😎 Meta Finally Asked Users What They Want

Meta boosts Reels recommendations with survey-driven modeling. Meta's new approach uses quick in-feed surveys to learn what users actually want to see, raising recommendation accuracy from ~48% to over 70%. The system now delivers more personalized Reels feeds and stronger repeat engagement.

This changes everything, test which clips spark repeat views and double down on relevance, not just reach. 🔥 ~TWISM

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Instagram expands algorithm controls to all English-speaking users. Tap the slider in the Reels feed to add or remove topics and pick three interests to steer your 2026 recommendations; the feature lets users shape what they see, while creators can ask followers to prioritize their content.

Nudge your audience to add topics that match your content, small ask, big reach. 😌 ~TWISM

Instagram adds AI Restyle for Stories in the EU. AI-powered styling options let you re-skin photos with new looks and iterate on creative faster for EU audiences without scheduling a new shoot.

Instagram Edits app adds links, Weekly Ideas, and new effects. Add internal Reels and IG links to clips, access 10 weekly clip ideas, use 25 new effects like bounce and fisheye, and try multi-take storyboards for faster ideation and cross-promo.

Instagram's teen safety tools are detailed. Meta adds DM safety prompts, stricter teen defaults, and parent resources while defending years of work amid lawsuits.

Facebook adds "Jump back in" for Groups. Surfaces recent Group activity so members can quickly rejoin conversations; iOS rollout only. Useful for community managers looking to boost engagement in quiet groups.

Small nudge that helps wake quiet groups, test it in your active communities. ⚡ ~TWISM

Meta signs content deal with Wikimedia. Meta gains Wikipedia Enterprise API access to power its AI answers; the Wikimedia Foundation earns licensing revenue: a move that should make Meta's AI more accurate and widen the gap for smaller AI players.

Meta plans to cut 10–15% of Reality Labs staff. VR headset and Horizon Worlds teams hit hardest as Meta reallocates budgets to AI after ~$70B losses; marketers should expect fewer metaverse product updates and growing investment in AI-driven ad formats.

Meta AI translates Reels into nine languages. Creators on Instagram and Facebook can pick and review translations, including Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Kannada, before publishing and toggle the feature anytime; it's a free way to scale Reels globally.

Threads widely rolls out Communities. Topic-based groups like YouTube Creators, Music Threads, Mom Threads, Kansas City, and Horror Threads are widely launching; marketers can join these spaces to reach niche audiences and test community-first content.

Communities make Threads feel more like interest-based forums; join relevant ones before the noise spikes. 🔥 ~TWISM

Search from your Threads profile. Shortcut adds a search icon to profiles so visitors can search without leaving the page, handy for finding posts and keywords.

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YouTube adds parental controls for Shorts. Parents can set fixed limits on teens' Shorts from 15 minutes to two hours (zero minutes coming soon), and teens can't disable the setting; YouTube also adds 'Take a Break' and 'Bedtime' defaults for 13–17s.

This will shrink teen viewing windows, schedule content and ads accordingly, or risk missing under-18 audiences. ⏰ ~TWISM

YouTube adds Promote interest targeting and its AI video tool. Promote now supports interest targeting (desktop first) so creators can boost clips to niche communities; Ingredients (Veo 3.1) turns up to three photos into 8-second Shorts with AI audio.

YouTube eases monetization for dramatized sensitive topics. Videos that dramatize or report on abortion, self-harm, suicide, and adult sexual abuse, if non-graphic, are eligible for full ad revenue; ads are still restricted for child abuse, child sex trafficking, and eating disorders.

BBC to premiere shows on YouTube before iPlayer. BBC will debut original youth, kids, sport, and anti-misinformation programs first on YouTube, tapping 52M UK viewers and new overseas ad revenue, a big shift for brand placement and creator partnerships.

YouTube beats BBC in UK reach. Barb shows YouTube reached 51.9M UK viewers (3-min monthly reach) vs BBC's 50.8M, driven by smart TV viewing and creator content, giving creators and advertisers TV-sized audiences.

