Blog

The Autonomah blog

Guides and comparisons on social media advertising for small businesses and mid-sized companies.

November 13, 20263 min readMat Caniglia
How Much Does a Social Media Manager Cost? Hire, Freelance or AI
The BLS puts median pay for public relations specialists, our proxy for the job, at $74,750 a year. See what a hire costs and how the other options differ.
November 13, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
How to Create a Facebook Business Page: What to Fill First
Create a Facebook business Page on a computer in 11 steps, pick a specific category, add contact and hours, and avoid what blocks linking Instagram later.
November 13, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
What to Post on Instagram for Your Business
Post what Instagram says it ranks: reels watched to the end, posts shared or saved, stories replied to. Post types for a restaurant, a shop and a service.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
ABA Model Rule 7.1: What Counts as Misleading Lawyer Advertising
Rule 7.1 bars false or misleading communications about a lawyer's services. See what it says, why a true statement can violate it and what to check.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
Affiliate Disclosure Examples: What the FTC Guides Require
An affiliate link is a material connection that usually needs a clear disclosure. See eight situations from the FTC's Endorsement Guides and wording to test.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
AI in Advertising: What Google and TikTok Ask of AI-Made Ads
Google now allows labels inside AI-made ad creatives, and TikTok rejects or restricts ads with undisclosed AI it finds. See what each help page asks of you.
October 21, 20263 min readMat Caniglia
AI in Marketing: How Many US Businesses Use AI, per the Census
The Census Bureau says 19.8% of US businesses used AI as of May 3, 2026, and its survey now asks about marketing. See the figures and how they were measured.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
AI Washing: What It Is and How the SEC and FTC Have Charged It
AI washing means claiming to use AI when you do not. See what the SEC and FTC announced in 2024, the exact claims they cited, and a check for your own copy.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
Alcohol Advertising Rules for Social Media Posts in the US
The federal alcohol regulator treats a brand's social post as advertising. See which rules apply, how mandatory statements work and what AI images do.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
Best Time to Post on Instagram: How to Find Yours
Instagram has no single best hour for every account. See where your Insights show when your audience is active, and how to test three time slots in four weeks.
October 21, 20263 min readMat Caniglia
Best Time to Post on YouTube: Where to Find Yours
YouTube Help gives no best hour to post. See the Audience report it points to, what it covers, and how Premieres, live streams and Shorts change the question.
October 21, 20263 min readMat Caniglia
Brand Personality: The Five Dimensions in Aaker's Research
Brand personality is the set of human traits tied to a brand. See Aaker's five dimensions, what the 1997 study measured, and how to describe your own brand.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
Can You Copyright AI-Generated Content? What the Office Says
Purely AI-generated material is not protected by copyright, but a person's own contribution can be. See what the U.S. Copyright Office's 2025 report concludes.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
Content Pillars: Pick Themes, Then Check Them Against Insights
The Instagram and SBA pages we read do not define content pillars, but both back the practice: vary content and read your insights. Tag posts and compare.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
Fake Sale Prices: What Counts as a Real "Was" Price
The FTC's pricing guides say a "was" price must be a price you really charged. See what makes a sale price real, and how to check yours before you post it.
October 21, 20266 min readMat Caniglia
False Advertising Examples: What Four FTC Texts Name as Deceptive
Bait and switch, a "free" offer with strings, a false Made in USA label and fake reviews. Each example comes from the text of a federal guide or rule, cited.
October 21, 20267 min readMat Caniglia
False Advertising Laws: The FTC Act, the Lanham Act and Who Acts
Two federal laws reach false ads. The FTC acts under the FTC Act. Lanham Act 43(a) names any person who believes they are or are likely to be damaged.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
FTC Endorsement Guides: What 16 CFR Part 255 Covers
The FTC Endorsement Guides apply to influencer posts, reviews and testimonials. See what counts as an endorsement, what each section covers and who is liable.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
