The Social Scoop - Week 19

Welcome to The Social Scoop! Your go-to bi-weekly update on all things social media: brand new features, key trends and platform shifts, all in one place.

Instagram reveals what drives reach in 2025 👀

Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, recently gave us a peek behind the algorithm curtain and here’s what matters right now:

💬 Likes are the top signal when it comes to reach within your follower base.
📤 Sends carry the most weight when trying to reach beyond your audience.
⏱️ And tying it all together? Average watch time. A newer, increasingly important factor that helps determine how far your content will go.

Reach grows from content that’s worth the double-tap, the send and the high watch time!

New on instagram: unlockable reels 🔐

Instagram is testing a new ‘unlockable reels’ feature that allows creators to share exclusive videos that can only be unlocked with a secret code. The feature aims to boost engagement by letting creators and brands offer special content to select audiences, like superfans or loyal customers. While still in limited testing, it could open up new ways to connect more intimately with followers in the future.

LinkedIn steps into creator monetization 💰

LinkedIn just rebranded its Wire program, previously enabling us to place ads before videos from premium publishers, to ‘BrandLink’. The twist? It now includes influencer content as well. That means brands can run pre-roll ads before videos from LinkedIn-creators like Gary Vee. It’s LinkedIn’s first real step into creator monetization, starting small, but with big potential!

YouTube expands automatic location tagging on shorts 📍

Soon, travel and food content will automatically display the location on screen. YouTube pulls information from the title, transcript, video frames, and description to determine which location tags to add. Good news for creators and brands: location tagging means even more chances to be discovered through local content.

Threads ads go global 🌍

Meta is officially rolling out ads on Instagram’s Threads to advertisers worldwide. After months of testing in a few regions, brands now have the chance to tap into Threads’ growing audience. New campaigns using Advantage+ or Manual Placements will automatically include Threads placements. The rollout starts with select markets, with more to follow soon.