Welcome to this week’s Social Round Up. I’m starting to think Adam Mosseri hasn’t slept in months with the stream of updates coming out of Instagram, and this week, he’s at it again.
Insta’s arming creators with shiny new metrics, handing small businesses fresh tips to grow followers, and even letting you link Reels together like a mini-series. Meanwhile, their friends at Meta are teaming up with Midjourney to make AI ads easier on the eye. Oh, and if you want the five biggest social trends shaping 2025 so far, we’ve got you covered too.
Let’s dive in 👇
Latest News
📊 Instagram Adds New Reels Metrics
IG just dropped two new ways to see if your Reels are keeping people hooked, or sending them running. Retention charts now show where viewers tune out, while Skip Rate (replacing View Rate) reveals how many bailed in the first 3 seconds. Brutal, yes, but golden for creators. It’s insight that helps sharpen your hooks, spot the snooze-worthy bits, and squeeze more ROI out of every Reel. 👉 Check out the full breakdown
🔗 Reels Linking for Multipart Content
You can now chain Reels together with a handy “Watch Part 2” button, turning IG into a better home for episodic content. That’s gold for brands and businesses, whether it’s tutorials, campaign rollouts, or cliffhanger storytelling, you can guide viewers seamlessly through connected clips. It keeps audiences in your ecosystem longer and lets you tell stories that stretch beyond one-off posts. Think Netflix bingeing… but in Reels. 👉 See how it works
💡 Instagram for Business Shares Follower Growth Tips
Instagram’s small business team has dropped some tactical advice on how to grow your following, from how often you should post Reels, to how carousels can spark more taps and interactions. Because it’s coming directly from IG, these platform-backed insights are worth paying attention to. Think of it as a cheat sheet to sharpen timing, format choices, and engagement drivers, just as we head into the holiday push. 👉 Read the post
🎨 Meta Partners with Midjourney
Meta’s teaming up with Midjourney to sharpen its AI-generated visuals. With nearly 2 million advertisers already experimenting with Meta’s AI video tools, this means slicker outputs, stronger brand aesthetics, and more polished campaigns. For agencies, it’s not a replacement — it’s another lever to pull. Think of it as a creative upgrade in the toolkit, helping you deliver faster, better-looking campaigns while still keeping strategy, storytelling, and originality firmly in human hands. 👉 Check out the announcement
📊 5 Trends Shaping Social in 2025
Social Media Today has pulled together a cracking mid-year check-in on the biggest shifts so far: the AI invasion, TikTok’s U.S. sell-off saga, YouTube eating TV’s lunch, Meta bowing to Trump-era politics, and the Threads vs X race (Threads now at 400M MAUs and climbing). These aren’t quirky side notes, they’re big shifts that change how budgets are allocated, how campaigns are planned, and where your audience is actually spending their time. 👉 See all 5 trends
🔧 Quick Tip of the Week
With Instagram’s new Retention and Skip Rate metrics for Reels, don’t just post and pray, start editing like a data geek. If your skip rate is high, your hook isn’t landing. If your retention line nosedives halfway, that’s your “boring bit.” Use these signals to tighten intros, cut the fluff, and keep viewers locked in until the end. Minor tweaks here can mean big gains in watch time, engagement, and follower growth.
✨ Campaigns We Love ✨
🥤 Irn-Bru’s Girders Comeback
Scotland’s fizzy pride is back with its classic “Made in Scotland from Girders” strapline and some seriously cheeky energy. The spot isn’t selling soft drink, it’s selling attitude 👉 Watch the ad
🖤 Women’s Aid Fashion Ad with a Twist
Spotted in Grazia, this chilling ad looks like a glossy fashion spread until you read the fine print: every item is “by model’s partner.” Clothes, makeup, even emotions. It’s a stark portrayal of coercive control hidden in plain sight. 👉 See the ad
🗓️ Mark Your Calendars
Opportunities to celebrate this week
- Wednesday August 27 – National Banana Lovers Day 🍌
- Thursday August 28 – International Read Comics in Public Day 📕
- Friday August 29 – More Herbs, Less Salt Day 🧂
- Saturday August 30 – International Cosplay Day 🧙♂️
- Sunday August 31- National Matchmaker Day 💘
- Monday September 1 – World Letter Writing Day ✉️
- Tuesday September 2 – World Coconut Day 🥥
- Wednesday September 3 – National Skyscraper Day 🏙️
And next…
- Thursday September 4 – International Taekwondo Day 🥋
- Friday September 5 – International Day of Charity 🎗️
- Saturday September 6 – World Beard Day 🧔♂️
- Sunday September 7 – National Beer Lovers Day 🍺
- Monday September 8 – Star Trek Day 🛸
- Tuesday September 9 – International Sudoku Day 🔢
- Wednesday September 10 – World Suicide Prevention Day 🫂
That’s a wrap!
Go test those new IG metrics, try linking a Reel sequel (look out for the Social Round Up Episode 34, Hollywood watch out), and get some new followers!
Same time next week? Bye 👋
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