As the calendar resets, many social media users will look to reset their mental and physical health on International Mind-Body Wellness Day Jan. 3.
The first month of the year is also a time to remember civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 19, and to have a little fun with Opposite Day Jan. 25.
Social Media Holidays to Mark on Your Calendar
- Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
- Jan. 3: International Mind-Body Wellness Day
- Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Jan. 25: Opposite Day
Social Media Platform Updates
TikTok
Here’s to the Winners
TikTok held its inaugural TikTok Awards ceremony, shining a light on the U.S. creators who defined 2025.
Actress, producer, entrepreneur, and author La La Anthony hosted the event at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, and presenters included Paris Hilton, Jordan Chiles, and Josh Richards.
The winners were:
- Creator of the Year: @keith_lee125
- Video of the Year: @bretmanrock
- Rising Star of the Year (sponsored by e.l.f. Cosmetics): @findjeremiah
- Breakthrough Artist of the Year: @alexwarren
- Storyteller of the Year: @tinekeyounger
- Muse of the Year: @parishilton
- TikTok for Good Award: @valentinebrothers
- My Show Is On Award (Film and TV}: @dayanechrissel
- MVP of the Year (Sports): @mariahcrose
- Okay Slay Award (Fashion/Beauty): @katiefanggg
- I Was Today Years Old Award (sponsored by H&R Block): @lawbymike
- Immediately Added to Cart Award (presented by TikTok Shop): @klothesminded
- CapCut Creator of the Year: @recider
- TikTok Live Creator of the Year: @eliesparzaa
Share and Share Alike
TikTok introduced two new features aimed at helping friends and family discover, share, and connect on its platform: Shared Collection and Shared Feed.
Shared Collection expands upon the existing ability for users to save content in collections by enabling them to start collections with friends or family members, where two people who already follow each other on TikTok can save content.
These Shared Collections can be limited to friends and family or made public on TikTok.
And Shared Feed is a new way for two people to watch content on the platform together via a shared, interest-based feed in their direct messaging feature.
Shared Feed surfaces content tied to the interests of the two people, generating 15 videos per day that the participants can like, comment on, and message about, and wrapping up the day with metrics including videos they both liked.
2025’s Top Artists and Tracks
TikTok closed out 2025 by sharing its top artists and songs of the year, noting that eight of the 10 Billboard No. 1 songs in 2025 had a viral moment on the platform before climbing the charts.
- Global Artist of the Year: KATSEYE
- Top Global and U.S. Song: “Pretty Little Baby,” Connie Francis
- Global Most-Saved Artist using Add to Music App: Taylor Swift
- Global Most-Saved Track: “back to friends,” sombr
- Global Most-Saved Album: So Close to What, Tate McRae
- Music Trend of the Year: “Anxiety,” Doechii
- Songwriter of the Year: EJAE
Other TikTok News
- TikTok and Disney teamed up on immersive experiences marking the theatrical release of 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash.
- Finally, TikTok and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation extended their content partnership.
What’s on TV?
Instagram began testing an Instagram for TV application for Amazon Fire TV devices in the U.S.
Reels are grouped into channels that match users’ interests, in topics including new music, sports highlights, hidden travel gems, and trending moments.
The app’s search feature helps people find their favorite creators, browse profiles, and explore in other ways.
Instagram said new features it is eyeing include enabling people to use their phone as a remote, better ways to channel surf, sharing feeds with friends, and an easier way for users to follow their favorite creators in one place.
Tweaking the Algorithm
Instagram is enabling people to tap artificial intelligence and personalize the Reels recommendations delivered by the platform’s algorithm.
Users can tap the icon depicting two lines with hearts in the upper-right corner while viewing Reels, at which point they can view a summary of what Instagram believes to be their top interests and choose which of those topics to see more or less of.
The feature debuted in the U.S. and is being rolled out to other English-speaking markets.
What’s New in Edits?
Several updates were released for stand-alone video creation app Edits:
- New AI-powered video effects that can be added to specific people or objects in videos include Scribble, Outline, and Glitter. In addition, outfits can be tagged, and objects can be blurred.
- Reels can now be chosen from the platform’s public library, remixed, reacted to, or used as inspiration to create videos. Original posters will be credited in remixed videos.
- Creators can add professionally styled video titles.
- A new Storyboards feature lets creators map out scripts, teleprompter cues, video clips, and notes.
