In recent years, social media platforms have taken up several initiatives toward making content more personalised for users, reshaping the way people engage with digital spaces. Algorithms now go far beyond basic demographic targeting, using behavioural data, interests, and social connections to deliver tailored feeds that resonate with individual users.
Whether it’s Instagram’s Explore tab or Facebook’s content suggestions, content is becoming increasingly unique to each user’s preferences. This personalisation extends not only to individual content but also to what users see from their friends and followers, creating a more engaging and immersive social experience.
Brands have quickly adapted to this shift, leveraging personalised content strategies to connect with audiences on a deeper level. Through targeted ads, influencer collaborations, and dynamic content that adapts to user behaviour, brands are crafting experiences that feel more authentic and relevant.
Social commerce is also evolving alongside this trend, allowing businesses to integrate product recommendations directly into personalised feeds and live video streams. This fusion of data-driven content with marketing tactics has made it easier for brands to build stronger relationships with their audiences, increase engagement, and drive conversions.
As video continues to dominate social media trends, platforms are also exploring new ways to support both creators and users with dedicated tools. To meet the growing demand for video-centric content, companies like Meta have introduced or experimented with standalone apps and features aimed at simplifying the content creation process. By investing in separate apps or modules, social media platforms are not only enhancing usability but also encouraging more frequent and higher-quality content production.
We all love sharing reels with our friends and sharing laughter with them. Instagram has also noticed this trend and launched a new feature called ‘Blend’ for Reels and is also experimenting with a collaborative stories element named ‘Storylines.’
The feature Blend enables users to create a shared feed of recommended reels within friends or within a group chat. The feed is generated based on each participant’s activity, including the Reels they watch and interact with. Once a Blend is initiated, members can access a combined Reels stream, updated in real-time based on the content they continue to share within the chat.
Alongside this, Instagram is also working on a feature called Storylines, a collaborative extension of the Stories format. This feature would allow friends who follow each other to link new, related Stories to an existing one, creating a continuous narrative thread.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated across social media platforms, Meta-owned Instagram is strengthening its AI-driven age verification systems to better detect underage users. Alongside this, the platform is introducing new in-app notifications to help parents stay informed about potential online risks their teens may face.
In select regions, Instagram is also testing a video selfie-based age check in partnership with Yoti, a company specialising in privacy-focused biometric verification. This system allows users to confirm their age through a short facial scan, with Yoti analysing the data to ensure compliance.
These updates come as regulatory pressure mounts in countries like Australia, Denmark, the US, and the UK, where authorities are considering raising the minimum age for social media usage to better protect younger audiences.
Not just this, Instagram has officially launched a new standalone video creation app named Edits so that creators can produce video easily directly from their phones.
You may have forgotten about Threads, Instagram’s text-focused social media app launched as a potential rival to X (formerly Twitter). On that, Meta has now begun early testing of ads on Threads with a limited group of advertisers. These tests will help assess performance and user response before the platform considers a broader rollout.
In a bid to strengthen its ad business, Snapchat has introduced the Snapchat Affiliate Program, offering creators and publishers a new way to earn revenue. The initiative allows participants to earn commissions by referring new advertisers to Snapchat’s ad platform.
Affiliates will receive competitive commissions for each qualified advertiser who signs up and begins running Snap ads. To support them, Snapchat will provide marketing resources such as approved promotional assets and step-by-step guides. The program will be powered by PartnerStack, a platform that manages referral tracking, ad spend, and commission payouts.
