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
What Facebook’s New Link Rules Mean For Your 2026 Strategy | AI Overviews Reduce Clicks By 58% | How To Choose The Best Prompts To Monitor Your AI Search Visibility + More!
Published about 5 hours ago • 6 min read
Latest Digital / Social Media Marketing News & Insights
Should you skip Meta Verified and spend that money on ads instead?
If your SEO strategy hasn't adapted to the zero-click reality, now's the time.
Is your AI chatbot genuinely helping you, or is it subtly selling something?
Hey Reader,
Happy New Year!
Greetings from Yokohama, Japan!
Yes, I am still here, working on a few projects and assembling a Japanese team.
On another note, I have been collaborating with a number of partners and have been planning a series of educational webinars to help keep my community ahead of the curve when it comes to all things digital marketing. I am excited to announce that first such webinar, coming your way on February 24:
We will dig deep into agentic AI for marketing and get a tour of a brand new platform to make the lives of marketers easier. Click here to register if you haven't already!
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.
This Week's News
Update: AI Overviews Reduce Clicks By 58% - The data is in, and it's not pretty. Ahrefs' latest study of 300,000 keywords reveals that AI Overviews now reduce clicks to top-ranking pages by 58%—up from 34.5% just nine months ago. For every 100 clicks you used to earn, Google now keeps 58. Other studies show similar drops (49-90%). If your SEO strategy hasn't adapted to the zero-click reality, now's the time. Ahrefs
Google Search Hits $63B, Details AI Mode Ad Tests - Google just dropped major news for marketers: they're testing ads inside AI Mode—appearing below AI responses and through a new "Direct Offers" pilot for ready-to-buy shoppers. With Search revenue hitting $63 billion (up 17%) and AI Mode queries running 3x longer than traditional searches, Google sees new ad inventory gold. The big question for your business: what does this mean for your referral traffic? Search Engine Journal
Google’s Gemini App Has Surpassed 750M Monthly Active Users - The AI chatbot race is heating up. Google's Gemini just hit 750 million monthly active users—up from 650 million last quarter—though it still trails ChatGPT's estimated 810 million. The launch of Gemini 3 and a new budget-friendly $7.99/month plan are fueling growth. With Google now processing 10 billion tokens per minute, the question isn't whether AI assistants matter—it's which one your customers are using. Tech Crunch
Should AI Chatbots Have Ads? Anthropic Says No. - The AI wars just got personal. Anthropic declared Claude will stay ad-free forever—and took a direct shot at OpenAI with a Super Bowl commercial mocking AI assistants that slip in product pitches. With ChatGPT now testing ads for free users, this raises a question every marketer should consider: when you're asking AI for advice, should you wonder if it's genuinely helping you or subtly selling? Ars Technica
Focus on growing your business and creating content, not struggling with design. Snappa helps you create professional graphics quickly—no design background or hours of training required. Every image is royalty-free and licensed for commercial use, so you can publish with confidence.
YouTube Expands Auto-Dubbing To All Creators - Big news for creators looking to grow globally: YouTube just opened auto-dubbing to everyone, expanding from 8 to 27 supported languages. The new Expressive Speech feature even captures your original tone and emotion—not just your words. With 6 million daily viewers already watching dubbed content, this is your chance to reach audiences you couldn't before. Ready to go global without hiring translators? Social Media Today
How To Choose The Best Prompts To Monitor Your AI Search Visibility - Tracking your brand's visibility in AI search isn't as simple as traditional rank tracking—responses change by the minute. This in-depth guide from Ahrefs reveals 11 data sources for finding the right prompts to monitor, from Google Search Console questions to server logs showing ChatGPT crawl activity. The key insight? Track clusters of related prompts rather than individual queries, and always have a plan to act on what you discover. Ahrefs
What Facebook’s New Link Rules Mean For Your 2026 Strategy - Facebook is testing a major change that limits non-verified accounts to just two link posts per month—unless you pay for Meta Verified. Mari Smith breaks down what this means, why Messenger is now your best traffic-driving strategy, and shares her surprising advice: skip Meta Verified and spend that money on ads instead. Plus, learn how Meta's $2 billion Manus acquisition will bring AI agents to your marketing toolbox. Social Media Examiner
How To Use LinkedIn Groups For Business Growth: A Step-by-Step Guide - On my blog, I break down why LinkedIn Groups deserve a second look in 2026—even if their golden era has passed. The hidden gem? You can message any group member directly without InMail or connection requests. I share how to find the right groups, engage without being spammy, and turn conversations into real business opportunities. Quality over quantity wins here. Neal Schaffer
Recommended Newsletters Of The Week
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.
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!
Erika Heald is the host of the weekly #ContentChat LinkedIn Live video podcast for content marketers, held Mondays at noon Pacific. As a B2B marketing consultant, she helps organizations define and execute content marketing strategies that drive business and professional growth. As a creator, and gluten-free blogger helping people discover gut-friendly farm-to-table food. She frequently speaks at B2B marketing industry events on employee brand advocacy, content strategy, customer experience, AI readiness, and social media topics. You can find her on her blogs erikaheald.com and erikasglutenfreekitchen.com.
Email Marketing Strategy: A 5-Step Playbook To Boost ROI And Build Lasting Relationships - In my latest guide, I share the 5-step playbook I use as a Fractional CMO to transform email from "we should send a newsletter" into a predictable revenue engine. The secret? Start with just three automations: welcome sequences, abandoned cart recovery, and re-engagement flows. With email delivering $36 for every $1 spent, your list is a business asset worth building strategically. Neal Schaffer
Social Media Marketing For Real Estate: 13 Proven Strategies That Generate Leads In 2026 - Here I break down 13 proven strategies for real estate agents who want to stop being invisible on social media. Here's the reality: 82% of real estate businesses use social platforms, but only 9% create listing videos—even though video listings get 403% more inquiries. I share exactly which platforms to prioritize and how to turn scrollers into clients without feeling salesy. Neal Schaffer
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
Hey Reader, Everyone's talking about agentic AI these days, but have you noticed that most of the conversation is either hype or aimed at large enterprises with massive budgets? I've been feeling that gap too. So when I connected with Vugar Javadov, founder of Obsera, I got excited — because his team has actually built a platform that brings AI-driven marketing workflows to the rest of us. We're talking copy creation, publishing, ad management, inbox management, and social listening all...
Latest Digital / Social Media Marketing News & Insights Presented by Neal Schaffer In this week's newsletter: Learn why experts say TikTok users' censorship fears are justified. UpScrolled saw a 2,850% spike in daily downloads after the TikTok deal closed. Why the math doesn't favor moving to a paid Substack model—despite the platform's appeal. Hey Reader, Happy New Year! Greetings from Nagoya, Japan! For those that might remember, I was here last year on the invitation of the local Japanese...
Latest Digital / Social Media Marketing News & Insights Presented by Neal Schaffer In this week's newsletter: The TikTok deal is finalized—but what does it mean for marketers? 28% of US workers now use ChatGPT on the job. Substack SEO matters more than ever! Hey Reader, Happy New Year! Greetings from Kobe, Japan! I often get asked if I am part Japanese or live in Japan, but for those that know me, my story is that I launched my career here straight after graduating from Amherst College in the...
