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PERPLEXITY IS TURNING CREATOR MARKETING INTO A PRODUCT TEST

Rather than talking up the brand, creators would review original builds made in Perplexity's own tools, instead of promoting them.

HOW MUCH DOES A B2B CONTENT WRITER COST IN 2026

A guide to how much B2B freelancers are charging in the UK.

ECONOMISTS CONCERNED THE AI BUBBLE IS ABOUT TO BLOW

Equity and debt issuance are surging, market value is concentrated in a few major tech stocks, and earnings expectations look increasingly unstable.

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COMPANIES ARE HIRING EDITORS TO RUN THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND MEASURING THEM ON PIPELINE

Companies are hiring senior editors to run thought leadership and tying the function to revenue. Workato, for example, measures its program on win rates, deal velocity, and average sales price instead of content output. Research shows thought leadership can influence buying decisions and reach “hidden buyers” who rarely interact with sales. Recurring research and publishing can also build category authority over time. Owned media is becoming a permanent function with editorial leadership and a pipeline-focused scorecard.

GEN Z ROMANTICISED THE LIBRARY INTO RELEVANCE AGAIN

Gen Z is driving a library revival through viral TikTok and Instagram content. Creators frame libraries as aesthetic, free places to study, work, and socialize. 67% report visiting public libraries, including many who are not active readers. The trend also ties into growing interest in physical books and digital detox. For libraries, social content can turn cultural relevance into real-world visits and stronger evidence for continued public funding.

I AUDITED 4 WEEKS OF MY LINKEDIN POSTS. HERE'S WHAT GREW MY FOLLOWING

A 4-week LinkedIn audit found that conversation-starting posts, relatable humor, and provocative takes drove the most follower growth. Shorter copy also performed better than long paragraphs. Memes were fast to produce and often earned strong engagement, but they didn't build followers or trust as effectively as video. The best mix is repeatable, high-engagement formats like memes alongside videos and posts that spark debate or make the audience feel seen.

DON'T USE QUESTIONS IN YOUR TITLES

Use statement-based headlines instead of questions to increase engagement with marketing content. A Stanford study found that question titles generated 71.6% fewer comments and 12.6% fewer clicks across experiments and analyses of more than 22,000 news articles, 3 million academic articles, and 53,000 Reddit posts. Questions may perform worse because they signal uncertainty and provide less immediate information to readers. Test statement formats such as “X compared to Y” against question-based titles, then check that title changes don't hurt SEO.

STOP TRYING TO GO VIRAL. YOU NEED THE RIGHT 100 PEOPLE TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE FIRST

Personal branding isn't a numbers game, it's a positioning game. Being known for one specific thing, not several, is what makes a name and a topic become inseparable in someone else's mind. The first time an idea gets posted, it's scrolled past. The fifth time, it starts to register, and by the twentieth repetition a name becomes the person others associate with that topic. That kind of association compounds into leverage long before any follower count does.

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AI OVERVIEWS AND PAID SEARCH: WHEN TO FIGHT, INFLUENCE, OR GENERATE DEMAND

AI Overviews make it harder to use one bidding strategy across every search query, so marketers should classify terms by intent and AI visibility before allocating budget. High-intent terms belong in the “Fight” bucket, where paying for absolute top placement can still generate direct sales. Informational terms belong in “Influence”, where SEO and PPC should work together to earn citations and brand mentions in AI answers. Zero-click opportunities belong in “Generate Demand”, where budget should move to YouTube, Demand Gen, and content that builds demand before the eventual commercial search. In one B2B account, 83.3% of queries triggering AI answer blocks were informational, showing why reallocating budget across these buckets can matter more than simply adjusting bids.

SALESFORCE AND NVIDIA'S NEW REASONING MODEL IS EVERYTHING THE AI LABS SHOULD FEAR

Koa answers a problem Salesforce couldn't solve without Nvidia, a reasoning model trained for sales and support work that never has to touch a customer's actual data. It was post-trained entirely on synthetic conversations, including simulated irate customers and negotiating sales reps, and its architecture is built to reach a token-efficient answer faster than a general-purpose frontier model would. Its own AI gateway can now route reasoning-heavy requests to Koa instead of paying frontier-lab rates for the same work.

DOES TV ACTUALLY SUCK NOW?