FTC Influencer Guidelines: What to Disclose and Where
If a brand pays you, sends free product or has a tie to you your audience would not expect, the FTC says to disclose it clearly. See what counts, and where.
October 21, 20266 min readMat Caniglia
FTC Made in USA Rule: What "All or Virtually All" Means
The FTC lets a product carry an unqualified Made in USA claim only if it is all or virtually all made here. See what the rule covers and how to check yours.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
HIPAA and Social Media: What a Health Practice Can Post
A practice covered by HIPAA needs a patient's signed authorization before using their health information for marketing. See what it covers and what to check.
October 21, 20263 min readMat Caniglia
How Many Hashtags on Instagram? What Instagram Says
Instagram's Help Center says you can use up to 5 tags on a post. See what else its own pages say about hashtags, reach and relevance, and what they leave out.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
How to Calculate Engagement Rate: Pick the Count and the Base
The Instagram and Meta ads pages we read define engagement counts but give no engagement rate formula. See what each counts and how to state your ratio.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
Instagram AI Label: What "AI Info" Means for Your Posts
Meta adds an "AI info" label to Instagram content when it detects AI signals or when people disclose AI use. See what we could confirm and what we could not.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
Instagram Giveaway Rules: What Instagram and the FTC Require
Instagram makes the host responsible for a giveaway's rules, eligibility and legal compliance, and requires a release. See the list and the FTC point.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
Med Spa Marketing: What the FTC Expects From Health Claims
Health claims need competent and reliable scientific evidence, social posts included. See what FTC staff say about proof, disclaimers and before-and-afters.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
Puffery in Advertising: Where the FTC Draws the Line
Puffery is exaggeration that ordinary consumers do not take seriously, and the FTC generally leaves it alone. See what its Policy Statement on Deception says.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
Real Estate Social Media Posts and the Fair Housing Act
A real estate post is an advertisement under the Fair Housing Act. See what the statute and HUD's rule say about words and photos, and what changed in 2025.
October 21, 20266 min readMat Caniglia
Review Gating: What the FTC Reviews Rule and Guides Say
Is review gating illegal? The FTC's reviews rule has no ban on it, but the Endorsement Guides describe it and warn it may be deceptive. See what each text says.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
SEC Marketing Rule: What Investment Advisers Can Post
The SEC Marketing Rule in 17 CFR part 275 limits what a registered adviser can say in an ad. See its four limits and what its wording means for social posts.
October 21, 20263 min readMat Caniglia
Small Business Marketing Strategy: What the SBA Says to Plan
The SBA says a marketing plan turns your strategy into action and lists seven sections most plans cover. See each one and a way to fill them in one sitting.
October 21, 20265 min readMat Caniglia
Social Media for Dentists: What the ADA Code Allows
A dentist's social posts must not be false or misleading in any material respect. See what the ADA Code says on results, superiority claims and influencers.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
Social Media for Lawyers: What Rule 7.1 Says You Can Post
A lawyer's social posts about their services must not be false or misleading. Read what one state's official Rule 7.1 says, with examples and open points.
October 21, 20263 min readMat Caniglia
Social Media Holidays: The US Federal Dates to Plan Around
There is no official list of social media holidays. See the 2026 and 2027 US federal holidays, how weekend dates move, and how to plan posts around them.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
Social Media KPIs: What Instagram and LinkedIn Each Count
The same word means different things on different networks. See how Instagram and LinkedIn define views, reach and interactions, and how to choose a KPI.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
Social Media Marketing for Small Business: What the SBA Blog Says
SBA blog posts say to set a few goals, match platforms to them, post at least a couple of times a week and measure. See each step and a weekly time budget.
October 21, 20264 min readMat Caniglia
Social Media Posting Schedule: What Each Network Says
Only Instagram gives a frequency, and it calls it one factor of many. See what Instagram, LinkedIn and Meta document about scheduling, plus a weekly template.