Social Scoop Unplugged #12
Want to stay ahead in the social media game? This week, Instagram’s boosting feature just got even better, helping you get your posts in front of the right audience with more ease. Meta has shared its 26 Predictions for Social Media Marketing in 2025, giving you key insights to plan ahead. TikTok now lets you share music directly from Apple Music and Spotify to your TikTok feed with the new “Share to TikTok” feature. Instagram has also cleared up the confusion about sponsored content, confirming that it won’t be penalised in terms of reach. And soon, you’ll be able to update your IG profile image with an AI-generated version, making it easier than ever to refresh your look.
Instagram’s Boosting Just Got Better!
Instagram’s just expanded its boosting options, meaning you can now get even more out of your top-performing posts. If you’ve ever had trouble boosting posts with GIFs, stickers, or certain music tracks, it might be time to give them another go. This new update lets you boost most posts with GIFs and stickers, giving you more freedom to turn your best organic content into ads.
What’s New?
In the past, Instagram didn’t allow certain posts to be boosted, mainly due to copyright restrictions and other system limitations. But now, with more types of content eligible, boosting can be a powerful way to reach a larger audience without creating entirely new ads.
A few things to keep in mind:
• Music restrictions: If a song isn’t eligible for boosting, Instagram will now let you swap it for an approved track so you can still reach more people.
• Professional account required: Make sure you’re using a Professional Account to access boosting.
• European ad-free subscriptions: If you’re in Europe and subscribed to Meta’s ad-free experience, boosted posts aren’t currently available—likely a system glitch.
This update might be small, but it’s a handy one for brands wanting to make the most of their best content. Next time a post is performing well, consider a boost to maximise its reach!
Predictions for Social Media Marketing in 2025.
As we gear up for 2025, it’s that time again where predictions flood in about what’s next for social media. While AI will definitely be in the spotlight, I think the real impact will be more measured than many are anticipating.
Here’s what I’m predicting for the big players in social media next year:
Despite its ‘uncool’ reputation, Facebook remains a powerhouse. But Meta’s focus is shifting from social connections to more entertainment-driven content. Expect to see more AI-powered features, though I’m not convinced they’ll align well with the social nature of the platform. AI-generated images are already causing a stir, and Meta’s hoping people will embrace it. Will they? Time will tell.
More AR & VR Experiences: Meta is going all in on AR, with prototypes for its AR glasses coming soon. In 2025, expect to see more AR features across the platform – like product Try-Ons and fun filters. They’ll likely make these wearables a status symbol too, with little icons on profiles for AR glasses owners.
Video Reels Everywhere: Video is king on Facebook, and with TikTok’s dominance, Meta’s leaning into short-form video even more. Don’t be surprised if your feed gets flooded with more AI-recommended Reels. If TikTok gets banned, Meta will be ready to take its place.
AI Ads: AI in advertising will continue to grow, with Meta’s Advantage+ automation tools delivering stronger results than ever before. It might feel strange to hand over your ad campaigns to AI, but if it’s driving better outcomes, why not?
Instagram’s shifting from photo-sharing to a bit of everything—video, Stories, and Reels now lead the charge. Here’s where it’s heading in 2025:
AI-Enhanced Filters: Forget random AI-generated images. Instagram’s next step will be AI-powered filters that enhance your own photos and videos, making your content more interactive and personal.
Ray-Ban Glasses Integration: Expect more ways to share content directly from your Ray-Ban glasses, including live streams and a dedicated space for Ray-Ban content, as Meta leans into AR wearables.
AR/VR Experiences: Instagram will integrate more AR and VR features, allowing users to create 3D objects and explore immersive ads and experiences, powered by Meta’s AI tools.
Threads & Politics: Threads will likely ease its restrictions on political content, allowing more topical, real-time conversations, especially during the U.S. election cycle.
Snapchat
Snapchat continues to dominate among younger users but faces stiff competition from Meta and Apple, especially in augmented reality (AR).
AR Glasses: Snap’s AR glasses may struggle against Meta’s more advanced Ray-Bans and Apple’s VisionPro. It’s likely that Snapchat will scale back its AR hardware ambitions and focus on AR software, potentially collaborating with bigger players instead of competing.
Snapchat+ Growth: Snapchat+ has seen significant success, with 12 million subscribers. Expect more exclusive features for paying users in 2025, keeping the service valuable and appealing to loyal fans.
Connecting in Real Life: Snapchat will build on its real-world focus, enhancing the Snap Map and adding more features to encourage users to meet up and explore. This push for offline connections will be a key differentiator as other platforms shift towards AI and VR.
Sponsored Snaps & User Backlash: Introducing Sponsored Snaps in private inboxes could face resistance, as users value the app’s intimacy. If it backfires, Snap might roll back this feature, as similar attempts by Meta have shown.
