ICYMI: Social’s Batshit Weekend
“I’m so tired help lol” a social creator texted me
First, let’s acknowledge it’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is a federal holiday in the U.S. when people are meant to reflect on his legacy and are encouraged to volunteer and improve their communities.
Instead, creators, social marketers, talent managers, analysts, and the media are forced to monitor TikTok and Instagram’s tug of war for social supremacy.
I decided to send an extra newsletter today catching you up on the latest developments — after a pretty bizarre week in social media — and to share how other industry pros are reacting to TikTok’s resurrection and Instagram’s new CapCut competitor app. Thanks to everyone who so generously shared their insights on a Sunday afternoon!
⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY
TikTok users in the U.S. were locked out Saturday night
TikTok welcomed U.S. users back again on Sunday morning
Trump is expected to announce an executive order delaying the ban
Adam Mosseri announced Edits, a CapCut competitor launching in March
Mosseri also announced some major Instagram updates, including a vertical grid and 3-minute Reels
Industry pros react to the platform updates: “There’s no playbook or real direction”
💻 ROADMAP
📲 Meta Updates
On Sunday, Adam Mosseri announced Edits, new video creation app by Instagram he’s calling “a full suite of creative tools.” The CapCut competitor is still in pre-order mode and apparently won’t be ready until March 13.
According to a release from Meta, the app will include:
Simplified project management: The ability to capture video up to 10 minutes and store drafts all in one place
Creative tools: Video clip-level editing, auto-enhance features and effects like green screen, overlays and transitions. “We’re also exploring more AI-powered creative tools like animating stills and visual effects.”
Content strategy insights: Trending audio and real-time insights that show you what’s working and what to try next
In a separate weekend post, Mosseri announced Instagram was simplifying profile pages — something that’s generated a lot of controversy this week.
“One of the mistakes I made was not giving people enough of a heads up,” he admitted, adding that the goal of the redesign is a simpler, cleaner place. A lot of these shifts had previously run as tests but seem to be rolling out more widely this week:
A Tall Grid: Most photos and video that are uploaded are vertical. Mosseri says they’ll add the ability to customize thumbnails for people whose carefully composed grids were just ruined.
New Highlights Tab: Highlights will be moved into the grid and added as a tab. Meta is building a tool so you can re-order and customize your entire grid.
Direct to Grid: Instagram is adding the ability to post directly to your grid, bypassing the Feed.
On Saturday, Mosseri announced 3-minute Reels, despite previously saying the platform was sticking with videos that are 60 seconds or less: “…we’ve heard the feedback that this is just too short for those who want to share longer stories.”
On Friday, Mosseri has also said there would be a new focus on friends in the Reels tab with a dedicated feed of Reels your friends have liked. Currently being tested in the U.S., the content is meant to spark discussion with friends over videos you both enjoy.
📲 TikTok Updates
Saturday afternoon: TikTok issued an in-app notification, letting U.S. users know that the app would be temporarily unavailable.
Saturday night: TikTok said it was unavailable in the U.S. and pointed at their good fortune to be working with President Trump to resolve the issue.
Which, bffr, is bananas because Trump was the one who signed the original executive order to ban the use Of TikTok in the U.S. But that’s the playbook the tech bros are running these days.
Sunday morning: TikTok’s in-app notification said it was back “as a result of President Trump’s efforts.” They also posted a tweet on Elon Musk’s X — the most random of places since they typically issue announcements on their own newsroom website — saying, “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
Shou, seriously, blink if you need help.
In the meantime, Trump has said he will issue an executive order to delay the ban and make a deal to protect national security. However, the law would still force ByteDance to eventually sell to a non-Chinese owner. It would take an act of Congress to change the law, so don’t throw away those contingency plans just yet.
My advice: Take the temperature online. The blink-and-you-missed-it shut down may have been good for political pandering but it could hurt TikTok and organic social in the long run.
It was a massive disruption and breach of trust. People feel like they got played and there are a negative vibes online. At a minimum, there’s an acknowledgment that things have changed, with a larger concern that the social landscape has been hijacked by the right wing.
Don’t pretend the blip didn’t happen, message the moment and take your cues from how your community responds.
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📣 INDUSTRY VOICES
How are your peers reacting to the weekend news updates? Not well.
