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Latest Digital / Social Media Marketing News & Insights
Presented by Neal Schaffer
Welcome to the new look and feel for my weekly newsletter! Please reply with your feedback if you feel it is better or worse!
In this week's newsletter:
- What is the "AI visibility gap" and what CEOs need to be asking
- LinkedIn reports significant increases in comments and video uploads
- Hubspot reports a resurgence of newsletters in the digital era
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Hey Reader,
It has been two weeks since my last newsletter, and I hope you have been well.
I have been busy, but it has been a good busy!
After spending a month in Japan, I finally got back and immediately traveled to attend Adobe MAX.
And what an event it was!
I will be publishing more content about my experiences at the event over the next several days, but let's just say that Adobe is allowing anyone to use AI as an assistant to create images and videos just as ChatGPT is allowing us to do so with text.
Some early highlights:
- The new AI Assistant that was added to Adobe Express is an absolute game changer to create according to your creativity and not be limited to your knowledge of a tool.
- Adobe Acrobat has added a lot of cool AI features to allow you to not just summarize content but to create libraries of content from which you can create repurposed content and easily share it
- Adobe Firefly has become the default AI ideation tool for image and video generation with its new Firefly Boards functionality and addition of any photo or image AI engine that you might want to use (including Google's Nano Banana and Veo)
- And Lightroom Mobile has become my new bestie in editing iPhone photos before publishing them on social media ;-)
If you have any questions about any of these Adobe tools and how you can use them, hit me up by replying to this email and I'll get back to you with my advice!
Now on to this week's top news and insights!
Please note: Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you.
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This Week's News
LinkedIn Reports Significant Increases In Post Comments And Video Posts LinkedIn might not be shouting about “record engagement” anymore—but comments are up 24%, and video uploads continue to surge. This update breaks down where the platform’s growing (think: short-form video and smarter recruiting AI) and how LinkedIn is cracking down on fake engagement to keep the feed authentic. If LinkedIn’s part of your strategy, this is a valuable pulse-check on what’s working—and what’s next. Social Media Today
Threads Reaches 150M Daily Active Users Threads just hit 150 million daily users—up 50M since December—and engagement is climbing fast thanks to Meta’s improved AI recommendations. With 400M monthly actives, Threads is closing in on X’s 600M MAUs and 250M DAUs. Meta says users now spend 10% more time in the app, signaling Threads is evolving into the leading short-form, text-based social platform for real-time conversation and discovery. Social Media Today
LinkedIn Highlights Thought Leader Ad Opportunities in Campaign Manager LinkedIn just made boosting authentic voices a lot easier. The platform’s new Thought Leader Ad discovery inside Campaign Manager lets brands quickly find and promote user posts, articles, and event mentions—even from 3rd-degree connections. With 2x higher CTRs than standard ads, this update helps brands amplify genuine advocacy while hinting at future creator monetization opportunities. A smart move for marketers focused on trust-driven growth. Social Media Today
The AI Search Visibility Audit: 15 Questions Every CMO Should Ask If your SEO looks great but your brand disappears in AI search, this guide is a must-read. It breaks down 15 key audit questions every CMO should ask to uncover and fix the AI visibility gap—the reason top-ranked sites aren’t showing up in ChatGPT or Perplexity answers. Learn how to make your content machine-verifiable, structured, and AI-readable so your brand becomes the trusted source in the new search era. Search Engine Journal
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Unlock your true creative power with Luminar Neo — the smart, intuitive photo-editing software that puts professional results within reach. With a streamlined interface, on-device editing for full privacy, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, it’s the smart choice for serious creators!
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More News
How To Earn LLM Citations To Build Traffic & Authority LLMs like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are now shaping how people find trusted info online—and getting cited by them is a game-changer for building authority and organic traffic. This Ahrefs guide lays out how to earn citations from AI tools through original data, clear formatting, fresh updates, and structured content. If you want to future-proof your content and build brand equity in AI-driven search, this article gives you the blueprint. Ahrefs
HubSpot's 2025 State Of Newsletters Report [Data From 400+ Newsletter Pros] Newsletters are back—and they’re smarter, faster, and more powerful than ever. This HubSpot report reveals how 400+ pros are growing lists, making money, and using AI to scale. If you’re building or revamping your newsletter, you’ll want these insights on personalization, distribution, monetization, and tech stacks. The takeaway? Email isn’t dying—it’s evolving. Get ahead of the game and learn what’s shaping the inbox in 2026 and beyond. Hubspot
Social Media KPIs That Top Growth Companies Track If you’re serious about growing your business through social media, this post I wrote breaks down exactly which KPIs top-performing companies track—and why. From engagement to revenue to customer retention, it’s all about measuring what matters. Whether you're scaling up or refining your strategy, this guide will help you focus on the metrics that drive real business results, not just vanity numbers. Neal Schaffer
LinkedIn Carousel Posts Complete Guide For 2026 If you’re not using LinkedIn carousels yet, you’re leaving serious reach and engagement on the table. In this guide I wrote, I break down exactly how to create high-performing PDF carousels (since native ones are gone), plus how to run effective carousel ads. You’ll get tips on strategy, design, and tracking—all from a B2B-first perspective. If LinkedIn is part of your brand playbook, this is must-know stuff. Neal Schaffer
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Unlock LinkedIn’s full potential with Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth—your go-to guide for building a powerful brand, generating leads, and driving real business results.
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If you're a content marketer or content creator who wants to know how to make the most of your time and optimize your content. |
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Latest From My Blog
Content Operations For Creators: How To Work Smarter, Not Harder If you’re feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or stuck in content chaos, this blog post is your roadmap out. I wrote it to help creators like you build simple, smart content systems that protect your energy while boosting output. It breaks down exactly how to set up a content operations framework that supports your creative work without killing your vibe. If you want to grow sustainably, this one’s for you. Neal Schaffer
13 Influencer Marketing Agencies Trusted By Global Brands And Growth-Stage Companies If you're thinking about working with an influencer marketing agency, this blog post I wrote will help you cut through the hype. I’ve handpicked 13 agencies trusted by global brands and high-growth companies, based on real results—not just buzzwords. Whether you're in B2B, e-commerce, gaming, or mobile apps, you'll find options tailored to your goals. If you want ROI over vanity metrics, this list is for you. Neal Schaffer
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If I can be of any help to you or your organization, please consider joining my Digital First Group Coaching Membership Community or considering hiring me as a Fractional CMO.
Warm regards,
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Fractional CMO / Author / Speaker / Educator
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