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Key Takeaways Impact on Success: A well-planned startup office setup enhances productivity, fosters collaboration, and ultimately contributes to the success of your business. Optimal Layout: Design your office layout to encourage teamwork with communal areas while also incorporating quiet zones for focused work. Ergonomic Furniture: Invest in ergonomic furniture that ensures comfort and promotes employee well-being, which in turn boosts productivity. Technology Integration: Utilize reliable technology and high-speed internet to streamline operations and enhance communication among team members. Budgeting Wisely: Engage in careful budgeting by considering location, utilities, and furniture costs, while exploring flexible options like remote work and used furniture. Creating a Positive Environment: Enhance your office environment with appropriate lighting, acoustics, and color schemes to improve employee morale and stimulate creativity. Starting a new venture is thrilling, but setting up your startup office can feel overwhelming. The right environment can boost creativity, foster collaboration, and enhance productivity. You want a space that reflects your brand while meeting your team’s needs. From choosing the perfect location to selecting furniture and technology, every detail matters. Whether you’re working with a tight budget or have some flexibility, understanding the essentials of office setup can make a significant difference. Let’s dive into the key elements that will help you create an inspiring workspace tailored for success. Importance Of Startup Office Setup A well-planned startup office setup significantly impacts your small business’s success. Careful attention to your workspace enhances productivity and strengthens team dynamics, both critical for growth. Enhancing Productivity An effective office layout boosts productivity by providing employees with optimal working conditions. Proper desk arrangements, ergonomic furniture, and appropriate lighting can reduce fatigue and increase focus. Technology plays a vital role; investing in reliable hardware and software tools streamlines operations and minimizes downtime. Designate quiet areas for concentration and collaboration zones for teamwork, ensuring a balanced environment that encourages innovation. Fostering Collaboration Creating a collaborative workspace fosters teamwork and enhances communication among employees. Open floor plans and communal areas encourage informal interactions, sparking creativity. Incorporating meeting rooms with advanced technology aids in presentations and brainstorming sessions. Building a culture of collaboration reflects your business model—prioritizing team efforts over individual accomplishments. This collaborative spirit supports employee engagement, improves problem-solving, and ultimately drives customer acquisition. Key Elements Of A Startup Office Setup A startup office setup requires careful planning to enhance productivity and creativity. You must focus on layout and design, furniture and equipment, as well as technology and connectivity to create a functional workspace. Layout and Design Design the layout to meet your business needs, incorporating spaces for individual work, collaboration, and meetings. Open-plan offices foster teamwork, while designated quiet zones and private meeting rooms cater to focused tasks. Make the space flexible, allowing for changes as your business grows. Modular spaces and operable walls create adaptable environments for various activities, which is vital for innovation and team building. Furniture and Equipment Select ergonomic furniture that promotes comfort and well-being. Desks, chairs, and collaborative areas should align with your startup’s culture and branding. Equip your office with essential tools like printers, whiteboards, and storage solutions that streamline workflow and enhance efficiency. Utilizing quality furniture and equipment maximizes productivity, ensuring your team can focus on customer acquisition and growth strategies. Technology and Connectivity Incorporate reliable technology and connectivity to support your operations. Invest in high-speed internet, collaboration tools, and cloud-based software to streamline workflows and minimize downtime. Consider hardware that best suits your business model, whether it’s for a remote team or in-office employees. Effective technology enhances communication, supports digital marketing efforts, and drives overall business success. Budgeting For Your Startup Office Setup Budgeting plays a vital role in setting up your startup office efficiently. Considering expenses ensures you make informed decisions that align with your business goals. Cost Considerations The main costs include physical space, utilities, internet, and furniture. Physical Space: Your choice of office impacts costs significantly. The average office listing in the U.S. is about $32 per square foot. In high-demand cities, like San Francisco, this figure can rise to $61 per square foot, while cities like Detroit average $22 per square foot. Renting offers lower upfront costs, but purchasing property may provide long-term control. Utilities and Internet: Utilities average around $2.10 per square foot, translating to about $6,300 monthly for a 3,000 square foot space. Internet and network installation may add a one-time expense of approximately $4,000. Furniture and Decor: Setup costs can vary, with initial expenses typically around $25,000 for furniture. Prioritize ergonomic options to foster team productivity and comfort. Tips for Budget-Friendly Options Research Locations: Consider less expensive cities or suburbs to minimize rental costs while maintaining accessibility for employees and clients. Negotiate Leases: Try negotiating your lease terms to secure more favorable rates. Many landlords may offer incentives or reduced rates for longer commitments. Purchase Used Furniture: Explore options for buying used or refurbished furniture to cut costs without sacrificing quality. Evaluate Utility Packages: Look for bundled utility and internet packages that may lower overall expenses. Some providers offer business rates that could lead to savings. Consider Remote Work: If applicable, allow for remote work options. This approach can reduce physical space and associated costs while attracting talent. Balancing these elements effectively forms the foundation for a successful startup office setup while controlling expenses. Creating The Right Environment Creating a conducive environment in your startup office significantly impacts productivity and employee satisfaction. Consider the following key factors that enhance the workplace. Lighting and Acoustics Lighting plays a vital role in employee mood and productivity. Natural light boosts morale and minimizes reliance on artificial sources, reducing energy costs. Position desks near windows wherever possible to maximize this benefit. For areas requiring focused work, incorporate adjustable LED lighting, which offers brightness control and energy efficiency. Acoustics also affect concentration. Sound-absorbing materials such as carpets, curtains, and acoustical panels can mitigate distractions from bustling office dynamics. Provide quiet zones where team members can retreat for focused tasks. Balancing sound and light creates a comfortable workspace that enhances performance. Color Psychology Color choices in your office can influence emotions and productivity levels. Different colors provoke various responses among individuals. For instance, blue promotes calmness and focus, suitable for workspaces requiring concentration. Yellow encourages creativity, making it ideal for brainstorming areas. Use neutral colors like gray and white for a clean background, allowing vibrant accents in furniture or decorations to stimulate creativity. Careful selection of colors aligns the office environment with your branding while supporting your team’s emotional well-being, fostering innovation and collaboration. Consider these elements as you create the right environment, ensuring your startup thrives in a well-designed office space that reflects your values and supports your growth strategy. Conclusion Setting up your startup office is more than just a logistical task; it’s a strategic move that can shape your business’s future. By prioritizing an environment that fosters creativity and collaboration, you’re laying the groundwork for success. Consider every element from layout to technology as a building block for your team’s productivity and morale. A well-designed office not only reflects your brand but also creates a culture that attracts talent and drives innovation. As you navigate the challenges of budgeting and planning, remember that every decision impacts your team’s dynamics and overall performance. Invest wisely to create a space that inspires and supports your growth journey. Frequently Asked Questions What is the importance of office layout for a startup? A well-planned office layout enhances creativity, productivity, and collaboration among employees. It allows for individual work, teamwork, and meetings, adapting to the startup’s growth needs. A thoughtful setup can significantly impact a business’s success by strengthening team dynamics and supporting a positive work culture. How can ergonomic furniture affect productivity? Ergonomic furniture promotes comfort and reduces fatigue during long work hours. When employees feel comfortable, they can focus better, leading to increased productivity. Investing in ergonomic solutions helps align with the startup’s culture and keeps the workforce engaged and motivated. Why is technology important in a startup office? Reliable technology streamlines operations, minimizes downtime, and enhances workflow efficiency. Investing in high-speed internet and collaboration tools supports seamless communication and productivity, making it critical for startups to succeed in a competitive environment. What should I consider when budgeting for a startup office? Budgeting for a startup office involves evaluating costs for physical space, utilities, internet, furniture, and equipment. Researching locations, negotiating leases, and exploring budget-friendly options like buying used furniture can help control expenses while creating a conducive workspace. How does lighting impact employee performance? Proper lighting, especially natural light, boosts morale and productivity among employees. It creates a pleasant work environment, reducing fatigue and distractions. By incorporating effective lighting in the office design, startups can enhance employee satisfaction and overall performance. What role does color psychology play in office design? Color psychology can influence emotions and productivity. For example, blue promotes calmness and focus, while yellow encourages creativity. By carefully selecting colors for the office environment, startups can create a space that reflects their values and supports their growth strategies. Image Via Envato This article, "Essential Guide to Successful Startup Office Setup for Maximum Productivity" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

