The Instagram Stories - Social Media News
The ultimate destination for the latest in social media news, focusing on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, and Edits. The show features exclusive audio clips from the voices behind the platforms, giving updates and insider insights. Whether you're a creator, marketer, or social media enthusiast, stay ahead of the curve and on top of social media news with 'The Instagram Stories - Social Media News'.Instagram and the Glyph are trademarks of Instagram, LLC in the U.S. and other countries. The publisher, author, and contributing photographers are independent and not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Instagram, LLC. Instagram and...
3-12-26 - Report on State of Social Media Engagment Based on 52 Milion Posts Analyzed
The Buffer team compiled a report called "The State of Social Media Engagement" and Tami from the Buffer team stops by to share the highlights. Also the Head of Instagram shares 3 tips to speed up the content creation process, and I share an article about the lack of privacy from Meta smart glasses
.
Links:
Buffer: The State of Social Media Engagement in 2026: 52M+ Posts Analyzed (Buffer)
Instagram: 3 Tips To Make Content Creation Faster (Instagram)
Meta: She Came Out of the Bathroom Naked, Employee Says (Svenska Dagbladet)
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Follo...
3-9-26 - Scheduling Instagram Stories and the Story Archive
The Head of Instagram doesn't know you can schedule Stories using the Meta Business Suite. It's free and works great. We get into the recent AMA he did for some Q&A, including questions about if captions help reach, and if someone can tell if you screenshot their story, plus how the Instagram Story Archive works.
Links:
Instagram: Schedule Stories (Meta Business Suite)
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3-4-26 - Edits product team shares updates and how to leverage the app
The Head of Product on the Edits team, Matt, stops by to share what the team has been doing, and how it can help you make better content using the Edits app. Also, the Head of Instagram explains to Dax Shepherd how to customize on your Instagram Reels feed on the Armchair Expert podcast, and Lauren from the YouTube Creator Insider team talks about how to track income across 2 different YouTube channels. After the news, I do Wednesday Waffle, where I talk about a topic that may or may not be related to social media.
3-2-26 - Instagram Lets Anyone Schedule Content plus other info from Adam Mosseri
Today's episode features the head of Instagram answering questions about scheduling posts, the maximum amount of people you can follow, if Instagram, Edits, and Threads will ever combine into one giant super app, and if you can limit your Close Friends Story down to just one person.
Links:
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2-28-26 - Instagram Professional Accounts vs. Personal Accounts (and why it matters)
Instagram has Personal Accounts and Professional Accounts with different tiers - I break down the main differences, then talk about Instagram TV on Google TV devices, a new feature on Threads called "DM Me", and then get into a new app that detects if people around you are wearing smart glasses.
Links:
Instagram: Personal Accounts vs. Professional Accounts (Instagram)
Instagram: IGTV on Google TV Devices (Threads)
Threads: DM Me (Threads)
This App Will Detect People Wearing Smart Glasses Near You (Lifehacker)
List of Smart G...
2-25-26 - Instagram Following Feed and YouTube Adds Voice Replies
The Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, explains that the Following feed is not going anywhere, and the YouTube team adds the ability to reply to a comment using an audio recording of your voice. Additionally the company Emplifi shares their yearly social media report, and I do Wednesday Waffle.
Instagram: Following Feed (Instagram)
YouTube: Voice Replies! (YouTube)
Strategy: Emplifi Social Media Benchmarks Report (Emplifi)
Wednesday Waffle:
Australia’s social media ban is a high-stakes experiment (Snap)
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2-23-26 - Instagram's CEO on Trial Reels, Stories, and Reach
The Head of Instagram discusses Trial Reels, Stories being available for longer than 24 hours, and what he'd love to see more of on Instagram. I agree with some of it and disagree with other parts, because it's important for me to speak my truth.
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2-18-26 - How To Go From 2K Followers to 1 Million
Meta (and all the other social media platforms) are on trial for getting teens addicted to their platforms. A Creator explains how he went from 2,000 followers to 1 million. YouTube improves their in-app editing tools, and I do Wednesday Waffle.
