👋 Welcome back Reader

This week in The Roundup we're discussing:

→ The importance of your personal experience
→ The latest social media updates
→ The rise of building a personal brand

Let's dive in...

🔥 There's something missing from your blog posts...

I’m a big believer in content marketing. But for many reasons, it’s becoming harder to stand out amongst the crowd.

Mass produced AI-generated content doesn't help either!

Yes, AI can churn out generic posts in seconds. But it can't share real experiences, insights and expertise.

And that’s where you have an advantage.

One of the best ways to make your content more valuable is by incorporating expert opinions and personal experiences.

Or in other words the E-E-A-T framework that Google highlights this its Search Quality Rater Guidelines. This stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness.

Think about how you can include these factors in your next blog post.

Maybe you reach out to an expert in your industry for a quote, compile insights from other experts, include case studies or share your own personal experience.

Your unique experiences and insights are what makes your content stand out, don’t be afraid to share them!

📰 In the news

Instagram moves ahead with Blends testing, a new feature for sharing Reels with friends in the DMs
Instagram working on a Community Chat feature that allows people to organise groups of up to 250 people (a bit like Discord)
Instagram testing AI-powered search links above the comment section
TikTok shares best practices for engaging photo posts – the main takeaway being don't think of photo posting as a photo dump, instead tell a complete story with a clear beginning, middle and end.
TikTok adding more teen safety features including a 10pm prompt to log off
Bluesky gets three-minute videos and a filter to help with DM spam

💭 From my desk

Unsurprisingly, search queries for "personal brand" have been rising significantly over the last few years. But it feels like lately everyone is focused on building theirs. And with so many success stories out there, it’s easy to see why!

But the big question is: how do you actually do it?

The key lies in sharing your experiences, successes and lessons learned. Your personal brand isn’t just about what you do. It’s about who you are, what you stand for and the unique perspective you bring to the table.

Think about the people you follow online. There are thousands of people you could follow and subscribe to, what makes you choose to follow and subscribe to that particular person? Chances are, you connect with them because of their personality, their values and the way they share their journey.

Google’s E-E-A-T framework doesn’t just apply to websites, it’s just as important for building a strong personal brand. Sharing your own experiences, insights and real-life stories helps establish trust and makes your content uniquely yours.

So, what’s your story? What could you share to help or inspire others?