Blog

SEO took brands decades to figure out. Now there’s a new game, and most brands are starting from zero. AEO, Answer Engine Optimization, is how your brand shows up when people ask AI for answers instead of Googling. If you’re not optimizing for it yet, this is where to start.

I spend every day working with brands at VaynerMedia on this exact problem. Here’s what you need to know about AEO and why social media is at the center of it.

What is AEO and Why Does It Matter?

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. It’s the practice of making your brand’s content show up in AI-generated answers, not just traditional search results. As more people use ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity as their default search tool, this is becoming a critical channel.

If your brand isn’t thinking about AEO yet, you’re already behind. The good news: most of your competitors aren’t doing it either. There’s a real window right now to get ahead by optimizing your content for AI discovery.

Social’s Role in AEO

Here’s what most brands are missing: social media is now a primary input for AI-generated answers. When someone asks ChatGPT or Gemini a question, those models are pulling from social content across the web. YouTube transcripts, Reddit threads, LinkedIn posts. All of it feeds the machine.

The brands that optimize their social channels for AI discovery now will have a massive head start. We’re seeing this play out in real time at VaynerMedia across paid, owned, and earned. The sooner you move, the bigger the advantage.

Getting Started With The Social Media Platforms That Matter Most

The landscape is moving fast. As of March 2026, here are the platforms that matter most for AEO and what we’re seeing work:

1. YouTube

• The single most important platform for AEO visibility across AI models
• AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity pull heavily from YouTube content
• Titles, descriptions, transcripts, and comments all give AI models structured text to pull from
• If you’re only going to optimize one platform for AEO right now, start here

2. Reddit

• AI models love Reddit because it’s full of real human opinions and recommendations
• Brands should be monitoring Reddit conversations in their category and participating authentically
• The risk: you can’t control the narrative
• The upside: authentic mentions carry enormous weight with AI models

3. LinkedIn

• The sleeper hit. Jumped from #11 to #5 as most cited in ChatGPT responses
• Matters for both B2B and B2C. If you’re a brand with any kind of thought leadership play, LinkedIn content is getting pulled into AI answers more than ever
• We’re telling every client to take their LinkedIn content strategy seriously for AEO

Other Platforms to Watch

Meta (Instagram & Facebook) and TikTok have relatively closed ecosystems today, but that’s changing fast. OpenAI and Google are actively working to index more social content, and these platforms will open up. X is interesting for a different reason. It has massive public data and Grok gives it a unique AI layer. If more users lean into long-form content on X, like this post from our own Jon Morgenstern (EVP, Head of Investment, VaynerMedia), it has real potential. We’re watching it closely.

Here’s the bottom line: social media is now the foundation of AI discovery. The brands that build AEO into their social strategy today will own the answers tomorrow. The ones that wait will wonder why they stopped showing up.

If you want to talk about what this looks like for your brand, reach out. This is what we do every day at VaynerMedia. Contact us here.

This week, we hosted our inaugural Modern Marketing Leaders Summit, bringing together a group of top marketing leaders across the UK and EMEA. 

At the stunning 1 Hotel Mayfair, we spent the day skipping small talk and diving straight into what really matters in 2026 for brand leaders. We kicked things off with a traditional English breakfast (because when in London!) before heading into a packed lineup of panels, as well as a private fireside chat with our CEO, Gary Vaynerchuk.

To our brand marketing friends who couldn’t make it IRL, here are our 4 biggest takeaways from the Modern Marketing Leaders Summit: 

1. Modern Marketing Requires Modern Practices

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VaynerMedia (@vaynermedia)

This Section At A Glance: 

• The future of our industry is constantly evolving, and with it, so is the role of a marketer. 
• Organic social is where all of your energy should be placed.
• Being social-first isn’t just about posting trends. 
• Make sure to read on about what CasC means. 😉

In a panel moderated by Alex Semenzato, we heard the first-hand perspective of what challenges our Vayner Partners Darragh McGinley (Head of Social, EMEA, Indeed) , Arjoon Bose (VP Marketing, Coach), and Rebecca Huda (Regional Category Lead Digestive Health – UK & EMEA, Bayer) are facing today. The short answer, though it holds many complexities, is this: The future of our industry is constantly evolving, and with it, so is the role of a marketer. 

