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May 2025 Recap
Last updated on 29th May 2025

Instagram adds new DM options

Instagram’s been busy making DMs even better, and honestly, these updates are worth knowing about if you love chatting on Insta as much as I do.

Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head honcho, recently reminded us that way more photos and videos are shared via DMs than anywhere else on the app. He called it a “paradigm shift” in how we use Instagram, basically, DMs have become the real social hub. So, it makes total sense that Instagram is adding some handy new messaging features to keep up.

Here’s what’s new in your DMs:

1. Voice message transcription, finally!

Now, when you get a voice note in your DMs, you’ll see a little “View transcription” button right below it. Tap that, and Instagram will show you the entire message in text form. This is a game changer for when you’re somewhere noisy, on the school run, or just can’t listen out loud.

You can read the transcription before, during, or after playing the voice note, so no excuses for missing out on juicy updates or quick hellos. Perfect if you’re juggling a million things and want to catch up quickly.

2. Longer voice messages

If you’ve ever felt restricted by the one-minute limit on voice clips, this one’s for you. Instagram has extended the max length for audio messages in DMs to five minutes! So go ahead, rant away, share that story, or deliver your dramatic life update without worrying about cutting it short. Plus, with the transcription, your chat buddy can read it too if they want.

3. Follow everyone in a group chat, with one tap

If you’re in group chats for collabs, projects, or just with your friend gang, Insta’s added a nifty “Follow All” button. This means you can instantly follow everyone in that chat without hunting through profiles one by one. Super handy for staying connected with new friends or collaborators.

These updates might seem small, but they’re pretty useful for making your Instagram DMs a smoother, more versatile place to connect. I’m loving how Insta is recognising that DMs are where the real conversations and connections happen these days, and honestly, so do I.

Meta just rolled out five new updates to its new Edits video app for Instagram.

If you’ve been playing around with Edits, Meta’s new video editing app for Instagram, then you’ll love this. They’ve just rolled out five fresh updates to help make your Reels and video content pop even more.

Here’s the lowdown on what’s new:

1. 50 new text animations

Think stretch, slide, bounce, and loads more. These dynamic text effects give your captions serious main-character energy, helping them stand out on-screen and grab attention fast. Perfect for keeping things visually interesting without needing tons of editing skills.

2. Extra filters

Want to change the mood or vibe of your video with just one tap? The new filters give you more options to shift the look and feel of your content, from dreamy soft tones to bold and punchy aesthetics. It’s all about finding your visual style.

3. Safe zone + alignment guides

You know when buttons or captions get covered by Instagram’s playback controls? Not anymore. These new guides help you line everything up properly so nothing important gets blocked when your video is posted. It’s a small change that makes a big difference.

4. Frame rate selector

This update lets you tweak your playback speed for smoother motion. Whether you’re aiming for a polished cinematic feel or a more slowed-down, artsy effect, you’ve got more control now over how your final video flows.

5. AI-generated captions

This one’s a game changer. You can now ask AI to automatically generate captions for your videos inside the Edits app. No more manually typing everything out, just click, tweak, and you’re good to go. A massive win for accessibility and time-saving.

TikTok adds a dedicated AI assistant for in-app sellers

TikTok is continuing its e-commerce push with a brand-new tool designed to support sellers directly within the app. Meet Seller Assistant, an AI-powered chatbot built into TikTok’s Seller Centre.

If you sell products through TikTok Shop, this update might just make your life a little easier. The assistant offers instant guidance, tailored tips, and real-time support to help you manage and improve your product listings.

According to TikTok, Seller Assistant is more than just a chatbot, they’re calling it an “intelligent, self-solving tool” that’s here to help sellers stay on top of their tasks and optimise their shops with less hassle.

Here’s what it can do:

Offer advice on how to list products for maximum visibility
Provide real-time access to insights and performance data
Suggest personalised marketing strategies based on your account and listings

While the description might sound a bit over the top (TikTok says this is “a bold step toward a future where sellers optimise effortlessly”), the tool itself could be genuinely useful. Especially as TikTok continues to expand its focus on live shopping and in-app commerce.

Sales through TikTok Shop are on the rise. Black Friday sales tripled last year, with live-stream shopping driving much of the growth. TikTok also shared that more than 100 million creators went live on the app in 2024, a clear sign that video-first commerce is gaining momentum.

If TikTok remains available in key markets like the U.S., we’re likely to see this space evolve quickly. And tools like Seller Assistant may become central to how businesses manage their presence and grow their sales on the platform.

If you’re using TikTok Shop already, this update is worth checking out. And if you’re still on the fence about selling through TikTok, it’s one more signal that the platform is building serious infrastructure to support creators and brands.

TikTok expands music options with SoundCloud integration

TikTok is expanding its music features by integrating SoundCloud into its “Add to Music” option. This update gives TikTok users more ways to save and explore songs from emerging artists directly within the app.

The “Add to Music” feature lets users save songs they find on TikTok to their preferred streaming service. Now, with SoundCloud added to the mix, users can save tracks to their SoundCloud “Liked Tracks” playlist, opening up more opportunities for artists outside the traditional music industry to reach new listeners.

SoundCloud is known for its artist-first approach, hosting over 400 million tracks from 40 million artists, many of whom are independent or emerging musicians. TikTok’s integration aims to strengthen connections between these artists and fans, helping casual listeners become dedicated supporters.

This update also coincides with SoundCloud’s launch of “Move to Music,” a feature allowing users to transfer their music libraries from other platforms to SoundCloud, making it easier to discover even more music tailored to their tastes.

While Spotify and Apple Music still dominate the streaming space, SoundCloud’s unique catalogue offers a diverse range of music not found elsewhere, making this integration a valuable addition for TikTok users looking for fresh sounds.

Music plays a central role in the TikTok experience. In 2024, 84% of songs reaching the Billboard 200 first gained traction on TikTok. U.S. users are also 74% more likely to discover and share music via the app, with record labels increasingly relying on TikTok trends to promote new releases.

This new partnership with SoundCloud builds on that momentum, offering expanded music discovery and promotion options within TikTok’s platform.

Snapchat may soon unpin its ‘My AI’ chatbot from the top of feeds

Snapchat is testing a new option that could unpin its ‘My AI’ chatbot from the top of your chat feed, but only if you don’t engage with it.

When Snapchat launched My AI in 2023, the chatbot was automatically placed at the very top of every user’s chat list. While many users found it helpful, others found it intrusive since it couldn’t be removed or hidden unless you subscribed to Snapchat+, the paid tier. Snapchat+ users can unlink the chatbot, but non-paying users have no choice but to see it.

Now, Snapchat is experimenting with a smarter approach. If you don’t use My AI or interact with it, the chatbot could disappear from your chat feed automatically, although you can still access it anytime if you want.

This update aims to give users more control over their Snap experience without forcing the AI assistant on everyone. Given that over 500 million Snap users (more than half of the monthly active audience) regularly interact with My AI, it seems many will likely keep it visible.

Key points:

My AI launched in 2023 and was pinned by default for all users.
Snapchat+ subscribers can unlink My AI; free users could not, until now.
New tests allow My AI to unpin itself if unused, making it less intrusive.
Over 500 million users currently engage with My AI regularly.
No confirmed timeline for when this change will roll out broadly.

Snapchat is still exploring these changes and has not announced exactly when or how the update will be implemented. If you notice My AI disappearing from your chat feed, it’s probably part of these ongoing tests.

This development reflects Snapchat’s effort to balance AI integration with user preferences, which could improve overall satisfaction with the app.

LinkedIn removes custom CTA links from user profiles

LinkedIn is removing the option for Premium subscribers to add a custom call-to-action (CTA) link to their personal profiles.

Introduced in 2023, LinkedIn’s custom profile CTA buttons allowed Premium users to add external URLs with options like “Visit my Store” or “Visit my Website.” This feature added a prominent button on profiles, providing a direct way to drive traffic from LinkedIn.

However, LinkedIn has now confirmed that this option will no longer be available for new links. Existing custom CTA buttons will remain visible on profiles unless removed, but once removed, users will not be able to add new ones.

As LinkedIn explains:

“At LinkedIn, we are constantly evaluating our features and thinking about how we can best add value for our members and customers. As part of this process, we may decide to upgrade or eliminate certain offerings so we can invest in the features that bring the most value. As a result, we no longer support adding new links to your profile. Any custom link you have previously added will remain in the top card, but if removed, you won’t be able to add a new link.”

This change may impact some Premium users who rely on the feature to drive traffic directly from their profile, though it’s unclear how widely used the CTA button has been.

It’s important to note that this feature is only available to LinkedIn Premium subscribers, currently estimated at around 175 million worldwide, with subscription numbers having grown 50% over the past two years.

Interestingly, LinkedIn continues to promote custom CTA buttons for Premium Company Pages, which offer brands a more visible way to stand out. LinkedIn reports that these Company Pages receive over 10 times more clicks on custom buttons compared to standard pages, likely due to their prominent placement.

This shift suggests LinkedIn is prioritising business profile features over individual user customisation options, focusing on where they see the greatest impact.

X recently updated its “Like” tool

X is testing a subtle yet potentially significant update to its user interface, focusing on the Like button. Some users are now seeing a thumbs-up icon replacing the traditional heart, alongside reports that others are getting both thumbs-up and thumbs-down reaction options on posts.

What’s Changing?

In the new setup, the familiar heart icon, long associated with “liking” content on X, has been replaced by a thumbs-up symbol. Additionally, this icon has shifted to the left-hand side of posts, with engagement options rearranged along the bottom of each post. This contrasts with the existing layout, where the heart icon has been centred among the reaction buttons.

This change is notable because it alters the habitual behaviours users have developed over the years of engaging on the platform. Switching the icon and its position challenges how users visually and physically interact with posts.