Streaming didn't shrink television's quality - it multiplied its supply, turning a manageable weekly lineup into a catalog large enough to produce real decision fatigue. An audience now half-watching on a second screen while scrolling through that catalog is bound to feel worse about whatever it lands on, regardless of how well made it actually is. The fix is a shift in viewing habits, not a demand on the industry to make better shows.

THE JOB MARKET HAS BEEN CONTRACTING FOR 31 MONTHS

White-collar hiring has contracted for 31 months, with professional and technical roles shrinking despite stable overall employment. The bigger change is repeated headcount deferrals, leaving existing teams to absorb work indefinitely. Instead of waiting for hiring to recover, identify what you're actually paid for beyond your job title. Turn those skills into something clients or smaller companies would pay for. Build a small version while still employed, then review your progress in 6 months.

WEIRD ECOMMERCE SEO TIP: GO TO THE SHOPS

The physical taxonomy of store aisle signage can inform ecommerce website structure.

HERE'S HOW & WHEN I RUN GEO-LIFT TESTS

A mental model for geo-lift testing on Meta ads.

HUMANIST AI IN PRACTICE: A PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON OUR CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MAI MODELS

Microsoft published a first draft of its AI training and deployment manual.

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THE HARMS OF SHORT-FORM VIDEO ON THE BRAIN ARE STARTING TO SHOW

Heavy short-form video use may impair attention and memory. A meta-analysis of about 70 studies found stronger links to cognitive problems than mental health issues, with compulsive use predicting worse outcomes. Other research links more phone time to poorer working memory and uncontrolled short-form use to weaker episodic memory. Memory and imagination share neural circuitry, so these effects could also make it harder to envision and plan for the future.

HAS MAINSTREAM CULTURE DISAPPEARED? NEW YOUTUBE TRENDS RESEARCH SAYS NO

Mainstream culture isn't disappearing, but brands can no longer rely on celebrities or broad media to create cultural relevance. YouTube creators and memes are now seen as widely known as Hollywood stars. Cultural momentum often starts in niche online communities before spreading through sharing and creating. YouTube says the platform can turn that momentum into broader cultural validation, with 65% of respondents saying something feels more real or legitimate when they see it there.

"PROOF OF HUMANITY" IS THE BIGGEST MARKETING OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW

66% of people under 30 already react negatively when a business visibly uses AI in its ads, a reversal for the generation assumed to be AI's biggest fans. That backlash is turning restraint itself into a content opportunity, since publicly declaring what a brand won't automate can work as marketing in its own right, not just a compliance footnote. Aerie's pledge to skip AI-generated models became its most-liked Instagram post ever, with a 23% sales bump the same quarter.

ARE WE BUILDING BRANDS FOR A WORLD THAT NO LONGER EXISTS?

Brands still rely on growth tactics built for a simpler, more stable world. This piece argues for a “both/and” approach. Keep evidence-based marketing principles while accounting for trust, context, and long-term consequences. Set rules against manipulative tactics. Use brand touchpoints to explain real-world decisions. Dedicate 10% of activity to retention, employee pride, and referrals.

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THE NEW RULES OF GROWTH (WEBINAR)

High-growth marketing teams are changing how they hire and allocate resources as growth demands rise. On September 17, Krithika Shankarraman of Thrive Capital and Christy Roach of AirOps will share how they secure resources, measure newer channels like AI Search, and get more leverage from smaller teams as growth accelerates.

WHAT IT ACTUALLY TAKES TO WIN ON REDDIT (WEBINAR)

This session, on September 22, explores how brands can build a meaningful presence on Reddit. It covers subreddit culture, moderator relationships, and community engagement. Rachel Duffy shares how The Times built its Reddit strategy and drove visibility and trust. The session also looks at Reddit's role as search and LLMs reshape audience behavior.

DOES RETAIL MEDIA ADD VALUE?

Retail media only adds value when ads drive profitable incremental sales. For advertisers, high ROAS can be misleading if shoppers would have purchased anyway. Retailers can also hurt margins if ads displace organic conversions or degrade the shopping experience. Both sides should measure whether advertising changes outcomes.

ARE YOU DOING MARKETING…OR BUILDING SOFTWARE?

95% of enterprise GenAI projects show zero return. The biggest gap is in areas with strong off-the-shelf options, such as rank tracking, citation monitoring, and content scoring. Vendors serving thousands of customers have already solved these integration challenges. Custom workflows are harder to outsource, but buying proven expertise can still beat learning through trial and error.