On Meta’s CapCut Competitor, Edits
“Instagram is easily the worst editing app. There is no way Mosseri made anything worth downloading,” - Jordan Shalhoub, Supervising Producer, Vox Media
“We’ll try it, of course, but the app has to be amazing to beat CapCut. Also I’m too obsessed with TikTok to get rid of it lol,” - Marilena Babali, Social Media Specialist
“Given how unpopular the Instagram video editor is I may pass on this. As a creator I’ll stick to CapCut or venture back to InShot. I don’t have much faith in Instagram’s product rollout yet, it feels rushed imho and there is Adobe Premiere but I prefer that for desktop,” - Cristina Lopez, Creator
“Well, if Edits is anything like Reels people will use CapCut. But I feel like Meta told Trump’s administration ‘Give TikTok 90 days so we can get ours setup,’” - Dana Alyss, Creator and Owner, Squint Media
“I plan to try out the new app with clients, however I am apprehensive about the app as a whole because Meta is known for giving us subpar editing features and even worse customer service. We will see how it all plays out,” - Codi Johnson, Social Media Strategist
“Definitely going to try their new app when it’s available but I am now planning to take more of my audience off of Instagram to private or pay walled spaces like Substack and Circle,” -Kar Brulhart, Marketing Strategist
On the TikTok Ban
“I hate that Trump takes credit. I’m sad this is taking away from the fires and actual problems but it still feels like a big cultural shift: The instability; Deciding where to go as creators; No playbook or real direction,” - Morgan Chapman Starr, Senior Content Creator, Robert Half
“I very much hope this it a turning point for creators making the move towards owning their own audiences and investing in their communities,” - Stephanie Hind, Head of Creator Partnerships, Patreon
“I think most creators will see right through this as a PR stunt and will not appreciate it. Creators already deal with enough instability in their careers and income and this does nothing to instill any sort of confidence that this administration nor today’s tech leaders take them seriously nor care for them at all,” - Lindsey Lee Lugrin, Founder and CEO, FYPM App
“Putting the emotional rollercoaster aside, if TikTok has worked for your brand before? You should go back to business as usual. I’d encourage everyone to continue diversifying their organic content distribution (YouTube Shorts!) and paid media spread, but no reason to not Tok like we used to,” - Jack Appleby, Creator and Founder, Future Social
“Honestly I think those contingency plans signal areas we maybe were overlooking and should consider more seriously regardless of TikTok’s future. TikTok has a place no other social app can easily replace and I’m rooting that it stays for good. (I’m praying even 😩.) But it’s time for us to look beyond the usual Instagram + TikTok channel mix. Those are fundamental but icing on top opportunities exist — even if for short term campaigns/activations,” - Ella A., Creator and Brand/Social Strategist, PepsiCo
“You can’t put all your content eggs in one social media basket. I didn’t put a TON of effort as a creator into TikTok but the message of the whole situation is a reminder that a blog (at least on Wordpress) or mailing list is the only thing you own and even if you aren’t as active on it at times, it’s always still there. My blog turned 20!!!! this month,” - Sarah J Gim, Creator, The Delicious Life
“I just want to curl into a ball,” - Kendall Dickieson, Social and Influencer Consultant, GOB
"I’m not planning on TikTok to be where I plant my flag, if you know what I mean. Nothing’s guaranteed, and therefore, I’ll be using the 90 day extension to move my audience over to my other platforms. It’s so important to diversify, and I’m saying that as both a creator and a social media manager for a successful podcasting company," - Kyle Barber, Creator and Social Media Management Intern, Earfluence
“The plan is to continue to use the current major platforms but to start to seriously consider alternatives. I am interested in seeing if Neptune, Scoop, Clapper, Triller, Rizzle, and others will be the next big thing,” - Chris Ryan, Creator/Influencer Talent Manager, Chris Ryan Marketing
“Social media platforms are unpredictable as we've seen over these past few days. It can all be taken away from us in an instant. I think what has transpired with TikTok does teach social media managers, social media creators, and businesses that diversifying marketing efforts is a must. That's not to take away from the powerful and eerily on point TikTok algorithm. Nor is this a point to tell creators and businesses to just jump on over to YouTube or Instagram— the algorithmic feeds and results are not the same. But it's a good lesson in learning other platforms and trying to show up for your audiences in different places. They don't solely exist on one platform,” - Codi Johnson, Social Media Strategist
“On the creator side it’s more complex because we have been putting together contingency plans and diversifying channels as of last week to prepare for this. I feel like most brands aren’t going to jump back in full force on the platform until this normalizes. Way too volatile,” - Nicole Taic, Account Director, Head of Consumer, Aspire
Here are some final thoughts from creator economy attorney Franklin Graves (you all know the drill, this doesn’t constitute legal advice):
“The risk of an EO or any handshake deal is that it can be revoked at any time. The best outcome for ByteDance is an act of Congress (literally) that gets this law off the books completely and for good. Until that time, creators, brands, and other creator economy professionals are best to keep in play any contingency plans, including with contracts, campaigns, or otherwise.”
Related: Did Social Just Self Destruct?
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The TikTok whiplash was so real 🙃 I think I’m finally feeling the effects today. Lol
Great read! As always!