Hey Reader,

OMG - it has been awhile since I was last in touch with you ... hope all is good?

For those that follow me on Instagram (https://instagram.com/nealschaffer), you would have known that I was in Mongolia for a week and then Japan for another.

After getting back from two weeks of travel, I have been hunkering down on finalizing the revised and expanded version of Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth. It will be double in size, and I am preparing paper/hardback and audio versions as well!

As a reminder, if you have bought the first version and submitted a review online, please send me a screenshot so that I can send you a free upgrade when it is ready! And if you have read it and haven't submitted a review, what are you waiting for? ;-)

Now on to this week's Top 10 news!

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.

1. This Week's News

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2. This Week's News

​AI Systems Often Prefer AI-Written Content, Study Finds​

A new peer-reviewed study shows that LLMs often favor AI-written content over human text—especially in product descriptions, abstracts, and movie summaries. This raises the risk of a “gate tax,” where brands may feel forced to use AI tools just to stay visible in AI-driven discovery systems. While still early, the research signals a future where AI-friendly copy may outperform human-only writing, making this a key trend for marketers to watch.

3. This Week's News

​How We’re Empowering The Entire Buffer Team To Become Creators​

Buffer is turning its entire team into creators—not just using their own tool, but living the full creator journey alongside their customers. Through Slack channels, workshops, shared resources, and even leaderboards, Buffer teammates are posting consistently, building confidence, and bringing fresh voices to the brand’s channels. The result? Authentic connection, stronger community ties, and a brand culture that’s hard to copy. A bold bet—and it’s already paying off.

4. This Week's News

​Klaviyo Acquires Gatsby To Improve Social Commerce Insight​

Klaviyo just bought Gatsby to solve one of marketing’s biggest headaches: turning social engagement into owned relationships. With social commerce racing toward $6 trillion by 2030, this move helps brands capture emails and SMS signups straight from DMs, tags, and mentions—no website visit needed. The result? Richer profiles, better personalization, and stronger ROI as Klaviyo unifies social signals with customer data in one platform.

​The Leading AI-Powered Marketing Platform​ Powered by one of the world’s largest AI-driven marketing databases, our scale and speed reveal insights your competitors will never see coming. Click here to start Semrush for free! →

5. Search Advice

​Search Everywhere Optimization: 5 Places To Optimize Beyond Google​

Google isn’t the only search game in town anymore. People now turn to AI assistants, YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, and Pinterest to discover products, get reviews, and make decisions. That’s where Search Everywhere Optimization (SEvO) comes in—ensuring your brand shows up authentically wherever your audience looks. This guide explains how to optimize across platforms so you stay visible, trusted, and competitive in the new search landscape.

6. Search Advice

​How To Rank In Google’s AI Overviews: 7 Pro Tips​

Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping SEO—and landing your content there can drive huge visibility. These AI-generated summaries favor long-tail queries, clear structure, fresh updates, and authoritative sources. To rank, you’ll need to optimize with schema, build credibility, refresh top content, and make sure pages are crawlable. This article shares 7 pro tips to future-proof your SEO so your brand shows up in Google’s AI-powered answers.

​Maximizing LinkedIn For Business Growth​ Explore and learn key strategies to leverage LinkedIn effectively, based on my latest book, Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth.​ Click here to get your copy now →

7. Social Advice

​From Search To Social: Inside The Billions Shifting To Social-First Marketing​

Social-first marketing is no longer optional—it’s the new norm. With 80% of marketers shifting budget from search and TV to social, brands like Unilever, Duolingo, and Lowe’s are proving that social drives real business growth. If you're still treating social as a side channel, you're missing out. This article breaks down why social is now the center of strategy, and how smart brands are tying every post to ROI.

8. Social Advice

​Instagram SEO: How To Rank On Instagram And Get Your Posts On Google​

Instagram SEO is now bigger than ever—your posts can show up not just in-app, but on Google too. That means optimizing captions, alt text, and hashtags is no longer optional if you want new audiences to discover you. This guide breaks down how Instagram ranks search results, how to refresh old posts for visibility, and the exact steps to make your profile and content search-ready both on Instagram and beyond.

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Strategic AF by Adriana Tica Tired of marketing advice that’s either obvious or outright shady? Strategic AF flips the script. It's the only newsletter that treats solopreneurs, founders, and marketers like grown-ups, not toddlers looking for the next shiny toy. Subscribe to get sharp, no-nonsense strategy advice without the cringe. No bro-marketing, no fluff — just real, sustainable growth tactics. Subscribe if you want results. Scroll past if you prefer gimmicks. Subscribe​

Julia Campbell Named as a top thought leader and one to follow by Forbes and LinkedIn for Nonprofits, Julia Campbell is a nonprofit digital consultant, speaker, and author on a mission to make the digital world a better place. Host of the acclaimed Nonprofit Nation podcast, she’s written two books for nonprofits on social media and storytelling, and her online courses, webinars, and talks have helped hundreds of nonprofits make the shift to digital thinking. You can learn more about Julia at www.jcsocialmarketing.com/blog Check out the resources I offer below and sign up for my newsletter! Subscribe​

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9. Latest From My Blog

​LinkedIn Boolean Search Explained: Tips, Strings, And Use Cases For Business Growth​

If LinkedIn search ever feels noisy or unhelpful, Boolean search is your secret weapon. In this blog post of mine, I break down exactly how to use AND, OR, NOT, quotes, and parentheses to refine searches and uncover hidden opportunities—whether for client prospecting, partnerships, recruiting, or competitive research. Mastering these strings helps you save time, find the right people faster, and make LinkedIn a powerful business growth engine.

10. Latest From My Blog

​The Digital Marketing Funnel: A Step-by-Step Guide To Converting Leads Into Customers​

Here I break down the digital marketing funnel—from awareness to purchase—and show how each stage guides prospects closer to becoming customers. I also share common mistakes (like focusing too much on top-of-funnel or neglecting mobile) and strategies for optimizing every step. A well-built funnel isn’t just about conversions—it’s about building trust, long-term relationships, and sustainable growth.

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,

​Neal Schaffer​ Fractional CMO / Author / Speaker / Educator

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