Weekly Marketing Rundown - January 23, 2025

Weekly Marketing Rundown - August 28, 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 Meta's latest AI integrations, Iranian hacks, Instagram growth strategies and more. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Meta to Launch Hatch AI Agent and WhatsApp Integration Meta is launching a smart AI helper named Hatch that can check emails and buy things for you without leaving the app. The company might charge up to $199 per month for premium access while also letting other businesses connect their own bots through WhatsApp. For Mission Teams These new WhatsApp features offer strategic ways to find seekers and make disciples by using AI to instantly engage with people on digital platforms. However, mission teams must carefully evaluate the outputs from these tools. AI tools often hallucinate and there are serious concerns with letting AI handle the very personal work of evangelism. https://thenextweb.com/news/meta-hatch-ai-agent-watermelon-199-subscription Understanding Discontinued Facebook Ad Features So much has changed with Meta advertising over the years that it can be difficult to keep track of everything. Jon Loomer has taken the time to chronicle some of the biggest changes. After reading this list, one thing is very clear: marketing on Meta is very different from what it was and continues to change rapidly. Strategies from just a few months ago can already be outdated. For Mission Teams Mission teams should update their strategy to find seekers because many older ad targeting methods are now obsolete due to platform changes. Understanding these platform changes helps ministries create better digital ads that safely engage modern audiences. https://www.jonloomer.com/qvt/15-discontinued-facebook-ads-features/ Iranian Hackers Shut Down UK Power Plant Hackers from Iran recently broke into the computer systems of a small power plant in the United Kingdom and shut it down for four days. While this attack did not affect the country's main power supply, it marks the first time these hackers successfully stopped a British facility from working. For Mission Teams If may feel like these type of attacks only happen in the non-missions world, but the data would say otherwise. Nonprofit and missions agencies alike are reporting an uptick in attacks. Mission teams, churches, and agencies are encouraged to do due diligence in regards to cybersecurity and operational security. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/22/iranian-hackers-shut-down-uk-power-plant/?is=6c9d26923a16288b80f85de0340fba4f6bfb5483bde5c91e5ae0e76242c3259c Anthropic Expands AI Security Audits with Mythos 5 Anthropic recently released a smart computer tool named Mythos 5 that helps companies find and fix hidden security problems in their software code. Even with this advanced tool, human experts still need to review the suggested repairs to make sure they work correctly. For Mission Teams Mission teams and agencies leveraging digital tools of any kind are encouraged to use these same AI tools for cybersecurity, as bad actors will surely use them as well. Groups that do not leverage AI for their own defenses may be left vulnerable. Protecting the personal data of new disciples, employees, and others ensures secure digital engagement and builds a strong foundation for your online ministry strategies. https://www.esecurityplanet.com/cybersecurity/news-anthropic-mythos-5-ai-security-audits/ Instagram Updates Ad Messaging and Searchable Captions Instagram is testing a new tool that automatically sends private messages when people type specific words on your ads. The platform is also making post captions more important for search engines to help users find the stories behind your pictures. For Mission Teams Mission teams can write clear captions to help seekers easily find their content while using the new automated messaging tool to instantly share spiritual resources. https://www.jonloomer.com/reply-to-keywords-meta-ads-feature/ https://wersm.com/instagram-captions-context-search/?utm_source=tldrmarketing Meta Removes Ad Placement Controls Meta is slowly removing the ability for creators to pick exactly which apps or devices show their ads. Instead of completely blocking unwanted locations, advertisers will now need to set special bidding rules to control where their content appears. For Mission Teams Mission teams must update their ad strategies because losing control over ad placements might risk showing ads to contacts outside of desired personas. Ministries should learn to use these new rules to help avoid ad performance issues. https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-removing-placement-controls-ad-sets/ Elementor Pro Vulnerability Exposes WordPress Sites A serious security bug was found in the popular Elementor Pro WordPress plugin that allows hackers to upload bad files. This flaw means attackers could sneak harmful code into websites through the file upload forms and take control of the server. For Mission Teams Mission teams using WordPress to build evangelism websites must update their plugins immediately to stop hackers from taking control of their digital platforms. Keeping software updated protects sensitive seeker information and ensures your ministry websites stay online and safe for visitors. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/critical-elementor-pro-bug-exposes-wordpress-sites-to-rce-attacks/ Google Simplifies Tagging Tools for Faster Website Analytics Google is combining its tagging tools to make tracking website visits much easier without needing complex coding. These updates help websites load faster and allow users to visually track visitor actions in one place. For Mission Teams This consolidation could make analytics easier to manage for mission teams. Teams are encouraged to check their accounts when these changes are rolled out and familiarize themselves with the updates. https://www.seroundtable.com/google-tag-and-google-tag-manager-updated-41918.html Buffer Data Study Reveals Proven Instagram Growth Strategies A large study shows that posting helpful Instagram content three to five times a week helps accounts grow twice as fast. Creators should focus on using Reels, carousel posts, and replying to comments rather than trying to make viral videos. For Mission Teams Mission