The Sauce
Newsroom index
Every story from The Sauce newsroom, newest first.
California passes sweeping AI and social media restrictions as tech's home state tightens grip on platforms and automation
Twenty-six bills now sit on Governor Newsom's desk, targeting everything from addictive feeds for under-16s to robo-boss firings and data center energy costs. The state's response to AI and platform harm just became the most comprehensive in the US.
Creator economy hits $323bn but 56% of full-time creators still earn below living wage as subscriptions replace sponsorships
The creator economy grew 26.5% to $323.48bn in 2026, yet more than half of full-time creators earn under $44,000. The gap exposes a fundamental shift from brand deals to recurring revenue models, rewriting what sustainable creator income actually looks like.
The Key to Organic Social Media That Actually Gets Enquiries
Social media marketing is constantly evolving, but the one constant behind it is that real people are selling real things to real audiences. Looking at organic socials through a more soulful, connection-led lens is helping my clients get enquiries on repeat, without sacrificing their authenticity.
Snapchat's Harry Potter activation shows what pre-launch marketing looks like when you own the platform, not just the ad space
HBO and Snapchat are rolling out 12 AR lenses, Bitmoji fashion and physical mirrors months ahead of the HBO series premiere. The real lesson isn't the partnership. It's the timing, the surface area, and what it says about where TV budgets are moving.
Reddit's 15-second video ad goal is built for messages that take longer to land
The new optimisation option rewards watch time over raw views. Brands running trailers, demos and testimonials now have a billing structure that reflects the full message, not just the opening seconds.
ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox face the EU's toughest platform rules. Here's what that changes for social marketers.
The European Commission has designated ChatGPT as a search engine and Reddit and Roblox as very large platforms under the Digital Services Act. For social media marketers, that means stricter content moderation, new transparency requirements for ads, and fresh uncertainty around organic reach on platforms already under regulatory pressure.
LinkedIn ramps up fight against AI slop as EU user growth stalls
The platform is blocking billions of automation attempts while its latest transparency reports show active user numbers in the EU have flatlined, exposing the tension between growth ambitions and content quality.
How UK Anti-Doping challenged SARMs misinformation online
In our Social Media Marketing Awards finalist series, The Sauce is looking at the campaigns that earned a place on this year's shortlist, the problems they were built to address and the work behind the results. UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is a finalist in Purpose-Led or Social Impact Campaign of the Year for Clean Sport Week 2026.
TikTok Shop hits $23.4bn in US sales, with creators driving three-quarters of revenue
The platform now exceeds Target's online business as the fastest-growing US retailer for the second consecutive year, rewriting the rules of how products reach buyers and who controls the transaction.
Ken Burns brings classroom courses to YouTube as educational content stakes rise
The documentary filmmaker and PBS LearningMedia are putting curriculum-aligned courses on the Ken Burns YouTube channel, starting with The American Revolution. It's a signal of how seriously YouTube now treats educational credibility.
WhatsApp's new security upgrade targets the account takeover risk that's haunting brand teams
Meta just replaced WhatsApp's six-digit PIN with full passwords and added caller context on Android. The changes are quietly solving one of the biggest blind spots in social and customer service workflows: who actually controls the account talking to your customers.
Meta's $17bn settlement forces two-hour limits and overnight lockouts for teen users
The social media giant has agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion and implement the most restrictive usage controls yet across Facebook and Instagram, reshaping how brands can reach teen audiences and how the platforms themselves function for anyone under 18.
LinkedIn's AI slop button was used over 1 million times in two weeks. Now it's showing creators private warnings
More than one million LinkedIn users flagged content as AI-generated within two weeks of the button's launch. Flagged posts now see 40% fewer views, and the platform has started privately warning creators when their content is marked as inauthentic.
Instagram Gives Creators More Control Over Reposted Content
Instagram's repost controls let creators prevent their work from being shared to other users' profile grids, building on the platform's year-long push to protect original content and curb aggregator accounts.
Reddit's Shopify integration rolls out globally as platform builds DTC commerce infrastructure
Reddit has opened its Shopify integration to all advertisers globally, automating product catalog syncing and conversion tracking for Dynamic Product Ads. The move positions the platform as a purchase research channel rather than a competitor to TikTok Shop's transaction layer.
YouTube's Demand Gen now lets viewers message brands directly from video ads
Google is testing conversation starters on YouTube ads, expanding travel inventory for local activities, and rolling out AI video creation to all advertisers as part of its August Demand Gen Drop.
YouTube doubles entry bar to 8,000 watch hours while adding first ongoing performance threshold for Shorts
YouTube is doubling Partner Program entry requirements from February 2027 and introducing a rolling 10 million Shorts views threshold that will pause creator earnings. The changes reshape who gets paid and how they stay paid.
What Substack's new collaboration and segmentation tools mean for newsletter growth in 2026
Substack has shipped Creator Match, audience-specific content blocks, global reply rules, and advanced podcast editing. The real question is which of these features changes how creators grow their lists, and which are just nice-to-have noise.
Unilever puts half its €8bn marketing budget into creators and wants one in every postcode
The world's biggest consumer goods company now works with 300,000 creators, transforming the creator model from a niche tactic into a mass production system. What it means for the industry, and what breaks when you scale this fast.
Snapchat adds 100-hour threshold creators must maintain to keep earning from Spotlight
Snapchat introduced a rolling performance bar in May that can pause monetised creators' income if they drop below 100 hours of Spotlight view time in the prior 28 days. The change shifts the platform away from viral jackpots towards sustained, schedule-driven rewards.
Manifest launches creator debit card with Mastercard as financial infrastructure becomes a distinct vertical
The embedded banking platform's new business debit card bundles fraud protection, invoicing, and cash-flow tools into a single account. Traditional finance is now building for the creator economy, not just tolerating it.
TikTok Shop creator levels now visible to brands, changing how sellers vet partners
TikTok has made its creator badge system visible to sellers, letting brands see which tier a creator holds before opening collaboration talks. The shift turns previously hidden performance metrics into front-facing signals that could reshape how partnerships form.
ARCOS Labs launches to help creators enforce IP rights against AI systems
The company behind forensic tool VN and crowdsourced platform Lightbar has emerged from stealth with backing from studios and talent agencies. For social media professionals, it signals a shift from reacting to AI-generated lookalikes to actively measuring and enforcing them.
Mastodon 5.0 tackles the composer problem everyone else solved a decade ago
The decentralised platform is finally moving its post composer out of the sidebar after ten years. For social media professionals watching the fediverse, the question isn't what's changing but whether it's enough to matter.
Discord suspends screensharing and video in Brazil after child safety order
Brazil's data protection authority forced the platform to disable video features from 17 August following a teenager's death during a livestream. Discord is complying while working to restore access.
LeBron James launches YouTube golf channel, proving athlete-owned content beats rented reach
The NBA star debuted his official channel with a 90-minute Scotland reunion featuring 2016 Cavaliers teammates. For social media marketers, the move reveals why the smartest athletes are building direct audience relationships instead of relying on platforms they don't control.
What changed in Instagram Stories for 2026 and what it means for social marketers
Instagram quietly evolved Stories this year with features that fundamentally shift how the format works for brands. Here's what actually matters and what you should do about it.
Pinterest embeds AI campaign assistant inside Ads Manager, turning platform data into creative recommendations
Business Assistant, unveiled at Cannes Lions on 17 June and now in closed US beta, surfaces trending searches as visual graphs and recommends specific Pins to promote, giving advertisers trend intelligence without leaving the ad platform.
Snapchat Specs bring AR advertising to wearable glasses as Snap beats Meta and Apple to consumer launch
Snap's consumer AR glasses land in August 2026, putting sponsored lenses on faces months before Meta's Orion ships in 2027. At $2,195, Specs open the race to make wearable advertising mainstream, but privacy and reach will decide whether brands follow the hardware.
Instagram's New Logo: What Social Media Marketers Actually Need to Know
Instagram has updated its wordmark for the first time in a decade, and while users are debating whether it reads "Instagzam," the real story is what the rebrand signals about platform priorities and what marketers should do next.
Snapchat builds HubSpot pipeline sync and opens UK and France to independent agencies
Two announcements in 72 hours show Snapchat meeting brands where they work: leads flow straight into HubSpot CRM, while smaller agencies in Britain and France can now join a partner programme previously locked to the United States.
WhatsApp's Scam Alert shows how to build AI safety features without breaking encryption
Meta has begun rolling out Scam Alert, an on-device machine learning system that flags suspicious messages on WhatsApp while keeping encryption intact. The real story is in the technical guarantees built around it.
Meta's dual workforce strategy reveals the real AI infrastructure bottleneck
The social media giant is now partnering with both union and non-union construction groups to build its data centres. The hedged bet exposes how labour shortages, not capital or chips, could decide who wins the AI race.
Pinterest expands creator partner network with Influencer agency tie-up
The visual discovery platform has added creator marketing agency Influencer to its official global marketing partner roster, as it doubles down on creator-led commerce through evergreen content that compounds over time.
Meta's $1 billion data center fund is really buying consent
The Future is for Everyone Fund targets communities hosting AI infrastructure. It's not charity. It's the price of keeping the cranes moving when 71% of Americans oppose the builds and $130 billion in projects were blocked in Q1 alone.
TikTok One Creative Suite: what it actually changes for advertisers
TikTok has consolidated its creator discovery, AI production tools, and content amplification features into a single platform. The shift matters less for what's new and more for what it finally makes possible at scale.
Pinterest deepens WNBA presence at All-Star Week, six months after first sports deal
The platform joined 34 partners at Chicago's fan festival and participated in the league's inaugural Media & Innovation Summit, extending the New York Liberty partnership it announced in May 2025 into a broader league footprint.
The Social Media Career Ladder: What We Know So Far
Hardly anyone in social media can describe their career path as clear, and that doesn't improve with seniority. We asked the industry what progression actually looks like. The answers point to a value gap, a pay gap, a ceiling at Manager, and a bottom rung that AI is slowly removing.