FX's highly acclaimed hit series The Bear returns to Hulu in June for its fourth season, picking up right after the events of season three, when Carmy received the Chicago Tribune's review of his fine-dining restaurant. The main cast—Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Ayo Edebiri, to name a few—are reprising their roles in pushing The Bear forward. All 10 episodes will drop on June 25. Call Her Alex (June 10) is a Hulu original docuseries following "Call Her Daddy" podcast host Alex Cooper in preparation for her first tour with a behind-the-scenes look at the events that shaped her journey. Similarly, Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything (June 23) uses archival footage to explore Walters' life and career as a journalist and host in a male-dominated industry. On the film side, The Actor (June 30) is a crime mystery based on Donald E. Westlake's novel "Memory," starring Andre Holland as an actor with memory loss and Gemma Chan as a costume designer in the small town he ends up in. Predator: Killer of Killers (June 6) is an animated action/adventure and Hulu original set in the Predator universe. Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) Hulu in June. What’s coming to Hulu in June 2025Arriving June 1Adam (2019) Alien (1979) Alien 3 (1992) Alien Resurrection (1997) Alien vs. Predator (2004) Alien: Covenant (2017) Aliens (1986) Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) Beasts Of The Southern Wild (2012) Before Midnight (2013) Betsy's Wedding (1990) Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) Big Eden (2000) Big Fish (2003) The Big Hit (1998) Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011) Blue Jasmine (2013) Boy Meets Girl (2014) Breakin' All the Rules (2004) The Bronze (2016) Bubble Boy (2001) Bugsy (1991) Cedar Rapids (2011) The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader (2010) Cold Pursuit (2019) Cyrus (2010) Daddy Day Care (2003) Death on the Nile (2022) Deja Vu (2006) Delivery Man (2013) Dude, Where's My Car? (2000) Edge of Tomorrow (2014) Elena Undone (2010) Freddy Got Fingered (2001) The Girl Next Door (2004) Grown Ups (2010) Grown Ups 2 (2013) Happy Gilmore (1996) The Heat (2013) Hitchcock (2012) Hurricane Bianca (2016) Idiocracy (2006) Independence Day (1996) The Joy Luck Club (1993) Just Go With It (2011) Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) Let's Be Cops (2014) Loving Annabelle (2006) Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! (2018) Mamma Mia! (2008) The Mask (1994) Me And Earl And The Dying Girl (2015) Mirrors (2008) The Namesake (2007) A Perfect Ending (2012) Pineapple Express (2008) Predator (1987) The Predator (2018) Predator 2 (1990) Predators (2010) Pride + Prejudice + Zombies (2016) Prometheus (2012) Reno 911! Miami: The Movie (2007) Sordid Lives (2000) 28 Weeks Later (2007) The War of the Roses (1989) We're The Millers (2013) Working Girl (1988) You Don't Mess With The Zohan (2008) Arriving June 3I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills: Complete Season 1 (Dubbed & Subbed) Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: Complete Season 1 (Dubbed & Subbed) The Quiz With Balls: Season 2 Premiere So I'm a Spider, So What?: Complete Season 1 (Dubbed & Subbed) Wise Man's Grandchild: Complete Season 1 (Dubbed & Subbed) Yuri on Ice: Complete Season 1 (Dubbed & Subbed) Presence (2025) Arriving June 4The Great House Revival: Complete Season 5 Arriving June 5National Anthem (2023) Arriving June 6Not Her First Rodeo: Complete Season 1 Predator: Killer of Killers: Film Premiere Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation … (2006) Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) Hot Shots! (1991) Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993) Shallow Hal (2001) The Ringer (2005) Arriving June 7Gypsy's Revenge: Complete Season 1 I (Almost) Got Away With It: Complete Season 3 Kids Baking Championship: Complete Season 12 Murder in the Heartland: Complete Season 1 Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing: Complete Season 1 Sister Wives: Complete Season 12 Arriving June 8Scream (2022) Arriving June 9Beyblade X: Season 1B Arriving June 10Call Her Alex: Complete Docuseries And Then We Danced (2019) Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021) Arriving June 11The Snake: Series Premiere Gran Turismo (2023) Arriving June 12The 1% Club: Season 2 Premiere Arriving June 13Atsuko Okatsuka: Father: Special Premiere Absolution (2024) Arriving June 1490 Day Fiance: Complete Season 5 90 Day Fiance UK: Complete Season 2 Guy's Grocery Games: Complete Seasons 32 & 33 I'd Kill For You: Complete Season 3 Joel McHale: Live from Pyongyang (2019) Arriving June 16My Happy Ending: Complete Season 1 (Sub) Black Christmas (2019) Arriving June 17SALLY (2025) Skincare (2024) Arriving June 19The Quiet Ones (2024) Arriving June 20The Bravest Knight: Season 2B Out Come the Wolves (2024) Arriving June 23Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything: Documentary Premiere Helck: Complete Season 1 (Dubbed & Subbed) My Instant Death Ability is Overpowered: Complete Season 1 (Dubbed & Subbed) My Isekai Life : Complete Season 1 (Dubbed & Subbed) Arriving June 24Survive (2024) Arriving June 25FX's The Bear: Complete Season 4 Arriving June 27F*ck Marry Kill (2024) Arriving June 29The Bachelor: Complete Seasons 27 & 28 Arriving June 30Boonie Bears: Time Twist (2024) Texas True Crime: Complete Season 5 The Actor (2025) What’s leaving Hulu in June 2025Leaving June 1Christmas with the Campbells (2022) Leaving June 2The Amazing Maurice (2022) Leaving June 4Intrigo: Dear Agnes (2019) Leaving June 8Indemnity (2021) Leaving June 10Here Before (2021) Warhunt (2022) Leaving June 11Intrigo: Samaria (2019) Leaving June 13The Worst Person in the World (2021) Leaving June 17Ted K (2021) The Ledge (2022) Leaving June 22The Burning Sea (2021) Leaving June 24Big Gold Brick (2022) Gasoline Alley (2022) Leaving June 25The Desperate Hour (2022) Leaving June 30Transfusion (2023) View the full article

Discover the competition and reveal strategies and tactics of any industry player with these top 14 competitive intelligence tools, including Semrush Market Explorer and Semrush Traffic Analytics. View the full article

The internet wouldn’t be the same without the Like button, the thumbs-up icon that Facebook and other online services turned into digital catnip. Like it or not, the button has served as a creative catalyst, a dopamine delivery system, and an emotional battering ram. It also became an international tourist attraction after Facebook plastered the symbol on a giant sign that stood outside its Silicon Valley headquarters until the company rebranded itself as Meta Platforms in 2021. A new book, Like: The Button That Changed The World, delves into the convoluted story behind a symbol that’s become both the manna and bane of a digitally driven society. It’s a tale that traces back to gladiator battles for survival during the Roman empire before fast-forwarding to the early 21st century when technology trailblazers such as Yelp cofounder Russ Simmons, Twitter cofounder Biz Stone, PayPal cofounder Max Levchin, YouTube cofounder Steve Chen, and Gmail inventor Paul Buchheit were experimenting with different ways using the currency of recognition to prod people to post compelling content online for free. As part of that noodling, a Yelp employee named Bob Goodson sat down on May 18, 2005, and drew a crude sketch of thumbs-up and thumbs-down gesture as a way for people to express their opinions about restaurant reviews posted on the site. Yelp passed on adopting Goodson’s suggested symbol and, instead, adopted the “useful,” “funny,” and “cool” buttons conceived by Simmons. But the discovery of that old sketch inspired Goodson to team up with Martin Reeves to explore how the Like button came to be in their new book. “It’s something simple and also elegant because the Like button says, ‘I like you, I like your content. And I am like you. I like you because I am like you, I am part of your tribe,’ ” Reeves said during an interview with the Associated Press. “But it’s very hard to answer the simple question, ‘Well, who invented the Like button?'” The social wellspring behind a social symbol Although Facebook is the main reason the Like button became so ubiquitous, the company didn’t invent it and almost discarded it as drivel. It took Facebook nearly two years to overcome the staunch resistance by CEO Mark Zuckerberg before finally introducing the symbol on its service on February 9, 2009—five years after the social network’s creation in a Harvard University dorm room. As happens with many innovations, the Like button was born out of necessity but it wasn’t the brainchild of a single person. The concept percolated for more than a decade in a Silicon Valley before Facebook finally embraced it. “Innovation is often social and Silicon Valley was the right place for all this happen because it has a culture of meet-ups, although it’s less so now,” Reeves said. “Everyone was getting together to talk about what they were working on at that time and it turned out a lot of them were working on the same stuff.” The effort to create a simple mechanism to digitally express approval or dismay sprouted from a wellspring of online services such as Yelp and YouTube whose success would hinge on their ability to post commentary or video that would help make their sites even more popular without forcing them to spend a lot of money for content. That effort required a feedback loop that wouldn’t require a lot of hoops to navigate. Hollywood’s role in the Like button’s saga And when Goodson was noodling around with his thumbs-up and thumbs-down gesture, it didn’t come out of a vacuum. Those techniques of signaling approval and disapproval had been ushered into the 21st century zeitgeist by the Academy Award-winning movie, “Gladiator,” where Emperor Commodus—portrayed by actor Joaquin Phoenix—used the gestures to either spare or slay combatants in the arena. But the positive feelings conjured by a thumbs up date even further back in popular culture, thanks to the 1950s-era character Fonzie played by Henry Winkler in the top-rated 1970s TV series, “Happy Days.” The gesture later became a way of expressing delight with a program via a remote control button for the digital video recorders made by TiVO during the early 2000s. Around the same time, Hot or Not—a site that solicited feedback on the looks of people who shared photos of themselves—began playing around with ideas that helped inspire the Like button, based on the book’s research. Others that contributed to the pool of helpful ideas included the pioneering news service Digg, the blogging platform Xanga, YouTube and another early video site, Vimeo. The button’s big breakthrough But Facebook unquestionably turned the Like button into a universally understood symbol, while also profiting the most from its entrance into the mainstream. And it almost didn’t happen. By 2007, Facebook engineers had been tinkering with a Like button, but Zuckerberg opposed it because he feared the social network was already getting too cluttered and, Reeves said, “is he didn’t actually want to do something that would be seen as trivial, that would cheapen the service.” But FriendFeed, a rival social network created by Buchheit and now OpenAI Chairman Bret Taylor, had no such qualms, and unveiled its own Like button in October 2007. But the button wasn’t successful enough to keep the lights on at FriendFeed, and the service ended up being acquired by Facebook. By the time that deal was completed, Facebook had already introduced a Like button—only after Zuckerberg rebuffed the original idea of calling it an Awesome button “because nothing is more awesome than awesome,” according to the book’s research. Once Zuckerberg relented, Facebook quickly saw that the Like button not only helped keep its audience engaged on its social network but also made it easier to divine people’s individual interests and gather the insights required to sell the targeted advertising that accounted for most of Meta Platform’s $165 billion in revenue last year. The button’s success encouraged Facebook to take things even further by allowing other digital services to ingrain it into their feedback loops and then, in 2016, added six more types of emotions—”love,” “care,” “haha,” “wow,” “sad,” and “angry.” Facebook hasn’t publicly disclosed how many responses it has accumulated from the Like button and its other related options, but Levchin told the book’s authors that he believes the company has probably logged trillions of them. “What content is liked by humans…is probably one of the singularly most valuable things on the internet,” Levchin said in the book. The Like button also has created an epidemic of emotional problems, especially among adolescents, who feel forlorn if their posts are ignored and narcissists whose egos feast on the positive feedback. Reeves views those issues as part of the unintentional consequences that inevitably happen because “if you can’t even predict the beneficial effects of a technological innovation how could you possibly forecast the side effects and the interventions?” Even so, Reeves believes the Like button and the forces that coalesced to create it tapped into something uniquely human. “We thought serendipity of the innovation was part of the point,” Reeves said. “And I don’t think we can get bored with liking or having our capacity to compliment taken away so easily because it’s the product of 100,000 years of evolution.” —Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer View the full article

