MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 14 JULY 2025

Published on 14 Jul '25

• Instagram – Trial Reels & Slide-Like Analytics
  Instagram now offers “Trial Reels” (shown to non-followers) for creators with ≥1,000 followers and is testing like-counts on each frame of carousel posts.
  These changes aim to give creators deeper insight into how individual slides perform and boost discoverability beyond existing audiences.
  These moves reflect Instagram’s push to treat Reels as a standard growth vehicle instead of just a bonus format.
  
• TikTok – New DM, Story & Publishing Features
  TikTok introduced a batch of features in July: photo replies in comments, “Story” filters for secret replies, scheduling posts in-app and new badge/status tools for creators.
  These updates help creators deepen community engagement, make their workflow smoother and keep audiences within the app ecosystem.
  For brands and creators, the lesson is: apply these tools to make content more interactive and less passive.
  
• X (Twitter) – AI Notes & Emoji Promotions Curb
  X (formerly Twitter) is moving ahead with AI-authored Community Notes and restricting the use of emojis in promoted posts — signalling tighter content quality control and political-/spam-sensitive moderation.
  The platform is emphasising engagement quality (rich media, genuine replies) over purely viral metrics.
  For marketers on X: ensure your promoted content is meaningful, not just flashy, and be prepared for more moderation oversight.
  
• Facebook / Meta – Music in Text Posts & Originality Focus
  Facebook (via Meta Platforms) now allows music tracks and themed-artist backgrounds in text posts, and is algorithmically demoting unoriginal / recycled content.
  These changes emphasise creative expression in even simple posts, and discourage low-effort reposts or content reuse.
  Brands and creators should lean into native creativity (custom formats, music-led posts) rather than reuse generic content.
  
• YouTube – Monetisation Shake-up & Trending Page Removal
  YouTube is updating its Partner Program starting July 15 to tighten rules around “repetitious/templated” content and is retiring its classic “Trending” page in favour of category-specific charts and AI-driven discovery.
  The emphasis is shifting to originality, deeper viewer engagement and niche discovery rather than broad surface-level virality.
  Creators must elevate their content with unique value or risk reduced visibility and monetisation — staying generic is no longer sufficient.
  
• LinkedIn – Paid Newsletters & “Thought Leader” Ads
  LinkedIn has introduced paid newsletters for creators and brands to monetise long-form content, as well as “Thought Leader” ad formats enabling sponsored posts from individuals’ profiles.
  These updates position LinkedIn more strongly as a content-platform (rather than just a network) and broaden revenue paths for professionals.
  For B2B brands or personal-brand builders: publishing high-value newsletters and leveraging individual profiles can become key parts of your strategy.