EU forces platforms to hand over data within 8 hours from Monday
The EU's e-Evidence Regulation goes live 18 August, requiring social platforms to produce user data within 8 hours in emergencies. Most social teams don't know the obligation exists, let alone have a process to meet it.
LinkedIn ends spontaneous livestreaming as platform bets on scheduled events
From 22 June 2026, every LinkedIn Live broadcast must be scheduled in advance. The shift, now in full rollout, reveals how the platform is building a commercial advertising layer that only functions when live content is structured and discoverable.
Disney opens IP vault to TikTok creators, pulls fan videos into Disney Plus
The partnership announced 5 August gives creators licensed access to Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars assets, and makes TikTok videos streamable on another platform for the first time. Disney gets a pipeline of fan content without paying for it.
What Zuckerberg's AI manifesto means for social media marketers
Meta published a 6,500-word letter advocating open AI while signalling a shift away from fully releasing its most advanced models. For social marketers, the gap between the philosophy and the product roadmap is where the real implications live.
California considers fines for creators who don't disclose paid political posts
The state is weighing up to $5,000 penalties per violation to enforce disclosure rules that already exist but are difficult to act on, part of a broader US shift towards regulating influencer political content before the 2028 election.
YouTube doubles Partner Program entry requirements and introduces rolling Shorts threshold
From 1 February 2027, new creators need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views to monetise ads and subscriptions. Existing partners face a recurring 10 million Shorts view minimum and must accept updated terms by 31 January. The changes mark the programme's first major overhaul since 2018 and arrive alongside Premium Lite expansion and new incentive schemes for smaller channels.
X shuts Creator Revenue Sharing on 7 September, forces creators to reapply under stricter original content rules
The platform closed new enrollments on 7 August and will retire the programme entirely on 7 September. Every monetised creator must reapply to the new Original Content Rewards system or lose access to payouts. The shift responds to what X calls misaligned incentives that rewarded reposting over original work.
X settles WFA lawsuit after court defeat, but the brand safety damage is permanent
Elon Musk's platform has settled its advertiser boycott lawsuit following a federal dismissal that ruled companies can choose where to spend. The settlement closes the case, but leaves social media marketers navigating a fragmented brand safety landscape with no shared standards.
How Substack's legal defence won a veteran reporter's $1 million defamation fight
Jeff Stein faced financial ruin when a Trump official sued him for reporting the truth. His case reveals why legal support is becoming the deciding factor in whether independent journalists can survive doing their job.
Instagram's algorithm now rewards single-take content over polished posts
A truck driver's lip sync hit 336 million views in a week, proving Instagram's distribution weight has flipped toward low-production content. Brands still relying on high-production posts are ceding reach to competitors who moved to scrappy formats months ago.
Creator Burnout Isn't a Wellness Issue, It's a Leading Indicator of Where Money Moves Next
78% of creators report burnout affecting their health and motivation, and the industry response is already reshaping the creator economy. For brands and social marketers, this isn't a human-interest story. It's a signal of which business models will grow and which will compress.
EU AI Act forces social media to label AI content from 2 August, but most marketers still don't know what counts
Article 50 transparency obligations now require brands to disclose deepfakes and certain AI-generated text on social media. The confusion: what legally needs a label, what the platforms do automatically, and what human review actually exempts.
Snapchat blocks fully AI-generated videos from Spotlight recommendations
The platform has updated its recommendation algorithm to cut wholly synthetic content from discovery, but videos enhanced with Snapchat's own AI tools remain eligible. The shift turns an April signal into a hard line against AI slop.
Why Meta's enterprise AI push is bigger than selling agents to businesses
On Meta's Q2 2026 earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg outlined an enterprise AI strategy spanning agents, APIs, compute infrastructure, and internal software. For social media marketers, it signals the platform owner is no longer just a content distribution channel but a potential enterprise tech stack.
Snapchat turns Snap Map into a music discovery engine with real-time Spotify sharing
The platform is adding listening activity to the location data it already surfaces, giving brands and creators a new social signal to tap into. The question is whether passive music sharing becomes an engagement driver or just more ambient noise.
Pinterest crosses $1bn revenue as AI Assistant reaches most US users
The platform's July rollout of conversational AI and Gen Z dominance signal a decisive shift from inspiration to purchase, but Q3 guidance shows the commercial bet isn't fully paying off yet.
Bluesky's Attie AI expands into social research tool as growth slows
The decentralised platform is betting on AI-powered insights to drive engagement and revenue, positioning its Quests feature as a listening tool for the open social web just as user acquisition cools.
YouTube's 'We Are Osos' shows where sports documentary distribution is actually heading
An eight-episode series about NFL and NBA stars buying a Mexican football team premieres exclusively on YouTube today, not Netflix or Disney+. That choice tells you everything about where premium sports content is finding its audience in 2026.
Reddit's beauty report shows marketers what happens when platforms stop dictating trends
The platform's People's Beauty Index reveals users rejecting AI-generated perfection and building beauty culture through conversation instead. For brands, that means rethinking how you show up.
TikTok View+ lets advertisers optimise for 6-second views on Pulse Core premium placement
TikTok's View+ feature adds performance optimisation to its brand-safety-first Pulse Core product, allowing advertisers to chase 6-second view-through rates alongside adjacency to the top 4% of trending content. It's a bet that brand and performance don't have to trade off.
Pinterest moves beyond ads with AI shopping assistant and MCP integration
The visual discovery platform announced Business Assistant, Model Context Protocol integration, and Ask Pinterest at Cannes Lions, shifting from platform updates to infrastructure plays as conversational shopping reshapes product discovery.
Threads hits 500 million users, launches Your Algo to hand control back to users
Meta's text platform reaches half a billion monthly actives and graduates Dear Algo into a private feed control tool, tackling the transparency problem every platform faces but few solve.
WhatsApp's new group features hand moderation power to brands stuck in private channels
WhatsApp rolled out poll upgrades, @all mentions, and spin-off groups on 4 August. The angle everyone's missing: these aren't consumer convenience features. They're moderation and coordination tools for the dark social economy that marketing teams are already running but can't properly manage.
Platforms have stopped asking if AI content belongs. Now they're asking how much people want to see
This week crystallised a fundamental shift in how platforms handle synthetic content. TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat have all moved from encouraging AI creation to managing AI fatigue, and the question is no longer whether AI belongs on social feeds but whether anyone actually wants it there.
Facebook AI Mode turns public Groups and Reels into a search engine, no citations included
Meta launched AI Mode globally on 15 June, pulling conversational answers from public Facebook content instead of showing links. For social marketers, it's a new visibility surface with an attribution problem: your posts may power the answer, but you might get zero credit.
Meta Business Agent billing starts 1 August at $2 per million tokens
The free trial for Meta's AI customer service agent across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger ends 31 July. From 1 August, businesses will pay token-based pricing, with a second wave of service message charges following on 1 October.
Meta's Creator Fast Track offers up to $3,000 monthly, but history suggests the money won't last
Facebook is paying TikTok and YouTube creators guaranteed bonuses for three months. The real test is what happens when the cash stops, and Meta's track record on creator payments isn't encouraging.
TikTok adds 6-second view-through optimisation to Pulse Core for the first time
View+ turns TikTok's brand safety adjacency tool into a performance channel. Announced in the Q2 2026 Product Preview, the feature is currently live via allowlist for Max Pulse and Category Lineup campaigns in the US and Canada.
Substack hits 100,000 paid publications as creators use it as the loyalty layer above social
The platform doubled monetised publications in under a year, with creators treating it as the owned-audience hub fed by TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube discovery, not a replacement for algorithmic reach.
Twitch scraps Partner Plus revenue cap as platform rewards consistency over viewership spikes
The streaming platform removed the $100,000 annual cap on its 70/30 revenue split in January 2024, reshaping who makes sustainable income on the platform as retention edges out raw viewer numbers.
YouTube forces global membership repricing by 17 August: what creators must check now
YouTube will automatically adjust recommended membership prices for international members on 17 August 2026 to reflect current exchange rates. Creators have until the deadline to review the changes or set custom pricing, or YouTube applies its recommendations by default.
YouTube trains creators to negotiate brand deals as platforms race to formalise creator commerce
YouTube's five-part Brand Deal Desk series launched in July 2026 signals a strategic shift: platforms are no longer just hosting sponsorships but actively coaching creators to price, pitch, and structure them. The move follows YouTube's expansion of Creator Partnerships infrastructure and arrives as creator commerce matures into a $32 billion industry.
TikTok adds AI content slider: why giving users a dial, not just labels, matters
TikTok has quietly become the first major platform to let users reduce AI content in their feed with a slider control, rather than just labelling it. The shift marks a turning point in how social platforms handle the AI slop problem.
Instagram's Mosseri tells users: if you don't like AI content, don't use the feed
Meta removed its Muse Image feature on 10 July after backlash, but Adam Mosseri's public statement signals Instagram will label AI content, not filter it, forcing brands to compete in an AI-polluted feed for organic reach.
Pinterest launches AI content controls after user revolt over generative spam
The platform becomes the first major visual network to give users category-level controls to dial down AI-generated images, a move that could define how social media handles the flood of algorithmic slop in 2026.
Snap opens ad platform to AI agents via Model Context Protocol
Snapchat completed its MCP server rollout on 25 July, letting third-party AI tools plan and execute campaigns directly through its Marketing API. The move follows similar integrations by Meta, Google, Amazon, and Pinterest, part of a wider shift to agentic advertising workflows across the social ad ecosystem.
LinkedIn's AI ad tools promise 20% higher CTR, but creative volume is the real test
LinkedIn launched five AI creative features on 1 July targeting small advertisers with a bold performance claim. The 20% CTR lift hinges on running five or more ad variants, making this less about automation magic and more about whether you can actually produce the volume.