The SEO industry has evolved dramatically over the past decade, but the pace of change is about to accelerate even faster as we approach 2026. With the rise of AI-generated search, multimodal experiences, privacy-first regulations, and the blending of SEO with user experience and brand, the skillset required of an SEO professional is transforming radically. Today’s best practices won’t be enough tomorrow. This article explores the core SEO skills you must master by 2026 to stay competitive, drive results, and prepare your career for the future. 1. Strategic thinking: Moving beyond tactics SEO is no longer a series of isolated tactics like link building or on-page optimization. It’s a holistic discipline that demands strategic thinking. By 2026, SEO specialists must: Understand how SEO supports broader business goals (lead generation, brand awareness, customer loyalty). Prioritize initiatives based on ROI, not just traffic potential. Develop search strategies that integrate content marketing, user experience (UX), CRO, and brand storytelling. Tip: Start thinking like a CMO, not just a technician. Your ability to tie SEO efforts to revenue and brand equity will be your greatest asset. 2. AI and machine learning literacy AI is already reshaping how search engines like Google and Microsoft Bing interpret queries and rank content. With AI Overviews becoming a core part of search, SEO specialists must understand how AI impacts both the back-end (algorithms) and front-end (user experience) of search. You don’t need to be a data scientist, but you must: Understand the basics of machine learning models (like BERT, MUM, Gemini). Know how AI summarizes, ranks, and clusters information. Leverage AI tools for SEO (e.g., content ideation, trend prediction, SERP analysis). By 2026, AI will be your co-pilot. Knowing how to prompt, supervise, and collaborate with it will separate leaders from laggards. Dig deeper: Advanced AI prompt engineering strategies for SEO 3. Content design and storytelling Gone are the days of SEO content being mere “keyword holders.” By 2026, SEO content must be: Experience-driven (designed around user journeys). Storytelling-powered (engaging, narrative-rich). Multiformat-ready (optimized for text, video, images, voice). SEO specialists must master content design, including: Creating topic clusters and content hubs. Structuring information hierarchies that align with user intent. Crafting narratives that foster trust, clarity, and emotional resonance. Storytelling will become an SEO ranking factor by proxy. 4. UX and CRO fundamentals SEO ≠ just rankings anymore. SEO = satisfying user intent. That’s why understanding user experience and conversion rate optimization (CRO) will be non-negotiable. Core UX/CRO skills SEO specialists need: Optimizing page layouts for readability and flow. Designing intuitive site architectures. A/B testing headlines, CTAs, and content structures. Mapping emotional drivers across the funnel (fear, desire, trust). Page experience metrics – specifically, Core Web Vitals – will continue to evolve. Mastering UX will be essential to achieving and maintaining high organic visibility. 5. Data interpretation and analytics mastery Raw data is useless without insightful interpretation. By 2026, SEO professionals must evolve from data collectors to data storytellers. Must-have analytics skills: Deep knowledge of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and future iterations. Mastery of Google Search Console and other online visibility tools. Ability to build custom dashboards (using Looker Studio). Skills in behavioral analysis (e.g., heatmaps, session recordings). More importantly, SEO specialists must translate numbers into narratives: Why is traffic dropping? Why is bounce rate rising? Why is this content winning while another fails? Tip: Always connect data insights to business KPIs when presenting SEO reports. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. 6. Technical SEO 2.0 Technical SEO has always been foundational. But by 2026, basic crawlability and indexing will be entry-level. Advanced technical skills needed: Knowledge of server-side rendering (SSR) vs. client-side rendering (CSR). Mastery of structured data, schema markup, and entity-based SEO. Familiarity with API-driven architectures (headless CMS, JAMstack). Ability to work with AI-driven search technologies (e.g., understanding vector databases). Also, with the proliferation of edge SEO (optimizations performed at the CDN level), having some programming literacy (HTML, CSS, JavaScript basics) will no longer be optional. 7. Multimodal and visual search optimization By 2026, search won’t be just about text. Users will search through images, videos, audio, and hybrid media. SEO specialists must learn to optimize: YouTube videos (SEO, thumbnails, metadata). Visual assets (product images, infographics, carousels). Audio content (podcast SEO, audio snippets). Visual search platforms (Google Lens, Pinterest Lens). Tip: Start thinking visually. Every webpage, blog post, and landing page must be designed not just for readers but for search engines that “see.” 8. Expertise in brand SEO and reputation management Your brand presence on search engines is your new homepage. Skills in brand and reputation SEO will include: Managing branded SERPs (controlling what shows for brand queries). Building and protecting knowledge panels. Optimizing reviews and third-party mentions. Proactively addressing negative content or press. With generative search summaries pulling information from multiple sources, controlling brand narrative in search will be a key leadership role for SEO pros. Dig deeper: Your 2025 playbook for AI-powered cross-channel brand visibility 9. Privacy-first SEO The death of third-party cookies, rising GDPR-style regulations worldwide, and growing user demand for privacy-first experiences will reshape SEO. By 2026, SEO specialists must: Understand first-party data strategies. Optimize experiences without relying on invasive tracking. Align SEO practices with privacy laws and ethical standards. Trust = currency. SEOs must balance personalization with respect for user autonomy. 10. Agile project management SEO is increasingly becoming agile and iterative, not “set and forget.” Agile SEO skills will include: Sprint planning for SEO initiatives. Rapid prototyping and testing of ideas. Collaborative workflow management (using tools like Jira, Trello, Asana). Clear stakeholder communication and documentation. In 2026, SEO projects will evolve faster than ever. Specialists who master agile methods will thrive. 11. AI prompt engineering As SEO blends with AI content creation, being a skilled prompt engineer will be crucial. SEO-specific prompt engineering skills: Designing prompts for AI-driven content ideation. Creating factually accurate and brand-consistent AI outputs. Using large language models (LLMs) to simulate user intent clusters. Mastering how to communicate with AI tools will multiply your productivity – and protect your role as a strategist, not just an executor. 12. Emotional intelligence and empathy Finally, perhaps the most underrated skill: empathy. Understanding what users feel, fear, aspire to, and value will be the foundation of every successful SEO strategy. Empathy in keyword research (beyond words to user mindset). Empathy in content creation (addressing real needs). Empathy in UX design (reducing anxiety, building confidence). SEO isn’t just about traffic. It’s about connecting with human beings at scale. The future belongs to the adaptable By 2026, SEO specialists will optimize webpages and design, orchestrate, and defend search-driven brand experiences. To succeed, you’ll need a multidisciplinary skillset: Analytical yet creative. Technical yet empathetic. Strategic yet agile. SEO is no longer a single role. It’s an orchestra of skills. If you embrace continuous learning and stay relentlessly human-centered, the future of SEO won’t just belong to you – you’ll help define it. View the full article