Why the Change?

Elon Musk, who oversees X, has expressed a strong desire to put his own stamp on the platform, frequently proposing broad changes to the user interface. At one point, he even floated the idea of removing all post function buttons altogether, advocating for a simpler, “cleaner” feed that encourages more organic, physical responses from users.

While such radical UI simplifications could improve visual clarity, they risk reducing engagement by removing the prompts that encourage user interaction. It’s likely for this reason that X has not rolled out the new layout universally but is instead testing it with select users as an optional alternative.

However, the switch from a heart to a thumbs-up icon doesn’t necessarily simplify or streamline the interface; it rearranges and replaces existing elements without necessarily reducing clutter. So what’s the reasoning?

Introducing Both Thumbs-Up and Thumbs-Down?

Interestingly, some users are now reporting the presence of both thumbs-up and thumbs-down icons below posts. This dual reaction option would provide a straightforward way for users to express approval or disapproval of content, directly influencing the feed algorithm.

If implemented broadly, this could help X better personalise each user’s feed by using explicit positive and negative feedback signals. The thumbs-up icon in this context aligns better with the concept of upvoting, familiar from platforms like Reddit, where users can actively promote or demote content relevance.

What’s Next?

At this stage, X has not made any official announcements regarding these UI experiments. Given the absence of a formal PR team and the platform’s evolving nature under Elon Musk’s direction, much of what we see is speculative.

However, these tests suggest X is exploring ways to enhance user engagement by providing clearer, more nuanced tools for interaction and content curation. The move toward upvote/downvote functionality signals a potential shift in how users influence their feed and how the platform’s algorithm prioritises content.

Threads tests Spoiler Tags

Threads is currently trialling several new features aimed at improving user engagement and transparency. These include spoiler tags for posts, interest indicators to help personalise content, and an account status overview similar to those on Instagram and Facebook.

Spoiler Tags to Hide Sensitive Content

App researcher Radu Oncescu recently spotted that Threads is experimenting with spoiler tags. This feature allows users to black out certain text within a post, hiding it behind a black overlay.

The purpose is to give users a choice when sharing potentially sensitive or spoiler information.
This helps avoid upsetting or spoiling content for others who may not wish to see it.
Spoiler tags have been in testing since January and are similar to Reddit’s approach to hiding spoilers.

This small addition could make Threads a more considerate platform for sharing diverse types of content.

Interest Indicators to Improve the Feed

Another new feature appearing in some users’ feeds is an “Interested in this post” indicator. These appear below certain posts in the “For You” stream and serve to educate the Threads algorithm about individual user preferences.

This helps tailor the content shown in the feed, making it more relevant.
Combined with topic tags, this provides Threads with clearer signals about what you want to see.
Over time, it could make the “For You” feed more engaging and personalised.

Account Status Overview for Transparency

Threads has also introduced an account status overview, aligning with Instagram and Facebook’s existing features. This tool allows users to check whether they have posted content that violates Meta’s Community Standards.

The account status page can be found under Settings > Account > Account Status.
It shows any removed content due to policy violations.
It also indicates if the account is facing restrictions, such as limited feature access or reduced visibility.
Users can see if their content or profile is being withheld from non-followers in recommendations, search results, or suggested users.

This feature addresses the topic of so-called “shadowbans.” While the term is often misunderstood, these are, in fact, content-based restrictions rather than secret bans.

Why These Updates Matter

Spoiler tags add a user-friendly way to share sensitive content without alienating followers.
Interest indicators provide more control over feed personalisation.
The account status overview increases transparency around content moderation and reaches limitations.

Together, these features could enhance user experience on Threads and give users better insight into how their content performs.

If you use Threads regularly, these updates are worth keeping an eye on, as they may affect how you engage with the platform and how your posts are seen by others.

Instagram is offering creators up to $20,000 to bring people to the app

Instagram is quietly paying creators up to $20,000 just for getting people to sign up or click over to the app. Wild, right?

Here’s what’s happening:

They’ve launched a new invite-only “Referrals” program in the US. The idea? Reward creators who can bring fresh eyes to the platform from elsewhere—like TikTok, YouTube or Discord.

There are two ways to get paid:

$100 for every person who creates an account through your custom link
Or $100 for every 1,000 clicks to Instagram via your shared links

One creator, who runs a dog account, says she’s been offered the second version—earning based on traffic, not sign-ups.

It’s a six-week test, running from May through June. And let’s be honest, this isn’t Instagram’s first attempt to lure creators away from other apps. They’ve previously dangled bonuses of up to $50,000 a month just for exclusive Reels content.

So what does this mean for the rest of us?

Instagram is treating creators as growth tools now—not just content creators, but user acquisition engines.
If you’re already multi-platform, you’ve got leverage. You might not be in this test group yet, but this is the kind of thing that could roll out wider if it works.
It’s worth thinking about your links. Are you making it easy for people to find you on Instagram from your other platforms? That kind of cross-promotion might pay off—literally.

And if you do get the invite? Absolutely say yes.

Meta will soon enable advertisers to test experimental AI features

Meta is rolling out something new for advertisers—an “Early Release” programme that will offer access to experimental generative AI ad features before they’re widely available.

If you’re running ads on Facebook, Instagram, or Threads, this could be a chance to get ahead of the curve and test out Meta’s newest AI tools before the rest of the market catches on.

What’s the “Early Release” programme all about?

According to Meta:

“Early release features are those that are being tested with a small percentage of advertisers to validate performance and suitability before rolling out more broadly, and some features may be rolled back based on these evaluations.”

In other words, Meta’s offering early access to features still in testing. You’ll get to try them out in your ad campaigns, help assess their performance, and possibly shape the future of how these tools are refined or rolled out.

What kinds of tools are we talking about?

Meta’s already been experimenting with generative AI across the platform, and this new programme is expected to focus heavily on creative tools, including:

AI-generated ad variations for different formats
Video creation from text prompts
Background generation for product imagery
Auto-optimised ad creatives with Advantage+ tools

It’s not just about better targeting anymore—Meta wants to help brands generate more engaging, personalised visuals with less manual effort.

“Early release features will be labelled ‘Early Release’ at the ad level in Ads Manager,” Meta explains, “and advertisers can preview and customise their ad variations before deciding if they want to opt in to the feature.”

What happens if a test feature gets scrapped?

If Meta pulls a feature after testing, it’ll be removed from all active ads. But if the tool passes the test and gets rolled out more broadly, the “Early Release” label will disappear, and your ads will keep running without disruption.

So essentially:

You can try new features early.
You decide whether to use them.
If Meta rolls them back, your ad won’t break—just revert to standard.

Can you join?

That part’s still a bit murky. Meta has announced the programme but hasn’t yet shared how advertisers can apply or whether there will be eligibility criteria.

They’ve confirmed the initiative is on the way, and it looks like more information will follow shortly. We’ve reached out for further details and will update once we hear more.

Why this matters

Meta continues to push AI as a core part of its ad offering. Giving advertisers early access to experimental tools could mean big opportunities for those willing to try something new, and a faster feedback loop for Meta to improve the tech.

If you’re a brand or business already running ads on Meta’s platforms, this could be one to watch.

TikTok is facing new regulatory challenges in the EU

If your audience is on TikTok—or you’re building a brand that relies on younger viewers—this update from Europe is worth paying attention to.

Several EU countries are considering new restrictions on TikTok and other social media platforms, following concerns about harmful trends and underage access. And it could reshape how the app operates in Europe.

What’s happening?

At the centre of it all is a worrying trend known as “SkinnyTok.” This corner of TikTok has been criticised for promoting unhealthy body image content, including:

“What I eat in a day” videos with dangerously low calorie intake
Body comparison clips
Glamorised rapid weight loss content

The problem? These videos are often boosted by TikTok’s algorithm, meaning users don’t even have to search for them. They’re just served up on the For You page.

According to Politico:

“SkinnyTok has become a hotspot for videos glamorising rapid weight loss… often served up automatically by TikTok’s recommendation system.”

What could change?

The European Commission is now looking into the effects of these trends, and we could see:

Restrictions on what kind of content TikTok can promote
Closer regulation of TikTok’s algorithm
Stricter rules for how minors use social media in general

One proposal, led by Greece, suggests that kids under a certain age would need parental consent just to access apps like TikTok and Snapchat.

France is backing a similar idea, suggesting the age limit should be under 16. That aligns with recent moves in Australia, where under-16s will also be restricted from using social platforms.

If these age-based restrictions roll out across Europe, it could be a major blow to TikTok and Snapchat, which have large teen user bases.

But wait—TikTok’s already in hot water.

This isn’t the only challenge TikTok is facing in Europe. The platform has:

Been fined for sharing EU user data with China
Spent billions to open local data centres across Europe to comply with regulations
Struggled to gain trust from regulators and lawmakers on data protection

So while TikTok is investing heavily to stay compliant in the EU, this new wave of restrictions could make it harder to justify that effort, especially if it loses a chunk of its user base.

And with ongoing legal battles in the U.S. too, TikTok’s future is starting to look a bit rocky.

What does this mean for your business?

If you’re a brand or creator relying on TikTok, especially to reach younger audiences, it’s worth:

Monitoring age-related policy changes in your region
Thinking about how your content strategy could adapt to other platforms (like Instagram or YouTube Shorts)
Being mindful of the kind of content you’re putting out, especially in sensitive niches like wellness, body image, and mental health

TikTok’s algorithm is one of the reasons it works so well, but if that comes under tighter control, we could see big shifts in how content is discovered and engaged with.

New mental health support elements for TikTok

Good news if you or your audience are on TikTok and could use a little help with stress or winding down. TikTok is rolling out some new mental health features to help users stay balanced and get support when they need it.