YouTube draws the line on AI content monetization: three categories that lose Partner Program access
YouTube's 16 July clarification splits inauthentic content into three distinct buckets, giving creators the clearest guidance yet on where AI-assisted work ends and unmonetizable template farming begins.
LinkedIn and X carry the worst AI slop problem, Pangram data shows
New analysis of over 1 million social media posts reveals LinkedIn's AI content problem is structural: the platform accounts for 62% of all detected machine-generated posts despite making up only a third of scanned content.
TikTok Shop slashes affiliate commissions with no warning, pushing creators to Amazon
TikTok Shop cut affiliate commission caps from 20% to 10-15% across beauty, supplements, and home goods in June with zero transition period, forcing creators and brands to rework economics overnight while Amazon and Pinterest hold rates steady.
Anniston Ward "Likes" Are Dying on LinkedIn While Invisible Interactions Gain Momentum
New LinkedIn data shows the metrics everyone watches are declining, yet engagement is actually growing. That paradox is the entry point into a broader argument about how we've been misreading what "influence" and "connection" mean online, and every metric means something different for each user depending on their goal.
Snapchat's Now Playing turns Snap Map into a friend-driven music discovery engine
Launched on 27 July with Spotify integration, the feature lets 450 million monthly Snap Map users discover music through what friends are listening to right now, not what an algorithm thinks they want.
X's mutuals algorithm update reveals the cost of optimising for virality over community
The platform finally prioritised replies from people you actually follow. That it took this long to fix a basic community function shows how deeply social media's engagement-first design has compromised what these platforms were for.
EU says Instagram and Facebook's infinite scroll breaks the law
Brussels found Meta in preliminary breach of the DSA over addictive design, demanding the company disable autoplay and infinite scroll by default or face fines reaching $12 billion. For social media marketers, the ruling targets the exact mechanics their ad revenue depends on.
YouTube's $11 billion quarter shows why advertisers are choosing creators over cable
Alphabet's Q2 results reveal YouTube ad revenue climbed 13% to $11.06 billion, propelled by 1.7 billion World Cup viewers and a structural shift that now positions the platform as traditional media's direct competitor for living room advertising spend.
Reddit's split testing rollout hands all advertisers controlled A/B tests at user level
The feature, launched in early July 2026, closes a long-standing measurement gap for performance marketers on the platform and signals Reddit's serious push to compete with Meta and TikTok on lower-funnel advertising.
Hashtags are now labelling violations: FTC treats social media as packaging in Made in USA crackdown
Warning letters sent in July made explicit what many brands missed: a single hashtag claiming domestic origin can now carry the same $53,080 penalty as false product labelling, turning every Instagram post into a compliance surface.
X doubled its creator pool for 2026, but the average creator has earned just $300 since 2023
The platform declared 2026 the year of the creator and more than doubled its revenue pool. But the lifetime total paid out since launch works out to roughly $300 per creator, and the underlying economics make it nearly impossible for most to earn a living from X alone.
Patreon's Quips Feature Marks Philosophical U-Turn From Anti-Algorithm Platform to Social Competitor
The membership platform has rolled out Twitter-style public posts after years of its CEO attacking algorithmic feeds. The shift reflects competitive pressure as Substack, Beehiiv, and OnlyFans erode Patreon's once-distinct positioning.
Meta signs EU AI transparency code as August compliance deadline looms
Meta has confirmed it will sign the EU's Code of Practice on transparency of AI-generated content ahead of the 2 August enforcement deadline. The move aligns the company's existing labelling work with the strict marking requirements now facing every social platform operating in Europe.
Meta's BlackRock Data Center Deal Shows Who Really Pays for AI (and What That Means for Marketers)
Meta announced a venture with BlackRock to finance a $14 billion data center in El Paso, Texas. The telling detail? Meta owns just 20%, meaning most of its AI infrastructure cost stays off its books, and the move signals how social platforms are now funding the compute power behind every feature marketers rely on.
Facebook's Marketplace unbundling reveals where social commerce value really lives
Meta is splitting Marketplace sellers into a dedicated app and launching free verification badges. The move says more about the future of social platforms than any anniversary celebration.
Fanfix's $300M Milestone Hides a Sharp Reality: Most Revenue Comes from Paid DMs, Not Subscriptions
The creator platform crossed $300 million in payouts and markets itself as a subscription business. Yet over 60% of creator earnings come from paid direct messages, revealing a very different monetisation model than advertised.
YouTube Shorts removes dislike button as platform shifts to hearts and menu-based feedback
The change, rolled out in July 2026, removes a visible negative signal from the interface and redirects creators toward watch time and swipe-away rates as their primary performance metrics.
Reddit blocks 25,000 AI spam posts daily as content licensing deals fuel manipulation epidemic
Reddit disclosed on 6 July that it now stops 25,000 daily AI-written posts designed to manipulate ChatGPT and Gemini responses. The irony is stark: brands exploit the platform's own OpenAI and Google licensing deals to poison the data those companies paid for.
Meta awards AI glasses grants to 30 organizations focused on accessibility and workplace safety
The recipients of Meta's AI Glasses Impact Grants have been announced, backing projects from agricultural monitoring to hands-free workplace training. For social media marketers, the move signals where wearable content creation is heading next.
Khaby Lame becomes Holafly brand ambassador as top creators shift from posts to partnerships
The world's most followed TikTok creator has joined travel tech company Holafly as global brand ambassador, a deal that shows how top-tier talent is moving beyond one-off sponsorships into longer-term commercial roles.
LinkedIn expands B2B ad tracking with SHA256 IP matching and predictive audience IDs
Mid-July API updates introduce hashed IP address matching for Conversions API and read-only predictive audience identifiers, as LinkedIn builds server-side infrastructure to bypass browser-based attribution loss.
TikTok Mini Series brings episodic ad format and Growth Max automation to brands chasing recurring viewers, not one-off clicks
TikTok has formalised long-form commerce storytelling with Mini Series, an in-app episodic feature now paired with Growth Max performance automation. Brands become publishers; audiences become recurring viewers before they become customers.
Meta AI now builds, plans and follows through without waiting for you
Powered by Muse Spark 1.1, Meta's AI assistant can connect to your calendar, generate daily briefings, create slides and execute multi-step tasks autonomously. The shift moves Meta from Q&A chatbot to productivity tool, and from thinking to acting.
YouTube finally lets creators upload custom Shorts thumbnails
After years of requests, YouTube Partner Program creators can now fully customise Shorts thumbnails, bringing the format in line with long-form videos and rival platforms. Plus, AI-generated thumbnails land in Ask Studio.
WhatsApp's Latest Features Are About Where You Work, Not Just Where You Chat
Meta's newest WhatsApp updates signal a strategic shift: the platform isn't chasing features, it's following the messy, multi-device reality of how professionals actually live. For social media marketers, that context changes everything.
Social Profiles & Google Search Console
Google Search Console now allows you to connect your social pages to it and see how your content is performing in search results. I've reviewed various articles on this topic, synthesised main points and provided some of my own opinions too.
Facebook Verified: Meta's free badge puts trust signals in everyone's hands
Meta is rolling out Facebook Verified, a free selfie-based badge confirming someone's a real person. It's separate from Meta Verified's paid subscription, targets AI-generated fakes, and changes what a checkmark means for brands and creators.
Meta's new Seller app hands Marketplace power sellers what eBay had for years
Facebook Marketplace now has a dedicated iOS app with AI listing tools, performance dashboards, and bulk inventory management. It's Meta's bet that keeping its most active sellers inside its ecosystem will stave off competition from TikTok Shop and live-selling platforms.
SocialDay's Social Media Marketing Awards shortlists drop next week
The 2026 Social Media Marketing Awards will reveal finalists across campaign, agency, and individual categories next week, with the UK ceremony set for October and US entries still open for the November event in New York.
Snapchat Creator Subscriptions launch globally: what the 60% revenue split actually means for creators
Snapchat rolled out paid creator subscriptions globally by April 2026, four years after Meta and with a worse revenue split than YouTube. The real question isn't whether the feature exists,it's whether creators will build a paying audience on a platform where they've never had to before.
Threads hits 500 million users and launches Your Algo, the private feed control that could end 'Dear Algo' posts
Meta's Twitter rival reached half a billion monthly users on 17 June while rolling out Your Algo, a private feed customisation tool that shifts algorithm negotiation from public performance to personal control. For brands, that changes what community managers should be posting.
EU gives platforms until autumn to prove they can police under-13s themselves
Von der Leyen confirmed phased age restrictions for under-13s on 13 July, but stopped short of a hard ban. Instead, the Commission is putting platforms on notice: build compliant age verification now, or face legislation after summer.
WhatsApp's Latest Device Push Shows Where Social Marketing Is Actually Heading
WhatsApp's new cross-device features (CarPlay overhaul, standalone iPad accounts, and in-app PDF tools) aren't just about convenience. They're building the infrastructure for wherever customer conversations actually happen, and that changes what brands should be building on the platform.
Threads finally gets parental controls as regulators tighten grip on teen access
Meta is rolling out Family Center supervision tools to Threads, three years after launch. The timing is pointed: Europe just announced age-based restrictions across the bloc, and Meta's own parental controls on Instagram and Facebook have been found wanting.
Why social media teams are replacing device farms with cloud phones
GeeLark and its competitors are betting that mobile-first platforms require mobile-native infrastructure. The shift from browsers to cloud-based Android environments signals a deeper tension in how social marketers operate at scale.
Meta pulled its Instagram AI remix tool after just three days. The consent fight that killed it matters more than the feature
Meta launched Muse Image with a feature letting anyone remix public Instagram photos by tagging an account. CAA, SAG-AFTRA and creators forced a rare reversal in 72 hours. The real story is what it reveals about platform power, default settings, and who gets to decide when your likeness becomes raw material.
TikTok Creator Search Insights: Why Creators Are Ditching Guesswork for Search Demand
TikTok's Creator Search Insights tool now shows exactly what users are searching for and which topics have high demand but low content supply. The shift is forcing creators and brands to rethink content strategy around search intent, not just virality.