Disney isn't bringing a lot of new content to its streaming platform in June, but there a few original and exclusive titles on the lineup. Season five of Disney Channel's animated comedy series Phineas and Ferb (June 6) will premiere with 10 episodes, returning for the first time since 2015. The show follows two stepbrothers trying to fill their time during the 104 days of summer vacation. Disney+ Original Ironheart will launch with a three-episode premiere at 6 p.m. PT on June 24. The Marvel Television miniseries is set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and tells the origin story of Ironheart—MIT student and inventor Riri Williams (played by Dominique Thorne). Also premiering on the platform this month are documentaries Sally (June 17), about the first American woman astronaut, and Ocean with David Attenborough (June 8) as well as Disney's Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical (June 20). Finally, female-led sports show Vibe Check will land exclusively on Disney+ sometime during the month. Here's everything coming to Disney+ in June. Movies and complete series/seasons coming to Disney Plus in June 2025Arriving in JuneUnderdogs (Season 1) Vibe Check Arriving June 4Pupstruction (S2, 6 episodes) Arriving June 6Phineas and Ferb (Season 5) Arriving June 8Ocean with David Attenborough Arriving June 17SALLY Arriving June 20Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical Arriving June 24Ironheart Hulu + ESPN content coming to Disney+ in June 2025As in previous months, Disney+ subscribers will also have access to select content from Hulu and ESPN. This includes live events like Day 1 of all PGA TOUR LIVE events, Day 1 of Wimbledon, and the Dallas Wings vs. Seattle Storm WNBA match-up. Here's a sampling of what else is coming to Disney+: Snowfall 9-1-1: Lone Star Station 19 Class of ‘09 Cruel Summer Death and Other Details High Fidelity Alien: Resurrection A Real Pain Predators Prom Dates ESPNFC Pardon the Interruption The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny Full Court Press Vince's Places P.K.'s Places 30 for 30 View the full article

Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, said that search ads with AI Overviews are at a baseline, at the same level as search ads without AI Overviews, in terms of ad revenue per query. He added, and now it is just about going up from there, and with AI, he doesn't see it to a problem.View the full article

Switch, PS5, and XBox might be the biggest names in video games, but David Lee and a group of entrepreneurial alums from companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta are carving out a niche market with Nex, a new alternative. The company’s Nex Playground device has sold more than 200,000 units. Instead of buying individual games, families buy a subscription-based collection of 40-plus titles. Like the old Nintendo Wii, Nex focuses on family-friendly, movement-based games. The Nex device plugs into TVs for motion-controlled experiences. Instead of controllers, the device uses a built-in camera that enables you to play games by moving your hands and feet. With national retail expansion underway across 5,000 stores, Nex positions itself as a simpler alternative to pricier, fancier, thumb-based video games. Fast Company spoke with Lee, the founding CEO, about how Nex competes against industry giants and how the company develops distinct hardware and games. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. How do you position Nex in relation to Nintendo and Xbox? We all have a focus on core customers. Nintendo went back to what they were doing—handheld gaming and Mario—their biggest franchises. Xbox users are gamers, people who got an Xbox to play games like Halo. When Microsoft was under pressure from PS4’s lower price, they unbundled Kinect and collapsed that system to compete. We come into this space without any of those existing customers. We decided from the ground up to serve motion gaming. The design of our device, the pricing, how we use one camera to track multiple people, moving sensors into software and AI—it’s all about keeping it affordable with a subscription service that takes care of the whole family. Why did you build a dedicated device after starting with mobile apps? Before we built Nex Playground, we were building motion games on phones. What we discovered is that when we create dedicated hardware instead, we have a much deeper relationship with customers. When there’s a device where the only thing it does is bring the family together to play active games, it shows big potential. When you use your TV for a motion-game experience, you pay much more attention to it than you would to a game on your phone. The experience is a lot better, and customers love it more. How are families using Nex in ways you didn’t expect? When we started searching for customers and building our Facebook community, which now has over 20,000 people, we discovered new use cases. We found that when kids come back from school, we have a half-hour where they just play. On weekends, they play when friends come over. We’ve also found that when kids are at school, parents want fitness experiences for themselves. Even grandparents derive benefits when they have something to do with their body. We’re defining what role we play for different people in the family, delivering benefits at different times of day, different days of the week, even different seasons of the year. In summer when kids are off school, we can occupy them and get them moving and learning. What’s your approach to developing games in a saturated market? We’re focusing on safety, privacy, and security first since we’re serving families. We have our first-party teams building games, but we also work with ten studio deals already, with seven games launched. We bring in partners whose games we like, and we share revenue with them. We want to keep our model simple—we have our subscription model and want to supply and delight users all year. We don’t want to open the system to many games that might be low quality. We’re curating a set of content and working with developers who are passionate about creating great things. Our business model is simple, honest, and sustainable—no ads, no in-app purchases. The moment you open to third parties, they think about different ways to make money. For families, we don’t want to overwhelm them—we just want to serve them really well. How do you keep up with hardware competition? We think about our hardware in a similar way to how Amazon thinks about the Kindle or Apple thinks about the iPad. Every year, we want to do something better to create perfect experiences. For example, we improved the remote control from 2023 to 2024. We learned that the joystick was a little hard for young kids to use—I saw my daughter struggling to press it—so we made it simpler. We’re always looking at what problems people face and how to improve. The hardware cycle is yearly, and we might be able to do something new each year. But we’re not thinking about something dramatically different—we have a pretty good long trajectory ahead. A lot of improvements actually come through software. With the same hardware, you get access to new technology we develop as detection technologies get better. We don’t want to force customers to buy new hardware to play something new. We think about compatibility and how not to fully obsolete customers. This is a device that can serve your family for years to come. Given how much attention is paid to Nintendo’s new Switch, how are people discovering Nex? According to our surveys, roughly 40% of customers hear about us from friends and families. The next-largest segment, about 20%, comes from our online ads. Another 13% first see us in retail stores. Currently, we’re in 700 Target stores, 100 Walmart locations, and 200 Best Buy stores. This year, we have a national retail expansion to over 5,000 stores. Amazon is also now recognizing us as a new gaming system category—if you look at Amazon video games, they put Nex Playground right next to PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch as top-level tabs, even though we’re way smaller than any of them. What’s your long-term vision for Nex? We want to keep kids active, bring families together, and even help keep elderly people active so they can stay independent. We want to tie your family together locally and remotely. We’re happy seeing more grandparents buying Nex for their grandkids and then saying “I want one too.” View the full article

Commuters in the New York City and New Jersey area are in for what is likely to be a weekend of increased congestion and more limited transit options after the engineers who run the New Jersey Transit rail system voted to go on strike. That strike is now in effect and could continue throughout the weekend—and potentially even longer. Here’s what you need to know about the NJ Transit strike. What’s happened? On Thursday, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) announced that its members who run the trains in the New Jersey Transit Corporation, better known as NJ Transit, were officially on strike. The strike came after the BLET and NJ Transit failed to reach a deal on a new contract for the approximately 450 engineers and trainees who run the railway and are represented by the union. The main issue centers around a disagreement on wage increases for the workers. News of the strike is no doubt a disappointment to the 100,000 NYC and NJ commuters who use the line daily, especially after both sides were reportedly “close” to a deal. Talks between both sides went on for 15 hours on Thursday and ended shortly before 10 p.m., reports CNN. The strike then officially began at 12:01 a.m., today, Friday, May 16. It is the first time union members working for New Jersey Transit have gone on strike in 42 years. The last time NJ Transit workers took to the picket lines was in 1983. What do the striking rail workers want? The BLET’s union members are striking because no acceptable deal was reached on wage increases for its members. In a notice announcing the strike, BLET says that its NJ Transit members have not received a raise for five years. The union also notes that NJ Transit engineers “make at least $10 less per hour” than the engineers for other passenger railroads that share the same train platforms as the ones used by NJ Transit. “NJ Transit has a half-billion dollars for a swanky new headquarters and $53 million for decorating the interior of that unnecessary building,” BLET National President Mark Wallace said in a prepared statement. “They gave away $20 million in revenue during a fare holiday last year. They have money for penthouse views and pet projects, just not for their front-line workers. Enough is enough. We will stay out until our members receive the fair pay that they deserve.” In addition to the strike now in effect, from 4 a.m. this morning BLET members began picketing at multiple locations, including NJ Transit’s Newark headquarters, New York’s Penn Station, and the Atlantic City Rail Terminal in Atlantic City. The union says that “despite the transit agency having the funds for a raise,” NJ Transit managers walked out of talks before 10 p.m. on Thursday. What does NJ Transit say? NJ Transit, for its part, has posted a fact sheet about the strike, which lays out six claims and what the transit agency says are the “facts” about the claims. NJ Transit says that it offered BLET members a “competitive wage and benefits package that all 14 other rail labor unions accepted in 2021.” It also says that under its offer, NJ Transit locomotive engineers would have seen their average total earnings rise from $135,000 per year now to $172,856 as of July 1, 2027. The transit agency says these wages are “competitive within the region” and higher than the wages Philadelphia’s SEPTA workers receive. It concedes that the wages are lower than those received by MTA (Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road) workers in New York, but it adds, “It isn’t reasonable to live and work in New Jersey, but demand to be paid like you live and work in New York.” How long could the strike last? That is impossible to tell at this point. In theory, NJ Transit and BLET could agree to return to the negotiating table at any time—although that’s unlikely to happen today. However, on Thursday, NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said that both sides are currently scheduled to start negotiating again on Sunday. But just because negotiations are scheduled—or even begin—doesn’t mean the strike will be called off anytime soon. Indeed, if BLET would call off the strike, it may lessen the pressure on NJ Transit to meet their demands. CNN notes that when Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) workers went on strike in the 1980s, the strike lasted for 108 days. A strike of Metro-North workers lasted 42 days, and a strike of Long Island Railroad workers lasted 11 days. What should I do if I plan to use NJ Transit today? You should rethink your travel plans. NJ Transit has posted a notice warning of the “complete suspension” of services on its rail lines. The agency says it “strongly encourages all those who can work from home to do so and limit traveling on the NJ TRANSIT system to essential purposes only.” However, if you do need to commute, the agency says that it is “adding very limited capacity” to existing New York commuter routes on its bus services. The agency also says that from May 19, its regional Park & Ride service “will operate on a first come, first served basis.” Commuters who need to use NJ transit during the strike are strongely encouraged to check out the agency’s rail strike information page here. What if I’m seeing the Shakira or Beyoncé concerts? From this weekend, there are also two large music events planned in the area that NJ Transit normally serves. The first is the Shakira concert at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which begins at 7:30 p.m. tonight, May 16. Then, Beyoncé is scheduled to perform at the same stadium for five nights between May 22 and May 29. MetLife Stadium has posted some travel options for concertgoers who are seeing the Shakira show tonight. The stadium points out that there will be no NJ Transit bus or rail service to the stadium tonight. It says that those coming to the concert from New York City may be able to use the Coach USA bus service, which it says will be “limited.” The venue also asks people who plan to arrive by car to please carpool and arrive early to help ease congestion. Will Congress step in? When it comes to transportation strikes, Congress does have the authority to act and compel workers to accept a deal and return to their jobs, notes CNN. The last time Congress did this was in December 2022 when it voted to force workers from the country’s four major freight railroads to accept a deal. However, CNN points out that Congress likely felt more compelled to step in at that time because the strike affected most of the country. The NJ Transit strike is a local affair, which means Congress may be more reluctant to interfere. View the full article

