Thursday, January 8

🌟 Today’s Highlights:

• TikTok is officially phasing out its Custom Identity option for advertisers

• X is adding new features to get more creators posting to the app again

• Superhuman AI is the solution to keeping up with AI in just 5 mins a day

• 📊 Stat of the Day: 98% of business decision-makers on Reddit are not on LinkedIn. (Source: HubSpot and Reddit)

• 💡 Today’s Insight: Study: AI tools are consumers’ first source, not Google

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⚡️ Today’s Headlines ⚡️

✌️ TikTok’s phasing out its Custom Identity option for advertisers. The Custom Identity option enabled advertisers to run ads without linking a verified TikTok account. Now, advertisers will need to be creating ads via a verified profile to continue advertising on the app.

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📣 X is trying to get more creators posting on the app again. In the effort, it’s upping the payouts from its creator revenue share program and providing all X Premium subscribers with access to X’s long-form articles option.

🌍 LinkedIn is adding AI job discovery to more languages. The expansion adds access to its AI-powered job search tools to Spanish, German, French, and Portuguese-speaking users.

💡 Today’s Insight 💡

Study: Consumers are increasingly using AI tools as their first source, not Google

🗞 TL;DR - Increasing frustration with traditional search and SEO has led consumers to embrace AI tools as their first source of information, according to a new report from SEO and PPC agency Eight Oh Two. We’ve listed the highlights from the new study on how AI will play a much larger role this year.

💡 Insight - While AI isn’t replacing search, it is reshaping where search begins, how people discover brands and products, and which options they consider. It’s leading consumers down a hybrid journey: AI delivers the first answer, then traditional search confirms it.

More than one-third of consumers (37%) said they begin their searches with AI tools rather than traditional search engines. Instead of scanning ads and links, users want one clear answer from AI to act on.

Consumers are turning to AI to escape traditional search fatigue and find answers that are faster, clearer, and less cluttered. Top search frustrations include:

• Clicking through too many links (40%)

• Too many ads and sponsored results (37%)

• Difficulty getting a straight answer (33%)

• Repetitive or low-quality information (28%)

60% of respondents said AI delivers better, clearer answers that traditional search. At the same time, 85% still double-check AI answers elsewhere and only 47% said AI influencers which brands they trust.

Looking forward into 2026, 63% of respondents expect to use AI more and 59% believe AI will become their main way of finding information.

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