Instagram photo comments turn the comment section into a visual conversation pit
Instagram is rolling out photo comments this month, letting users reply with images instead of just text. For brands and creators, this shifts community management from moderating words to policing a visual free-for-all.
Instagram Edits adds multilingual translation across 15 languages as Meta sharpens CapCut challenge
The 5 July update brings automatic comment and caption translation, overlay templates, clip locking and seasonal audio. It's the clearest signal yet that Meta wants creators editing inside its own walls, not ByteDance's.
Reddit's Shopify integration goes global: why high-intent shopping conversations now convert
Reddit has made its native Shopify integration available worldwide, giving merchants one-click access to Dynamic Product Ads on a platform where users research purchases, not just scroll. With EMEA retail advertisers seeing 7x ROAS and North America campaigns outperforming media plan averages by 2x, this is about bridging the gap between conversation and conversion where intent already exists.
Google Images just cloned Pinterest's interface (and where your content lives has changed)
Google rolled out a Pinterest-style feed for Google Images on 14 July 2026, complete with personalised discovery, collections, and AI image generation. The shift turns image search into a browsing destination and changes how visual content gets discovered outside social platforms.
TikTok Custom Creator Networks let brands build permanent creator rosters
TikTok's new Custom Creator Networks allow brands to build and manage permanent groups of creators, employees, and partners for recurring campaigns, replacing one-off searches with ongoing collaboration inside Content Suite.
Pinterest opens Amazon Storefront linking for creators with automatic affiliate tracking
The update landed in June and eliminates manual link work for affiliate creators, while surfacing Amazon storefronts directly on Pinterest profiles. It marks Pinterest's most direct creator monetisation play since Creator Rewards ended in 2022.
LinkedIn's creative suite solves the variant bottleneck that tanks most small business ad campaigns
The platform rolled out five AI tools on 1 July 2026, with internal data showing campaigns running five or more ad variants see 20% higher click-through rates. The real unlock isn't the automation. It's what small teams can finally test.
Instagram Instants adds video recording two months after photo-only launch
The ephemeral DM feature launched in May with photos alone. Video went live in July, closing a gap that made the format feel incomplete and pushing Instagram deeper into Snapchat's territory.
The FTC just made fake reviews and misleading influencer work a $750,000 problem
This week's TruHeight settlement shows that brands using undisclosed endorsements, employee-written reviews, and AI-generated social proof now face six-figure penalties. The days of warnings are over.
LinkedIn Advice Sessions turns profiles into storefronts as platform monetises expert consultation
Currently beta-testing in the US, the feature lets Premium Business subscribers charge for video consultations without leaving the platform. LinkedIn takes no cut, but the question is whether it can compete with the workflows professionals already trust.
Threads flair tags: the granular interest signal hiding inside communities
Meta rolled out community flair tags across Threads on 14 July. The subtopic labels look like a navigation aid for users, but for brands the real value is the declared interest data now feeding the algorithm at 500 million users.
What the FTC's tighter influencer disclosure rules actually mean for your workflow
The 2023 FTC Endorsement Guides redefined 'clear and conspicuous' disclosure. Now, with enforcement ramping up through 2026 and penalties reaching $51,744 per post, brands and social professionals need to treat compliance as infrastructure, not an afterthought.
US lifts TikTok federal device ban after ownership deal closes, but agencies still decide
The Justice Department ruled that TikTok's new American majority ownership structure eliminates the risks behind the 2022 federal device ban, yet the decision hands control back to individual agencies. The shift opens questions about government marketing channels and what changes when platform risk becomes platform opportunity.
EU ditches blanket ban in favour of phased social media access for under-13s
Von der Leyen confirmed supervised-only access for children below 13 after experts rejected an Australian-style ban, putting platforms and brands on notice across 27 member states as enforcement tightens by autumn.
LinkedIn 360Brew kills engagement pods as saves and depth score replace likes in new AI ranking system
Views down 50%, engagement down 25%, and LinkedIn's new 360Brew AI ranking system now penalises engagement pods and surface-level metrics while rewarding saves (5x more reach than likes) and dwell time, fundamentally breaking the tactics B2B marketers used through 2025.
Reddit completes its performance marketing pivot with dual attribution and AI shopping ads
The platform now offers unified first-party, MMP and SKAN reporting alongside Shopping Listing Ads built around community conversations. For advertisers tracking lower-funnel results, the measurement gap Reddit has struggled with for years just closed.
TikTok launches Article sticker for news publishers on iOS
The platform has quietly rolled out a feature allowing media brands to link written journalism directly from video posts, giving publishers their first dedicated distribution format built specifically for news content.
LinkedIn now tracks out-of-network reach: why B2B marketers finally have the one metric that actually matters
LinkedIn is rolling out a metric that splits post reach into in-network and out-of-network, showing how much of your audience is actually new. For B2B social teams, it's the first time you can tell whether a post broke beyond your existing bubble or just circulated to the same 400 people.
TikTok Shop is now the fourth-largest US beauty retailer, passing Target and Costco at $4.4bn
In just three years, TikTok Shop has taken $4.4bn in US beauty sales and overtaken legacy retailers, growing 107% year-on-year while Amazon beauty grew 24%. For brands still treating it as an awareness channel, the market has already moved: beauty ecommerce in America now runs on affiliate creators, not shelves.
TikTok Pro Events turns the FIFA World Cup into a shopping channel with Stars and merchandise drops
TikTok's standalone event app debuts with collectible cards, live rewards, and in-app merchandise redemption. If it works at the World Cup, every major cultural moment becomes a monetised TikTok spin-off.
Creators take their $250bn industry to Washington as Congress begins to listen
The first Creator Advocacy Day saw 35 creators and industry leaders meet lawmakers to push for healthcare, tax reform, and AI protection as the US creator economy fights for recognition beyond the TikTok dancers stereotype.
Top 1% of creators now take 21% of all brand payments as middle tier gets squeezed
New CreatorIQ data shows payment concentration accelerating faster than anyone predicted. The median campaign fee fell to $3,000 while brand investment jumped 171%, creating the sharpest barbell the creator economy has ever seen.
Twitch opens monetisation globally and rewards subscriber retention over viral spikes
The platform is letting every streamer access subs and Bits from day one while Partner Plus now pays 70/30 to creators who hold recurring audiences, not those chasing gift-bomb hype trains.
YouTube Shorts ditches thumbs down for hearts: what the feedback shift means for creators
YouTube replaced binary like/dislike buttons with a heart icon and granular "Not Interested" controls in early July 2026. The change isn't cosmetic: it's a bet that clearer feedback signals will sharpen the algorithm and tell creators what dislikes never could.
EU to require platforms prove safety by design before allowing under-13s access
Ursula von der Leyen announced July 13 that the EU will pursue phased, age-gated social media rules this autumn, shifting the burden of proof to platforms rather than imposing Australia-style blanket bans. The approach marks a significant regulatory shift for how brands can reach younger European audiences.
TikTok splits inbox into Personal and Professional as creators professionalise
The platform's new two-inbox system gives creators dedicated tools for brand communications and follower management, marking its clearest signal yet that the creator economy is now a business infrastructure play.
Media properties overtake software tools in creator economy M&A for first time
Seventy deals in the first half of 2026 show buyers want audiences, not just infrastructure. The shift points to a fundamental revaluation of what's defensible as AI erodes software moats.
Meta removes off-platform data opt-out: the quiet audience upgrade marketers didn't ask for
Starting July 2026, Meta stopped allowing users to disconnect their off-platform activity from their profiles. The change hands advertisers wider retargeting pools and stronger signal quality without collecting new data, but the real shift is what that activity now powers beyond ads.
FTC finalises $750k TruHeight settlement over fake reviews and false health claims in influencer campaigns
The order bars the supplement brand and its founders from deceptive advertising after the company used fake social profiles, incentivised five-star reviews and made unsubstantiated growth claims targeting children and teenagers.
YouTube rolls out global Trends page for Shorts and comment search as creators become 'the new studios'
The platform repositions creator content as studio-quality programming with new discovery and moderation tools launched globally in July 2026, as CEO Neal Mohan declares the end of dismissing creators as "simply UGC".
EU rejects blanket social media ban, demands platforms prove safety before under-13s can access
Europe is shifting the burden of proof to Meta, TikTok and others: prove your platforms are safe by design, or lose access to children. A legislative proposal expected this autumn will enforce phased access from age 13 and make infinite scroll and autoplay opt-in, not default.
Substack writer numbers doubled to 100,000 earning money, but most make under $500 annually
Monetising publications on Substack nearly doubled from 50,000 to 100,000 in under a year, but new data reveals a stark divide: the median creator earns just $4,000 per year while losing half their paid subscribers every 12 months.
Meta's AI Business Agent is now live globally: what it means for social media teams
Meta rolled out its AI Business Agent to over a million brands on WhatsApp and Instagram DMs in June. The move pushes messaging apps into full commerce and automated support territory, but social media professionals need to understand where it actually works and where it stops.
Instagram's DM share signal now drives 3 to 5 times more reach than likes
The platform has fundamentally rewritten what 'engagement' means. Confirmed by Adam Mosseri in January and still the dominant signal in July 2026, DM shares dictate non-follower reach, forcing brands to rethink every piece of content.
Mid-tier creators earning £50k+ face 40% income swings every month. Brands are finally reacting.
New July 2026 data shows income volatility isn't an anomaly for the middle tier of the creator economy; it's structural. That's driving a decisive shift from campaign bursts to always-on programmes and recurring revenue models.
Instagram Instants turns ephemeral sharing private (and why that's the anti-Reels move)
Instagram launched Instants last month, a disappearing photo feature designed for private, unedited moments. At a time when every other update pushes reach and performance, this is the quiet bet on intimacy over impressions.
