Weekly Marketing Rundown - July 24, 2026

Weekly Marketing Rundown - May 8, 2026 Welcome to this week's edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown! This week features significant updates from Meta, including AI connection usage rates and more. Additionally, there are changes to Google Ads, the latest developments regarding Turkey's social media restrictions, and other important news. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Meta AI Connectors for Ad Management Meta now allows advertisers to manage their ad campaigns using popular AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude. This new feature simplifies the process by removing the need for complex technical setups or developer credentials. For Mission Teams A few weeks ago there were widespread reports of marketers have their ad accounts disabled for integration AI tools through third party means. Meta appears to have made an official connection, but many still urge caution.  Missions team hoping to leverage AI tools for ads management would be wise to hold off or exclusively use the new built Meta AI Business Assistant for the time being https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-ads-ai-connectors-claude/ Meta Daily Active Users Decline For the first time Meta reported a slight drop in the total number of people using its apps for the first time. This decrease happened mostly because of internet shutdowns and app restrictions in specific countries like Iran and Russia. For Mission Teams Even though Meta reported this slight drop in app usage, their add revenue is still growing and is likely simple related to global events. However, a drop in users highlights the risk of relying on single platforms for digital evangelism. Teams should diversify their outreach strategies to ensure they can still reach seekers when specific apps are blocked. https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-ads-ai-connectors/ Vimeo Data Breach Exposes Personal Information A security breach at Vimeo recently exposed the personal data of over 100,000 users due to a vulnerability in their system. This leaked information included names and email addresses, though passwords and financial details were reportedly not compromised. For Mission Teams Missions teams leveraging Vimeo as part of their digital engagement strategies should verify if their accounts have been compromised or not. This also highlights the importance of practicing strong cybersecurity hygiene such as utilizing strong passwords and MFA. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/vimeo-data-breach-exposes-personal-information-of-119-000-people/ Google Analytics 4 Task Assistant Update Google Analytics has launched Task Assistant to provide a guided checklist for improving property setup and data collection. This feature, found in the left navigation menu, organizes tailored recommendations into categories like account connections and data troubleshooting. For Mission Teams This assistant could help simplify the setup and management of data collection in GA4. Using this tool helps teams identify and fix data gaps that could otherwise compromise the security or effectiveness of digital outreach. https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/16888318?hl=en ChatGPT Ads Expansion OpenAI has launched a self-service Ads Manager, significantly lowering the barrier for businesses to advertise within ChatGPT. The minimum spend has dropped from $250,000 to $50,000, and the platform is moving toward a cost-per-click (CPC) model. For Mission Teams While still out of the reach of missions teams ad budgets this significant price drop could be a good signal. If prices continue to fall ChatGPT ads could become a viable platform for teams to leverage in their digital engagement projects. Additionally, other AI platforms may follow suit.  https://www.searchenginejournal.com/openai-launches-self-serve-ads-manager-for-chatgpt/573971/ Turkey Social Media Restrictions- Update  Turkey has passed a law banning children under 15 from social media to increase online safety for minors. Platforms must now use strict age verification and give parents more control over what their children see. For Mission Teams  Thus far Turkiye’s response to social media is similar to many countries around the world- age restrictions. It is unclear what further restrictions may come. Teams leveraging digital engagement tools in Turkiye should keep apprised of local news and adjust their strategies accordingly.  https://apnews.com/article/turkey-social-media-children-restrictions-law-d88963a7446a12cf4963b73d455b5ef7 Google Search Integrates Reddit Quotes Google is updating its AI search summaries to include direct quotes and advice from Reddit and other social forums. This change aims to provide users with authentic, human-focused answers by highlighting real discussions and community expertise. For Mission Teams This update means seeker questions about faith may now surface organic community discussions alongside traditional search results. Teams could consider leveraging these platforms as these peer-to-peer conversations now have significantly higher visibility in digital outreach. https://www.theverge.com/tech/924993/google-ai-search-mode-overviews-update-reddit-links Rising Facebook Account Lockouts Facebook is experiencing a surge in account lockouts as automated AI systems mistakenly flag normal user behavior as suspicious activity. These aggressive security filters often leave users stuck in a difficult appeal process with very little human support available to fix the errors. Members of the Kavanah Team have also seem a similar surge in Meta Ad account restrictions as of late.  