Instagram Hits 3 Billion Users: What It Means for Creators & Brands 📈

TODAY’S EDITION

• Instagram hits 3 billion monthly active users and plans to invest further in what’s driving growth

• Meta is rolling out a feed of AI-generated videos via Meta AI.

• Delta Airlines passengers will be able to access podcast and video content from top YouTube creators.

• LinkedIn reports overall video consumption is up, though some creators are seeing lower viewership.

• Mashable launches its inaugural “Top Creators” list, joining other media outlets recognizing standout creators.

What Instagram Doubling Down on DMs, Reels & Recommendations Means for Creators & Brands

Instagram has crossed 3 billion monthly active users, joining Facebook and WhatsApp at this major milestone. For all the talk about it “dying,” the platform remains deeply embedded in culture and continues to grow.

The bigger question: what drove Instagram to this point — and where is it headed next?

The Path to 3 Billion

In his announcement video, Instagram head Adam Mosseri highlighted three key drivers: Direct Messages (DMs), Reels, and Recommendations. These areas have seen constant updates and Instagram plans to double down on “reorienting” the app around them in the coming months.

What’s Coming Next

More User Control Over Recommendations

Instagram is testing a feature that lets users shape their feeds intentionally. Inspired by the “dear algorithm” trend on Threads and likely TikTok’s Manage Topics — the platform will surface a dedicated page highlighting what content it thinks users want. People can then add or remove topics to see more or less of certain content. Updates will first appear in Reels before expanding to Explore and the main Feed.

Why it matters: Algorithms aren’t always right, and people’s interests change quickly. Giving users the ability to refine what they see makes recommendations more relevant and personalized.

Easier Access to DMs

Instagram will update the main navigation bar, replacing the Create Post button with direct access to DMs — a feature it has tested before.

Why it matters: DMs aren’t just for texting. They’re where people connect, share, and engage with content. Every minute, over 700,000 Reels are sent via DMs, and more than 4.5 billion Reels are reshared daily. In fact, Reels make up 85% of all content reshared in Instagram messages.

Reels-First Experiences

In India, Instagram is testing a version of the app that opens directly to Reels. The recently launched iPad app also drops users straight into Reels.

Why it matters: With TikTok banned in India, Instagram is seizing the opportunity to make Reels the default experience. If engagement rises during the test, Reels could eventually become the starting point for more users worldwide—especially since Reels now account for 50% of the time spent in the app. Adoption in the U.S. may also face less resistance, given ongoing concerns around TikTok’s upcoming ownership changes.

What It Means for Creators and Brands

Big shifts on any platform usually mean big adjustments for creators and brands. Here's what these changes could mean in practice and how to stay ahead.

Niche Content Will Win

With more granular recommendations expected, creators and brands who focus on specific niches are likely to benefit most. The algorithm will be better at surfacing content tied to clear categories and what people want at that moment. Instead of being broad and trying to be everything to everyone, creators and brands should lean into specific niches with their content, and optimize their bios, captions, hashtags, Reels cover, Story Highlight titles, and more around those topics.

On the influencer marketing front, this should also push more brands to seek out creators who may be smaller but produce niche content that serves certain communities.

Separate Accounts for Separate Niches

For creators and brands covering multiple topics, it may be more effective to spin up a new account rather than dilute the main one. With feeds becoming more tailored, broad or unfocused content could perform worse.

Some of this is already happening, especially for brands diving into episodic content. Creators are doing it too, with some maintaining separate Instagram accounts for different content verticals, such as Future Social writer Jack Appleby, who has separate accounts for his personal, marketing, basketball, and music content.

Reels Are Non-Negotiable

While Instagram has invested in formats like Carousels, the app's future is clearly tied to Reels. With the eventual potential for a default Reels-first experience and a rumored Instagram for TV app likely to be heavy on Reels, the format needs to be a core part of creators' and brands' mixes. This helps deliver more of what users want while increasing the chances of being discovered in recommendations, DMs, and beyond.

Taking A Step Back

If you look across the social media ecosystem, you'll recognize that other platforms are focusing on many of these same areas. TikTok has made messaging a bigger part of its experience, YouTube is pushing Shorts, and LinkedIn is doing both—pushing users to invest in video and opening up ways to share posts with their networks. Even X is exploring feed personalization by letting users tell its chatbot Grok what they want to see more of.

While each platform needs tailored strategies, the core areas driving Instagram success—messaging, short-form video, and personalized recommendations—apply across most of its competitors.

