• Melissa Harvey
• 16 February 2025
• 7 min

Social in Six 91

1. TikTok still faces a ban in the US if no buyer is found

The story:

• Trump granted a 75-day stay of execution after the app went dark for about 20 hours on 19 January, the day the ban was enacted. It’s currently unavailable to new users only.  
• TikTok has until 4 April to negotiate a new deal or face a full ban. 
• Various big tech firms like Oracle, Amazon and Microsoft have been speculated as the app’s new owner, but none have been officially announced yet. TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is still trying to retain ownership, possibly through government investment.  

So what? 

As we discussed in our TikTok special, developing stories like these reiterate the need for brands to have a cohesive, cross-platform strategy and not rely solely on one platform. Instead of getting caught up in the moment of panic and jumping onto every new platform that pops up, focus on building flexible strategies. It’s not about being everywhere; it’s about understanding your audience and how best to meet their needs elsewhere as a back-up plan. 

2. Instagram is working on a CapCut copycat called Edits 

The story:

• Last month Instagram announced it was launching a new standalone video editing app Edits in March.
• Similar to CapCut, Edits is optimised for mobile and lets you edit your Reels with an expanded suite of Instagram editing tools, like filming 10-minute videos in higher quality, effects like green screen, overlays and transitions, access to analytics and the ability to export without a watermark.
• Meta’s also exploring AI-powered tools for the app including the ability to animate still images and insert custom visual effects. 

So what? 

Instagram is not only incentivising original content creation but also lowering the barrier to entry for brands looking to create engaging video content – in particular, smaller brands who find video content too resource-intensive or technically challenging. Even if that’s not you, consider trying this out – we all know Instagram loves to reward native features, and Instagram will no doubt boost videos made with Edits to encourage user uptake.

3. Meta’s revealed how its Community Notes fact checking program will work 

The story:

• Last month Meta made a controversial announcement: it will bin its fact checking teams and replace them with Community Notes, a feature that relies on crowdsourcing to validate statements, similar to X’s feature of the same name.
• Although Community Notes is set to launch in March, Meta has rolled out an overview of the feature across Facebook and Instagram’s Help pages.
• Users can apply to be part of the program, which involves adding a public note to a post they think is misleading or false. Fellow members will then vote to accept or reject the note.

So what? 

By bringing in this crowd-sourced fact-checking system, Meta is essentially creating a new layer of community engagement that brands can’t ignore. Imagine you’re running a campaign and suddenly your posts start getting Community Notes – that’s a whole new dimension of reputation management we need to think about.

4. YouTube has partnered with Repurpose.io to make cross-posting TikToks easier 

The story:

• YouTube is offering users 3 months of free usage of Repurpose.io, which helps you automatically post the same video across different platforms.
• Repurpose.io requires you to link your social accounts and set up an automatic workflow that will automatically repost a video to another platform once it’s gone live elsewhere. The repost is automatic – no action needed.
• You can cross-post up to five videos per day and schedule them to go live at a time you choose.

So what? 

Rather than fighting cross-posting, YouTube is embracing it as a growth strategy for Shorts. The hope is that creators will take up the free 3-month offer, see success with Shorts, and embrace it as a major platform for their short-form video content. For brands who are experimenting with Shorts (we always say never put all your eggs in one basket), this is a time-saving fix – just avoid cross-posting those ultra niche TikToks as they might fly over Shorts users’ heads.

5. Instagram is tinkering with the grid again, for better or worse 

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The story:

• Shortly after rolling out an update that replaces the standard 1:1 profile grid with 4:5 previews, Instagram has confirmed it’s working on an Edit Grid feature.
• This will allow you to customise how your grid looks rather than the default view, which displays pinned posts at the top of your grid, followed by posts organised from newest to oldest.
• It’s also going to move Story Highlights to the grid under a separate tab, the same way Reels are housed separately on the grid – an update that hasn’t gone down well with users.

So what? 

This one was controversial for a reason. Many creators and business owners have pointed out that moving Highlights to a seperate tab in the grid makes it harder for users to find key information like opening times, FAQs or price lists. If that’s relevant to you, you might want to post these as feed posts and pin them to your profile. And if you haven’t been posting feed posts in 4:5 already, you should be now!

6. LinkedIn is leaning into 9:16 video with new updates

The story:

• LinkedIn is bringing its 9:16 full screen video experience to desktop, meaning viewers get an immersive video experience when they tap on a video in the feed – similar to TikTok’s FYP.
• The platform is also launching its Videos For You module on desktop after seeing success on mobile since the original update last summer.
• Finally LinkedIn’s making it easier for you to get discovered through video, with a pop-up that reveals your profile card when viewers tap the author’s handle on a video.

So what? 

LinkedIn is getting wise to the fact that the workforce is increasingly Gen Z – the generation who’ve essentially grown up with YouTube, TikTok and Instagram Reels. So instead of forcing them to adapt to LinkedIn’s old way of doing things, LinkedIn’s adapting to them. This is a great opportunity to start thinking about how to tell your professional stories in a more engaging, dynamic way that resonates with both traditional LinkedIn users and this new generation of professionals.