Guided Meditation Right Inside TikTok

First up: TikTok is launching an in-app guided meditation feature designed to help you relax and regulate your breathing, right from the app.

How does it work? Animated on-screen prompts guide you through calming breathing exercises and meditation, especially during TikTok’s “Sleep Hours” mode. So, when it’s late, instead of just scrolling endlessly, TikTok will gently nudge you to take a mindful break.

Here’s the cool part — for teens under 18, this meditation feature will turn on automatically after 10 pm to help them wind down. TikTok says:

“98% of teens who tried the meditation feature kept it switched on after testing.”

That’s a great sign that users find it helpful.

Dr. Willough Jenkins, a child psychiatrist, is also collaborating with TikTok to promote this feature, sharing how good sleep and relaxation are key to mental health, especially for teens.

Expanding Mental Health Support Worldwide

TikTok is also donating $2.3 million in ad credits to 31 mental health organisations across 22 countries. This will help those groups reach TikTok users who might need support or resources.

With TikTok’s huge reach, especially among young people, this move could make a real difference in connecting folks with professional help.

Why It Matters

There’s been growing concern about social media’s impact on mental health, particularly for younger users. Some governments are even considering raising age limits for apps like TikTok to protect teens.

By adding helpful features like guided meditation and boosting support resources, TikTok is taking steps to show it cares about user well-being. These initiatives might also help ease regulatory worries.

Pinterest accidentally suspended loads of accounts

If your Pinterest account was suddenly deactivated for no clear reason recently, you’re not alone, and Pinterest has finally addressed the issue.

Over the past few weeks, lots of users have reported unexpected bans or suspensions, even though they hadn’t violated any community guidelines.

What Went Wrong?

Pinterest has now confirmed that these bans were caused by “over-enforcement” of its content rules. Essentially, their systems went a bit overboard trying to remove problematic content, and unfortunately, that meant some completely safe accounts got wrongly flagged.

A big chunk of these mistaken suspensions seems to relate to posts about anatomy or body-related content, which Pinterest’s systems mistakenly interpreted as adult material.

Despite rumours, Pinterest says this wasn’t due to AI moderation running wild — rather, it was part of a broader effort to make the platform safer, particularly for younger users. Pinterest has recently rolled out school-hour usage warnings for teens and is clearly cracking down harder on adult and AI-generated content.

What Now?

The good news is:

✔️ Most of the wrongly suspended accounts have now been restored

✔️ Pinterest is working on updating its systems to avoid this from happening again

✔️ If your account is still down, you can reach out to Pinterest for support

Why It Matters for Creators & Brands

If you use Pinterest for your business or content marketing, this kind of glitch is more than a minor inconvenience — it can impact traffic, visibility, and audience trust. It’s a reminder of how reliant we are on these platforms, and why having backup plans (like email lists or multiple social channels) is always wise.

Pinterest outlines how to optimise your marketing approach

Thinking about using Pinterest to promote your business? Good call — the platform now has 570 million users, many of whom are actively looking to shop.

Pinterest isn’t just another social media app — it’s more like a visual search engine (or a digital shopping mall). And when used well, it can drive real results for product-based brands.

Pinterest just shared a new guide to help you do exactly that. Here are the key steps:

1. Upload Your Product Catalogue

This is the foundation. If you sell products, upload your full catalogue to Pinterest.

Why? Because:

“Merchants with Catalogues see 5x more impressions.”

That means more eyes on your stuff — simple as that.

2. Optimise Your Product Listings

Once your feed is connected, make sure your Pins have:

Clear titles and descriptions
Relevant keywords
Great quality images
No feed errors

Also, the more products, the better.

Feeds with over 2,500 products saw 3x higher return on ad spend.

Even if you don’t have that many, variety helps Pinterest’s system match products to searchers.

3. Make Everything Shoppable

Pinterest recommends turning all your Pins into shoppable ones, and adding products to themed boards, because:

“25% of Pinterest SEO traffic goes to boards.”

Shoppable collages get 2x more saves than regular Pins.

You can also link your Instagram account to Pinterest so that your Insta content can drive traffic directly to your product pages.

4. Try Pinterest Ads

Once your shop’s set up, you can experiment with ads:

Performance+ Ads use AI to match your content to the right people
Catalogue Ads let you promote products with lifestyle, UGC or video content
Mobile deep linking takes users straight to your app – and it works!

Deep links = 235% higher conversion rates + lower ad costs

Pinterest also supports Shopify integration, so if you’re already using that, the setup is even easier.

X Adds New Elements to its Grok AI Chatbot

Grok, the AI chatbot built into X (formerly Twitter), has received two notable updates:

Chart Generation

Grok can now create charts based on uploaded datasets or information it gathers for you.

This could be useful for:

Quick data visualisation
Social media reporting
Presentations or internal updates

However, it’s still experimental, so it’s best to double-check any charts it produces for accuracy.

Sketch Input

There’s a new “Draw a sketch” option that allows you to upload a rough drawing or diagram.

This can help explain ideas visually, especially if you’re struggling to describe something with words alone.

What About Usage?

Despite these improvements, Grok still isn’t widely used on the platform. A few reasons why:

It was originally only available to paying users
Many users don’t know it’s now open to everyone
X hasn’t done much to promote it

Its standalone app, launched in January, is sitting in the top 100 downloads on iOS, but hasn’t seen major growth yet.

xAI, the company behind Grok, could be positioning itself for larger-scale opportunities, including government AI contracts via Elon Musk’s DOGE reform initiative. That means Grok’s development may be less about day-to-day user numbers and more about long-term infrastructure plans.

X has added a new method to detect coordinated notes activity

X has introduced a new detection system to prevent coordinated manipulation of its Community Notes feature. This update quietly rolled out last week and is designed to limit the impact of organised groups trying to influence what content gets labelled with a note.

What’s New?

The updated algorithm now identifies anomalous patterns in how notes are rated. If it detects coordination between users, for example, people consistently upvoting or downvoting together, it treats those inputs as if they came from a single individual.

In practice, this makes it harder for people to game the system by coordinating support or rejection of a particular note.

Why It Matters

There have been growing concerns about manipulation in the Community Notes system. Studies suggest that:

Groups have worked together to suppress certain notes
Many helpful notes don’t appear because a consensus hasn’t been reached
Ideological bias among contributors can stall moderation on key issues

In fact, around 85% of Community Notes never get shown, largely due to the consensus model requiring agreement from contributors with differing political views.

Real-World Impact

This system can be especially problematic on polarising issues such as:

Voter fraud
Gender identity
Government policy
Abortion debates

In these cases, cross-ideological consensus is often impossible, meaning misleading or incomplete posts can circulate unchecked.

While the new coordination-detection feature won’t solve every issue, it’s a step toward restoring trust and integrity in the Community Notes program.

X continues to iterate on the system, and there’s hope that other platforms, like Meta, which has also been trialling a similar notes system, will adopt similar safeguards.

X rolls out support for 4K video uploads

X has officially rolled out support for 4K video uploads, a long-awaited update that enhances the platform’s video quality capabilities. While some creators have had early access since April, this feature is now available to all X Premium subscribers.

What’s Changed?

4K uploads are now live for Premium users
This follows months of development delays — Elon Musk had initially expected full rollout by the end of 2023
The update allows creators to present high-quality video content directly within the platform

This change aligns with X’s broader push into video, particularly as more users consume content on TV screens. Enhancing video resolution supports Musk’s ongoing vision for X as an “everything app.”

Why It Matters

For content creators, this unlocks new potential:

Improved production quality means better viewer experiences
4K uploads can help videos stand out and gain more traction
It’s a useful tool for creators focused on growing their audience within the app

The caveat: this feature is limited to X Premium users, meaning it’s tied to a paid subscription.

What Else Is Coming?

In addition to 4K uploads, X is also working on improved live streaming tools. While no official release details have been shared yet, hints suggest that expanded broadcast capacity is on the horizon.

Threads Tests Option To Create a Profile Separate From Instagram

Threads is Breaking Up With Instagram (Kinda)

In a spicy little twist from Meta HQ, Threads is testing a big change: some EU users can now create a Threads account without needing an Instagram login.

Yep — no more “you must be this Instagram user to ride.”

Instead, you can sign up using just your email or phone number, which basically means: Threads is slowly becoming its own person.

What’s actually changing?

You can now make a Threads profile that isn’t tied to your IG.
You can choose a totally different username.
It’s currently only being tested in the EU, but let’s be honest — this is probably the start of something bigger.

And this isn’t out of nowhere. Threads has been hinting at this since late 2023. They already stopped using your IG follow list to suggest who to follow on Threads. (Although your Instagram graph still influences post recommendations for now.)

But what we’re seeing is a clear direction: Threads is growing out of Instagram’s shadow.

Why this matters for creators + brands

Threads started as a cute lil side project — kind of like Instagram’s take on X/Twitter. But now it’s evolving into a real-time, text-first platform with its own vibe.

So here’s what to think about:

Audience strategy matters more
You might want to talk to different people on Threads than on Instagram. This shift makes that easier — and honestly, more aligned with how we consume text-based vs visual content.
You’ll likely need a separate content tone
Threads isn’t for curated carousels or glossy brand aesthetics. It’s about conversation, speed, and ideas. Think less “content calendar,” more “jumping into relevant chats in real time.”
Platform independence = new opportunities
As Threads becomes its own thing, we’ll probably see new features, monetisation tools, and trends emerge that are not just recycled from Instagram.

Bottom line? Threads isn’t just Instagram’s little sibling anymore. It’s figuring out its own identity — and if you’re a creator or brand who likes experimenting early, this is the moment to start paying attention.

Threads follows Instagram with more links in bio

Big news for creators, small biz owners, and anyone using Threads to grow their online presence: You can now add up to five external links to your Threads bio.

