Weekly Marketing Rundown - January 10, 2025

Weekly Marketing Rundown - November 6, 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 Meta's AI bots overloading small websites, a new WhatsApp photo suggestion feature, Reddit's first search ads, and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Meta's AI Crawlers Are Overloading Small Websites Some small website owners say Meta's AI crawlers, bots that copy web pages to train AI, are using so much bandwidth that their sites slow down or crash. One designer found that 97.6% of her site's data traffic over four weeks went to Meta's bots. For Mission Teams Teams should be cautious when seeing traffic boosts as it may be bot traffic. Ministry websites on small hosting plans could face slowdowns, outages, or extra fees if these bots hit them hard. Teams could consider checking their site traffic for "Meta-ExternalAgent" and "Meta-WebIndexer" and asking their web host about blocking them, since some owners found robots.txt rules alone did not stop them. https://www.fastcompany.com/91633357/meta-web-crawlers-crash-small-business-websites-ai-bots-surge WhatsApp Now Suggests Your Latest Photo in Chats WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that shows your newest photo, video, or screenshot as a suggestion when you open a chat. Nothing sends automatically, and tapping the suggestion opens an editor so you can review it first. For Mission Teams While this feature could make sharing relevant screenshots even easier a suggested screenshot could show private details, like a seeker's message, a contact list, or a location, and it is easy to share it in the wrong chat by mistake. Those with concerns should turn this off under Settings > Chats > Recent media suggestions. https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-is-rolling-out-media-suggestions-on-android-and-ios/ Reddit Tests Ads in Search Results Reddit is testing ads on its search results pages for the first time, with ads matched to users' search queries. For now, only a small group of selected advertisers have access to the feature. For Mission Teams People often search Reddit with honest questions about life and faith, so search ads could someday help teams reach seekers at the moment they are looking for answers. Most teams can't join this early test yet, but if the testing is successful Reddit could become a even more viable platform for digital engagement. Those already running Reddit ads should watch for wider access. https://redditinc.com/news/we-are-testing-ad-placements-in-reddit-search-pages Turn On MFA, Passkeys, and Security Keys Now Several Kavanah Media partners recently had work accounts and their personal email accounts taken over by attackers, which put many connected accounts and contacts at risk. Personal email is often used to reset work passwords, so one weak account can open the door to a much bigger breach. For Mission Teams Everyone should turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA, a second step after your password) for all work email, personal email, social media, and ad accounts, etc.. Use passkeys or a hardware security key such as a YubiKey wherever you can, because unlike text-message codes, they will not work on fake login pages. Teams should also exercise caution when opening emails or clicking links from untrusted or unfamiliar sources. When in doubt, they should contact the senders through a separate communication channel to verify the legitimacy of any suspicious emails. Google Tests A/B Experiments for Asset Groups in Performance Max Campaigns Google/YouTube Google is testing a new tool that lets advertisers compare two sets of ad assets within a single Performance Max asset group. Advertisers can choose how to split traffic and which metrics to measure, such as conversions, value, or clicks. For Mission Teams Teams running Google Performance Max campaigns can test two sets of images, videos, or text to see which drives more visitors to a response page. However, this is a beta feature and may not be available in every account or region. Plan to run the test for at least 4 to 6 weeks, as Google recommends, and choose one clear success metric, such as conversions, to determine which message leads to more meaningful interactions. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-ads-news-week-44-adriaan-dekker-vxzve/ Google Says AI Chatbots Are Cutting Into Its Search Ad Revenue Google said more people are using AI chatbots and its own AI search tools, and this is hurting its search ad business. Search volume grew 12% in Q3, slower than earlier quarters, and search revenue was flat. For Mission Teams Google says it is expanding ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode to more users and search queries, including in international markets. Teams running search ads should monitor these new placements and consider testing them with small budgets. As more people turn to AI chatbots for answers, teams should ensure their content is clear and accurate. The article also reports that up to 10% of AI Overviews were found to contain incorrect information, so teams should check how their ministries are described in AI-generated responses. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/google-says-ai-chatbots-are-hurting-its-bottom-line/873401/ Meta Now Suggests Lookalike Audiences for Leads Campaigns Meta is showing a new message in Leads campaigns suggesting that using a lookalike audience could lower the cost per quality lead by 11%. The author has seen this message only in Leads campaigns, so it does not appear to be a change affecting all campaign types. For Mission Teams If your team receives many low-quality sign-ups or leads, consider building a custom audience from people who have completed your follow-up process. You can then turn it into a lookalike audience and add it as an audience suggestion in a single ad set. Avoid creating multiple ad sets for different audience suggestions, as they may compete against each other. However, keep in mind that, according to the author, it is difficult to prove whether these suggestions actually help, and Meta often ignores them. Test carefully, and when handling contact lists, protect the privacy of seekers, especially in countries with restricted access. Additionally, if you use a CRM system and sign-up forms hosted on your own website rather than Meta's platforms, this strategy may not work due to Meta's Religious Data Restrictions. https://www.jonloomer.com/qvt/lookalike-audience-suggestions-leads-campaigns/ Meta Expands Creator Assistant Into a Content Planning Tool Meta has updated its Creator Assistant chatbot to help people plan and improve content on Facebook and Instagram. It can point out trends, build storyboards and shot lists, review drafts, and write comment replies for you to check. For Mission Teams Teams can use it to identify trending topics, plan short-form videos, and draft replies to comments. However, every reply should be reviewed by a person to ensure the tone and message are appropriate for seekers. Additionally, since it is unclear how Meta handles the data users enter, avoid sharing sensitive ministry details, contact names, or security-related information. Note that the tool is designed for creators and is now available on the web through the Creator Dashboard, as well as on mobile. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-updates-creator-assistant-chatbot/873524/ 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 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 confused?- 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: November 6, 2026

