Weekly Marketing Rundown - September 26, 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

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