Stop treating TikTok like Meta

⏸️Pausing TikTok and pausing Meta are not the same decision. Most brands treat them like they are, Google tests bigger ad placements while YouTube tweaks Shorts, and more!

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Google didn't update Search at I/O 2026. It replaced it.

AI Mode is expanding. The Search box just got its biggest AI upgrade in decades. Search agents now crawl the web and answer for users in the background, before anyone reaches your page. 

If you're still grading yourself on rankings and traffic, you're scoring a game that no longer exists.

On June 17th, Chris Long, co-founder of Nectiv, breaks down what changed, what it means for B2B visibility, and how to build the workflows that get you cited in AI search.

In 60 minutes, you'll get:

  • The I/O 2026 updates that belong on your roadmap now
  • How to measure visibility past rankings: citations, prompt coverage, mentions
  • What makes content surface in fan-out and decision-stage queries
  • The workflows to audit, refresh, and publish content built for AI search

The old rules are gone. This session covers what replaced them. 

Can't make it live? Register anyway and get the recording in your inbox within 24 hours.

⏸️Pausing TikTok and pausing Meta are not the same decision. Most brands treat them like they are.

TikTok GMV Max restarts to baseline within 24 hours of a pause. Meta puts you back in learning phase. Same pause duration, completely different recovery cost. A 7-day pause on TikTok costs you 7 days of revenue. A 7-day pause on Meta costs you 7 days plus another 7-14 days of degraded performance while the algorithm rebuilds signal from scratch.

The Meta pause is 2-3x more expensive than the TikTok pause for the same calendar duration. Every brand applying the same caution to both is leaving flexibility unused on one platform and understating cost on the other.

What this actually changes about how you operate

TikTok's cheap restart unlocks testing strategies that are too expensive on Meta: diagnostic pauses to measure organic demand floor, seasonal pullbacks during low-margin windows, temporary budget concentration without paying a recovery penalty elsewhere.

The calendar most brands haven't built

Seasonal slowdowns should pause TikTok and concentrate budget on Meta to protect Meta's algorithmic signal through the quiet period. Launch windows can run the inverse: pull Meta back while a product gains organic traction on TikTok, then resume Meta once the launch is mature and the algorithm has real signal to work with.

The annual calendar currently treats both platforms as interchangeable channels with interchangeable pause economics. They are not. One restarts in a day. The other bills you for two weeks of underperformance every time you touch the off switch.

Build the calendar around restart economics. The asymmetry is free money if you use it and a hidden tax if you don't.

🔍 Google tests bigger ad placements while YouTube tweaks Shorts

Google and YouTube are experimenting with changes that could affect both advertisers and users. Google is testing a new way to highlight important pages in search ads, while YouTube continues refining the Shorts experience with updated engagement controls.

The Breakdown:

A new ad format is being tested - Google's "Top Pages" format highlights important pages within sponsored listings, giving them more space and prominence than traditional sitelinks while helping users discover key sections of a website.

Editorial policies still matter - The company highlighted common reasons ads get disapproved, including inconsistent business names, excessive punctuation or capitalization, poor-quality images, and unclear identification of products or services.

The thumbs-up becomes a heart - YouTube is testing a redesigned Shorts interface that replaces the traditional like button with a heart icon, bringing the experience closer to other social platforms.

Feedback signals may be affected - In the test, YouTube moves the dislike button into the three-dot menu instead of displaying it directly on the sidebar, potentially reducing how often users provide negative feedback on content.

Google's new ad format could influence how advertisers think about landing pages and sponsored listings, while YouTube's redesign may affect how viewers interact with content and provide signals that help shape future recommendations.

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👨‍💻 Quick Hits

🤝 LinkedIn launched a Creator Marketplace that helps brands discover and partner with vetted creators using audience and performance data. It also introduced BrandWorks, a new service offering strategic and creative campaign support for B2B marketers.

🎛️ Instagram expanded Your Algorithm to the main feed, letting users customize content topics they want to see more or less of. The feature gives users greater control over recommendations beyond Reels and Explore. 

📌 Pinterest now lets Amazon Storefront creators link their storefronts directly to Pinterest profiles and Pins. Affiliate tracking is applied automatically, making it easier to monetize product recommendations and reach Pinterest’s shopping-focused audience. 

⚖️ A German court ruled that Google can be directly liable for false AI Overview claims, finding AI-generated summaries are Google’s own content, not neutral search results. 

🔥Events

🔥 The Agentic Playbook Udemy Uses to Scale AI Search Without Adding Headcount

Today | Virtual Event | Free

Nicholas King manages SEO and digital experience at Udemy at a scale most teams never reach. He's not adding people to keep up. He built a system that scales without them. Today, he's showing exactly how, alongside Bridget Nelson, who built the same thing at Chime.

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🔥 Most Influencer Audits Happen After a Bad Launch. This Session Teaches You to Run One Before.

Today | Virtual Event | Free

Waiting for numbers to come back empty is the most expensive way to learn your roster was wrong. Cadence Melendez from Moroccanoil and Brooks Miller, EVP of Creator Marketing at Edelman, walk through exactly how brand-side teams pressure-test a roster before it goes live.

Reserve Your Free Spot

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