Rather than focus on a major TV spot, brands like Indeed are shifting their focus to be social first. Darragh spoke about the brand’s mission to respond to signals and audience, and how organic social has been a humbling but monumental experience. Simply put, “nothing questions your marketer’s gut more than TikTok.” Though organic social can be a bit unexpected, when a piece of content actually hits, it becomes a cheat code to understanding what works and what audiences want to see from you.

Being social-first isn’t just about posting trends either. This is a unique opportunity to connect with your consumers. Using Comments as Creative (something we like to call CasC) is a way of joining the latest conversations, and building brand awareness. Just take a look at the success of our friends at ChukMedia, who launched Subway’s latest CasC moment that garnered over 700k+ likes and 1M+ impressions.  

The Rise of the Creator Economy

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VaynerMedia (@vaynermedia)

This Section At A Glance:

• Let creators be creators 
• The most powerful partnerships in 2026 = creators 🤝 marketers

Let’s face it: creators have completely taken over. They’re on the biggest stages in the world, with the biggest platforms and biggest audiences. That’s why the relationship between creators and marketers has become increasingly important as we dive into 2026. 

Joined by viral chef and creator Jordan Billham aka The Notty Chef, our very own Esme Rice spoke with him about his experience as a content creator. For marketers, one of the most important takeaways from Jordan was hearing the creator perspective on brand partnerships. 

Brands working with creators shouldn’t expect to give their creators a strict set of guidelines. Rather, Jordan explained that content creators are pros of their own craft, and the best content comes from creative freedom. When brands choose to be understanding of a creator’s knowledge, and truly work together, the project moves forward as its own collaborative entity. It’s a goal that creators and marketers work towards together, fusing viral experience with brand expertise.  

3. AEO & GEO Are Your Next Priority

This Section At A Glance:

• Stop relying on brand loyalty 
• How FAQs help AEO and GEO 
• Why you need to care about AEO and GEO  

You don’t need us to tell you how prevalent AI has become. No matter what field you’re in, AI is affecting everybody and everything. In marketing, one of the major shifts we’ve seen take shape is through customer experience. People aren’t shopping like they used to, and because of this, we’re changing the way we market products. VaynerMedia VP, Aengus Boyle dove into it all, and how the answer starts through Answer Engine Optimization and Generative Engine Optimization. 

Today’s consumers aren’t prioritizing brand loyalty when it comes to online shopping. Instead, they ask AI for the best recommendations for whatever it is they’re looking for. That means that the best way to make sure your product is on the top of ChatGPT’s “Best Christmas Gifts” list is through optimization. First, start off by making your brand website easily navigable for AI search engines. Incorporating SEO keywords, as well as heavy text based content like blog posts is one way to make sure LLMs are picking up on your messaging. 

Another good idea is to adopt question and answer templates, like FAQs that will help engines learn more about your products. One final major takeaway, is that as always, it comes back to social (no surprise there.) Brands that have their owned social channels are more likely to build visibility, especially on YouTube. If you incorporate as many touchpoints and perspectives as you can, it will only be better for your brand. 

4. Stop Focusing on Brand Strategy (Focus on Relevance)

This Section At A Glance:

• Relevance, relevance, relevance! 
• Read on to hear what gets you impressions, views, likes, attention, profit, and legacy 
• The role you need on every single creative team 

Maybe one of the biggest shifts we discussed came from Gary Vaynerchuk during a fireside chat with Jon Evans, that developed into an even bigger conversation during a Gary private session. The big ticket item? Relevance, relevance, relevance! 

We know that relevance is what gets you impressions, views, and likes. It’s also what translates into attention, profit, and legacy. But how are you actually trying to be relevant, and what steps are you taking to get there? To really get ahead, brands need to start being reactive and focus on relevance strategy. Start by ditching the detailed day-by-day content calendar. With trends that start and end in a day, and viral moments that break the internet, things change too quickly to always plan ahead. Instead, have relevance strategists on deck, who can capitalize on big moments and ensure your content is as effective and viral as possible. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VaynerMedia (@vaynermedia)

A huge shoutout to our incredible team who made this summit one of our best ones yet. As always, we couldn’t be happier to get together with some of the most brilliant minds in the biz, and talk about everything we can do to be bigger and better. 

Another year, another Big Game behind us. This time, we saw Seattle take home the trophy, heard a fresh batch of shat jokes (iykyk), and also saw the POV from an entourage of dancers disguised as lush, green foliage. Now, there’s a sentence that wouldn’t have made sense a few weeks ago! 

