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6 HELPFUL THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT LINKEDIN

Tips on LinkedIn features and analytics that increase reach and content discovery.

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SPECFLUENCING: HOW ‘UNOFFICIAL' BRAND MENTIONS ARE CHANGING INFLUENCER CREDIBILITY

Specfluencing is growing fast as creators tag brands without paid deals to appear established and attract partnerships. Between June and September 2025, more than 14,000 influencers posted nearly 77,000 brand tagged posts and generated about 1.2 billion views, and most posts were unpaid. Experts say this tactic works only when content reflects real product use and delivers results, since audiences can detect staged credibility. Brands can use specfluencing to spot new creators and gain unpaid visibility, but it can also create noise and weaken trust if performance is poor. Several brands report that organic creator posts and viral moments can drive stronger trust, engagement, and sales than traditional paid endorsements.

AMAZON TO LAUNCH A MARKETPLACE FOR PUBLISHERS TO SELL CONTENT TO AI COMPANIES

The proposed marketplace would formalize AI-content relationships, shifting from unlicensed web scraping to negotiated data access. Publishers would gain compensation and clearer usage controls, while AI firms would reduce legal risk and secure reliable, high-quality data pipelines. The initiative places Amazon in competition with similar licensing efforts from Microsoft, signaling that structured data marketplaces may become a core layer of the AI economy.

POSITIONING VS. MESSAGING

In PMM interviews, many candidates give answers that lack precision when asked about positioning and messaging. The two are distinct, and your response should reflect that. Positioning is internal and defines the target audience, category, and differentiation. Messaging is external and translates that foundation into benefits and proof points. Tailor your answer to the focus of the question, walk through inputs, process, validation, and activation as relevant.

HOW TO USE EXCLAMATION POINTS IN EMAILS

Using exclamation points in emails makes the sender seem friendlier and more likable, but it reduces how powerful and analytical the sender appears in serious or task focused messages. Across five experiments with over 2,000 participants, messages with exclamation points were rated 13.5% more positive and 21.3% warmer for meeting requests. The same messages were seen as 9.7% less powerful and 12% less analytical in assignment or data-focused contexts. The effect works for both men and women, though women feel 9.7% more pressure to use them and men feel 17.1% more pressure to avoid them. Exclamation points work best in friendly and relationship-building emails and should be avoided in formal, analytical, or deadline-driven messages.

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HOW TO TELL DEEP RESEARCH WHICH WEBSITES TO USE FOR ITS RESEARCH

The ChatGPT Deep Research update allows specifying which websites to use for research. It can be activated by clicking the “+” under the prompt box or using the left panel Deep Research button. Once active, the “Sites” dropdown lets users limit searches to specific sites or prioritize them while still scanning the full web.

END-TO-END EVENT PLANNER USING CLAUDE (4 MINUTE VIDEO)

A video walkthrough of an event planning app (V1) built by Tofu's co-founder using Claude Cowork. The app connects Claude, HubSpot, and Clay to automate and streamline many of the manual tasks involved in hosting events.

TRUSTWORTHY A/B PATTERNS: ROUNDED/SQUARE CORNERS PATTERN

Large-scale replications show that rounding button corners does not actually produce a large lift in clicks. The original study reported a 55% increase in clickthrough rate from rounded buttons and had a p value of 0.037, but later researchers judged the test to be underpowered. Three replication tests found effects near zero with 95% confidence intervals. A fourth pre-registered test at METRO Russia ran for 16 weeks with over 7.4 million users, and it found results below the minimum detectable effects. The combined evidence suggests the original 55% lift was likely an exaggerated result caused by low statistical power.

WHY YOUTUBE SHOULD BRING ORIGINALS BACK

YouTube has surpassed Netflix in revenue and viewing time but still lacks big TV advertisers. Reviving original content could provide premium, predictable programming to attract advertisers and retain creators as competitors secure exclusivity deals. With serialized content from creators and more viewers watching on TV screens, the platform is well positioned to explore Originals again through creator partnerships or licensing.

DIGITAL PR STRATEGY: 2 HOURS OF WORK FOR 10+ LINKS

The author spotted an emerging trend, validated the trend on TikTok, wrote a simple pitch, and then built a hyper-relevant media list.

LINKEDIN IMPRESSIONS (JANUARY 2026 BENCHMARKS)

With 5-10K followers, 1-2K impressions places you in the top 25%.

THE NEW FABIO IS CLAUDE

Coral Hart, a prolific South African romance novelist, uses Claude to produce novels in months rather than years.

