Weekly Marketing Rundown - September 19, 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 24, 2025 Welcome to this week’s edition of Kavanah Media’s Weekly Marketing Rundown! In this issue, we explore the Meta's new Andromeda system, the AWS outage, predictions for social media's future and more.  Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Meta AI Conversations Will Be Used for Ads Meta announced that starting December 16th, it will use your chats with Meta AI to help decide what content and ads you see. These AI conversations won’t directly create new ad targeting categories, but they will add to the data Meta already uses to personalize your experience. This move has sparked debate about whether AI chats should be treated like private messages or more like search history. For Mission Teams: Meta will have even more data to help match ads with the right people. It could improve ad performance, but teams should also be aware of privacy concerns and how users might react. Marketers may need to adjust strategies to stay transparent and build trust as AI becomes part of the ad targeting process. http://jonloomer.com/qvt/meta-ai-conversations-target-ads/ Big AWS Outage Shuts Down Websites and Apps Amazon Web Services (AWS) had a major outage that caused many websites and apps to stop working for several hours. The problem came from a network glitch, and it affected things like banking apps, streaming services, and company tools. AWS fixed the issue, but it showed how much the internet depends on their cloud system. For Mission Teams: If those tools go down, campaigns can pause, data can be lost, and users might have a bad experience. Teams should think about backup systems, check service status often, and plan for what to do if something like this happens again. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-aws-outage-2025/ Meta Andromeda: Why Mixing Up Your Ads Matters Meta’s new Andromeda system (the new ad delivery system) doesn’t just pick one “best” ad—it spreads out delivery across different versions to learn what works. Jon Loomer explains that advertisers should use a mix of creative types like different images, videos, headlines, primary text, calls-to-action, and formats (like single image vs. carousel). This helps Meta gather better data and avoid showing the same ad too often, which can make people stop paying attention. For Mission Teams: Teams should leverage different creative types and formats, enable Creative+ Enhancements and leveraging Adv.+ optimizations whenever possible as this approach can improve long-term ad performance and reach more people effectively. https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-andromeda-creative-diversification/ Meta Lead Ads: What’s Changing in October 2025 Meta is updating its Lead Ads system to give users more control over how their data is collected and used. Starting October 2025, advertisers must clearly explain why they’re asking for personal info and how it will be used. Meta will also require more transparency in lead forms and may limit how much data advertisers can collect without a clear reason. For Mission Teams: This matters for marketing teams because it changes how lead generation campaigns are built and approved. Teams will need to update their forms, rethink what data they really need, and make sure everything is easy for users to understand. It could also affect how quickly leads are collected and how much targeting data is available. https://giovanniperilli.com/en/blog/meta-lead-ads-october-2025-the-new-rules-and-what-really-changes/ No Consent, No Ads: Google’s New Privacy Rule Google now requires websites to follow the EU Consent Policy if you have end users in the EU—even for non-personalized ads. If your site doesn’t send proper consent signals, Google can suspend your entire ad account. To stay compliant, you should use a certified Consent Management Platform (CMP), check your consent setup in Google Tag Manager, and test it using GA4 DebugView and Ads consent mode reports. For Mission Teams: This is important for marketing teams because ignoring consent rules could shut down all ad activity. Teams should check their emails or Google Ads accounts to see if they have new Action Required notifications and also make sure their websites collect and send the right privacy signals, or risk losing access to Google Ads. Please reach out to us here at Kavanah Media if you need assistance with GDPR compliance. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-ads-news-week-42-adriaan-dekker-rn3qe/ Facebook’s “Group Highlights” Make Private Posts More Public Facebook’s new “Group Highlights” feature lets private groups share selected member posts outside the group. Members must give permission before their content is shown, and highlights can appear on the group’s front page, in Facebook search, or even on Google. AI may help pick which posts to show, but names and profile pictures are hidden for now. For Mission Teams: Missionaries utilizing Facebook groups in their digital engagement strategies can experiment with this feature to broaden their reach. However, they must proceed with caution, ensuring user consent and addressing security concerns. Furthermore, missionaries operating in secure areas should reassess the groups they follow to confirm that their sensitive information is not being shared publicly on the platform. https://www.facebook.com/help/970710061848673?cms_platform=iphone-app&helpref=platform_switcher What Social Media Might Look Like in 2026 This article from Social Media Today shares 36 predictions about how social media could change by 2026. Experts think platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook will focus more on AI, short videos, and private messaging. There’s also talk about more rules for content, better tools for creators, and new ways for people to shop directly through social apps. For Mission Teams: Some examples from the list include: AI-generated content becoming normal, private messaging replacing public posts, creators getting paid directly through platforms, and social apps becoming shopping hubs. These changes could affect how brands and mission teams handle digital security, ad targeting, and customer engagement. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/36-predictions-social-media-marketing-2026/802195/ Instagram Reels Tries Skippable Ads Like YouTube Meta is testing skippable ads on Instagram Reels, similar to how YouTube does it. Users will see a countdown before the ad starts and then get a “skip” button. Right now, creators won’t earn money from these ads, and Meta says the goal is to help businesses get noticed without annoying viewers. For Mission Teams: This test could change how ads are made and placed on Reels. It may push brands to create more engaging content quickly, since users can skip. https://www.adweek.com/media/meta-is-testing-skippable-ads-on-instagram-reels-borrowing-from-youtubes-playbook/ Marketers Still Trust Real People Over AI User-generated content (UGC)—like videos, reviews, and posts made by everyday people—is still the top choice for marketers. A recent report shows that 36% of marketers say UGC is extremely important, while only 2% feel that way about AI-generated content. Gen Z spends a lot of time watching UGC, showing that people want real, relatable content—not computer-made stuff. For Mission Teams: This suggests teams should consider pulling back on using AI to make content and leaning into user generated content. Localized authentic content is best, but teams working in secure fields should be cautious. As always, these findings are primarily based in Western markets. Teams should experiment in their own locations. https://content-naf.emarketer.com/social-media-strategists-value-ugc-over-ai Social Media Stops Sending Traffic to News Sites Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram are sending way fewer clicks to news websites—down 30% since 2022. That’s a drop from 1.75 billion to 1.22 billion referrals. While platforms test new ways to boost link engagement, short videos and algorithm changes are making it harder for traditional news posts to get seen. Link-in-bio tools are growing, but they mostly help online shopping. For Mission Teams: Because social media platforms may limit the visibility of posts containing external links, marketing teams should think about alternative ways to share links — like putting them in bios or comments — to maintain reach and avoid algorithmic penalties. https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-media-trends-a6e42ba0-ae85-11f0-87d6-3dbac628b68f.html 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 24, 2025