Today's Guide to the Marketing Jungle from Social Media Examiner...
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The weekend is almost here, Pz! Here’s a recap of the most important insights, trends, and updates from the week. Catch up in minutes and go into next week prepared.
In today’s edition:
10 types of customer stories to use in case studies
5 overlooked AI skills
4-step framework to launch and grow a YouTube channel
Making AI image and video reference assets
🗞️ Industry news from Instagram, LinkedIn, Anthropic, and more
Strategic Case Studies That Drive Sales
Most companies skip strategic planning for customer stories entirely. The strategic work comes down to three questions.
First, what business metrics or impacts need to move in the next 90 days? Second, who needs to be influenced to move those metrics? Third, what angle or message do those people need to hear to take action?
Joel points out that one customer story can be repositioned for evaluators, purchasers, and end users, each with different selection criteria and priorities.There are at least 10 distinct story types, each suited to different business goals.
- Switcher Stories feature customers who left a competitor. These are effective for capturing market share.
- Upgrader Stories showcase existing customers who chose a premium option or deepened their involvement.
- Disambiguator Stories position a product or service for a new market. Joel cites an industrial air-cleaning company that sold into manufacturing plants. When COVID hit, the company realized its technology could serve gyms, but the story had to be told with completely different language and framing to land with that audience.
- Buying Board Stories address multiple stakeholders who all need to approve a purchase, weaving each perspective into one narrative.
- Playbook Stories show customers how to implement and get results, functioning like a recipe. Joel notes that Mutiny executed this format well, putting customers in the spotlight and showing readers how to replicate their approach step by step, including a "what you need" section that naturally led into the product.
- Skeptic Stories showcase a decision made under scrutiny, addressing doubt head-on.
- Implementation Stories focus on the process of getting live. For companies with long selling cycles and heavy upfront investment, just launching on time and within budget is a success story worth telling.
- Problem-Solver Stories reverse a negative trend, documenting how a customer fixed something with the company's help.
- Subset Stories isolate one specific feature or program. Joel describes a company called Decebo that spent an entire year telling stories about new features of their existing product to reduce churn among current customers.
- Profile Stories center on who chooses the company, not what the company does. Joel points to HubSpot's entrepreneur profiles, where the story is almost entirely about the featured person's journey with only a subtle thread of HubSpot woven through.
This tip was shared by Joel Klettke at Social Media Marketing World. Get access to the full presentations now, with a post-conference Virtual Ticket.
Still Buried in AI Busywork?
Most marketers are using AI to get tasks done faster. The ones pulling ahead are building systems that support their work — freeing them up to focus on the thinking, strategy, and decisions only they can make.
The AI Business Society gives you the training and community to get there — one practical win at a time.
Show me what's inside!
5 Non-Technical Skills to Improve Your AI Results
The AI tools you use evolve every month. New AI tools can be added to your workflow at any time. That’s a lot of change. But here's something that doesn't change: Using these tools doesn’t require becoming a technical expert. It requires treating AI the way you'd treat any new hire: with clear direction, the right structure, and the patience to course correct.
Here are the five soft skills that make you good at using any AI:
- Clear Communication: Every AI tool, no matter how advanced, performs based on what you tell it. The clearer your context and constraints, the better your output. This is the foundation everything else builds on.
- Systems Thinking: Once you start using projects, custom assistants, or automations, you're no longer giving one-off instructions. You're setting up standard operating procedures, the same way you'd onboard a new team member. Organization here pays off later.
- Patience and Troubleshooting: AI rarely gets it right the first time, especially as your workflows get more complex. The skill isn't avoiding mistakes, it's staying calm enough to diagnose what went wrong and try again.
- Attention to Detail and Risk Awareness: As you connect more tools together, especially when automations run without you watching, you need an eye for where something could fall through the cracks and where you should add guardrails before letting AI act on its own.
- Willingness to Experiment: You don't need to master a tool before you try it. Get it in front of you and start playing. That's how most real progress happens.
Want to know exactly where you land on the AI skill spectrum? We mapped out all 9 levels of AI proficiency, plus the tools that fit each one, in our recent session replay, available instantly when you join the AI Business Society.
How to Grow and Monetize a YouTube Channel (Even If You're Starting Late)
The most common mistake Ty Myers sees from marketers and creators at every level is approaching video production in the wrong order: scripting and filming first, then figuring out the title and thumbnail after the fact.
Topic, title, and thumbnail together account for 80% of a video's success. Filming a mediocre video with a well-researched topic, a sharp title, and a strong thumbnail will outperform a polished video nobody clicks on.
