Weekly Marketing Rundown - February 21, 2025

Weekly Marketing Rundown - December 12, 2025 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 deal with news publishers, Reels dominance, India's attempt at surveillance, and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM AI Chatbot Gets Real-Time News Data Meta has signed deals with major news publishers, like CNN and USA Today, allowing its AI chatbot to offer up-to-the-minute information. This means that when people ask the Meta AI questions about current events, it can now provide very recent answers with links back to the original news articles. For Mission Teams With moves like this Meta continues to solidify it's market dominance. Every missions team considering digital engagement should not discount Meta's viability for evangelism. Additionally, as AI tools continue to change SEO, teams should take steps to ensure their own evangelism sites are optimized. https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/05/meta-signs-commercial-ai-data-agreements-with-publishers-to-offer-real-time-news-on-meta-ai/ Reels Ads Drive Greater Action Meta research shows that short video ads made specifically for Reels can make people over five times more likely to consider acting on an ad's message. Ads that share a clear, helpful story or main idea see the biggest increase in a viewer's desire to act. For Mission Teams This powerful digital engagement data means that short, compelling Reels videos should be a key strategy for reaching seekers. Since Meta's algorithms prioritize these formats, mission teams can see increased engagement in their efforts if they include this format. https://searchengineland.com/meta-native-reels-ads-can-lift-purchase-intent-5-3x-465615 India's Mandatory Security App: A Failed State Surveillance Attempt The Indian government, through its Department of Telecommunications (DoT), attempted to mandate the pre-installation of a state-owned cybersecurity app called Sanchar Saathi on all new smartphones. The initial, undeletable nature of the app, intended for fraud and theft prevention, quickly raised serious alarm bells about potential state surveillance and the erosion of citizens' privacy. For Mission Teams This situation provides a crucial security lesson: mandates that compromise user choice are often seen as threats to privacy, which affects digital engagement and trust. The government's quick reversal, driven by opposition from tech giants like Apple and public outcry, underscores the power of both industry resistance and public concern over surveillance. Mission teams operating in similar environments must recognize that government attempts to mandate software can create significant security implications and a loss of trust, demanding the use of secure communication strategies and heightened awareness of data privacy to protect seekers and team members. https://www.esecurityplanet.com/threats/india-mandates-undeletable-security-app-on-all-smartphones/ https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-india-scraps-mandatory-app-preinstall/ Consumer App Accused of Covert Spying The Attorney General of Arizona has sued the shopping app Temu, alleging the platform secretly collects extremely sensitive data and behaves more like spyware. The complaint claims the app accesses users’ precise location, camera, microphone, and other app activity while using encrypted code to hide its actions. For Mission Teams This report is a serious warning about the security risks posed by high-risk consumer apps, especially those subject to foreign surveillance laws, which can severely compromise staff and seeker data. Mission teams should avoid installing high risk apps and platforms on their devices. Mission agencies, churches, and others should also consider their risk appetite and things such as Mobile Device Management (MDM) and EDR to help mitigate cybersecurity risks that do not align with their risk appetite. Ignoring this risk could compromise the security of mission efforts to find and disciple seekers. For any inquiries related to cybersecurity and risk mitigation, please feel free to Contact Us. https://www.esecurityplanet.com/threats/arizona-sues-temu-over-covert-data-harvesting-claims/ AI Answer Suggestions for Lead Forms Meta is testing a new feature where its AI automatically creates answer suggestions for short-answer questions on lead forms within advertisements. This feature aims to make filling out forms faster and easier for people by giving them clickable button options. For Mission Teams While this tool can boost digital engagement by increasing the number of completed forms, it risks lowering the quality of seeker leads by generating nearly identical answers. Lead-form ads are typically a high-intent strategy, but they do not always work in every context. Mission teams must test whether both lead ads and these generic suggestions are viable options in their respective fields. https://www.jonloomer.com/qvt/answer-suggestions-instant-forms/ Meta Ads 2025: AI Overhaul and 83 Key Changes Jon Loomer has documented 83 changes that Meta has implemented in