TikTok Streaming Ads hands Netflix and Disney+ a direct line from discovery to subscribers
TikTok launched Streaming Ads on 8 July 2026, a Smart+ powered performance format that lets streaming platforms turn the app's cultural influence into measurable subscription growth. It's the first catalog-fuelled ad solution built specifically for entertainment, and it puts TikTok in direct competition with YouTube and Meta for streaming marketing budgets.
Meta embeds its first in-house image generator straight into advertisers' workflows
Muse Image launched on 7 July across Instagram, WhatsApp and Meta AI, putting image generation from Alexandr Wang's Superintelligence Labs inside billions of active accounts and directly into Advantage+ ad tools within weeks.
Patreon forces creators to merge profiles by 6 July, erasing anonymity for thousands of patrons
The platform is mandating all creators combine their creator and fan identities into a single public profile, with automatic merging in August deleting past member activity. The change threatens privacy for adult creators and patrons who kept their support anonymous.
Meta's Muse Image lets anyone remix your public Instagram photos without asking. Here's why that changes the rules
Meta launched Muse Image on 7 July with a feature that turns every public Instagram account into material for AI generation by default. Anyone can @-mention you, pull your photos, and generate new images. You get no notification, and opting out won't remove what's already been made.
Macro creators cost 45% more per engagement than nano creators, new pricing index shows
SociaVault Labs' free 2026 report reframes influencer pricing around value, not headline rate, introducing a cost-per-1,000-authentic-engagements metric that exposes the hidden premium brands pay at scale.
How to turn off AI reuse of your Instagram content
Meta's latest AI update allows public Instagram content to be reused to generate new AI images, unless you opt out. This article explains what the new "Sharing and reuse" setting does, why it matters for creators and brands, and walks you through, step by step, how to turn off AI reuse for your posts and reels while keeping your account public
Reddit renames crosspost to repost and rolls out video comments, signalling shift to visual engagement
Reddit's crosspost feature became 'repost' on June 4, and video comments went live across eligible public communities on June 11. Together, the changes push the text-first platform closer to TikTok's visual engagement model.
TikTok folds entertainment and commerce into one funnel with Mini Dramas and retail ad formats
TikTok has launched Mini Dramas for episodic branded storytelling, promoted through a new TikTok Growth Max automation tool, alongside Logo Takeover and Prime Time ad formats aimed at retailers. The platform is combining serialised content, built-in monetisation, and high-impact placements to keep discovery and purchase inside the app.
Reddit's AI crackdown forces brands to abandon bulk marketing accounts
The platform's upgraded detection system, rolled out on 6 July, is blocking 23 million spam views daily and identifying coordinated account behaviour at scale, ending the era of volume-led Reddit tactics.
Meta's cloud business flips its ad platform into infrastructure play
After spending up to $145 billion building AI infrastructure this year, Meta is planning to sell excess compute to outside customers. The move signals a fundamental shift in how social media marketers should view the company behind Facebook and Instagram.
Google Search Console now tracks Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X as properties
Platform properties, rolling out this week, let marketers measure social traffic from Google Search the same way they've measured websites. It's the clearest signal yet that Google treats social discovery as search, not a side channel.
Instagram puts the teleprompter inside Reels as creators trade off-the-cuff for on script
Meta's moved the teleprompter from its Edits app straight into Instagram's main camera this week, making it easier for creators to record scripted Reels without a second device or paid third-party tool. The shift signals Instagram's push towards polished, one-take content and raises questions about what gets lost when every video is scripted.
TikTok Symphony's July update delivers 50 - 70% faster ad production and reshapes the in-house vs agency content equation
The July 2026 consolidation integrates Dreamina Seedance 2.0, Reference to Video, and expanded Digital Avatars into a single production-to-performance pipeline. With 80%+ of first-pass outputs now usable without manual fixes, advertising teams can compress timelines from weeks to hours, challenging traditional creative resourcing.
UK's under-16 social media ban puts marketing teams on four-month countdown to prove age verification works
The government announced a full ban on social media for under-16s on 15 June, with legislation expected before Christmas and implementation in spring 2027. Ofcom has until October to assess age verification methods, creating immediate compliance pressure for platforms and any brand targeting family audiences.
Instagram's photo comments and grid reordering mark the end of the read-only profile
Two features rolled out in June 2026 turn Instagram from a broadcast platform into a conversational workspace, forcing a rethink of community management workflows and how brands use their own content.
Snapchat's North America users are falling as its £1,600 AR glasses arrive
Snap posted 12% revenue growth in Q1 2026, but daily users in its most lucrative market declined for the second consecutive quarter. Advertisers betting on the platform's AR future need to know whether the audience will still be there when Specs ship this autumn.
Instagram's per-slide carousel captions rewrite the logic of visual storytelling
Brands and creators can now write unique captions for each of Instagram's 20 carousel slides, fundamentally shifting how multi-part narratives, tutorials, and product stories are structured on the platform.
Threads scales Live Chats with translation and co-hosts as it claims real-time ground X doesn't own
Meta expanded Live Chats access to all Community Champions on 30 June, adding built-in translation, up to three co-hosts, and message deletion. It's a text-based real-time format that X Spaces can't match, and Threads says hundreds of chats now run daily.
X's Custom Timelines hand brands a new segmentation problem disguised as control
X Premium users can now pin 75+ Grok-curated topic feeds to their home tab. For brands, that shifts the distribution battlefield from one algorithmic feed to dozens of audience-driven ones they don't control.
Threads hits 500m users, but Your Algo and Communities can't fix the discovery problem brands still face
Meta's text platform reached half a billion monthly users on 16 June and graduated Communities out of beta with a private feed control tool, but the infrastructure for brands to be found, not just followed, remains the weakest part of the proposition.
X launches native desktop livestream studio, cutting third-party software out of creator workflows
The platform's new Live Studio brings scheduling, thumbnails, chat controls and real-time analytics into Creator Studio itself, letting Premium creators broadcast without relying on OBS or Streamlabs and offering $1m in initial creator funding.
Facebook now pays creators up to $3,000 a month to post. Here's what they have to give up.
Meta launched Creator Fast Track in March with guaranteed monthly payments for TikTok and YouTube creators willing to post Reels on Facebook. The move intensifies the platform war for creator loyalty, but it's not about money alone.
Europe's social media age limit race creates enforcement nightmare for platforms
As 23 EU countries push ahead with conflicting under-15 bans, the bloc is hurtling towards a fragmented regulatory crisis before a special panel even delivers its recommendations on 13 July. France's law hangs on a Commission decision by 10 July, while platforms face the impossible task of enforcing 23 different thresholds across one single market.
Facebook's content planner and bulk Reels upload arrive as Meta squares up to third-party schedulers
Creator Studio's new calendar view and batch publishing tools give agencies managing client Pages a native workflow that finally rivals Buffer and Hootsuite. The question is whether it's already too late.
LinkedIn Creator Marketplace turns B2B influencer marketing into a searchable product inside Campaign Manager
Brands can now discover vetted LinkedIn creators by topic and audience inside the platform's advertising tool, while creators monetise through a new tab. The launch turns informal outreach into a managed, revenue-generating system.
Meta's paid subscriptions just made organic reach a pricing decision
Instagram Plus, Facebook Plus and WhatsApp Plus launched globally on 27 May, with creator and business tiers testing now. For the first time, reach and visibility sit behind subscription fees, not just algorithm performance.
Instagram now de-ranks TikTok reposts by up to 3x as AI fingerprinting forces marketers to rebuild cross-platform workflows
Instagram's 2026 algorithm uses AI fingerprinting to detect and suppress recycled content from other platforms, delivering up to 3x less reach for reposts. The shift ends the era of efficient one-video-everywhere strategies and forces a fundamental rethink of how social media marketers distribute content.
YouTube's Top Fans feature gates videos behind engagement, not payment
YouTube is testing a distribution option that restricts videos to the top 1% of a channel's most engaged viewers. Unlike memberships or Patreon, access is determined by watch time and interaction, rewarding attention instead of money.
Instagram's optional AI creator labels won't catch the people trying to deceive you
Rolled out 4 May, Instagram's new account-level AI creator badge is the first of its kind. But it's entirely voluntary, leaving the platform's biggest AI transparency problem completely unaddressed.
TikTok's follower-first algorithm is killing reach for creators with disengaged audiences
Algorithm changes rolled out in early 2026 now test videos on followers before pushing to the For You page, meaning creators with dormant follower bases are seeing reach collapse even when the content is strong.
Pinterest's Ask Pinterest app turns shopping discovery into a conversation. Brands need a new playbook.
Pinterest launched a standalone AI shopping app on 17 June that replaces keyword search with natural-language conversation, powered by its proprietary Taste Graph. For brands on the platform, the question is no longer 'are we findable?' It's 'are we conversational?'
Meta is set to overtake Google in global ad revenue for the first time. Here's what it actually means for social media marketers.
Emarketer projects Meta will pull in $243bn in ad revenue this year versus Google's $239bn, ending Google's unbroken reign at the top of digital advertising. The numbers are a forecast, not yet a result, but the trajectory behind them should reshape how marketers think about where budgets go next.
Social overtook TV as the world's biggest news source. Brand content just got a lot more complicated.
The 2026 Reuters Institute Digital News Report confirms what the trend lines have been promising for years: social and video platforms are now where most people on earth get their news. For social media marketers, that shift isn't just a media industry story. It rewrites the rules of tone, timing, and trust for every brand posting into a news feed.
Heineken's WhatsApp Bot Just Won the Social & Creator Grand Prix. Here's the System Behind It.
At Cannes Lions 2026, Heineken took the industry's top social prize for turning irritating voice notes into free pints. The mechanic is deceptively simple. The strategic logic behind it is one every social team should interrogate.
LinkedIn is testing topic-based suggested feeds at Cannes. B2B social teams should pay attention now.
LinkedIn is piloting a new suggested feeds feature with Cannes Lions attendees this week, surfacing posts by topic rather than by network. Backed by a March 2026 LLM algorithm rebuild, it's the most significant organic reach shift on the platform this year, and the implications for B2B social strategy are immediate.
