Why has politics been so slow to embrace influencer marketing? What’s changed? And how do you do it effectively? I spoke to two people at the forefront of political influencer marketing to unpack all this politicaladvertising.co.uk/2026/07/06/t... @ryannewyork.bsky.social

The Rise of Political Influencer Marketing

In an era where media fragmentation makes it increasingly challenging for campaigns to get voters’ attention, influencer marketing is emerging as a powerful tool for political communication. Why ar…

politicaladvertising.co.uk

In July’s Month in Digital: how we’re all living in the uni-context, nobody reads anymore, most of the LinkedIn posts you read are written by AI, and all the latest social platform updates you should probably know. monthindigital.substack.com/p/july-2026-...

I wrote about the five things we’ve learned about digital from the 2026 elections so far. Click for the full analysis, but the TL;DR: 1. Don't Be Boring 2. Money Can’t Fix a Losing Message 3. AI Is Infrastructure, Not Strategy

5 Digital Lessons From the 2026 Elections (So Far)

Plus: a new episode of our Influencer Impact podcast, how we pioneered comment analysis, and details on our virtual presentation, Nonprofits & Influencers 101, happening TODAY.

people1st.substack.com

We’re thrilled to debut Val at the @netrootsnation.bsky.social New Tools Showcase, in partnership with Higher Ground Labs. Still in beta, Val opens up influencer marketing to campaigns, organizations, and SMBs of all sizes for just $299.

Gift link on Jack Schlossberg’s nepo- and nap-powered campaign to grift his way into his first job. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/n...

Inside Jack Schlossberg’s Chaotic Campaign to Revive Camelot

nytimes.com

New today in The Month in Digital: will the AI Slop Loop break the internet, and are we at peak social video? monthindigital.substack.com/p/april-2026...

April 2026: The AI Slop Loop Is Breaking the Internet

The Month In Digital --> Everything you missed in April

monthindigital.substack.com

On this episode of Influencer Impact, I sat down with @sarahsteinlubrano.bsky.social to unpack her recent book, Don’t Talk About Politics: Changing 21st Century Minds, and what the science actually says about political persuasion. people1st.substack.com/p/dont-talk-...

Don't Talk About Politics + Creator Content is AI Search Infrastructure

Ryan sits down with Sarah Stein Lubrano, author of Don’t Talk About Politics: Changing 21st Century Minds, to break down what drives persuasion. Plus, how creators get you into chatbot responses.

people1st.substack.com

The best indication so far the WHCD Trump shooting wasn't staged? No evidence yet of huge insider bets just before it happened on Polymarket or Kalshi :-)

The new biopic Adolf tells the story of a young Austrian painter.

📲 Creator content is AI-search infrastructure and we know how to do something about it. www.notus.org/2026-electio...

ChatGPT and Claude Will Be a Force in Elections. Nobody Knows What to Do About It.

Chatbots have already changed how voters get information. Political operatives just don’t know what they can do to change what the chatbots say.

notus.org

Two trends from the @peoplefirsthq.bsky.social team to keep an eye on: AI in ads (a new study from AAPC), and why you need to stop focusing so much on individual creators’ followers and instead consider the algorithmic distribution. people1st.substack.com/p/ai-kills-t...

AI Kills Trust and Followers Don’t Matter Anymore.

A new study shows how AI hurts political ads and why nobody sees the same internet as you.

people1st.substack.com

Don’t miss Val co-founders Valerie Cheney and me next week at the AI for Nonprofits and Advocacy Summit, April 8–10. It’s free and virtual! We will be presenting “Using Agentic AI to Run Affordable Influencer Campaigns” on Thursday at 4 ET / 1 PT.

Lots happened in March, from historic lawsuits to GenAI app shutdowns to multiple important platform updates. Here’s what you missed: monthindigital.substack.com/p/march-2026...

March 2026: The Backlash Against Social Media Accelerates

The Month In Digital --> Everything you missed in March

monthindigital.substack.com

The influencer economy isn’t just marketing anymore, it’s political infrastructure. people1st.substack.com/p/building-t...

