It’s great to be back and not living in a tent anymore. It’s also been a couple of weeks in social, and we’re not even diving into the Meta antitrust trial where we learned Zuck plays Settlers of Catan with Sheryl; what a cutthroat game that would’ve been; who’s building three or more roads to cut off someone’s access to space 🤯.
Instead, let’s talk about what actually matters: Instagram’s getting smarter with AI age checks and collab features, LinkedIn wants us all to post better, YouTube is dominating streaming and helping turn your long-form content into killer Shorts, and Bluesky now does blue checks.
Let’s dive in 👇
Latest News
👶 Instagram Gets Serious About Age Verification
Instagram is expanding its AI-powered age-checking systems to better detect teens lying about their age, and it’s doing it with pattern recognition. The system looks at your activity, engagement, profile details, and more to figure out whether you’re really 17 or just saying you are. In parallel, Meta is rolling out new alerts to help parents understand the risks and features available to keep teens safe. With increasing pressure from governments around the world (Australia included), this feels like Meta getting ahead of regulation, for once. Also worth noting: over 54 million teens are already using Instagram’s Teen Account features, with a 97% opt-in rate. 👉 Read More
💼 LinkedIn Just Dropped a Mini-Site for Better Posting
Looking to level up your LinkedIn presence? LinkedIn’s new Create on LinkedIn mini-site is an incredibly useful resource. It’s packed with tips on content formats, video best practices, and even ideal post lengths. Video, in particular, is having a moment, watch time is up 36% year-on-year, and video content gets 1.4x more engagement. There are also direct links to LinkedIn Learning modules to sharpen your skills. Whether you’re an occasional scroller or daily poster, this is worth a bookmark. 👉 Explore the Site
✂️ YouTube Shares Tips to Turn Longform into Shorts
YouTube wants creators to turn their best long-form content into Shorts, and they’ve given us a 23-tip playbook to do it. The advice is great, from identifying hook-worthy moments to cropping for vertical, adding trending audio, and keeping it concise. With Shorts massively boosting discoverability and engagement, this guide is a smart way to keep old content working harder for you.👉 Check Out the Tips
📺 YouTube Hits New Streaming Record in March
According to Nielsen’s latest data, YouTube now owns a massive 12% of all streaming watch time in the U.S. making it the biggest name in connected TV, even ahead of Netflix. This includes YouTube Shorts, which continue to explode in popularity on TV screens. The rise of CTV means big things for advertisers too, offering better targeting, easier production, and full-screen experiences that land in the living room. This is your sign if you haven’t considered YouTube for your brand yet.👉 Read More
🔄 Instagram Launches ‘Blend’ Reels
Instagram has officially launched Blend, a new Reels feature that combines your recommendations with a friend’s to create a shared Reels feed inside your DMs. Rather than endlessly forwarding Reels back and forth, you can now scroll through your shared vibe. The feed adapts based on what you both engage with. Is it a game-changer? Maybe not. But it could help boost watch time and conversations in DMs, two things IG really cares about right now. 👉 Check It Out
🤝 Instagram’s New Collaborative Stories Feature
Instagram are also testing “Storylines,” a new feature that lets friends link their Stories together into one shared thread. Think of it like a group photo album, but in Story format, ideal for events or parties. Only mutual followers can add to the same Storyline, and privacy settings still apply. It’s part of IG’s broader push to make Stories more interactive (and combat TikTok’s dominance). It’s early days, but this one could really take off. 👉 More on Storylines
✅ Bluesky Adds Verification (Yes, with Blue Checks)
Bluesky has launched its own verification system, starting with domain-based usernames and now layering in visual blue checkmarks. These are granted to notable users or verified via trusted third parties like The New York Times. Unlike Twitter/X, it’s not pay-to-play. If anything, it feels like an attempt to rebuild trust in identity through a more community-led approach. You can’t apply for a check just yet, but it’s rolling out—and likely to matter more as Bluesky’s influence grows. 👉 Read More
🔥 Quick Tip of the Week
Already posting on LinkedIn? Take 15 mins to browse the new Create on LinkedIn mini-site. Even if you’ve been posting for years, there’s probably one tip, tweak or idea you haven’t tried yet, and it might be the thing that pushes your next post over the edge.
✨ Campaigns We Love ✨
🎬 BritBox – See It Differently
This one-shot behind-the-scenes campaign gives viewers a full immersion into the artistry of British TV. It’s elegant, clever, and very “BBC goes Hollywood.” 👉 Watch the Ad
🧱 IKEA – Goes Full Pixel for Minecraft
IKEA Australia has transformed its furniture into blocky, pixelated versions to celebrate the new Minecraft: The Movie. It’s nostalgic, weird, and smart. 👉 See the Campaign
🗓️ Mark Your Calendars
Opportunities to celebrate this week
- Wednesday 23 April – National Jelly Bean Day 🍬
- Thursday 24 April – National Pigs in Blanket Day 🥓
- Friday 25 April – World Penguin Day 🐧
- Saturday 26 April – Alien Day 👽
- Sunday 27 April – National Gummy Bear Day 🧸
- Monday 28 April – Save The Frogs Day 🐸
- Tuesday 29 April – National Stop Snoring Week 😴
And next…
- Wednesday 30 April – International Jazz Day 🎷
- Thursday 1 May – World Password Day 🔐
- Friday 2 May – International Harry Potter Day ⚡
- Saturday 3 May – International Astronomy Day 🔭
- Sunday 4 May – Star Wars Day 🌌
- Monday 5 May – International Midwives Day 👶
- Tuesday 6 May – World Asthma Day 💨
And that’s a wrap! 🎬
If you want to chat more about any of these updates, or need help applying them to your content strategy, just shout. We’re always up for a scroll and a strategy chat.
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See you next week! Bye! 👋
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