Today's Guide to the Marketing Jungle from Social Media Examiner...
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The weekend is almost here, Alluser! 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.

Quick question for you: Do you use lead capture forms on Facebook to build your email list? NO or YES.

In today’s edition:

Tips for using Flexible Ads on Facebook
A simple system for validating your Custom GPTs
More ways to make Instagram work for your brand
Getting started with Claude Cowork
🗞️ Industry news from Instagram, TikTok, ChatGPT, Gemini and more

When and How to Use Meta’s Flexible Ads

What if Flexible Ads aren’t improving your results… because you’re using them the wrong way?

At a glance, they seem like a simple upgrade—combine a few images, videos, maybe a carousel, and let Meta figure it out. Easy. But that’s not really what’s happening behind the scenes.

Flexible Ads were introduced because the way ads get shown has changed. The system now picks a winner much faster and pushes most of your budget into it early. Which sounds efficient… until that one ad burns out quickly and performance drops just as fast.

That’s where Flexible Ads come in, but not as a shortcut.

Most marketers are treating Flexible Ads like a mix-and-match tool.

They’re not.

If your ads have felt inconsistent lately, this shift is likely why—and there’s a smarter way to approach it.

Allie Bloyd shares when to use Flexible Ads and how to structure them for best results. Watch more here.

What Are These Marketers So Excited About?

They just spent three days at Social Media Marketing World 2026 — and they're leaving with strategies they can't wait to put to work.

And you can too.

With your Virtual Ticket, you get the recordings from every session, keynote, and workshop — yours to rewatch for 18 months. Plus, all of the sessions from AI Business World are included at no extra cost.

"I have absolutely found what I needed here. It's been a jam-packed three days. Every single session I attended, I've been able to take away probably three things, minimum, that I am going to be able to immediately implement," said Jules McGuire.

Get my recordings now.

Test Your Custom GPT Before You Trust It

Looking for a way to verify whether your strategic custom GPT will work?

Stress test it using another AI. Once you have built your GPT, open a separate session in your AI and ask:

Generate 5 complex scenarios that would test the limits of a custom GPT acting as a [your expert GPT].

Make the scenarios realistic, detailed, and difficult.

Each scenario should include: background context; a business problem; constraints or complications; missing or ambiguous information; and a clear question the GPT must answer.

The scenarios should reveal whether the GPT jumps to conclusions, misses important details, gives generic advice, fails to ask clarifying questions when needed, or ignores constraints.

For more actionable advice from experts like Maria Anderson, explore the AI Business Society.

Instagram Tool Updates to Drive Traffic, Optimize Your Content, and Establish Branding

Watch on YouTube
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music
Read the show notes on Social Media Examiner

Instagram is currently testing clickable links directly inside post captions. The test, limited to Meta Verified users, allows participants to use up to 10 clickable links per month.

Access to the feature appears to be tied to what Instagram calls Creator and Publisher accounts rather than Business accounts.

Chelsea Peitz notes that this distinction could confuse many marketers who hold business accounts and assume they simply don't have access yet, when the real answer may be that they need to switch to a different account type.

Switching between business and creator account types is still fairly easy in Instagram's settings, and Chelsea points out that Instagram hasn't made clear how it intends to enforce or verify the distinction, which makes it worth trying.

The same switching logic already applies to the music library. Business accounts have long been restricted from the full copyright-free music library that creator accounts can access. But Chelsea notes that business accounts can sometimes unlock music library access by changing their account category in the backend settings without fully converting to a creator account.

If caption links follow a similar pattern, category adjustments may provide a workaround worth testing before making a full account switch.

The obvious concern with any outbound link on a social platform is reach suppression. Chelsea acknowledges that Instagram will almost certainly never confirm whether posts with caption links receive reduced distribution, but she's clear-eyed about the logic: sending people off the platform works against Instagram's interests.

Her take is that Meta may be tying this feature to paid Meta Verified accounts precisely to offset that loss. Instagram almost certainly calculates a dollar value per second of watch time retained on the platform. When a caption link sends a user off-site, that watch time is lost. The subscription fee is the hedge, and it would explain why Meta Verified pricing exists at all.

