Weekly Marketing Rundown - May 15, 2026

Weekly Marketing Rundown - November 13, 2026 Welcome to this week’s edition of Kavanah Media’s Weekly Marketing Rundown! 🚀 We're diving into the latest news you need to know, including fake police takedown notices, Meta's new account system, changes to TikTok ads, Google's ad surcharge changes, and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Fake Police Notices Tried to Remove Free-Speech Groups From X X told an Indian court that takedown requests targeting two free-speech groups' accounts came from someone impersonating the Delhi Police. X did not remove the accounts and filed a police complaint to identify the impostor. For Mission Teams Bad actors can impersonate officials to get accounts shut down, posing a real risk to ministries operating in places where Christian content is unwelcome. Teams should treat their domains, brands, and platforms as temporary assets, maintain backups of their content and contact lists, and approach any "official" removal demand with caution until its authenticity is verified. https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/x-take-down-notice-india-free-speech-groups-b3080408.html Meta Is Moving Users to a New "Meta Account" Meta is automatically transitioning Accounts Center, where people link their Instagram, Facebook, and Threads profiles, into a single "Meta Account" with one login. Users cannot opt out, and WhatsApp will remain separate unless it was already linked. For Mission Teams Linked profiles will share one login and a common set of ad preferences, meaning a team member's personal and ministry profiles could become more closely connected. Teams should review which profiles are linked in Accounts Center and keep ministry or pen-name profiles in separate accounts. https://ppc.land/meta-forces-users-onto-meta-accounts-with-no-opt-out-offered/ https://www.meta.com/account/ Updated YouTube Descriptions May Help Videos Show Up in AI Search In a small test conducted by Peec AI, about 60 YouTube videos received more detailed descriptions, and AI tools such as Google's AI Overviews picked them up 359% more often afterward. Videos that were left unchanged saw only a 17% increase. However, the test was too small to prove that the new descriptions caused the jump. For Mission Teams As more people use AI search tools, clear descriptions could help your existing videos appear in AI-generated answers. Teams can test this by updating a few older videos with descriptions that include the video's topic, the questions it answers, and clearly labeled timestamps. https://searchengineland.com/youtube-description-updates-ai-retrievals-study-500845 TikTok Search Ads Work Differently Than Google Ads TikTok's search ads have settings that don't match Google Ads, including Automated Keywords that are turned on by default for small business accounts. TikTok also won't block misspellings or plural forms of a negative keyword unless you add each one yourself. For Mission Teams A ministry running TikTok search ads could end up showing ads on unrelated search terms without knowing it. Teams should check their Automated Keywords list and add common misspellings and plural forms to their negative keyword lists. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/tiktok-search-ads-are-becoming-real-search-advertising/596016/ TikTok Expands Its AI Video Ad Tools TikTok's Symphony tool can now create AI video ads up to 30 seconds long using up to 50 reference images, videos, or audio clips. Advertisers outside North America can also buy access to ByteDance's newest video models through BytePlus, ByteDance's business tech arm. For Mission Teams Small teams could produce more video ads for less money, which may help them test more messages with seekers. AI-made visuals still need careful review to make sure they represent the gospel accurately and fit the local culture. Security Disclaimer Symphony runs on ByteDance's systems, so anything you upload is handled under ByteDance's data practices. Do not upload footage of real team members, seekers, or locations, and keep this work on an account and device separate from sensitive ministry data. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-updates-its-ai-video-ad-tools/874209/ Google DeepMind AI Mathematically Verifies Key Parts of the Signal Protocol Google DeepMind used an AI tool called AlphaProof Code to mathematically verify that key parts of the Signal encryption protocol work as intended. The project was a four-week test that found no new problems in the parts examined. However, it did not cover the entire Signal app. For Mission Teams This provides additional confidence in the security of the Signal protocol. That said, it doesn't guarantee security, and it doesn't protect against risks such as phone seizure, weak passwords, or unsafe sharing habits. Teams should continue using strong device security and exercising caution when communicating with contacts in restricted areas. https://www.wired.com/story/a-new-ai-tool-from-google-deepmind-formally-verified-the-signal-protocol/ WhatsApp Events Can Now Invite People Without WhatsApp WhatsApp is updating its Events feature so people can create events, send invitations, and manage RSVPs in one place called Events Home. Invitations can now reach people who do not have WhatsApp, and they can see details and RSVP through a link without downloading the app. For Mission Teams Teams can use event links to invite seekers to in-person or online gatherings and manage RSVPs in one place. However, teams operating in restricted areas should plan carefully, as shared