This Monday, watch out for a Kaleigh Moore contribution to ICYMI: How to work with creators as trusted media outlets surfacing in AI search
LinkedIn now lets you flag posts as “Seems like AI slop”
Poll: Do AI content labels make you nervous your content might tank?
TikTok is testing a membership program for shoppers similar to Amazon Prime
Instagram’s new Series feature will include a dedicated home on your profile
YouTube Premium subscribers will gain access to Peacock
Snapchat’s new SPECS augmented reality glasses launch September 16
Report: The most popular creator holiday content is actually a bust when it comes to attention and engagement*
Meta, TikTok, and YouTube are in their spinoff app era. See the full list of 30 apps — and what this means if you’re a marketer
Plus, an interview with the head of Facebook, Tom Alison, about the new Marketplace app: Seller
LinkedIn announced you’ll be able to flag AI slop. A new drop-down option on individual posts includes the label: “Seems like AI slop.” To coincide with this update, LinkedIn retired its own AI-powered writing tool. The platform’s Chief Product Officer says they’re replacing it with a feature that “proofreads your words, but does not change your voice.”
This points to a serious disconnect users are currently navigating between using the AI-powered tools platforms are pushing versus the warning labels these same platforms are applying to AI generated content. In addition to LinkedIn’s efforts, Instagram is testing an “AI creator” label; TikTok requires creators and sellers to label AI content; and YouTube requires creators to disclose when they use realistic AI.
Spotted: TikTok is testing a membership program for shoppers called TikTok Shop Plus, according to Business Insider. Perks include free shipping, product discounts, and coupons
YouTube announced YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S. will gain access to ad-supported Peacock — continuing to blur the lines between traditional and creator-led entertainment.
YouTube published a Creator Marketing playbook.
Spotted: Instagram’s new Series feature is starting to roll out, allowing you to plan and publish episodes in order and includes a dedicated home for series on your profile page.
The Edits app rolled out several new updates including the ability to export directly to Instagram Stories and the ability to filter music based on vibes like chill or bossy.
Meta launched a holiday hub for small businesses.
Discord announced Profile Frames to add a decorative border around your profile.
Spotify introduced Running Mode, a new feature that allows you to individually tailor 25 curated running presets to your goals and musical taste.
Snapchat announced Now Playing on Snap Map, sharing their listening activity and saving friends’ tracks to Spotify from Snap Map, Spotlight, and Sound Pages.
Friends who share their Snap Map location tend to talk more, talk longer and exchange more messages, according to Snapchat.
Snapchat announced the launch of SPECS, its new augmented reality glasses, will happen September 16
Holiday feeds get loud. You already know that.
But if you’re trying to break through with creator content, only one theme actually gained attention year over year, according to Traackr’s 2026 State of Holiday Season Report.
And it’s probably not what you’d expect. In fact, one of the biggest holiday staples? It’s losing steam.
So what should you focus on this year?
Gift guides are still your holiday content workhorse!
Meanwhile, BFCM (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) content is fading fast, according to Traackr. Attention per post collapsed 63% YOY and engagement rates fell from 0.80% to 0.52%.
Each of the holiday insights in the report comes with guidance to support your Holiday 2026 planning.
Plus, the report breaks down what other tactics are actually working — from the most effective creator tiers to the content framing that performs best and even the specific holiday palette that drives reach and saves.
Consider this your marketer’s guide to winning the holidays with creators.
Instagram. TikTok. YouTube. They might be the first apps that come to mind for anyone working in social or creator marketing. But they’re certainly not the only ones.
For those trying to keep tabs on the key players, there are actually 30 apps (and counting) available to American mobile devices that span across Meta, TikTok and YouTube.
You may have noticed TikTok testing micro dramas every which way possible — a dedicated feed, a free app and a paid app.
And just last week, Facebook announced a new superuser app for managing Facebook Marketplace called Seller. It’s just one of several standalone apps Facebook’s released this year, including Forum, Pocket and the re-released Facebook Creator Studio.
It made me wonder, was the 2010’s race to an Everything App overhyped?
The concept of an everything app was modeled after China’s WeChat super app. A single platform that combined services — like messaging, social media, shopping, and payments — into one place.
A decade ago, Silicon Valley was obsessed with replicating WeChat’s success.
Now, X seems to be the only one currently chasing that specific label.
