. Things at YouTube have changed even since I set up a new channel just a few months ago.

We REALLY have to focus on getting traffic beyond Google search now.

And every one of these platforms has their own search engine that you need to optimize for.

Get Your Discount Now

Contact me to get your $100 discount on the DIY SEO Everywhere course.

Get all of your SEO info in one place – plus live masterminds and workshops.

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This eCreators Hub newsletter is meant to be sweet and short to give you highlights on all the news that I cover on ECH.

But I’ll be writing more in-depth articles on several of the topics over on my eCreator Tips Substack publication.

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