To be expected, we saw a lot of online conversation, but one of the topics on everybody’s mind was the advertisements. As our CEO Gary Vaynerchuk puts it, “attention is what everyone is seeking.” So when we say that $10 million for the price of attention is inexpensive, we mean it. Whether a spot was a crowd-favorite or a head-scratcher, there’s no denying the energy of Super Sunday. For a brand today, this is a rare, high-stakes window to actually move the needle and tap into culture.

And it doesn’t have to be an $8 million+ 30 second spot. There are hundreds of ways to earn attention and become a part of culture, whether it’s through a traditional TV commercial, socials, or a tailored event. This year, we were grateful to have a hand in that for some of our favorite brands, from the technical heavy lifting of producing Super Bowl commercials to the nuanced work of building out premium online content that keeps the conversation going long after the weekend is over. 

So here’s our VM roundup of the Big Game 2026, and everything we learned to make next year even better: 

1. Shooting the Shat with Kellogg’s Raisin Bran 🥣

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VaynerMedia (@vaynermedia)

There’s a lot of debate surrounding the value of SB commercials, but the truth is, the Big Game is the best advertising media deal in the world. It secures billions of views plus undivided attention, something social and other linear TV spots can’t guarantee. That’s what actually makes it an underpriced moment. So for a legacy brand like Kelloggs, we couldn’t think of a better way to get the fiber revolution started than by launching Raisin Bran into their Big Game debut. 

Now here’s the caveat: a spot is only worth it if you have a really great piece of creative to showcase. It’s about bringing something memorable to the screen, leaving boredom at the door, and taking a risk. For us, we knew we wanted to bring humor into the mix, and that took the shape of Will Shat. Incorporating legendary actor William Shatner, we played into the punnyness of his name, and tied it into a fiber journey. 

Once we had a concept, it was about more than making and premiering a commercial. The buildup happened weeks beforehand, and required months of strategic planning and ideation. For example, you may have seen a certain pap shot of William Shatner 📸, chowing down on a bowl of Raisin Bran in his car. Coincidence? Definitely not. Our PR team coordinated the viral moment, and created an internet sensation weeks before anyone even knew about the Shatner/RB crossover. 

We continued building pre-kickoff hype by releasing our commercial on the TODAY Show, days before its Sunday release. This gave audiences a sneak peek of the ad while producing online buzz. When the night finally came, we already had built momentum that was further emphasized by the game day hype. In total, through press hits and online coverage, Will Shat earned 18 BILLION impressions (yes you read that right! With a capital B!) 

2. JCP’s True MVPS ❤️

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VaynerMedia (@vaynermedia)

A successful campaign doesn’t need a primetime spot to make it big or have a major impact. JCPenney proves that. To become a part of the Big Game convo, JCPenney highlighted the true game day MVPs…the Moms! Bringing together Lisa Dawkins, Martha Thomas, and Culetta Beachum, the JCP team treated the moms to a glam session and shopping spree before their sons award ceremony. Not only was the concept true to the JCPenney brand, but it capitalized a major cultural moment by taking over social. 

To pull it off, it was all about speed. While most brands spend months putting together a campaign, JCPenney filmed and produced their hero spot in just 36 hours. Then, they launched a series of social content just four days before kickoff. We helped capture on-the-ground BTS and social content that helped build hype, intrigue, and most importantly, engagement and conversation. 

3. Ulta Beauty Everywhere 💄

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VaynerMedia (@vaynermedia)

Ulta Beauty showed us how a brand can be (fabulously) seen both on and off the field during the Big Game. Another campaign that set out weeks before the game (are we sensing a pattern here?), we developed a multi-touch point strategy, combining creator and talent partnerships, must-have merch, and real time social content.  

We were also on the scene at their TikTok Clubhouse event, which invited talent and influencers to a glam-ified kickoff party. 

It was all beauty, all the time, and it confirmed Ulta Beauty as the defining beauty voice of game day weekend.

4. The Lumify x GCH Dream Team 👀📸

Weeks before the Big Game, our friends at ChukMedia worked with Lumify to create a three tiered, high-volume social campaign. First, the team coordinated a series of paparazzi shots following football legend Devonta Smith in Lumify-purple suits. After stirring a bit of online intrigue, Lumify put the rumors to rest, revealing Devonta as their latest partner through a witty press conference ad. Following shortly afterwards, phase two consisted of Lumify introducing a second hero video, including WAG stars Anna Hall, Christen Goff, and Mya Danielle. To keep momentum going all the way until game day, the ChukMedia team created over 120+ pieces of social content to surround sound their campaign. 