teams leveraging organic strategies should use consistent Reels and carousel posts to regularly share gospel messages with seekers who are looking for hope. Engaging with people in comment sections builds personal trust while maintaining safe digital privacy practices for your team. https://buffer.com/resources/grow-on-instagram/ WhatsApp Enhances Account Security Features WhatsApp added new security features, including stronger passwords for two-step verification and caller details for unfamiliar numbers. Users can now set up multiple passkeys across different devices to prevent hackers from taking over their accounts. For Mission Teams Missions teams and churches leveraging WhatsApp are encouraged to implement these passwords and passkeys to help keep their accounts secure. https://about.fb.com/news/2026/08/new-account-security-features-for-whatsapp/ 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. Jon Ralls' new book–  Check out Jon Ralls' new book 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 stumped? 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: August 28, 2026

Weekly Marketing Rundown - June 19, 2026 Welcome to this week’s edition of Kavanah Media’s Weekly Marketing Rundown! This week, we're covering a packed news cycle for digital marketers, from Meta's sweeping AI push and the rollout of new creator tools and business agents across its platforms to Google's significant updates to ad bidding policies and platform terms ahead of an August deadline. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Meta Platforms Hit by Major Global Outage On June 12, 2026, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger went down for millions of users worldwide, with Downdetector logging over 100,000 Facebook problem reports by 10 a.m. ET. The outage lasted about four hours and also caused high disruptions to Meta Ads Manager, meaning advertisers could not run or manage campaigns during the blackout. For Mission Teams Mission teams around the world, including Kavanah Media, that rely on Meta platforms for digital outreach were forced to adjust ads, messaging, and other activities in response to the outage. Incidents like this highlight the importance of having backup communication channels in place, such as email lists or WhatsApp groups, for times when these platforms go down unexpectedly and communication cannot be delayed. https://www.tomsguide.com/news/live/meta-instagram-facebook-messenger-down-6-12-2026-live-updates Meta Launches New Community App Called Forum A few weeks ago Meta released a brand new app called Forum that works a lot like Reddit. This platform allows users to join different groups and have public discussions about topics they find interesting. For Mission Teams This new app gives ministries a fresh opportunity to connect with seekers and build communities around spiritual questions. The platform continues to grow in popularity, and as Groups become easier to access and engage with, Facebook Groups may become an increasingly viable tool for digital engagement. Missionaries raising support may also find value in the platform, as Facebook Groups can be used to communicate with supporters through this dedicated app. https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/22/meta-quietly-launches-a-new-reddit-like-app-called-forum/ UK Bans Social Media for Children Under 16 It finally happened. After months of discussion, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on June 15, 2026, that Britain will ban children under 16 from platforms including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, and Snapchat, with enforcement directed at technology companies rather than children themselves. If approved by Parliament, the ban is expected to take effect in spring 2027. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal are not included. For Mission Teams While it remains unclear how the UK government will effectively enforce this ban, the broader lesson for digital engagement teams is how quickly platforms can be required to adapt in response to government regulations. Teams should plan for redundancy, ensure compliance with local and regional laws, and be prepared to pivot when significant policy or platform changes occur. https://www.npr.org/2026/06/15/nx-s1-5858644/britain-social-media-ban Google Ads Overhauls Bidding Rules Starting August 17 On June 15, 2026, Google announced three significant updates to Google Ads, including a new Bidding Target Optimization feature that will take effect on August 17. The update will automatically adjust budget-limited campaigns toward their stated performance targets. Advertisers also gained access to Smart Bidding Exploration globally, along with a new Promotion Mode beta that allows temporary budget increases to be scheduled around peak events. For Mission Teams For ministry teams running paid evangelism campaigns on Google, it is possible that these changes will have little immediate impact. Most of the updates are aimed at marketers focused on driving revenue and commercial conversions, which are not typically the primary objectives of mission teams and churches. Members of the Kavanah Media team are monitoring these developments closely to determine whether they warrant any adjustments to digital engagement strategies. Even so, teams that rely on Target CPA or ROAS bidding should review their settings before the August 17 deadline to avoid unexpected changes in campaign performance. This update also signals that Google is placing greater responsibility on advertisers to set accurate performance goals rather than relying on the platform to automatically exceed targets. https://www.digitalapplied.com/blog/google-ads-bidding-budgeting-overhaul-june-2026-ppc-playbook Google Updates Ads Terms to Cover AI-Powered Features Google updated its Google Ads Terms of Service effective July 1, 2026, expanding language to explain how advertiser-provided information, including conversational inputs, may be used across AI-powered and automated advertising tools. Advertisers retain responsibility for reviewing and approving any automatically generated campaigns or ad assets. For Mission Teams Organizations using Google Ads should review the updated terms carefully before July 1 to understand how their campaign data and inputs may be used by Google's AI systems. The