The time allocation Ty recommends reflects this. Of the 10 hours a week you have for YouTube, 6 of those hours should go to pre-production: researching what's working on the platform, testing title variations, sketching thumbnail concepts, and evaluating whether a topic is worth pursuing before investing 15 hours in scripting, filming, and editing.
Identify Topics That Will Perform
Pre-production starts with the avatar and works backward. If a channel helps other YouTubers improve their content, a creator might identify audio quality as a common problem and frame a video idea around "how to improve audio quality in a YouTube video." That framing then gets pressure-tested before any recording happens.
The first tool Ty uses for this validation is VidIQ, a free YouTube growth tool with keyword research functionality.
Entering a topic idea into VidIQ surfaces monthly search volume and helps identify which phrasings of the same concept actually have an audience. Long-tail versions of a phrase may not yield useful data, so the goal is to iterate until landing on phrasing that people are genuinely searching for.
The next step is to run the same search directly on YouTube and analyze the results. With the vidIQ browser extension installed, creators can see not just which videos exist on a topic, but which ones dramatically outperformed the channel average in terms of views.
The key signals to look for are recency (if the strongest results are all from several years ago, the topic may have had its moment) and view trajectory (vidIQ shows whether a video has maintained steady growth over time or just had an initial spike that flatlined). A topic supported by recent videos with sustained view growth signals persistent audience interest—the kind worth building content around.
Pro Tip: YouTube's autocomplete feature is another research signal. Each suggestion that appears while typing in the search bar represents a phrase people are actively searching. Letting autocomplete populate results can reveal how audiences naturally phrase questions about a topic. This is useful for finding titles that match actual search intent.
Emulate High-Performing Videos Without Copying Them
Once you identify an outlier video, the question becomes how to make something similar without just replicating it. There’s a clear line between emulation and plagiarism. Emulation means reverse-engineering what made a high-performing video work—the script structure, the title format, the thumbnail approach—and then filling it with your own stories, experience, perspective, and analogies.
Ty does this on his own channel. When he finds a video that performed well in his niche from a year or two ago, he asks whether he can make a similar video from his own experience. If yes, he borrows the structural framework, adapts the title, and designs a comparable thumbnail, but the content is entirely his own.
Kevin, who runs the Ask PawPaw YouTube channel, came to Ty making content about budgeting, HSAs, and investment vehicles for people nearing retirement. Those videos weren't gaining traction.
Through outlier research, Ty noticed that videos about tiny homes, specifically shed conversions, were drawing hundreds of thousands of views from a creator who was simply walking around the shed display at a Lowe's parking lot and filming himself. Ty advised Kevin to do the same: go to a local lot, record what he was seeing, talk about square footage and pricing, and ask whether it could work for him.
The format clicked. Kevin eventually pivoted his entire channel to talking about tiny home shed conversions and helping viewers find land to put them on—a niche with clear, measurable audience demand.
Other Topics Discussed:
- Why It’s Not Too Late to Start a YouTube Channel to Market Your Business
- Four Initial Steps to Get Started on YouTube
- How to End YouTube Videos to Drive Session Duration
- Recommendations for Video Recording Equipment and Setup
Want to Learn More?
Today's advice is provided with insights from Ty Myers, a featured guest on the Social Media Marketing Podcast.
Building Powerful AI Image and Video Workflows for Marketers
Consistent AI output requires significant preparation before writing the first prompt. That preparation falls into two categories: product reference assets and human reference assets.
Creating Product Reference Assets
For product images, professional photography isn't required. The model needs enough information to understand the product's form; it doesn't need studio lighting or a high-resolution file to work from.
Jerrod's starting prompt is straightforward:
Please create a product sheet for my product. Use the attached images to create a sheet with multiple angles.
Along with the images, he includes everything the model needs to know about the product—what it is, who it's for, and the product name if it has one.
The model generates a single composite image showing the product across multiple angles and use cases. That sheet then functions as a style guide for everything that follows: any generation done in the same chat session uses it as a reference, and the visual consistency carries through.
For resolution needs, ChatGPT Images generates at 2K, which is sufficient as a working reference. It can be upscaled to 4K within Magnific. Reformatting from 16:9 to vertical aspect ratios can be done directly within ChatGPT Images—the model redesigns the composition for the new dimensions rather than simply cropping it.
Creating Character Sheets for Human Likenesses
Human likeness requires more reference material than products because people have more visual nuance: expressions, angle-specific features, and subtleties in how they look that aren't always obvious even to themselves. Jerrod recommends collecting as many shots as possible—front-facing, profile, and back-of-head—using a phone camera.