While Snapchat leads in AR development and real-world engagement, it faces challenges in hardware and new ad formats. Still, expect growth through Snapchat+ and continued innovation in offline experiences.
LinkedIn will continue to carve out its unique space as a professional network, distinct from the likes of Meta and TikTok. It’s been dabbling in trends from other platforms, but in 2025, expect LinkedIn to lean into its strengths, focusing on high-quality professional content and engagement. It’ll step back from chasing viral trends and make its own path.
Dialling Down on AI: LinkedIn’s parent company, Microsoft, has been pushing AI integration, adding tools for everything from post creation to job application tips. However, I believe LinkedIn will scale back these AI features. While helpful, these tools are making profiles less personal, and that’s not what LinkedIn is about. In 2025, LinkedIn will focus more on using AI for support rather than replacing human input. Expect fewer in-stream AI prompts, but more AI-powered career advice.
AI for Career Development: With its vast professional data, LinkedIn is well-placed to use AI to help users discover ideal career paths based on their profiles and responses. This could be a game-changer, offering personalised insights into career trajectories and job satisfaction, positioning LinkedIn as the go-to platform for professional growth.
More Focus on Live Events: Forget TikTok-style short clips—LinkedIn’s sweet spot will continue to be live events. Video posts are gaining traction, but it’s the professional webinars and industry events that will draw the most attention. Live events are already on the rise, and LinkedIn will likely partner with major events to broadcast exclusive sessions, offering real-time industry insights to its users.
TikTok
TikTok’s biggest concern in 2025 may be its future in the U.S. While the app fights to stay available, it still boasts over 800 million users outside of America. Regardless of what happens in the U.S., TikTok will remain a key player in social media marketing.
Pushing Shopping Within the App: TikTok is obsessed with turning its platform into a shopping hub. While Western audiences have been slow to embrace in-app shopping, the app is still determined to make it a success. With Douyin (the Chinese version) raking in billions from live-stream shopping, TikTok will continue pushing this model in the West. Expect new features like AI-driven avatars to host live shopping events, as well as expanded e-commerce options that make it easier to shop directly from videos.
Mini Apps and In-App Shopping: TikTok is likely to follow Douyin’s lead and introduce “mini apps” within the platform in 2025. These could allow users to complete tasks like food ordering or ride-hailing without ever leaving TikTok, streamlining transactions and boosting in-app spending. If successful, this could attract businesses and help TikTok monetise its massive audience.
AI and In-Video Search: TikTok will experiment more with in-video search features, allowing users to highlight sections of videos and search for related content or products. This could improve the user experience and encourage more in-stream shopping. Additionally, expect more AI-driven search tools to enhance discovery, making TikTok a go-to platform not only for entertainment but also for product research.
TikTok’s focus will continue to evolve, with shopping, AI, and innovative features leading the charge in 2025.
Pinterest is continuing to carve out its own unique niche in the digital landscape. While it may no longer be the social app we once knew, Pinterest has increasingly shifted its focus towards product discovery, and that trend is only set to grow in 2025. Expect to see even more emphasis on visual search and AI-powered features designed to help users find products that suit their personal style and preferences.
The key takeaway here? Pinterest is less about connecting with others and more about discovering products, and it’s working hard to enhance that experience.
AI Try-Ons: The Future of Shopping on Pinterest: Earlier this year, Pinterest introduced “Body Type” filters to help users find products that align with different body shapes. This was just the start. As we move into 2025, Pinterest will likely build on this, rolling out even more AR (Augmented Reality) Try-On options for fashion, beauty, and furniture. Imagine being able to virtually try on clothes or see how a new sofa looks in your living room—Pinterest is heading in that direction.
Easier Product Listings and Catalog Integration: Pinterest is streamlining its catalogue ingestion process, and by 2025, it’s likely going to make it super simple for businesses to upload their products directly into the platform—potentially just by sharing their website URL. If Pinterest can make this as seamless as Google’s product search, expect a surge in businesses showcasing their products through Pins. Also, Pinterest will likely offer even more AI-driven insights, helping brands target the right products to the right audience based on trending items.
AR Glasses Integration: Pinterest’s Bold Step Forward: While Pinterest isn’t creating its own AR glasses, the AR wave is coming—and Pinterest will want to be part of it. In 2025, expect to see Pinterest integrating with AR glasses, like those from Meta. This could allow you to see how a piece of clothing will look on you through your AR glasses, or place a piece of furniture virtually in your home. The potential here is huge, especially as AR and AI continue to make waves in online shopping.
TikTok Lets You Share Music Directly from Apple Music & Spotify
TikTok’s just made it even easier for us music lovers to share what we’re vibing to! The app’s rolling out a new feature called “Share to TikTok,” which allows you to share tracks straight from Apple Music or Spotify.
This means you can now easily post what you’re listening to with a few taps, and add fun stickers to highlight your favourite tracks. Whether you’re sharing from Spotify or Apple Music, it’s all about making music discovery on TikTok even more seamless.
