Starting January 2026, the 'Instagram Explore' ad placement will be removed. Clicking tiles in the Explore grid will open a Reels viewer instead of the Explore feed. Ads targeting 'Instagram Reels' will now appear in the former Explore feed area, providing the same Reels experience. Ad sets targeting 'Instagram Explore' will shift to other placements, but 'Instagram Explore home' remains available.
Smart+ is TikTok's automation solution designed to optimize ad campaigns by targeting the right audiences, automating workflows, and enhancing creatives using AI. It offers benefits like improved ROI, time savings, and creative optimization. Features include Creative for Smart+, ad preview, upgraded efficiency tools, and Symphony Automation. Smart+ supports sales, app installs, and lead generation campaigns, helping businesses grow efficiently.
TikTok is expanding ad options for streaming services and highlighting film fandom at Sundance 2026. Millions of daily posts show deep fan engagement. TikTok hosts creators and industry leaders to explore storytelling and fandom. New ad solutions target engaged users to boost subscriptions and sales. Creators will share real-time festival content, while TikTok shapes film culture and discovery through #FilmTok and #MovieTok communities.
Effortlessly audit your Google Ads account with Marketing Auditor. Perform 200+ automated checks to uncover optimization opportunities and save over 10 hours per audit. Generate white-label reports in minutes with 50+ pages of actionable insights. Customize your reports with professional themes or your own branding, and export them in editable formats like PowerPoint or Google Slides. This tool is the ultimate solution for efficient and impactful Google Ads audits.
Meta is expanding ads on Threads to all global users next week after initial rollout last spring. Threads has 400M+ monthly users and offers new ad formats, controls, and brand safety features. Ads use Meta’s AI and integrate with existing campaigns, appearing natively in Threads feeds. Account management is simplified, and third-party brand safety verification is available, helping businesses connect with engaged communities.
Campaign and Insertion Order targeting in the Display & Video 360 API and Structured Data Files will be discontinued on February 23, 2026, aligning with its removal from the Display & Video 360 UI. After this date, API requests related to these targeting options will return 404 errors, and targeting columns in related files will be empty or cause upload failures if populated. Documentation and support are available for these changes.
Elon Musk published X's AI-driven "For You" feed algorithm code to boost user engagement by personalizing content. The feed combines posts from followed accounts and AI-recommended posts based on recent activity. The algorithm limits repeated posts from the same creators and penalizes excessive posting. While new user time spent is up, Musk admits the algorithm "sucks," and usage is declining amid competition from Meta's Threads.
Amazon Ads integrated the Podcast Audience Network into Amazon DSP, enabling advertisers to manage podcast ads with other digital media in one platform. It combines Amazon's data with Art19's insights for precise targeting on premium podcasts. This simplifies buying, improves targeting, offers detailed analytics, and provides premium inventory access. Available in the US for agencies and direct advertisers via Amazon DSP.
Looker Studio updates include cross data source filtering, allowing controls to filter charts from different data sources by overriding default field IDs. Users can now show or hide individual charts and components for all or select viewers. A new histogram chart feature helps visualize data distribution, revealing insights about data shape, center, and spread not easily seen in pie or bar charts.
OpenAI is introducing ads in ChatGPT to expand access while maintaining user trust. They launched ChatGPT Go, a low-cost subscription, and will test ads in the U.S. on free and Go tiers, keeping Pro and Enterprise ad-free. Ads won't influence answers, and user data won't be sold. Users can control ad personalization and opt out. Ads will be relevant, labeled, and excluded from sensitive topics. Feedback will guide future ad development.