Pinterest's 'Less URL, More IRL' Manifestival is the sharpest platform positioning play at Cannes 2026
While every other tech company at Cannes Lions is pitching AI tools and attention metrics, Pinterest has built a phones-down, hands-on beach activation that does something far more strategically interesting: it turns the platform's core product tension into a live brand argument. Here's what the mechanism actually is, and why brands should steal it.
Your LinkedIn brand page isn't showing up in AI answers. Your executives might be.
New Meltwater data, published May 2026 and amplified by LinkedIn itself, shows the platform has become the second most-cited source in AI chatbot answers for B2B queries. Three quarters of those citations come from personal profiles. For marketers still pouring resource into company pages, that's a strategy problem.
Cannes Lions 2026 tells the industry: showing your AI workings is now compulsory
The festival has introduced AI Craft subcategories across its craft-led Lions that require entries to prove AI genuinely changed the outcome, not just that it was used. For social teams making the internal case for AI-assisted content, Cannes just handed them the language to do it.
Social Media Marketing Awards 2026: Categories, How to Enter and Key Dates
The UK and Europe's free-to-enter social media marketing awards return on 8 October 2026, on a boat that sails through Tower Bridge. Here are all the categories, who can enter, and how to get your work in before the 11 July deadline.
TikTok's Symphony Agent lands at Cannes: what social ad teams need to decide right now
TikTok has announced Symphony Agent at Cannes Lions 2026: an AI tool that builds TikTok ads alongside advertisers through a chat-led process, turns prompts into video, matches creators to campaigns, and sits across three of the platform's core ad products. It's TikTok's most ambitious attempt yet to fold AI into the whole campaign pipeline, and it forces a real question for every ad team: how much of the creative process do you hand over?
Social Media Industry News Roundup - 22 June
This week in social media industry news: LinkedIn shares new B2B marketing guidance, Instagram expands personalised recommendation controls into the main feed, Pinterest adds Amazon storefront linking, YouTube broadens in-app messaging, Edits rolls out expanded analytics and AI restyle tools, and the UK considers stronger restrictions on teen social media access. Here's what social media marketers need to know.
Cannes Lions 2026: the sessions to see if you work in social media marketing
Cannes Lions runs 22-26 June 2026 with 150+ hours of content and around 500 speakers. If your job touches social, content, community or the creator economy, these are the talks, stages and beach takeovers worth your time.
The Social Media Career Ladder: Why There's No Clear Path, and What Actually Gets You Promoted
Most social media professionals can't see the next rung. Here is what the people climbing the ladder told us about progression, pay, the skills that actually move you up, and AI. Early findings from The Sauce's Social Media Career Ladder survey.
The Social Media Role Is Evolving. Inside a Global B2B Organisation, Here's What It Actually Looks Like.
How social media roles are evolving inside large B2B organisations, from the conductor model to social-first video, based on an interview with AXA XL's Head of External Communications.
Social Media Industry News Roundup - 15 June
This week in social media industry news: Instagram rolls out profile grid rearranging, LinkedIn expands post analytics, Instagram opens Reels post view ads to all advertisers, Meta moves towards deeper off-site personalisation, Snapchat shares new video ad insights, and TikTok announces Community Fest 2026. Here's what social media marketers need to know.
Why the Algorithm Is Making Your Brand Forgettable, and What to Do About It
Tommy co-founder Marcus Foley took the Social Media Fest stage with a question that stings: how much of what you made last week does anyone actually remember? Here is his Anti-Algorithm Formula.
SocialDay Social Media Fest 2026: The Industry Has Grown Up
What Just Happened? The social media marketing industry gathered in Shoreditch on 19 - 20 May, and the two days that followed produced something rare: a sustained, honest conversation about what this work actually is now
How to get your team to start creating content on LinkedIn (without forcing them)
Employee-generated content helps you activate your team's voices and network to support your brand, but how does it practically work? Where do you even start? Here are some tips to consider.
Pinterest wants you to close the app. The campaign that's making a case for inspiration that actually leads somewhere
Pinterest has launched a campaign built around an idea that most social platforms would never say out loud: the best thing an app can do is give you a reason to close it and go and live your life. The rollout began on 1 May across TV, cinema, out-of-home and digital, and Pinterest is positioning it as its most ambitious paid media campaign to date.
Social media job titles: why every door has a different name
Most social media professionals at SocialDay Social Media Fest 2026 carry a job title nobody else in the room shares. Here is what that means for hiring, salary benchmarking, and the case for a social media career ladder.
"I Just Figured It Out Myself" What Social Media Professionals Are Really Telling Us, Early findings from the Social Day Career Survey
We asked social media professionals across the UK and beyond to tell us the truth about their careers: the jumps, the blockers, the things nobody warned them about. What's coming back isn't a tidy picture. It's honest, a little raw, and it's pointing to some patterns the industry needs to take seriously. Here's what we're hearing so far.
The Psychology Behind the Scroll: Theories That Shape Social Media Success
What drives people to stop scrolling and engage with your content? In this post, Luan Wise explores 11 psychology theories that can shape social media success. Drawing on her book with Dr Tom Bowden-Green, Marketing and Understanding Customer Behaviour with the ABC Approach, Luan explains how understanding human behaviour can transform your campaign planning, content creation, and community management. Watch the webinar replay and put the theory into practice.
The Social Media Career Ladder: What We've Learned So Far
I've wanted to do this research for a long time. Social media as a profession has grown from nothing to enormous in about fifteen years, and it's done that without any of the infrastructure that other professions take for granted. No agreed career progression. No standard job titles. No salary benchmarks. What I've heard from six brilliant people so far is too important to sit on.
Nobody Is Teaching Social Media Professionals How Business Actually Works. Here's the Gap.
Ask a room full of social media managers what their biggest skills gap is, and you probably won't hear "content creation." You won't hear "platform knowledge" or "community management" either.
What the best creators & best leaders have in common
The best leaders I've worked with share something with the best creators I've seen build communities online. They put the spotlight on the people around them rather than keeping it on themselves, and they care far more about the growth of others than their own visibility.
Social Media Is Still Being Called "Women's Work." And It's Costing the Whole Industry.
There's a word that keeps coming up when social media professionals talk about how their role is perceived. Not respected. Not valued. Not taken seriously. The word is: girls. Social media girls. Marketing girlies. The person who does the "pretty pink content."
Hollywood faces rising social media scams, account takeovers, and AI-generated hate
Spikerz's Hackademy Awards report reveals how social media has become a major attack surface for Hollywood, driving $600M in annual losses through account takeovers, deepfakes, scams, and online abuse. High-profile cases show how easily trust is exploited, turning fan engagement into fraud and reputational damage.
Will AI Wipe Out the First Rung of the Social Media Career Ladder?
A data-led look at how AI and automation are squeezing entry-level social media roles, what it means for the talent pipeline, and how the industry can redesign the first rung instead of letting it break.
Social Media Marketing Updates: What Changed This Week
Instagram's non-follower push is intensifying, Meta is tweaking Advantage+ ads, LinkedIn has shifted its feed weighting, and TikTok is leaning harder into search-led content. Here's what social media managers need to know this week.
Understanding The Sauce Framework: A Roadmap for Early-Career Social Media Marketers
Early-career social media marketers often struggle to understand how roles evolve in the industry. SocialDay's Framework provides a clear roadmap from entry-level roles to strategic leadership ladder, while highlighting the skills needed to grow in a global and culturally diverse digital landscape.
Is Posting Less The New More? Why Sharing Less is the New Trend
I started posting on LinkedIn every day because everyone says consistency is the key. The engagement was okay, but the content? Honestly, pretty meh. I burned out fast and realized I was posting just to post. So I switched things up: fewer posts, clearer content pillars, and only sharing when I actually had something useful to say. Ironically, that's when things started working better. Turns out, consistency matters, but being remembered for quality matters a lot more.
The ultimate survival kit for a marketing warrior! 🏹
Why read this blog? Because you are a marketing warrior! Oh no jokes apart, marketing can sometimes feel like trying to keep up with a conversation that keeps changing every five minutes. This blog is a quick, honest (and awfully written) look at what's actually changing in marketing and what surprisingly isn't. You just need 3 things to rule the world of MARKETING! 👑
How to build a content strategy aligned with your brand values
A strong content strategy shouldn't just support your brand, it should embody it. When your posts reflect your values, voice, and vision, your content stops feeling like noise and starts building real connection.
From Overstimulated to Cozy: The Cultural Shift Happening on Our Feeds
The internet spent years chasing louder, faster, and more stimulating content. But a quieter trend is emerging. From journaling videos to cozy morning routines, audiences are gravitating toward slower, more human content. This shift toward "cozy aesthetics" reflects a deeper cultural response to digital fatigue and offers a powerful lesson for brands competing for attention.
From Social Media Manager to CMO: The Career Moves Nobody Talks About
At SocialDay, we are building the definitive Social Media Career Ladder, a research-backed framework that maps what progression actually looks like at every level. We have already started talking to some of the most experienced people in the industry, and some things are coming through clearly, even this early.
B2B Marketing Isn't Boring. Most Brands Just Haven't Learned How to Make It Interesting.
B2B marketing isn't boring. Most brands just haven't learned how to make it interesting. Behind every screen is still a human: scrolling, laughing at memes, and ignoring anything that sounds like software documentation. In this piece, I break down how I turn "boring" product updates into content people actually want to engage with.
The Social Media Salary & Trend Report 2026: What the Data Really Tells Us
SocialDay's Social Media Salary & Trend Report 2026 reveals what UK social media professionals are really earning, managing and experiencing. Data from 100 industry professionals across in-house, agency and freelance roles.
The Hidden Cost of Social: What Metricool's 2026 Well‑Being Report Means for Your Career
Metricool asked more than 900 social media professionals how they are really doing in 2026. The answers are a snapshot of burnout, blurred roles and stalled progression, and a starting point for fixing how social careers work.