Weekly Marketing Rundown - May 2, 2025 Hi everyone! In this week's edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown we discuss weak Meta's potential breakup, Open Ai's new foray into social media, Government censorship on Bluesky and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Government Censorship on Bluesky and Türkiye Bluesky, at the request of the Turkish government, has restricted 72 accounts on the platform. This development raises concerns about freedom of expression and the potential impact on user content. What this means for mission teams: This is a good reminder to always be prepared to shift strategies and highlights the importance of implementing cybersecurity measures. Government censorship could affect how you share your message and engage with your audience, making it important to stay informed and adapt your strategies accordingly. Kavanah Media Founder and CEO Jon Ralls discusses risk management in missions in a 3 part series of the Christian Media Marketing Podcast. Listen here. https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/23/government-censorship-comes-to-bluesky-but-not-its-third-party-apps-yet/ OpenAI Explores New Social Media Platform OpenAI is exploring the development of a new social media platform to rival X, following a $40 billion funding round. This move aims to create a competitive alternative in the tech industry, potentially reshaping the landscape of digital platforms. What this means for mission teams: This development is significant as it could offer new opportunities for outreach and engagement for missions teams to integrate into their digital strategies. https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/openai-explores-platform-to-rival-x-following-40b-funding-round/ Meta Breakup Threat: What Marketers Need to Know Meta is facing a potential breakup due to antitrust concerns, which could lead to the separation of its major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This situation raises questions about the future of digital advertising and the impact on marketers. What this means for mission teams: Changes in Meta's ownership of it's platforms could SIGNIFICANTLY affect digital engagement strategies and how teams use these platforms for outreach. https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/meta-breakup-threat-what-marketers-need-to-know/ Meta Advantage+ Tools and Ad Performance In their latest update Meta claims that their Advantage+ AI ad tools are showing impressive results across various campaigns. AI-generated backgrounds have increased click-through rates (CTR) by 11%, and advertisers using Advantage+ earn $4.52 for every $1 spent, which is a 22% increase compared to standard campaigns. The new sales setup has reduced the cost per action by 9%, and opportunity score recommendations have cut the cost per result by 5%. What this means for mission teams: While most mission teams likely are not utilizing Meta's systems for sales ads Advantage+ ads and utilizing AI content tools could improve your results. Members of the Kavanah Media team have experimented with these AI tools and did see similar performance improvements and lower costs. It should be noted, however, that any targeting parameters advertisers set when using Advantage+ Audiences (i.e. age, gender, location) are merely suggestions and the algorithms can and will ignore them if it believes it can achieve your performance goals elsewhere. In these scenarios it is best to utilize Original Audience targeting. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-advantage-plus-ads-overview-ai/746042/ Branding in Ads Manager: AI-Generated Text and Images Meta has rolled out another update to it's Branding tools under the Identity section of Ads Manager. Previously users could upload logos and select font and colors choices. However, now they can ad text tone and visual style. These selections help guide the AI content tools in ads manager. What this means for mission teams: These AI tools can significantly improve your content creation process. Meta claims they can lead to lower engagement costs and higher performance. It should be noted, however, that these tools - especially the text specific ones, do not always function well in languages other than English. Teams should experiment in their context before utilizing the new features. http://jonloomer.com/qvt/branding-in-ads-manager-ai-generated-text-and-images/ WhatsApp Adds AI Tools Without Sacrificing Privacy WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature called Private Processing, which allows users to use AI features like message summarization or editing suggestions—all without breaking the app’s end-to-end encryption promise. The messages will be processed in a secure environment where neither WhatsApp nor Meta can access the content, even as AI is applied. This move aims to balance privacy with the growing demand for helpful AI features, and Meta plans to open the system for feedback, bug bounties, and security audits. What this means for mission teams: This is a positive move for user privacy, especially as concerns grow about LLMs being trained on scraped user data. If Meta follows through with these features missions teams could feel safer when experimenting with WhatsApp's AI integrations in their digital strategies. https://therecord.media/whatsapp-in-app-tools-secret-messages 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: Intentional Newsletter – Be encouraged each month with stories of transformed lives, ministry milestones, and the latest updates from our team. Subscribe here. 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. Christian Media Marketing Podcast – Tune in for weekly deep dives with CEO Jon Ralls on everything from digital strategy to cybersecurity. Subscribe here or on your favorite podcast app. 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 Adams and Cherry Messimer Article Published: May 2, 2025