Links:
US Government Court Filing Documents (USGovCourts)
Instagram: Instagram CEO dismisses idea of social media addiction in landmark trial (The Guardian)
Instagram: From 2K Followers to 1 Million (Instagram)
YouTube: Gifts and Jewels in Canada, In-app Editing Improvements for Shorts, and New Shorts Grid View (YouTube)
2-16-26 - AI Doesn't Make Work Easier and ChatGPT gets ads
Today's episode features a conversation between myself and Ashley Coffey talking about this week's AI news. We get into a study from the Harvard Business Review indicating that AI doesn't make work any easier, it just stresses us out more - and OpenAI's ChatGPT is starting to get ads included on the lowest tiers.
Links:
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work - It Intensifies It (Harvard Business Review)
ChatGPT rolls out ads (TechCrunch)
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2-11-26 - Starting from Zero Followers - Strategically
If you were going to start your Instagram all over from 0, what would you do? Today's strategy session features a creator who's doing this.
Threads is launching "Dear Algo" so you can write exactly what you want to see more of, TikTok is rolling out a local feed, and YouTube is turning on captions automatically if you mute the video. Also I do Wednesday Waffle.
Links:
Threads: Dear Algo post (Threads)
TikTok: Introducing Local Feed (TikTok)
Instagram: Starting from Zero Strategically (Instagram)
YouTube: Automatic c...
2-9-26 - The Head of Instagram Answers Questions about Stories
Does sharing posts to your Stories help with reach? Can someone find out if you hide your story from them? Can you delete highlights on Stories? All of these questions plus more, from the Head of Instagram.
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2-6-25 - Edits Features You Didn't Know About and YouTube Gets Auto-Dubbing
Today the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, breaks down 3 features of Edits you might not know about, then we do a deep dive into one of them (hint: it's storyboarding!). Also the YouTube team explains Auto-Dubbing, and I walk you through how to turn it on so the maximum number of people can enjoy your content.
Links:
Edits: 3 Features You Might Not Know About (Instagram)
Edits: Storyboarding - How and Why (Instagram)
YouTube Auto Dubbing - Explained! (YouTube)
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2-2-26 - Why Can't Instagram Pay Creators Fairly?
The Head of Instagram answers questions like "why can't Creators make money off Reels forever?" and "does boosting dampen your reach over time encouraging you to post more?" He also explains how to see who viewed your Story after 24 hours using the Stories Archive, and takes on feature suggestions like "why not 2x for Stories?"
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1-31-26 - Weekend Edition - Learn About Your Host!!
My wife and her friends have a podcast, and they invited me to join as a guest. Hear me talk about why I don't hug people, my motto in life, and my thoughts on social media.
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1-29-26 - Open AI Working on a Social Media Platform with no AI
Today on the show, the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri talks about how to manage notifications, including how to get uninterrupted sleep. Additionally, Open AI is working on a social media platform with no AI, and I share a strategic growth tip for increasing your followers.
Links:
Instagram: Managing Notifications (Instagram)
Open AI: OpenAI Wants To Create Biometric Social Network To Kill X’s Bot Problem (Forbes)
TikTok: Strategy to get more followers (TikTok)
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1-26-26 - TikTok's New US Owners and the CEO of YouTube on Priorities
TikTok's new ownership is now in place in the US! But the platform has had problems over the weekend, and people are looking for alternatives. Additionally, the CEO of YouTube, Neal Mohan, stops by to share his 4 big priorities for the platform in 2026.
Links:
TikTok: Announcement from the new TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC (TikTok)
TikTok: CEO Shou Chew (TikTok)
TikTok: What's new on TikTok for brands: Q1 2026 Product Preview (TikTok)
YouTube: YouTube CEO - 4 Big Priorities for 2026 (YouTube)
...
1-23-26 - Diego Sanchez from Buffer Explains How to Increase Engagement on Social
In this interview, I chat with Diego Sanchez, a product manager at Buffer. He is a product leader with over a decade of experience launching new products from zero to one. At Buffer, he leads Community, the company’s newest product, focused on building scalable, meaningful social engagement.