Key Takeaways Influencer Earnings: The richest Instagram influencers can earn between six to seven figures per sponsored post, showcasing the financial potential of influencer marketing. Engagement Importance: High engagement rates are crucial; they lead to better visibility and more lucrative sponsorships, benefiting both influencers and brands. Diverse Influencer Types: The landscape includes both celebrity and non-celebrity influencers, each offering unique opportunities for targeted marketing strategies. Strategic Brand Partnerships: Successful collaborations align with influencer audiences, enhancing authenticity and driving brand awareness through sponsored content and product placements. Content Creation: Effective influencers utilize engaging storytelling through formats like Instagram Stories and videos to resonate with their followers more than traditional advertising. Data-Driven Insights: Using social media analytics to track engagement and follower growth helps in refining strategies and maximizing the return on investment for influencer collaborations. Instagram has transformed from a simple photo-sharing app into a powerful platform where influencers reign supreme. With millions of followers and lucrative brand partnerships, some individuals have turned their online presence into a goldmine. You might be surprised to learn just how much these influencers earn, often raking in six or even seven figures for a single post. In this article, we’ll dive into the world of the richest Instagram influencers, exploring who they are and what makes their content so compelling. From fashion moguls to fitness gurus, these trendsetters not only shape the industry but also redefine what it means to be successful in the digital age. Get ready to discover the names and figures behind the glitz and glamour of Instagram’s elite. Overview of Richest Instagram Influencers Instagram influencers leverage their platforms to generate substantial income, making influencer marketing a powerful strategy for small businesses. Influencers often earn from six to seven figures per post, highlighting their influence across various industries. Their content creation focuses on engaging storytelling, connecting with audiences through visually appealing posts, videos, and Instagram Stories. These top influencers shape social media trends and enhance brand awareness through strategic brand partnerships. By successfully employing effective hashtags and leveraging social media analytics, they maintain high engagement rates, vital for effective social media campaigns. Their ability to foster community management and customer interaction creates an authentic connection with followers, which small businesses can emulate to grow their own online presence. Incorporating influencer partnerships into your social media marketing strategy can improve organic reach and boost social media engagement. By collaborating with the right influencers, you can enhance brand consistency, optimize content sharing, and utilize their audience targeting skills, thereby achieving a higher return on investment (ROI) for your campaigns. Stay attentive to social media tools that can monitor the effectiveness of these influencer collaborations. Track progress through social media analytics to ensure alignment with your brand voice and narrative. By understanding the landscape of the richest Instagram influencers, you can position your small business to not only navigate but thrive in the competitive world of social media. Top Earners in the Industry The richest Instagram influencers leverage their massive social media followings to generate significant income through partnerships and endorsements. Their success showcases the potential of influencer marketing for small businesses. Celebrity Influencers Celebrity influencers dominate the Instagram landscape. They maintain high engagement rates and millions of followers, making them valuable for brand partnerships. For instance, Cristiano Ronaldo attracts 651 million followers and earns between $2.5 million to $3 million per sponsored post. Utilize his brand power and visibility when strategizing your social media marketing. Kylie Jenner, with 394 million followers, generates nearly $2.3 million to $2.386 million per post. Her brands, Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin, tap into beauty and fashion markets, demonstrating effective content creation and community management. Selena Gomez, boasting 421 million followers, earns about $2.5 million through paid partnerships. Her engagement rate is notable, with strategies that enhance brand awareness and storytelling through Rare Beauty. Celebrity influencers not only cultivate personal brands but also shape social media trends. You can learn from their multi-platform strategies to enhance your own online presence. Non-Celebrity Influencers Non-celebrity influencers also make significant income, often through niche markets. They typically engage with smaller, dedicated audiences, making them suitable for targeted campaigns. Examples include micro-influencers who focus on specific topics, from fitness to cooking. Fitness Influencers often share workout routines and meal plans, promoting wellness brands. They connect personally with their followers, driving customer interaction and engagement rates. Travel Influencers utilize stunning visuals and storytelling, collaborating with tourism boards and travel agencies. Their content showcases experiences, attracting social media followers who value authenticity and adventure. Non-celebrity influencers can enhance your social media strategy. Consider integrating their methods into your campaigns to build organic growth and brand consistency. Leveraging user-generated content and focused hashtags can further boost your organic reach across platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Factors Influencing Their Wealth Several elements contribute to the wealth of the richest Instagram influencers. These factors play a crucial role in maximizing their earnings and effectiveness on the platform. Engagement Rates Engagement rate significantly impacts influencer income. Higher engagement rates lead to better visibility and more lucrative sponsorships. Influencers with active followers generate more interactions through likes, comments, and shares on their posts. Small businesses benefit from partnering with influencers who maintain high engagement metrics. Such partnerships enhance brand awareness and attract new social media followers, driving organic growth for your brand. Brand Partnerships Brand partnerships are vital for influencers’ financial success. Successful collaborations often yield substantial revenue through sponsored content, product placements, and social media campaigns. Influencers carefully choose brands that align with their audience and maintain brand consistency. When you engage with influencers for marketing, ensure they embody your brand voice and values. This alignment fosters authenticity, appealing to their followers and enhancing customer interaction with your offerings. Utilizing influencer partnerships strategically can boost your small business’s online presence and improve social media ROI. Impact on Marketing Trends Richest Instagram influencers dramatically reshape marketing trends through their extensive reach and high engagement rates. These influencers create compelling content that resonates with their audiences, effectively driving brand awareness and fostering customer interaction. When you partner with such influencers, you tap into their ability to enhance your small business’s social media presence and boost organic reach. Influencer marketing poses significant advantages for social media campaigns. As you strategize, consider the impact these influencers have on consumer behavior. Their recommendations often lead to increased sales, as followers trust their endorsements. This trust translates to higher engagement rates, making your paid ads more effective when paired with influencer partnerships. Moreover, influencers excel in content creation, utilizing formats like Instagram stories and video content to captivate audiences. This style creates a dynamic environment that resonates more than traditional advertising methods. By harnessing their storytelling abilities and aligning with their brand voice, you create authentic connections with potential customers. Utilizing social media analytics helps in assessing the success of influencer partnerships. Metrics like engagement rates and follower growth provide insight into what works. Adjust your social media strategy based on data, and leverage tools that track performance across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Tailoring your content calendar to incorporate influencer collaborations ensures consistent messaging and maximizes the impact of your marketing efforts. Working with the richest Instagram influencers creates valuable opportunities to elevate your small business’s brand awareness and drive meaningful connections with your audience. As you explore these partnerships, keep an eye on the latest social media trends to maintain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving landscape of social media marketing. Conclusion The landscape of Instagram influencers is ever-evolving and filled with opportunities for brands and businesses. By understanding the dynamics of the richest influencers you can leverage their reach and engagement to enhance your marketing strategies. Whether you choose to collaborate with celebrity influencers or tap into the authenticity of non-celebrity influencers, the potential for growth is immense. These influencers not only drive trends but also foster genuine connections with their audiences. Embracing influencer partnerships can significantly elevate your brand’s visibility and credibility in the crowded social media space. Stay informed about the latest trends and adapt your approach to make the most of this powerful marketing tool. Frequently Asked Questions What is the main focus of the article on Instagram influencers? The article explores the evolution of Instagram from a simple photo-sharing app to a platform driven by influencers earning significant income, detailing who the richest influencers are and how they impact various industries. How do influencers make money on Instagram? Influencers generate income primarily through sponsored posts, brand partnerships, and product placements, often earning six or seven figures for a single post due to their extensive reach and high engagement rates. Who are some of the richest Instagram influencers mentioned? The article highlights celebrity influencers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylie Jenner, and Selena Gomez, who lead in followers and earnings, demonstrating their brand power on the platform. What is the difference between celebrity and non-celebrity influencers? Celebrity influencers have millions of followers and high earnings per post, while non-celebrity influencers, such as micro-influencers, engage smaller, niche audiences, making them ideal for targeted marketing campaigns. How do engagement rates influence influencer earnings? Higher engagement rates increase visibility and lead to more lucrative sponsorship opportunities, helping both influencers and partnering businesses to achieve better marketing outcomes. Why is influencer marketing beneficial for small businesses? Partnering with influencers helps small businesses enhance brand awareness and foster genuine connections with their audience, leading to increased sales and improved returns on social media investments. What content formats do influencers use to engage audiences effectively? Influencers often utilize captivating formats like Instagram stories, video content, and visually appealing posts to gather audience attention and create a dynamic online presence. How can businesses leverage social media analytics in influencer partnerships? Utilizing social media analytics allows businesses to measure the success of influencer collaborations, adjust their marketing strategies, and maximize their engagement and ROI in influencer-driven campaigns. Image Via Envato This article, "Unveiling the Richest Instagram Influencers and Their Impact on Modern Marketing" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Influencer Earnings: The richest Instagram influencers can earn between six to seven figures per sponsored post, showcasing the financial potential of influencer marketing. Engagement Importance: High engagement rates are crucial; they lead to better visibility and more lucrative sponsorships, benefiting both influencers and brands. Diverse Influencer Types: The landscape includes both celebrity and non-celebrity influencers, each offering unique opportunities for targeted marketing strategies. Strategic Brand Partnerships: Successful collaborations align with influencer audiences, enhancing authenticity and driving brand awareness through sponsored content and product placements. Content Creation: Effective influencers utilize engaging storytelling through formats like Instagram Stories and videos to resonate with their followers more than traditional advertising. Data-Driven Insights: Using social media analytics to track engagement and follower growth helps in refining strategies and maximizing the return on investment for influencer collaborations. Instagram has transformed from a simple photo-sharing app into a powerful platform where influencers reign supreme. With millions of followers and lucrative brand partnerships, some individuals have turned their online presence into a goldmine. You might be surprised to learn just how much these influencers earn, often raking in six or even seven figures for a single post. In this article, we’ll dive into the world of the richest Instagram influencers, exploring who they are and what makes their content so compelling. From fashion moguls to fitness gurus, these trendsetters not only shape the industry but also redefine what it means to be successful in the digital age. Get ready to discover the names and figures behind the glitz and glamour of Instagram’s elite. Overview of Richest Instagram Influencers Instagram influencers leverage their platforms to generate substantial income, making influencer marketing a powerful strategy for small businesses. Influencers often earn from six to seven figures per post, highlighting their influence across various industries. Their content creation focuses on engaging storytelling, connecting with audiences through visually appealing posts, videos, and Instagram Stories. These top influencers shape social media trends and enhance brand awareness through strategic brand partnerships. By successfully employing effective hashtags and leveraging social media analytics, they maintain high engagement rates, vital for effective social media campaigns. Their ability to foster community management and customer interaction creates an authentic connection with followers, which small businesses can emulate to grow their own online presence. Incorporating influencer partnerships into your social media marketing strategy can improve organic reach and boost social media engagement. By collaborating with the right influencers, you can enhance