Welcome to this week’s Social Round-Up, where we dodge the chaos and serve you the freshest, realest social media stories, minus the jargon.
It’s been a week of corporate glow-ups: LinkedIn released two shiny new guides (and they’re actually useful), Threads appointed a new boss (we’re calling him the Thread Head™), and TikTok remembered to thank the people who actually write the hits. Oh, and Facebook wants a selfie before you can grow up online.
Let’s break it all down 👇
Latest News
📘 LinkedIn Drops New Ads Success Guide
If you’ve been thinking LinkedIn ads are all B2B boredom and beige backgrounds, think again. Their new Ads Success Guide is a surprisingly juicy 26-page deep dive into what works, what doesn’t, and how to stop wasting your media budget.
It comes with pre-launch checklists, targeting tips, creative advice, and even ad format cheat sheets. LinkedIn’s ad platform has come a long way, and with video engagement on the rise, this guide could help you craft smarter campaigns that actually get seen. 👉 Learn More
🎬 LinkedIn Shares Video Engagement Secrets
Video on LinkedIn is having a moment, and they’ve got the numbers to prove it. Watch time is up 36% YoY, short-form content is exploding, and video posts are shared 20x more than any other format.
To help brands and creators ride that wave, LinkedIn has released The Art and Science of Video Storytelling, a 13,000-ad-strong analysis that uncovers five creative principles behind top-performing videos. TL;DR: You don’t need a huge budget, just emotional storytelling, cultural relevance, and intent.
Whether you’re running paid or organic video, it’s a handy blueprint for levelling up your content. 👉 Learn More
🧵 Threads Gets a Dedicated Chief
Big news from Meta, Threads has a new boss. Connor Hayes, the guy behind Instagram Reels and some of Meta’s AI projects, has been tapped to lead the app’s next chapter.
It’s a sign that Threads is growing up, potentially already clocking over 400 million active users, and getting more strategic love from Zuck’s empire. Still part of Instagram (for now), but this move hints that Threads could finally step out of the shadow and become a real contender in the X/Twitter space. 👉 Learn More
📸 Meta Expands Video Selfie Age Checks
Facebook’s rolling out new video selfie age verification tools as it gears up for upcoming online safety laws in the EU, Australia, and beyond.
If you’re under 18 and trying to access adult-only features (or just sneakily change your age), you’ll now be asked to prove it, either by submitting ID or filming a quick selfie. Meta’s partnered with Yoti to estimate your age without storing personal data, which is both privacy-conscious and regulation-friendly.
It’s a big move that could make age-gating smarter, but also adds another layer of compliance for creators and advertisers targeting younger audiences. 👉 Learn More
🎶 TikTok Adds Songwriter Credits
TikTok just dropped new songwriter features to give creators behind the music some well-earned credit, and a little extra visibility.
Writers will now have dedicated profile tabs that showcase the songs they’ve penned, with space to share stories, promote their catalogue, and connect with fans. It’s a step towards better discovery, and (hopefully) improved monetisation for the people behind the bangers.
The features are currently in beta, but if TikTok is your label’s playground, it’s worth keeping an eye on this. 👉 Learn More
🔥 Quick Tip of the Week
If you’re not using LinkedIn video, you’re leaving reach on the table. Posts with video are shared 20x more and drive significantly higher engagement. Use emotion, context, and brevity to win attention, even without a fancy production budget.
✨ Campaigns We Love ✨
🌧️ Lotus’s – Rain Coupons
Thai supermarket Lotus’s dropped weather-triggered discounts to reward shoppers brave enough to hit the aisles during monsoon season. 👉 See it in action
🍢 Waitrose – Anything’s a Kebab
Waitrose went full skewered-summer with giant 3D billboards declaring anything can be a kebab if you just commit. 👉 Feast your eyes
🗓️ Mark Your Calendars
Opportunities to celebrate this week
- Wednesday 23 July – National Vanilla Ice Cream Day 🍦
- Thursday 24 July – National Tequila Day 🥃
- Friday 25 July – National Wine & Cheese Day 🍷
- Saturday 26 July – National BagelFest Day 🥯
- Sunday 27 July – National Scotch Day 🥃
- Monday 28 July – World Conservation Day 🌱
- Tuesday 29 July – International Tiger Day 🐅
And next…
- Wednesday July 30 – Share a Hug Day 🤗
- Thursday July 31 – National Avocado Day 🥑
- Friday August 1 – International Beer Day 🍺
- Saturday August 2 – International Blues Music Day 🎶
- Sunday August 3 – National Friendship Day 🤗
- Monday August 4 – International Owl Awareness Day 🦉
- Tuesday August 5 – International Traffic Light Day 🚦
- Wednesday August 6 – International Scuba Day 🤿
That’s a wrap!
That’s it for this week. Go forth, optimise those LinkedIn videos, rethink your Threads strategy, and maybe send a thank-you to a songwriter. If you need help bringing your social or content strategy to life, you know where to find us.
See you next week! 👋
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