- A new library of text styles combines fonts, colors, animations, and effects, and more fonts from Indic languages are being added.
- Finally, templates give creators a starting point with popular music, eye-catching fonts, or time clips that match the beat of the music in their video.
Other Instagram News
- More topics were added to the recently released Communities feature on stand-alone app Threads.
- Finally, Instagram launched Carversations, a new video series that spotlights authentic conversations between parents and teens.
YouTube
Adobe Wears Shorts
Adobe teamed up with YouTube on a dedicated content creation space for YouTube Shorts in the iOS version of Premiere.
Creators using Premiere gain access to exclusive templates, transitions, and effects, and they can publish their completed Shorts to their YouTube channels directly via their mobile devices.
They can add their own media and customize templates, as well as upload their own original templates.
The Oscar Goes to …
Starting with the 101st Academy Awards in 2029 and running through 2033, the Oscars have a new home: YouTube.
The Google-owned video platform reached a multiyear deal with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, making the ceremony, red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes coverage, Governors Ball access, and other content available live at no charge to more than 2 billion viewers globally and to YouTube TV subscribers in the U.S.
The pact also covers the Governors Awards, the Oscars Nominations Announcement, the Oscars Nominees Luncheon, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, Academy member and filmmaker interviews, film education programs, podcasts, and more.
Year in Review
YouTube shared its top topics, creators, music, and podcasts for 2025, the same yaar it celebrated its 20th birthday:
- Top Trending Topic (U.S.): Squid Game
- Top Creator (U.S.): MrBeast
- Top Song: “Die With a Smile,” Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga
- Top Song on YouTube Shorts: “Your Way’s Better,” Forrest Frank
- Top Podcast (U.S.): The Joe Rogan Experience
YouTube Recap
YouTube Recap gives users a deep dive into their 2025 viewing habits on the platform.
It can be accessed via the homepage or under the You tab, on desktop and mobile, and people will see up to 12 different cards showcasing their top channels, interests, moments they explored, and the evolution of their viewing habits.
Those who listened to a lot of music on the platform may also see their top artists and songs of 2025.
Other YouTube News
- NBCUniversal is sending a team of top creators and sports personalities to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, Italy.
Down With WPP
Pinterest teamed up with WPP Media to integrate Pinterest Trends directly into planning and activation platform WPP Open.
WPP Media teams and clients can now:
- Plug directly into real-time cultural intent, with momentum, seasonality, and search interests visible in one place.
- Filter Pinterest Trends by moments, categories, demographics, and emerging trend types to inform creative platforms, targeting strategies, and audience plans.
- Push trend-informed strategies straight into campaign setup, and then measure performance and feed learnings back into future planning, creating a continuous improvement loop powered by real consumer intent.
Cooking With Walmart
Pinterest teamed up with retail giant Walmart on a new shoppable recipe experience in the U.S.
People can add ingredients from eligible recipe Pins directly into their online cart on Walmart’s website or app via the Shop Ingredients button.
Shoppers can also swap out products for alternatives, see real-time pricing, and choose their preferred Walmart location for pickup or delivery.
Other Pinterest News
The company shared its Pinterest Predicts annual list of 21 trends to watch for in 2026
Snapchat
Quick Cut
It’s Snapchat’s turn to release a video editing app along the lines of CapCut and Instagram Edits, as it announced Lens-powered video creation tool Quick Cut.
Quick Cut, which debuted on iOS, lets users bypass the previous editing flow by choosing multiple photos or clips and rendering a video.
The process can start directly through people’s Camera Roll or in Memories on the Snapchat app, and users can add their own media to a Quick Cut from another user.
Quick Cut automatically adds a track from Snapchat’s Sounds library to videos, which users can customize or switch out.
Animate It
The platform also debuted open prompt video generation Lens Animate It, which allows Lens+ subscribers to tap Snapchat’s AI model and convert their ideas into short, shareable videos.
Lens+ subscribers can select the Animate It Lens and enter their ideas in the caption, or choose from suggested prompts.
Get Smart
Snapchat introduced several updates for performance-based advertisers on its platform.
Smart Targeting was added to its Smart Campaign Solutions suite, letting advertisers use machine learning to identify and target additional high-value users based on targeting inputs.
The company said it will continue its push toward a fully automated campaign creation suite in 2026, also continuing to invest in AI tools to help teams of any size produce premium creative.
