Welcome back to the Weekly Side‑Income Roundup.
This week is packed. Social behavior is shifting fast, privacy rules are tightening, AI policy is heating up, and the platforms we rely on are rewriting the playbook under our feet.
Here’s what we’re diving into today:
- The 12 insights reshaping social engagement this holiday season
- Tools that give you a competitive edge in 2025
- Quick wins from search trends and privacy shifts
- A new OMC guide for affiliate marketers heading into 2026
- AI policy moves with major implications for creators
Let’s get into it.
THIS WEEK’S BIG IDEA
12 Social Insights That Will Make or Break Your Holiday Marketing
Holiday season isn’t just a sales moment, it’s a stress test for your brand’s entire social strategy.
Every message, delay, reply, or missed opportunity gets amplified.
This breakdown from Emplifi walks through 12 data-backed insights that reveal one clear truth: social media is no longer “marketing,” it’s the customer experience.
A few standouts from the full article you provided:
- Consumers want daily posting, not silence.
- Representation boosts conversions because people buy from brands that feel relatable.
- UGC is the new credibility, more trusted than anything a brand publishes.
- Speed = satisfaction, customers expect replies in minutes, not days.
- Humor drives purchases, emotion still beats polish.
- And the big one: reviews rule the final decision, across nearly every demographic.
Our Take: Holiday performance in 2025 and 2026 will come down to trust, speed, and responsiveness. Not more content, more connection. If you apply even three of these insights this week, your engagement will rise immediately.
TOOLS OF THE WEEK
Mobile Marketing With RCS: The Next Upgrade to SMSRCS (Rich Communication Services) is quietly becoming one of the most powerful mobile marketing channels. This Martech guide breaks down what it is, why major carriers are pushing it, and how it enables richer customer interactions than SMS.
How to Run a Competitor Analysis That Actually Helps You Win
Sprout Social’s deep dive shows how to spot competitor gaps, content patterns, and opportunities you can take advantage of right now. Great for solopreneurs who feel “behind.”
Our Take: RCS is about to change mobile engagement, and competitor analysis is how you steal attention early. Pair these two this week and improve both your messaging and your positioning.
TODAY’S QUICK WINS
Google Just Released Key Search Trends for 2026From rising categories to changing buyer behavior, this search trend report gives you fast directional insight for content, offers, and keywords.
Privacy, Not AI, Is the Biggest Marketing Shift ComingThis Martech analysis argues the next marketing disruption isn’t AI… it’s privacy rules shaping how data gets tracked, used, and restricted.
Our Take: Act on one trend and one privacy shift. Combine a rising search topic with stronger trust-based content and you’ll stay ahead while others scramble to “fix” their funnels later.
FROM OMC
Affiliate Marketing for 2026: How to Use AI to Find Niches, Write Funnels, and Scale
We just published a full breakdown on how affiliate marketers can use AI to spot profitable niches, write smarter funnels, and grow without burnout.
Our Take: Affiliate marketing is shifting from volume to precision. AI makes that easier than ever. If you want a simple, low-risk model for 2026, start here.
AI SPOTLIGHT
Inside Trump’s AI Policy Push and What It Means for Creators
Axios breaks down the GOP’s new AI agenda and how it could reshape regulation, model access, training data rules, and creator protections.
Our Take: Don’t get caught in the political noise. The real signal is this: regulation is coming. Creators who build strong brands, communities, and first-party data will be the least affected.
UNTIL NEXT WEEK…
You don’t need a complicated plan. Just pick one action:
- Apply one of the “12 insights” to your social posting this week
- Run a quick competitor analysis using the new guide
- Choose one search trend and build content around it
- Tighten your privacy messaging before 2025 enforcement kicks in
Small moves compound. Momentum beats perfection.
Talk soon,
Aidan
P.S. Keep an eye on your inbox Wednesday. I’m going to be dropping my full list of PREDICTIONS for 2026. Some of these are going to shock you!
