TLDR MARKETING 2026-01-15

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GLOBAL PUBLISHER GOOGLE TRAFFIC DROPPED BY A THIRD IN 2025

Google traffic to publishers fell sharply in 2025 and is expected to keep dropping through 2026. Search fell 33%, and Discover fell 21%, with deeper losses since May 2023 and even steeper declines in the US. Lifestyle and utility sites were hit hardest as AI summaries reduced clicks. Publishers expect a 43% drop over three years and plan to scale back on Google, Facebook, and X while shifting more effort to AI platforms and YouTube. Most expect some AI licensing revenue, but not much. Confidence in journalism is falling, and leaders are leaning into creator partnerships and subscriptions to counter shrinking platform visibility.

CHINA'S LONELINESS APP MAKES WAVES

A simple daily check-in app has gained rapid traction by addressing fears tied to solo living rather than offering companionship. The app requires one tap per day and alerts an emergency contact after two missed days, and it has already charted in markets such as the USA and Australia after rebranding as Demumu. Its rise aligns with structural shifts, as China had more than 125 million one-person households in 2020, and the solo living rate exceeds 30%, with projections reaching 200 million households by 2030. The popularity highlights how basic visibility and being noticed matter to people who feel isolated and lack strong offline support, creating opportunities for brands to design products and experiences for solo dwellers.

HOW TO PRODUCE HIGHLY ATTENDED WEBINARS

Well-attended webinars start with a tactical theme and the right guest, chosen around either a topic or their expertise. A 1:1 brainstorm with the SME generates content, then AI organizes transcripts, social posts, and context into a deck outline to reduce the guest's workload. A detailed run-of-show is created with timing, sections, roles, and talking points, followed by a first draft of the deck. A 30-60 minute session with the guest reviews the run-of-show and deck, gathers feedback, and finalizes the deck as a playbook. During the event, engagement is actively facilitated. Then immediate follow-up provides a post-event deal room with recordings, slides, resources, and speaker info.

HOW BRANDS CAN RESPOND TO MISLEADING GOOGLE AI OVERVIEWS

Google AI Overviews frequently summarize Reddit and Quora discussions as authoritative answers, which allows outdated complaints or fringe opinions to appear factual. Brands should continuously monitor high-engagement forum threads and publish authoritative, AI-readable content that clearly states verified information and corrections. The goal is to replace forum consensus with primary sources that AI systems can confidently cite.

COWORK: CLAUDE CODE FOR THE REST OF YOUR WORK

Claude Cowork is a research preview for Claude Max subscribers on macOS that lets anyone (not just developers) work with files in a chosen folder. Claude can read, edit, and create documents, spreadsheets, or reports, plan tasks, and work in parallel while keeping users informed. It can connect to external tools and handle tasks online with browser access. Users control which folders and connectors Claude can access, and it asks before major actions to prevent mistakes.

GOOGLE'S UPDATED VEO MODEL CAN MAKE VERTICAL VIDEOS WITH 4K UPSCALING

Google updated Veo 3.1 to generate short-form video using up to 3 reference images so visual elements remain stable across outputs instead of drifting between generations. The update enables native 9:16 vertical video, making clips immediately usable for social-first distribution.

TALK WITH YOUR HANDS TO BE MORE PERSUASIVE

Using hand gestures while presenting increases perceived competence. It also increases persuasiveness and positive audience reactions by up to 9%. In an analysis of 2,184 TED talks and 200,000 clips, each doubling of hand movements led to 5.18% more YouTube likes. In experiments, a circular gesture during a face cream pitch drove 9% more positive responses than no motion and 7.7% more than pointing.

GEN AI IS THREATENING THE PLATFORMS THAT DOMINATE ONLINE TRAVEL

Generative AI is weakening the discovery advantage that online travel platforms like Expedia and Booking.com built through search-driven aggregation. As consumers plan trips inside conversational AI tools, intent is forming outside aggregator websites, reducing their ability to influence decisions and monetize early-stage demand. To defend their position, incumbents are integrating with AI platforms like Google and ChatGPT while experimenting with generative features inside their own apps.

CANVA'S PATH TO PRODUCT-MARKET FIT

Canva reached product-market fit by moving prototyping relentlessly with non-designers and letting real user friction drive product decisions rather than investor pressure or launch theatrics. Early research revealed that users froze when faced with a blank design surface, which led to a short onboarding video and guided interaction that improved activation and retention. From there, growth compounded through early evangelists like social media managers, programmatic SEO that dropped users directly into creation, aggressive global localization, and disciplined technical and financial decisions that enabled long-term scale.

EMAIL TIP: MAINTAIN EMAIL DELIVERABILITY WITH THE COHORT OR BRANCHING FUNCTIONALITY

Use randomized cohorts and staggered delays to send large email volumes safely without hurting deliverability.

YOU CAN NOW CHOOSE THE KIND OF CONTENT YOU SEE ON INSTAGRAM REELS

Instagram's “Your Algorithm,” available to English-speaking users, allows people to directly influence their Reels feed by selecting and adjusting topic preferences.