Expressions matter specifically. The model needs reference images for the range of expressions it will be asked to reproduce: smiling with visible teeth (important for mouth recognition), determined, shocked, curious, and others relevant to the content's tone. Without those references, the model will attempt to generate unfamiliar expressions, which it typically distorts. Jerrod ran into this building his thumbnail workflow. The model was stretching his face, trying to render shock because he hadn't given it a reference image of that expression.
Once enough reference images exist, the next step is to build a character sheet: a single composite image showing the person from multiple angles, with labeled expressions. Jerrod asks ChatGPT Images to generate this sheet using his reference photos and some basic personal context—name, background details, whatever feels appropriate to include. That sheet then becomes the first upload in any new session, eliminating the need to re-upload individual reference images each time a new project starts.
For appearance variations such as hairstyles, clothing changes, and branded apparel, current models can edit how a person looks, so minor appearance changes can be handled at the generation stage. The exception is brand-specific wardrobe: if a particular shirt with a logo or a specific look is central to the brand, reference photos of those variations will produce better results than asking the model to invent them.
Other Topics Discussed
- Where Most Marketers Go Wrong With AI Images and Video
- 4 AI Video Tools, 2 AI Image Tools
- Using Magnific to Access Multiple AI Image and Video Tools
- Establishing Your Brand Foundation
- Storyboarding and Generating AI Video
Want to Learn More?
Today's advice provided with insights from Jerrod Lew, a featured guest on the AI Explored podcast.
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Edits Adds Bilingual Captions and Enhanced Template Tools: Meta has rolled out another update to Edits, introducing automatic bilingual captions that translate video captions into a secondary language to help creators reach more diverse audiences. The update also expands template functionality with overlay support and clip-locking, making reusable templates more flexible while preserving important creative elements. In addition, new seasonal sound effects provide creators with fresh audio options for summer-inspired content, further expanding the app’s creative toolkit. Creators via Threads
Meta Expands Instagram Stories Tools for AI Glasses: Meta has rolled out a new set of Instagram Stories features for creators using Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, and Meta Glasses. The update introduces immersive Spin View Stories, synchronized Multi-Cam storytelling, and new editing controls that allow creators to refine framing, audio, and playback speed directly within Instagram. By adding interactive viewing formats and wearable-specific editing capabilities, Meta is enhancing how hands-free first-person content can be transformed into richer, more engaging social storytelling. Creators via Threads
LinkedIn Expands AI Creative Suite to Streamline B2B Advertising: LinkedIn has unveiled a comprehensive set of AI-powered creative tools designed to simplify every stage of ad production, from initial drafting to large-scale optimization. The new capabilities include Brand Kit for maintaining brand consistency, Draft with AI for generating ad copy, Ads Personalization for audience-specific messaging, AI Ad Variants for rapid experimentation, and Flexible Ad Creation for automatically assembling and optimizing multiple creative combinations. Together, these tools aim to help marketers produce more ad variations, accelerate creative testing, and improve campaign performance with less manual effort. LinkedIn
Pinterest Expands International Shopping Tools to Simplify Global Commerce: Pinterest has launched new capabilities to help retailers scale shopping campaigns across international markets with less manual effort. The platform now supports flexible catalog localization through country-specific and supplemental feeds, while also offering automatic translation and currency conversion for businesses entering new regions without dedicated localized catalogs. Pinterest
Reddit Launches Self-Serve Split Testing for Campaign Optimization: Reddit has expanded its advertising platform with the general availability of Split Testing, a built-in experimentation tool that allows advertisers to run controlled A/B tests directly in Ads Manager. The feature automates audience splitting, budget allocation, and statistical analysis, helping marketers compare campaign strategies such as targeting methods, budgeting approaches, Reddit Max campaigns, and creative variations. By providing pre-built testing templates and confidence-based winner declarations, Reddit aims to make campaign optimization more accessible while giving advertisers data-driven insights before scaling their media investments. Reddit
Threads Expands Live Chats with Translation, Co-Hosts, and New Moderation Tools: Meta is enhancing the recently launched Live Chats feature on Threads by introducing tools that improve accessibility, collaboration, and conversation management. The update adds automatic translation support, allows eligible Community Champions to host Live Chats, and enables hosts to invite up to three co-hosts to participate in discussions. Additional moderation features, including the ability to remove messages for all participants and highlight host messages, are designed to create more organized and engaging live community conversations. TechCrunch
TikTok Launches Growth Max Campaigns for Mini Drama Content: TikTok has unveiled Growth Max for Mini Dramas, a new advertising solution designed to help brands expand the reach and monetization of episodic short-form content. Businesses can now publish serialized video experiences either through the dedicated Minis Center or directly on their TikTok profiles as Drama Series, while using Growth Max to automate audience targeting and campaign optimization. TikTok says the combination of organic storytelling and AI-powered advertising can help marketers drive greater audience growth, sustained engagement, and increased revenue through paid episode unlocks, ad-supported viewing, and improved campaign performance. TikTok