The idea culminated into one final, big moment during SB weekend. In collaboration with Gallery Club House, the brands teamed up to throw a special event, hosted by Chanen Johnson and Juwan Johnson. Bringing together over 300 athletes and influencers, Lumify and GCH threw the ultimate kickoff party slash wellness retreat. With plenty of eye drops at the ready, as well as a portrait studio and massage spa center, the collab served as a perfect example of how to keep gameday buzz alive, while creating additional social opportunities.

Takeaways 🤔

Five different brands, with Five very different approaches, but each found success by using the football season to their advantage. By implementing social throughout every step of the process, and creating campaigns that lasted before and after the game, we saw our clients define their spaces, and make noise during the biggest weekend of the year.  

So…same time next year? 🏈📣

When you hear the mountains calling…you pick up. And that’s exactly what we did. 🏔️✨

Last week, VaynerX headed to Montana, where we spent 3.5 unforgettable days immersed in the Big Sky Country.  Between thought leadership breakout sessions, horseback riding through the valley, and unreal views on the ski slopes, our marketers got to try their hand at everything our Montana Future CMO Summit had to offer.

Secluded in one of Montana’s most pristine valleys at The Ranch at Rock Creek, we couldn’t have imagined a better place to unwind, get to know one another, and really tune in to some great conversations and experiences. I mean, even Gary Vaynerchuk called The Ranch at Rock Creek his favorite place on Earth…that’s a pretty high compliment! Now, we’re excited to make this unforgettable trip a tradition.

The 3 W’s Behind our FCMO Summit

First, let’s get one thing straight: this trip isn’t just an excuse to visit Gary V’s favorite vacay spots (we promise.) So if it’s not that…what is it? Where is it? And why do we do it? 

Our Future CMO Summit is an opportunity to connect with an incredible group of rising, next-gen leaders who are shaping their industries. It’s more than networking. It’s our way of learning from one another, and building the future of marketing leadership on strategy, culture, human connection, and relevance. 

The great thing about our FCMO Summit is that the location is constantly changing. Our last event was hosted at the stunning Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California. With each location, we seek out places remote from our day-to-day lives, which foster creativity and innovation. 

It’s all about connection. Our FCMO Summit is designed to spark genuine conversation and lifelong career lessons IRL. It’s about taking small talk and elevating it into roundtable discussions that leave us feeling inspired. 

Getting Outside & Touching Some Grass

It’s simple but it’s true. Sometimes you really just have to go outside and touch some grass (or snow in this case.) We believe that the best way to spark creativity is by stepping into a new environment. And more importantly, ditching the online world every once in a while. Instead of Zoom meetings and email threads, we swap our usual routine for real time one-on-ones, in settings that foster innovation while being unplugged.

For us, that took the shape of spending time outdoors, and then coming back together for in-depth discussions and collaboration. Throughout the week, we set aside time to reflect on key learnings, like what it takes to succeed as marketers, and the day-to-day challenges affecting brands. To kick things off, Sherilyn Shackell from The Marketing Academy gave a presentation on leadership, packed with ninety minutes of wisdom on what it takes to be an inspirational leader. 

The next day, we heard from Gary V and Peter Chun (VaynerX EVP & Global Head of PAC) on what relevance means for brands in 2026, and how social is (of course) the key to staying ahead. Gary led two Q&A sessions on the future of marketing, and joined each of our marketers for a personal one on one session. After an afternoon hitting the slopes, our group returned to the ranch and divided into breakout sessions. We discussed our roles as marketing leaders, and chatted about brand strategy for 2026. 

Although every FCMO Summit looks and feels different, our time in Montana left us feeling energized, yet ready for that next big project. We got to talking about big topics like tech, AI, and what powerful leadership really looks like, all while being disconnected from the very things we were discussing, allowing our marketers to really step back and fully absorb the experience. 

Onto The Next…

We’ll surely be missing the Montana mountainscapes, the unreal hospitality from the team at The Ranch at Rock Creek, and the many friends we made along the way (yes we’re talking about our fellow marketers but also the many horses we met.) 

We’re excited to say we’re already thinking about our next FCMO Summit, and excited to see where the wind takes us next. Until next time..? 🌎