brand consistency, optimize content sharing, and utilize their audience targeting skills, thereby achieving a higher return on investment (ROI) for your campaigns. Stay attentive to social media tools that can monitor the effectiveness of these influencer collaborations. Track progress through social media analytics to ensure alignment with your brand voice and narrative. By understanding the landscape of the richest Instagram influencers, you can position your small business to not only navigate but thrive in the competitive world of social media. Top Earners in the Industry The richest Instagram influencers leverage their massive social media followings to generate significant income through partnerships and endorsements. Their success showcases the potential of influencer marketing for small businesses. Celebrity Influencers Celebrity influencers dominate the Instagram landscape. They maintain high engagement rates and millions of followers, making them valuable for brand partnerships. For instance, Cristiano Ronaldo attracts 651 million followers and earns between $2.5 million to $3 million per sponsored post. Utilize his brand power and visibility when strategizing your social media marketing. Kylie Jenner, with 394 million followers, generates nearly $2.3 million to $2.386 million per post. Her brands, Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin, tap into beauty and fashion markets, demonstrating effective content creation and community management. Selena Gomez, boasting 421 million followers, earns about $2.5 million through paid partnerships. Her engagement rate is notable, with strategies that enhance brand awareness and storytelling through Rare Beauty. Celebrity influencers not only cultivate personal brands but also shape social media trends. You can learn from their multi-platform strategies to enhance your own online presence. Non-Celebrity Influencers Non-celebrity influencers also make significant income, often through niche markets. They typically engage with smaller, dedicated audiences, making them suitable for targeted campaigns. Examples include micro-influencers who focus on specific topics, from fitness to cooking. Fitness Influencers often share workout routines and meal plans, promoting wellness brands. They connect personally with their followers, driving customer interaction and engagement rates. Travel Influencers utilize stunning visuals and storytelling, collaborating with tourism boards and travel agencies. Their content showcases experiences, attracting social media followers who value authenticity and adventure. Non-celebrity influencers can enhance your social media strategy. Consider integrating their methods into your campaigns to build organic growth and brand consistency. Leveraging user-generated content and focused hashtags can further boost your organic reach across platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Factors Influencing Their Wealth Several elements contribute to the wealth of the richest Instagram influencers. These factors play a crucial role in maximizing their earnings and effectiveness on the platform. Engagement Rates Engagement rate significantly impacts influencer income. Higher engagement rates lead to better visibility and more lucrative sponsorships. Influencers with active followers generate more interactions through likes, comments, and shares on their posts. Small businesses benefit from partnering with influencers who maintain high engagement metrics. Such partnerships enhance brand awareness and attract new social media followers, driving organic growth for your brand. Brand Partnerships Brand partnerships are vital for influencers’ financial success. Successful collaborations often yield substantial revenue through sponsored content, product placements, and social media campaigns. Influencers carefully choose brands that align with their audience and maintain brand consistency. When you engage with influencers for marketing, ensure they embody your brand voice and values. This alignment fosters authenticity, appealing to their followers and enhancing customer interaction with your offerings. Utilizing influencer partnerships strategically can boost your small business’s online presence and improve social media ROI. Impact on Marketing Trends Richest Instagram influencers dramatically reshape marketing trends through their extensive reach and high engagement rates. These influencers create compelling content that resonates with their audiences, effectively driving brand awareness and fostering customer interaction. When you partner with such influencers, you tap into their ability to enhance your small business’s social media presence and boost organic reach. Influencer marketing poses significant advantages for social media campaigns. As you strategize, consider the impact these influencers have on consumer behavior. Their recommendations often lead to increased sales, as followers trust their endorsements. This trust translates to higher engagement rates, making your paid ads more effective when paired with influencer partnerships. Moreover, influencers excel in content creation, utilizing formats like Instagram stories and video content to captivate audiences. This style creates a dynamic environment that resonates more than traditional advertising methods. By harnessing their storytelling abilities and aligning with their brand voice, you create authentic connections with potential customers. Utilizing social media analytics helps in assessing the success of influencer partnerships. Metrics like engagement rates and follower growth provide insight into what works. Adjust your social media strategy based on data, and leverage tools that track performance across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Tailoring your content calendar to incorporate influencer collaborations ensures consistent messaging and maximizes the impact of your marketing efforts. Working with the richest Instagram influencers creates valuable opportunities to elevate your small business’s brand awareness and drive meaningful connections with your audience. As you explore these partnerships, keep an eye on the latest social media trends to maintain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving landscape of social media marketing. Conclusion The landscape of Instagram influencers is ever-evolving and filled with opportunities for brands and businesses. By understanding the dynamics of the richest influencers you can leverage their reach and engagement to enhance your marketing strategies. Whether you choose to collaborate with celebrity influencers or tap into the authenticity of non-celebrity influencers, the potential for growth is immense. These influencers not only drive trends but also foster genuine connections with their audiences. Embracing influencer partnerships can significantly elevate your brand’s visibility and credibility in the crowded social media space. Stay informed about the latest trends and adapt your approach to make the most of this powerful marketing tool. Frequently Asked Questions What is the main focus of the article on Instagram influencers? The article explores the evolution of Instagram from a simple photo-sharing app to a platform driven by influencers earning significant income, detailing who the richest influencers are and how they impact various industries. How do influencers make money on Instagram? Influencers generate income primarily through sponsored posts, brand partnerships, and product placements, often earning six or seven figures for a single post due to their extensive reach and high engagement rates. Who are some of the richest Instagram influencers mentioned? The article highlights celebrity influencers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylie Jenner, and Selena Gomez, who lead in followers and earnings, demonstrating their brand power on the platform. What is the difference between celebrity and non-celebrity influencers? Celebrity influencers have millions of followers and high earnings per post, while non-celebrity influencers, such as micro-influencers, engage smaller, niche audiences, making them ideal for targeted marketing campaigns. How do engagement rates influence influencer earnings? Higher engagement rates increase visibility and lead to more lucrative sponsorship opportunities, helping both influencers and partnering businesses to achieve better marketing outcomes. Why is influencer marketing beneficial for small businesses? Partnering with influencers helps small businesses enhance brand awareness and foster genuine connections with their audience, leading to increased sales and improved returns on social media investments. What content formats do influencers use to engage audiences effectively? Influencers often utilize captivating formats like Instagram stories, video content, and visually appealing posts to gather audience attention and create a dynamic online presence. How can businesses leverage social media analytics in influencer partnerships? Utilizing social media analytics allows businesses to measure the success of influencer collaborations, adjust their marketing strategies, and maximize their engagement and ROI in influencer-driven campaigns. Image Via Envato This article, "Unveiling the Richest Instagram Influencers and Their Impact on Modern Marketing" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own. Baking bread isn't for everyone, and I get it: Spending hours (or days) making one “simple” staple item that you could easily purchase at the store for a few dollars is arguably absurd. I fully accept that I may never be able to bring folks who feel this way over to the other side, and that’s fine. But what about the home cooks who are intrigued, rather than bothered, by the idea of bread baking? Despite generations-worth of recipes and tips, yeast-raised loaves are notoriously finicky, and nothing will defeat your spirit quite like tossing your third dense and doughy sourdough attempt into the compost bin. That’s why I chose to spotlight Bread Baking for Beginners this week. This cookbook creates a safe space where you can build the confidence and know-how you'll need for your illustrious future as a bread baker. A bit about the bookAs you can tell from the title, Bread Baking for Beginners has clear intentions. Author Bonnie Ohara has been the owner and baker of Alchemy Bread since 2014, and her experience of slingin' dough comes through on every page. She has a kind and teacherly way of instructing you on bread baking in this cookbook, and frankly, it’s a breath of fresh air in contrast to the aloof, know-it-all approach you’ll find all over the internet. This cookbook has a somewhat curriculum-style progression, but without ever feeling like a textbook. It’s actually quite approachable: Starting with terminology and equipment, and then moving from simple no-knead breads over to kneaded breads, and proceeding to enriched breads and sourdough starters, Ohara teaches you how to walk before you run. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann A great cookbook for the wannabe bread-headBeing a beginner at something is a vulnerable state. A messed up loaf of bread is akin to rejection, and a lot of people can’t handle that feeling. That’s why it’s important to have a good teacher. Throughout the pages of Bread Baking for Beginners, Ohara is there to cheer you on, and I fully believe that kind of supportive encouragement is what can keep a new baker coming back to the kitchen after a failed loaf or two. Ohara’s encouragement is never exaggerated or disingenuous. She has her own way of letting you know that perfection isn’t the goal. A little wiggle to your ficelle? It’s character! Your dough hasn’t risen enough? Don’t worry, it’s totally normal to adjust the proofing time on the fly. Every recipe is easy to start, with a short headnote and even shorter ingredient list, and the instructions are always clear. I appreciate that each recipe includes how to shape and how to check for proofing, because that can look and feel different depending on the type of bread you’re making. And what’s a lesson without a Q&A session? Common problems and helpful FAQs sections appear throughout. You’ll get likely answers for why your dough was too dense and why it exploded out of the bottom instead of the score mark. She'll offer suggestions on what to do if your loaf is seemingly ruined. Of course this is helpful for next time, but it also normalizes the act of messing up: It's all a part of learning. But unlike in math class, you can snack on your mistakes. The bread I made this weekI don’t normally go for no-knead breads, but I think they are the most welcoming recipes for new bread bakers. Clearly Ohara agrees, because they’re in the first chapter. From her offerings, I made the Master Recipe for No-Knead Breads. As may be expected, it is a classic four-ingredient lean bread. You can’t get simpler than flour, water, salt, and yeast. I’m not new to bread baking (you can peep my sourdough boule recipe here), so I was a little surprised to see all-purpose flour used. Bread flour is usually the go-to for its higher gluten content, which leads to better structure and increased elasticity. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I flipped to the front to check out the author’s thoughts on the ingredient choice and she makes it clear that not only has she had success with regular all-purpose flour, but that it’s more accessible for most home cooks. I respect this choice. If a person can be successful with fewer obstacles, then they can make the switch on their own if and when they choose. However, a kitchen scale is also required (all of the measurements are in grams with no volume option), so there is still some expectation you'll acquire the right tools before getting started. (Personally, I'd switch to bread flour for this type of recipe.) Her no-knead bread is as simple as promised. I weighed my ingredients and mashed them all up with a wooden spoon as thoroughly as I could without it qualifying as kneading. As long as you aren't using expired yeast, I can’t see this bread failing to come to life. Ohara is very clear about ambient temperatures and reminds you of the ideal conditions for the best rise. Even with that advice, and a decade of bread baking under my belt, I managed to overproof my no-knead dough, but I’m not mad about it. The loaf came out light and evenly aerated. It strikes me as a good sandwich bread. And it's Bread Baking 101 that it takes a few trials to learn the personality of a new bread recipe. I’ll try it again soon enough. How to buy itI normally grab the hardcover for cookbooks, but I actually went with the softcover this week. It’s a great price, and since it’s more of a learning cookbook than a display piece, I figure I won’t feel as bad if the pages get flour, oil, or water marks on them. If you haven’t been lately, take a walk to your nearest bookstore and see if you can find it on the shelves. Bread Baking for Beginners: The Essential Guide to Baking Kneaded Breads, No-Knead Breads, and Enriched Breads $9.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $19.99 Save $10.00 Shop Now Shop Now $9.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $19.99 Save $10.00 View the full article