Before this update, you were limited to just one link — usually pointing to something like a Linktree. Now, Threads is finally following in Instagram’s footsteps (which added this feature back in 2023), giving you more flexibility to share exactly what you want, directly and clearly.

What’s new?

Add up to 5 links to your Threads profile (instead of just one)
Links now show up clearly in your bio and expand to a list view
Link performance insights are being rolled out — so you can see what’s actually getting clicked
Threads is also launching a weekly insights recap showing:

How many posts you shared
Total views
Replies
New followers

You’ll also start seeing personalised tips to help you engage more effectively with your audience

If you’re a creator, coach, or business owner, these changes give you more control over your traffic — and more visibility on what’s resonating with your community.

Why it matters

This update means Threads is taking steps to become a more creator- and publisher-friendly platform — not just a chilled-out alt to X/Twitter.

It makes it easier to:

Drive people to multiple offers (like your shop, newsletter, booking page, or podcast)
Track what’s working, using real data instead of guessing
Reduce the need for tools like Linktree, by letting you lay out your top links directly

And with weekly insights and engagement tips baked in, it’s clear Threads is trying to help you grow, not just keep you scrolling.

It’s worth noting that Meta’s history with creators has had its ups and downs — but as a complementary tool in your content strategy, Threads is becoming more useful by the week.

Instagram Launches First Official Use of Unlockable Reels

Instagram has finally rolled out its first official unlockable Reels moment—and if you’ve been hanging around here, you might remember I told you this was coming. Well, it’s here, bestie.

Let’s break down what it is, how it works, and why it could open some interesting doors for creators and brands.

What are Unlockable Reels?

Instagram’s new lockable Reels feature lets creators post Reels that are hidden behind a code. To watch them, users have to enter the secret code, giving creators a new way to build exclusivity, create buzz, or reward their most loyal followers.

This isn’t available to everyone yet. The feature is still in early testing, but it’s been officially launched for the first time by none other than The Weeknd, who’s hiding a clip from his film “Hurry Up Tomorrow” behind a code.

How does it work?

If you spot a locked Reel in your feed, you’ll see a prompt to enter the secret code. Once you pop in the code, the Reel will unlock.

Here’s what Instagram says about it:

“The new hidden reels feature lets you unlock exclusive content with a password. Instagram is testing this as a way to help creators build excitement and connect people over shared interests and entertaining content in a new, IYKYK way.”

Why it matters (and why you should care)

This might feel like a novelty right now, but unlockable Reels have the potential to become a clever engagement tool for:

Creators & influencers: Reward your superfans or email subscribers with exclusive content.
Businesses & brands: Share discounts, special offers, or region-specific updates only to those who’ve opted in.
Regular users: Keep things private or personal for select followers, friendship groups, or event guests.

The possibilities? Endless. Think of it like an Instagram version of a VIP lounge—where you decide who gets the password.

Things to know:

The feature is still in testing and is only available to selected creators.
It’s a new way to drive community vibes and make your followers feel like insiders.

While unlockable Reels aren’t a game-changer just yet, they definitely add a fresh layer of creativity and exclusivity to your content. If you’ve got a loyal following or VIP offers up your sleeve, this could be one to watch closely. And you know I’ll keep you posted when (and if) it rolls out wider.

Meta expands access to opportunity score to help improve campaign performance

If you’ve noticed a new pop-up in your Ads Manager, you’re not imagining things. Meta has quietly expanded access to its Opportunity Score—a handy little metric designed to help advertisers get more from their campaigns.

Let’s break down what it is, what it does, and what you should keep in mind.

What is an Opportunity Score?

Meta’s Opportunity Score gives your ad campaign a rating out of 100, showing how well your set-up aligns with Meta’s AI-backed recommendations for best performance.

In simple terms:

It’s like a health check for your campaigns, giving you real-time feedback and tips to help boost your results.

How does it work?

When you run ads through Ads Manager, you might now see an alert showing your Opportunity Score, along with recommendations for tweaks you can make.

These might include:

Using more of Meta’s Advantage+ tools
Fixing errors like missing info or formatting problems
Following Meta’s best practice tips, based on what’s currently working for other advertisers

The more of these recommendations you take, the higher your score climbs.

Meta says that in early testing, advertisers who followed the suggestions saw a 5% median decrease in cost per result, so it could be worth a look.

Important to know

It’s not a guarantee. Like most things AI-powered, these are recommendations, not promises. They’re based on what Meta thinks will work, but your mileage may vary.
Your score is tied to how many recommendations you follow. So it’s very much Meta’s own system, nudging you toward its preferred ad practices.
It’s rolling out wider. If you haven’t seen it yet, keep an eye on your Ads Manager. You might spot an Opportunity Score alert soon.

If you’re running ads on Meta platforms, this is a useful tool to keep in your back pocket—especially if you want quick, AI-driven tips to improve performance. But remember, it’s just one lens. You still know your audience best, so balance Meta’s suggestions with your own strategy and testing.

Edits adds more video editing tools, including text animations and filters

Meta is keeping up the momentum with its new video editing app, Edits, and this week’s update brings a bunch of creative tools to play with.

If you’re making Reels, TikToks, or Shorts, these updates could help polish your videos and speed up your workflow.

What’s new in Edits?

Here’s what’s landed in the latest update:

1. 50 New Text Animations

You can now jazz up your captions with dynamic text animations like stretch, slide away, and more.

Perfect for making your text pop and adding a pro touch without needing external apps.

2. More Filters

Fresh filters mean more ways to change the look and feel of your videos directly in Edits.

3. Safe Zone and Alignment Guides

These new guides show exactly where UI buttons and overlays will sit on your video (think Reels buttons, captions, etc.), so you can avoid awkwardly covered text or faces.

This is handy whether you’re posting on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts.

4. Frame Rate Selector

You can now adjust your video’s frame rate in Edits, giving you smoother playback or a stylised look.

5. Auto-Generated Captions

Another time-saver: Edits will now auto-generate captions for you, helping make your videos more accessible and scroller-stopping.

Meta is clearly working hard to make Edits a serious contender in the video editing space.

Whether it’s better than CapCut? That’s still up for debate and depends on what features you value most, but it’s clear Meta is positioning Edits as a one-stop shop for Reels and beyond.

If you’re a creator or business wanting to keep your workflow streamlined (and free), Edits is definitely worth exploring—especially now that it’s offering more of the pro features you’d usually have to hop over to CapCut or InShot for.

And with Meta promising ongoing updates, it might be the right time to give it a spot in your content toolkit.

Meta Shares Tips on How To Avoid Financial Scams Online

With financial scams on the rise (again), Meta is stepping up its warnings to users—and sharing some smart tips to help you spot and avoid scams across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

What’s happening?

Meta has reported that in 2024 alone, they removed over 7 million scam-related accounts from their platforms.

These scams included everything from:

Fake celebrity endorsements
Phoney investment offers
Romance and dating scams

And the losses are staggering:

According to the FTC, U.S. consumers lost $5.7 billion to investment scams in 2024—a 24% increase from the year before.

The classic scam tactics to watch out for:

Promises of quick returns or exclusive investment opportunities
Approaches via social media, emails, texts, or calls
Invites to investment coaching groups or get-rich-quick schemes

Meta’s 3 top tips to protect yourself (and your audience):

1. Check your privacy settings regularly. Use Meta’s Privacy Check-Up tool to control who sees your personal info.

2. Stay alert to payment requests. Meta now shows warnings in Messenger if someone asks you to pay before an item is shipped.

3. Verify profiles with a video selfie. Meta has introduced optional video selfie verification to make it harder for scammers to impersonate celebrities or trusted brands.

Extra support:

Meta’s also teamed up with Rachel Tobac, an online safety expert, to create short videos on how to avoid common scam traps.

Whether you’re a business or a creator, scams are everywhere right now—and they’re getting sneakier.

It’s smart to keep your audience informed, regularly check your account safety, and pause before acting on offers that feel ‘too good to be true.’

If you’re using social media to sell products or services, it’s also worth reminding your followers about safe payment methods and official communication channels.

Staying scam-savvy is good for your community and your brand.

TikTok adds new option to animate still images with AI

TikTok is rolling out a brand-new AI feature called AI Alive, which can turn your static images into dynamic video clips—and yes, it’s as cool as it sounds!

What’s New?

TikTok’s AI Alive allows you to add motion, effects, and creative edits to any photo.

Simply upload a still image, and TikTok’s AI-powered tool will animate it into a short, snappy video—perfect for your TikTok Stories!

How does it work?

When you use AI Alive through TikTok’s Story Camera, the tool adds:

Movement (because photos need to move, right?)
Atmospheric effects
Creative flair that transforms your simple photo into something visually stunning

AI Alive takes storytelling up a notch by making photos more engaging.

It’s perfect for when you want to add an extra layer of creativity to your stories without having to shoot a full video. Plus, once you post your AI Alive story, your followers can see it in their For You feed, Following feed, and on your profile.

But… Will It Work for Me?

TikTok’s confident most results will look awesome, but as with any AI tool, things can get weird:

Faces might get a little too animated
Limbs might do strange things
But hey, that’s also part of the fun!

Competitors Aren’t Far Behind…

In an interesting twist, Instagram is planning to add a similar feature through its CapCut-based Edits app. Looks like TikTok’s jumping in first to stake its claim on the AI animation scene.

How to use it:

Open the TikTok Story Camera
Tap the blue “+” at the top of the Inbox or Profile page
Choose your photo from your Story Album
Let the magic happen!
Share and enjoy your new animated creation across your feed and profile!

Ready to add a little magic to your TikTok Stories? The new AI Alive feature could be just the tool to make your visuals pop! Whether you go for smooth, polished animations or a quirky, fun effect, this new feature is a cool way to stand out on the platform.

