Weekly Marketing Rundown - July 18, 2025

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 - February 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 regarding new Meta Advantage+ Creative Enhancements, Social Media trends for 2026, new social media platforms and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM AI-Generated Video with Advantage+ Creative Meta is testing a new AI feature that automatically creates short videos from your existing images. The tool uses artificial intelligence to turn static photos into 15 to 20 second clips with movement and music. For Mission Teams This tool enables teams to quickly and easily create additional video creative for ads. As with all of Meta’s Creative Enhancements, users are encouraged to review outputs before publishing. The feature helps teams reach more people through visual storytelling while keeping digital outreach simple and cost-effective. https://www.jonloomer.com/advantage-plus-creative-video-generation-beta/ U.S. Senators Propose New Rules to Stop Fake Social Media Ads Lawmakers want to pass a law that forces social media companies to prove who their advertisers really are. This bill aims to stop criminals from using paid ads to trick people and steal their money. Some platforms, such as Meta, already employ identity verification for advertisers in certain instances. For Mission Teams This law could make it harder for teams to run ads because platforms will require much stricter identity checks. While this helps prevent scams, the potential for paper-trails could raise security concerns for teams working in secure contexts. https://archive.is/AGR28 2026 Social Media Study Shows Big Changes in Popularity A new study looked at millions of posts to see how people use social media today. For organic campaigns the study found that TikTok is the best place to get attention, while sites like Facebook and Instagram are seeing fewer people interact with posts. It should be noted that this engagement data was primarily comment driven as DMs do not show on public data feeds. It also does not reflect global platform differences based on regions and other important nuances. For Mission Teams Teams running global campaigns with lower-level engagement goals may prioritize TikTok, but it’s important to recognize that user behavior varies by platform. For example, users may be more likely to send direct messages on Instagram than on TikTok. Teams should experiment with platforms and strategies to determine what works best in their specific context. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/2026-social-media-benchmarks-infographic/811179/ France Considers Restricting VPN Access to Protect Younger Users France is looking for ways to stop children under fifteen from using social media apps. They are thinking about limiting the use of VPNs so kids cannot hide their location to bypass age rules. For Mission Teams If countries ban VPNs, it will be much harder for mission teams to stay hidden and safe online. This change could also prevent seekers in restricted areas from safely finding and viewing your evangelism content. https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/france-might-seek-restrictions-on-vpn-use-in-campaign-to-keep-minors-off-social-media-205308716.html New Video App UpScrolled Gains Users by Promising More Freedom A new app called UpScrolled is becoming popular because it promises not to sensor or hide people's posts. Many people are joining this platform because they want an alternative to TikTok that shows posts in the order they were shared. For Mission Teams This platform presents an opportunity to share the gospel without the concern of content being shadowbanned or suppressed by algorithms. As with any emerging platform, the user base is still limited, and teams should experiment before committing to full adoption. https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/01/30/upscrolled-tiktok-alternative-open-platform-no-censorship/ Meta Predicts AI Will Power All Parts of Social Media in 2026 Meta plans to use artificial intelligence to suggest videos and help people spend 20% more time on their apps. These new tools are also helping businesses grow by allowing computers to chat with over one million people every week. For Mission Teams Improved AI ranking and dubbing tools can help your evangelism videos reach significantly more people across multiple languages. Advertisers are also reporting 24% improvement in conversion attribution, underscoring the growing importance of video-based content. One thing is clear: AI enhancements are here to stay. However, it remains unclear how these changes will impact teams around the world that rely on Meta’s platforms for digital engagement. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-outlines-ai-powered-system-improvements/810886/ Meta Reports Significant Growth in Users and Revenue for Late 2025 Meta’s latest report shows that daily active users across its apps have grown to 3.32 billion people. The company also saw its revenue climb by 18% as more people spent time watching Reels and interacting with AI-suggested content. For Mission Teams With over 3 billion people active on these platforms, the potential to reach unreached groups through social media advertising is greater than ever. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-posts-increases-in-users-and-revenue-in-q4/810801/ 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 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 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: February 6, 2026