The Instagram Stories - Social Media News

The Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, answers questions about posting every day on Instagram, and explains the new Edits linking feature. He also gets into improvements around saves, and explains why there's no dedicated Direct Message app for Instagram.  Links:My Latest Reel - Anna Mongiello's Story (Instagram) (TikTok) Sign Up for The Weekly Email Roundup: NewsletterLeave a Review: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@danielhillmedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apple announces a direct competitor to Adobe Creative Cloud - it's cheaper and you can purchase the apps so you don't need to pay monthly. Also, the Head of Instagram busts the myth about needing to edit video in Instagram, and YouTube rolls out protections to keep kids limited in their Shorts watch time. Lastly, I do Wednesday Waffle, talking about a gift that I set up for my wife.NordVPN:  Get Exclusive NordVPN deal here → https://nordvpn.com/ignews  It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Links:Apple: Creative Studio (Apple)Instagram: Mythbusting - Videos Created In Other Apps (Instagram)YouTube: Limiting Watch Time on Shorts (YouTube)YouTube: Interest Targeting for Promote, Ingredients to Video, and Creator Insider Content Requests for 2026! (YouTube) NordVPN:  Get Exclusive NordVPN deal here → https://nordvpn.com/ignews  It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Wednesday Waffle:Just Bananas (Overheard Conversation) - Pick Your Podcast App Sign Up for The Weekly Email Roundup: NewsletterLeave a Review: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@danielhillmedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NordVPN:  Get Exclusive NordVPN deal here → https://nordvpn.com/ignews  It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Head of Instagram explains how often the Instagram algorithm changes, how to use Trial Reels and make them permanent, along with how to share a Reel to Broadcast Channel. We also talk about music on Reels, and how frustrating it is when Instagram loses music rights to a song and now your Reel has no audio.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, I interview Anna Mangiello, a User-Generated Content (UGC) creator and coach. Anna is a former high school teacher turned full-time UGC creator and coach who has been creating UGC content since 2021.She has worked with over 800 brands, including Fiverr, Maybelline, L’Oréal, TikTok, Microsoft, Dr. Squatch, and many others.Anna has helped more than 700 creators build profitable online businesses through her programs, community, and digital resources. As a multi-passionate entrepreneur with a no-BS teaching style, Anna combines real industry experience with step-by-step education to help women build sustainable, scalable UGC businesses that support their families and give them true time flexibility and freedom.In this interview, Anna defines UGC as content produced by everyday people for brands to use on their own social media or for paid advertising, which allows creators to work without the pressure of posting to their personal accounts or having a large following. She emphasizes that while UGC offers creative freedom and flexibility, it is a demanding business that requires managing administrative tasks, legal contracts, and client negotiations. Anna also discusses her A+ creator community and her "Two-Hour Creator" course, which helps busy individuals—specifically those in the 30-plus demographic—break into the industry and leverage market gaps.You can find Anna online at: YouTube , TikTok, and Instagram Watch the full episode on YouTubeListen to the full episode audio on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other platform Sign Up for The Weekly Email Roundup: NewsletterLeave a Review: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@danielhillmedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Head of Instagram gave 3 tips for Reels in 2026, which involve the Edits app for ideas plus Trial Reels. He also wrote a long blog post about the state of Instagram and where things are headed with respect to AI. The CEO of YouTube, Neal Mohan, gave an interview explaining where he sees YouTube fitting into the landscape compared to Netflix and where things will be in 5 years.Links:Instagram: 3 Reels Tips for 2026 (Instagram)Instagram: Carousel Post on State of Instagram from the CEO (Instagram)YouTube: CEO of the Year Neal Mohan Discusses YouTube’s Cultural Dominance (YouTube)Sign Up for The Weekly Email Roundup: NewsletterLeave a Review: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@danielhillmedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jen Lehner, a dynamic marketing strategist and founder of Front Row Daily Briefing, dives into the standout marketing campaigns of 2025. She discusses the impact of Duolingo's mascot stunt and the viral Jet2 holiday audio. Jen also shares bold predictions for 2026, including the rise of live commerce through apps like Whatnot, while Daniel predicts a shift towards more private social interactions and a trend of consuming social content on TVs.

At the end of every year, Jen Lehner and I discuss social media and tech - the biggest fails, the best new features, and make predictions for the next 12 months. In today's episode, we get into the biggest social media fail of the past 12 months, our favorite new Instagram features, and our favorite new apps and platforms.  Links:Jen Lehner: https://jenlehner.com/Front Row Daily Briefing: https://jenlehner.com/flash/ Sign Up for The Weekly Email Roundup: NewsletterLeave a Review: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@danielhillmedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every year around this time, Jen Lehner and I talk about our favorite social media moments of the year, the biggest fails, the best new features, and make predictions for the next 12 months. In today's episode, we start by talking about the predictions we made for 2025, then get into our favorite social media news story of the year and our favorite TikTok trend of the year. Links:Jen Lehner: https://jenlehner.com/Front Row Daily Briefing: https://jenlehner.com/flash/ Sign Up for The Weekly Email Roundup: NewsletterLeave a Review: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@danielhillmedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today the head of Instagram explains why Follower count still matters, the limiting of hashtags to 5, Instagram on televisions and the available data, plus a feature request that already exists in the Edits app. Links: Sign Up for The Weekly Email Roundup: NewsletterLeave a Review: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@danielhillmedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Instagram announces that hashtags will be limited to 5 - but don't worry, they weren't helping you get reach anyway. TikTok has been sold! The CEO of TikTok, Shou Chew, sent a memo to employees, which thankfully we have access to. Also the YouTube team is hard at work, rolling out the YouTube Create app for iOS and Nano Banana AI features in YouTube. Links:TikTok: TikTok signs agreement to create new U.S. joint venture, memo says (CNBC)TikTok: The CEO of Instagram on what TikTok does well (Instagram)YouTube: This Week at YouTube - The Last Newsflash of 2025 (YouTube)  Sign Up for The Weekly Email Roundup: NewsletterLeave a Review: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@danielhillmedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.