X launches updated link previews and CTAs for sales objective ads

X (formerly Twitter) has introduced an update to its website card display for in-stream ads, giving advertisers a new way to make their posts stand out and drive more clicks.

What’s new?

For ads using the Sales objective, X will now display the headline and a customisable call-to-action (CTA) button along the bottom of the main image or video. This gives your ad a more prominent and polished look, separate from regular posts in the feed.

According to X:

“Headlines will now appear below your images or videos, accompanied by a distinct, customisable Call to Action button to enhance your campaigns.”

Important to note—this update only applies to ads. Organic posts will keep their existing layout with headlines overlaid on the image or video.

Why does this matter?

This change is designed to make ads stand out more clearly in-stream. It provides advertisers with extra space and a dedicated CTA area to drive action, improving visibility and engagement potential.

It also represents a bit of a throwback to how link posts used to appear on Twitter, before a series of updates that removed the lower information panel in 2023, as part of a wider effort to make the feed look cleaner.

A step back or a smart move?

While this move does roll back some of X’s more minimalist feed changes, it’s likely a response to advertiser demand for more control over ad visuals and clearer calls to action.

Even though Elon Musk’s push for a simplified, ‘cleaner’ aesthetic led to these changes in the first place, this update gives brands more flexibility and space to make their paid content work harder.

What’s next?

This is part of X’s ongoing effort to attract advertisers back to the platform by offering more advertising tools and formats that deliver better performance.

For brands running Sales objective campaigns, this gives you more creative room to:

Test different CTAs
Make your messaging clearer
Encourage users to click through

X’s Community Notes reaches 1M contributors

X’s Community Notes programme has reached a major milestone, with one million users now actively contributing to notes and approvals on the platform.

X announced the update this week, positioning Community Notes as a people-powered approach to content moderation and highlighting that both Meta and TikTok are rolling out similar systems to support their own moderation tools.

A success story for X?

On the surface, this might seem like a win for X’s decentralised moderation model. Community Notes has often been held up as one of the more positive changes since Elon Musk took over the platform, offering a crowdsourced method to add context to posts, rather than relying solely on internal moderation teams.

The approach aims to reduce potential bias by allowing users from different perspectives to agree on what information should be highlighted or corrected, cutting down on accusations of management interference.

It also brings practical benefits for X, as it reduces the need for external moderation contractors, cutting costs while empowering the user community to take on a larger role.

But the data tells a different story

Despite the growth in contributors, the effectiveness of Community Notes is still under question.

Research from the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that 73% of Community Notes related to political topics are never displayed, largely because contributors cannot reach consensus. This means that important context is often missing from politically sensitive posts, undermining the goal of reducing misinformation.

Similarly, a study by fact-checking site Maldita reported that 85% of all Community Notes are never displayed to users, again due to the requirement that contributors from opposing political backgrounds must agree before a note is shown.

This creates a significant bottleneck in the process. While user-generated annotations are generally perceived as more trustworthy than traditional misinformation labels, they only have an impact when they appear, and most do not make it through the system.

Vulnerabilities and manipulation

There are also concerns around organised groups manipulating the Community Notes process by collaborating to approve or reject certain notes. This opens the door to bias and coordinated misinformation campaigns, undermining the very purpose of the tool.

While X has acknowledged some of these issues and continues to refine the system, particularly in improving turnaround times to get notes live before posts go viral, the need for political agreement and susceptibility to manipulation remain key weaknesses.

Should Community Notes replace traditional moderation?

Despite its challenges, there is clear value in the Community Notes approach as a tool for transparency and accountability. But it should be seen as a complement to other moderation and fact-checking systems, not a replacement.

With Meta now launching a similar tool to a far larger audience, the pressure is on for platforms to prove that community-led models can actually deliver on their promise of improved information integrity.

For now, X’s one million Community Notes contributors is an impressive number—but the platform still has work to do to ensure the system delivers consistent, reliable outcomes.

LinkedIn launches AI-powered career discovery tools

LinkedIn has announced a major update to its job search experience, introducing AI-powered career discovery tools designed to make job searching more intuitive and personalised.

With the new feature, users can now describe their ideal job in simple, conversational language, and LinkedIn’s AI will match them to relevant roles, even if they don’t know the exact job titles or industry jargon.

Making job search more human—and more AI

According to LinkedIn, this new approach aims to remove traditional barriers in job search, such as rigid filters and keyword-based searches. Instead, the AI-powered system functions more like a conversation with a career coach, where users can say things like:

“I want to use my marketing skills to support cancer research.”
“I want to work on making cities more walkable.”
“I’m looking for entry-level roles in gaming.”

LinkedIn’s AI will then process these statements and suggest roles the user might not have even considered.

This update is built on LinkedIn’s Economic Graph data, leveraging insights from its billion-plus members to help the AI interpret user intent and deliver more accurate, personalised results.

What’s changing beyond search?

Alongside the AI job discovery tool, LinkedIn is also updating job listings to include:

Company verification status
Typical employer response times
Compatibility scores based on your profile data

Premium users will also get access to job match ratings and tailored suggestions to help them stand out.

And to support users further, LinkedIn Learning now includes AI-powered interview coaching, allowing members to practise interview skills with AI mock interviews.

A broader push into AI

This is part of LinkedIn’s wider strategy to embed AI across the platform—from content creation prompts to recruiter tools and now career exploration. With Microsoft (LinkedIn’s parent company) a major investor in OpenAI, the move signals LinkedIn’s continued commitment to using AI to enhance the professional journey from learning to job searching to hiring.

Whether these tools will make career changes feel less daunting and more accessible to users remains to be seen, but it’s a step toward making LinkedIn feel more like a personal career companion, not just a job board.

Edits adds more video editing tools, including text animations and filters

Meta is keeping up the momentum with its new video editing app, Edits, and this week’s update brings a bunch of creative tools to play with.

If you’re making Reels, TikToks, or Shorts, these updates could help polish your videos and speed up your workflow.

Meta is keeping up the momentum with its new video editing app, Edits, and this week’s update brings a bunch of creative tools to play with.

If you’re making Reels, TikToks, or Shorts, these updates could help polish your videos and speed up your workflow.

What’s new in Edits?

Here’s what’s landed in the latest update:

1. 50 New Text Animations

You can now jazz up your captions with dynamic text animations like stretch, slide away, and more.

Perfect for making your text pop and adding a pro touch without needing external apps.

2. More Filters

Fresh filters mean more ways to change the look and feel of your videos directly in Edits.

3. Safe Zone and Alignment Guides

These new guides show exactly where UI buttons and overlays will sit on your video (think Reels buttons, captions, etc.), so you can avoid awkwardly covered text or faces.

This is handy whether you’re posting on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts.

4. Frame Rate Selector

You can now adjust your video’s frame rate in Edits, giving you smoother playback or a stylised look.

5. Auto-Generated Captions

Another time-saver: Edits will now auto-generate captions for you, helping make your videos more accessible and scroller-stopping.

Meta is clearly working hard to make Edits a serious contender in the video editing space.

Whether it’s better than CapCut? That’s still up for debate and depends on what features you value most, but it’s clear Meta is positioning Edits as a one-stop shop for Reels and beyond.

If you’re a creator or business wanting to keep your workflow streamlined (and free), Edits is definitely worth exploring—especially now that it’s offering more of the pro features you’d usually have to hop over to CapCut or InShot for.

And with Meta promising ongoing updates, it might be the right time to give it a spot in your content toolkit.

Meta shares what’s working for ads and what to try next

If you’re running ads on Instagram or Facebook, it’s worth paying attention to what Meta is highlighting right now. Off the back of their latest earnings call, they’ve shared five key areas advertisers should be focusing on – and while some of it is a little self-serving (as always), there are useful insights that can inform your strategy.

Here’s a breakdown of what Meta’s recommending, and how it might impact your campaigns:

AI-Powered Ads Are Being Pushed – Hard

Meta is putting a lot of weight behind its AI tools, claiming their updated recommendation systems have led to more time spent on their platforms – including a 7% increase on Facebook, 6% on Instagram, and 35% on Threads.

They’re encouraging brands to use their Advantage+ campaigns, which use AI to automatically optimise your ads for better performance. According to Meta, advertisers using their generative tools on Facebook Reels have seen up to a 5% increase in conversions, and those using Advantage+ are seeing an average of £4.52 in revenue for every £1 spent – a 22% improvement compared to standard campaigns.

If you’re open to testing AI-led ad formats, now might be a good time.

Video Content Is Still King

No surprises here – video is continuing to grow, especially in the US where Meta says time spent watching video on Facebook and Instagram is up year-on-year.

Their advice? Make sure video is part of your creative mix, whether you’re running brand-building campaigns or focusing on conversions. They’ve also added new tools to help, including:

Image Animation – turn a static image into simple video content
Video Expansion – automatically adjust aspect ratios and expand visuals for Reels

These features are available within Ads Manager, so you can experiment without needing full-scale video production.

Messaging Matters More Than Ever

Meta is leaning into messaging in a big way. WhatsApp now has over 3 billion monthly active users, Messenger is used by over a billion people, and there are 600 million daily conversations across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram DMs.

They’re encouraging businesses to look at:

Click-to-message ads – encouraging users to start conversations directly
AI-powered business agents – automated support tools (currently in beta)

With 80% of people globally already messaging a business each week, this shift towards private, conversational engagement is likely to continue.

Threads Ads Are Now Available

If you’re exploring Threads (Meta’s version of X/Twitter), you can now include Threads in your ad campaigns. The platform has reached around 350 million active users, and Meta has added a new “Threads feed” placement as a default option within Advantage+ and manual placements for Reach, Traffic, and Website Conversion campaigns.

You don’t have to use it – but if your audience is active on Threads, it might be worth testing.

