Weekly Marketing Rundown - July 25, 2025

Weekly Marketing Rundown - October 30, 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 a Signal security patch, Meta's latest advice regarding ad performance, Google's new Translate Ad feature, and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Meta Says to Stop Changing Ad Campaigns So Often Meta says each ad set needs about 50 conversions per week for its system to learn whom to show ads to. Before reaching that threshold, any edits to a campaign or its targeting are merely guesswork. According to Meta’s analysis, ad sets below that threshold paid about 28% more per purchase, and frequent edits make it harder to reach that level. For Mission Teams Small ministry budgets may make reaching 50 conversions a week challenging, but volume is key. If an ad does not seem to be performing well, teams should consider increasing the ad budget to generate more conversions rather than over-tweaking the creative. A/B testing can help provide the algorithm with clearer signals, but simply leaving things alone for a while and giving the algorithm time to work often proves fruitful. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-says-advertisers-should-let-campaigns-gather-data/833906/ Advertisers Now Responsible for Meta’s AI Changes Starting October 30, Meta’s new ad terms say advertisers are “solely responsible” for anything Meta’s AI creates or changes in their ads. Some advertisers have found AI-added images, translations, and links in live ads they never approved. For Mission Teams An automatic translation or AI-generated image could alter a gospel message in ways that are inaccurate or culturally offensive, and your ministry would be held responsible. Teams should review every Advantage+ creative output before publishing ads and turn off any tools that produce awkward or inaccurate creative content. https://www.adweek.com/media/advertisers-pull-meta-ads-that-had-unwanted-ai-glow-ups/ Facebook Limits Link Posts for Some Nonprofit Pages Facebook is testing a limit of two link posts per month for some Pages, with paid plans starting around $50 a month for more. Meta says nonprofits should not be affected, but several charities and a public library were limited anyway. For Mission Teams Ministry Pages that share links to websites, Bible resources, or donation pages could suddenly hit this cap. To avoid it, make sure your Page category lists “nonprofit,” since Meta says that is how its system decides who is exempt. https://www.engadget.com/2295422/meta-is-charging-government-and-nonprofit-pages-to-post-links-on-facebook/ Discord Public Chats Coming to Web Search Starting November 16, Discord will create public web pages for large “Discoverable” servers, featuring AI-generated summaries of public channel conversations. Starting in mid-December, messages from public channels may also appear in web search results, without usernames or profile pictures. For Mission Teams Teams that run or participate in large public Discord servers should check which channels will be visible, as conversations could become searchable even without names attached. Admins can opt channels out under Server Settings > Web Presence, while members can turn off sharing in their Data and Privacy settings. https://discord.com/blog/making-content-from-discoverable-servers-easier-to-discover Critical Signal Bug Could Keep Calls Open After Hanging Up A critical flaw in Signal’s calling system could let a caller keep a call running after you think you have hung up. The bug could leave your microphone, and possibly your camera, active, but it has been fixed in the latest version of the app. For Mission Teams Many teams rely on Signal for sensitive calls, so this flaw could expose private conversations about seekers, partners, or locations. Every team member should update Signal on their phones and computers right away and avoid discussing sensitive topics immediately after a call ends until they have updated the app. https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/10/21/signal-bug-could-keep-your-mic-and-camera-on-after-hangup/5304528 AI Email Summaries and Reader Engagement Email apps are now using artificial intelligence to read your newsletters and create short summaries for your subscribers. This means a machine might replace your subject line and decide which parts of your message are most important. For Mission Teams This shift impacts digital engagement because seekers will likely read a machine-generated summary first, requiring your primary discipleship message, missionary newsletters, or support raising campaign emails to be obvious from the start. https://www.audiencebridge.io/p/your-newsletter-has-two-readers-now?utm_source=tldrmarketing Meta Advertising Features Explained Meta recently introduced three new ad features: “Ads Super Burst,” which offers category-exclusive ad windows that other advertisers cannot book; “First Impression Ads,” which places an ad at the top of the feed; and “Aggregated View Time,” which measures total weekly video views. While the first two are likely aimed at big brands with large budgets, the new video metric will affect how all advertisers track their performance. For Mission Teams While large-scale burst features might not fit typical budgets, ministries or projects with larger budgets could use them to have ad spot exclusivity for events