How Social Media Became Women's Work
Social media is one of the few parts of marketing where women are everywhere, from the person posting daily to the CMO signing off the budget. At the same time, social and community roles are still underpaid, emotionally heavy and often treated as support work rather than strategic leadership. For International Women's Day, this piece looks at how social media became women's work.
For the social media people who can't look away this week
When people say "log off, stop watching the news, take a break from social," it never seems to include the social media people, does it. Everyone else is told to close the apps for their own sanity, and you are still expected to be in the comments, in the inbox, watching the feed so your brand does not miss anything or post something tone‑deaf.
Social Media Industry News Roundup: The Biggest Platform Updates This Week
This week in social media industry news: YouTube outlines its 2026 strategy, Meta strengthens its AI infrastructure with NVIDIA and AMD, TikTok reveals its Discover List creators, LinkedIn highlights the fastest-growing marketing skills, and new data shows TikTok brand growth rising as Instagram organic reach slows. Here's what social media marketers need to know.
Should social media marketers be building personal brands?
Some people just want to do their job properly, look after the brands they are paid to look after, close the laptop and not have to think about filming a "day in the life" to prove they are real and committed to marketing. Both camps exist, and both are valid, but the way the industry talks about "personal branding" makes it sound like homework, and if you are not doing it you are somehow less serious about your career.
The Content You're Not Posting Is the Content That's Costing You
Most of us in this industry could write a whole strategy deck on the importance of showing up consistently online, and yet somehow our own content is the thing that keeps getting pushed to tomorrow. It's begs the question as to why content paralysis isn't really about ideas or time, it's about the mindset we bring to creating, and what shifts when you finally stop waiting for the perfect moment to post.
How To Prove Social Media ROI (Without Turning Into A Full‑Time Analyst)
Proving social media ROI does not mean you need to become a data scientist or spend your life buried in spreadsheets. It means you need a clear, repeatable way to connect what you do on social to the decisions your stakeholders are trying to make, using numbers they recognise and language they already use elsewhere in the business.
Boundaries For Social Media Roles: What Good Looks Like At Each Level
Most social media roles are sold as "own the socials", which sounds tidy on a job description but, in reality, often translates into being on call, being in every inbox, being in every meeting and feeling like you have to say yes to anything that might, even loosely, touch a platform. The gap between the neat line in the JD and the mess of the day to day is where a lot of people in social start to feel tired, stressed and worried about how long they can actually keep doing this work.
Social Media Career Opportunities: How To Use The Career Ladder To Plan Your Next Move
When people talk about "social media career opportunities", they often picture a very small set of roles. Coordinator. Manager. Maybe head of social if the company is feeling bold. The reality in 2026 is much broader than that, but from the inside it can still feel like you are on one long, chaotic rung called "doing everything for socials".
Talk About Your Social Media Role So People Take it Seriously
Most people still think social media means posting and replying. You know it is planning, insight, brand, customers, crisis, and reporting. The problem is that the language people most often use to describe social work hides that reality. This piece is about giving you language that reflects the actual weight of your role so colleagues, hiring managers and leaders can see the real scope of what you do.
The Unwritten Rules Of Social Media Career Progression
Social media careers get confusing around the three to five year mark. Your craft is strong, but progression feels vague and other people seem to know "how it works" in a way you do not. In this article, Lucy Hall shares the unwritten rules of social media career progression, from politics and visibility to sideways moves and getting closer to money and decision making, using the Social Media Career Ladder as a guide.
No, Social Media Managers Are Not Automatically The Next CMOs
Social media managers touch almost every part of the marketing funnel, but that does not mean they are automatically the next CMOs. In this article, Lucy Hall uses the Social Media Career Ladder to unpack the real gap between practitioner and leadership, the extra skills needed to move beyond "running social" and why organisations must change how they think about social careers if they want senior talent to stay.
Creating Excitement, Momentum and UGC: How We Design Experiences People Want To Share
Events do not start when people arrive or end when they leave. In this article, Lucy Hall pulls back the curtain on how SocialDay designs Social Media Fest as an experience, not just a conference, using a simple "before, during, after" framework to create excitement, momentum and UGC that turns everyday attendees into storytellers.
The Complete Legal Setup for Influencers: A Practical Guide
Influencing is a business, so you need a basic legal setup. This checklist covers the essentials: the right entity, core contracts, IP protection, disclosures, taxes, and the risks creators get sued for.
AI Will Not Steal Your Social Media Job. But These Skills Will Decide Who Thrives
An in depth guide for social media marketers worried about AI and their careers. It plugs into the Social Media Career Ladder framework and shows how AI changes the skills needed at each level, from entry to head of social. Skills are grouped into three buckets craft, commercial and meta and the article explains which tasks AI can support and which always need human judgment. Ideal for in house, agency and freelance social pros who want to stay relevant and move up without burning out.
From CV Graveyard to Creator Playground: LinkedIn's Identity Shift
LinkedIn didn't suddenly become "cool", work itself changed, and the platform evolved with it. As careers became less linear and more visible, professionals started sharing real experiences: pivots, growth, doubt, and lessons in motion. That human layer transformed LinkedIn from a digital CV into a space for professional identity, voice, and influence.
The Influencer Contract Checklist: Avoid Red Flags In Brand Agreements
A "standard" influencer contract can still hide terms that shift risk onto you. Here's a quick checklist of the clauses that matter most: scope, approvals, usage rights, payment, and more. So, you don't sign away time, money, or control.
Why LinkedIn Articles Just Got More Important
LinkedIn Articles are quietly becoming one of the most powerful ways to build credibility. They help your ideas travel further, grow a loyal subscriber base, and shape how AI systems understand who you are and what you stand for. In 2026, reputation is built through clear thinking, consistently shared.
The Social Media Career Ladder (Part 2): How You Actually Move Up
The first version of the Social Media Career Ladder laid out the rungs: entry level, exec/manager, senior, head of social and beyond. This follow‑up is about what really gets you from one rung to the next, the skills, behaviours and mindset shifts that don't fit neatly in a job description.
What can social media glean from the treatonomics phenomenon?
Kantar's new research into the rise of "treatonomics" captures something important: people are trading big, distant milestones for small, immediate pleasures. At the same time, social media has transformed from somewhere to connect, gather news and shop, into an entertainment ecosystem where people go to escape, laugh, and feel seen. This piece explores the symbiotic relationship between these two phenomenons and shares top tips for how brands can leverage this consumer mindset on social.
The Best Social Media Marketing Resources: The Best Tools and Platforms for Social Media Marketers
We've pulled together social media marketing resources that are actually useful when you already know the basics. It focuses on blogs, content and platforms that publish insight, analysis and thinking grounded in real social media roles, not recycled tips or platform fluff.
Social Media Manager 2016 vs 2026: How the Role Changed and Why It's Now an Industry
Social media managers in 2016 focused on publishing, scheduling and basic engagement across a small number of platforms, while in 2026 the role involves cultural judgement, risk management, platform expertise and public reputation handling, reflecting how social media has become embedded in business operations rather than treated as a marketing add on.
Selling ideas has become part of the job, whether social media marketers like it or not
This piece explores how social media roles have evolved into commercial ones, why buy-in is now a core skill, and how the ability to sell ideas internally has become directly linked to career progression, influence and pay.
Emily in Paris vs reality: What the show gets wrong about being a social media professional
Shows like Emily in Paris shape how people think work should feel. They influence expectations of what certain roles look like, how easy they appear, how fun they are assumed to be and how much value they are believed to create. Social media marketing has probably been one of the most misunderstood roles because of this, because what is shown on screen is the outcome, not the responsibility that sits behind it.
Burnout in Social Media Jobs: Why It's Rising and What Actually Helps
Social media burnout isn't a personal weakness, it's a predictable outcome of always-on work, public pressure and role overload. Here's what the research says, and what helps in real life.
The Convergence of Social Media Marketing and the Creator Economy and What It Means for Brands and Marketers in 2026
Social media marketing and the creator economy are now structurally linked, shaped by the same platforms, audiences and algorithms. For brands and marketers, this means moving beyond campaign-led thinking to long-term creator partnerships, more human brand content and measuring influence, not just reach. For creators, it requires professionalisation and marketing literacy. In tighter UK and US markets, mastering this intersection is essential for growth in 2026.
Social Media Moved Into the P&L. The Pay Never Did.
Social roles now cover strategy, production, paid media, CRM, and governance, yet are still priced like channel management. This is what happens when social becomes commercial infrastructure and compensation stays behind.
The Social Media Career Ladder (2026): Roles, Progression and What Comes Next
Social Media Career Ladder Definition (2026) The Social Media Career Ladder in 2026 describes the typical progression of roles for social media professionals, from entry-level execution roles through to senior leadership and specialist positions. It reflects how responsibility, decision-making and influence increase at each stage, rather than focusing only on job titles. This framework is based on real industry practice across the UK and US social media markets.
What Does a Social Media Manager Actually Do in 2026?
A Social Media Manager in 2026 is a strategic professional responsible for planning, executing and optimising a brand's presence on social platforms, combining content direction, community insight, performance analysis and cross-team influence to drive brand and business outcomes.
SocialDay Launches the Social Media Marketing Awards USA
SocialDay has officially launched the Social Media Marketing Awards USA, a new awards programme recognising excellence in social media marketing across agencies, in-house teams, brands and individuals. The awards are free to enter, globally open, and focused on one thing only: recognising work that delivers real business impact through social media.
The 5 Biggest Algorithm Shifts and What Social Media Pros Need to Do Now (UK & Global)
Social media platforms rarely announce changes in one clear place. Features roll out quietly, tests appear without warning, and behaviour often shifts before anyone officially explains why. This update summarises the most significant algorithm and behaviour changes across social media right now and explains what they mean in practice for social media professionals.
