😎 TikTok goes local?

TikTok launches Local Feed in the U.S. The Local Feed is a new home-screen tab that surfaces nearby restaurants, events, creators, and small businesses based on location, topic, and recency. Precise GPS is optional for 18+ accounts and off by default.

Short-term win for local promos: test geo-specific content and creator partnerships now. 📍 ~TWISM

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Instagram tests Short Drama Episodes tab. Instagram is testing a new Episodes tab for serialized, bite-sized creator shows that mirror TikTok Minis and PineDrama.

Try serialized hooks in Reels, cliffhangers boost return visits and Subscription sign-ups. 🎭 ~TWISM

Mosseri testifies Instagram isn't clinically addictive. In an LA trial Adam Mosseri said problematic use can happen but isn't a clinical "addiction," defended banning some digital filters and acknowledged Infinite Scroll risks.

Instagram tests Meta AI mentions in comments. Users can now @Meta AI in comment threads to ask the bot questions. That could help brands scale public replies and automate FAQs, but AI answers need oversight for accuracy and tone.

Edits adds loop playback and snapping. New timeline controls like loop playback, snapping, timeframes, guides, visual clips and audio clips make editing Reels faster and more precise for creators and small teams.

Instagram tests the standalone Instants image app. Instants turns Instagram's no-edit "Shots" into a disappearing-photo app for quick, friend-only snaps. If it launches, marketers will need micro-moments and exclusive offers designed for ephemeral sharing to reach Gen Z.

Facebook adds AI-generated profile videos. Use new AI-powered animation presets (wave, confetti, party hat), a Restyle text-prompt for Stories and Memories, and animated backgrounds for Feed posts.

A quick win for profile-first campaigns. 🎨 ~TWISM

Facebook Notes adds song-lyrics captions. Use licensed lyrics as Notes captions to add musical hooks to posts; helpful for promos and storytelling, but check copyright and attribution before publishing.

Meta adds Manus AI shortcut in Ads Manager. Meta surfaces Manus AI directly in the Audiences tab, so you can access AI-powered audience suggestions faster and speed up campaign setup.

Meta smart glasses sales triple to 7M units. EssilorLuxottica sold 7 million smart glasses in 2025; Meta may double production. Apple, Google, and Samsung are racing to catch up.

Threads launches "Dear Algo" manual feed control. Write a public post starting with "Dear Algo" plus your feed preferences to trigger three days of tailored recommendations; others can repost and copy your preferences instantly. Rolling out in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Publish "Dear Algo" posts to prototype audience signals. 🔁 ~TWISM

Threads lets you reorder photos in posts. Stop reuploading, drag and drop photos to set carousel order when composing posts, so your visuals tell the right story without extra uploads.

Meta Business Suite adds Threads on desktop. You can now manage Threads accounts from Meta Business Suite's desktop app, letting marketers handle Threads alongside Facebook and Instagram without switching tools.

Threads tests pinned chats. Users can pin Chats to the top of their inbox so community managers and creators keep priority conversations visible and respond faster.

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YouTube–NFL Creator Flag Football draws 14M live viewers. YouTube's Creator Flag Football hit 14M live views (double last year's 6M) and starred J Balvin, Druski, Cam Newton and Michael Vick.

Live sports plus creators = a marketer's dream. 🎯 ~TWISM

YouTube cuts push notifications for inactive subscribers. YouTube is expanding a test that stops sending push alerts to subscribers who don't engage; notifications remain in the app inbox and Subscriptions feed, and infrequent channels aren't affected.

YouTube to match brands with creators using AI. YouTube will use AI to analyze creators, content and audiences to surface partners likely to drive sales.

YouTube turns on captions when muted. On mobile, captions now auto-enable by default when viewers mute a video; you can turn them off in caption settings (not available for Shorts).

YouTube TV launches cheaper topic-based bundles. YouTube rolls out 10+ lower-cost packages (sports, news, movies, and kids bundles) priced below its $82.99 main plan; the Sports Plan starts at $64.99 ($54.99 for new users).

TikTok usership steadies after joint venture. Daily U.S. engagement rebounds to about 95% of prior levels and average time spent returns to ~80 minutes, suggesting no mass exodus.

Monitor reach and test ads anyway. 🤔 ~TWISM

EU moves to curb TikTok's "addictive" features. EU says TikTok's design drives kids' compulsive use; it demands an end to infinite scroll, stronger screen-time breaks, and tweaks to recommendations.

TikTok launches streaming ads for entertainment in Europe. Two EU-only ad types, AI-powered Streaming Ads (video carousel or media card) and New Title Launch, help streamers show multiple titles and target high-intent viewers to drive subscriptions and ticket sales.

TikTok's top shoppers are millennials. 54% use TikTok for product research; 47% buy items they find, and 37% recommend them. Millennials lead these behaviors.

LinkedIn launches $99 AI Premium for small businesses. A $99/month plan with AI guidance, marketing, and hiring tools, plus $100 in ad credits and $50 in boost credits for founders.

All-in-one option for solo founders: worth testing if LinkedIn drives leads for you. 😉 ~TWISM

Only 1 in 3 professionals knows their way with AI. LinkedIn data shows 32% feel confident; 95% of businesses use AI, but many can't prove ROI, and 42% ditched tools.

LinkedIn shares 17-page guide to optimize content for AI chatbots. Deep dive into a checklist and HTML examples to structure pages so AI chatbots cite your content.

X hits $1B in subscription revenue. X reports $1B/year from subscriptions, higher downloads, and big engagement jumps.

X is working on Audio Articles. Leaked code suggests X may let creators publish narrated versions of long posts, turning text into on-platform audio.

Audio could boost dwell time and reach, but creators will need good narration and editing. 🎧 ~TWISM

Bluesky adds drafts and an updated welcome screen. Drafts let users save posts mid-composer; new load screens and discovery/feed tweaks aim to lift retention.

Russia blocks WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Russia removed the apps from its state directory, pushing ~100M users onto a Kremlin-owned, unencrypted app; Facebook and Instagram now require a VPN to reach.

If you run Russia-targeted campaigns, pause and plan alternatives. 😬 ~TWISM

Google warns AI-powered scams are evolving fast. Google says threat actors use AI for model extraction, hyper-realistic phishing, and AI-assisted malware, letting scams adapt faster to defenses.

WhatsApp Web adds end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls. Make voice and video calls from WhatsApp Web or Desktop to contacts without juggling phones; group calls and call links are coming next.

Niche creators rising as social media megastars fade. Personalized feeds on TikTok and Instagram make mass breakout fame rare, so brands and agents favor hyper-specific creators who convert.

MrBeast buys fintech app Step. Beast Industries acquires Step (7M users, $500M+ raised). Step's Visa card, savings, and cash-advance tools put creators directly into financial services and open new Gen Z monetization paths beyond merch and sponsorships.

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

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~ Josh from “This Week in Social Media”

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