TODAY’S EDITION

When Instagram hit the 3 billion user milestone, head Adam Mosseri said the platform would lean heavily into Reels, DMs, and recommendations. He also teased a feature that would let users control the recommendations they see. That feature has officially launched in the U.S.: it’s called Your Algorithm.

The feature shows the topics Instagram thinks you’re interested in and lets you add or remove topics you want to see more or less of. Users can also click on each topic, which gives the option to Watch Reels for that topic (for those that they want to see more of). There’s also the ability to share Your Algorithm as a Story for others to see. Eventually, Your Algorithm will expand to Explore and other surfaces.

Instagram is part of a growing list of platforms giving users more control over recommendations—through tests, official launches, or upcoming product updates. Others include Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, X, and now Spotify, which recently announced Prompted Playlist, letting listeners describe exactly what they want to hear.

Each feature works slightly differently, but all share the same goal: finding a balance between platform-driven recommendations and giving users direct control over what they see.

What also stands out is how Meta is adding a shared, public layer to algorithmic tuning, turning the algorithm from a private black box into something people can talk about openly. In addition to Instagram users being able to share their algorithm through Stories, Threads’ algorithm tuning feature requires people to share their algorithm as a post by starting it with the required “Dear Algo” prompt. I think we are going to see a lot of people start sharing their Your Algorithm in Stories and also off-platform in a way that feels similar to Spotify Wrapped.

Social media algorithms have gained a lot of power over the years, sometimes creating echo chambers. This has led to growing demand for more control, which is where features like Your Algorithm come in. They enable personalization while acknowledging that user interests are dynamic.

Think of it this way: imagine going to a restaurant where the waiter keeps bringing you dishes based only on what you ordered the last time you were there. They might be right, but at some point you might be in the mood for something else or, at the very least, want to tell them what you want and have them recommend other dishes.

Instead of relying solely on the algorithm to relearn these preferences through passive interaction, AI-powered adjustments allow users to accelerate the change, actively informing the platform what they want to see next. This better ensures users see the content they want sooner, which benefits both users and platforms because it encourages more engagement.

One thing to keep in mind: as personalization becomes more user-driven, platforms will inevitably fragment even further. Highly tuned feeds create more micro-cultures and fewer shared moments across the internet. This means the creators who are famous to you, and the videos that are viral on your feed, are likely going to be different than what your friends are seeing. That’s great for creators and brands with strong niche demand, but it also raises the stakes for anyone trying to break out of their algorithmic lane and reach broader audiences.

Meta announced several new AI-powered updates to its creator marketing tools. Highlights include expanded content discovery for brands, now spanning creator, affiliate, and UGC content, along with extending Partnership Ads to Professional Mode profiles and introducing the Facebook Partnership Ads API. Together, these updates give brands more ways to tap into Meta’s creator-led advertising formats across a wider range of creators and use cases.

Instagram is building on Reposts and is finally letting users share public Stories to their own Stories. It’ll help circulate more content within the Instagram ecosystem by eliminating barriers for re-sharing, all while giving proper credit to original creators.

Instagram’s Edits has another round of updates. Standouts include Storyboards, a feature where creators can combine sticky notes, teleprompter cues, and clips to plan out their video content, and Templates to re-create Reels based on popular music or trends. The video editing space has become a new frontier where platforms are battling for creator attention.

Facebook announced updates across the feed, search, and profiles to streamline the experience. They include a redesigned composer for Feed and Stories content, and easier access to the most used features like Reels, Friends, and Marketplace. When users update their profiles, it also will highlight friends, who share similar passions or interests. This marks the latest move in Facebook's ongoing effort to declutter the platform for everyday users and creators.

TikTok is taking a page out of the Instagram playbook with Shared Collections and Shared Feeds, which are reminiscent of Instagram’s Public Collections and Blend. With the former, users can curate posts with others, while the latter enables them to discover and consume content in a shared feed based on DMs. Both focus on bringing people together around content.

Micro-dramas—short, vertically shot, over-the-top drama series—have been gaining popularity. TikTok is capitalizing on the trend with the rollout of Drama Minis, an in-app experience that lets users watch episode previews from apps that host this type of content directly in TikTok. This new discovery surface could draw more attention to micro-dramas and could foreshadow TikTok to invest further in the category.