Chelsea notes that at the $49/month tier, subscribers currently receive only two links in the bio, with very little else. She speculates that the 10-link caption feature may be bundled into that same tier, though no price point has been confirmed.

Chelsea says her first move would be to link directly to a paid product, such as a course, book, or physical product from a sales-focused post.

Start with a product or freebie you already have and treat the link as a direct trackability experiment.

She'd also reserve one of her ten monthly links for a pinned "start here" post at the top of her profile. New content constantly pushes older posts further down the grid, so a high-value conversion post without a caption link effectively loses its reach over time. Adding a clickable link to that pinned post keeps the conversion opportunity alive regardless of when someone first discovers it.

Intro to Claude Cowork: How to Get Started

Watch on YouTube
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music
Read the show notes on Social Media Examiner

Cowork is available to anyone with a paid account, but doesn’t work via Claude’s browser interface. You must download and install the Claude desktop app for Mac or PC to work in Cowork.

Once installed on our computer, Cowork’s interface will feel familiar if you already use Claude's browser interface. You’ll see the same chat box and model selection options.

As you begin using Cowork, your mindset should shift from chatting with a collaborator to supervising a capable assistant who runs a workflow and checks in regularly when it needs access to something or when it requires explicit direction.

This is accomplished by connecting Cowork to Projects that have been enhanced with Connectors, Plugins, and Skills:

The Project tells Cowork what you want to accomplish.
Connectors let the Project access specific data sources, the internet, etc.
Plugins or Skills tell the Project how to execute the work.

How to Connect Cowork to a Claude Project

Claude Projects are dedicated workspaces you’ve created for specific purposes. For example, you’ve likely created projects for content generation, client personas, or research assistance in Claude’s traditional workspace.

You can connect any of your existing projects to Cowork, by clicking on the Work In a Project dropdown at the bottom of the chat window, selecting Create a New Project, then opening Import a Project.

In the Projects from Chat field, search for your Project. Once connected, the entirety of that Project’s instructions, resources, personality, and rules become the context for everything Cowork does for you in that session.

You can then tell Cowork to follow your project guidelines, extend the project's work into new territory, or ask what the project is missing and let Cowork go find it.

The Problem Isn't Using AI. It's Keeping Up With It.

New tools. New updates. New experts telling you what matters. How do you know who to trust?

The AI Business Society is built on 17 years of marketing expertise — the same trusted source that's guided marketers like you through every other major shift. We tell you exactly what's worth your attention and what to skip.

And you won't navigate it alone — you'll be surrounded by a community of like-minded marketers on the same journey.

"I trust Mike Stelzner and the whole SME team. I'm now getting bombarded by new people in this space looking to make a quick buck. They don't have the long-term expertise of SME," said member Corinne Baldassano.

Stay ahead with people I trust.

Instagram Edits Adds AI Video Generation: Instagram’s Edits app is introducing AI-powered video generation, enabling creators to produce clips from text prompts or existing media directly within the editing timeline. By integrating generation and editing into one workflow, the update simplifies content creation and accelerates production for creators experimenting with AI-driven video. Instagram

Instagram Expands Originality Protections to Photos and Carousels: Instagram is extending its content originality guidelines beyond Reels to include photos and carousel posts, limiting the reach of reposted content that lacks meaningful creative input. The update reinforces the platform’s push to prioritize original creators and ensure that unique, value-added content gets greater visibility in recommendations. Instagram via Threads

Meta Tightens Ad Transparency Rules for Agencies and Developers: Meta is updating its ad-buying policies to require clearer separation of advertiser accounts and enforce on-demand transparency around ad spend and campaign details. Set to take effect in 2027, the changes are designed to improve accountability and standardize reporting practices across the advertising ecosystem. Meta

Meta Launches Ads CLI to Streamline Campaign Management: Meta is introducing Ads CLI, a command-line interface that simplifies how developers and AI agents manage advertising workflows. By packaging the Meta Marketing API into a single, automation-friendly tool, the update enables faster campaign creation, analysis, and optimization—bringing ad operations closer to modern developer and AI-driven workflows. Meta

