Inner Sircle

Meta recently published a report focused on the rise of “social search” and how platforms like Meta believe discovery behavior is shifting away from traditional search engines and more toward social platforms. Link the article can be found here.

Confused about Instagram hashtags and whether you should still be using them? Let’s clear it up. In 2025, Adam Mosseri shared that Instagram was prioritizing SEO keywords over hashtags. Instead, keywords in captions, bios, and especially on-screen text started playing a much bigger role in discoverability. Fast forward to 2026, and Instagram made another update that’s important to understand. Hash...

Many brands are too focused on current tactics, and they get too myopic and lose sight of the broader goal. It is not about chasing any type of en vogue content style. It is about understanding the bigger goal, and then banking wins that are in service of that goal.

Are you wondering why your Instagram views have suddenly dropped?  Instagram recently updated how “views” are counted, and this shift is causing numbers to look lower across the board. So let’s break down what happened in a really simple way. Previously, Instagram was pretty generous with what counted as a view. If someone saw your Reel or post — even for a split second — Instagram counted that as...

Today I want to talk about a marketing window that most teams overlook — but absolutely shouldn’t: the week between Christmas and New Year’s, what a lot of marketers call “Q5.”  Everyone thinks once the gifts are opened, the big sales moment is over. But across social platforms, that week is one of the most active periods of the entire year. People are off work, they’re scrolling more, and they’re...

It’s been almost a year since that January TikTok ban was supposed to happen. Curious where things stand now? We’ve got you covered. Here’s the background starting in June of this year: In June, Trump once again delayed the TikTok ban deadline — giving it another 3-month extension, which meant TikTok should have been banned in September unless the app was sold by its Chinese owners. This marked th...

On this episode, I talk about the importance of deploying a social media strategy that actually aligns with your greater business goals. Dont chase likes and viral moments. Remember what really matters, and then adjust your plan and lean into it. For CPG brands, the name of the game is retail velocity. So, make sure you are creating content, pushing out messaging, and driving awareness, considerat...

Today, I want to talk about something that sounds too simple to matter — but the data says otherwise. Replying to your comments. At Sircle, we always say that community management is the most important — though maybe the least sexy — part of any social media strategy. And now, the numbers back that up. According to Buffer’s latest engagement study , replying to comments can increase engagement any...

Today I’m here to talk about Instagram’s brand-new UI update — here’s what you need to know Instagram is rolling out a new interface that rearranges the bottom navigation bar — with Reels now in the second tab and DMs in the third, allowing users to swipe between them. The goal is to make the app revolve around its most-used features: Reels and direct messages. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri confirm...

A strategic best practice that we preach here at Sircle — and one that’s often slept on — is proactive community management . Not to be confused with reactive community management (responding to comments and DMs), proactive community management is about intentionally engaging with like-minded brands, creators, and conversations that you want your brand to be associated with. This includes insertin...

I was reading Lia Haberman’s Substack last week (highly recommended, by the way), and she shared where creativity stands right now — here are my takeaways. Takeaways:  Design is emotional, not just aesthetic. “Well-designed” doesn’t mean polished or corporate — it means content that connects emotionally, feels human, and is easy to process Stop chasing polish; prioritize connection and authenticit...

On this episode, I explain the idea behind curated content and marrying that with great created content, to build out your social calendar. It is important to find balance, offer your social media manager some flexibility and autonomy and use content from various sources. Dont ever get too binary, with just one style. Keep it open and fluid.

On thie episode, I provide an updated POV on Threads. Transcript below: Let’s talk about Threads. On the surface, Threads shows promising user growth. But when you look closer, the daily engagement numbers are still really low compared to its biggest competitor, X. Right now, the average active user spends only about three minutes a day on Threads — versus twenty-nine minutes on X. That’s a huge g...

On this episode I reference a Socialmediatoday.com article about Edits App reach upside and a dispelled engagement myth. See notes below. Reach boost via Meta’s “Edits” app Videos created in Instagram’s new “Edits” app currently get a slight reach boost when posted This boost is designed to promote awareness and use of the Edits app Mosseri is warning people not to upload random or recycled videos...

On this episode, I talk about how Shorter Video Ads on Facebook Get More Replays via Looping Today, we’re diving into something pretty interesting about Facebook video ads and how their looping behavior can impact your brand’s exposure. So here’s the scoop: Facebook video ads that are 30 seconds or shorter actually loop automatically for about 90 seconds. That means if you have a 30-second ad, it...

On this episode I talk about how Instagram is reportedly rolling out a new post analytics feature that shows how many likes each individual frame within a carousel receives. This could give creators and brands deeper insight into which specific pieces of content are resonating most with their audience. As Instagram head Adam Mosseri explained, carousels often get more reach than single-photo posts...

The recent shift from reporting Impressions to Views may be causing confusion and will likely prompt questions from clients. Historically, many of us considered views to be similar to impressions. But we're now seeing that views account for a wider range of interactions, including autoplay, looping, and multiple frames in a carousel. As a result, views can be up to 10 times higher than reach , whe...

On this episode, I am once again advocating to not be so binary with your content. The hot content style of the moment is good to experiment with, but it should not be the only game in town. Experiment with disciplines, styles, etc. BUT be sure to balance that with great studio content that tells viewers who you are, why it matters, and where I can purchase your product. It is not any one style or...

On this episode, I offer up the latest on the TikTok ban. Background:   In June, Trump once again delayed the TikTok ban deadline—this 3-month extension now ends in September unless the app is sold by its Chinese owners.  This is the third time he’s chosen not to enforce it, even though both political parties in Congress agreed it was important for national security.  Current: TikTok is developing...

On this episode, I am advocating for AI content creation...NOW! It really is no longer an OK posture to just be binary about AI content or not. I think brands need to be thinking more about how and where.

Fresh off of The Fancy Food show in NYC, just some tips for CPG brands considering attending shows. 1- Have someone from marketing/brand there. 2- Have a digital display of some kind with a brand video. 3- Capture email and have a follow up plan.

On this episode, I talk about being more open minded to content types and disciplines and just adopting a more holistic view on what content is right for your brand.

 WHAT WAS SAID “The era of followers is dead.” Urban Outfitters ’ Head of Brand Marketing and Communications,   Cyntia Leo , wrote the obit for follower counts during one of the first sessions Monday morning:  How Brands Are Winning With Creator-Led Strategies in 2025 . “This is really a time about the algorithm,” said Cyntia. “Creators help us be in the algorithm, not just being in the platform.”...

On this episode, I share some more on AI, and some tips for using ChatGPT. 1- Make sure you have some custom GPTs 2- Experiment with Deep Research 3- Build a companion one for yourself that you continue to feed and nurture so it really gets to know you and your goals.

The launch of Instagram’s Edits app presents a compelling new option—particularly for Instagram-first content—while tools like CapCut remain industry standards for versatility and trend responsiveness. Edits is a smart, streamlined solution for creators producing Instagram Reels or Meta content. It removes friction, has no paywall, and eliminates the watermark hurdle. For newer creators or those f...