Social media might not be on holiday like the rest of us (apart from the social media managers posting poolside – we see you), but it certainly seems to be having an identity crisis.
AI is improving at the speed of light, employees are becoming influencers, Reddit is inserting itself into customer journeys, and Pinterest is already influencing what should be on your letter to Santa.
Missed last month’s roundup? Catch up on the July 2026 social media updates here.
Reddit hits 130M daily users
Image: Social Media Today
Reddit has reached 130.3 million daily active users, alongside a 61% year-on-year increase in revenue. But the interesting bit for marketers isn’t just the size of the audience. It’s what people are doing there.
Reddit is increasingly becoming a place people turn to for real opinions and recommendations before making decisions. In an internet filling up with AI-generated content, those human conversations could become even more influential.
For marketers, Reddit shouldn’t be treated like another broadcast channel. The opportunity is understanding where your audience is already talking and finding credible ways to join those conversations.
Gap is turning employees into creators
Staff can earn commission by creating content for Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta, with the programme already generating almost 30,000 pieces of content and reaching 154 million people.
Employees bring product knowledge, insider access and personality that can be difficult to manufacture through traditional brand content.
TikTok gives advertisers more AI power
Image: Social Media Today
TikTok is giving advertisers more ways to create video ads using AI, integrating ByteDance’s latest video generation model, Dreamina Seedance 2.5.
The new model is designed to create better-quality, more engaging video clips, with the ability to support more advanced storytelling and longer videos.
For marketers and creators, this could make it quicker and easier to create different versions of video content for TikTok, giving more opportunities to test different ideas, formats and messages.
LinkedIn wants to limit the reach of AI-generated content
Well… this was an inevitable social media update.
LinkedIn shared a recent update that they are testing a feature that lets users privately flag posts and comments that feel overly AI-generated. It’s also replacing its “Enhance your post” feature with a proofreading tool designed to preserve the writer’s original voice.
M&S proves your best influencer might already work for you
If you’ve been anywhere near FoodTok recently, you might have met Kathryn Turner.
The M&S Product Development Director has become a recognisable brand personality by simply sharing what she knows about the products she works with.
After creator @zaxloveit asked her to explain some mystery M&S food products, Kathryn responded with her own video. Together, the posts generated almost 1 million views.
Reddit says beauty is getting personal again
Photo: Reddit
Reddit’s latest beauty report shows its communities leaning towards personal discovery and experimental makeup, while moving away from generic trends and AI-generated visuals.
The key findings include:
- Views of eyeshadow palette posts are up 56%
- Tutorial discussions have increased 38%
- Conversations around “pre-shower makeup”, experimental looks and playing with makeup have increased nearly 400%
- No-makeup beauty conversations are down 81% year-on-year
- Mentions of “embrace” and “emphasize” have increased by 220%
- Nearly 7 in 10 people say they feel more confident buying a product after reading about it on Reddit
For beauty marketers, people aren’t necessarily looking for perfect, they’re looking for personal. For brands, that creates an opportunity to tap into niche communities, real routines and experimentation, while paying closer attention to the conversations shaping what consumers actually want.
YouTube expands its shopping affiliate programme to the UK
Photo: Social Media Today
YouTube has expanded its Shopping affiliate programme to UK creators, allowing eligible creators to tag products in their videos and earn commission from resulting sales. Retailers include Wayfair, Currys, Debenhams, Boots, M&S and Etsy.
Creator content is moving closer to conversion. Campaign success shouldn’t always stop at views and engagement. When audiences can discover, consider and purchase a product through creator content, there’s a much clearer opportunity to demonstrate commercial impact.
Snapchat offers third-party AI ad integration
Snapchat is making it easier for advertisers to use AI when creating and improving campaigns.
The platform has introduced a new tool that allows brands to connect Snapchat’s advertising platform with AI assistants, helping them with tasks such as planning campaigns, creating ideas and making improvements based on performance.
For marketers we recommend experimenting with the efficiencies these tools offer, but don’t automate away the audience understanding and creative instinct that make social content effective in the first place.
Instagram shares its formula for better video
Instagram has shared advice from its creator consultants on what makes short-form video content perform, highlighting a few key areas creators and brands should focus on.
The platform recommends:
- Start with the hook
The first few seconds are crucial. Creators should open with the most attention-grabbing part of the content to encourage people to stop scrolling. - Edit to the rhythm
Matching cuts, transitions and edits to the energy of the audio can help keep viewers engaged for longer. - Use text and visuals with purpose
On-screen text should support the message rather than simply fill space, especially for audiences watching without sound. - Use performance data
Metrics such as skip rate can help creators understand what is working, where audiences are dropping off and how to improve future content.
There’s no secret shortcut to creating successful video content. The strongest social teams combine creative instincts with performance insights, using data to make every piece of content better than the last.
Pinterest says Christmas starts earlier than you think
Yes, we know. It’s August.
But Pinterest is already thinking about Christmas.
The platform says festive activity can spike as early as September, as users begin planning gifts, menus, parties and seasonal traditions.
If Christmas is an important commercial period for your brand, your audience could be researching long before December arrives. Getting into the consideration journey early could give your brand a head start.
In other words, it might be time to open that Christmas campaign deck.
Read Pinterest’s guide to getting ahead of holiday 2026.
Snapchat wants brands to be funnier
Photo: Snapchat
Snapchat has released a new report on how younger audiences use humour, memes and inside jokes as a form of social language.
Because apparently being funny now requires a strategy document.
For marketers: Humour can help brands build cultural relevance, particularly with younger audiences, but only when it feels natural. Understand how your audience communicates without forcing your brand into every meme or internet joke going.
Nobody likes a brand trying too hard to be down with the kids.
TikTok is pushing AI literacy
TikTok has introduced a new AI literacy guide alongside improved detection systems designed to help users recognise AI-generated content.
It comes as synthetic content becomes an increasingly normal part of social feeds and platforms face growing pressure around transparency.
For marketers and creators, AI transparency is becoming part of content strategy. As audiences get better at recognising synthetic content, genuine stories, personalities and points of view become even more valuable.
Instagram adds more AI translations
Instagram is expanding its AI translation capabilities, making it easier for content to travel across languages and markets.
Meta continues to dominate reach
Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp have each reached more than 3 billion monthly active users, underlining the sheer scale of Meta’s social ecosystem.
While newer platforms continue to grow and Threads gains ground on X, Meta remains difficult to ignore for brands looking for mass reach.
It is however important to remember, bigger doesn’t automatically mean better. Think about the role each platform plays across discovery, consideration, community and conversion rather than simply chasing the largest audience.
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About the author
Niamh Conneely | Junior Account Manager
With experience across beauty, lifestyle, and tech, working with both B2B and B2C brands, Niamh is passionate about all things social and loves turning strategy into engaging campaigns.