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STATE OF DIGITAL PR REPORT (2026)

Digital PR is more effective in 2026 but also more difficult due to AI search and rising demand for brand authority and mentions. 68.2% of professionals say it is more effective than last year, yet 75% say it is more challenging, and 60.8% say finding relevant journalists has become harder. Data-led content remains the top tactic at 95.9%, press release pitching rose to 85.1%, and 66.2% now list AI citations as a key outcome, while backlinks still lead at 85.8%. Budgets are rising, as 8.8% now spend over $20,000 per month, and cost per link above $750 grew from 3% to 10.2%, while 60% still spend under $10,000. AI now shapes daily work, as 76.4% say it changed their process, 78.4% track AI visibility, and only about 40% have a repeatable method to earn AI citations.

VALENTINE'S DAY SHOPPING IS BECOMING A CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP TEST

Valentine's Day has evolved into a multi-week revenue cycle driven by relationship signals rather than a single promotional spike. Brands began referencing the holiday in early January, with messaging volume steadily increasing and accelerating nearly 3 weeks before February 14, mirroring shopper behavior that favors early exploration and delayed commitment. The strongest performers used early engagement to gather intent data, then converted that accumulated interest closer to the holiday without relying on aggressive discounts.

DESIGNING FOR THE AI INBOX: WHY HTML EMAILS WILL WIN THE NEXT ERA OF E-COMMERCE

AI is summarizing emails before recipients open them. Image-only emails risk having offers misrepresented or ignored. HTML emails with live text and dynamic content improve visibility and deliverability. They load faster and provide data for optimization. Front-loading key offers, using headings, balancing text and images, and sticking to email-safe fonts ensures both people and AI can interpret messages. Well-coded HTML turns AI summarization into an advantage.

HOW DORITOS AND ULTA USED TIKTOK CLUBHOUSE AS A SUPER BOWL SECOND-SCREEN POWER PLAY

The Clubhouse strategy reflects a broader shift in Super Bowl marketing toward giving control to creators and meeting Gen Z where attention already lives. Doritos' prior Super Bowl activations drove 35% year-over-year growth in brand mentions and added more than 200,000 TikTok followers, reinforcing the business case for creator-led second-screen investment. While TV ads still anchor mass reach, TikTok Clubhouse shows how brands are using real-time, off-broadcast experiences to influence discovery and brand perception outside of game day and the traditional channels.

HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR OWNED CONTENT FOR AI SEARCH

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HOW I BUILT AN EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY SCOREBOARD WITH DIRECTUS, ZAPIER, AND CLAUDE CODE

This guide explains how to build an automated employee advocacy scoreboard that tracks team social sharing. Links posted in Slack are detected and cleaned using AI in Zapier, then stored in Directus as a structured backend. A Claude Code–scaffolded Next.js dashboard displays the leaderboard, with monthly filtering and drill-downs. The system streamlines tracking posts on LinkedIn and X and reduces manual work.

POPL

Popl captures leads at live events by replacing manual processes with an AI-powered workflow. Reps scan badges or QR codes with the mobile app, instantly enriching contact and company data, qualifying leads with custom questions, and syncing everything to the CRM. The platform also allows on-floor meeting scheduling and tracks event ROI, giving full visibility into pipeline and rep performance.

WHY DIGITAL TWINS ARE MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY MODEL

Digital twins are high-fidelity 3D assets that go beyond visuals. They can be reused across marketing and ecommerce and support AR and internal workflows. This provides consistent branding and reduces the need for repeated photography or 3D builds. The assets evolve with products and save time and cost while maintaining accuracy. For marketers, digital twins offer long-term value. They enable interactive content and scalable campaigns. They also integrate across platforms and serve as a central resource for teams.

HOW SOLOS TURN CHEAP PROBLEMS INTO PREMIUM BUSINESSES BY RAISING THE STAKES

Solos are independent consultants and agency owners running expertise driven businesses. Those who moved upmarket did so by changing their problem framing and signals. They replaced failure states like no leads or no revenue with success plus constraint, what was working but capped. They also shared methodology instead of quick tips, used diagnostics to signal rigor, and showed proof tied to scaling outcomes. This filtered for mature buyers seeking partners, not quick fixes.

THE META LATTICE UPDATE IS DRIVING REAL PERFORMANCE LIFT ACROSS META

Advertisers should improve first-party data signals and audit creative strategy to capture the potential revenue lift and conversion gains from Meta Lattice.

6 AI VISIBILITY STRATEGIES FROM RYAN LAW'S WEBINAR

Tips include filling topic gaps competitors cover, publishing honest comparison content across multiple sites, and building content clusters around recurring themes.

THE GREAT STAY AND THE QUIET COLLAPSE OF THE MARKETING JOB MARKET

The collapse in marketing job movement is due to AI-driven headcount reduction rather than recessionary pressure.

