Weekly Marketing Rundown - December 27th, 2024

Weekly Marketing Rundown - August 1, 2025 Welcome to this week’s edition of Kavanah Media’s Weekly Marketing Rundown! In this issue, we explore how AI tools are reshaping the internet, introduce Meta’s new Design Check app on Canva, unpack ByteDance’s latest controversy over user data collection, and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM AI Is Eating the Internet AI is fundamentally reshaping how we discover and interact with information online. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews now provide instant answers—often without users clicking through to website links—which has caused organic site traffic to drop by as much as 50% in some cases. Additionally, as AI tools are increasingly used to generate online content, users are beginning to avoid so-called “AI slop” and are returning to trusted sources such as newsletters, private communities like Discord, and Substack. For Mission Teams: This shift means content strategies need a rethink. As website traffic decreases, teams may be forced to explore alternatives like optimizing for AI-powered summaries, engaging private communities, newsletters, or interactive platforms. The focus should move from chasing clicks to creating high-value experiences that inspire trust, human connection, and engagement beyond traditional SEO. https://fika.bar/paoramen/ai-is-eating-the-internet-01K10JG1SHGZQHN61HPGWPXN60   Meta’s Recommended Ad Copy Lengths Meta recommends keeping primary text under 125 characters and headlines under 40 characters to avoid being cut off, especially on mobile. While longer copy can still work, it should be purposeful and high quality. The system will test multiple combinations, so clarity and brevity are key. For Mission Teams: It is recommended that teams strive to keep headlines and primary text concise. If longer copy is necessary, steps should be taken to ensure quality. Additionally, Meta allows up to five headline and primary text variations, so teams can include both shorter and longer options to give the algorithm greater flexibility. https://www.jonloomer.com/qvt/recommended-ad-copy-length/   Meta Ads: What Drives Performance Jon Loomer highlights four key drivers of Meta ad performance that matter most: Performance Goal – Meta’s algorithm optimizes delivery toward that task - literally. Select the correct performance goal for your strategy. For example, if a team desires messages, be sure to select "Maximize the number of conversations" as the performance goal.  Attribution – Proper setup of Meta Pixel and Conversion API is essential so your ads are accurately tracked from website actions. While often less relevant due to Meta's Religious Data Source Limitations, many teams still utilizing landing pages or websites should ensure their Pixel and Conversions API are set up properly. Copy and Creative – Without quality design and messaging, even the right targeting and budget won’t perform well. Budget – While this is particularly relevant for ads using sales objectives—where a sufficient budget is needed to exit the learning phase and generate around 50 conversion events per week—budgets that are too low can hinder optimization and reduce effectiveness across all ad objective types. Although smaller budgets can still drive engagement, poor performance could be a budget issue. https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-ads-performance/   ByteDance’s AI Tool Caught Secretly Collecting User Data Security researchers discovered that ByteDance’s new AI coding tool, Trae, was secretly collecting data from users—even when analytics were turned off. In just seven minutes, the app sent 500+ outbound requests totaling 26MB of data to servers under byteoversea.com. This included detailed hardware specs, OS info, project file paths, and mouse/keyboard activity. For Mission Teams: For mission teams using AI tools in sensitive areas, this highlights the need for caution. Even seemingly mundane apps and sites can quietly collect data that risks your privacy or security. Choose platforms with transparent data policies and the ability to function offline when possible. https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/bytedance-ai-tool-caught-spying-on-users   UK VPN Downloads Surge After Age Checks Begin After Reddit, X, and adult theme sites began enforcing age verification under the UK’s new Online Safety Act, VPN apps have surged to the top of Apple’s App Store. VPNs let users bypass content restrictions by masking their location. One app, Proton VPN, reported an 1,800% spike in UK signups. Half of the top 10 free apps in the UK are now VPNs. For Mission Teams: Mission teams running digital ads or platforms may notice increased traffic from countries they aren’t actively targeting. This could be due to users in restricted areas, like the UK, using VPNs to appear elsewhere. It’s important to factor this into ad reporting and engagement strategies to avoid misinterpreting where interest is truly coming from. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn72ydj70g5o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss   Meta Expands Threads API with New Features Meta upgraded its Threads API to include polls, location tagging, real-time notifications, click tracking, advanced search, media options, and moderation tools. For Mission Teams: With it's full integration with Ads Manager, continued development and increasing user base, Threads may become a viable platform for digital marketing strategies. https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2025/07/25/do-more-with-the-Threads-API/   Meta Partners with Canva to Boost Short-Form Video Ads Meta and Canva have teamed up to help brands create more effective Reels ads, responding to the rise of short-form video content. Creative quality remains a key driver of campaign success, accounting for about half of results since 2017. Reels ads offer a 24% higher brand lift, and influence over 60% of viewers to consider a brand or product. Both companies collaborated to build the new Meta Design Check app on Canva which gives instant feedback on ad quality and compliance. (https://www.canva.com/your-apps/AAF-xrdmb-Q/meta-design-check?q=Meta+Design+Check) For Mission Teams: Optimizing ads for Reels formatting is an effective way to boost engagement rates. The new Meta Design Check app on Canva is a free tool that helps ensure your creatives meet quality and compliance standards. https://technologymagazine.com/news/canva-meta-plot-a-course-for-a-new-era-of-advertising   Stay Equipped for Digital Engagement At Kavanah Media, we’re committed to helping mission teams use digital tools to make God known around the world. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, practical insights, or in-depth strategy, we’ve got resources to help: 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. YouVersion Reading Plan– Jon Ralls, CEO of Kavanah Media, just launched a powerful 8-day devotional on YouVersion called "Living in Tension." Subscribe here Digital Strategies got you stumped? Reach out anytime—we’re ready to help. Contact Us 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: August 1, 2025

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