Creator Partnerships Still Work

Lastly, Meta is reminding everyone about the value of creator marketing. With millions of influencers available through Instagram’s Creator Marketplace, they’re suggesting that brands collaborate through partnership ads – where a business can run an ad in collaboration with a creator.

According to Meta, 40% of people say they rely on creator recommendations when shopping on Instagram. If it fits with your brand, working with trusted creators could be a smart way to increase your reach and credibility.

A Quick Reality Check

Yes, Meta’s promoting the tools and formats that help its business. But it’s also true that these are the areas the platform is investing in and pushing hardest – which often means more visibility and better results for those who get in early.

So while it’s always worth testing what works for your audience, these five areas are worth keeping an eye on if you want to stay ahead of the curve.

Trump’s tariffs are set to have a significant impact on social media ad prices

One of the less talked-about takeaways from this quarter’s social media earnings reports is the role tariffs are playing behind the scenes—and why they could actually lower your ad costs, especially in the U.S.

While the platforms themselves are mostly skirting the topic (likely to avoid ruffling feathers), the impact is clear. With new tariffs coming into play—particularly from the Trump administration—big e-commerce advertisers based in Asia are pulling back on their ad spend. And for platforms like Meta, that’s a big deal.

Temu, for instance, has been Meta’s biggest advertiser in recent years. But now that Chinese-made imports are being excluded from the U.S. tax exemption for goods under $800, it’s suddenly more expensive for those brands to sell in the States. That makes U.S. advertising less attractive—and Meta’s ad auctions less competitive.

Put simply: fewer big international advertisers = lower ad prices for everyone else.

Meta’s CFO Susan Li put it in careful words during their earnings call, noting that they’ve already factored in reduced spend from Asian e-commerce businesses, and that while there’s pressure on revenue, the broader ad ecosystem is likely to rebalance as other advertisers fill the gaps.

Snapchat, too, reported a drop in advertiser demand for similar reasons, and it’s not a small shift. Snap shares dropped 20% in after-hours trading after announcing they’d be withholding future ad revenue guidance due to these “headwinds.”

Of course, while this is helpful context for your budget planning, it’s worth noting that prolonged drops in advertiser demand can also bring consequences. Platforms may respond by increasing the overall number of ads shown, or by relaxing ad quality standards—think clickbait, crypto scams, and dodgy “celebrity-endorsed” nonsense.

We’ve already seen something similar play out on X (formerly Twitter), where lower-quality ads have filled the vacuum left by major brands pulling out.

But back to the practical takeaway: if you’re running ads in the U.S., especially on Meta, now is a good time to test your campaigns. You may find that your cost per result improves as big-budget competition pulls back. It’s also a window to gain more visibility at a lower cost before platforms adapt further.

As always, the ad landscape shifts quickly—but for now, tariffs are shaking things up in a way that could benefit smaller advertisers willing to lean in.

Meta’s AI chatbot reawakens concerns about data tracking

Meta (the company behind Facebook and Instagram) is back in the spotlight over how it tracks users’ personal data. Two major things triggered this:

A new personalised AI chatbot that uses your Facebook and Instagram activity.
Testimony from a former Meta employee, Sarah Wynn-Williams.

Sarah claimed that Meta knows when users—especially teenagers—are feeling low or vulnerable. She said the company has even allowed advertisers to target teens when they seemed depressed, like after deleting a selfie. Ads for beauty products or weight loss were shown at times when girls might feel bad about their appearance.

At the same time, Meta’s new AI chatbot uses everything it knows about you—your likes, interests, and chats—to tailor its responses. This includes your full history from Facebook and Instagram. According to experts, this goes even further than other AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini when it comes to tracking personal data.

This isn’t new—Meta has always collected a lot of information. A study back in 2015 showed Facebook could understand your personality better than your friends or even your partner just from your page likes.

Now, with this chatbot, Meta has even more direct access to what you’re thinking, which can also be used for ads and other influences.

Yes, you can delete what the AI knows about you, and Meta says it won’t save unsafe information. But most people don’t change their settings or limit what’s collected—because convenience often wins over privacy.

So while Meta’s AI may offer a smarter, more personalised chat experience, it also means the company learns more about you—and uses it to make money through ads.

TikTok announces new EU data center to separate user info

TikTok is building a new data centre in Finland as part of its effort to keep European users’ data stored safely within the EU. This is part of Project Clover, a €12 billion initiative designed to follow EU privacy laws and ease concerns about data being sent to China.

TikTok says the new centre, along with existing ones in Norway and Ireland, will help store and protect information for its 175 million European users. The move comes just after the company was fined €530 million by Ireland’s privacy regulator for violating EU data laws.

Although TikTok insists it has never shared European user data with China or been asked to, fears remain that the app could be used by the Chinese government to gather information or influence people—especially because there’s a history of Chinese groups using social media to spread pro-China content.

Big tech companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft have reported thousands of fake profiles and content linked to Chinese influence campaigns. That’s part of why TikTok is still banned on government devices in the U.S. and under strict watch in Europe.

Even with these new investments, there’s still doubt about whether TikTok can fully meet all EU privacy requirements.

TikTok expands ad placement options for ‘Pulse’ campaigns

TikTok is giving brands more ways to get noticed by expanding its premium ad offering called Pulse, which places ads next to the most popular TikTok content.

Originally, Pulse let advertisers put their ads alongside the top 4% of trending videos. Now, TikTok is offering even more choices:

Pulse Premiere: Lets brands place ads next to trusted publisher content like Formula 1, Red Bull, Warner Bros Discovery, BuzzFeed, Disney, and more—especially during major cultural events like sports or award shows.
Pulse Core: Now includes four types of ad placements:

Custom Lineups: Uses AI to match a brand with a personalised content lineup.
Max Pulse: Puts ads next to TikTok’s top 4% of videos.
Category Lineups: Places ads near videos in specific topics (e.g. beauty, sports).
Seasonal Lineups: Matches ads to content around events like Mother’s Day or Back to School.

According to TikTok, brands using Pulse can see a 45% increase in reach, making it a powerful tool for visibility.

TikTok has also added new sponsorship packages that let brands appear next to cultural moments and events like the Las Vegas Grand Prix or Live Nation’s “The Submix.” These packages allow brands to customise what users see when they search certain keywords—giving them more control and impact.

In short, TikTok’s new ad options give brands more targeted, high-profile ways to reach engaged audiences.

Trump says he may extend TikTok sell-off deadline once again

TikTok’s future in the U.S. is still up in the air, despite a law requiring it to be sold to an American company.

Back in January, a new law went into effect that technically bans TikTok in the U.S. unless it’s sold to a U.S.-based owner. But after taking office, President Trump paused the law’s enforcement, giving TikTok extra time to sort out a deal.

That deadline has already been extended once, and Trump says he might extend it again—even though this kind of delay pushes the limits of presidential authority.

Here’s where things stand:

TikTok was supposed to find a U.S. buyer within 9 months of the law passing.
After no deal was made, Trump gave them 75 more days (until April), and then extended it another 75 days (until June 18).
So far, no U.S. partner has been confirmed, partly due to tensions between the U.S. and China.
China must approve any sale, but talks have stalled because of Trump’s new tariffs on Chinese imports.

Basically, TikTok’s U.S. operations are stuck in limbo. A deal is unlikely unless U.S.-China relations improve—and until then, TikTok’s future is hanging on Trump’s decisions.

Some fresh new updates for Pinterest search

Pinterest has upgraded its visual search tools to make it easier for users to discover items based on what they see in a Pin.

Now, when you view a Pin (particularly in women’s fashion), Pinterest will identify and label different parts of the image. Whether it’s a colour, fabric, or general style, you can explore similar products based on those details.

Key updates include:

Visual search access: You can now long-press any Pin to start a visual search.
Refinement options: Want that outfit in a different style, colour, or for a different occasion? You can now filter your search to find exactly what suits you.
Highlighted elements: Pinterest has added a subtle “animated glow” to show which parts of the image are being focused on.
Smarter search results: Generative AI now helps match your interests with more relevant Pins.

These features are currently rolling out for women’s fashion content in the UK, US, and Canada, with plans to expand into more categories and regions soon.

This update makes Pinterest more useful for personalised discovery and shopping, while also improving the overall experience.

LinkedIn updates video embeds with ‘Video Only’ option

LinkedIn has updated its post embedding options to provide a more streamlined way of sharing video content.

Now, when you embed a LinkedIn post, you can choose to include only the video, without the full post attached. This offers a cleaner, more integrated solution for those who want to incorporate relevant video clips into external content, such as blog posts.

Key updates include:

Cleaner design: The new embed format looks more polished and easier to interact with.
Compact preview: A more concise view, which helps in maintaining focus on the video content.
Video-only option: You can now embed just the video, making it more relevant and contextually appropriate for your content.

You can choose from three embed options:

Embed with less text
Embed entire post
Embed video only

However, only publicly shared posts can be embedded, and posts with multiple photos are not supported.

This update gives you more flexibility in how you present LinkedIn video content, making it easier to share engaging clips while keeping your external content focused and relevant.

Expanded video ad placement options on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is taking its first steps towards creator monetisation with the introduction of “BrandLink,” a new video ad placement option.

Previously known as the Wire program, BrandLink allows brands to place video ads alongside content from premium publishers. Now, LinkedIn has expanded this feature to include influencer content as well, marking a significant step towards creator monetisation on the platform.

Key details about BrandLink:

Increased Video Ads: Advertisers can now place their video ads in the pre-roll slot of videos from top influencers, including Steven Bartlett, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Rebecca Minkoff.
Creator Revenue: Selected creators will receive a share of the ad revenue, which encourages more video content creation on LinkedIn.
Stronger Engagement: Video content on LinkedIn has been performing well, with video posts driving 1.4 times more engagement than other formats.

