Busy Blooming with Tess Barclay

Welcome to WORK!! Today we’re so back unpacking our firstly monthly instalment of State of Social Media!! We’ll be unpacking what’s working in March 2026 on social media, Instagram new features, content inso, creator economy news & more!

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS
00:00 Intro
3:15 Polished casual content is still in
4:25 Tess’ theory: The two types of creator in 2026
5:00 Expert personal brand + examples
7:09 Chaotic personal brand + examples
8:07 Influencers aren’t influential anymore
9:38 Niche audiences in 2026 are essential
10:26 Instagram updates: Stickers, Carousels & Adam Mosseri corner lol
12:15 YouTube updates: Voicenote comments & quizzes
14:18 Podcasting news: Apple video & Jake Shane on Netflix
16:24 Average creator income & it’s not too late
20:30 Podcasts are the new late night
22:04 The future of this channel & this podcast
Check out Storyblocks at https://www.storyblocks.com/tessbarclay to level-up your content!

ARTICLES + LINKS MENTIONED
Average creator income
Fintech created for influencers
Vanity Fair the new late night
Substack articles: https://mufarodawn.substack.com/p/the-rise-of-the-expert-influencer
Substack article 2: https://curatedbyamritasingh.substack.com/p/the-difference-between-being-an-influencer
Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/influencermarketing/comments/1rg8k7d/ive_spent_millions_on_influencer_marketing_ama/

It's time for an HR meeting at the Busy Blooming office because we have been under RENOVATION!! In today's episode, I'll be unpacking what's happening with this podcast, unpacking Busy Blooming HQ for the first time & have an unfiltered discussion about feeling lost, in a rut & starting 2026 slow with content!

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS
00:00 Intro
Part 1: What's new with Busy Blooming
3:16 The Monday episodes of the podcast
8:02 The New Wednesday episodes of the podcast (I need your thoughts!)
11:18 The changes to Busy Blooming HQ
Part 2: Unfiltered discussion about creating on social media
17:11 Having a slow start to posting in 2026 (you're not alone!)
19:24 The pressure to always know what you're doing
23:33 I moved!! & why I wanted to make some changes

Check out Storyblocks at https://www.storyblocks.com/tessbarclay to level-up your content!

Today we're kicking off our 3-part YouTube extravaganza to celebrate hitting 100k!! Today I'm sharing the one mindset that changed everything for me a few years ago about viewing YouTube as a puzzle piece.

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS
00:00 Intro
4:01 Mindset 1 - YouTube is the middle puzzle piece
6:03 Mindset 2 - Podcast & YouTube channel = the same thing
7:06 How I combined the podcast & YouTube
8:27 How I made YouTube the puzzle piece
13:15 Content ideas & trends for this week
16:43 After hours: How do you start from scratch on social?
Check out Hostinger here: https://hostinger.com/tess and use code TESS for an additional 10% off! Their New Year Sale is on until Feb 17th where you can get started for $2.99!
#youtube2026 #youtubegrowth #100kyoutube

Will AI Influencers replace content creators in 2026? Welcome to WORK!! We're deep diving into AI-influencers today of everything that needs to come across your desk of how many AI influencers are there, are they getting brand deals & more!

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS
00:00 Intro
3:42 When did AI influencers start & who are they?
5:33 How many AI influencers are there & what’s the market?
6:00 Gary Vee: Why I disagree on his take
7:04 Tess’ take: They’ll replace UGC, not influencers
8:57 Influence is expensive, not content (Alix Earle)
9:50 Tess’ take: It won’t replace, we’ll co-exist with AI influencers
11:06 Tess’ take: AI influencers will win who we love that they’re AI
14:08 How people are making money from AI influencers
16:17 Content idea & trend of the week
18:59: After hours: Should you create a new channel for a new content pillar?
Check out Brevo at https://get.brevo.com/tess and use my code TESS at checkout to save 50% on their Starter and Standard Plans for your first three months!

We're getting UNHINGED today & unpacking what's working & going on with Instagram, TikTok, YouTube & influencer marketing right now!

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS
00:00 Intro
3:32 The VIBE of social media right now & what's working
9:24 Examples of how to do this
12:40 Action item: Post unserious content this week
13:33 Algorithm & platform updates
14:26 Influencer marketing state of the union for 2026
17:11 Which social media platform is the biggest in 2026?
18:02 Instagram algorithm & updates
23:00 YouTube algorithm & updates
14:59 TikTok algorithm & updates
19:25 Content idea & trend of the week
12:15 After-hours: January is planning MONTH (You're not behind)
34:13 Voice note: How to keep going when content is flopping
Check out Storyblocks at https://www.storyblocks.com/tessbarclay to level-up your content!