Today's Guide to the Marketing Jungle from Social Media Examiner...
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Here's a recap of the most important insights, trends, and updates you need to know about today, Alluser! Catch up in minutes and go into the rest of the week prepared.
In today's edition:
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30 Instagram carousel ideas
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How to adjust your strategy for Facebook's new link posting limits
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🗞️ Industry news from Instagram, Reddit, and more
Instagram Carousel Post Ideas
What if one Instagram post could double your chances of being seen—without paying for ads?
That's the quiet power of carousels. They're not just swipeable content—they're one of the few post types Instagram will actually reshow to people who skip them the first time. And now that you can add music, they're showing up in more places (hello, Reels feed).
If creating content feels like a lot, these 30 simple carousel ideas from Lucan O'Keefe will make it easier. You'll find quick prompts to share tips, tools, photos, behind-the-scenes moments, and more—things you can pull together fast without overthinking.
These easy, repeatable post ideas will actually get seen. Read more here.
This Conference Pays for Itself
Every year we hear the same thing: "I can't believe I almost didn't come because of the cost."
Here's the truth—Social Media Marketing World pays for itself. Often from just one strategy you implement.
"This was honestly the best conference I've attended in my professional life," said Laura Kaslow.
Think about what one breakthrough could mean for your business. A Facebook ad strategy that cuts costs in half. An AI workflow that saves hours each week. An Instagram approach that doubles your organic reach.
"I have absolutely found what I needed here. Every single session I attended I've been able to take away probably three things, minimum, that I am going to be able to immediately implement," said Jules McGuire.
Grab your ticket now.
What Facebook's New Link Rules Mean for Your 2026 Strategy
Meta is currently testing a system that limits professional users and Pages to 2 links per month unless they subscribe to Meta Verified. The subscription costs between $14.99 and $500 per month, depending on the tier.
The restriction applies to links in the actual post body. Users can still share unlimited links in the comments section without any limitations.
Mari describes this move as a revenue play for Meta. She points out that the company has ramped up advertising for Meta Verified across Facebook and Instagram feeds, using case studies and testimonials to promote the service.
These ads include disclaimers noting that results are self-reported and may vary. Mari notes she has yet to encounter anyone who enthusiastically recommends Meta Verified as worthwhile, though she acknowledges this is just her personal observation.
The timing is strategic. Meta is pushing this change while simultaneously promoting its verification service, creating a pain point for users who want to post links with reach, then offering to solve it for a monthly fee.
Mari explains that if you don't pay for Meta Verified, you won't necessarily be blocked from posting links. Instead, you'll probably just get no reach at all. Facebook isn't trying to prevent people from making posts; they're just using reach as the lever.
The restriction applies to personal profiles switched to professional mode and to business Pages. Mari confirms that if you pay for the Meta Verified subscription, you can post as many links as you want and get more reach.
When asked if Meta Verified is worth it for businesses, Mari delivers a mic drop: keep your money and use it on ads instead. She points out that the support is outsourced and not the greatest unless you get lucky.
However, she acknowledges specific scenarios where it might make sense. If you're a creator who gets millions of views on Reels and can include an affiliate link or product link that benefits you, the $50 per month could be valuable. If you have a high-converting landing page and can track that those two allowed links in Reels are driving quality leads and conversions, it might justify the cost.
Otherwise, Mari suggests you could run ads for $50 per month and potentially reach a wider audience.
Alternative Strategies for Driving Traffic
Mari emphasizes that most marketers in the community say they're not going to pay for Meta Verified or limit their links. They're savvy enough to realize the link in comments works just fine.
She recommends several other places to put links. Link in comments works on Pages, profiles, groups, and events. Stories support CTA links, which are always worth testing and experimenting with.
Her number one recommendation is Messenger. Get people into the DMs, because that's what Meta wants with their whole ecosystem on Instagram and Facebook. Use comment triggers and automations to start a dialogue in the DMs, and you can add links there.
