🤯 3B People Log In to IG Monthly!

🔥 Our top 34 Social Media Marketing stories this week

Joshua Parkinson
September 29, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Together With

Top Story

Instagram hits 3 billion users, updates UI. Instagram celebrates a massive milestone with 3 billion users and rolls out a UI update that makes DMs, Reels, and feed easier to access. You can now tell Reels what topics you want more (or less) of, giving you more control over the algorithm.

That's more than a third of the planet logging into IG monthly. Mind blown! 🤯 ~TWISM

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Instagram

Instagram is working on story scheduling in-app. Soon you'll be able to plan and schedule Stories directly from Instagram, no third-party tools needed.

We've all been waiting for this; late-night uploads, goodbye! 😅 ~TWISM

Instagram tests Reels-first app design in India. A limited group of users will see Reels prioritized above other content types, making short videos the main focus of the app.

Instagram tests custom places for Friends Map. Soon you'll be able to add your own locations and landmarks to share with friends, making location sharing more personal.

Instagram algorithm updated for 5120x1080 Reels. The platform now supports ultrawide Reels, opening up new creative options for video content.

Facebook & Meta

Meta launches Vibes: an AI video feed like TikTok. Share, remix, or generate short AI videos in the new Vibes feed, now live inside the Meta AI app. Feed personalizes over time and lets you cross-post to Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels.

Meta brings ad-free Facebook and Instagram to the UK. UK users can now pay £2.99/month on the web or £3.99/month on mobile to remove ads from both platforms and stop their data being used for targeting.

Finally, control over your ad experience, but will enough people pay for it? 🤔 ~TWISM

Meta may use Google Gemini AI to boost ads. Meta is in talks with Google to integrate Gemini AI for stronger ad targeting and content recommendations, after struggles with its own AI models.

Meta's AI tool rewrites ad image text. The new Advantage+ AI 'Swap Selling Points' swaps messaging on your ad images, pulling from your own text options, without changing the design.

Meta’s Teen Accounts now cover hundreds of millions. Meta expands teen protections and lets schools report safety concerns directly, so issues get reviewed faster.

Threads

Threads is on track to pass X in active users. Recent data shows Threads may soon have more daily users than X, signaling a major shift in where people are spending their social media time.

Threads tests the new Communities feature. Select users can join topic-based group chats on Threads, with dedicated feeds and a new navigation menu for easier access and discussion.

Threads auto-generates custom feeds from profile tags. Every topic tag you add to your profile now creates its own personalized feed for easier content discovery.

Threads adds branded tags to stories shared on Instagram. When you share Threads posts as Instagram Stories on iOS, you'll now see two branded tags or badges added for extra flair and platform recognition.

If your brand hasn't tested Threads yet, now's the moment to get ahead of the pack! 🤔 ~TWISM

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YouTube

YouTube eases ad rules for videos with strong language. Older uploads with profanity in the first seconds may see ads and revenue restored. Content is still demonetized for graphic violence or if sensitive topics are the main focus.

Creators can finally stop worrying about muting every sharp word. About time! 😅 ~TWISM

YouTube rolls out "extend with AI" for Shorts. This new editing feature lets Shorts creators use AI to enhance and extend videos, but it's not available in the EU or UK.

YouTube launches Labs for AI feature testing. Test out new AI features like in-app AI hosts in YouTube Music, plus early access to future creation and editing tools.

YouTube lets previously banned creators return. Alphabet will allow creators who were banned for misinformation to rejoin YouTube soon, raising questions about enforcement and platform values.

YouTube adds a hide button for video end screens. Viewers can now dismiss those "Up next" and "Thanks for watching" pop-ups with a new Hide button during the last 10 seconds of videos.

TikTok

Trump signs off on $14B TikTok U.S. deal. The White House says TikTok will be majority US-owned with stricter data controls, but Chinese officials haven't signed off yet.

Huge news for TikTok marketers, but China's final approval is still pending. Talk about a roller coaster! 🎢 ~TWISM

What does the TikTok sale mean for marketers? Users won't see big changes yet, but ByteDance will lease its algorithm to Oracle. Global content stays, for now, but uncertainty looms.

TikTok rolls out a month-long Halloween campaign. Get daily costume tips, spooky DIYs, and small business shoutouts for the entire month. TikTok's making Halloween a month-long marketing opportunity.

TikTok expands charity tools with donation stickers. Add donation stickers to your videos and bio, making it easy to support and amplify charitable causes directly in the app.

LinkedIn launches Company Intelligence API. Instantly syncs company-level engagement data from your LinkedIn campaigns into your CRM to track and connect ad results with leads and ROI.

This is a pure goldmine for B2B marketing! 😬 ~TWISM

LinkedIn ad targeting gets a boost from Microsoft data. You can now reach LinkedIn users with expanded targeting options, thanks to new integrations pulling in behavioral data from Microsoft's tracking tools and ad networks.

LinkedIn launches curated AI tools hub. Explore top AI solutions for coding, marketing, and career coaching from trusted companies like Microsoft, Canva, and Squarespace. All tools are verified and have dedicated product pages for easy access.

X/Twitter

xAI sues OpenAI for alleged trade secret theft. Elon Musk's xAI claims OpenAI poached team members and urged them to reveal secrets about Grok chatbot. OpenAI says it's just harassment.

Grok AI drops new themed outfits. Dress up your Grok AI chatbot avatar with Oktoberfest, Noble, or Street Fit costumes.

The AI drama between Musk and OpenAI won't slow down anytime soon. 😉 ~TWISM

Et cetera

Snapchat adds paid Memories storage tiers. Users can now buy up to 5TB of Snap Memories, offering more options for heavy users who want to keep old Snaps without deleting them. Three paid plans are available, with pricing starting at $1.99/month.

Snapchat releases iMessage extension. You can now send Snaps straight from iMessage instead of switching apps.

Google Discover now shows Instagram, X, and YouTube Shorts posts. Social content from top platforms will appear right in Google Discover feeds, and there's a new Follow button to subscribe to creators without leaving Google.

Retailers ramp up social media ad spend. Social media now claims over 40% of new ad dollars, driven by sharp increases from retailers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Overall global ad spend is set to hit $1.17 trillion in 2025, up more than expected, as digital dominates the ad market.

Pinterest rolls out upgraded search and local inventory ads. Search Ads now appear in the top ten slots, so your promos hit users at the discovery stage. Local Inventory Ads highlight real-time pricing and pickup options to boost conversions.

Pinterest keeps pushing for providing better alternatives for marketers! 🔥 ~TWISM

Twitch launches Stream Rewind for live streams. Viewers on the web can now pause and rewind live streams so they never miss a moment. Mobile users will have to wait, and Twitch is keeping an eye on how ads are affected.