Other Snapchat News
- Snapchat announced a global integration with Wix, enabling small and midsized e-commerce brands using its website builder to seamlessly activate ad campaigns on the platform.
- Users began seeing their Snapchat Recap videos for 2025, highlighting their top Memories from the year.
- Finally, the company shared research on: car buying shifting to online, with Havas and Alter Agents; health and wellness brands; and the importance of one-to-one consumer dialog, with the Media Trials program.
Meta
Feeling Supported
Meta is taking steps to provide 24/7 account support on Facebook and Instagram with its launch of a centralized hub for support tools and actions, where users of both platforms can report account issues, use Meta AI-powered search to answer their questions, and take other actions.
The company also began testing an AI support assistant to provide instant help, initially on Facebook, with plans to extend the test to its family of apps worldwide.
AI was added to its account recovery process to make regaining access to accounts quicker and free of stress. Text and email alerts about suspicious activity on accounts were also refined.
AI in Creator-Brand Partnerships
Meta introduced several AI-powered tools to find, evaluate, and turn existing Facebook and Instagram organic creator content into partnership ads.
Brands can now centrally discover relevant organic user-generated content and affiliate content from creators on Instagram within the “All” tab in Partnership Ads Hub.
They can also monitor the performance of organic creator content, helping them choose the most engaging posts to run as partnership ads.
The new Facebook Partnership Ads API (application-programming interface) lets advertisers and agencies create partnership ads from Facebook branded content or UGC.
Creator eligibility for partnership ads was expanded to include professional mode profiles.
The permissions process was accelerated by allowing creators to proactively share an ad code with advertisers.
Other Meta News
- The Meta AI assistant will surface more real-time news and content following agreements with media outlets including CNN, Fox News, Le Monde Group, People, and USA Today.
- The company shared research on: how creative strategies can drive success on Reels, with Toluna1; successful strategies for Cyber 5, the period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday; movie marketing through data-driven decisions; and demystifying creative diversification.
- Finally, Meta introduced SAM Audio, calling it “the first unified AI model that can segment sound from complex audio mixtures using text, visual, and time span prompts.”
Find It Faster
Facebook is tweaking its Feed, search, and navigation systems to enable users to more easily find what they are looking for and dig deeper into it.
When multiple photos are posted, they will now be arranged in a standardized grid.
Users can now like photos by double-tapping on them, and clicking on Feed content will display it in full screen.
The most-used Facebook features—Reels, Friends, Marketplace, and Profile—will appear front and center on the tab bar.
Search results will now present content in an immersive grid layout supporting all content types.
The process of creating content in the app was also streamlined in terms of Stories and Feed posts, making popular tools like adding music and tagging friends easier to access.
The commenting experience across Feed, Groups, and Reels was simplified with streamlined replies, prominent badging, and new pinning tools.
Finally, when a user’s profile is updated, Facebook will surface friends who share their interests within the profile.
100 Million and Counting
LinkedIn reached a milestone, topping 100 million verified members, and the professional network is looking to continue that growth with its launch of a self-serve API that lets developers add LinkedIn trust signals such as verified identity or workplace to their app, site, or platform in just a few steps.
The platform also introduced Zoom as its newest Verified on LinkedIn partner, joining Adobe, Furnished Finder, G2, PeerSpot, TrustRadius, User Interviews, and UserTesting.
Building Awareness
LinkedIn introduced several new ad options to help advertisers scale their personalized creative and boost awareness on the platform.
Reserved Ads help brands ensure that their ad appears in the first slot on the professional network’s feed, giving them high-attention placement, predictable impressions, and a higher share of top-of-feed impressions than their competitors.
New ad personalization options let advertisers automatically tailor ad copy to individual members via profile-based macros such as first name, job title, industry, and company name, making each impression more relevant and boosting the chances of engagement.
AI Ad Variants generate multiple ready-to-use versions of ads from a single creative input.
And coming in 2026, Flexible Ad Creation will let advertisers upload multiple assets, with LinkedIn automatically mixing, matching, and optimizing combinations across campaigns.
Other LinkedIn News
- The professional network introduced a toolkit to help small and midsized businesses measure and optimize for return on investment.
Open Influence’s team stays on top of the latest trends and is here to help you maximize your creator campaigns. Open Influence is a leading global creator marketing agency dedicated to creating engaging campaigns.