Every few months I like to hit pause and ask myself the same question I ask my clients: is your social media a commercial, or is it a conversation?

Summer’s here, which means pool days, longer evenings, and (if you’re anything like me) a slower pace to finally catch up on everything you meant to get to earlier this year. So before things get any busier, I want to slow down for a second and make sure you didn’t miss anything important.

Here’s what’s actually worked for our clients so far in 2026, boiled down to three ideas, what I’ve learned watching them play out, and what I want you to do about it this week.

🥇 THE TOP THREE: YOUR SUMMER REWIND

🔗 What if 10 minutes of scrolling actually grew your business? 

The Big Idea: Trade mindless scrolling for 10 focused minutes of engagement on LinkedIn: a post, a genuine comment, a message to an old connection. 

Key Takeaway: You don’t need more time on social media. You need more intention with the time you already spend there.

🔗 Your next customer might YouTube you before they Google you 

The Big Idea: YouTube isn’t just a video platform anymore. It’s where your prospects are doing their homework before they ever call you. 

Key Takeaway: If you’re not answering your customers’ most common questions on video, someone else is answering them for you.

🔗 Why Newsjacking Is the Move Your Social Media Needs 

The Big Idea: Borrow the attention already being paid to a trending story, and give it your brand’s unique spin. 

Key Takeaway: Speed beats polish. The businesses that move fast on “everybody’s talking about it” moments look current, relatable, and human. The rest look like they’re always a week behind.

💡 WHAT I’VE LEARNED SO FAR

• People can smell a bot from a mile away. The more AI-generated content floods every feed, the more your audience craves something that sounds like an actual human wrote it (typos, opinions, and all). Unpolished and honest is beating polished and empty.
• Video isn’t a “nice to have” anymore. It’s the baseline. Whether it’s a YouTube answer, an Instagram Reel, or a LinkedIn clip, if you have something to say, say it on camera. It’s still the fastest way to build trust with someone who’s never met you.
• The businesses that win aren’t the loudest. They’re the fastest and the most consistent. Newsjacking, showing up daily, staying top of mind, none of it requires a bigger budget. It just requires showing up.

🥊 TAKE ACTION TODAY

1. Flip the scroll. Tomorrow morning, spend your first 10 minutes on LinkedIn engaging instead of consuming. Comment on three posts with something more thoughtful than “Great post!”
2. Film one FAQ. Take the question your customers ask you most, and record a 60-second, one-take answer for YouTube. Don’t overthink it, done beats perfect.
3. Set a trend alert. Create a Google Alert for your industry so you’re ready to newsjack the next big story with your own take, while it’s still relevant.

THE BOTTOM LINE

As summer rolls on, ask yourself one question: is my content serving my audience, or serving myself? The businesses that spend these next few months adding real value (not just posting to check a box) are the ones who’ll finish the year remembered.

👀 COMING UP NEXT

The platforms may change, but the principles remain the same.

Starting with my next blog, I’m going back to basics. Each edition will dive into one of the Authentic Principles from the book, with fresh examples from what we’re seeing with clients right now.

First up: Principle 01 – Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Taken. A look at what it really means to bring your authentic self to your social media, and why it matters more than ever.

A New Chapter We’re Excited to Share

We’re excited to officially share something that’s been years in the making.

After building a business together for more than 15 years, Jessica and I are now offering keynote presentations as a speaking team.

We stepped onto the stage together for the first time at Delta Vacations University, and walking off that stage, we both knew this was a direction we wanted to continue.

If you’re curious what a Jessica + Corey keynote looks like, we’d love to share a few highlights from our debut together.

🎥 Watch the highlight reel here: