Soac Media

10/10/2025

Wondering what counts as a “good” Instagram engagement rate? Buffer analysed 27M+ posts from 273k accounts and found the median is 4.3%, with big differences by size. Nano accounts (0–1K followers) average ~5.2% as close-knit audiences engage more; rates gradually dip through mid-tiers (to ~3.5–3.7% for 10K–500K) as audiences broaden, then tick back up around ~5% for 1M+ accounts. Posting frequency scales with growth (from ~3–5 posts/week at small sizes to 1–3/day at larger tiers), and growth naturally slows as you get bigger. Format matters: Reels drive the most reach, while carousels win on engagement versus Reels and single images.

What to do with it: Match your expectations to your tier and show up consistently. Early on, build the habit (3–5 posts/week) and experiment. At 5K–50K, optimise your mix—double down on the formats and themes that reliably earn saves, comments, and shares. Beyond 50K, systematise: batch, repurpose, and use repeatable series to maintain daily output without losing quality. At the top end, protect trust—prioritise content that builds loyalty over vanity spikes, and use collabs thoughtfully.

Read the report at https://buffer.com/resources/instagram-engagement-rate/

10/07/2025

Are Your Email and Messaging Apps Jammed With Scam Messages? Here's How to Avoid Getting Trapped

Consider the following messages that many of us are seeing pop up in our email, social media or messaging apps with increasing frequency.

▪️Judy from Toronto receives an email from her bank, advising her to change her password due to suspicious activity
▪️Tony from Vancouver glances at a text message that says his credit card was compromised and he needs a new one
▪️Mo in Montreal gets a phone call from Interac to say his last e-transfer didn’t go through, but that they can help

On the surface, each case appears to be legitimate. But all three are actually common scam messages aimed at prying out our passwords and personal and financial details.

Unfortunately, criminals are only getting more sophisticated and scams are getting harder to detect. Thanks to advances in AI, fraudsters can create authentic-sounding messages – and are even using “deep fake” technology to make it sound or even look like someone you know.

Continued at https://zoomer.com/zone-classifieds/editorial/2025/08/19/are-your-email-and-messaging-apps-jammed-with-scam-messages-heres-how-to-avoid-getting-trapped

10/02/2025

Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of Memories (saved snaps and stories). Those over the limit will see an in-app prompt to upgrade to a paid plan; Snap says most users sit under 5GB, but backlash has been swift from people with years of photos and videos archived. The company argues the shift will fund improvements to Memories and notes over one trillion items have been saved since 2016. Users who exceed the cap will get 12 months of temporary storage and can download their content locally if they don’t want to pay.

Pricing will roll out gradually worldwide; Snap didn’t share UK rates with the BBC. TechCrunch reports an initial 100GB plan at US$1.99/month, and 250GB included with the US$3.99/month Snapchat+ subscription, with higher tiers for Snapchat+ and Snapchat Premium. Snap recently said Snapchat has 900 million monthly active users, and some industry watchers say paid storage across social platforms is likely “inevitable” as people post less but save more.

If you’re a heavy Memories user: check your storage in-app, download backups you don’t need to keep online, and decide whether the paid tiers make sense for you before the 12-month grace period ends.

📌 This is an AI-generated summary of an article by Liv McMahon with BBC News. To read the article, Google “Snapchat to charge users for storing their old photos and videos”.

09/25/2025

Hundreds of Millions of Teens Now Using Teen Accounts on Meta Platforms

Meta has announced that hundreds of millions of teens are now using Teen Accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger — part of a broader effort to improve online safety for young users. These accounts come with built-in protections that limit who teens can interact with and what content they see.

🛡️ What’s New:

Teen Accounts are expanding globally on Facebook and Messenger.

A new School Partnership Program lets educators report bullying or harmful content for faster review.

An online safety curriculum developed with Childhelp is helping U.S. middle schoolers recognize scams and stay safe online — with a goal to reach 1 million students.

📣 Parents, educators, and school leaders can learn more and get involved through Meta’s dedicated educator portal.

📰 Read the full update here:

We’re further expanding Teen Accounts and helping educators report safety concerns for quicker review.

09/22/2025

Is Meta secretly scanning your phone's camera roll? Check this setting to find out

Meta could be analyzing and retaining your phone's photos without you realizing it.

Some Facebook users have noticed that, deep within their app settings, toggles are switched on that allow Meta to access their camera roll to offer AI-powered suggestions, including "personalized creative ideas, like travel highlights and collages" -- and they don't remember agreeing to this.

The problem? This feature allows Meta to access and retain your camera roll images, and that could raise serious privacy concerns, especially for users who wouldn't otherwise knowingly opt in.

If you do get Meta's "cloud processing" pop-up announcing this feature and tap "Allow" on it, you'll agree to Meta's AI Terms of Service and permit your "media and facial features" to be analyzed by AI.

Facebook will then use your camera roll images -- including the dates on them and the presence of people or objects -- to suggest collages, themed albums, recap posts, or AI restyled versions of your pictures. These AI suggestions are only visible to you unless you choose to share them, and Meta says the media won't be used for ad targeting.

Learn how to check at https://www.zdnet.com/article/is-meta-secretly-scanning-your-phones-camera-roll-check-this-setting-to-find-out/

09/16/2025

How Much Should We Let Online Reviews Influence What We Buy?

Online reviews feel indispensable because they reveal what ownership is like beyond marketing claims. But as Katie Mehr explains, they’re far from perfect signals. Star ratings and comments are shaped by lots of irrelevant stuff: how the form is designed (overall + attribute ratings can inflate poor experiences), the device used (smartphone reviews skew more emotional and vague), the context (a winter coat rates higher on a warm day), and expectations (labels like “Superhost” can trigger tougher grading). Readers also overweight the average star and underweight key cues like review volume, recency, and price. Layer on fake and AI-generated reviews—which are hard to spot and hit smaller businesses hardest—and it’s clear we shouldn’t let ratings drive the whole decision.