TikTok Shop adds shoppable photo carousels. Creators and brands can upload carousels of 2+ images and tag products with direct links, letting users view details and buy in-app; photo posts show in the For You Feed, Search, and Shop tab, making monetization and multi-product showcases way easier than video.

Test carousels for catalog-heavy drops: easier than video, still shoppable. 🛍️ ~TWISM

TikTok adds AI Fashion Video Maker and seller tools. AI Fashion Video Maker turns a single product photo into a short video with music and synthetic voice; List with AI auto-writes titles and descriptions, while CRM updates, Judge.me review integration, and GMV Max help scale promos.

TikTok's 2026 trend forecast. TikTok outlines three trend signals: Reali-TEA (real over polish), Curiosity Detours (niche moments), and Emotional ROI (clear product value), and tells marketers to prioritize real-time discovery, creator partnerships, and clear proof-of-value.

Be nimble: lean on creators, test in real time, and show the "why" to buy. 🔎 ~TWISM

TikTok adds Account Health Rating for UK shops. Shops get a 0–1,000 score from fulfilment, policy breaches, and listing quality; low scores can trigger withdrawal holds or deactivation. Preview opens Jan 19 before the Feb 2026 UK rollout.

TikTok LIVE adds AI summaries. Generates highlights from the last 10 minutes plus your previous four streams, so you can grab shareable clips fast; quality depends on engagement.

LinkedIn articles get cited more by AI. Studies find ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other LLMs cite LinkedIn (especially LinkedIn Pulse) about 4–5× more than before; posting articles there can increase the chance your expertise appears in AI answers, useful as traditional search referrals fall.

If search clicks are slipping, treat LinkedIn Pulse like your new SEO buddy. 🤝 ~TWISM

Malware spreads through LinkedIn comments. Scammers post fake "account restriction" comments that push phishing links to polished pages impersonating LinkedIn, which can deliver malware if clicked.

X offers a $1M prize for the top Article. X will award $1M to the top Article; eligibility: Premium X subscribers in the US, original 1,000+ word pieces judged by Verified Home Timeline impressions. X also doubled its revenue share and now favors long-form.

Big upside, but US + Premium limits narrow the field. 🫠 ~TWISM

X outage hits 100,000+ users. Cloudflare issue left users with blank feeds and empty timelines, likely hurting ad delivery and engagement, pause campaigns and check analytics.

X reviews Grok code after non-consensual deepfakes backlash. Regulators in the EU, UK, Indonesia, Canada, and California are probing Grok for generating sexualized deepfakes; X says it's adding safeguards, brands should expect higher brand-safety risk, and possible regional bans.

Bluesky adds Live Stream badge and cashtags. Streamers can add a 'Live Now' profile badge that links directly to their Twitch livestream, making it easier to drive live traffic; Bluesky also brings back cashtags for market tracking.

This makes Bluesky a friendlier home for streamers and market-watchers, a smart differentiator from X. 🧐 ~TWISM

Pinterest releases 2026 planning guide. Downloadable guide maps calendar, life, and big moments with dates, categories, and keywords so you can schedule Pins and start campaigns months ahead, when Pinners show purchase intent across 600M monthly users.

Start planning seasonal Pins now. Most purchase decisions are made before campaigns even launch. 😉 ~TWISM

Snapchat leans into 2016 nostalgia. Snap launches a 2016 Flashback with classic Lenses and soundtracks; searches for "2016" Lenses are up 613%. Marketers can use vintage Lenses and throwback music for UGC, influencer drops, and low-fi brand moments.

WhatsApp adds multi-account support. Manage multiple numbers in one app so creators and small businesses can switch lines without logging out; likely requires the latest app update.

Netflix adds video podcasts to compete with YouTube. Netflix will add Spotify and iHeart video podcasts, including an exclusive Pete Davidson show, in early 2026 in the US; it's a move to win TV viewing time.

Google Trends adds AI-powered comparison suggestions. Gemini-powered auto-suggestions let you compare up to 8 topics with expanded timelines, cleaner icons, and doubled rising-query visibility; marketers can spot competing search terms, explain spikes, and use insights to shape content, SEO, and paid search strategy.

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading. Now…

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