TikTok’s latest potential U.S. sell-or-ban deadline is approaching (December 16th). While concern about its future seems low, new data should ease worries further. According to eMarketer, U.S. users generate 4x more ad revenue per person than the global average. Though they make up only 10% of TikTok’s user base, the U.S. accounts for 41% of the platform’s worldwide ad revenue. Keeping TikTok in the U.S. is just as important for ByteDance as it is for creators and brands.

YouTube is adding the ability for creators to add links to a brand’s website on their sponsored Shorts. Announced as part of YouTube’s MadeOn event, this added capacity will help creators showcase more ROI for their Shorts.

Pinterest Predicts, Pinterest’s annual report, forecasts that in 2026, consumers will seek comfort, authenticity, and optimism. Featuring 21 predictions, including trends like Cool Blue, Pen Pals, and Throwback Kid, the report is a good resource for creators and brands to identify opportunities for content and marketing—given that Pinterest says it has an 88% accuracy rate.

Pinterest and Walmart joined forces on a shoppable recipe experience. Pinners can add ingredients from recipe Pins directly to their Walmart cart through a “Shop Ingredients” button. This integration highlights the massive growth in the sector: U.S. online grocery sales hit $10B in July 2025, a 26% YoY increase, and with 61% of U.S. households buying groceries online, expect more retailers to join Pinterest’s push to make everything shoppable.

Substack is getting into native sponsorships. It's piloting a program with a small group of brands and writers for newsletter sponsorship. This marks an inevitable pivot for the platform: while its premise was originally anti-ads, its move deeper into social media territory and the reality of creators already finding their own brand deals is leading to this shift. It says it won’t take a cut during the pilot, but a larger program next year could see it doing a rev-share. Competitor beehiiv has offered native sponsorships since 2023 through its Ad Network.

The number of LinkedIn members in the U.S. who added “Founder” to their profile is up 69% since last year and almost triple since 2022. The drive is a mix of layoffs, shifting workplace dynamics, and emerging technologies. Whether by choice or necessity, LinkedIn’s evolution as a platform provides a strong channel for new founders to get the word out about their ventures, find clients, and build in public.

LinkedIn now has over 100 million members with verification. With this milestone, it’s launching a self-service API that allows any third-party platform, site, or app to enable LinkedIn verification. From fake profiles, fraudulent job listings, and even fake companies, LinkedIn is betting its verification system can help increase trust across the web.

On a similar note, Reddit is testing Verified Profiles of its own. The test will add grey checkmarks next to a username as a way to help people know who they’re engaging with where verification is important, such as journalists sharing news, celebrities hosting AMAs, or a brand sharing updates.

OpenAI’s Sora buzz had cooled since its initial fanfare, but that may change with a new three-year deal with Disney. The partnership will let Sora users generate videos using over 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters, with select videos available on Disney+. It also includes a $1 billion Disney equity investment in OpenAI. Look for this to be a blueprint for how OpenAI and Hollywood will collaborate around Sora.

Google’s experimental app Doppl added a discovery feed showcasing AI-generated videos of models wearing fashion recommendations tailored to each user. Users can scroll vertically, virtually try on items, and click through to purchase. While the long-term appeal of entertainment-focused AI-generated video experiences remains uncertain, personalized e-commerce use cases seem like a safer bet.

Kajabi launched Kajabi Capital, in partnership with Parafin, to offer financing to a network of creators and entrepreneurs, who will be able to see offers within Kajabi and get capital within one to two days when accepted. That capital can be used towards their business, such as investing in hiring, marketing, and new products.

Home Depot introduced The Home Depot Creator Portal, a destination where creators can access campaign opportunities, build shoppable storefronts, and find resources. It’s the retailer’s latest move to create a program that supports creators of all sizes.

FlightStory, Steven Bartlett’s media and investment company, announced a seven-figure investment in Maggie Sellers’ Hot Smart Rich podcast. Earlier this year, I spoke with Georgie Holt, co-founder and CEO of FlightStory, on how the company spots rising talent.

PartnrUP made its second acquisition of the year, acquiring Novel, a shoppable video app for Shopify merchants, which integrates creator and UGC video across buying experiences. Jessica Thorpe, CEO, tells me this will help brands do more with less, noting that “adding existing UGC and influencer videos to storefronts increases conversion without requiring new production budgets.”

VidCon announced details for its VidCon Anaheim, which takes place June 25 to 27th. The conference promises an elevated experience with new ticket types, immersive activations, and an expanded Gaming Zone, Sports Court, and Live Podcast Studio.

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