July 9, 2025
AI is accelerating. Reels are rising.
And your content plan deserves better than guesswork.
I know you’re busy.
You’re juggling campaign deadlines before summer, trying to keep pace with platform changes, and just when you thought you had the hang of it – eek! Social moves again.
Social isn’t just speeding up… it’s shifting shape.
In the last two weeks alone:
- AI went from novelty to necessity.
- Every feed turned into Reels. Even LinkedIn is pushing autoplay video.
- Instagram let Google in the door; yes, your captions now affect search.
- And the algorithm? It wants saves, shares, and DMs – not another like.
This newsletter highlights what matters. The stuff you can action.
Ready? Let’s walk through it together.
1. AI is now part of the team (whether you like it or not)
What’s new:
- Instagram’s Restyle tool lets you reformat video clips with stylised looks instantly. It’s coming to the main app soon via Brandnation.
- Meta’s ad suite now auto-generates animated videos, highlights scenes, and builds persona-driven captions with AI.
- TikTok has launched its Symphony AI toolkit, converting images and text prompts into video ads using virtual models via Naturally Social.
- Pinterest now labels AI-generated content, helping audiences understand what’s real and what’s synthetic via Gain App.
We’re well past the “is AI worth it?” stage.
Now it’s about how you’re using it, and how fast you’re learning from it.
This is the moment to start experimenting properly. Share your prompts. Tweak your workflows. Build small, scrappy tools that solve real content problems. Whether it’s batch-creating copy, testing multiple hooks, or repurposing video.
You don’t need a huge tech stack, just curiosity and a willingness to try.
How to get ahead:
- Use AI for first drafts, but always apply human finesse to final edits.
- Build a creative test loop into every campaign, it’s the best way to learn what resonates.
- Share your prompts and processes internally so your whole team upskills together.
- Get governance in place: disclose AI use clearly (especially in paid).
2. Short-form video isn’t slowing down
What’s new:
- LinkedIn introduced autoplay video covers for posts and newsletters; a brilliant hook opportunity via LinkedIn updates.
- TikTok now supports multiple songs per video, allowing for richer storytelling.
- YouTube’s tightening monetisation from 15 July, removing low-effort AI content from the Partner Programme via Social Media Today.
Reels now dominate reach across Instagram and Facebook. Meta confirms Reels account for over 75% of time spent on Instagram and are the most recommended format in feed.
And it’s not just Meta – LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and now even Facebook’s main feed have pivoted hard into short-form vertical.
Reach, retention, and conversion are being driven by fast, native video
How to get ahead:
- Start every campaign with a vertical-first mindset, plan for 9:16 and then adapt.
- Use LinkedIn video intros to tease whitepapers, insight reports, and webinars.
- Subtitles are essential, especially for B2B content where sound-off views are common.
- Don’t fear longer Reels, just make the first 3 seconds count.
3. SEO is no longer just for Google. It’s for social too.
What’s new:
- Instagram Pro accounts can now be indexed by Google — meaning your posts, captions and profiles can appear in search via Bigger Picture.
- Facebook recommends placing links in the comments, not captions, to maintain organic reach.
- Social search is growing. Audiences use TikTok, Instagram, and even Pinterest to find products, reviews and advice — not just trends.
Meanwhile, user behaviour has changed faster than most brand teams realise:
- 51% of Gen Z now prefer to search on TikTok over Google [via Google SVP Prabhakar Raghavan, reported in TechCrunch].
- 64% of all social users say they use platforms to research products and services before purchasing [via GWI Q2 2025].
- Pinterest has reported a 40% rise in search-led discovery since Q1 this year [via Pinterest Business Blog].
This is bigger than a trend. This is the blurring of search intent and social consumption.
Your captions are now metadata. Your visuals are entry points. Your Reels are answering questions whether you like it or not. And if your content isn’t being structured for visibility, inside social and via Google, it’s not working as hard as it should.
To get it right:
- Treat every caption like a meta description. Front-load keywords naturally, and keep them concise.
- Add alt-text to every asset, including story graphics and carousels. Instagram’s AI parses it.
- Use on-screen text in Reels that reflects real user queries. Think “how to”, “top tips”, “what you need to know”.
- Label assets clearly, filenames still matter in cross-platform indexing.
- And for the love of reach, ditch the hashtags-first habit. They’re not search optimisers anymore, intent is.
4. Quality engagement beats shallow metrics
What’s new:
- TikTok’s trending themes for July include nostalgic edits, plot twists, and community-driven stories via Favoured.
Relevance builds momentum. Social media in 2025 is built for deep interaction, not just eyeballs. And the brands that win will be the ones that ask for (and earn) that effort.
How to get ahead:
- Ask for saves (“Bookmark this for later”).
- Craft content that’s shareable by default, data-led carousels, trend summaries, how-to’s.
- Turn comments into conversations, reply, prompt, listen, repeat.
We’re in a new rhythm, and it’s full of potential.
AI is unlocking smarter ways to work. Over 60% of marketers now use generative tools every week [Hootsuite Social Trends 2025], not just to save time, but to test faster, personalise content, and scale what works.
This month’s updates are directional. They tell us where behaviour is heading, and what good strategy looks like in the second half of 2025.
So here’s where to focus:
- Build content systems that support rapid testing and scaling
- Use AI to drive value: faster formats, deeper personalisation, better performance
- Optimise for visibility, not just in feed, but in search, shares and saves
- Plan video from the start, not as an output, but as your narrative driver
Need help joining the dots?
Let’s talk. Whether you need a creative rethink, a workflow refresh or just someone to spar with on your Q3 goals, we’ve got your back.