Diego explains what makes Buffer different from other social media management platforms - the team is dedicated to helping small businesses and creators grow through publishing, analytics, and engagement tools. He highlights the company's unique culture of transparency, featuring public salaries and a four-day work...
1-21-26 - TikTok's 2026 Trend Report and Actor Chris Gethard Talks the Creator Economy
TikTok's 2026 trend report is out! Longtime listener Casey Ross stops by to share his insights. The YouTube team has improvements to the content upload system, then actor Chris Gethard shares his thoughts on the creator economy and compares the American Revolutionary War being kicked off by mail delivery to our current system of gatekeepers with Instagram and TikTok. Then I do Wednesday Waffle, part 2 of the story where I hired actresses as a gift for my wife.
Links:
TikTok: 2026 TikTok Trend Report (PDF)
Connect with Casey Ross (LinkedIn)
Y...
1-19-26 - Does Posting Every Day on Instagram Help?
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)
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1-14-26 - Does the app you use to edit video effect your reach on Instagram?
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 (App...
1-12-26 - Instagram CEO on how often the algorithm changes
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.
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1-9-26 - Anna Mongiello from A+ Socials Explains Earning Money with UGC
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...
1-5-26 - The Head of Instagram Gives 3 Tips for Reels in 2026 and Where Instagram Is Going
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...
1-2-26 - Predictions for Social Media for 2026 with Jen Lehner
When the new year starts, Jen Lehner and I make predictions for the next 12 months. In today's episode, we talk about our favorite marketing campaigns of 2025 and our predictions for social media in 2026.
Links:
Watch the rest of the interview (YouTube)
Listen to the rest of the interview (Spotify)
Jen Lehner: https://jenlehner.com/
Front Row Daily Briefing: https://jenlehner.com/flash/
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12-29-25 - Favorite Instagram Feature and Biggest Social Media Fail of 2025
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: Newsletter
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Follow...
12-24-25 - End of Year Recap with Jen Lehner from the Front Row
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/
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12-12-25 - Instagram on Follower Counts, Limiting Hashtags, and Televisions
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:
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12-19-25 - Instagram Limits Hashtags to 5 and TikTok Has Turned a Corner
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)
12-17-25 - Instagram is coming for your TV
Instagram announces their TV app is coming to Amazon Fire devices first, the Edits team has a bunch of updates, X (AKA Twitter) makes a separate desktop inbox that Threads needs to add ASAP, and the YouTube team adds images to the Shorts feed. Plus the YouTube team discusses strategic ways to use the new collabs feature and I do Wednesday Waffle.
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Links:
Instagram: Ins...
12-15-25 - Do you use Instagram Story Highlights? They're Not Moving to the Feed
Today on the show, the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, talks about what Creators should focus on in 2026, how to adjust your Instagram algorithm settings, how to Edit a Reel after posting it (hint: you can't!) and the future of the Edits app on the desktop.
Links:
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12-13-25 - Mr. Beast Explains Which Platform is Most Important and Why
Today we hear from Mr. Beast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, on which platform is the most important to create content for, and why. If you've ever struggled with this question, and I certainly have, you're going to like this episode. Also the Instagram @creators account explains the analytics stat "when people liked this" for videos, and why it's so important. Lastly the YouTube team explains Brand Partner Video Access via BrandConnect.
YouTube: Sneak Peek: Brand Partner Video Access via BrandConnect (YouTube)
Instagram: Analytics - Using the When People Liked (Instagram)
YouTube: Mr...
12-10-25 - Instagram Adds Story Re-Sharing and Tests Early Access Reels
Instagram has added Story Re-Sharing - I explain how we all did this before using workarounds, but how businesses and brands can use this new feature strategically. Also Instagram is rolling out Reels topic customization in the USA this week, plus testing Early Access Reels. The YouTube team is has been improving the YouTube Studio Inspiration tab, the Create app and Thumbnail/Title A/B testing. Then after the end music, I do Wednesday Waffle where I talk about an idea for a show that you can definitely steal (or hit me up to collab).