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Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web. Google confirmed ads with AI Overviews make as much as ads without AI Overviews on the page...View the full article

This week, we covered, you guessed it, more Google search ranking volatility. Google also said they are rethinking its search stack from the ground up because of LLMs. Google is testing AI Overviews in more regions and languages prior to Google I/O/ Google is testing AI Mode buttons throughout Google...View the full article

Your video strategy isn’t working unless it’s search-friendly. Get real tactics to boost visibility where it matters. The post The Intersection Of Video SEO And Social Media: Tactics To Win appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

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Public relations (PR) is no longer just a supporting tactic, it’s becoming a core strategy for brands looking to stay visible in the age of AI search. AI-powered search engines increasingly rely on brand mentions, reputation, and authority signals pulled from across the web – areas where PR excels. In this new landscape, the question isn’t whether PR matters to search – it’s how much it now leads the charge. AI is changing human content discovery habits The rise of AI-powered search engines is radically changing how people discover information online. Traditional “blue links” on Google’s search results pages (SERPs) are being displaced by: AI-generated summaries like Google’s AI Overviews. Conversational interfaces like ChatGPT and Claude. Standalone AI search platforms like Perplexity AI and Bing Copilot. ChatGPT alone has seen impressive growth, doubling its users in the past six months and reaching 400 million weekly active users by February 2025. The product’s web search capabilities are hailed as a killer feature. Google is also no longer the search engine it used to be. It’s adopting AI search, in the form of AI Overviews and AI Mode. AI Overviews appear on billions of searches per day, so clearly, people are increasingly relying on conversational answers rather than sifting through multiple search results. Meanwhile, the “zero-click” phenomenon – where users find their answers without clicking on a website – is growing, further diminishing the value of traditional organic listings. Zero-click searches now account for some 60% of all Google searches, per a recent SparkToro study. Traditional SEO is about driving organic search referral traffic to your website. Optimizing for AI search is about surfacing your brand name in the context of answers and summaries. On the other hand, people do still click through from AI answers to websites. Media sources that appear in these overviews can enjoy more clicks, while some research shows that sources that don’t show up see declining performance. For example: Transactional queries: Web pages featured in AI Overviews receive 3.2 times more clicks than those in the traditional “blue link” results below. Informational queries: Pages included in AI Overviews get 1.5 times more clicks than those that don’t appear. Source: “Exploring the Impact of AIOs on Web Traffic,” Terakeet LLMs surface content very differently from traditional web search. AI search prioritizes entities (like brands and people), reputation, and authority signals gathered from across the web, alongside traditional SEO factors like backlinks and content relevance. This means that brands must optimize not just for keywords, but for contextual reputation and entity prominence. On the other hand, there is reason to believe that LLMs could be drawing information from SERPs. Up to 75% of the links surfaced in Google’s AI Overviews come from pages that already rank in the top 12 traditional organic search results, a 2024 study found. This shows a heavy reliance on established authority while introducing greater emphasis on entity recognition in Google’s AI algorithms. Even when AI models look beyond high-ranked SEO material, they are likely to turn to the same sites that traditional search engines view as authoritative. The overlap is nowhere near 100%, but it’s high enough to inform your earned media strategy. The sources that AI search engines prioritize typically include: Timely and authoritative news websites. Reputable industry publications. Knowledge platforms. Discussion forums. These are the types of media properties that PR firms have close relationships with. What AI search means for the role of PR Historically, PR complemented SEO by earning high-value, organic backlinks, securing brand mentions, and building credibility through media placements. Coverage in reputable outlets helped drive organic traffic and strengthen a site’s domain authority, influencing Google’s ranking factors. Today, classic PR tactics are being reimagined for the AI era. PR-driven mentions in high-authority media now influence human readers and inform AI training models. Fractl’s Kelsey Libert observes that: While “earning backlinks from high-authority sites was the golden ticket to building domain authority, trust signals, and rankings,” that’s not necessarily the case any more. “LLMs don’t ‘rank’ content the same way Google does. They don’t crawl and index live web pages. They generate responses based on pre-trained data, considering word frequency, contextual relevance, and surrounding content,” she adds. While AI search relies heavily on training data, some models also draw on real-time web data, and new tech like RAG-integrated AI agents may also soon change these dynamics. Many leading AI search solutions are built more directly on data from existing search engines (such as Google’s AI Overviews). Others are more independent (such as Perplexity AI, which prioritizes high-quality, frequently searched topics based on user behavior). “PR pros are perfectly positioned to help brands become discoverable through AI,” Orbit Media’s Andy Crestodina explains. “The goal is a large, visible digital footprint, but with AI, it’s more about providing rich, descriptive content that the AI can understand and recommend. It’s less about traditional links and more about ensuring your brand and expertise are well-represented in text.” This shift demands a recalibration of PR goals. It’s not enough to land a link or even a mention – the content must associate your brand with key topics and attributes in ways AI can easily ingest, understand, and reference. Dig deeper: Your 2025 playbook for AI-powered cross-channel brand visibility Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. PR mentions and authority signals for AI AI systems are hungry for high-quality, context-rich signals when generating answers. Brand mentions in trusted publications are now critical to building topical authority and entity recognition. About 61% of the signals that inform AI’s understanding of brand reputation originate from editorial media sources, recent analysis from Hard Numbers concludes. Source: Reputation in the Age of AI, Hard Numbers Consistency also matters to cement your brand association. If your brand steadily appears in the same contextual topics, such as creativity, reliability, accessibility, or innovation, the AI will learn to connect it with those brand values. In a similar vein, research by Kevin Indig indicates that brand search volume correlates strongly with visibility in AI chatbot searches. This points to the importance of using PR to build buzz around your brand name, as opposed to your product category’s keyword clusters. Source: What content works well in LLMs?, Kevin Indig This also reinforces the argument that frequent mentions are vital for shaping the ways that AI perceives your brand. Influential mentions have outsized importance, making it crucial to choose your PR targets wisely, and it’s worth it to stay active in conversations on trusted platforms. Specific factors contributing to entity authority in AI include: Trustworthiness of the mentioning source: Mentions in trade publications and local news outlets carry more weight than brand blogs. Contextual alignment: Mentions must consistently associate the brand with specific expertise or values. Structured data support: Brands backed by knowledge panels, Wikidata entries, and schema.org markup are better recognized by AI systems. Because AI search blends traditional ranking signals with newer, entity-based reasoning, strategic PR placements directly influence how AI “understands” and “recommends” brands. In the months ahead, we’re likely to see PR agencies (or hybrid PR-SEO agencies) release case studies demonstrating how they boosted a client’s visibility in AI answers thanks to earned media mentions. For now, we can chew on a report from Semrush that identified a leaderboard of websites currently enjoying more traffic referrals from ChatGPT than from Google blue links. These domains span industries and mainstream recognition, suggesting