How does it work?
When you share from Spotify (or Apple Music), your followers will see a cool sticker that links directly to the track. Tap on it, and it’ll take them straight to the music listing on either Spotify or Apple Music. Plus, you can send tracks via DMs too!
TikTok’s all about boosting creative expression, and this update is another way to let users and creators engage with music in fresh ways. Plus, it’s a win for artists, podcasters, and content creators, allowing them to reach even more fans and connect directly through their music.
Why does this matter?
TikTok’s already a huge platform for discovering new tunes, with research showing that users are way more likely to discover and share new music within the app. In fact, 75% of TikTok users say they find new artists through TikTok videos. So, it’s no surprise that TikTok is pushing for even more music engagement
It’s also worth noting that TikTok’s influence on the music industry is massive—artists are even changing their track names to fit with TikTok trends! So, having a direct link to streaming services is a game-changer for users who want to jump from hearing a snippet to adding the full track to their playlist.
The “Share to TikTok” integration is now live and ready to roll, making it easier than ever to share your favourite tracks and discover new ones. So, what’s on your playlist today?
Instagram Clears Up the Sponsored Content Myth
Instagram’s Adam Mosseri is back with some more myth-busting, and this time, he’s tackling a big one: the idea that Instagram deliberately reduces the reach of posts marked as sponsored.
As per Mosseri:
“We don’t downrank posts that you mark as sponsored. It helps us understand Instagram to know what is sponsored, but it’s important for creators to mark things as sponsored without fear of downranking so that they can comply with local laws all around the world.”
The myth has been that Instagram deliberately downranks these posts to force brands to pay for additional reach, but as Mosseri points out, that’s just not the case. It seems the real reason sponsored content might get less engagement is that some users skip past it when they see the “Sponsored” tag. It’s not that Instagram is reducing reach on purpose—it’s more likely just a natural result of how people interact with ads.
This is part of Mosseri’s new series where he’s answering some of the common questions and misconceptions about the app. Last month, he also clarified that adding your brand logo to a Reel doesn’t hurt its reach, but Reels with TikTok or YouTube watermarks? Yeah, those are another story.
It’s great to get these insights straight from Instagram’s head honcho, especially when there’s so much misinformation out there. Of course, some people may still be sceptical (and can you blame them, given Meta’s history?), but for those who trust the info, it’s reassuring to know that there’s no algorithmic penalty for posts tagged “Sponsored.”
So, if you’ve been holding off on tagging your content as sponsored, now you’ve got the green light from Mosseri himself.
Instagram’s Testing Simplified AI Profile Pics
Instagram’s cooking up something new, and it’s all about AI profile images. The platform is experimenting with a feature that would let you easily generate a stylised, artistic version of your profile pic directly from your profile settings. Sounds cool, right? Well, maybe… but it’s also a bit more complicated than it seems.
Instagram isn’t the first to dive into this. Meta’s sister app, Facebook, has already been toying with AI-generated profile pics, and TikTok and Snapchat have their own versions too. So, this would just bring Instagram into line with what other social apps are doing, offering a simplified way for users to create artistic, AI-generated images of themselves.
Here’s the thing, though—it feels a little… off. For years, social media platforms have been battling bots and fake profiles using doctored images to mislead others. Earlier this year, Meta even removed a whole bunch of profiles that were using fake, AI-generated headshots to look like real people. Yet now, Instagram is actively encouraging users to do something similar, even if these AI-generated images are more about creativity and artistic flair.
Don’t get me wrong—AI art has its place. But when it comes to social media, isn’t the point to connect people through authentic, real-life depictions? It feels a bit strange for platforms to be pushing fake versions of ourselves, even if they’re meant to be fun and creative. After all, these AI-generated images are not a reflection of your actual lived experience—they’re just… well, fakes.
Sure, you could argue that users can already create and post fake images of themselves (just look at the AI-generated selfies floating around), but it’s one thing to do it on your own, and another to have the platform actively encouraging it.
In the end, Instagram is just trying to keep up with the latest tech trends and stay competitive. But I’m not sure how much this move benefits users, especially when social apps are meant to be about real connections. What do you think—will AI-generated profile pics become the new norm, or is it a step too far?
That wraps up this week’s Social Scoop Unplugged! 🚀 Remember, the world of social media never stops evolving, and neither should your strategy. Stay curious, keep experimenting, and don’t forget to adapt to these exciting updates as they unfold.
If you’ve found this helpful, share it with your network or drop me a message with your thoughts and feedback. Until next time, keep shining and be creative online!
Natty Bernasconi | Instagram Expert & Educator
Social Media Strategy for Lifestyle Businesses & Creators
Empowering brands with tailored Instagram strategies and aesthetic-driven insights. Follow for weekly tips, industry updates, and coaching designed to elevate your brand’s online presence—making it as captivating as it is strategic.