3 IN 4 AMERICANS USE PHONES WHILE WATCHING TV

Broadcasters and advertisers now plan for TV and mobile as one viewing environment.

HOW TO ACTUALLY DO A BRAINDUMP

A 5-step process to quickly organize tasks, decisions, and ideas.

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GOOGLE RANKING FACTORS EXPERT SURVEY 2026

Google's strongest ranking factors are still relevance, backlinks, and content quality. Matching search intent matters more than simply targeting keywords. Original research and first-party data also help content stand out as AI makes publishing easier. Trusted backlinks remain important, while brand reputation and user behavior carry more weight. Technical SEO is still foundational, but it rarely lifts mediocre content on its own. Internal linking and user experience can further strengthen visibility when they help Google understand a site, and users find what they need.

DEEPFAKES ARE WRECKING INFLUENCERS' CREDIBILITY, ONE FAKE AD AT A TIME

AI deepfakes are making influencer credibility harder to protect. Fake ads can still use creators' likenesses without permission. Meta has added stronger advertiser verification and an AI detection tool to combat celebrity impersonation, but creators still report slow removals. Influencers are easy targets because years of public photos and videos give AI models abundant training material.

5 HACKS TO INSTANTLY WRITE MORE PERSUASIVE COPY

Before writing, define the emotion and action the copy should trigger. Spend most of the editing time on the first few lines since they determine whether people keep reading. Describe the audience's pain points with specific, concrete language to show you understand the problem. Write conversationally and cut jargon. Then read the copy aloud to catch awkward sentences and weak sections.

YOUR PLAYBOOK FOR LINKEDIN ADS THAT WORK

Build LinkedIn ads around the buying journey. Use signals to target companies entering a buying window, then start with thought leadership before introducing case studies and offers. Retarget engaged prospects with native lead forms and qualify them with specific questions. Follow up within 5 minutes while interest is fresh, and use sales outcomes to refine targeting and messaging over time.

THE AVAILABILITY HEURISTIC: 7 WAYS GOOGLE ADS CAN STEER YOUR DECISIONS

Google Ads can steer decisions through the data and recommendations it makes most visible. Default dashboards may prioritize less useful metrics, while hidden settings can override campaign-level targets. Search term reports can also reveal irrelevant traffic that inflates performance. Review account settings, conversion goals, search queries, and recommendations regularly instead of relying on Google's default views to guide optimization.

9 SUCCESSFUL MEDIA PITCH EXAMPLES FOR EVERY TYPE OF CAMPAIGN

Digital PR pitches give journalists a clear story angle and the information needed to cover it. Survey and proprietary data pitches lead with a compelling finding, supported by methodology and a link to the full research. City studies add a local or seasonal hook, while reactive commentary needs timely news, relevant expert credentials, and a fresh quote. Product launches work best as concise announcements, while review and roundup pitches should lead with the problem the product solves and include pricing and availability.

A LOOK INSIDE MY CAREER AS A B2B PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER IN IT

Anya's path from product management into B2B product marketing shows how product experience can lead naturally into PMM. She studied computer science and later earned a master's in Product Development Management of IT Services. She gained product experience and took on marketing responsibilities at a small IT company. A professional blog helped her organize and deepen her knowledge. Later, mentoring helped her recognize that her marketing experience could translate into PMM, leading to a mid-level role at a B2B SaaS startup.

CONGRATS, YOUR SALES PROBLEMS IN PLG ARE COMPLETELY UNORIGINAL

PLG companies often weaken growth when they start chasing enterprise revenue. Sales teams begin treating self-serve users as leads, while product teams lock valuable features behind higher tiers. Enterprise opportunities should instead emerge from product usage. Growing teams and expanding usage can signal when an account is ready for sales. Self-serve customers should still be able to discover and buy the product without unnecessary sales friction.

FACEBOOK PROVED ITS OWN AD MEASUREMENT WRONG

Facebook's research found that standard ad attribution can overstate incremental conversions by 3X or more.

INSTAGRAM SCAMMERS ARE HOLDING CREATORS' ACCOUNTS HOSTAGE WITH COPYRIGHT STRIKES

Scammers are filing fake copyright complaints against Instagram creators, then demanding payment to withdraw them.

THE 24 NEW RULES FOR SUCCEEDING AT WORK

A guide to 24 workplace challenges, with expert advice on AI, career growth, and layoffs.

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