Disney expands AI into CTV advertising: The move could make TV creative more accessible, but only if brands keep tight oversight and quality assurance.

YouTube Shorts earns MRC stamp: Shorts is the first short-form platform accredited, giving brands third-party backing on safety systems.

Meta turns Reels into series: A new feature tests episodic Reels, aiming to convert scroll-by views into repeat visits and deeper ad value.

Meta builds creator cadence: New planner and bulk Reels tools steer creators toward steady, original output at scale.

Meta tops $240 billion in ad revenues: AI-fueled gains and Reels lift revenues as the company cements its pull with marketers.

Instagram pushes into the living room: Long-form CTV plans could pit it head-on with YouTube’s cross-device dominance.

"Marketing is less about persuasion now, it's more about participation," said Justin Breton, head of partnerships, content and emerging experiences at Walmart, at the IAB Connected Commerce Summit last month. "How do you actually get consumers to participate with your brand?"

Scheduled Trial Reels let creators time experiments globally, improving influencer campaign performance on Instagram.

Meta's new genAI tools speed production and improve performance, but consumer trust still challenges payoff.

Meta is courting TikTok and YouTube stars for Facebook, but weak discovery may limit marketer upside.

AWS' new AI tool reformats live broadcasts for TikTok and Reels in seconds, unlocking scalable ad inventory.

TikTok’s engagement gap with Instagram and Facebook is widening, but volatile reach means brands must turn spikes into lasting customer ties.

Instagram is reportedly expanding Meta's ecosystem with Instants, a Snapchat-style app that would add inventory and reach, reinforcing Meta’s ad dominance.

Reels ad impressions on Instagram jumped from 13% to 21% of total impressions YoY, the fastest-growing placement on the platform, according to a July 2025 report from Tinuiti.

This FAQ covers how consumers shop on social platforms and what it means for brands.

Reels video views for luxury brands grew 234% in Q2 2025, while TikTok slowed as brands face a shift that necessitates a rebalance in content distribution.

Instagram's explosive EU audience growth compared with Facebook's slowing momentum means advertisers should follow suit.

A federal judge handed Meta one of its biggest legal wins in years, ruling that its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions do not violate US antitrust law. The decision leaned heavily on how TikTok and YouTube now compete for the same user attention Meta once dominated—proof, the court said, that the company cannot be considered a monopoly. The ruling arrives just as Reels accelerates across Instagram and platforms converge on short-form video and AI-driven discovery. For marketers, the outcome underscores a simple reality: user attention sits across the big three video platforms, and planning must follow that distribution.

Meta posted $51.24 billion in Q3 revenue, up 24% YoY, with Instagram driving the bulk of growth as Reels, AI discovery, and cross-device formats redefine engagement. Reels now account for half of all Instagram time spent, while Meta’s upcoming CTV app positions it to compete directly with YouTube. Facebook’s US user base remains stable near 181 million, but Instagram’s will climb to nearly 170 million by 2029. For advertisers, Meta’s evolution marks a shift from scale to yield—emphasizing creative iteration, storytelling, and AI-powered optimization across its maturing social and video platforms.

Influencer marketing is no longer optional—it’s a performance-driven growth engine. As consumer trust and expectations reshape engagement, brands must adapt their strategies to sustain returns in a fast-moving yet maturing channel.