or launches. Additionally, First Impression ads could ensure your ads have the first ad serve, but this will likely come at a higher price tag. Understanding the shift toward aggregated video metrics is critical for digital evangelism. It implies that consistent, engaging video content over time will be key to safely connecting with seekers and guiding them into online discipleship pathways. https://www.jonloomer.com/qvt/ads-super-burst-first-impression-ads-aggregated-view-time/?utm_source=video_alerts&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10262026&inf_contact_key=02839d451437ea562610e3da8a639abe7e470d92b8b75168d98a0b8cac0e9c09 ChatGPT Ads Creative Enhancements OpenAI is turning on a feature that automatically lets AI rewrite your ad headlines, change images, translate text, and switch destination URLs in ChatGPT Ads without your approval. Advertisers who want to keep control over exactly what their ads say must manually opt out in their account settings before October 30. For Mission Teams This automation could inadvertently alter your carefully written messages, which might change the tone or direct seekers to the wrong online resources. To keep your digital outreach secure and accurate, you should review these settings and opt out if you need strict control over your discipleship materials and landing pages. https://mean.ceo/tpost/chatgpt-ads-creative-enhancements Google Ads AI Campaign Localization Tool Google has a new tool that can quickly duplicate a Search campaign and translate its keywords, text, and landing pages into ten different languages. However, you must carefully review the translations before starting the campaign because the AI might misinterpret brand names, legal terms, or numbers. For Mission Teams This translation feature makes it easier to reach non-English speakers, allowing you to share the gospel with diverse communities more efficiently. However, you must have a native speaker review the translated ads to ensure the theological message is accurate and culturally appropriate before launching the campaign. https://miraflow.ai/blog/google-ads-ai-campaign-localization-tool-search-2026 AI Max in Google Ad Grants Google is automatically turning on a feature called "AI Max" in some Ad Grants accounts, which helps campaigns spend more by showing ads in AI search overviews and expanding keyword matches. This feature gives the AI more freedom to decide where and how your ads appear, including showing ads for different pages on your website than you originally chose. For Mission Teams While this tool can expand your digital ministry’s reach by finding new ways to spend your grant money, it could also display your ads to irrelevant audiences or direct users to unintended pages. You should monitor your Ad Grants account closely and turn off AI Max if you need precise control over which seekers see your ads and which pages they are directed to. https://support.google.com/nonprofits/community-video/406833041/ai-max-in-google-ad-grants?hl=en 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: October 30, 2026

Weekly Marketing Rundown - October 23, 2026 Welcome to this week’s edition of Kavanah Media’s Weekly Marketing Rundown! We’re covering the latest updates you need to know: a critical PHP security update, recent changes to Meta ads, new recommendations for ideal video length and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Critical PHP Security Updates Required to Prevent Server Hijacking Security experts discovered critical flaws in PHP that allow hackers to take over websites without needing a password. Server administrators must update their PHP software immediately to block these dangerous attacks. For Mission Teams Outdated PHP versions leave your website open to attacks that can expose the private contact details of seekers who reach out through your social media ads and landing pages. If your team manages a website, update its PHP version right away. If you can’t update it immediately, take the site offline until you can. https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2026/10/psa-php-security-updates-available-for-two-critical-vulnerabilities-update-now/ Meta's New Feature for Ad Targeting Meta is launching a feature that lets you choose the audience for each individual ad creative. Instead of creating separate ad groups for different audiences, you can now set age and gender targets directly on each ad. For Mission Teams This update changes the way audiences can be targeted. It’s also important to note that this does not override Advantage+ targeting, and Meta’s algorithm will still show ads to people who might convert, even if they fall outside a team’s target persona. However, it could be a useful way to match different ads to different audiences, rather than relying on ad set–level targeting alone. Teams that have access to this new feature are encouraged to test its functionality and see how it affects ad engagement. https://www.jonloomer.com/choose-an-audience-for-each-ad-creative/ Meta's Future Automations In a recent podcast, Nik Ketkar, Director of Product Management at Meta, laid out upcoming changes to ad defaults and automated media buying. Meta is building automated tools so advertisers spend less time setting up campaigns and more time focusing on overall strategy. While artificial intelligence will suggest ad adjustments and create materials, human advertisers will still retain final approval over all decisions. These updates will automatically turn on in late October and alter how ads direct users unless advertisers choose to opt out. For Mission Teams Mission teams must review these new defaults as they roll out and test them to ensure continued ad performance. Several teams around the world have had difficulty getting good engagement from their desired target audiences with Meta's Advantage+ tools when they were rolled out previously, however, the automations that change brought also made it easier than ever to build ads. It is yet to be seen how these future changes will further affect digital engagement work. As always, testing is encouraged. