Latest Digital / Social Media Marketing News & Insights

​Presented by Neal Schaffer​

In this week's newsletter:

• Facebook's algorithm tracks interaction history between accounts.
• For marketers still allocating budget to X: is your investment (still) worth it?
• 74% of companies still haven't shown tangible business value from AI

Hey Reader,

Last week, literally hundreds of you clicked to express interest in my upcoming 7th book — I was genuinely blown away. Thank you.

The book lives at the intersection of personal branding, artificial intelligence, and writing and publishing a book. I'm literally narrating it one chapter a day on my outdoor walks, and today I'll be working on Chapter 9 of 12. It's not ready yet, but it's getting close — I hope to share more by the end of this month.

If you're new here or missed last week's link, click here to let me know of your potential interest in joining my launch team! You'll get an early digital copy before anyone else, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the AI workflow I used to write it. The link takes you to my Amazon author page to check out all of my books, but you will be tagged and your interest will be registered.

On a personal note: Now that I've walked one hour every day (= 10,000 steps) consistently for 23 of the last 25 days, I've decided to expand my wellness by taking a private pilates class with my wife for the first time!

I must say that pilates using those reformer machines gives you a workout and stretches out your muscles in ways you might not have thought possible! I highly recommend it if you haven't tried it yet.

Now, on to this week's updates!

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

​The Biggest Mistake Marketers Make With Visual Content (And The Simple Fix)​

In this episode, I sit down with Jim MacLeod, author of The Visual Marketer — someone I first met a decade ago when I invited him to speak at my Social Tools Summit conference. Jim's unique edge? He's a trained graphic designer who became a marketer, and that combination shapes everything in his approach. His biggest takeaway: consistency matters more than creativity when it comes to visual identity. The moment you get sick of your branding, your audience is just starting to recognize it. He also shares a smart framework for aligning visual content with your customer research and content calendar — from industry-focused thought leadership (lightly branded) to solution content (fully branded). If your visuals feel disconnected from your strategy, this conversation will help you fix that.

This Week's Video

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​Why Your AI Isn't Getting Smarter (And How To Fix It)​

In this video, I break down what I'm calling the AI Workflow Flywheel — the idea that when you stop treating AI as a one-off tool and start treating it as your workspace, the output compounds. Here's the gap: 91% of marketers use AI, but it only touches about 15% of actual marketing activities. Most people are still asking one-off questions instead of building projects with accumulated context. The flywheel has four stages: start a conversation, let the AI learn your context, get better output faster, then reinvest the time savings. My challenge for you? Pick one workflow this week and bring it into a dedicated AI conversation. Front-load the context — and come back to it next time instead of starting fresh.

This Week's News

Questions Linger About The Long-Term Viability Of X - X's ad revenue dropped to $2.26 billion in 2025 — nearly half of the $4.14 billion it made in 2022 before Musk took over. European active users fell 15% in late 2025, and the platform's own "record engagement" claims only cover a subset of users. The real lifeline? X merged with xAI and is now effectively subsidized by Musk's other ventures, with SpaceX's upcoming $2 trillion IPO expected to keep the lights on. Meanwhile, Threads just hit 400 million monthly actives and is closing fast. For marketers still allocating budget to X, the question isn't whether the platform will survive — it's whether it's worth your investment when the audience and ad dollars are clearly moving elsewhere. Social Media Today​

Instagram Chief Debunks Popular Engagement Hack - Adam Mosseri just debunked one of Instagram's most popular "hacks": reposting feed posts to Stories doesn't boost your reach. His reasoning is straightforward — Feed already gets more reach than Stories through Explore recommendations, and reposting something already posted won't change its eligibility. His broader advice? Most hack-type tactics either don't work or get shut down. Focus on what's resonating with your audience and double down on those patterns. One bonus nugget: Instagram is actively debating whether to let users schedule Stories — a feature they've resisted to keep Stories feeling authentic, but user demand may be winning out. Social Media Today​

Replying To Your Comments On Facebook Boosts Engagement - Buffer analyzed over 1 million Facebook posts and found that replying to comments is linked to 9.5% more reactions. That might sound modest compared to the 42% lift they found on Threads or 30% on LinkedIn — but on a platform with 3 billion users, even single-digit gains compound fast. The key insight: Facebook's algorithm tracks interaction history between accounts, so consistent replies build a relationship signal that surfaces your future posts to those people. The best part? This costs nothing and requires zero strategy overhaul. Just show up in your comments within the first couple of hours after posting and keep the conversation going. Buffer​