event links and RSVP lists may reveal who is attending. According to Meta, phone numbers are hidden from guests who are not in a person's contacts, and the event address is shown to non-WhatsApp guests only after they RSVP. Teams should therefore consider keeping sensitive meeting locations off the event page and sharing them privately. The update is rolling out to everyone over the coming weeks, so availability may initially vary. https://about.fb.com/news/2026/11/whatsapp-events-brings-people-together-beyond-the-group-chat/ Google Changes Ad Surcharges for Italy, France, and Turkey in 2027 Starting January 1, 2027, Google will change the Regulatory Operating Cost added to ad invoices in three countries: Italy: 2.5% → 3.0% France: 2.0% → 3.0% Turkey: 4.5% → 2.25% For Mission Teams Teams running Google Ads, YouTube Reservation, or Display & Video 360 campaigns in these countries should update their 2027 budgets, since costs will rise in Italy and France and fall in Turkey. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9750227 Meta Ads Creative Enhancements: What They Do and When to Turn Them Off Meta's 47 AI-powered Creative Enhancements can change everything from text placement and ad formatting to video colors. They are designed to help marketers diversify their creative content, but their outputs and adjustments are not always ideal. For Mission Teams Mission teams should review the enhancement settings for each ad and turn off any features that change their message, destination, or images in ways they have not approved. These may include Optimize Website Destination, Landing Page Experience, AI-generated people in videos, Translation, and AI answers to viewer questions. Teams should also have translated text reviewed by a native speaker before running ads with sensitive content. Meta may also apply features still in testing to up to 5% of your ad impressions unless you uncheck "Test New Creative Features" in Advertising Settings. Teams should clearly define their branding, use previews where available, and monitor ads for changes that no longer align with their approved wording. See Jon Loomer's full list of Creative Enhancements and his suggestions in the article below: https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-ads-creative-enhancements/ OpenAI Launches Business Profiles and Mention Tracking in ChatGPT OpenAI has started a beta test called Businesses in ChatGPT. Companies can claim a profile, correct what ChatGPT says about them, and see mentions, profile views, and website clicks. For Mission Teams Ministries registered as businesses may be able to claim a profile and correct how ChatGPT describes them. However, the beta is initially available only to eligible ecommerce and online service businesses in the US. The data shows totals but does not reveal the questions people asked, and smaller accounts may have access to very little data. Verification is done by phone call, text message, or DNS record. Teams operating in restricted countries should carefully consider the risks of publishing contact details and website links. They should also continue tracking seeker engagement on their own websites, since this tool can show that their ministry was mentioned but not explain why. https://www.thestateofbrand.com/news/chatgpt-business-hub-brand-mentions-clicks Fewer Meta Ad Sets May Lower Your Cost Per Result Meta says each ad set needs about 50 conversions a week to learn well. Meta's own analysis found that ad sets below this level cost about 28% more per purchase. For Mission Teams Check how many conversions each ad set generates per week. If an ad set generates fewer than 50 conversions a week, consider consolidating your budget into fewer ad sets so that each desired action, such as a sign-up or message start, generates more data for optimization. Use Meta's formula (weekly budget ÷ (cost per result × 50)) to estimate how many ad sets your budget can support. Consider adding a second ad set only when you are generating around 100 conversions per week and have a clear reason to split your campaign. Note that the 28% figure applies to purchases. Small teams optimizing for lower-volume events, such as Bible study sign-ups, should treat this figure as a guideline rather than a guarantee. https://pubcast.jonloomer.com/your-extra-ad-sets-are-costing-you-28-more/ Google Ads Changes How It Handles Language, Scheduling, and AI Labels Google Ads has removed the manual language setting from Search campaigns. Google now determines who sees an ad based on the language used in the ad text and landing page, as well as what it knows about the languages a person understands. As a result, ads may still reach people searching in another language if Google determines they can understand the ad. Google does not translate ads, and advertisers still cannot exclude specific languages. Asset scheduling now allows advertisers to group days, such as weekdays or weekends, when scheduling headlines, images, and other ad elements. However, scheduling ads to run on fewer days does not automatically reduce monthly spending. Google can still spend up to 30.4 times your average daily budget over the course of a month, meaning daily spending may be higher on the days your ads are active. Google has added California, South Korea, and Vietnam to the list of locations where ads created or edited with AI must display a visible label. These join the European Union, India, and New York. For Mission Teams Write each ad group in a single language, and give each language its own landing page URL so Google can direct your ads to the right seekers. If you limit ads to the hours when your responders are online, keep an eye on your budgets. A restricted ad schedule no longer automatically limits your monthly spending. Be careful when using AI-generated content in sensitive locations such as Vietnam. A visible AI label draws attention to how an ad was created, and anyone can view the disclosure in the ad's "How this ad was made" panel. In sensitive locations, consider using non-AI assets. Where AI content is used, disclose it properly to avoid rejection. