Another week, another wave of social media updates shaking things up! Threads has been rolling out one feature after another, and Instagram (or, more specifically, Mosseri) shared a short series of Reels with practical tips, tricks, and insights. Let’s break everything down to get you in the loop with what happened in the past week!

Threads Introduces Ads

Well, well, well… Threads is entering its monetization era, and users aren’t happy about it. Meta has started testing ads on Threads in the U.S. and Japan, making a big step toward financial sustainability. In the end, this was only a matter of time.

The introduction also means that brands will soon have a new paid channel to test. As Threads is still in its early days, the ad costs might be lower compared to other Meta platforms. So, if your audience is on Threads, we highly recommend testing your ads there.

Image Tagging on Threads

Threads had a busy week, finally rolling out photo tagging, allowing users to tag others in their image posts. This long-awaited feature brings Threads closer to Instagram and makes engagement even easier.

So, if you’re sharing user-generated or employee-generated content, don’t forget to tag the creators! The same goes for influencers, partners, or any collabs with other accounts.

Threads Adds a “Media” Tab

Threads is making navigation easier by introducing a “Media” tab to display a user’s shared photos and videos. This is a great way to get your content more organized.

As a brand, remember to share not only text posts but also images and videos to fill out your media tab a little more.

Threads Is Working on Spoilers and Templates

And we’re not stopping with Threads just yet. Rumor has it they’re working on two more features:

• Spoilers: Users may soon be able to hide certain parts of their posts to avoid spoiling content for others. Reddit has had this feature for a while, and honestly, it’s perfect for entertainment brands and discussion threads!

• Templates: Threads is also testing pre-made post templates to make content creation easier, which could be great for brands wanting to keep a consistent look.

Mosseri Explains How Reels & Stories Ranking Works

Adam Mosseri shared a short series of Reels with insights into how Instagram Reels and Stories are ranked, giving us a clearer picture of what we should and shouldn’t be doing.

Understanding these insights can help you get significantly more views on your content, so definitely try it out!

Instagram Adds New View Insights for Creative Performance

Instagram has also introduced new video view insights, helping creators and brands better understand their video performance and optimize their content.

This is an excellent tool for marketers to analyze what works and what doesn’t. Use these insights to test different video formats, lengths, and hooks to improve engagement and retention rates. And don’t forget to also incorporate Mosseri’s recommendations mentioned above.

Bluesky Expands Video Features

Last week, Bluesky introduced video-only feeds. Now, they’ve taken another step by adding a dedicated video tab on profiles. This move signals their increasing focus on video content, proving that video is still the content king. With X adding their video tab last week, we’re excited to see if these apps that started more as static platforms will put a bigger spotlight on video content and try to get closer to TikTok or YouTube.

While Bluesky is still a niche platform, its push toward video signals an opportunity for early adopters. And remember, even if you don’t want to test the platform now, it’s always a great idea to claim your brand handle for the future.

TikTok Drops Its 2025 Social Media Calendar

Marketers, take notes! TikTok has released its 2025 marketing calendar for various countries (like the U.S., Spain, or Ireland & the U.K.), providing key dates and trends to help brands optimize their campaigns. If TikTok is part of your strategy (as it should be), this is a must-read.

TikTok Now Labels Fresh Content as “New”

Spotted: TikTok is rolling out a “New” label for recently posted content. This could help highlight fresh videos and improve the discoverability of your content.

Brands can take advantage of this feature by posting consistently and capitalizing on the “New” label to drive more views in the first hours after posting. So take it as a sign to post consistently from now on! ZoomSphere Scheduler is always here to help with it.

TikTok’s Future: Still in Limbo

And the drama continues. Another week down, and TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain, with ongoing discussions about a potential sale. The 75-day deadline in April is approaching fast, so we’re waiting to see what the future holds.

On a side note, Meta and Substack are allegedly targeting TikTok creators, offering thousands of dollars to lure them over to their platforms.

One thing is certain: brands, agencies, content creators, and everyone posting on TikTok should be closely monitoring this situation and diversifying their content across multiple platforms (like Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts).