Google Gives Creators Profiles in Search 🔍

Google is making more space for creators in Search with the introduction of Search Profiles. It's a new feature that gives creators a shareable, customizable page that brings together their social accounts, content, and links in one place.

Creators can claim their profile and add an avatar and bio, connect their TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X accounts, pin posts as a highlight reel, and link out to their website, storefront, and subscriptions.

Search Profiles can be accessed through a creator's card in Discover, a button within their Knowledge Panel, or a direct shareable URL.

For now, eligibility is limited to U.S.-based creators who are 18+ and have at least 100,000 followers on Instagram, YouTube, or X, or 300,000 followers on TikTok.

Why it matters: Search Profiles give creators a centralized identity layer across Google, essentially a link in bio tool built for Search.

This ties into a broader set of efforts from Google to bring creators and social content deeper into Search. Previously, Google has increased the visibility of YouTube Shorts, Instagram, and X posts in Discover. It has also rolled out Preferred Sources, which allows users to prioritize content from publishers and creators they follow and trust.

It also comes at a moment when AI-powered summaries are reshaping how people discover information, leading to shifts in referral traffic for creators and publishers. Search Profiles help counter this by ensuring that when someone searches for a creator, they are presented with a clear, structured path to their content and offerings.

Meta is testing a new Series feature across Instagram and Facebook that lets creators package Reels into episodic collections. Select creators already producing serialized content can group existing and new Reels into a dedicated Series tab on their profile. When videos from a Series are discovered in Feed or the Reels tab, viewers can tap through to watch the full collection.

Meta is also exploring how Series could be monetized, though it has not shared specific plans. Possibilities include allowing creators to offer a few episodes for free before gating the rest, or introducing pre- and mid-roll ad formats with revenue sharing.

Why it matters: Serialized and episodic content has become a bigger part of social media, from microdramas and creator-led shows to educational series and interviews. As creators look to build deeper audience relationships, they are increasingly investing in multi-part formats.

Series has Meta returning to a feature by the same name from the IGTV era and builds on a Reels linking feature it launched earlier this year. But this version is more developed, creating a cleaner pathway for creators to share this type of content and for audiences to follow along.

The timing is notable as the lines between social media and television continue to blur. According to Deloitte's Digital Media Trends, Fall 2025 report, 36% of consumers now say watching social video is the same as watching TV.

At the same time, platforms are investing more heavily in serialized programming. TikTok recently partnered with Issa Rae's HOORAE to produce several shows, including Screen Time, whose first episode reached 20 million views in its first 24 hours. It also announced Sundance Collab, a new initiative with Sundance Institute to help creators develop micro-series.

Series could be an early signal that Meta is ready to move more aggressively in this space, particularly given its new TV experience, which is designed around lean back viewing that serialized and episodic content are well suited for.

LinkedIn rolled out new metrics that break down how many views came from within a creator's network (followers and connections) versus outside of it (people discovering content through the Feed, recommendations, reshares, and Search). Both can be found in the Discovery section and under Impressions.

Why it matters: Historically, impressions have been a blunt metric. Two posts could generate the same number of views, but one might be reaching entirely new audiences while the other is primarily circulating among existing followers and connections. These new analytics provide a clearer picture of where reach is actually coming from.

They're also valuable because there isn't a universal definition of success on LinkedIn. Someone focused on thought leadership, lead generation, or growing a creator business may prioritize out-of-network reach. Meanwhile, those using LinkedIn primarily for relationship building, networking, or career development may place greater value on in-network reach.

By understanding which topics and formats resonate with people already connected to them versus the broader LinkedIn ecosystem, creators can make more informed decisions about their content strategy.

With this addition, LinkedIn continues improving its analytics. It follows a string of well-received updates including visibility into how many times a post has been saved or shared via message, and how many profile visits and followers a post drives. Together, these metrics give creators and the brands partnering with them better signals on fit before a collaboration and clearer ways to measure success once one is done.

Want to level up your LinkedIn game? Check out Stanley, an AI Content Coach that studies your best posts, curates top-performing content from creators in your niche, and gives you insights to improve your strategy. (Referral link)

Instagram finally rolled out the ability to rearrange posts on a profile grid. The highly requested feature was announced more than a year ago and allows users to select the new Reorder Grid option from a post on their profile, then drag and drop posts into any position on their grid.

Facebook announced a new AI-powered Creator Assistant. Available in the Creator Dashboard and trained on a creator's page data, it can answer questions and provide personalized recommendations based on their content style, performance, and community.

Threads rolled out the ability to attach a 30-second music clip from its catalog to a post or reply. Clips include the song's cover art thumbnail and lyrics.

Edits shared a trio of audio-related updates, including the ability for creators to import and save their own audio, automatically match volume levels across clips and voices, and access more than 200 additional sound effects.

TikTok launched TikTok Pro Events, a standalone fandom app debuting with the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Users in the U.S. can earn points by completing tasks such as sharing content and redeem them for merchandise, TikTok Shop coupons, and more.

LinkedIn updated Document posts to display in a more compact carousel format in the feed. Viewers can tap an icon in the bottom-left corner to expand the document to full screen. The platform also refreshed the engagement bar so reaction and comment counts now appear alongside the buttons.

Beehiiv is hosting its Summer Release Event on July 16, where it plans to unveil new platform updates. Its previous fall event saw the platform expand beyond its newsletter roots with digital products, podcasting, an AI website builder, and more.

Substack launched Reply Rules, which allow creators to set standards for comments on their posts, replies to their Notes, and Chats. Over time, the tool learns from a creator's moderation behavior and proactively hides replies it predicts they would remove.

X introduced React with Video, a feature that lets users respond to a post with a selfie-style video while displaying the original post in the background or in split-screen view.

LTK added new ways to discover creators and their shopping recommendations, including interest buttons on posts that surface related content, expanded location-based discovery, and the ability to save posts and products to lists.

SiriusXM and Tubi struck a distribution and advertising partnership that will bring video podcasts, including Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, What Now? with Trevor Noah, and Rotten Mango, to the streaming platform beginning in late June.

Minecraft launched its first affiliate program. Creators who join can promote Minecraft Marketplace products, including add-ons and skin packs, and earn commissions on the sales they drive.

The Mashable 101: The Creators Defining the Internet in 2026 (Mashable)

Mashable released its second annual list of 101 creators shaping digital culture, spanning content creators, community builders, cultural curators, digital entrepreneurs, and entertainers.

The Future of the Creator Economy Report 2026 (Epidemic Sound)

Based on insights from 3,000 creators, 94% are already using AI for content enhancement, ideation, editing, and production. Despite 93% citing concerns around AI and creative risks, 72% expect to increase their usage over the next 12 months.

Podcasts In the Living Room (Signal Hill & FlightStory)

A new pulse report of 1,000 UK monthly podcast consumers finds 84% watch video podcasts, outpacing the US (62%) and Canada (75%). The TV is now the second most popular device for podcast consumption (45%), behind smartphones (80%), with nearly half of viewers tuning in during weekday prime time.

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