Weekly Marketing Rundown - February 6, 2025

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

Weekly Marketing Rundown - August 28, 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 latest AI integrations, Iranian hacks, Instagram growth strategies and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Meta to Launch Hatch AI Agent and WhatsApp Integration Meta is launching a smart AI helper named Hatch that can check emails and buy things for you without leaving the app. The company might charge up to $199 per month for premium access while also letting other businesses connect their own bots through WhatsApp. For Mission Teams These new WhatsApp features offer strategic ways to find seekers and make disciples by using AI to instantly engage with people on digital platforms. However, mission teams must carefully evaluate the outputs from these tools. AI tools often hallucinate and there are serious concerns with letting AI handle the very personal work of evangelism. https://thenextweb.com/news/meta-hatch-ai-agent-watermelon-199-subscription Understanding Discontinued Facebook Ad Features So much has changed with Meta advertising over the years that it can be difficult to keep track of everything. Jon Loomer has taken the time to chronicle some of the biggest changes. After reading this list, one thing is very clear: marketing on Meta is very different from what it was and continues to change rapidly. Strategies from just a few months ago can already be outdated. For Mission Teams Mission teams should update their strategy to find seekers because many older ad targeting methods are now obsolete due to platform changes. Understanding these platform changes helps ministries create better digital ads that safely engage modern audiences. https://www.jonloomer.com/qvt/15-discontinued-facebook-ads-features/ Iranian Hackers Shut Down UK Power Plant Hackers from Iran recently broke into the computer systems of a small power plant in the United Kingdom and shut it down for four days. While this attack did not affect the country's main power supply, it marks the first time these hackers successfully stopped a British facility from working. For Mission Teams If may feel like these type of attacks only happen in the non-missions world, but the data would say otherwise. Nonprofit and missions agencies alike are reporting an uptick in attacks. Mission teams, churches, and agencies are encouraged to do due diligence in regards to cybersecurity and operational security. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/22/iranian-hackers-shut-down-uk-power-plant/?is=6c9d26923a16288b80f85de0340fba4f6bfb5483bde5c91e5ae0e76242c3259c Anthropic Expands AI Security Audits with Mythos 5 Anthropic recently released a smart computer tool named Mythos 5 that helps companies find and fix hidden security problems in their software code. Even with this advanced tool, human experts still need to review the suggested repairs to make sure they work correctly. For Mission Teams Mission teams and agencies leveraging digital tools of any kind are encouraged to use these same AI tools for cybersecurity, as bad actors will surely use them as well. Groups that do not leverage AI for their own defenses may be left vulnerable. Protecting the personal data of new disciples, employees, and others ensures secure digital engagement and builds a strong foundation for your online ministry strategies. https://www.esecurityplanet.com/cybersecurity/news-anthropic-mythos-5-ai-security-audits/ Instagram Updates Ad Messaging and Searchable Captions Instagram is testing a new tool that automatically sends private messages when people type specific words on your ads. The platform is also making post captions more important for search engines to help users find the stories behind your pictures. For Mission Teams Mission teams can write clear captions to help seekers easily find their content while using the new automated messaging tool to instantly share spiritual resources. https://www.jonloomer.com/reply-to-keywords-meta-ads-feature/ https://wersm.com/instagram-captions-context-search/?utm_source=tldrmarketing Meta Removes Ad Placement Controls Meta is slowly removing the ability for creators to pick exactly which apps or devices show their ads. Instead of completely blocking unwanted locations, advertisers will now need to set special bidding rules to control where their content appears. For Mission Teams Mission teams must update their ad strategies because losing control over ad placements might risk showing ads to contacts outside of desired personas. Ministries should learn to use these new rules to help avoid ad performance issues. https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-removing-placement-controls-ad-sets/ Elementor Pro Vulnerability Exposes WordPress Sites A serious security bug was found in the popular Elementor Pro WordPress plugin that allows hackers to upload bad files. This flaw means attackers could sneak harmful code into websites through the file upload forms and take control of the server. For Mission Teams Mission teams using WordPress to build evangelism websites must update their plugins immediately to stop hackers from taking control of their digital platforms. Keeping software updated protects sensitive seeker information and ensures your ministry websites stay online and safe for visitors. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/critical-elementor-pro-bug-exposes-wordpress-sites-to-rce-attacks/ Google Simplifies Tagging Tools for Faster Website Analytics Google is combining its tagging tools to make tracking website visits much easier without needing complex coding. These updates help websites load faster and allow users to visually track visitor actions in one place. For Mission Teams This consolidation could make analytics easier to manage for mission teams. Teams are encouraged to check their accounts when these changes are rolled out and familiarize themselves with the updates. https://www.seroundtable.com/google-tag-and-google-tag-manager-updated-41918.html Buffer Data Study Reveals Proven Instagram Growth Strategies A large study shows that posting helpful Instagram content three to five times a week helps accounts grow twice as fast. Creators should focus on using Reels, carousel posts, and replying to comments rather than trying to make viral videos. For Mission Teams Mission teams leveraging organic strategies should use consistent Reels and carousel posts to regularly share gospel messages with seekers who are looking for hope. Engaging with people in comment sections builds personal trust while maintaining safe digital privacy practices for your team. https://buffer.com/resources/grow-on-instagram/ WhatsApp Enhances Account Security Features WhatsApp added new security features, including stronger passwords for two-step verification and caller details for unfamiliar numbers. Users can now set up multiple passkeys across different devices to prevent hackers from taking over their accounts. For Mission Teams Missions teams and churches leveraging WhatsApp are encouraged to implement these passwords and passkeys to help keep their accounts secure. https://about.fb.com/news/2026/08/new-account-security-features-for-whatsapp/ 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: August 28, 2026