Meta Launches AI Connectors to Bring Ad Management into External AI Tools: Meta is introducing Ads AI Connectors, allowing advertisers to manage campaigns directly within the AI tools they already use. By combining secure data access with natural language controls, the update expands how marketers can analyze performance, automate workflows, and operate across channels without relying on traditional API integrations. Meta

Pinterest Expands into Connected TV: Pinterest is bringing its audience targeting capabilities to Connected TV through a new partnership with tvScientific, allowing advertisers to extend campaigns to streaming environments. The update connects Pinterest’s discovery-driven insights with broader reach across screens, signaling a push into cross-platform, full-funnel advertising strategies. Pinterest

Snap Introduces AI Sponsored Snaps: The new ad format embeds AI-powered brand interactions directly into Snapchat conversations. By enabling users to engage with brands through chat-based AI agents, the update reflects a shift toward conversational commerce, where discovery, engagement, and purchase decisions happen within messaging environments. Snap

TikTok Expands ‘Out-of-Phone’ Strategy with Billboard Ad Partnerships: TikTok is deepening its push beyond mobile by partnering with Vistar Media to transform in-app campaigns into custom-built billboard ads. By reimagining creative for out-of-home environments rather than simply repurposing it, the platform aims to extend campaign reach while maintaining engagement across formats. Digiday

YouTube Tests Conversational Search to Enhance Discovery: YouTube is experimenting with an “Ask YouTube” feature that transforms search into an interactive, AI-driven experience. By combining structured answers with video content and enabling follow-up queries, the update aims to make content discovery more intuitive and context-rich for users. YouTube

YouTube Tests AI Comment Search to Simplify Moderation: YouTube is experimenting with a new AI-driven comment search tool in Studio that helps creators find and manage comments based on meaning rather than keywords. By enabling topic-based discovery and faster filtering, the update aims to streamline moderation workflows while maintaining full creator control over engagement decisions. Google

YouTube Enhances Creator Tools with Smarter Notifications, AI Music, and Comment Search: YouTube is rolling out a series of updates aimed at improving creator workflows and audience engagement. From refining notification delivery to prioritize active viewers, to introducing AI-generated music for copyright fixes and semantic comment search for moderation, the platform is doubling down on AI-driven tools to make content management more efficient and effective. YouTube

Gemini Adds One-Click File Generation Across Formats: Google’s Gemini app now enables users to generate fully formatted, downloadable files directly from prompts, including PDFs, spreadsheets, and documents. The update simplifies workflows by turning ideas into ready-to-share assets without leaving the chat. Google

Google Expands AI Search with Richer Links, Creator Perspectives, and Subscription Integration: Google is introducing new enhancements to AI Mode and AI Overviews that make it easier for users to explore trusted sources, discover deeper insights, and navigate the web directly from AI-powered search results. The updates add inline links, subscription highlights, firsthand community perspectives, and richer website previews. Google

OpenAI Upgrades ChatGPT with GPT-5.5 Instant and Smarter Personalization: OpenAI is replacing ChatGPT’s default model with GPT-5.5 Instant, bringing more accurate, concise, and personalized responses across everyday use cases. Alongside stronger reasoning and lower hallucination rates, the update expands contextual memory features and introduces new transparency controls that show users how past chats and connected data shape AI responses. OpenAI

OpenAI Expands ChatGPT Ads with Self-Serve Buying and CPC Measurement: OpenAI is broadening access to ChatGPT advertising by launching a beta Ads Manager, introducing CPC bidding, and expanding measurement tools for advertisers. The update aims to make conversational advertising more accessible while maintaining privacy safeguards and keeping ads distinct from ChatGPT’s core responses. OpenAI

What Did You Think of Today's Newsletter?

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Michael Stelzner, Founder and CEO

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We publish updates with links for our new posts and content from partners. Your information: Email: tukangpostemel@gmail.com Opted in on: 2021-09-06 17:03:43 UTC.