This Week in Social Media: LinkedIn AI Data Use, TikTok Trend Insights, WhatsApp Channels, YouTube AI Tools
PR pros: This week's updates span LinkedIn's data policy, Instagram overlays, WhatsApp Channels, TikTok trends, X's interest feed, and YouTube Shorts AI. Test one, track results.
Social media updates PR pros need this week
Week of Sept. 23, 2025. Here's what matters across LinkedIn, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, X and YouTube - and how to use it in your comms plans.
LinkedIn updated its terms and data use policy effective Nov. 3. By default, user content and profile data will feed its generative AI models that power platform features, with an opt-out available in settings. The update also clarifies how affiliate data may be used.
LinkedIn now lets users add a verified Duolingo English Test score to their profile. This gives recruiters and hiring managers a clear signal of language proficiency instead of relying on self-reported skills.
Action steps for PR and communications- Publish internal guidance on the AI training opt-out. Align this with your company's privacy policy and executive profiles.
- Update social media governance to reflect data use changes and employee best practices.
- For global roles, request verified language scores in job posts and encourage team members to add scores to profiles for credibility.
Review LinkedIn's policy update
Instagram Edits adds the ability to turn a main video clip into an overlay, letting you run another clip in the background. You also get finer control over fade-ins and fade-outs, plus the option to save frequently used sound effects for quick reuse.
Action steps- Use overlays for side-by-side comparisons: product before/after, statement/context, quote/footage.
- Create a branded audio toolkit: saved effects, stingers and short IDs for consistent Reels pacing.
- Standardize transitions in your brand guidelines to keep series content visually consistent.
The Updates tab (Status + Channels) is becoming a broader discovery hub for creators, channels and businesses. New features include paid channel subscriptions, promoted channels for added visibility and ads in Status. Meta says these are separate from personal chats; end-to-end encryption remains for messages and calls. Ad targeting uses non-sensitive signals like location, language and followed channels.
Businesses can now connect a WhatsApp number to a Facebook Page and run ads that click to WhatsApp, centralizing discovery and response inside Meta's tools.
Action steps- Decide if your brand needs a Channel. If yes, test a subscription tier with perks (early news, exclusive Q&As, first-access signups).
- Trial a small budget for promoted channels to jumpstart discovery. Track subscriber growth, CTR and retention.
- Connect your WhatsApp Business account to your Facebook Page, set response SLAs and route inquiries to support or PR triage.
- Prepare a brief privacy explainer so followers understand that chats remain E2E encrypted.
TikTok
TikTok's Analytics tab now surfaces more trending topics tied to your content, including current search behavior and demographic context. A Create button lets you spin up content directly from a trend insight.
Action steps- Monitor daily, move fast. Aim to publish trend-aligned content within 24-48 hours while keeping brand voice intact.
- Pair trend insights with your comms calendar: product moments, thought leadership and community FAQs.
- Pre-clear visual and music templates to speed approvals without risking off-brand posts.
X
X is moving to a customizable, AI-driven feed focused on interests over broad viral content. The goal: help people find relevant conversations and reduce low-value noise. X also introduced Boost, a paid feature for creators to amplify a post, currently for Premium members on iOS.
Action steps- Curate who your brand follows and what it engages with to "teach" the feed what you want to see.
- Test Boost on thought leadership threads and timely statements. Watch cost per engaged profile and meaningful replies.
- Refresh your response protocols for niche communities: faster moderation, clear escalation paths and tone guidelines.
YouTube
At "Made on YouTube 2025," YouTube announced new AI features for Shorts: animate still images, apply styles (e.g., pop art or origami) and generate Shorts using Google's Veo 3 in-stream. "Edit with AI" can turn raw footage into polished clips with music, transitions and voiceovers.
YouTube also added "Speech to Song" for AI-generated tracks from spoken phrases, AI visuals for audio-only podcasts and an "Ask Studio" chatbot in YouTube Studio providing personalized insights for planning and optimization.
Action steps- Convert press releases and reports into Shorts using animations and styles while keeping captions clear and compliant.
- Repurpose podcast audio with AI visuals to increase reach on Shorts and community posts.
- Create an AI usage policy: disclosure, brand voice, music rights and review steps before publishing.
See YouTube's feature announcements
Plan next steps
Pick one platform where your audience is most active and ship a test this week: LinkedIn privacy guidance, an Instagram overlay Reel, a WhatsApp Channel pilot, a TikTok trend post or a YouTube Shorts experiment. Measure a single metric that matters to comms (e.g., qualified replies, press inquiries, subscriber growth) and iterate.
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