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Interesting study that confirms what we probably all know.
Google is pretty useless for product research and recommendations.
Will they fix the affiliate link stuffed schlock that fills the SERPs for these sorts of searches?
Maybe, as it’s losing them relevance they finally will.
The inherent problem here is a social media landscape stuffed with AI bots indistinguishable from real people is not what anyone wants.
But it will increase engagement from users and so companies have strong incentives to make it a reality.
Social media will then become a bizarre simulation.
Instagram is set to launch AI-powered video editing tools, enabling users to transform their videos with simple text prompts.
These features, powered by Meta's Movie Gen AI model, will allow modifications to backgrounds, outfits, and more.
A lot of discussion lately about the upcoming ban of TikTok in the US.
Interestingly the Polymarket market for "TikTok Banned in the US before May 2025" has the odds of a ban going through at only 36% with over $1 million placed.
Do you think the ban will go through? Better yet, should it?
ChatGPT failing to attribute news sources correctly 76.5% of the time is ridiculously high.
It really highlights how much work needs to be done before LLMs can be reliable brand partners for building visibility.
Looks like Threads is responding to Bluesky’s growing popularity.
It is:
1. Reassessing its approach to politics now the election is over
2. Just rolled out keyword based feeds.
3. Prioritising content from accounts users actually follow (instead of algorithmic suggestions)
Yes the moderation point is very important!
If Bluesky can keep the vibe it currently has I can see it doing very well.
That may be easier said than done though as many platforms have proved 🤔
This is a pretty big change for Snapchat.
The introduction of sponsored posts directly into users personal Snapchat inboxes is huge.
Obviously people are very used to being served ads online, but this is a marked change when many users Snapchat inbox is their most private social media.
Meta has changed up their ad recommendation engine.
It leverages sequence learning to analyze user engagement patterns, enhancing ad relevance and boosting conversions by 2-4%.
For those using both Threads and Bluesky which is your preference and why?
Are you using them differently or approaching them in the same way?
I think we all already knew that Google looked at site wide signals as well as page-level.
But any specific clarification from Google themselves is always useful!
Google says they do look at site wide signals to determine how a page ranks - but weak site signals do not mean that a page won’t rank
Perplexity is integrating shopping directly into its AI search product
Searches will contain visual product cards and a one click checkout
Recommendations will be unbiased, no sponsored slots
Trust in AI search is growing, it could be a big avenue for E-commerce in future. What do you think?
TikTok may soon be allowing creators to build AI avatars in their likeness
This is anticipated after a feature update for Douyin called the ‘V Project’ which will allow Chinese creators to do the same
The AI avatar can interact with users in creator-set scenarios and be available online 24/7.
Sure thing Nancy, we’ve now added you!
Ads are officially being seen in Google AI overview in the US.
After launching AI overview Ads last month they are now appearing “in the wild”.
It will be very interesting to see how these perform vs existing Ad placement types.
Instagram is removing the ability for users to follow hashtags.
This is in a bid to declutter users’ main feed as spammers often latch onto whatever hashtags are trending and use them for irrelevant content.
They will still play a role on the explore page and when using search.
Hey Jason! Good to meet you, I’ve added you to the pack 👍🏼
Microsoft has released guidance on optimising content for AI search.
Key takeaways:
Content must focus on user intent rather than just keywords.
Natural language processing is crucial for ranking in AI search.
Regular content updates are a must for maintaining visibility in AI search results.
Added you to the pack 💪🏼
Yes! I’ll get you added, welcome to Bluesky Spencer
Ah interesting, do you think there’s a place for both in the market or do you think it’s eventually an either or.
Agreed it will save Threads from the appearance of being dead and unused to new joiners.
Is Threads your preferred X alternative at the moment?
This is a very interesting comparison of email marketing services.
Surprising to see so many using a contact pricing model that charges for people you don’t ever send to.
Also quite a few automatically upgrade your pricing tier as you add contacts but don’t then lower it if you remove contacts.
Totally, for a company running 1.5 trillion dollars worth of social media brands you’d think they would have realised this sooner.
Threads will no longer base your entire onboarding on your existing likes and follows within Instagram
Recognising that the two apps are used for different purposes and people want different things from each.
Their recommendation engine will still remain influenced by users instagram however.
Google introduces “Learn About” a completely new way to navigate complex concepts through an AI driven search interface.
Inherently visual it allows users to drill down topics and choose how they continue to learn.
It remains to be seen if this will eventually be integrated into normal search.
Awesome glad to hear it! I will check it out
Yes of course, I will get you added. If it’s social media you’re mainly interested in I don’t think there is a general social media marketing starter pack yet - maybe you should start it!
Knowatoa is a great idea! Just checked it out, what a cool problem to be solving.
Must be very interesting in the backend to generate the data across so many potential queries.
The nail in the coffin for X will be if Gov Agencies, News Sites and Institutions all migrate elsewhere taking away its capacity to be seen as “the public forum” which to be honest it hasn’t been in a long time anyway.