This Week in M&A Issue #231
April 6, 2026
Howdy partner!
Today’s trend of the week is “survival guide books”. 📚
From climate change and financial uncertainty to global conflict and viral outbreaks, many people are feeling less certain about what comes next. That growing unease is quietly fueling the rise of survival guide books.
People are buying these books not just to learn practical skills, but to feel more prepared and in control. Because Googling ‘how to survive the apocalypse’ won’t work if the internet is down.
The audience is wider than you might think. Travelers, hikers, campers, and preppers are all looking for advice on everything from outdoor survival to handling unexpected emergencies.
These books are performing strongly on Amazon, with average revenue of $78,596.91 according to Exploding Topics. Interest is rising too, with searches for “survival guide book” up 110% over the past year.
Survival content is perfect for social media, whether you’re sharing quick tips, crisis scenarios, or gear recommendations. You can also create more compelling offers by bundling a survival guide book with an emergency or camping kit.
Today we have for you:
- ChatGPT hit $100M in ad revenue just weeks after launch
- Google expands Merchant Center loyalty features to 14 countries
And:
- Meta adds eBay to its affiliate program
- YouTube opens Shopping Affiliate program to small creators
- Shopify Tinker turns eCommerce ideas into prototypes in minutes
Alright, let’s dive in.
AI
Image Source: Giphy (Andrey Smirny)
OpenAI’s Ad Experiment Is Scaling Faster Than Expected
In just six weeks, ChatGPT’s ad pilot has crossed $100 million in annualized revenue. That’s happening while the product is still in a limited rollout, which makes the growth more interesting than the number itself.
What stands out is how lightly monetized things still are. About 85% of users could see ads, but on any given day, fewer than 20% actually do. OpenAI is keeping ad exposure low while it tests what works, which means there’s a lot of room to grow revenue without needing more users.
On the advertiser side, demand showed up quickly. Over 600 brands are already involved, including a strong mix of small and mid-sized businesses. For something that only launched in February 2026, that’s unusually fast adoption.
User response hasn’t been a problem so far either. Fewer than 7% of ads are rated as low relevance, which is an early sign that the targeting is working, at least at this scale.
Two upcoming changes could accelerate things.
First, international rollout. The pilot is expanding into markets like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with more regions likely to follow.
Second, a self-serve ad platform is expected in April. Instead of OpenAI controlling access, advertisers will be able to launch campaigns directly. This transforms ChatGPT ads from a controlled pilot into an open marketplace, which typically accelerates both adoption and pricing.
There are still some unknowns. Pricing isn’t fully established, advertisers are early in testing, and long-term performance isn’t clear yet. There’s also the challenge of adding ads without hurting user trust.
ChatGPT ads are still in their infancy, but with self-serve access launching and inventory set to expand, this is likely the start of a much larger advertising channel rather than a short-term experiment.
Google Makes Loyalty Programs More Visible for eCommerce Brands
Google is rolling out its Merchant Center loyalty features to 14 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, India, Japan, Spain, and more. This is one of the widest rollouts yet, covering most major eCommerce markets.
Merchants can now show member-only pricing and exclusive shipping perks directly in product listings. These benefits no longer live hidden in separate loyalty pages or apps; they appear right when a shopper is deciding what to buy.
Google is also expanding where these perks show up. Loyalty annotations now work across standard Shopping ads, local inventory ads, and regional campaigns. This means sellers can highlight online and in-store benefits depending on the shopper’s context.
A bigger change is how this data is being surfaced. Loyalty programs are now part of AI-powered product discovery, not just traditional search results. This includes AI Mode and Gemini.
There is already some early performance data. Google says some retailers have seen up to a 20% increase in click-through rates when showing personalized offers to loyalty members. It is not a guaranteed result, but it signals how much visibility matters when offers are tied to known users.
To use these features, merchants need to set up their loyalty program in Merchant Center, define tiers and benefits, and connect Customer Match data in Google Ads. This last step is needed to show personalized pricing and shipping perks to existing customers.
For eCommerce brands, this turns loyalty data into something that directly impacts traffic, not just repeat purchases.
Affiliate
eBay Sellers Just Got a New Way to Drive Sales Through Meta
Meta is adding eBay to its affiliate program as it tries to turn social content into a more direct sales channel.