Mari mentions that Business AI is currently in beta. Users can check if they have access by going to Meta Business Suite, then All Tools, Engage Audience, and looking for Business AI Beta. This helps handle comments and begin dialogue in the DMs. She notes that, sooner or later, AI in Messenger will serve clients and let you add as many links as you want to inboxes and DMs.
Other topics discussed include:
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Meta's Manus Will Supercharge AI Agent Capabilities
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Meta's SAM Audio Provides Intuitive, Professional-Grade Sound Editing
Today's advice is provided with insights from Mari Smith, a featured guest on the Social Media Marketing Podcast and speaker at Social Media Marketing World.
Can't Attend Social Media Marketing World in Person?
If joining thousands of marketers in Anaheim this April isn't an option for you, don't worry.
With a Virtual Ticket the conference comes to you. You'll get access to ALL of the content— including the sessions, keynotes, AND the extra day of workshops—all from the comfort of your home or office. Plus, you can livestream the keynotes and sessions in real time.
Ready to skip the crowds and have a full 18 months to review and implement the amazing content from Social Media Marketing World?
Yes, I want live streaming and recordings.
Instagram Sticker Tips and Customization Tools: Instagram has expanded sticker functionality across Stories, Reels, and DMs with a variety of formats including interactive, expressive, utility, support, and music stickers. Users can easily search for relevant options using keywords or browse curated categories via Instagram's integration with GIPHY. Creators and brands can boost visibility by uploading custom stickers to GIPHY, while anyone can personalize content using the Cutouts tool to turn their own photos into reusable stickers. New stickers are added regularly, encouraging ongoing exploration. Instagram
Meta Tests Standalone Vibes App for AI Video Creation: Meta is piloting a dedicated Vibes app to expand its AI-generated video platform beyond the Meta AI app. Designed to rival OpenAI's Sora, the new app offers a standalone, immersive feed for users to discover, remix, and share short-form AI-generated videos. Vibes has gained momentum since its initial rollout and now allows cross-posting to Instagram and Facebook. Meta plans to introduce a freemium model, testing subscriptions that unlock additional video creation tools. The company says the move reflects rising engagement and demand for AI-driven content creation. TechCrunch
Reddit Reports Record Growth: Reddit reported a 70% YoY revenue increase in Q4 2025 to $726M, with ad revenue driving 95% of that total ($690M). Full-year ad revenue hit $2.1B, up 74%, signaling strong demand for Reddit's ad products. Daily active users climbed to 121.4 million, driven by strong international growth. Reddit
TikTok Shop Launches Smart Promotion Program: TikTok Shop has rolled out the Smart Promotion Program, replacing its Co-funded Promotion model with a new AI-powered system that guarantees a 5x return on investment and aims to drive significant GMV growth. The program simplifies fees to 3.5% and introduces automatic rewards, product visibility boosts, and daily performance tracking. Sellers with a Shop Performance Score of 3.5 or higher must enroll by March 2026 to join promotional events. Product-level exclusions are supported, and previously enrolled sellers saw a seamless transition from the trial version. TikTok
X Tests Collaborative Notes: A new feature called Collaborative Notes enables AI-generated drafts to be refined by the community through real-time feedback and suggestions. Initially limited to English-language posts by Top Writers and contributors with 2+ Writing Impact, the system aims to enhance the accuracy and trustworthiness of online information. X
X Adds Images to Polls: The announcement was posted by X's Head of Product. X
YouTube Expands Auto Dubbing with More Languages and Realism: YouTube has rolled out major updates to its auto dubbing tool, now supporting 27 languages and introducing Expressive Speech in eight key languages to preserve creators' emotional tone. A new Preferred Language setting gives viewers more control, while a Lip Sync pilot aims to make dubbed content feel even more seamless. For creators, Smart Filtering ensures only appropriate content gets dubbed, and the tool poses no risk to video discovery. These updates make it easier than ever to connect global audiences with multilingual content. YouTube
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