​Influencer Marketing In 2025: What’s Working Now? | ​Farewell Photoshop? Google’s New AI Lets You Edit Images By Asking. | What Content Works Well In LLMs? + More!


Neal Schaffer

March 21, 2025

Hey Reader,

My spring speaking tour continues to Ohio next week, where I will be speaking at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio! I don't know how many of you might be in the area, but I thought I would let you know in case you wanted to attend as it will be a free event and chance to meet in person!

You can find the details below. Click on the image to register or click here.

Now on to this week's 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.


This Week's Podcast Episode

Influencer Marketing In 2025: What’s Working Now?

"If only I could get people to try my product or service, I know they’d love it!"

Sound familiar? The best way to get your brand noticed isn’t just running ads—it’s building relationships. In this episode of Your Digital Marketing Coach, I sit down with Yash Chavan from the influencer marketing platform Saral to discuss how brands can leverage influencers, user-generated content, and brand communities to grow in 2025.

We break down:

  • How influencer marketing has evolved beyond follower counts
  • Why nano-influencers and UGC are the new game-changers
  • How to start building an engaged brand community

If you’re looking to scale your brand and drive real engagement, this episode is a must-listen!


Maximizing LinkedIn For Business Growth

Explore and learn key strategies to leverage LinkedIn effectively, based on my latest book, Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth.


This Week's Top Articles

NEWS

More Consumers Using GenAI Tools To Research Purchases: Adobe

Generative AI is reshaping online shopping. Adobe’s latest report shows AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites surged 1,300% over the 2024 holiday season and continues to grow. Consumers use AI for product recommendations, deal hunting, and travel planning, leading to higher engagement, more pages viewed, and lower bounce rates. While AI traffic converts 9% less than other sources, conversion rates are improving—suggesting growing consumer trust. The future of e-commerce and AI-powered search is unfolding fast!

Longer TikToks Get More Views — Data Shows Best TikTok Video Length

Longer TikTok videos might just be the secret to more views and engagement. While 86% of videos on the platform are under a minute, research shows that videos over 60 seconds get 43.2% more reach and 63.8% more watch time than shorter clips. TikTok’s algorithm favors content that keeps users on the app longer, so if you’ve nailed hooks, pacing, and storytelling, experimenting with longer videos could give you an edge. Ready to hit record? Your audience—and the algorithm—might reward you!

Farewell Photoshop? Google’s New AI Lets You Edit Images By Asking.

Google's new Gemini 2.0 Flash AI is shaking up image editing—allowing users to modify images with simple text prompts, no Photoshop skills required. From removing objects to adding new elements (like a water-skiing barbarian), this AI-powered tool integrates text and image generation into a single model. While the results aren’t perfect, the potential is huge. As AI image editing evolves, expect a future where anyone can manipulate media effortlessly—for better or worse.


Featured Tool Of The Week

The AI Your Marketing Deserves

Jasper is the purpose-built generative AI platform for marketing. Built on a foundation of enterprise trust, Jasper deeply understands marketing, delivering advanced brand control and an intuitive AI toolkit that allow marketers to build apps and workflows to accelerate their success.


More Top Articles For The Week

SEO ADVICE

What Content Works Well In LLMs?

Want your brand to be cited by AI chatbots like ChatGPT & Perplexity? It’s not about traditional SEO rankings—it’s about depth, readability, and brand popularity. Long-form, high-quality content with a strong Flesch Score gets more citations, while brand search volume influences mentions. Plus, AI chatbots have unique preferences, so monitoring multiple platforms is key. Don’t let technical issues block your visibility—check your indexing and robots.txt settings!

eCommerce Link Building: What Works And What Doesn’t Today

eCommerce link building isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Instead of forcing product pages into backlinks, focus on digital PR, informative content, discount pages, and brand monitoring. Avoid paid links, excessive press releases, and gimmicky promotions—they don’t work. High-quality links from strategic efforts (like broken link building and unique PR campaigns) drive SEO success. Want better rankings? Create content people actually want to link to.


EMAIL ADVICE

The Email Marketing Strategies Beyoncé, Royal Caribbean, And Sprinkles Cupcakes Use To Boost Conversions And Loyalty

Inclusive email marketing isn’t just ethical—it’s smart business. This HubSpot blog highlights how brands like Sprinkles Cupcakes, Royal Caribbean, and Beyoncé’s Cécred use inclusivity to boost engagement, build trust, and retain loyal subscribers. By representing diverse identities, personalizing content, and prioritizing accessibility, you can create emails that resonate with more people—and drive better results. If you want to grow your audience, inclusion should be a key part of your strategy.

