Hello marketers!! Today’s issue is a fun one: how 2026 content strategy is changing, why influencer trust is becoming the real conversion engine, and why experiential rewards consistently outperform freebies. Plus, we’ve got insights on evolving as a performance marketer, how to segment traffic when numbers dip, and TikTok’s newest features.

Dive in, learn something new, and explore the rest of today’s stories below…

TikTok is rolling out Shared Collections, Shared Feed, and in-app Greeting Cards to help friends and families discover and save content together. Users can now co-organize saved videos, receive a daily shared feed of 15 tailored recommendations, and send animated holiday cards through DMs. Why it matters (POV): Shared Feeds and Collections mean content isn’t just consumed individually, it's co-curated, turning private chats into a new conversion surface. 

We can’t rely on late signals like product views or add to carts anymore. Predictive marketing uses full-stack AI to detect early intent-category revisits, rising engagement, emotional cues, and act before shoppers consciously show interest. This lets brands influence decisions at the moment curiosity begins, not after it’s too late. Why it matters (POV): Growth changes from reacting to shaping demand. Brands using predictive systems may be able to convert earlier and cheaper.

AI systems like ChatGPT and others are taking over the early discovery phase of search. Users now rely on generative answers instead of visiting websites, shifting influence from traditional SEO to AI citations, mentions, and structured visibility signals. BOFU pages still perform, but TOFU visibility is becoming the real driver of future conversions. Why it matters (POV): Your brand won’t easily succeed because of rankings alone; you’ll do because AI models recognize and reference you during early research. If you’re not cited in generative answers, you could disappear from the consideration phase.

First, start by ruling out tracking issues (analytics vs. GSC mismatches), brand vs. non-brand shifts, seasonality, industry demand changes, and paid search cannibalization. Once the foundations are solid, break performance down by URL, query, intent, device, search appearance, search type, and geography to isolate where the decline actually lives and whether it affects revenue at all. Why it matters (POV): Traffic drops often look catastrophic at the top level, but once you segment, the “decline” frequently reveals itself as brand pullback or SERP feature changes.

4 takeaways we must adapt to: (1) Over half of deliberate shoppers now research more, compare more, and use Google/YouTube in 86% of journeys. (2) The new “value equation”, right price (Competitive), product confidence (Methodical + Humanistic), and convenience (Spontaneous), each tied directly to how different buyers think. (3) AI ecosystems reinforcing these modalities through AI Overviews, creator-led content, structured data, and dynamic relevance. (4) A strategic change toward cognitive fit, meaning emails must speak to all 4 modalities at once through clarity, trust signals, optional depth, and frictionless paths. Why it matters (POV): Your email performance now depends more on psychological alignment. AI is amplifying cognitive behavior across the entire journey,  meaning brands that design for how different people think will outperform those still optimizing for channels alone.

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Influencer trust is not working because most brands still optimize for reach instead of authenticity. Research shows that real authenticity is co-created and depends on 5 dimensions: (1) Expertise - credibility built through consistent, lived experience. (2) Connectedness - two-way interaction and community, not vanity metrics. (3) Integrity - values-aligned decisions and transparent motives that put the audience’s interests first. (4) Originality - creative freedom and a distinct narrative voice, not scripted brand control. (5) Transparency - honest disclosures, real-world nuance, and acknowledging imperfections. Why it matters (POV): Campaigns built on these 5 dimensions don’t just “look authentic”,  they convert better, scale longer, and create brand affinity.

The US makes up only 10% of TikTok users but drives a massive 41% of global ad revenue. It proves that the US TikTok audience monetizes far more efficiently than expected. With 83% of weekly US TikTok users taking action after seeing an ad and adoption skyrocketing among users 45+, the platform is no longer a Gen Z playground. Why it matters (POV): The data shuts down any debate about TikTok’s place in the US media mix and the myth that TikTok is not as converting or that the users have low purchasing power.

Google denied reports that it plans to introduce ads inside the Gemini app in 2026, calling the claims inaccurate, though it didn’t rule out future monetization. At the same time, Google and OpenAI continue testing ad-like features across their AI surfaces. Why it matters (POV): I personally think that we can expect search ads to expand into AI assistants at some point, meaning new inventory, new competition, and a coming shift in how SEO and SEM work.

Operation Bluebird is asking the USPTO to cancel X Corp’s rights to “Twitter” and “tweet,” arguing Musk abandoned the marks after the rebrand. Whether X can prove continued use will depend on its USPTO maintenance filings. Meanwhile, search behavior still heavily favors “Twitter,” allowing marketers to capture residual intent by bidding on legacy keywords. Why it matters (POV): If users still search “Twitter,” we can get cheap, high-intent traffic while competitors wait for the rebrand to catch up. Legacy keywords become a temporary growth lever, especially if sentiment around “X” continues not to stick in people’s minds.

TLDR: Free experiences drive up to 4× higher uptake than free physical rewards and significantly boost spending, loyalty, and word of mouth.

Consumers naturally assign more identity, happiness, and “story value” to experiences than objects. Offering experiential rewards makes people spend more to earn them (+43%), spend more afterward (+63%), and recommend brands more often. Even framing a physical item as an experience (e.g., “Italian café mornings” vs. “free coffee machine”) increases conversions. This works because “free” removes risk, and experiences feel personally meaningful - a psychological combo that compounds in loyalty programs and upgrade feels.

How to Implement: Use free experiences as your primary incentive: workshops, behind-the-scenes of your production, community activities, and so on. If you must use physical rewards, frame them experientially. Add social tasks (“redeem with a friend”) to increase redemption likelihood.

Here are 2 examples from me:

Pros: Higher willingness to pay, stronger loyalty, more word of mouth.
Cons: Requires operational effort, weak if the experience isn’t genuinely valuable.

2 years ago, I worked with a D2C protein bar brand where we boosted customer LTV by introducing a “habit loop.” Instead of pushing downsell discounts, we built a 28-day challenge inside email where customers logged their daily protein intake and unlocked tailored product bundles based on their progress. People don’t stay for the product; they stay for the routine. Result: Once we tied our product to their daily ritual, repeat purchase rates jumped without touching promos.

— Sam C.