(Note: I previously said that Instagram wants to be an everything app but that refers to supporting content formats — longform, live, podcasts, and serial dramas — not services.)
In fact, most apps aren’t actually trying to reach everyone anymore — they’re launching standalone satellite apps that are either about building strong communities or developing utilities for power users.
I asked the head of Facebook, Tom Alison, about the logic of all these new apps during a Marketplace anniversary celebration last week.
“It’s hard to overstate how much serendipity is a factor in people finding cool stuff on Facebook. And in that sense, you want the super app because it maximizes serendipity,” Alison told me. “But I do feel like it misses the opportunity to have those smaller communities, to feel like you’re really catered to, that somebody’s building a product for you. That’s the piece I want to make more space for.”
According to Alison, AI and Creators have a lot to do with this proliferation of apps, at least for Meta. AI made it easier to build these niche audience apps. And creators inspired the concept of special purpose tools.
“You give an app to a creator, it gives them a bunch of better insights on what to post. They post better content. That content gets distributed in the main Facebook app. It makes everybody’s content experience better. You can do that with groups and admins. You can do that with sellers. That’s the idea.”
Reaching these smaller, more dedicated communities through a spinoff app accomplishes a few things:
➝ Engagement Increases: “Can we give them a more streamlined way to get to this stuff? And then, do they become more successful?” asked Alison. “That benefits everybody on Facebook.”
➝ More Test + Learn Opportunities: “Our conversations with the hardcore users also informs what we do for everybody. Maybe we double down on it in the standalone app or we put it in the main app. It’s going to be part of our way of getting feedback.”
➝ It’s a Reset. These spinoffs also help reset user experiences and perceptions. For example, Seller and Forum may be more popular with younger audiences than Facebook. And the single-purpose app also helps simplify the user experience, without adding more clutter to the core product.
Early adoption will continue to be an advantage. If Edits can increase performance on Instagram, it’s worth getting familiar with the app. If TikTok is in the midst of a multi-platform microdrama experiment, it’s worth exploring.
Simply knowing how to navigate the main platforms is no longer enough. You need a working knowledge of the tools they’re building to operate within their ecosystems (within reason—you’re not expected to master every app).
Superfans matter more than scale. Just as follower count has become less important, some of these apps may be smaller — but the audiences are more engaged.
There is no one-size-fits-all platform. Marketers and creators need to map audiences to the apps that match their interests and behaviors.
Do I think Meta, YouTube or TikTok have shelved dreams of an Everything App?
Of course not. If they can find a way to make it successful — and profitable — we’ll see a rise in super apps.
Case in point: You might remember when Pinterest launched a spinoff app called Shuffles; And then reincorporated elements of it back into the main with a new type of pin called Collages; Once the format started to over-index with Gen Z, Pinterest launched Auto-Collages as an ad solution.
And just this week, Publish Press creator Samir Chaudry wrote a LinkedIn post predicting YouTube would eventually bundle Live TV, Premium and the classic ad-supported YouTube into one super subscription app.
In the meantime, attitudes — and attention spans — continue to shift. And brands aren’t the only ones chasing new audiences and trying to keep existing users engaged — platforms are too.
Hope you’ve got the storage space to keep up.
Facebook
Instagram
WhatsApp
Messenger
Messenger Kids
Threads
Edits
Instants
Meta Horizon
Meta AI
Facebook Creator Studio
Seller
Forum
Pocket
Meta Business Suite
Meta Ads Manager
TikTok
Lemon8
CapCut
PineDrama
LimeShorts
TikTok Pro Events
TikTok Studio
TikTok LIVE Studio
YouTube
YouTube Music
YouTube Kids
YouTube TV
YouTube Studio
YouTube Create
Gap is expanding its creator affiliate and ambassador program to employees - Gap
The creator economy was never just about reach. It was about a parasocial bond that a generative model cannot reproduce - Shelly Palmer | Google
When asked which scenario would most make Gen Z try or buy a product, the top answer was positive comments - The Fizz Report
Weeks ahead of #RushTok, brands are getting ready to Get Ready With Me - Tubefilter
Inside Unilever’s 300,000 creator network where high-profile creators are tapped for long-term collabs while smaller creators amplify cultural moments - Digiday
Most teams do not have a content strategy. They have an asset calendar - Nick Cicero
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