TOGETHER WITH AIR MEDIA-TECH

Professional Dubbing = Global Reach Without Losing Watch Time

When YouTube launched its auto-dubbing tool in 2023, it put AI dubbing on the map. Millions of creators now have access, and YouTube is pushing it further with realistic lip-syncing.

Other platforms are following suit. Meta now offers translation tools for Reels in English and Spanish. TikTok’s Symphony AI Dubbing automatically translates and dubs into more than ten languages and dialects.

The benefits are clear. Creators unlock new audiences and revenue streams. Viewers enjoy content in their native language. Platforms build a more global and accessible ecosystem.

But these free tools are still early and not perfect. AIR Media-Tech found YouTube channels that rely only on AI auto-dubs see average view durations four to five times lower than those using professional human dubbing.

That is why creators who want to scale without sacrificing performance turn to Air Translation Labs, professional human dubbing solutions to keep viewers engaged and help grow audiences and revenue worldwide.

NEWS & UPDATES

Meta

Meta is rolling out Vibes, a new feed of AI-generated videos in the Meta AI app and on meta.ai. Users can create videos from scratch, use existing content, or remix others’ videos, which can then be posted to Vibes, shared via DMs, or uploaded as Reels and Stories.

YouTube

YouTube and Delta Airlines launched their previously announced partnership. Passengers will get access to curated podcasts and videos from top creators,YouTube Music playlists, and free trials of YouTube Premium.

YouTube will run a pilot program to reinstate creators whose channels were taken down under now-retired policies related to COVID-19 and election misinformation.

YouTube established the All-Party Parliamentary Group, a cross-party group that will serve as a liaison between the UK’s creators and policymakers.

Google launched Mixboard, an experimental AI-powered tool that lets users generate moodboards by entering prompts and choosing from pre-populated boards.

TikTok

TikTok introduced new donation features. With Donation Amplification, anyone can add a creator’s fundraiser sticker to their content and bio. The Existing Fundraisers List highlights current campaigns people can support.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn shared updates on video consumption: it’s growing 1.6× faster than any other format, and creators who post video see 3× follower growth. The videos gaining the most traction feature on-screen text hooks, burned-in captions, and strong visual cues.

LinkedIn is rolling out a Cumulative Growth Chart that shows a cumulative view of impressions, engagement, and followers, instead of the previously daily view only.

Pinterest

Pinterest announced new visual-first advertising solutions, including Pinterest Top of Search Ads, which appear in the top ten search results. It also revealed Pinterest Media Network Connect, a tool in Ads Manager that lets media networks share first-party audience data with advertisers.

Linktree

Linktree launched new design tools and features. Creators can use AI for an instant, personalized link-in-bio makeover, restyle profile photos, and get suggested link titles. There are also new fonts, themes, and layouts, plus a deeper integration with Canva.

EVENT RECAP & RESOURCE

Sprout Social’s Vantage Roadshow Comes to Boston

Last week, Sprout Social brought its Vantage Roadshow to Boston to help social media teams demonstrate the revenue-driving impact of their work.

Sprout leaderrs shared toolkits and frameworks for measuring and showing ROI, while social media pros from NESN, Dayforce, and Commvault revealed their own tips for communicating the impact of their work to leadership and stakeholders. I also spoke about my experience working with brands and what makes creator-brand partnerships effective.

Whether it’s organic content, paid media, or influencer marketing, as more brands adopt social-first strategies, demonstrating measurable outcomes is key to unlocking additional budget.

Grab Sprout Social’s 2025 Impact of Social Media Marketing Report for insights from over 1,200 marketing leaders on the best ways to measure and communicate the business impact of your social media strategies.

WHAT I’M READING

The Mashable 101: These are the creators shaping the internet in 2025 (Mashable)

Mashable is the latest media outlet to publish a “top creators” list. Handpicked by its writers and editors, it highlights 101 creators shaping the digital future across four categories.

LinkedIn algorithm tweaks lead to views slump for some creators  (Digiday)

While LinkedIn says video views are up overall, some creators have noticed dips in viewership compared to earlier this year. LinkedIn attributes this to recent tweaks in its algorithm designed to surface more relevant videos to audiences.

Why creator marketing works for any business [Tips from a creator consultant] (Masters in Marketing)

I was recently interviewed by HubSpot for their Masters in Marketing newsletter, where I shared why everyone is a creator, how brands can set themselves up for success, and more.

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