Practical take: read beyond the average. Scan the distribution (how many 1–2 vs. 4–5?), filter for recent and “verified” purchases, and favour reviews with concrete, use-case details that match your needs. Compare across multiple retailers and independent tests, and note return/warranty terms in case reality doesn’t match the hype. Reviews can help predict your experience—but they’re just one input, not the final word.

📌 This is an AI-generated summary of an article by Katie Mehr on Everything Zoomer. To read the article, Google “How Much Should We Let Online Reviews Influence What We Buy?”

09/13/2025

Just getting started with Facebook for your business?

You’re not alone — and it’s not too late! With over 3 billion active users, Facebook is still one of the best places to grow your brand and connect with customers.

🔹 Use a page, not your personal profile, to showcase your brand.
🔹 Engage with followers through photos, videos, Reels, and events.
🔹 Set up Meta Business Suite to schedule posts, manage messages, and track insights.

👉 Read the full beginner’s guide from Sprout Social:

Learn how to use Facebook with common terms, instructions for creating a business page and tips for optimizing content to use Facebook as a growth channel.

09/09/2025

Hundreds of Canadians say Facebook and Instagram are permanently deleting their accounts without clear cause - or any way to reach a human for help.

People describe years of photos, messages, and community work disappearing after a sudden suspension notice and a required “video selfie” identity check, only to be told minutes later that their account is gone for good.

New Brunswick communications professional Denise Miller lost an IG client page plus her 18-year personal Facebook after Meta’s AI wrongly flagged “child sexual exploitation”; she says there’s no way to challenge the allegation with a real person. Montréal’s Shon Pinto says losing nearly two decades of memories with no explanation has been “reeling” and “frustrating.”

Small businesses are being hit, too. Saskatchewan photographer Chaydin Hodnefield says multiple work accounts were banned the same day; she believes paying for Meta Verification on a new profile is the only reason she hasn’t had issues since. A petition calling on Meta to “fix the AI, restore access, [and] provide real support” has nearly 40,000 signatures. Meta has not responded to CTV’s questions.

📌 This is an AI-generated summary of an article by Spencer Van Dyk with CTV News. To read the article, Google “Users ‘reeling,’ feeling ‘sick’ and ‘frustrated’ after Facebook and Instagram accounts deleted without cause or recourse”.

09/05/2025

Selling anything on Facebook Marketplace? Take a good look at the cash you're given. Guelph, Ontario, police say prop money has been used in at least two recent purchases.

https://www.guelphpolice.ca/en/media-release-september-5-2025.aspx
,

09/01/2025

Instagram is becoming a search engine. Are your posts ready?

Instagram is now indexing public posts to appear not just in its own search, but also on Google. That means your business’s content has the potential to reach way beyond your followers. To take advantage, make sure you’re using relevant keywords in your captions, alt text, and even on-screen text in Reels and carousels. And yes, hashtags still help when they’re used strategically (no more than five!).

To show up in search results, your Instagram account must be public, belong to a business or creator, and have the setting enabled to allow indexing. From optimizing your profile and bio, to refreshing older posts and staying consistent with content themes, Instagram SEO is now a key piece of your social strategy.

Learn how to get discovered, both in-app and on Google, in Buffer’s full guide.
https://buffer.com/resources/instagram-search/

08/28/2025

Should you trust Google’s AI summaries? 🤔

Some news publishers and digital experts are sounding the alarm: Google’s new AI-generated summaries, which appear at the top of many search results, might be changing how we consume news, and not for the better. These summaries often reduce the need to click on actual articles, cutting traffic to trusted news outlets and potentially spreading inaccurate or misleading information. One summary even famously suggested adding glue to pizza sauce. Yikes!

Experts warn that even as the tech improves, the risk remains: these summaries are generated by systems that don’t understand nuance, sarcasm, or context - and they don’t fact-check. AI tools can’t always tell when the sources they’re trained on are flawed, outdated, or just plain wrong. As AI becomes more embedded in how we search, researchers and journalists are urging us to think critically about what we’re reading and where it’s coming from.

📌 If you're looking for reliable information, always check the source - especially if it’s about news, health, or safety. When in doubt, go directly to the original website or a trusted, verified social media account.

Credit CBC News article "People reading AI summaries on Google search instead of news stories, media experts warn" | August 13, 2025

08/26/2025

Struggling to get people to stop scrolling? Your hook might be the problem.

According to Buffer, a hook is the first second or two of a post, video, or caption — and it’s everything. It’s not clickbait, it’s your chance to earn attention and deliver real value. And in 2025, a great hook is more important than ever.

🧠 The best hooks combine:
• Format (video, carousel, caption, etc.)
• Platform (TikTok ≠ LinkedIn ≠ Facebook)
• Human psychology (curiosity, emotion, novelty)
• Algorithm logic (what the platform rewards)

🔥 Examples that work:
• Our sales went up — but our profits didn’t. Here’s what we missed.
• Most retail stores ignore this simple tactic — and it’s costing them foot traffic.
• This in-store marketing trick boosted our weekly sales — and barely cost a thing.
• If social media feels like a waste of time, you’re not alone. Here’s what works instead.

💡 Tip: The hook isn’t the whole message; it’s the invitation to stay long enough to hear the message.

📚 Full article from Buffer:
👉 https://buffer.com/resources/anatomy-of-a-great-hook/