For Mission Teams Over-active AI policing is causing problems for many. Teams should exercise caution when making major changes to Meta Business Suite settings, and even logging in while traveling. If pages, accounts or systems are restricted successful recovery is rare. https://searchengineland.com/why-facebook-account-lockouts-are-rising-and-whats-driving-them-476546 Facebook Sees Massive Engagement Surge Even in the midst of lower reported app usage in Q1 Facebook is experiencing a sudden and dramatic increase in organic reach, with some brands seeing their views and clicks nearly double. Meta is achieving this by updating its algorithm to prioritize original content and better rewards for creators who post directly to the platform. For Mission Teams This shift could prove to be a strategic window for mission teams to reach significantly more seekers without increasing their paid advertising budget. Teams should experiment with posting authentic, original video content now to take advantage of this increased visibility before the platform's reach potentially stabilizes. https://open.substack.com/pub/milkkarten/p/something-is-happening-on-facebook Instagram Testing Text Swaps for Reels Instagram is testing a new feature called Swap that allows users to replace the text on someone else’s video. This tool could let people quickly remix popular content, although it may conflict with recent rules against unoriginal posts. For Mission Teams Teams could potentially use popular trending videos to share gospel messages by simply swapping in biblical text or seeker-focused questions. However, this strategy carries a risk because it would make it easier for bad actors to swap out texts on Gospel centered content to distort the messaging before sharing it again.  https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-tests-option-to-swap-out-text-in-someone-elses-reels/819153/ 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.  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: Cody A. and Cherry Messimer Article Published: May 8, 2026

Weekly Marketing Rundown - June 26, 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 the latest wave of Meta account restrictions, a checklist for reclaiming data privacy, OpenAI UK ads launch and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Proton VPN Uniquely Blocks iOS Tracking Vulnerability Security researchers found that Proton VPN is the only service on iPhone that stops apps from tracking users through internal network addresses. Other VPNs leave digital fingerprints that let apps monitor a user's activity across different platforms. For Mission Teams This security vulnerability makes it easier for hostile entities to track field workers running social media ad campaigns to find seekers. Utilizing Proton VPN on iOS platforms protects operational security and ensures that sensitive digital discipleship strategies remain private. It should be noted that several teams using Proton VPN services in countries such as Türkiye have reported that local ISPs and governments are actively blocking VPN protocols, including Proton's. As more governments move to restrict VPN traffic, teams operating in sensitive environments should be prepared for connectivity issues and consider alternative communication and security strategies. https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-services/security-experts-reveal-proton-is-the-only-vpn-to-avoid-internal-tunnel-ip-fingerprinting-on-ios Unjustified Meta Account Restrictions Recently there has been a reported wave of Facebook account page restrictions based on unusual activity. This not only has happened to members of the Kavanah Media team, but Facebook recently locked an expert's advertising account simply because he shared a link to the company's own official rules. Meta's algorithms can easily block users for no good reason. For Mission Teams This sudden ban highlights the security danger of trusting a single platform to run your social media ads for finding seekers. Teams must create backup strategies to safely continue making disciples and engaging people online when automated filters mistakenly pause their digital outreach. https://www.jonloomer.com/qvt/meta-restricted-my-account/?utm_source=video_alerts Reclaiming Your Device Privacy Most mobile devices constantly broadcast your personal data and location without your knowledge. You can easily secure your phone by adjusting basic tracking, notification, and network settings. For Mission Teams Protecting your personal devices keeps sensitive conversations with online seekers entirely secure from data leaks. Safe digital habits ensure your outreach platforms and local team members remain hidden from malicious targeting. Use the checklist below to audit your devices and data: The 9-Step Privacy Checklist Review App Permissions Settings → Privacy Check which apps can access your camera, microphone, location, contacts, and photos. Remove anything unnecessary. Disable Ad Tracking iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking → toggle off. Android: Settings → Google → Ads → Delete advertising ID. Hide Lock Screen Notifications iPhone: Settings → Notifications → Show Previews → When Unlocked. Android: Settings → Notifications → Hide sensitive content. Use a Real Password Manager One unique password per account. Avoid browser or notes apps. Bitwarden is free, open-source, and cross-platform. Activate 2FA Without SMS Use authenticator apps instead of SMS to prevent SIM swap attacks. Options include Ente Auth or other apps listed in 2FA directories. Turn Off Bluetooth & WiFi When Not Needed These broadcast signals track your location and can connect without consent. Check If You’ve Been Breached Visit haveibeenpwned.com and see which breaches affected your accounts, then change passwords immediately. Enable Remote Wipe iPhone: Settings → Apple ID → Find My → toggle on Erase Device. Android: Settings → Google → Find My Device → toggle on. Set Up Private DNS Blocks your ISP from logging your sites and filters malicious domains. Android: Settings → Network → Private DNS → dns.quad9.net iPhone: Install Quad9 profile from quad9.net Securing Digital Assets Through Visibility and Classification Does your church, mission team, or organization have a complete inventory of all its digital platforms, data, and systems? Are you confident they are all secure? You cannot protect what you do not know exists. To strengthen cybersecurity, organizations should first identify and inventory all of their digital assets, including platforms, systems, devices, and