The update is part of Meta’s “Facebook Affiliate Partnerships” initiative, which already includes Amazon in the U.S. and Shopee in international markets.
Creators will be able to tag eBay listings inside posts, photos, and Reels. When users click those listings and complete a purchase, creators earn a commission.
For eBay sellers, this means your listings are no longer limited to marketplace search traffic. They can now show up inside content people are already engaging with. This includes product demos, reviews, or niche creator pages where trust is already built. That means your products can reach buyers earlier in the discovery phase, not just when they are actively searching.
It also adds a new demand channel without requiring you to change your listings or run ads. Creators effectively become a distributed sales force, bringing traffic to your products in exchange for a cut.
For creators, this removes a lot of friction. No more sending users to link-in-bio pages or juggling external affiliate links. Everything happens natively, with tracking and attribution handled inside Meta’s system.
This builds on the existing relationship between Meta and eBay. Since early 2025, eBay listings have been appearing on Facebook Marketplace. Now, those listings are moving directly into content, where engagement is higher and conversion potential is stronger.
The rollout is still in progress, with eBay expected to be fully integrated in the U.S. in the coming months.
Read All About It!
🎮 This entrepreneur makes $15K/month from one gaming site: traffic strategy
🏦 Step-by-step guide to apply for a business loan: make an informed decision
📧 U.S. users can now change their Gmail address: Google explains how
⚠️ Occupations ranked by projected AI job loss risk: 9.3 million U.S. jobs at risk
YouTube
YouTube Lets More Creators Tag Products and Earn Commissions
YouTube is opening up its Shopping affiliate program to a lot more creators. Now, channels with just 500 subscribers can start earning money by tagging products in their videos, Shorts, and live streams.
Before, only bigger channels, usually with 10,000+ subscribers, could join. With this change, smaller creators can link products from partner brands directly in their content. When viewers click those product tags and make a purchase, creators earn a commission set by the brand. YouTube even shows commission rates for each product, so creators can see what’s worth tagging. This works across devices from mobile to living room screens.
For creators, this is a chance to start earning earlier in your growth journey. For brands, it opens up more opportunities to reach niche communities where smaller creators often have highly engaged audiences.
To join, you need to be based in one of the supported countries, including the United States, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Singapore, Brazil, Taiwan, and Japan. Some channel types are excluded, like music channels, official artist channels, and channels with lots of Made for Kids content.
Enrollment is simple. In YouTube Studio, go to the Earn tab, find the affiliate program section, and activate it by agreeing to the terms. Once activated, product tagging tools appear across all content formats.
Commissions are paid through AdSense, usually 60–120 days after purchase to account for returns. YouTube Analytics gives you a clear view of clicks, sales, and earnings from their tagged products.
This change makes affiliate revenue accessible to more creators and lets brands tap into smaller, engaged communities they might have missed before.
Shopify
Shopify Introduces Tinker, an AI App for Building Store Concepts Faster
Shopify launched Tinker, a new AI-powered mobile app designed to simplify how you create and test eCommerce store ideas.
Instead of juggling multiple tools for design, copy, and prototyping, Tinker brings these capabilities into a single, streamlined workspace. It gives you access to a range of built-in tools for generating images, writing product copy, and experimenting with store concepts without needing technical skills or external software.
The goal is to remove the friction that typically slows down early-stage ideas. You’re no longer staring at a blank theme or hiring help just to get a concept off the ground. You can generate product visuals, spin up creative assets, and map out a store idea in minutes, even if you have no design background.
It is not meant to replace your live store setup. Think of it as a testing environment. You can explore and validate ideas before committing resources to full development. This reduces the need for developers or expensive tooling early on, making it easier to experiment and iterate.
Tinker packages multiple AI capabilities into one affordable app, replacing a fragmented stack of tools that many founders currently rely on. The result is lower costs, faster workflows, and fewer integration challenges.
For established store owners, this opens up a different way to operate. You can validate new product lines, landing page concepts, or brand directions without disrupting your existing store. It becomes easier to test and iterate quickly, which is often the difference between a good idea and a profitable one.
For newer sellers, the barrier to entry drops significantly. You don’t need a stack of paid tools or a team to get started. The gap between having an idea and building something real is getting smaller.
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