Weekly Marketing Rundown - February 6, 2026

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 - July 3, 2026 Welcome to this week’s edition of Kavanah Media’s Weekly Marketing Rundown! This week Meta launched the Muse Image AI Generator, Google Consent Mode and bidding rules changed, concerns rise over Google Search data used for AI training, ChatGPT added new ad targeting features, and an Indian court order impacts domain privacy globally. Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Moody Bible Institute breach exposes 2.3 million records Moody Bible Institute, a Chicago-based Christian college, confirmed a data breach after the ShinyHunters extortion group leaked over 2.3 million email addresses and personal data belonging to donors, students, alumni, and supporters. The group used a pay-or-leak campaign, and when demands were not met, they published the stolen data publicly. For Mission Teams This breach is a direct warning to faith-based organizations that donor and constituent data is a target for financially motivated hackers. Any ministry collecting email addresses, donation records, or other personal identifiable information should audit its security practices and ensure third-party platforms are secured with multi-factor authentication. https://cyberpress.org/moody-bible-institute-data-breach/ India court order could strip global domain privacy An Indian court ruling requires domain registrars to stop offering free default WHOIS privacy protection and to disclose domain owner information to anyone claiming a legitimate interest within 72 hours. GoDaddy, which manages 80 million domain names, warns that the ruling could have global implications because domain names are not region-restricted. The company has filed a 5,121-page appeal, which is scheduled to be heard on July 16. For Mission Teams Ministry websites registered through GoDaddy or similar registrars could eventually have their owner contact information made publicly searchable if this ruling stands. Teams managing ministry domains should check whether their WHOIS privacy protection is active and monitor this case as it develops. https://gizmodo.com/godaddy-sounds-alarm-over-how-india-law-would-upend-internet-privacy-everywhere-2000781210 Expanding Digital Evangelism into Virtual Reality Christian groups are now using virtual reality platforms to meet new people and share their faith online. These digital worlds have become a brand new mission field for reaching people who feel lonely or want a community. For Mission Teams Virtual reality offers an interesting avenue for bypassing some of the restrictions that believers and mission teams face in different countries around the world. It could become a valuable addition to existing digital engagement strategies, complementing current social media outreach and advertising efforts. However, experimentation and training are essential. These platforms differ significantly from the digital engagement platforms most teams currently use. Security, bandwidth, accessibility, user adoption, and team training all present important challenges that should be carefully considered. https://www.npr.org/2026/07/02/g-s1-131124/christian-missionaries-have-found-a-new-virtual-mission-territory Meta launches Muse Image AI generator Meta released Muse Image on July 7, 2026, its first in-house AI image generation model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs. It is now available for free in the Meta AI app, in Instagram Stories in the United States, and in WhatsApp in a limited number of countries. The model allows users to generate and edit images from text prompts, and advertisers will soon be able to access it through Advantage+ creative tools to create ad variations without a traditional design process. For Mission Teams Churches and mission teams can use tools like Muse Image to create visual content for outreach campaigns more affordably. However, teams should be aware that the feature can manipulate public Instagram photos, raising new questions about consent and the appropriate use of images. From a security and privacy perspective, teams should also note Meta's expanded AI access to user-uploaded media and review their organization's social media policies accordingly. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/07/meta-ai-muse-image.html Google Search uploads now train AI by default Google updated its Search services privacy settings in June 2026 so that images, audio, files, and video you upload through tools like Google Lens and Google Translate are used to train its AI models unless you manually opt out. The setting called Search Services History is enabled by default, and anonymized versions of data already collected can remain in Google's training systems for up to four years, even after deletion. For Mission Teams Anyone in your organization using Google Lens to photograph documents or using Google Search voice input on behalf of the ministry may be unintentionally allowing sensitive content to be used by Google's AI systems, depending on their account settings. Teams should review their Google account settings and disable the Save Media option under Search Services History if they want to reduce potential data exposure. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-google-search-uploads-train-ai-opt-out/ Google Tag Manager interface updates and tracking reliability Google Tag Manager has a new look that makes it much easier for beginners to use. However, its new visual builder tool can cause tracking errors if your website design changes. For Mission Teams While these tools make it easier for teams to run ads and reach spiritual seekers, they must be configured correctly. Misconfigurations, website changes, and even platform updates can lead to broken analytics and potential non-compliance with data privacy laws. Interested in using Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager but not sure where to begin? Reach out—we'd love to help. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-ads-news-week-27-adriaan-dekker-glo6e/ Meta rolls out Muse Image for advertisers Alongside the consumer launch of Muse Image, Meta announced that advertisers and agencies will gain access to the model through Advantage+ creative tools in the coming weeks. This will allow brands to generate ad image variations and edit campaign assets without a traditional design cycle. Meta says the model can produce on-brand ad variations with fewer iterations by combining native reasoning with advertiser creative assets. For Mission Teams Small ministry marketing teams who currently rely on outside designers or platforms for ad creative may find Muse Image through Advantage+ significantly reduces production costs and turnaround time for paid social campaigns. However, teams should review Meta's terms carefully as the model that creates the content is not perfect. Teams should verify the viability of generated content before deploying it in ads. https://ai.meta.com/blog/introducing-muse-image-muse-video-msl/ Apple's Hide My Email leaks real addresses A security researcher disclosed on July 1, 2026, that Apple's Hide My Email privacy feature contains a flaw that allows attackers to reverse-engineer anonymous email aliases back to users' real inboxes, with a 100 percent success rate in testing. Apple was first informed of the issue in June 2025 but has not fully patched the vulnerability despite multiple attempts, potentially leaving iCloud+ subscribers exposed. For Mission Teams iOS users who use Hide My Email aliases for ministry sign-ups or online outreach should treat those addresses as potentially compromised until Apple issues a confirmed fix. This is a practical reminder that no privacy tool should be trusted as a complete shield, and digital security training should cover how to verify whether a privacy feature is actually working. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-apple-hide-my-email-privacy-flaw/ Google bidding change may raise your ad costs Starting August 17, 2026, Google will change how it manages bidding for budget-limited campaigns using Target CPA or Target ROAS goals. If your campaign has been outperforming its targets, performance may shift closer to the higher target you originally set unless you manually adjust it using the new Bid Target Adjustment Tool, which became available on July 6. For Mission Teams Ministries running paid outreach campaigns on Google should check budget-limited campaigns before August 17 to avoid unexpected cost increases. Use the new Bid Target Adjustment Tool to review historical performance and update your targets to match what you actually want to spend. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17061251?hl=en OpenAI Adds Custom Audience Targeting to ChatGPT Ads OpenAI added a custom audience feature to its ChatGPT Ads platform that lets advertisers upload email and phone lists to target or exclude specific users. However, a minimum of 100,000 identifiers is required, which may put the feature out of reach for smaller advertisers. For Mission Teams This is a significant step toward ChatGPT becoming a real ad platform alongside Google and Meta. Ministries should cautiously experiment with the platform in their context to test its viability. https://www.jonloomer.com/chatgpt-ads-custom-audiences/ 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: July 10, 2026