True-crime podcaster Payne Lindsey, creator of Up and Vanished, was all set to fly to Nome for his latest investigation but bailed at the last minute. He didn’t tell anyone, yet somehow rumors started swirling on social media that he was there. Payne joins us to break it down, plus we’re talking Verizon outages, a couple blocked from suing Uber, and leaked MrBeast “founder mode” documents.
Haven't logged into LinkedIn lately? 5 reasons you really should be using it
How much do you know about LinkedIn? Sure, you probably understand it’s a social network for professionals, but it’s so much more.
Unlike most social networks that are used to share the latest vacation pictures, LinkedIn was designed for more important reasons. It can help you make connections, share work experience and find or post jobs.
Your LinkedIn profile can be set up to look like a resume, complete with accomplishments and referrals from colleagues. If you’ve never experienced the power of LinkedIn, we can help. Here are five smart ways to use LinkedIn to network, poach employees, boast and more.
Visit LinkedIn.com/Kim and post a job for free.
1. Sales prospecting
If you’re wondering what sales prospecting is, it’s exactly what it sounds like — sorting through tons of companies and individuals to find prospects who will most likely turn into paying customers.
This can take a lot of time and effort and relies on knowing where to look. In the past, sales prospecting mainly consisted of cold calling and following up with every potential lead.
Now that we live in a digital world, those days are gone. Most buyers make decisions online. That’s where LinkedIn comes into play.
With about 1 billion members, LinkedIn is a leader in connecting buyers and sellers. One of the most important sales techniques is understanding how buyers behave, making prospecting easier with greater success.
An IDC social buying study revealed:
- 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make buying decisions.
- 50% of B2B buyers use LinkedIn to make purchasing decisions.
- 76% of B2B buyers prefer to work with recommendations from their professional network.
Those numbers prove how important LinkedIn is when it comes to sales prospecting. Information is power and LinkedIn is packed with information buyers are looking for.
Extremists are using AI to rebrand Adolf Hitler: The goal is to characterize him as a “misunderstood” figure for a new generation. Over the past month, AI-cloned audio and video clips of Hitler, spewing English versions of his fanatical speeches, have reached millions on social media. The comments? Disturbingly, things like, “Maybe he is NOT the villain.” If you see these posts, report them so platforms can take them down faster.
Let’s grow our minds with this brainteaser going viral on social media: “7 men have 7 wives. Each man and each wife have 7 children. What’s the total number of people?”
🕶️ Can’t wait for a new wave of glass-holes: Mark Zuckerberg thinks Meta’s Orion smart glasses will replace smartphones for messaging, video chatting and browsing social media. Zuck and his team have been working on the (really) thick black glasses for 10 years. They include a holographic display only the wearer can see. No price or timeline yet.
They only care about the money: The FTC says social media platforms are engaging in massive online surveillance and failing to protect children. They track everything we do, combine it with data from third-party brokers, then sell it or use it to advertise to you.
47% of Gen Z
Wishes TikTok didn’t exist. Half think the same about X (yeah, I still think of it as Twitter). The average time per day spent on social media? Four hours. You can’t convince me it’s anything other than addiction.
This is the same generation that ate Tide Pods: Gen Z’s latest social media trend is snapping photos of their TSA security trays while we all wait in line behind them. They neatly arrange their sunglasses, jewelry, bags and shoes before sending them through the X-ray, captioning it with gems like, “Am I overpacking for the one-day late-summer getaway?” Oof.
A side hustle that won’t work: Pay a startup $30 a month and they’ll auto-post AI-generated vids to social media for you. Pick a topic (like motivation), and they’ll generate a script, voiceover, background track and AI images. The idea is to help you build an audience and start making money. Remember Shrimp Jesus (paywall link)?
🚨 If that’s how it is, Soviet: Russia’s propaganda machine paid a Tennessee media company $10 million to post pro-Kremlin content. Tenet Media has a roster of popular right-wing influencers, including Dave Rubin, Tim Pool and Benny Johnson. The hosts say they had no clue Russia was paying them. FYI: Since November 2023, they’ve posted nearly 2,000 videos, racking up 16 million views on YouTube alone.
Meta says 'From the river to the sea' isn't hate speech
The company’s oversight board just ruled that the phrase used by Palestinian protestors isn’t hate speech. But what does it mean? This will make you rethink how social media defines hate.
Big Tech listens to your convos
At least one media group gathers info from conversations and uses it for targeted ads. Plus, a new sextortion scam tactic, Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” tech hits more NFL stadiums, and police are towing Teslas from crime scenes.
💵 Wads up? Social media is buzzing about a clever Chase bank “glitch” that gets you free money. How it works: Deposit a fake check into an ATM and withdraw cash before it bounces. Chase is onto it, and the dummies who tried it now face negative account balances in the tens of thousands.
Scams on social media
Why are people willingly sending money to scammers they’ve never met? There’s shocking new trend where social media traps victims into losing big bucks.
The FTC bans fake online reviews
Using bots to boost social media followers and influence is off the table, too. Disney+ adds Hulu shows, sparking parental outrage. Plus, Waymo horror stories, Facebook rental scams, and tips for your next mechanic visit. And Earl from Chicago needs wedding help for his daughter.
🗺️ It’s a joke, OK? Stop sharing the mock electoral maps flooding social media as if they’re facts. The trend is to take a blank map, color it mostly blue or red, and slap a clever line about how either Democrats or Republicans could win the Electoral College. Want in? Here’s a generator to make your own.
Meghan & Harry save the children
The couple is back with a new plan to protect kids from social media — but is it just an attention grab? Here’s the scoop.
Tesla's unsafe autopilot
Elon Musk’s Tesla has reported over 1,200 autopilot crashes in the past three years. Also, look out for foreign nations spreading misinformation on social media, fake reviews targeting restaurants, and the rise of restaurant robots.
MILF (Man, I Love Football!) alert: The NFL is rolling out facial authentication at stadiums starting with Thursday’s season openers. The new system will verify the identity of thousands of staff, players and media. No scanning for fans (yet). Get your ticket scanned as usual on game day.