TikTok Launches Agentic Hub to Bring AI Agents into Ad Management: TikTok has introduced Agentic Hub, a new marketplace of AI-powered advertising solutions built on TikTok for Business MCP, its Model Context Protocol for connecting AI agents to TikTok Ads. The platform provides ready-made AI Skills that assist with campaign creation, creative optimization, performance analysis, audience insights, and product catalog management while also allowing advertisers and developers to build custom workflows or connect their own AI agents directly. By reducing manual campaign management and enabling AI-driven recommendations, Agentic Hub aims to help marketers streamline advertising operations and focus more on strategic decision-making. TikTok
X Introduces Livestream Studio for Desktop Creators: X has expanded its Creator Studio with a new Livestream Studio that simplifies the process of launching and managing live broadcasts from desktop computers. The updated workspace includes streamlined stream setup, thumbnail management, chat moderation controls, and live audience analytics such as viewer peaks and demographic insights. Available to X Premium subscribers with Media Studio access, the new Livestream Studio is designed to give creators a more professional environment for producing and monitoring live video content. Social Media Today
Google Adds New Brand Measurement Tools for YouTube Campaigns: Google has expanded YouTube's advertising measurement capabilities with new reporting features for Video Reach and Video View Campaigns. Advertisers can now track Shorts Ad Actions, giving greater visibility into meaningful engagement signals such as watch time and likes, while the global rollout of Attributed Branded Searches enables marketers to measure how YouTube brand campaigns drive branded search activity on Google. Together, these updates help advertisers better connect upper-funnel brand investments with consumer intent and downstream business performance. Google
YouTube Brings AI-Powered Semantic Search to Comment Moderation: YouTube has expanded its creator moderation toolkit with new AI-driven features in YouTube Studio that make it easier to review comments based on topics and intent rather than exact wording. Creators can now use natural language searches, suggested topic filters, and a new "Find Similar Comments" option to quickly identify related discussions or problematic comments for manual review. Google
YouTube Expands Image Posts with Music, Carousels, and Storytelling Tools: YouTube is enhancing its image posting experience by introducing new creative features that help creators engage audiences without producing full videos. Eligible creators can now publish carousel posts with up to 10 images, add licensed music or AI-generated Dream Track audio, and overlay text to create more immersive visual stories directly in the YouTube mobile app. Building on the recent rollout of image posts in the Shorts feed, these updates give creators additional ways to increase discoverability and connect with viewers through photo-based content. Google
YouTube Enhances Shorts and Studio with New Viewing and Creator Management Tools: YouTube has announced a series of updates aimed at improving both the Shorts viewing experience and creator workflows. Shorts now offers a cleaner interface with Clear Screen mode, faster playback, and refined engagement controls, while image posts gain support for licensed music and enhanced storytelling features. For creators, YouTube Studio is adding a centralized Account Status dashboard and a redesigned Content tab that provides clearer visibility into monetization, copyright issues, video alerts, and estimated revenue, making it easier to monitor channel health and manage content performance. YouTube
Anthropic Expands Claude Cowork to Web and Mobile: Anthropic has brought Claude Cowork to web browsers and mobile devices, enabling Max subscribers to manage long-running AI tasks seamlessly across multiple platforms. Designed as an AI coworker rather than a coding assistant, Claude Cowork can continue working independently while users switch devices, supporting business operations, research, writing, and administrative tasks. Anthropic also shared early usage data showing that organizations are increasingly relying on AI for everyday operational work rather than software development, underscoring the growing role of agentic AI in general business productivity. TechCrunch
Anthropic Restores Access to Fable 5: Anthropic has resumed deployment of Claude Fable 5 after U.S. export controls that temporarily restricted access to the model were lifted. Beginning July 1, Fable 5 is once again available globally across Anthropic’s core platforms, with cloud platform availability to follow. The company has also partially restored access to Mythos 5 for approved U.S. organizations while continuing to work with government agencies to expand availability to additional domestic and international partners. Anthropic
Meta Launches Muse: Meta has unveiled Muse Image, its first image generation model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, positioning it as a creative companion that combines conversational prompting, advanced reasoning, and multimodal image editing. The model enables users to generate, edit, and personalize visuals using natural language, multiple reference images, direct sketch-based edits, and public Instagram content where permitted. Beyond the Meta AI app, Muse Image powers new AI effects on Instagram Stories and image generation in WhatsApp, with additional integrations planned for Facebook, Messenger, and Advantage+ Creative, extending Meta's AI-powered creative capabilities across both consumer and advertising experiences. Meta
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