12-8-25 - The Head of Instagram Explains How View Counts Have Changed
The Head of Instagram's weekly Ask Me Anything is always packed full of good questions. Today's episode includes answers to questions like "how short is too short for a Reel?", "How long should I try to make new content before moving on if it's not working?", "What counts as a view for photos or a carousel?", and "Does someone viewing my Reel at 2x affect the calculated watch time?"
Links:
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12-4-25 - Threads Tests "Dear Algo" Requests to Change Feed Plus Why Instagram Moved Buttons
People have been writing "Dear Algo" on Threads with requests for how their feed should be different - and now Threads is testing supporting these requests. Additionally, the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri explains why they move the buttons around at the bottom, and YouTube Liaison Rene Ritchie explains how to link from a YouTube Short to a longform video.
Links:
Threads: "Dear Algo" support in testing (Threads)
Instagram: Why Bottom Row Changed (Instagram)
YouTube: Stop Blaming the Algorithm: What Really Drives Views (ft. YouTube’s Rene Ritchie) (YouT...
12-2-25 - Ask Me Anything from YouTube CEO Neal Mohan
Normally the Head of Instagram answers questions, but today the CEO of YouTube takes over. He answers questions like "What's YouTube going to look like 5 or 10 years from now?" and "How does YouTube help Creators?" Additionally, YouTube announces "Recap", a feature that is exactly like Spotify Wrapped, and the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, explains Notes.
Links:
YouTube: YouTube CEO Neal Mohan Shares How the Platform Innovates: "YouTube is Where Culture is Set" (YouTube)
YouTube: Recap (YouTube)
Instagram: Adam Mosseri Explains Notes (Instagram)
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11-28-25 - Links in Reels Isn't News Plus Lia Haberman of In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
A listener named Nina left me a lovely review of the show, plus links in Reels isn't news and Lia Haberman of the In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) email newsletter.
Links:
Old News: Links in Reels (Social Media Today)
Interview with Lia Haberman (Video) (Audio)
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11-26-25 - Does Reposting Your Own Content on Instagram Do Anything?
YouTube tests a new custom feed just like Instagram and TikTok, Shorts AI Creation Tools get updates, and I experiment with speeding up Lauren to see if that helps. Also the Head of Instagram stops by to explain that reposting your own content to Feed really won't do much, and the team at TikTok shares some stats around using Creators to make content for brands. After the music, I do Wednesday Waffle talking about a book I read recently.
Links:
YouTube: Testing "Your Custom Feed" (Google Support: YouTube)
YouTube: New C...
11-24-25 - Instagram adds 20 minute Reels plus Feedback from the Listener Survey!
Thank you to everyone who filled out the listener feedback survey! If you haven't had a chance to do that yet, you still can - using the link here!
Instagram announced 20 minute Reels, so we get Adam Mosseri's take on how they fit into the Instagram landscape. We also discuss Carousels vs. Reels, Trial Reels, and more.
Links:
Listener Feedback Survey (Survey)
Instagram: 20 Minute Reels! (Instagram)
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11-19-25 - The Listener Survey Continues! Plus Instagram Collabs as a Strategy
The Listener Survey is still open! The first 10 people who submit responses to the survey get a $20 Amazon Gift Card.
Today on the show we dive into a clip from the Head of Instagram explaining the algorithm and how your content gets shared, plus an explanation of collab posts and how to game the system for more reach. Additionally the TikTok team rolls out the ability to adjust how much AI content you get in your For You feed, the YouTube team rolls out a speech to song feature I think is cool, plus Wednesday Waffle.
<...11-17-25- Listener Survey! The Head of Instagram Answers If Posting Too Frequently on Instagram Hurts Reach
Today on the show, I announce a new survey, where you give your input so I can improve the show. The first 10 people who fill out the survey get a $20 Amazon Gift Card! Also, I share Adam Mosseri's recent Ask Me Anything, including questions about how to get more reach, and some Instagram features you might not know existed.
Links:
Survey! Help Improve the Show! (Survey)
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