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-ads-news-week-45-adriaan-dekker-uonse/ Stay Equipped for Digital Engagement Looking for ways to use digital tools to grow evangelism and disciple-making? Check out our other resources: Jon Ralls' new book: Check out The Reluctant Whisper on Amazon, where he reframes evangelism from a sales pitch into an authentic act of presence—sharing faith through story, not scripts! Check it out here. Ad Resource Store: Stumped on what ads to run next? Check out Kavanah Media's Ad Resource Store for ideas, templates, and more! Confused by digital strategy? Reach out anytime—we’re ready to help. Contact Us Church GAP Analysis Tool: Uncover hidden risks before they become problems. Use our Free GAP Analysis Tool to evaluate your church or nonprofit’s cybersecurity, compliance, and governance today. Kavanah Analytics: How is your digital content truly impacting lives? We created Kavanah Analytics to help churches and mission teams answer that question. Learn More Thanks for reading this edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown! For more up-to-date insights on digital marketing, make sure to follow us on Instagram @kavanah_media and stay connected through all our social media channels via the link below. https://linktr.ee/kavanah_media Authors: Jon Ralls, Cody A., and Cherry Messimer Article Published: November 13, 2026

Weekly Marketing Rundown - July 17, 2026 Welcome to this week’s edition of Kavanah Media’s Weekly Marketing Rundown! We're diving into the latest updates you need to know, including African device manufacturers reportedly sending data to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), rising advertising costs in the MENA region, Meta shutting down its new Instagram AI content creation tool, and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Budget Android phones silently send data to China Security researchers at NowSecure published findings showing that Transsion phones, which dominate markets across Africa and South Asia, contain a system-level component that cannot be removed and that secretly transmits users' precise location, per-app network usage, foreground app activity, and camera usage to servers linked to the manufacturer. The encrypted data includes persistent device identifiers that enable ongoing tracking of individual users. For Mission Teams Many ministry partners and church members in the Global South use Transsion devices including Tecno, Infinix, and itel brands, meaning sensitive communication and donor data may be exposed without their knowledge. Teams should consider purchasing devices from trusted sources and brands. https://www.nowsecure.com/blog/2026/07/08/what-the-transsion-telemetry-research-means-for-mobile-security/ Rising advertising costs in the Middle East Recently, a mission team that Kavanah Media works with on a digital engagement project in the MENA region experienced rising Meta advertising costs. The increase appeared to be greater than what would typically be expected from the challenges associated with Advantage+ Audience. As it turns out, the trend can be explained, at least in part, by rising advertising costs across the region. Companies are spending significantly more on digital advertising throughout the Middle East and North Africa. This increased demand has driven up the cost of advertising on social media platforms. It should be noted that this trend is also being observed globally and is not unique to the MENA region. For Mission Teams Teams using Meta Ads in the MENA region should expect rising advertising costs. These challenges can be mitigated by increasing advertising budgets, diversifying creative assets, and enabling Advantage+ Creative tools. https://23hublab.com/how-rising-cpms-are-reshaping-gulf-ad-strategy/ To see the 2026 CPM benchmarks by country, check out the link below: https://adligator.com/blog/meta-ads-cpm-by-country-benchmarks New AI ad creation tools in ChatGPT OpenAI is testing a new tool that automatically writes ads based on your website details and settings. This makes starting campaigns much faster, but you still need to check the ads to make sure they are correct. For Mission Teams This new tool can help you quickly create ads to find more genuine seekers online. You must carefully review these automated ads to keep your team secure and ensure they match your disciple-making strategies. https://searchengineland.com/openai-can-generate-chatgpt-ads-for-you-481651 Meta AI writing tool in Business Manager Members of the Kavanah Media team noticed a new Meta AI integration in the Content section of Meta Business Manager. Just below the text box is a new "Write with AI" button. Social media managers can now use AI to help draft copy directly within the platform when creating content. For Mission Teams Mission teams can leverage this tool to help draft, edit, or diversify text copies for faster organic posting. Marketers should check the Content section of Business Manager to see if the update has been rolled out to their accounts. As with all AI tools, outputs should be verified