Mass Email Marketing: Top 10 Free Tools And Best Practices For Bulk Emailing

Mass email marketing is a powerful way to connect with your audience—if done right. In this blog post, I break down the best bulk email marketing tools that improve deliverability, engagement, and compliance. I also share best practices like segmentation, personalization, and A/B testing to help you get the most from your campaigns. If you’re serious about email marketing, this guide will help you maximize your reach and results!


SOCIAL ADVICE

TikTok SEO: Boost Your Visibility And Grow Your Audience

Want more views on TikTok? Mastering TikTok SEO can skyrocket your content’s visibility by optimizing captions, hashtags, and video metadata to align with user searches. This guide covers how to leverage trending sounds, analyze audience behavior, and post consistently to rank higher on the platform. Whether you’re a brand or creator, these strategies will help you boost engagement, increase reach, and attract the right audience. Ready to optimize your content for maximum impact?


AI ADVICE

AI Model Faceoff! Testing Eight Models Head-To-Head For Blog Post Writing

If you're a blogger or content writer wondering which AI tool is best for writing blog posts, this in-depth comparison puts eight popular AI models to the test. The results? Grok came out on top, but tools like Claude and Perplexity also performed well. However, no AI can fully replace human creativity—these tools can assist with research and structure, but final editing should always be done by you. Check out the full breakdown to find the right tool for your needs!

Mastering ChatGPT For Marketing: What You Need To Know To Get Started

ChatGPT is revolutionizing marketing. Whether you need content creation, SEO research, email personalization, or social media management, this AI tool can automate tasks, boost efficiency, and generate high-quality content with ease. By customizing ChatGPT with your brand’s voice and smart prompts, you can streamline workflows without being a tech expert. Ready to enhance your marketing strategy with AI? Start integrating ChatGPT today to work smarter and drive better results.


Recommended Newsletters of the Week

Image for Strategic AF

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.

Image for Julia Campbell

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!

Image for Zakery Rathbone-Scott

Zakery Rathbone-Scott

Helping B2B Podcast Hosts + Consultants Turn Their Show into a Growth System

I write 1–30, a weekly newsletter for podcast hosts and consultants who are tired of posting and praying. If you’ve got a show, but no system behind it, you’re leaving opportunities on the table. Each week I break down how to:Repurpose 1 episode into 30+ assetsBuild trust (without burning out)Turn your podcast into a content engine that actually gets clientsThink: content strategy, positioning, funnel design, and sharp insights from behind the scenes of building my own system.→ If you want more than just another “growth tip,” subscribe below.

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the.femininehustle

Feminine hustle|Motivation | Digital marketing

Join the.femininehustle community! Perfect for female entrepreneurs, digital marketers, and self‑growth seekers. Get actionable marketing tips, empowering motivation, and practical strategies to fuel your feminine hustle and transform your success.

Image for Brian W Piper

Brian W Piper

Husband, father, author, speaker, adventurer

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.


Latest From My Blog

Why Hiring A Digital Marketing Expert Could Be The Game-Changer Your Business Needs

Hiring a digital marketing expert can be a game-changer for businesses struggling to keep up with today’s fast-paced digital landscape. In this blog post, I break down why outsourcing digital marketing can be more cost-effective than building an in-house team, how experts drive better ROI, and what to look for when hiring one. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by marketing, this might be the strategic move your business needs!


20 YouTube Statistics To Base Your Video Strategy On In 2025

YouTube isn’t just a video platform—it’s a marketing powerhouse with 2.49 billion monthly users and the second-most visited website globally. In this blog post, I break down key YouTube stats that prove why businesses can’t afford to ignore it. From SEO benefits to high engagement rates, YouTube offers unmatched opportunities to reach diverse audiences and drive growth. If you’re serious about video marketing, this post will show you why YouTube should be a priority!


Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom. I hope you enjoy the new high-contrast white background and that the text is easier to read! Please let me know what you think!

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

P.S. Pressing the unsubscribe button at the bottom will remove you from all communication from me. If you'd like to keep in touch and only receive monthly, instead of weekly, newsletters, please click here. Thank you!

3943 Irvine Blvd., Suite 90, Irvine, California 92602
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Weekly Digital Marketing & Generative AI for Marketing News from Your Digital Marketing Coach

Every Friday I provide a curated newsletter for thousands of marketers, entrepreneurs, business owners and content creators that covers the latest news as well as actionable advice on all things digital, content, influencer, and social media marketing. I try my best to also provide advice on the latest developments of generative AI and how to leverage it for marketing as well as personal branding for your digital presence.

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