Social Media Updates You Need to Know – July 2025 Edition
The social media landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and staying ahead of the latest platform changes is crucial for your business’s success. Whether you’re refining your content strategy, exploring new features, or maximising engagement opportunities, here’s everything you need to know about the major platform updates this month.
Facebook: Streamlined Video Strategy
Facebook is doubling down on video content with significant changes that could transform your posting strategy. All videos uploaded to Facebook will now automatically be shared as Reels, making it easier than ever to maximise your content’s reach across Meta’s ecosystem. This shift means your video content strategy needs to be optimised for the Reels format from the start. No more landscape videos, it’s all 1080 x 1920 or 9:16.
The platform has also introduced seamless integration with Edits, allowing you to share videos directly from the editing app to Facebook. For businesses managing multiple content streams, this streamlined workflow could be a game-changer for efficiency.
Security gets an upgrade too, with face and fingerprint login now available on mobile devices, making account management more secure for social media managers on the go.
Instagram: Enhanced Creator Tools and Extended Reels
Instagram continues to prioritise creator success with a suite of new tools and features. The platform now offers a new shortcut icon for quick access to Edits, streamlining the content creation process for busy marketers and creators.
Content Creation Improvements
The editing capabilities are expanding significantly:
- Keyframes for precise frame editing (with text and audio editing coming soon)
- Improved audio tools including background noise removal and speech clarity enhancement
- Overlays and cutouts perfect for creating engaging memes or commentary content (but not at the expense of others please!)
- Sticky notes for saved audio to help you plan and organise content ideas more effectively
Reels Revolution
Perhaps the most significant change is that Reels can now be up to 20 minutes long, opening up new possibilities for in-depth tutorials, storytelling, and educational content. This extended format allows businesses to create more comprehensive content without splitting across multiple posts.
The enhanced Reel insights now provide detailed metrics on follower growth and reach, giving you better data to refine your content strategy. There’s also a rumoured smart TV app in development that could position Instagram as a serious competitor to YouTube for long-form content consumption.
Collaboration and Discovery Features
Instagram is testing several features that could boost your content’s discoverability:
- Shared Access feature allowing up to 3 users to manage an account without password sharing
- New Explore UI for Stories showing similar creators to expand your audience reach
- “Popular with your followers” section for trending music discovery
- Automatic music suggestions for Story posts
The platform is also expanding its repost option to more users and adding coloured backgrounds and emojis to Notes, making engagement more visually appealing.
TikTok: Expanding Horizons and Enhanced Features
TikTok is positioning itself for broader content consumption with a rumoured smart TV app launch, potentially competing directly with traditional video platforms. The platform is also hiring to grow news creators, signalling a push into more diverse content categories.
New Engagement Tools
TikTok is testing “Bulletin Boards” (similar to Instagram’s Broadcast Channels), which could provide new ways for businesses to communicate directly with their most engaged followers.
Live streaming gets a significant upgrade with:
- Gamified gifting systems
- Fan club leaderboards
- Countdown bidding for purchases
These features create new monetisation opportunities and ways to build stronger community connections.
The Smart Split feature for repurposing long videos into shorter clips could be particularly valuable for businesses looking to maximise content ROI across different platforms and audience preferences.
X (formerly Twitter): Major Platform Transformation
X is undergoing perhaps the most dramatic transformation of any major platform, transitioning into a comprehensive payment app. The platform now includes:
- In-app payments
- Stock trading capabilities
- Tipping features
- Branded cards
This shift represents a fundamental change in how businesses might use the platform for customer engagement and transactions.
However, there are challenges to consider. Threads’ daily usage is reportedly catching up with X, and the platform has removed the suggested posts feature – going against the trend of other platforms that are enhancing content discovery.
Notably, hashtags are now banned in ads, requiring a complete rethink of X advertising strategies for businesses.
LinkedIn: Professional Networking Enhanced
LinkedIn continues to strengthen its position as the premier professional platform with video uploads now possible for newsletter and article covers, offering new ways to make your professional content more engaging.
The introduction of a new API allowing integration with third-party tools like Hootsuite, Later, Metricool, and Buffer means better analytics tracking for metrics like follower growth and impressions. This enhanced data access could significantly improve your LinkedIn marketing ROI measurement.
Strategic Implications for Your Business
These updates present several key opportunities:
Content Strategy Evolution: With Instagram’s extended Reels and Facebook’s video-to-Reels conversion, your video content strategy should prioritise longer-form, high-value content that works across both platforms.
Cross-Platform Efficiency: The improved integration between editing tools and posting platforms means you can streamline your content workflow and reduce time spent on manual posting.
Enhanced Analytics: Better insights across platforms mean more data-driven decision making for your social media strategy.
New Revenue Streams: From TikTok’s enhanced live features to X’s payment integration, there are fresh monetisation opportunities to explore.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
The social media landscape’s rapid evolution means that staying informed isn’t just helpful – it’s essential for business success. These platform updates highlight the importance of having a flexible, data-driven approach to social media marketing.
Whether you’re experimenting with new video formats, exploring cross-platform integrations, or optimising for enhanced analytics, the key is to test, measure, and adapt quickly.
For businesses looking to navigate these changes effectively while maximising their social media ROI, having expert guidance and up-to-date insights is invaluable. Understanding not just what’s changing, but how to leverage these changes for your specific business goals, can make the difference between keeping up and getting ahead.
Are you ready to turn these social media updates into business growth opportunities? Message Caroline to discover how Social Honeycomb can help you navigate the ever-changing social media landscape and create content strategies that truly resonate with your audience.