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BNAIirKUZs Ideal Length for Social Media Videos A recent study of millions of videos shows Instagram Reels under three minutes perform best, while TikTok favors longer videos between three and ten minutes. However, the most important factor is keeping your videos engaging regardless of length. For Mission Teams You can use these time limits to design better short-form videos that catch the attention of seekers scrolling on social media. Making your videos the right length for each platform helps your digital campaigns reach more people so you can connect with them and make disciples. https://virev.ai/blog/how-long-should-a-reel-be?utm_source=tldrmarketing Meta Pauses AI Sharing Feature Over Major Privacy Leak Meta paused the sharing feature in its new Muse AI assistant after researchers discovered that shared links leaked private user conversations online. The web addresses included chat titles directly in the link, allowing anyone to easily search for and read confidential personal notes. For Mission Teams Using automated AI tools without strict privacy controls can inadvertently expose sensitive conversations and personal information shared by online seekers. Teams should exercise caution when using AI tools such as Muse, particularly when granting them access to files, systems, and data. https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/10/meta-muse-exposes-users-personal-and-business-secrets-when-they-share-conversations/?utm_source=tldrinfosec Google Ads Introduces Stricter Verification and Promotes AI Campaign Creation Google Ads now prioritizes an AI-driven campaign builder by default, while requiring a second official document like a utility bill to verify advertiser addresses in select locations. Users who prefer hands-on campaign management must click a less prominent manual setup link, and failing to verify your address will prevent ads from running. For Mission Teams Google has rolled out a requirement for a second verification document in South Sudan and says other countries may soon follow. Account verification is required to advertise on the platform. Separately, new AI features can help marketers build ads, but marketers should always check AI-generated content for accuracy. https://adriaan-dekker.nl/google-ads-can-now-ask-for-a-second-document-to-verify-your-address/ ChatGPT Expands Ad Formats and Shifts Web Traffic Attribution OpenAI is testing larger visual ads and clickable buttons in ChatGPT while adding new measurement tools to track campaign results. At the same time, recent tracking changes mean web visits from ChatGPT may now mistakenly appear as direct traffic instead of referral clicks. For Mission Teams Monitoring these analytics changes ensures your team accurately tracks how seekers discover and access your digital ministry platforms. Experimenting with these new visual formats and call-to-action buttons can help you engage more seekers and guide them toward becoming disciples. https://adriaan-dekker.nl/google-ads-can-now-ask-for-a-second-document-to-verify-your-address/ WhatsApp Tests In-App Browser for Chat Links WhatsApp is developing a built-in browser that allows users to open any shared web link directly inside their chats. This update keeps people inside the messaging app while browsing, though users can still switch to an outside browser and clear their stored data. For Mission Teams Meta uses in-app browsing to support user retention and collect tracking telemetry. This means that visits to external websites still consume standard mobile data under free carrier plans, but the in-app browsing environment could improve ad engagement tracking. Teams running traffic or sales campaigns for Bible orders or similar offerings may see improved tracking metrics; however, they may still face challenges due to Meta’s restrictions on religious data. https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-is-testing-an-in-app-browser-for-chats-on-ios/ X Plans to Ban Low-Quality and Misleading Advertisements Elon Musk announced that X will ban advertisers who post ugly, loud, or misleading ads. The platform is asking users to report bad promotions, but it has not yet explained the exact rules for judging them. For Mission Teams Teams using X for digital engagement should create clear, honest digital ads to reduce the risk of sudden account suspensions. Producing high-quality visuals can also help campaigns remain active across social media platforms. https://www.theverge.com/news/1013118/elon-musk-says-he-wont-allow-ugly-ads-on-x 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: October 23, 2026