that their earned media strategies have yielded these results. For example, a software product for insurance appraisers has steadily seen around 100 backlinks pointing to its domain over the past two years, according to Ahrefs. The company has secured far more media mentions in the same time period, per Muck Rack Trends. How marketers can adapt to this new reality To future-proof your search visibility, marketers and SEOs must think differently. Here’s how to integrate PR into your AI search strategy effectively: Collaborate closely with PR teams. SEO and PR can no longer operate in silos. Align on target topics, audiences, and messaging. Prioritize high-quality mentions. Target media outlets and influencers that are seen as authoritative by both humans and AI engines. Build strong topical authority. Consistently secure coverage around core topics you want to own in AI search results. Be quotable. Craft unique insights, data points, or provocative quotes that journalists and bloggers want to cite. Focus on entity optimization. Ensure your brand is well-represented in structured data, Wikipedia, Google’s knowledge graph, and other trusted databases. Monitor your brand mentions. Leading brand monitoring tools can help you track how and where your brand is referenced, often yielding ideas for more coverage. There are also some emerging solutions for tracking AI answer visibility trends. Measure differently. Watch for upticks in branded search volume, direct traffic, and mentions in AI summaries. These are the new KPIs for search success. Dig deeper: How to optimize your 2025 content strategy for AI-powered SERPs and LLMs PR is the future of search visibility AI search is reshaping the rules of discovery, elevating brand reputation, mentions, and authority over traditional SEO tactics. In this new environment, PR has shifted from being a supporting act to a starring role in digital marketing strategies. Brands that invest today in strategic, AI-savvy PR – earning influential mentions, building consistent topical authority, and proactively shaping their digital footprints across domains – will be the ones leading tomorrow’s search landscape. The future of search isn’t just about links and keywords. It’s about being talked about accurately, contextually, and authoritatively, in the right places, and by the right voices. In the age of AI, visibility begins with reputation. If you’re not being mentioned, you’re not being found. View the full article

Last month we shared the spam efforts the Google Maps team announced - but did you know that in 2024 Google had almost one billion reviews published within Google Maps? That is 999 million reviews, 752 million photos and videos and 94 million place edits published just in 2024.View the full article

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Cory Joseph has been blind since birth. So he’s among the people Apple aims to serve with an addition to its App Store called “Accessibility Nutrition Labels,” one of a raft of features the company announced earlier this week to mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Once the labels go live later this year, each app’s listing will detail the accessibility features it supports, such as the VoiceOver screen reader, voice input, options to adjust text size and screen contrast, and captioned audio. These enabling technologies can be the difference between an app being essential and unusable: “Having this level of transparency from the App Store is huge,” says Joseph. He isn’t just one of the users who will benefit from that information, though. As a principal accessibility solutions architect at CVS Health, Joseph is in the business of making sure software works for everybody. Given his employer’s scale—it’s the world’s second-largest healthcare company by revenue and reaches 100 million people a day—it’s a job with the potential for deep real-world impact. When using CVS’s apps, “everyone’s trying to find the best care, and we want to make sure that’s barrier-free for everyone,” explains Joseph. The 6-year-old team he’s on has been responsible for achievements that go well beyond taking advantage of the core accessibility features offered by Apple and other platform providers. In 2020, for instance, the company introduced a CVS Pharmacy app feature called Spoken Rx—“a baby of mine,” Joseph says. Special radio-frequency identification (RFID) labels on prescription containers enable it to read aloud vital information such as dosage instructions. CVS Health has also made some of its investments in accessibility freely available to other developers by open-sourcing them, including iOS and Android code, an automated system for testing website usability, and tools for annotating web designs in Figma. As a field, accessibility has come a long way since Apple first dedicated a team to it, initially known as the Office of Special Education. Over 40 years, the company has built a wealth of functionality into its products to facilitate their use by people with disabilities, including the technologies that make the iPhone useful even if you can’t see its touchscreen interface. Some of its recent advances, such as on-device generation of custom synthetic voices, would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. This week’s announcements even include support for brain-computer interfaces. By contrast, there’s nothing gee-whizzy about the Accessibility Nutrition Labels themselves. They just summarize the features that a given app has enabled. But by doing that in such a straightforward, prominent way, they’ll not only aid millions of users but also give some glory to the software makers who take accessible design seriously. Rather than be embarrassed by listings that make their lack of effort obvious, developers who don’t yet have much to brag about might finally get with the program. Joseph hopes that the labels’ associations are only positive. “It’s easy to think about this sort of thing as a badge of shame, and I think that’s not the right way to think about this,” he told me. “This is an opportunity for independent developers, large organizations, and everyone in between to highlight the good work they do.” Even though Joseph works for a company that has dedicated significant mindshare and money to that good work, he’s up front about the obstacles to rapid progress that large companies face, even when they have all the right intentions. “I would be lying if I said that there aren’t challenges,” he told me. “We’re a gigantic organization. There are challenges in every gigantic organization. Of course, we balance all of our work and plan everything out as best as we can, and we deliver the most successful experience that we can across our applications.” The good news, he adds, is that CVS Health-size resources aren’t necessary to make software accessible. “Realistically, it’s easier for smaller developers,” he says. “They can move more quickly, they can update their code faster, and they can adapt to and take in their user feedback in real time and make those changes by engaging directly. For independent and smaller developers, this shouldn’t be a burden.” I find that take heartening. And if Joseph is right that app creators don’t have to be humongous to get inclusive design right, Accessibility Nutrition Labels will soon prove it. You’ve been reading Plugged In, Fast Company’s weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to you—or if you’re reading it on FastCompany.com—you can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company Donald The President says he’s our ‘crypto president,’ but he’s tanking its best shot at adoption The president’s deep involvement in the crypto industry is raising red flags in Washington, leading to the collapse of a key stablecoin bill. Read More → AI is printing the rocket engine that could beat SpaceX at its own game Leap 71 is developing AI to build rocket engines faster and cheaper than ever before. Read More → Couples are saying ‘I do’ in ‘Minecraft’ as virtual weddings become more popular More couples are tying the knot in digital worlds, saving money and celebrating love in the places they met online. Read More → Apple teams up with a brain-computer startup to turn thoughts into device control The tech giant is working with Synchron to develop neural interfaces that let users control Apple devices with their brains. Read More → Meta is building a new data center in Louisiana—and this Senate committee wants to know why it’s being powered by gas (exclusive) The local utility says Meta’s AI data center requires three new natural gas plants. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is asking how this fits with Meta’s climate goals. Read More → These 5 free AI-powered Chrome extensions make Gmail so much better Significantly improve your Gmail experience without breaking the bank. Read More→ View the full article

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