advertising this year. The most significant change is their shift toward full automation, with the biggest focus on AI-driven tools that find audiences and create content automatically. For Mission Teams This comprehensive list of 83 changes is essential reading for mission teams to strategically audit and adapt their entire digital approach, especially given that the largest push is full AI control. Check out the full list below: https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-advertising-changes-2025/ Russia Bans Western Communication Apps Russia has banned Western communication services, specifically Snapchat and Apple's FaceTime, claiming the platforms are being used to organize crimes and terrorist acts. This move is part of a broader, ongoing effort by the Russian government to cut off access to foreign social media and messaging platforms since the start of the war in Ukraine. For Mission Teams The ban underscores the high risk of using popular Western communication tools for finding seekers. Teams must understand that such government actions can significantly hinder digital evangelism efforts and be prepared to adjust their strategies. https://archive.is/BOjJA Instagram Carousels Drive Highest Engagement Instagram carousel posts, which allow up to 20 swipeable images or videos, consistently achieve the highest engagement rates on the platform by encouraging users to pause, swipe, and interact longer. They are an excellent format for visual storytelling, presenting multi-step guides, or turning long content like sermons into simple, bite-sized, and shareable takeaways. For Mission Teams This format is a powerful strategy for increasing digital engagement and the visibility of evangelistic content, as the algorithm favors posts that drive user interaction and often shows carousels twice. Mission teams could leverage carousels to break down complex topics and evangelize. https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-carousel/ Free Icons for Consistent Branding Are you looking for free, high-quality social media icons to enhance the professional appearance of your evangelism website, app, or other platforms? Explore Buffer's curated list of the best free resources below: https://buffer.com/resources/free-social-media-icons/ Tourist Social Media Disclosure at US Border The US Customs and Border Protection has proposed a new rule that would require nearly all international visitors, including those from visa-exempt countries, to disclose up to five years of their social media history. This major security proposal, along with other data requirements like past phone numbers and email addresses, is intended to enhance the vetting process for national security purposes. For Mission Teams Social media and device searches are increasingly becoming standard practice for customs agencies in many countries. Missionaries traveling from their home countries should be prepared for the possibility of being asked to allow authorities to search their devices and social media profiles. In some contexts, a lack of social media presence can raise suspicions just as much as openly posting religious content. Depending on the risk appetite of mission teams, churches, or agencies, it may be necessary to scrub social media accounts, privatize profiles, delete certain apps, and take other precautions. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/travel/social-media-tourists-visa-border-patrol.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7k8.Jytd.OxeH-dyCBD-p&smid=nytcore-ios-share For any inquiries related to cybersecurity and risk mitigation, please feel free to Contact Us. Foundations of Digital Engagement Strategy Course May 13-16, 2026 (Pre-EMDC Training) Chiang Mai, Thailand This course is for you. Digital permeates virtually every aspect of people's lives and it should be present in every stage of your mission and ministry strategy. Join Kavanah Media staff during the Pre-EMDC training week for a time of practical training in digital engagement. This course is designed for you to examine your end to end strategy and find ways that digital components can be added or improved whether you are just ready to begin or an experienced practitioner. Follow the link or contact us for more details. https://emdcon.org/ 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. YouVersion Reading Plan– Jon Ralls, CEO of Kavanah Media, just launched a powerful 4-day devotional on YouVersion called "Love Where You Are." 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: December 12, 2025