BrandLink is still in its early stages, with only a few selected creators and brands involved. However, the expansion of video content on LinkedIn—coupled with a 36% increase in video viewing year-over-year—makes this an important development for marketers looking to leverage the platform’s growing video audience.

Results from initial participants in the Wire program have shown strong performance, with video ads seeing up to 130% higher completion rates and 23% higher view rates than standard video ads.

As LinkedIn continues to expand its creator monetisation opportunities, BrandLink could be a valuable option for boosting brand visibility while supporting video creators.

Instagram’s about to give Notes a little glow-up with custom colours

Instagram could soon be rolling out a new way to personalise your Notes, with the app’s team experimenting with custom colours and emoji options to help you jazz up your Notes.

Instagram Custom Notes

Currently, Instagram is testing an optional feature that allows you to select a colour and emoji for your Notes, offering a new way to customise your posts. As app researcher @varma.adwaith shared, this feature could make it easier for users to make their Notes stand out and more visually distinct.

As Instagram explains, “Now you can customise your note by adding colour and an emoji. Anyone can choose to use your note style as their own, and your name won’t appear next to it.”

This means that once you add your customisation, others could use the same style, making it a fun and interactive way to express your content.

Instagram Notes Colours

In theory, this feature could provide an exciting way to make your Notes more eye-catching. By adding a background colour and an emoji, you can create a note that feels more unique and aligned with your personality.

Instagram has previously experimented with emojis in Notes during specific events, like March Madness, and has also offered coloured notes for certain themed celebrations. While this isn’t entirely new, it does present an opportunity to give Notes a new sense of individuality.

If this feature is eventually released, it could serve as a simple yet effective way to enhance the Notes experience for users who want to make their messages stand out.

A Potential Release, But Not Just Yet

At this stage, Instagram has confirmed that this feature is still only an internal prototype, and there are no current plans to test it with users. While it may never see the light of day, Instagram is clearly exploring new ways to make Notes a more engaging and interactive feature.

Notes have proven popular with younger users, and Instagram is keen to continue attracting this audience. The platform has increasingly seen more engagement happen in direct messages (DMs) than on the main feed, so Notes could be a way to tap into this more personal form of interaction.

Although Instagram has removed Notes from the Reels and feed posts, the feature remains a positive tool for direct engagement. Experimenting with more customisation options seems like a logical next step for Instagram, especially if it helps boost engagement.

For now, though, we’ll have to wait and see if this new feature ever makes it to the public. Keep an eye on updates for any new developments.

The Meta AI app just launched

Meta has officially launched its own dedicated Meta AI app—and it’s shaping up to be the next big move in making AI more personal, conversational, and useful across everyday life.

Whether you’ve already used Meta AI on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, or Facebook—or you’re just curious about what all the fuss is about—this new standalone app makes chatting with your AI assistant feel more natural and seamless than ever.

What Is the Meta AI App?

At its core, the Meta AI app is your personal assistant, powered by the new Llama 4 model. It’s designed to learn from you—your preferences, your style, and your habits—so the more you use it, the more tailored its responses become.

The app includes:

A Discover feed to see how others are using AI and get inspiration.
Voice-first conversations, powered by upgraded speech technology.
Integration with your Ray-Ban Meta glasses and the web, so you can pick up where you left off—anywhere.

A Personal AI You Can Actually Talk To

You can speak to Meta AI using voice or text, but the new voice features are where things get really interesting. There’s a full-duplex voice demo included in the app (currently available in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) that lets you test a more natural back-and-forth conversation. Instead of reading out written replies, the AI speaks in real-time, trained on conversational dialogue.

It’s still early days, so you might run into the occasional hiccup—but it’s a glimpse at what’s coming next in voice AI.

Built to Fit Around You

Meta AI draws on what you choose to share across Facebook and Instagram (if your accounts are linked in the Meta Accounts Centre), giving you more relevant and helpful answers. You can also tell it what to remember—like your love of travel or favourite recipes—so it becomes more useful over time.

And don’t worry: nothing is posted or shared unless you choose to.

The Discover feed in the app is also a fun touch—see what prompts others are using, remix them, or share your own creations (if you fancy). Think of it as a scrollable collection of AI inspo.

Works Across Devices

Meta AI is also baked into Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and the new app now replaces the old Meta View app for those devices. You can manage your settings, access media, and even move conversations between your glasses and phone. Handy if you’re out and about and want to keep the chat going.

It’s also had a glow-up on the web. Desktop users now get access to voice chat, Discover, and a revamped image generation feature. In some countries, Meta is also testing tools like document editing and analysis.

You’re in Control

Voice might be the star of the show, but the app keeps things user-friendly. You can toggle the “ready to talk” feature on or off depending on your preference, and manage your privacy settings directly in the app.

Meta’s clearly serious about making AI feel less robotic and more like something you’d actually use day-to-day. Whether you’re brainstorming, editing images, managing your smart glasses or just having a natter, the new Meta AI app wants to be right there with you.

Meta updates dynamic labels for Advantage+ catalogue ads

Meta’s been tinkering again—and while this update might seem small at first glance, it could actually make a big difference to your ad performance if you’re using Advantage+ Catalogue campaigns.

They’ve rolled out “Dynamic Overlays”—which is really just a fancy name for customisable labels you can now add directly onto your product images in ads. Think price tags, sale stickers, discount badges… all the things that grab attention without needing extra creative work.

What’s Changed?

Dynamic overlays allow you to display real-time info from your product catalogue directly in your ad visuals. At the moment, this feature only applies to ads in the Facebook Feed.

Here’s what you can highlight with the new label types:

Price: Show the current selling price
Strikethrough Price: Display a sale price with the original crossed out
Percentage Off: Show how much people are saving
Free Shipping: Highlight when delivery’s on the house (note: shipping cost must be set to 0 in your catalogue)

You can let Meta choose which overlay performs best (handy if you’re in a rush), or you can customise the layout yourself—changing things like shape, font, colour, and label position.

So, Is This Actually New?

Not exactly. Meta has offered something similar for years, but this version is a bit more flexible. Previously, you could only apply one label at a time. Now you can toggle multiple label types on or off individually—making it easier to tailor your ads without needing a graphic designer on standby.

As Swipe Insight pointed out, this is more of a name change and functionality refresh than a complete overhaul—but still, a useful one.

Why It Matters

It’s another example of Meta leaning into automation with a personal touch.
These overlays are built for conversion—they quickly convey value without people needing to read your ad text.
And paired with Meta’s AI-powered Advantage+ placements? You’ve got a smarter, more responsive setup that does some of the heavy lifting for you.

This is especially handy for e-commerce businesses, online retailers, and anyone running seasonal or time-sensitive offers.

A Quick Heads-Up

Make sure your product catalogue is up to date before you try this—if the data’s wrong, your overlays will be too. And nobody wants that.

Facebook is cracking down on hashtag overuse and other platform issues

There’s a fresh round of updates from Meta, and this time they’re taking aim at the spammy stuff cluttering up our feeds—think dodgy captions, repeated posts, and content that just doesn’t belong.

If you’ve noticed more random nonsense popping up on Facebook lately, you’re not imagining it. From unrelated hashtags to off-topic captions that seem to go on forever, Meta’s decided it’s time to clean house a bit.

What’s Actually Changing?

Facebook is tightening up its rules on what it considers “inauthentic behaviour” and engagement bait. Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. No More Off-Topic Captions and Hashtag Spam

Some accounts have been using irrelevant captions and stuffing their posts with hashtags that have nothing to do with the content. You know the ones—a photo of a puppy with a caption about the history of flight, or a generic quote loaded with every trending hashtag under the sun.

Facebook now says:

“Accounts that engage in these tactics will only have their content shown to their followers and will not be eligible for monetisation.”

So if you’re using Facebook for your business or brand, it’s time to double-check your captions are relevant, clear, and not trying to game the system.

2. Cracking Down on Copy-Paste Content Networks

There are entire networks of spam accounts that post the exact same content over and over again, just from different profiles. Facebook’s now actively looking for this behaviour—and penalising it.

If you’re seen to be part of a coordinated network of accounts resharing the same thing, your reach will take a hit, and monetisation will be off the table.

3. The Return of the Comment Downvote

Yes, they’re testing the downvote button again—this time as a way to help users flag low-value or spammy comments. It’s not public (yet), but Meta’s hoping it’ll help clean up threads.

Though let’s be honest, downvotes have never quite worked out as intended. People often click them just because they don’t agree—not necessarily because a comment is spam or offensive. Still, Meta’s giving it another go.

4. More Tools to Spot Imposters and Fakes

Meta’s also nudging users towards its Rights Manager tools—especially for creators and businesses—to help tackle fake profiles and content theft. They’re tightening impersonation detection too, which is a win for protecting your brand identity online.

What About AI-Generated Spam?

Interestingly, this update doesn’t focus on the growing flood of AI-generated junk floating around the platform—which feels like a bit of a blind spot. Meta’s been actively encouraging AI use in content creation, so perhaps they’re walking a fine line.

But if you’ve spotted those eerily generic AI posts doing the rounds (you know the type: slick-looking images with weirdly vague captions), this update won’t be addressing those—at least not yet.

What This Means for You

If you’re running a Facebook Page, group, or ad account for your business:

Stay relevant. Make sure captions match your content.
Don’t go overboard with hashtags—use a few that matter, not 50 that don’t.
Keep things original. Resharing the same post across accounts could backfire.
Avoid anything that feels like clickbait or filler.

Meta’s clearly trying to clean up the feed experience, and these changes are nudging all of us to keep things more genuine, more useful, and less… well, spammy.