The 11 Most Underrated Features In Social Platforms Right Now
Most social teams use only a small part of what the platforms can actually do. New features appear all the time but the ones that make the biggest difference are usually the quiet ones. These underrated social platform features can help you grow faster with less effort and they are simple to master.
Social Media Industry Resources (UK & Global)
If you work in social media, staying up to date is part of the job. Platforms change weekly, sometimes daily. Features roll out quietly, algorithms shift without warning, and trends move faster than any one person can track alone.
2026 influencer marketing trends
As we head into 2026, influencer marketing is evolving beyond visibility. Audiences are more selective, platforms are blending content and commerce, and influence is being redefined around trust, relevance and long term relationships.
the key to success in influencer marketing is BORING 🥱
it's rinsing and repeating, doubling down, milking it dry I pulled 80 videos from HelloFresh - a mix of IG and TikTok influencer ads - and ran them through Aggero to see not just what works, but, more importantly, what doesn't.
10 most common paid social mistakes holding brands back
Brands keep tripping over the same paid-social pitfalls - from unclear objectives to weak tracking and rushed optimisation. These ten fixable mistakes drain performance, but turning them around unlocks smarter strategy, better creative, and sustainable growth.
10 myths about being a thought leader
Thought leadership isn't about being a know-it-all or chasing viral fame. It's about sharing your ideas, asking intentional questions, and keeping it real. Post with value, show your human side, and remember, progress > perfection every time!
Personal Branding in Tech: Why Visibility Matters More Than Ever
Many brilliant tech professionals stay invisible because they hesitate to share their work. Personal branding isn't self-promotion, it's clarity, confidence and career growth. Here's how technical teams can build visibility that feels authentic and sustainable.
The Rise of Regional Influencers: Why Local Voices Matter in Global Marketing
When we talk about influencer marketing, it's easy to picture the BIG names. Those with millions of followers, perfectly curated feeds and the power to boost your sales with a single post. And, while that's very nice (and unreachable for marketers with small budgets), there's a reality we don't talk about: in many regions, local influencers have more sway than global celebrities.
The Top Social Media Campaigns of 2025
2025 was the year social campaigns went cinematic. Brands didn't just post - they told stories, built anticipation, and created worlds people actually wanted to step into. Here are seven campaigns that we think nailed it - and what we can take away from each.
Finalist for Social Media Campaign Excellence: Harrows 9 Dart Challenge
The Harrows 9 Dart Challenge - Alchemy Sports Media (part of Alchemy Creations) - was a finalist in the Social Media Campaign Excellence award category at the Social Media Marketing Awards 2025.
Finalist for Integrated Social Media Campaign of the Year: Spot The Signs. Stop The Crime. #EndExploitation
Naturally Social's campaign: Spot The Signs. Stop The Crime. #EndExploitation, was one of the finalists in the Integrated Social Media Campaign of the Year category at the Social Media Marketing Awards 2025.
Finalist for Small Business Social Media Campaign of the Year: Yakinori to Birmingham
SHC Digital's campaign for relaunching Yakinori to Birmingham was one of the finalists in the Small Business Social Media Campaign of the Year category at the Social Media Marketing Awards 2025.
Finalist for B2C Influencer Collaboration Campaign of the Year: Tuscany Influencer Trip
Tuscany Influencer Trip, the campaign led by Not In The Guidebooks, was a finalist in the B2C Influencer Collaboration Campaign category at the Social Media Marketing Awards 2025.
Finalist for Social Media Campaign of the Year in Travel, Leisure, or Tourism: Carousel & Buxton Crescent
Carousel's 'Reinvigorating spa stay bookings for Buxton Crescent' campaign was a finalist in the Social Media Campaign of the Year in Travel, Leisure, or Tourism category at the Social Media Marketing Awards 2025.
Finalist for Social Media Campaign of the Year in Public Sector or Government: Fire Safety Dance
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue's Fire Safety Dance campaign was the overall winner in the Social Media Campaign of the Year in Public Sector or Government category at the Social Media Marketing Awards 2025.
Finalist for Social Media Initiative for Good and B2B Social Media Campaign: Biffa
Biffa had two campaigns as worthy finalists. The What iff campaign was one of the finalists in the B2B Social Media Campaign of the Year category, and Change Makers was the overall winner of the Social Media Initiative for Good award at the Social Media Marketing Awards 2025.
The End of Guesswork: How Organic Growth is Being Reclaimed by Smart Data
Organic social media isn't dead - it's evolved. As algorithms shift and paid media costs rise, smaller teams are using hidden data within their content to reclaim organic growth. Inge Hunter, Founder at Clue.Labs, details how smarter data, pattern recognition, and purposeful content can drive consistent, scalable results without the need for a big budget.
How Social Media Marketers Must Navigate Online Rage Baiting
This article dives into the controversy sparked by American Eagle's "Great Jeans" campaign and why it's a cautionary tale for marketers. Asad Dhunna, CEO of The Unmistakeables, tells us why, in today's world, getting attention isn't enough - brands must be culturally aware and inclusive to avoid alienating audiences.
What Brands Can Learn from Emerging Creators: Learning From the Underdogs
Influence and impact can no longer be clearly understood by follower count, but about consistency, authenticity, and community. Aissetou Griffin, Senior Creative Strategist at UEG tells us why brands should focus on co-creating content with emerging creators who build loyal, niche audiences and value real connections over viral trends.
UGC vs EGC: What's Really Driving Results in 2025?
Discover how User Generated Content (UGC) and Employee Generated Content (EGC) are transforming marketing strategies and driving real results. In this article, we'll explore how brands are tapping into the authentic voices of their communities and teams, and share success stories from companies already seeing the impact.
Social Media Fest 2025 Day Three - The Summary
The sessions at day three of Social Media Fest proved that clear purpose plus smart, inclusive creativity - whether via weather GIFs, bold safety stunts, fit-first influencers or accessible design - lets evert team, of any size or budget, drive real-world impact.
Social Media Fest 2025 Day Two - The Summary
Day two of Social Media Fest delivered another round of high-impact insights - from the power of authenticity and long-form content to smarter ways to prove ROI in influencer marketing. Speakers challenged myths, shared creative strategies, and explored how brands can thrive in a constantly shifting digital landscape.
Social Media Fest 2025 Day One - The Summary
At this year's Social Media Fest, industry leaders shared valuable insights into the ever-evolving landscape of social media marketing. From platform trends to data-backed strategies, here's a quick summary of day one's presentation. Stay tuned for more jam-packed articles where we get deeper into the insights, plus summaries of day two and three.
The Rise of Social Search: How Brands Can Adapt and Win
Social media is now a go-to search tool, especially for Gen Z. Isabel Romero, CMO, Metricool, explains that to stay visible, brands must create authentic, keyword-rich content in engaging formats, backed by data and social SEO strategy.
How Meta-Skills Are The Superpower For Social Media Success
Tools change. Trends fade. But meta-skills? They will be your superpower. Daniel Rae, Social Media Consultant, teaches us the mindset moves every social media pro needs to stay sharp, creative, and unstoppable.
Why Creativity Is Crucial in Public Sector Communications
Zander Mills, Corporate Communications Manager, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, told us why he wants to encourage brands and organisations - especially in the public sector - to move beyond dull, uninspired messaging and embrace creativity to achieve meaningful results.
The Rule Of No Rules: A Framework For Distinctiveness
Ahead of SocialDay's Social Media Fest 2025, our immersive social media and influencer marketing festival, we're excited to share a new report in collaboration with Marcus Foley, Co-Founder of Tommy; The Rule of No Rules: A Framework for Distinctiveness.
How To Sell Through Social Media Without Taking Yourself Too Seriously
In today's world, audiences crave authenticity, not ads. What happens when you ditch the traditional marketing playbook in favour of something more real, more ridiculous, and way more fun? Jonathan Taylor, Senior Sales & Marketing Manager, Phantom Peak, tells us why he loves to use humour, live experiences, and community-driven content.
What's New (and What's Next) in Social Media
Luan Wise, Consultant, and Andy Lambert, Adobe, have been co-hosting monthly social media update webinars for over four years - helping marketers stay up-to-date with the latest platform changes and industry trends. We're excited to bring their dynamic double-act to the Social Media Fest stage delivering their insights in person. Ahead of their opening keynote, we caught up with them to find out what's on their radar - and why you won't want to miss their session.
How Can Charity Comms Connect With Younger Audiences?
Charities are rethinking how they show up online. By sharing authentic, human experiences, they're driving deeper engagement and lasting impact. Tom Fishenden, Freelance Charity Communications Consultant, explores charity communications and how good causes can be championed through creative approaches.
AI Isn't The Enemy - It's Our Ally In Social Media Marketing (But Let's Use It Wisely)
AI is changing social media marketing by making tasks faster and easier, but humans are still critical for keeping the brand voice and emotional connection strong. James Armstrong, Creative Director, Social Firefly dives into the world of AI and what he thinks the best approach is for AI in social media marketing.
How Does An Influencer Influence Effectively?
Authentic: To be, or not to be, that is the question. Alex Payne, CEO & Co-Founder, The Influence Room, joined us for a Q&A to describe how influencer marketing is shifting towards authenticity and long-term partnerships, and why brands must move away from treating creators like media slots and focus on building genuine connections.
Struggling To Make Paid Social Perform? Here's What's Working In 2025...
Paid social advertising is evolving quickly. Success in 2025 requires balancing automation, mastering platform mechanics, and focusing on creative testing and quality data. Jon Quinton, Founder, Overdrive Digital previews key insights he will be sharing at SocialDay's Social Media Fest, backed by real-world examples from Overdrive Digital.
TikTok: Entertainment Evolution
The concept of entertainment has transformed dramatically over the centuries. From the fireside stories of ancient civilisations to the digital screens we carry in our pockets today, the way we consume and interact with entertainment is unrecognisable from even a decade ago. Nowhere is this transformation more evident than on TikTok, the platform that has rapidly redefined what entertainment means in the digital age.