Meta has come out with its own version of Google’s AI Mode, which it calls…. AI Mode. Carrying on a long tradition of copying features from other tech players – and not bothering to even change the name (e.g., Instagram Stories) – AI Mode will let Facebook users ask natural language questions.
As social feeds continue to gain importance in the local business media mix, how should they think about vertical video? A new report from Tiger Pistol tackles this question. Entitled 2026 Ultimate Vertical Video Playbook, the thought-leadership resource is the latest in Tiger Pistol’s ongoing playbook series.
Location intelligence leader INMarket has launched what it is calling the first agentic media optimization platform. Known as Maestrø Its built to close the accountability gap that comes with AI-driven media buying. It does this by connecting such campaigns to real-world consumer actions.
SMB-focused digital marketing platform Scorpion has announced the acquisition of search marketing agency 1SEO. With 17 years of experience in digital marketing, and a strong reputation to go along with it, the acquiree strengthens Scorpion’s ability to deliver effective SEO to SMBs, among other things.
Yext this week took the next logical step in the age of agentic AI: opening up its platform for customized AI integrations. But integrations happen in the reverse order that they normally do. This isn’t plugins and addons to Yext’s platform… It’s about bringing Yext into users’ environments.
One of the biggest opportunities in SMB marketing today is the ongoing democratization of video advertising. Generative video models bring production costs down to almost zero, while expanding CTV inventory and programmatic placement make supply abundant and more SMB friendly (read: affordable).
AI’s biggest barrier today isn’t necessarily technical. The technology is still plagued by consumer trust issues. This stems from several objections, including the AI’s reliability and its association with job losses, not to mention all the dystopian fears. A new report from WordPress.com quantifies the issue.
Ads in ChatGPT are starting to look better. After a splashy entrance, immediate backlash, and handwringing from advertisers over limited options, OpenAI’s move into advertising has turned around. Signs are starting to show some favorable performance as OpenAI figures it out… as we predicted.
Online publishers have an AI problem. Everyone from the New York Times to your favorite mommy blog is losing traffic as AI engines’ conversational answers intercept their clicks. It’s zero-click search on steroids, and it’s the latest gripe across the interweb. But a solution is starting to emerge: video.
One of the burning topics at the intersection of traditional SEO and emerging AI optimization (AIO) is the degree amount of overlap they have. Can good SEO practices translate to good positioning in an AI search world, or is the SEO playbook dead? The short answer is both and neither.
Exactly two years after its splashy unveiling of Apple Intelligence, and lots of handwringing since then, Apple has made good on its AI promise. At this week’s WWDC keynote, Apple painted a more tangible picture of AI’s integration across its ubiquitous products, including Apple Intelligence and the new Siri.
Yelp’s latest Fastest Growing Brands report is more than a ranking of popular chains. It offers a real-time look at the consumer behaviors, experiences, and
Meta has announced new subscription products for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Among other things, this cultivates subscription revenue for Meta, which can diversify its top line amidst a volatile ad revenue landscape. This was also likely driven by watching Snap’s success doing similar.
CTV continues to be one of the most opportune growth areas in media and advertising. As it develops in technical capabilities and reach, it grows into expansive inventory across video channels and streaming apps. The result is that it’s easier than ever for small businesses to advertise on TV.
Snap has taken the latest step in its mapping evolution. As part of its broader revenue diversification play, Snap Map has rolled out new loyalty badges. By gamifying local business engagement, Snap is hoping to boost map usage, offline foot traffic, and ultimately monetization via Promoted Places.
Advertising is a logical monetization path for AI search. Like traditional search, user intent is spelled out… but even more so, given nuanced natural-language queries. This is the idea behind OpenAI’s new ad program. And though it’s experiencing early growing pains, it’s quickly muscling past them.
How has local media and advertising changed most over the past 25 years? It’s a heck of a lot more fragmented, says Joe Naylor. Now an advisor at 19Y Advisors, Naylor is a credible witness on this topic, given two decades in local media sales for giants such as Cox Media Group and EW Scripps.
SMB marketing software leader vcita has announced the launch of an AI-powered lead conversion tool. Known as AI Leads Max, it sits under vcita’s flagship inTandem platform and automates the cultivation of inbound leads. This is an opportune area of SMB SaaS that AI continues to transform.
As the AI market grows into adolescence, its players are finding opportunity in specialized segments. And in emerging tech, that often involves verticalization. That’s where AI is now, such as OpenAI’s recent expansion into healthcare. And that’s what Anthropic is now doing in its latest move into law.
TikTok continues to pursue an unlikely distribution channel for its content: billboards. It’s calling this “out of phone” media… a variation on the digital out of home (DOOH) category that houses billboards and digital displays in public spaces. And its latest move in this realm is to partner with Vistar Media.