Meta Verified introducing new elements to encourage more brand sign-ups

Meta is rolling out new features for its paid verification service to encourage more brands to sign up. These updates are designed to make the blue tick more appealing—not just as a status symbol, but as a practical tool for visibility, content credit, and trust.

One key feature being tested is the ability for Meta Verified business accounts to label a post as “Original”. When used, any reposts of that content will automatically link back to the original creator’s profile. This could be handy for things like user-generated content campaigns or brand challenges, helping boost visibility and credit for the brand.

Meta is also trialling a pop-up warning when users interact with non-verified business profiles. The message aims to build trust in verified accounts—but could make unverified businesses look less credible.

This tactic is a little controversial, as many businesses don’t currently pay for Meta’s verification. Still, Meta claims Verified accounts often get more reach in feeds and show higher in search.

The Verified plan starts at $21.99/month per platform or $34.99/month for both Facebook and Instagram. Meta hopes these new features—and the warnings—will nudge more brands to sign up.

Threads is prompting users to cross-post to Instagram for extra reach

Meta’s been at it again with its love of cross-posting—this time encouraging Threads users to share their posts directly to Instagram Stories.

As spotted by Matt Navarra, some Threads accounts are now seeing prompts suggesting they “get more eyes on your posts” by sharing them to Stories on Instagram. And if you’ve been following Meta’s direction lately, it’s not a huge surprise. Cross-posting is a bit of a theme across their platforms—Facebook to Instagram, Instagram to WhatsApp Status, and now Threads into the mix too.

Now, whether that’s actually helpful is up for debate. While sharing a Thread to your IG Story might give it a bit more visibility, it’s worth remembering that Stories and Threads posts are built for different kinds of content. What works as a short, text-based update might feel a little out of place in a visual-first space like Stories.

But from Meta’s point of view, the goal is clear: get more eyes on Threads, keep growth moving, and bring more users over. The app has passed 320 million active users so far—not quite at the levels of X (which claims 600 million, though that’s hard to verify)—but still pretty solid for a newer platform.

So, what’s this update really about? It’s less about boosting reach and more about subtle promotion—getting people to reshare Threads content in ways that encourage curiosity and clicks. And hey, if it helps you grow your audience along the way, it might be worth experimenting with.

Snapchat launches an affiliate programme to boost ad sales

Snapchat’s stepping up its ad game—and this time, they’re inviting creators and publishers along for the ride. Their brand-new Snapchat Affiliate Programme gives you the chance to earn commission for referring advertisers to Snap’s ad platform.

Here’s how it works: if you’re part of the programme, you’ll get a unique referral link to share with potential advertisers. If someone signs up through your link and launches a Snap ad campaign within 90 days, you earn a commission. Simple.

The whole thing is powered by PartnerStack, so all the tracking and payouts are handled for you. Plus, Snap’s throwing in a bunch of resources to help you succeed—think marketing guides and ready-made creative assets.

For creators, this is a way to turn your Snap know-how into income. And for Snap, it’s a smart way to get more brands using its ad tools—especially as it focuses more heavily on small and medium businesses.

Snap’s user growth has slowed a bit in the US and Europe, so this feels like a shift in strategy: nurture the audience they’ve already got and encourage more in-app activity from advertisers. Letting creators do some of the legwork makes perfect sense—and it’s a win-win if you’ve got an audience that’s a good fit.

Whether you’re already running Snap campaigns or just fancy dipping your toe into affiliate income, this could be a good one to explore—particularly if you’ve got a business audience or marketing expertise.

X explains common reach restrictions amid shadowban claims

There’s been another wave of complaints on X (formerly Twitter) about reach limits, with users suspecting shadowbans are behind their disappearing replies or low engagement. In response, X has released a set of pointers to help people avoid common formatting mistakes that might be affecting visibility.

Here’s what they’re saying:

No extra symbols after usernames – Writing “@XSupport.123” means you’re tagging @XSupport, not @XSupport123.
Avoid symbols before the @ – Posts like “.@XSupport” or “?@XSupport” won’t be treated as replies and will just show up on your followers’ timelines.
Check your privacy settings – If your posts are private, they won’t show up the same way.
Hashtags need to be clean – No punctuation, symbols, or extra characters. “#Awesome! Fun!” will only count as “#Awesome”.
Don’t add letters before the # – “word#fun” won’t show up in search results for “#fun”.
Hashtags with only numbers don’t work – “#123” won’t be searchable. But something like “#123Go” is fine.

Basically, X is saying most of these visibility issues come down to user error, not secret restrictions. And in cases where replies don’t show under posts? It might be because the post has hit a technical limit for replies. If your comment still appears on your own profile, the person who posted should be able to see it in their notifications.

That said, this whole thing is a bit messy.

X’s own history has made the situation worse. Elon Musk has previously claimed that the old Twitter is shadowbanning users, particularly those sharing certain political views. That’s added fuel to conspiracy theories, and now even simple mistakes are being seen as intentional censorship.

There’ve also been ongoing concerns around Community Notes—some users believe organised groups are mass-reporting notes they don’t like. Add in recent comments from Musk about how link posts are de-prioritised, and you’ve got a user base that’s constantly on edge.

At this point, there’s clearly mistrust in the system. Whether or not shadowbans are real, X has built a narrative that makes people believe they are. That makes every technical glitch or formatting hiccup feel like a targeted restriction—and every reach drop feels personal.

So yes, check your hashtags and symbols. But I also know that the confusion probably won’t disappear any time soon.

LinkedIn shares updated specs and tips for posting video content

LinkedIn is increasingly prioritising video content, and if it’s not part of your strategy yet, it may be worth reconsidering.

The platform recently reported a 36% year-on-year increase in video watch time in 2024. On top of that, video generates 1.4 times more engagement than other content types. Short-form video is growing at twice the rate of other formats, and with LinkedIn’s immersive video feed encouraging more viewing, it’s a valuable tool for expanding your visibility.

To support creators, LinkedIn has now shared updated technical specifications and guidance to help ensure your videos are properly formatted and optimised. Here’s a summary of the key information:

LinkedIn Video Specifications:

Maximum file size: 5 GB
Minimum file size: 75 KB
Maximum video duration: 15 minutes
Minimum video duration: 3 seconds (desktop) or 2 seconds (mobile)
Resolution: 256 x 144 to 4096 x 2304
Aspect ratio: Between 1:2.4 and 2.4:1
Frame rate: 10 to 60 frames per second
Bit rate: 192 Kbps to 30 Mbps

LinkedIn has also released guidance on video “safe zones” to help you avoid having key visuals or text obscured by on-screen buttons.

One important point to note is that you can’t currently post directly to LinkedIn’s immersive video feed. Instead, the immersive feed curates existing video content based on quality and relevance, so uploading well-optimised videos is still the best way to boost reach.

All in all, video is clearly a growing area of focus for LinkedIn. For professionals and brands looking to reach a wider audience on the platform, it’s well worth making video part of your ongoing content plan.

You can find LinkedIn’s full video specifications and latest posting advice on their new resource hub.

If you’ve found this helpful, share it with your network or drop me a message with your thoughts and feedback. Until next time, keep shining and be creative online!

Natty Bernasconi | Instagram Expert & Educator

Social Media Strategy for Lifestyle Businesses & Creators

Empowering brands with tailored Instagram strategies and aesthetic-driven insights. Follow for weekly tips, industry updates, and coaching designed to elevate your brand’s online presence—making it as captivating as it is strategic.

Your May Social Scoop Unplugged

Instagram adds new DM options

Meta just rolled out five new updates to its new Edits video app for Instagram.

TikTok adds a dedicated AI assistant for in-app sellers

TikTok expands music options with SoundCloud integration

Snapchat may soon unpin its ‘My AI’ chatbot from the top of feeds

LinkedIn removes custom CTA links from user profiles

X recently updated its “Like” tool

Threads tests Spoiler Tags

Instagram is offering creators up to $20,000 to bring people to the app

Meta will soon enable advertisers to test experimental AI features

TikTok is facing new regulatory challenges in the EU

New mental health support elements for TikTok

Pinterest accidentally suspended loads of accounts

Pinterest outlines how to optimise your marketing approach

X Adds New Elements to its Grok AI Chatbot

X has added a new method to detect coordinated notes activity

X rolls out support for 4K video uploads

Threads Tests Option To Create a Profile Separate From Instagram

Threads follows Instagram with more links in bio

Instagram Launches First Official Use of Unlockable Reels

Meta expands access to opportunity score to help improve campaign performance

Edits adds more video editing tools, including text animations and filters

Meta Shares Tips on How To Avoid Financial Scams Online

TikTok adds new option to animate still images with AI

X launches updated link previews and CTAs for sales objective ads

X’s Community Notes reaches 1M contributors

LinkedIn launches AI-powered career discovery tools

Edits adds more video editing tools, including text animations and filters

Meta shares what’s working for ads and what to try next

Trump’s tariffs are set to have a significant impact on social media ad prices

Meta’s AI chatbot reawakens concerns about data tracking

TikTok announces new EU data center to separate user info

TikTok expands ad placement options for ‘Pulse’ campaigns

Trump says he may extend TikTok sell-off deadline once again

Some fresh new updates for Pinterest search

LinkedIn updates video embeds with ‘Video Only’ option

Expanded video ad placement options on LinkedIn

Instagram’s about to give Notes a little glow-up with custom colours

The Meta AI app just launched

Meta updates dynamic labels for Advantage+ catalogue ads

Facebook is cracking down on hashtag overuse and other platform issues

Meta Verified introducing new elements to encourage more brand sign-ups

Threads is prompting users to cross-post to Instagram for extra reach

Snapchat launches an affiliate programme to boost ad sales

X explains common reach restrictions amid shadowban claims

LinkedIn shares updated specs and tips for posting video content

Your June Social Scoop Unplugged

Your april Social Scoop Unplugged

natty bernasconi