article quotes one marketer as saying: "He pointed to new language authorizing Google to use automated features to format, select, or generate targets, ads, and destinations on an advertiser’s behalf, while advertisers remain responsible for the resulting campaigns." Similar to Meta, Google is clearly moving toward greater marketing automation. As these platforms continue to evolve, advertisers may find themselves with less direct control over automated tools and campaign optimization. Teams are encouraged to review the updated policy and audit their accounts and campaigns in July to better understand how these changes may affect their digital engagement efforts. https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-updates-terms-of-service-ahead-of-july-2026-rollout-479255 Google Expands Limited Ad Serving to Search Results Google officially updated its Limited Ad Serving policy on June 12, 2026, to cover additional scenarios on Google Search, meaning accounts flagged as less trustworthy will have their ads shown less frequently on certain search queries. The policy was originally introduced in 2023 for new advertisers and expanded to YouTube in 2024, making this the broadest enforcement step yet. For Mission Teams Newer or smaller ministry advertising accounts should maintain a clean account history and establish strong brand credibility to avoid being throttled under this policy, particularly when promoting events or outreach campaigns. Google considers several factors holistically, including user reports, account maturity, ad format usage, compliance history, industry, and verification status. However, Google does not disclose specific metrics or thresholds that trigger account reviews. https://www.digitalapplied.com/blog/google-limited-ad-serving-expands-search-2026-advertiser-guide Meta Launches AI Business Agents Across All Apps At its Conversations event in London, Meta announced the expansion of AI-powered business messaging agents across Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. These agents can automatically answer customer questions, collect leads, and assist with bookings. Meta is also building deeper integrations with platforms such as Shopify and Zendesk to connect these agents with existing business systems. For Mission Teams Ministries and Christian nonprofits that receive frequent inquiries via Messenger or WhatsApp could potentially use these AI agents as online responders, though it remains to be seen how effective they will prove in practice. Several teams around the world leveraging similar chatbots report some success in filtering initial conversations, but human oversight remains critical. Others continue to raise concerns related to security, authenticity, AI hallucinations, and the theological implications of using AI chat agents in evangelism. Teams are encouraged to explore these tools to assess their viability, but thorough testing is strongly recommended. https://socialbee.com/blog/social-media-news/ Zero-Click Searches Now Account for 68 Percent of Google Traffic A new 2026 study by SparkToro found that 68 percent of all Google searches now end without any click leaving Google's ecosystem, meaning only 232 out of every 1,000 US Google searches result in a visit to an external website. Google's AI Mode and AI Overviews are keeping users inside Google rather than sending them to publisher sites. For Mission Teams This is a major wake-up call for any ministry or Christian organization relying on Google traffic to drive people to their website, as the traditional model of ranking on search to get visitors is fundamentally breaking down. Teams should explore building owned audiences through email lists, community apps, direct social channels, and paid ads so they are not fully dependent on search engine traffic. Additionally, optimizing sites for AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) could help to ensure site content is still referenced by agents when answering user questions. https://ignitevisibility.com/digital-marketing-news/ ChatGPT Ads Expand to New Markets OpenAI is expanding its ChatGPT advertising platform into five new countries: the UK, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and Mexico. It is also testing a feature that displays multiple ads at once. The company is additionally adding new tools to help businesses better manage their advertising budgets and campaigns. For Mission Teams As AI platforms become increasingly popular places for people to search for answers, these new ad tools could offer a powerful way to reach spiritual seekers globally. Teams in these regions are encouraged to test the platform to assess its viability in their context. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-ads-news-week-24-adriaan-dekker-pqoze/ ShapedPlugin Security Compromise Hackers recently inserted malicious code into several premium WordPress plugins developed by a company called ShapedPlugin. The malware is designed to secretly steal user passwords and bypass additional security protections on affected websites. For Mission Teams A compromised ministry website could expose sensitive seeker information and significantly disrupt digital evangelism efforts. Teams using paid ShapedPlugin tools should immediately scan their sites for malware and update their software to help protect these important engagement platforms. This also serves as a reminder for teams using WordPress sites that even when best practices are followed in terms of cybersecurity and plugin selection, websites can still be compromised. You may research a plugin, monitor it, test it, and avoid installing plugins from untrusted sources, yet still be exposed if the plugin itself is compromised. Teams are encouraged to audit their sites, test plugins, and scan for signs of compromise. If you would like help ensuring your site is secure, we can assist—please reach out. https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2026/06/psa-supply-chain-compromise-targets-shapedplugin-backdoored-pro-plugins-distributed-via-official-channels/ 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. Jon Ralls' new book–  Check out Jon Ralls' new book 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 stumped? 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: Cody A. and Cherry Messimer Article Published: June 19, 2026