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.
Share
Meta Shares Ad Tips Based On 1M+ Ad Creatives | CMOs Increase AI Investments: Here’s What The numbers Say | LinkedIn Shares Video Posting Best Practices + More!
Have you ever felt completely stuck because your tools just aren't keeping pace with your needs?
That's exactly what happened to me recently with my social media dashboard. What started as a quick post turned into a frustrating realization that my go-to tool was falling behind—especially as I've been sharing more videos than ever.
This frustration led to an unexpected weekend filled with research, experimenting with various platforms, and ultimately making a big leap. But here's the good news: I've finally found a solution that's not only keeping up but truly empowering my social media strategy.
In This Week's Podcast below, I share the behind-the-scenes of my journey, including why I knew it was time for a change, the alternatives I considered, and the platform I've now happily transitioned to.
If you're finding your social media tools lacking, especially for video content, you'll definitely want to hear this!
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.
This interview is a deep dive into how entrepreneurs and small businesses can smartly use AI to boost growth and save time—without losing that human touch. I chat with John Suarez, co-author of The Marketer’s Manual on Generative AI, about practical frameworks like Plug-and-Play AI and the 80/20 approach to help you start fast, stay focused, and scale. A must-listen if you’re ready to let AI work for you.
If you're posting more short-form video than links or images, your old social media dashboard might be slowing you down. In this episode of Your Digital Marketing Coach, I share how Buffer—yes, Buffer!—quietly became my new go-to tool, outperforming others for video speed, thumbnails, and customization. I also break down newer platforms worth exploring. Time to reassess your tools and see if they still fit how you post today.
CMOs are going all in on generative AI. According to new BCG research, 83% feel optimistic about AI—up 9 points from last year—and 71% plan to invest $10M+ over the next 3 years. This isn’t just about content anymore: CMOs are using AI for product recommendations, timing outreach, and optimizing customer experience. The takeaway? AI is shifting from a “cool tool” to a core business driver—and it’s time to scale smart.
Perplexity just hit 780 million queries in May, with 20%+ monthly growth—and their CEO says a billion-a-week could be next. But what’s really wild? They’re building Comet, a new AI-powered browser designed not just to answer questions, but to take actions for you. It’s being framed as a “cognitive operating system,” not just another browser. This could seriously reshape how we interact with the internet. Keep your eye on this—big changes ahead.
Meta is aiming to launch fully automated AI ads by 2026, where you’ll just plug in your URL and budget—and their AI will handle the rest: creative, copy, targeting, and optimization. It’s not just automation; it’s a complete shift in how ads are created. This matters because it signals a future where marketers must shift from managing campaigns to guiding AI and focusing on brand vision. Get ready to evolve—or get left behind.
Search is changing fast—are you ready? Welcome to the age of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Instead of fighting for page-one rankings, GEO is about showing up in the answers AI tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Perplexity deliver. It builds on traditional SEO, but with new twists like unlinked brand mentions, fresh data, and UGC visibility. If you want your brand to stay discoverable in AI-driven search, it’s time to start optimizing for the answer, not just the SERP.
Meta just analyzed 1.1 million+ ad creatives and shared top tips to boost your ad performance. The winning formula? 9:16 video with audio, emotional storytelling, a human on screen, and text overlays. Campaigns using this approach saw up to 29% more conversions. Plus, AI-generated images boosted click-throughs by 11%. Bottom line: lean into video, emotion, and AI to scale smart and connect deeper across Reels, Feed, and Stories.
Video is booming on LinkedIn, with view time up 36% and video posts earning 1.4x more engagement. To help you tap in, LinkedIn shared 13 best practices—like using vertical videos, keeping them under 2 minutes, grabbing attention in the first 6 seconds, and always adding subtitles. Key takeaway? Ditch the dull talking heads and focus on timely, mobile-friendly, creative content that informs or entertains. It’s time to level up your LinkedIn video game.
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.
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!
Every second Wednesday, I share fresh ideas to help you rise above the noise and communicate more clearly, confidently, and YOU-ly (Yes. That’s a word now).
If you’re ready to build deeper trust, boost engagement, and stretch your content budget, user-generated content (UGC) should be at the heart of your strategy. In this blog post that I personally wrote, I walk you through creative UGC examples, step-by-step guidance on launching campaigns, and future-forward trends like AI-enhanced UGC and shoppable content. If you want content that truly connects and converts, this post gives you everything you need to get started—and scale.
If you're ready to monetize your blog, this blog post I wrote is your full step-by-step guide to affiliate marketing success. From picking the right programs to writing high-converting content and avoiding common pitfalls, I cover everything you need to know. You’ll also learn how to drive traffic, track performance, and scale income sustainably. Whether you're just starting or ready to optimize, this post will help you turn your blog into a revenue engine.
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!
Weekly Digital Marketing & Generative AI for Marketing News from Your Digital Marketing Coach
Neal Schaffer
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.
Read more from Weekly Digital Marketing & Generative AI for Marketing News from Your Digital Marketing Coach
Neal Schaffer's Top 10 Weekly News June 27, 2025 Hey Reader, Do you use a productivity app to help you best manage your time? To be honest with you, I have never used anything more than logging to-dos on my Google Calendar. While a lot of people think I create a lot of content on a regular basis, I want to be able to create content more long-form content such as books and courses. I need to improve my productivity and improve my habits to be able to carve out more time in my busy schedule....
Neal Schaffer's Top 10 Weekly News June 21, 2025 Hey Reader, This week's news includes two insightful pieces in my Search Advice about the impact that AI is having on the SEO industry. I plan to publish a new podcast episode on the topic next week, but is clear that SEO has forever changed and will not go back to its pre-AI days. Just like the old days of generating traffic from social media are gone, it is beginning to look similar for search. Of course, the traffic won't go to zero, but we...
Neal Schaffer's Top 10 Weekly News June 14, 2025 Hey Reader, Last week I talked about my shift in social media dashboards to improve efficiency. This week another issue arose that was a reminder that we always need to have a replacement tool in our back pocket. On Thursday there was a massive Internet outage (click here for the details), and although you might not have noticed it, one of the tools that I regularly use is still unable to be used as I type this: Calendly. Calendly has become...