Building the Infrastructure Behind the Political Creator Economy

Plus: Clare O’Donoghue Velikić on how progressive campaigns can adapt to Europe’s new TTPA political advertising rules

people1st.substack.com

.@peoplefirsthq.bsky.social took home another Reed Award last night, this time for Best Influencer Partnership for a campaign we ran with the Gill Foundation in support of trans youth. My partners Nicole Dunger and Val Cheney were on hand in Charleston, SC to accept it.

Overheard on Slack: "I don’t vibe code anymore. I speak to my agents and then I have one master one that vibe codes"

Tracking Iran War Spending: iran.pbor250.org

Iran Spending Tracker by People's Bill of Rights 250

A live counter tracking the cost of the war in Iran and what that money could fund instead. Data-driven advocacy from the People's Bill of Rights.

iran.pbor250.org

If you're heading to the Reed Awards in Charleston this week, Nicole & Val will be there representing @peoplefirsthq.bsky.social & hopefully picking up another Reed or two. If you want to talk about influencers in politics, shoot Nicole an email: nicole.dunger at peoplefirst.cc.

People First

People First is a leading influencer agency helping causes and brands drive real impact. Partner with 20K+ creators to launch authentic, measurable campaigns.

peoplefirst.cc

Two campaign platforms we probably aren’t talking about enough: Nextdoor and… serialized content.

Was great talking with @jlemonsk.bsky.social about the role influencers play in modern social impact and political communications. We started @peoplefirsthq.bsky.social more than seven years ago as the only influencer agency focused on Democratic campaigns and causes. youtu.be/8URpoFSHpfE

The Role of Influencer Marketing in Today's Crowded Digital Landscape w/ Ryan Davis of People First

YouTube video by Josh Klemons

youtu.be

There's a lot happening in the world, so you probably missed a few things in digital. No worries, I can get you caught up. monthindigital.substack.com/p/february-2...

February 2026: Stay vs. Play, Slop vs. Substance, and the Battle for 2026

The Month In Digital --> Everything you missed in February

monthindigital.substack.com

GOP members of the FCC clearly have never heard of the Streisand Effect.

.@peoplefirsthq.bsky.social is thrilled to once again be recognized by The Reed Awards as finalists for Best Influencer Marketing Firm and Best Influencer Partnership. Thank you to our incredible team and partners who make this work possible!

Six homeless people have died of hypothermia in Milan in the past month, local police said. Some of them were found close to Olympic venues where spectators are paying as much as $1,650 a ticket to watch athletes compete at the Winter Games.

Away From Pomp of Olympics, Homeless Shiver on Streets of Milan

Six homeless people have died in the Italian city in recent weeks, highlighting the widening inequality as the Games unfold there.

nyti.ms

So much happened in the real world in January that you’ve got plenty of excuses to catch up on what happened in digital. monthindigital.substack.com/p/ai-slop-ev...

January 2026: The Month the Internet Finally Gave Up on Authenticity

The Month In Digital --> Everything you missed in January

monthindigital.substack.com

Happy to see that there is no need to worry about the historical accuracy of new 1776 AI slop because it happens in the mystical land of Λamereedd.

Culture Crave 🍿@culturecrave.co · 6mo ago

First trailer for Darren Aranofsky's new AI animated series 'On This Day... 1776' • Tells short narrative stories about the Revolutionary War • Uses Gen AI tools, including tech made by Google DeepMind • Has SAG voice actors

Extrajudicial killings, disappeared children, unprecedented corruption. We're becoming Latin America in the 1980s.

In the latest Influencer Impact, @peoplefirsthq.bsky.social analyzed public’s digital responses to ICE’s extrajudicial killings in Minnesota. TLDR: “These moments did not stay contained to one political corner of the internet. They broke through everywhere.” people1st.substack.com/p/how-we-as-...

How We, as Digital Strategists, Can Activate in this Moment

What online reactions to ICE reveal about shared emotion, distrust in government, and where engagement is actually happening.

people1st.substack.com

@peoplefirsthq.bsky.social helps political campaigns and advocacy organizations start or scale their influencer programs for 2026. We have the largest creator network in social impact, with influencers ready to create for your cause. Reach out to chat.