Welcome back to This Week in Digital Marketing, the series where I dive into the hot topics you need to know each week going on in the Digital Marketing industry ( and with a positive spin because we have enough doom and gloom going on!).
Recently, it feels like the internet collectively has decided that everything should either be powered by AI, run by creators, or locked behind a subscription. And I’m not entirely convinced this is a bad thing.
From Google’s newest creator-focused features to Meta’s push into paid subscriptions and Instagram’s continued effort to reward original content, this week offered a pretty clear glimpse into where digital marketing is heading next.
So let’s get into this week’s updates!
Google Is Starting to Look a Lot More Like Social Media
One of the most interesting announcements this week came from Google but could’ve been confused for a social media platform. Google introduced a new feature called “Search Profiles,” giving creators and publishers a centralized profile that can showcase their articles, videos, social posts, and other content directly within Google Search. Users can even follow creators and receive updates through Google Discover. The feature feels like a fascinating blend of search engine and social network.
For years, creators have focused on building audiences on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Now Google is joining the mix with allowing searchers to follow creators directly through the search platform.
As marketers, this is worth paying attention to because it reinforces a trend that people continue to show they trust other people like creators over brand content.
Google isn’t just organizing information anymore. It’s increasingly organizing relationships between creators and audiences.
Meta Is Looking for Subscriptions
Meanwhile, over at Meta, the company officially rolled out subscription offerings across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, while also teasing future subscription products for businesses, creators, and AI users. If you’ve noticed every app suddenly asking if you’d like to upgrade to a premium version lately, you’re not imagining it. The subscription economy continues to grow, and social platforms clearly want a bigger piece of it.
For creators and marketers, this raises an interesting question of if we’re heading toward a future where audiences increasingly pay for better experiences, deeper access, and more exclusive content across almost everywhere online. It also reinforces that owned audiences are becoming more valuable than ever.Whether it’s email subscribers, paying members, or loyal followers, the brands with direct relationships to their audiences continue to have an advantage.
Instagram Is Keeping It Original
This week, marketers continued discussing Instagram’s algorithm changes that prioritize original creators and reduce visibility for aggregator accounts that primarily repost content from others. For years, creators have watched copied content outperform the original work it came from. With this recent update, seeing platforms actively reward original creation feels like a step in the right direction.
The bigger lesson here isn’t really about Instagram’s algorithm, it’s about what audiences want. The audience is increasingly looking for unique perspectives, original ideas, and authentic voices. The internet already has enough recycled content. What it needs more of is people willing to share their own experiences and expertise.
LinkedIn Is Having a Personality Shift
We’re seeing a recent trend of experimentation with humor, storytelling, and personality-driven content on LinkedIn. In fact, one story that made the rounds this week featured a marketer using comedy skits on LinkedIn to generate business opportunities and attract clients.
A few years ago, that might have felt completely out of place on this platform but it’s becoming more normal in the mix of content. The platform that was once known for stiff corporate updates is slowly becoming a place where people are willing to show more personality and creativity.
The Biggest Themes of the Week:
- Google is adding more AI capabilities
- Meta is building AI-powered experiences into its subscription strategy
- Search is becoming more conversational
But platforms themselves seem to be rewarding:
- original content
- creator-led brands
- personal expertise
- authentic perspectives
- direct audience relationships
It’s almost ironic that the more AI becomes part of the internet, the more important human differentiation becomes.
Final Thoughts From Your Marketing Mom Friend
The future of marketing probably looks a lot more personal than many people expected. The brands winning attention aren’t necessarily the ones producing the most content, they’re the ones creating genuine connections. And the platforms themselves seem to be moving in that direction too.
It’s not always important to chase each algorithm update, but instead focus on the creation of content that has originality, aiming to sound like an actual human. In the middle of all this AI innovation, those things keep becoming more valuable, not less.
Mom Is Marketing 
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