Weekly Marketing Rundown - October 10, 2025 Welcome to this week’s edition of Kavanah Media’s Weekly Marketing Rundown! In this issue, we explore Meta's new undersea cable project, problems with budget ad spend, Google's new messaging asset rules, and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Facebook’s New Reels Update Makes Videos and Friend Discovery Easier Facebook’s latest update helps users find fresh Reels faster by showing 50% more videos posted the same day. AI now suggests similar content and highlights which videos your friends liked, making it easier to connect and chat. Users can also save favorite Reels more easily, and choose to see less AI-generated content by tapping “Not Interested.” Longer Reels (over 1 minute) are becoming more popular, especially among creators with big followings. For Mission Teams: For teams utilizing unpaid organic campaigns, this opens up more chances to get content seen quickly and find new audiences - granted teams post frequently. It also means marketers should consider making longer Reels and track how AI based content is performing. https://about.fb.com/news/2025/10/finding-sharing-reels-facebook-just-got-easier-more-fun/ Why Meta Might Not Be Spending Your Ad Budget Recently members of the Kavanah Media team have noticed Meta underspending teams' budgets. An article we originally posted in March 2025, addresses this issue. In it the article, Jon Loomer outlines nine common reasons why Meta might not fully spend your ad budget. These include: targeting too small of an audience setting ad set spend limits using strict cost or bid controls choosing low-volume optimization events applying dayparting (ad scheduling) or frequency caps relying on automated rules poor ad performance hitting spending limits making frequent changes that disrupt delivery For Mission Teams: Utilizing original audiences to target specific areas or genders, running ads on a schedule, manually choosing placements, and even not allowing Advantage+ Creative Enhancements can all trigger delivery issues. Teams experiencing underspent budgets should try experimenting with Advantage+ tools to see if that mitigates the issues. https://www.jonloomer.com/why-wont-meta-spend-my-advertising-budget/? Meta Introduces Ad-Free Subscription Option in the UK Meta is testing a new subscription in the UK that lets users pay to use Facebook and Instagram without ads. This move is partly a response to European privacy rules, giving users more control over how their data is used for advertising. The ad-free experience will cost a monthly fee and is expected to roll out in other parts of Europe soon. For Mission Teams: Teams in the UK could see reduced performance on their ads and may need to rethink how they engage audiences through organic content and other non-ad strategies. https://www.jonloomer.com/qvt/ad-free-subscription-uk/? Google’s New Rules for Message Assets Start October 30 Starting October 30, 2025, Google will launch a new help center to explain the rules for message assets—these are short messages used in ads. If an asset doesn’t follow the rules or can’t be verified, it won’t be shown. Full enforcement will roll out over a period of about four weeks. For Mission Teams: Teams hoping to leverage the new message asset feature should ensure their assets are in compliance, or risk restrictions and interruptions. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-ads-news-week-40-adriaan-dekker-6ucbe/ WhatsApp and Threads Ad Placements This week a member of the Kavanah Media team began noticing that WhatsApp was listed as a potential ad placement on several ad accounts. WhatsApp's new ads will show under the "Updates" tab within the app. This new placement on Ads Manager implies a seamless integration for teams wanting their ads seen on all of Meta's platforms. For Mission Teams: WhatsApp's nearly 3 billion users make this ad placement particularly enticing. Teams hoping to leverage it can check if it's been rolled out to their ad account at the Ad Set level, under Ad Placements by selecting 'Manual Placements.' Meta Invests in New Undersea Cable to Boost Internet in Asia Meta is putting money into a new undersea cable project to improve internet connections across Asia. The cable will help make online services faster and more reliable in places like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. This is part of Meta’s plan to support growing internet use in the region and make sure its platforms work smoothly. For Mission Teams: Better internet means more people can access content quickly and without interruptions. This could lead to stronger engagement in Southeast Asia, especially for video and mobile ads. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-announces-investment-new-subsea-cable-project-asia/802158/ The Synthetic Scroll Is Changing How We See Content Marketers are starting to worry about AI-generated content flooding social media feeds. These “synthetic scrolls” are filled with posts made by machines, not people, and they’re getting harder to tell apart from real ones. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are experimenting with AI to keep users engaged longer, but it’s raising questions about what’s real and what’s not. For Mission Teams: This matters because brands could end up competing with AI "Slop" for attention. As algorithms shift to more AI based feeds, users may grow weary. Marketing teams may need to rethink how they create posts that feel authentic and trustworthy. https://digiday.com/marketing/the-synthetic-scroll-has-arrived-marketers-are-watching-nervously/ ​​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: October 10, 2025