private files. Once identified, these assets can be classified according to their sensitivity and importance, allowing teams to apply appropriate security controls without unnecessarily slowing down day-to-day operations. For Mission Teams Cybersecurity threats are on the rise, and every platform a team utilizes as part of its digital engagement strategy represents a potential attack surface. It is not just about maintaining an inventory—a disorganized digital ecosystem is much more difficult to secure. Where should a team begin? The author recommends establishing an Acceptable Use Policy, implementing asset management and data classification practices, and more. Interested in strengthening your organization's cybersecurity but not sure where to start? The Kavanah Media team can help! Send us a message to learn more. https://www.secjuice.com/asset-management-data-classification-you-cant-protect-what-you-cant-see-2/ Hackers Still Exploiting Meta AI Chatbot Despite Meta's fixes, reports say attackers can still misuse its AI chatbot to gain access to Instagram profiles. The issue highlights larger security risks tied to AI features on social platforms. For Mission Teams Account takeovers could expose the seekers and contacts a ministry account communicates with. Teams should enable strong two-factor authentication and stay alert for unusual activity on ministry profiles. https://www.404media.co/hackers-simply-asked-meta-ai-to-give-them-access-to-high-profile-instagram-accounts-it-worked/ Maximizing Meta Ads Efficiency: Why Fewer Ad Sets Mean Better Results Creating too many ad sets in social media campaigns can spread your money too thin and confuse the system. It is usually best to combine your budget into one ad set so the platform can find the right people efficiently. There are exceptions for situations such as targeting by location, gender, age differences, and even products or sales, but simplicity is usually best here. For Mission Teams Generally speaking, mission teams can better engage online seekers by consolidating their budget into a single ad set. This approach allows the algorithm to utilize a larger budget when identifying contacts, which is particularly effective when considering creative diversity. Rather than splitting creatives and budget across two ad sets targeting the same audience, unifying them can lead to improved performance. As always, exceptions exist, and teams are encouraged to test this strategy within their specific field. https://www.jonloomer.com/active-ad-sets-meta-ads-campaign/? Google AI Tools Help Optimize YouTube Campaigns YouTube is launching new AI-powered tools to help people see what topics are trending right now. These tools will also give smart advice on how to make video ads perform better. For Mission Teams These insights allow ministries to help identify popular topics and create targeted ads that connect with spiritual seekers securely. As always, the availability of these tools may vary by region and teams are encouraged to test both the tool and results before wide-scale adoption. https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/youtube-insights-tools-cannes-lions-2026/ Instagram Expands TV App with Longer Videos and Live Streams Instagram is testing longer-form videos, multi-episode series, and live streams for its TV app as it competes with major streaming services. The app is also expanding to Samsung TVs, making it easier for people to watch this content directly from their living rooms. For Mission Teams This expansion provides ministries with a unique strategic opportunity to broadcast longer form content such as disciple-making series and live worship experiences directly onto family screens. If adoption and usage rates expand globally this could become another format for teams to consider in their digital engagement efforts. However, it is unclear if Reels formatting will still be preferred or if horizontal content will make a comback with the TV screen real estate and how engagement campaigns may work. https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/22/instagram-looks-to-take-on-streaming-services-with-longer-form-episodic-and-live-formats-for-its-tv-app/ OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Ads Manager Beta in the UK OpenAI has launched its new advertising platform for businesses located in the United Kingdom. This tool lets people quickly create ad campaigns without needing to provide bank information upfront. For Mission Teams Ministries can strategically use this platform to deploy targeted advertisements that engage spiritual seekers during their live AI conversations. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-ads-news-week-25-adriaan-dekker-axcge/ Signal President Warns AI Chatbots Are Not Trusted Companions Signal president Meredith Whittaker warns that AI chatbots are not real friends or conscious beings. She believes relying too much on these systems can hurt original thinking and create severe privacy risks. For Mission Teams Ministries must recognize that while AI can assist in finding seekers, streamlining administrative work, creating content, conducting research, and more, relying on it blindly can compromise both data security and meaningful personal engagement. AI tools also present real risks, ranging from hallucinations to data privacy and security concerns. All AI-generated outputs should be verified, and teams, churches, and mission agencies are encouraged to regularly audit the AI tools they use for security and privacy risks. For example, many free AI tools use user prompts to help improve or train their models. Sharing sensitive information with these systems could increase the risk of that information being retained or exposed in unintended ways. Paid plans with stronger privacy protections, enterprise-managed AI platforms, or locally hosted AI solutions can help reduce these risks. If you have questions about AI and security, send us a message. We'd love to help! https://thenextweb.com/news/signal-whittaker-ai-chatbots-not-friends-copilot-backdoor-privacy 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: June 26, 2026