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GOOGLE ADS NO LONGER RUNS ON KEYWORDS. IT RUNS ON INTENT

Google Ads is shifting from keyword-based campaigns to an intent-first approach. Search now works like a conversation, with AI inferring user goals and showing ads based on problems users need solved, not the words they type. Campaigns should be organized around intent, with broad match, Performance Max, and AI Max used for AI-driven placements. Landing pages must explain why and how to use a product, while rich assets and first-party data help the system learn. The change affects eligibility and targeting.

AI DOESN'T REDUCE WORK—IT INTENSIFIES IT

AI can feel like a helpful partner, but it drives juggling multiple tasks, running parallel threads, and constant output checks. This creates cognitive load and exhaustion. Employees report high productivity but rapid fatigue and lost sleep. Researchers recommend structured AI practices to prevent burnout and separate real productivity gains from unsustainable intensity.

RUDE MARKETING 101

‘Savage' marketing thrives on clever context and timing. Highlight why customers switch from competitors and make it visible on your homepage. Use simple hacks like a direct follow link to boost social proof. Turn common fears or frustrations into humor that punches up without looking insecure. Humanize AI or exaggerate minor competitor missteps to create shareable moments.

FLIPPED PHRASE COPYWRITING TECHNIQUE

This technique turns familiar idioms or sayings into B2B ad headlines by swapping one word for its opposite. Start by generating a list of common phrases, then flip a key word to create a fresh, attention-grabbing twist. AI can help suggest options. Finally, pair the new headline with a CTA and brand logo. This approach makes ads feel familiar yet surprising.

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ABM: WHAT TO START, STOP, AND SCALE IN 2026 (WEBINAR)

ABM isn't a tactic, it's how enterprise customers actually buy. This webinar, on February 11, will cover which tools are worth using and how AI can speed processes without adding noise. Learn how to define audiences and buying groups and how to measure success when traditional lead metrics don't capture impact. Speakers include the CMO of Hightouch, the VP of Growth Marketing at Snowflake, and the Director of Growth Data Science at Ramp.

AEO CHECKLIST

Webflow built a practical 29-item AEO checklist to benchmark strengths, identify gaps, and prioritize what matters as AI search evolves. It can also be exported into a CSV file.

AMAZON ENABLES COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ADS PLATFORM AND AI AGENTS

Amazon is testing a new MCP Server that lets AI agents connect directly to its ads platform and turn simple prompts into full ad campaigns. The server translates natural language into structured campaign actions and reduces multi step workflows like account setup, reporting, and country expansion into single prompts. It supports AI platforms and works with custom AI agents, while staying compatible as Amazon APIs change. It also expands on an earlier Ads Agent tool that enabled conversational control inside the ads console.

SYNTHETIC PERSONAS FOR BETTER PROMPT TRACKING

Synthetic personas simulate user behavior using real data to speed up AI prompt tracking. They solve the cold-start problem and reduce research time and costs by up to 70%. Teams can test concepts, explore micro-segments, and filter options before real validation. Each persona is built from job-to-be-done, constraints, decision criteria, and natural language to predict query behavior. They are a tool for exploration, not final decisions, and must be validated with real users to avoid bias and false confidence.

WHY ANTHROPIC IS BETTING ON BEING THE LIKEABLE AI

Anthropic is building Claude as a friendly, values-driven AI. It uses warm branding, public stances, and a focus on safety to contrast OpenAI's defensive, product-first image. The company's growth is powered by a strong enterprise strategy, including token-based pricing and specialized coding tools, which give it an edge in high-value markets. Trust and brand perception act as a multiplier, making Claude a safer choice for sensitive decisions.

THE HIDDEN COST OF ONLY CHOOSING SHORT-TERM WINS

BEST AND WORST SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS OF 2026 AS RATED BY EXPERTS

A list of Super Bowl ads rated from A (ie. Levi's, Anthropic) to F (ie. Coinbase, ai.com).

WHY LOW FREQUENCY LOOKS EFFICIENT, AND WHY IT'S FAILING IN STREAMING

Low frequency streaming looks efficient because of past brand conditioning, but capping frequency erodes memory and hurts performance.

HOW YOUTUBE IS TAKING SUPER BOWL ADS BEYOND A 30-SECOND PLAY

YouTube is expanding Super Bowl advertising beyond traditional 30-second spots by surrounding the event with creator-driven content and live activations. The platform leverages creator partnerships, pre-game events like a flag football game, and sponsorship packages to embed brands into cultural moments. AI-powered campaigns help advertisers reach new audiences, while AdBlitz amplifies exposure, with 45% of viewers seeing content only on YouTube.