This Week's Sponsor

​Scale With Confidence. Grow With SocialPilot.​

If managing your social media ever feels a bit overwhelming, SocialPilot offers a calm, organized way to bring everything into one place. You can plan your posts, stay consistent, and keep an eye on what’s working—without it taking over your day. It’s a simple, flexible tool whether you’re working solo or with a team, and you can explore it at your own pace. If you’re looking for a more manageable way to show up online, it’s definitely worth a try.

More Recommended Reads

B2B Social Media Marketing In 2026: Trends, Strategies, And What Actually Works - In my latest post, I break down what's actually working in B2B social media right now — and why 2026 feels like a genuine turning point. The data is hard to ignore: 96% of B2B marketers are on LinkedIn, 90% of B2B buyers prefer video content, and millennials and Gen Z now make up 65–73% of purchasing decision-makers. I cover platform strategy, how AI fits into your workflow without replacing your voice, and why employee advocacy delivers 8x more engagement than brand-only posts. If you're still running your B2B social strategy from a 2023 playbook, this is your reset. Neal Schaffer​

AI Video Editing: Save Time And Create Better Videos - Greg Preece cut his video editing time from 10–20 hours down to under 2 using a six-tool AI stack — that's roughly a 90% reduction. This Social Media Examiner breakdown walks through each stage: Gling for rough cuts, Descript for fixing mistakes with voice cloning, Kling for AI-generated B-roll, Adobe Podcast for audio cleanup, ElevenLabs for custom music, and OpusClip for repurposing into short clips. The mindset shift matters most: AI's biggest video ROI isn't generating visuals — it's eliminating the editing bottleneck that keeps most marketers from publishing consistently. If you've been avoiding video because production feels overwhelming, this workflow changes the math entirely. Social Media Examiner​

Knowing About AI Isn't Enough. Here's How To Actually Use It. - The gap between knowing about AI and actually using it well is where most professionals are stuck right now. This HubSpot piece nails why: 74% of companies still haven't shown tangible business value from AI, and the problem is almost never motivation — it's approach. The WRITE prompting framework alone is worth the read, but the bigger insight is treating AI adoption like a muscle you build weekly, not a switch you flip. Only 26% of U.S. workers use AI frequently, which means the window to pull ahead is still open — but closing fast. If you've been meaning to get serious about AI in your workflow, this is your practical starting point. Hubspot​

Recommended Newsletters Of The Week

​Digital Threads​

If you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or content creator trying to make sense of digital marketing, you’re not alone. Learning how to build a strong online presence, make the most of social media, and explore AI tools can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be. Digital Threads is here to guide you with practical insights and approachable tips to help you grow with confidence in today’s digital-first world.

Latest From My Blog

33 Best Digital Marketing Tools for 2026: A Practitioner’s Guide - I've spent 15 years testing hundreds of digital marketing tools, and the landscape in 2026 is more crowded than ever. In my latest post, I cut through the noise and organize 33 tools across eight categories — SEO, social media, CRM, email, content creation, analytics, productivity, and freelance talent. No fluff, just honest assessments with real pricing and pros/cons. The surprise? Some of the strongest options are completely free — Google Analytics, Search Console, and HubSpot CRM — and most marketers still underuse them. I also include recommended tool stacks by budget, from $0/month starter kits to $1,000+ enterprise setups. Whether you're a solopreneur or running a team, this is your shortcut to the right stack without the overspend. Neal Schaffer​

5 (Not 20) Social Media Metrics That Actually Prove ROI: The North Star Framework - Stop tracking 20 social media metrics when only 5 actually prove ROI. In my latest post, I introduce the North Star Framework — a focused system built around CTR, conversion rate, customer acquisition cost, CLV, and social-attributed revenue. Only 30% of marketers feel confident measuring social media ROI, and the problem isn't lack of data — it's too much of it. The real power? Pairing metrics together for diagnostics: high CTR plus low conversions means your landing page is the problem, not your social strategy. I also include an executive dashboard template that fits on one slide. If you're tired of reporting vanity metrics that don't move the needle, this framework changes the conversation. Neal Schaffer​