before publishing. Meta kills Instagram AI photo remix feature Meta launched a new AI image tool called Muse Image that allowed anyone to generate images using public Instagram profiles without notifying account owners. After three days of intense backlash from users, talent agencies, and SAG-AFTRA, Meta removed the feature and acknowledged that it had missed the mark. For Mission Teams This story highlights how quickly AI tools can violate personal dignity and consent, which matters deeply for ministry contexts where image and identity are sacred. Teams should monitor how platforms handle opt-in versus opt-out defaults, especially when member photos or ministry content could be scraped without permission. https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-removes-concerning-instagram-ai-feature-after-severe-backlash Google Ads AI image enhancements Google uses smart AI tools to instantly modify images by adding text, adjusting sizes, or creating animations. These updates help your digital ads capture more attention without requiring additional design work. For Mission Teams This tools makes it easier than every to create additional ad copy. Teams can leverage this to help with creative diversity. As with all AI tools, outputs should be verified before publishing. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/16483726 Meta adds AI lead capture agent to instant forms Meta is testing a new feature inside lead ad instant forms that activates an AI agent to guide users through a conversational flow to collect their information. The AI decides whether to show the standard form or initiate a chat, pulling from the advertiser's website and form to answer questions about the business. For Mission Teams This tool could help ministry outreach teams collect leads more efficiently through conversational AI, but it raises questions about how accurately the agent represents your organization's message. Teams should test what the AI says when asked theological or sensitive questions about your ministry before enabling it. https://www.jonloomer.com/lead-capture-ai-agent-instant-forms/ Google Ads now labels AI-generated ad creatives Starting in July 2026, Google Ads will allow advertisers to add text or visual labels to image and video ad creatives that were generated or modified using AI, helping them comply with emerging AI transparency regulations in the EU, India, and New York. Google Ads may also automatically apply these labels to assets created using its own AI tools. For Mission Teams Ministry advertisers running AI-generated image or video ads in regulated markets such as Europe must now ensure their creatives carry proper AI disclosure labels or risk policy violations. This is also an opportunity to build audience trust by being transparent about which communications are AI-assisted versus human-created. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/16483726 ChatGPT ads gain location and audience controls OpenAI has added location exclusions and custom audience targeting features to its ChatGPT advertising platform. Advertisers can now upload email lists to target or exclude specific groups of users. For Mission Teams These advanced controls make AI chatbot advertising a more viable tool for localized digital outreach. However, a high minimum number of contacts may limit smaller ministry teams from adopting the feature immediately. https://www.jonloomer.com/blog/ TikTok mandates commercial content disclosure rules TikTok has updated its guidelines to require clear labels on all promotional and branded video content, as well as AI-generated or deepfake videos. Posts that fail to use the built-in disclosure toggle may be restricted or removed from user feeds. For Mission Teams Even non-profit or ministry-boosted posts might fall under these strict definition guidelines on TikTok. Make sure to toggle the disclosure switch on sponsored content to maintain your account's visibility and reach. https://www.darkroomagency.com/observatory/what-brands-need-to-know-about-tiktok-new-rules-2026 Stay Equipped for Digital Engagement  Looking for ways to use digital tools to grow evangelism and disciple-making? Check out our other resources: Kavanah Media Blog – Learn from our experiences serving hundreds of mission teams worldwide. We share practical lessons, real stories, and best practices to help your team avoid mistakes and grow in digital outreach. Subscribe here. Jon Ralls' new book–  Check out Jon Ralls' new book The Reluctant Whisper on Amazon, where he talks of evangelism from a sales pitch into an authentic act of presence—sharing faith through story, not scripts! Check it out here. Ad Resource Store- Stumped on what ads to run next? Check out Kavanah Media's Ad Resource Store for ideas, templates and more! Digital Strategies got you stumped? Reach out anytime—we’re ready to help. Contact Us Church GAP Analysis Tool- Uncover hidden risks before they become problems. Use our Free GAP Analysis Tool to evaluate your church or non-profit’s cybersecurity, compliance, and governance today.  Kavanah Analytics- How is your digital content truly impacting lives? We created Kavanah Analytics to help churches and mission teams answer that question. Learn More Thanks for reading this edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown! For more up-to-date insights in digital marketing, make sure to follow us on Instagram @kavanah_media and stay connected through all our social media channels via the link below. https://linktr.ee/kavanah_media Authors: Jon Ralls, Cody A. and Cherry Messimer Article Published: July 17, 2026