Social Media & Digital Marketing January 2025 Roundup
Posted on 29th January 2025

Happy New Year! We’re at the end of the first month of 2025, and there have been quite a few updates over the last couple of weeks that would be worth noting if you’re using digital marketing for your business.
Here’s all the news for this month!
Reels Time Limit Expanded
Instagram Reels have been extended to a 3-minute time limit – so if you want to make longer content to post on your Instagram, you’re no longer restricted to getting everything into a 90 second clip. This move, despite Instagram initially saying keeping Reels under 90 seconds is ideal, allows them to be much more competitive with TikTok – who has been allowing longer videos for quite some time now, and YouTube Shorts, who updated their time limit to 3 minutes earlier this month.
Google Introduces AI Agents For Retailers
AI remains a big topic in the digital marketing space for 2025 – with Google now offering retailers the chance to use an AI Agent that helps shoppers find exactly what they’re looking for. With AI now giving shoppers access to answers in seconds, Google expects this to be the way forward for future consumers. Here’s what they had to say: “Retailers can now use AI agents to personalize the customer experience by offering tailored product recommendations, answering questions in real-time and guiding shoppers through the buying process. AI agents can also streamline operations by automating tasks like inventory management, customer service and even loss prevention, allowing employees to focus on higher-value work.”
The TikTok Ban
Recently, TikTok was banned in the USA…then unbanned less than 24 hours later. President Trump gave the app a 75-day extension – with suggestions it could be purchased by Elon Musk or Microsoft, allowing it to stay operational within the United States. Whilst it doesn’t directly impact the European market, if TikTok is to get permanently banned in US, it could possibly open up a world of opportunity for businesses in the UK to capitalise on a market that has been freed up by the exit of American companies. We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but it’s certainly something that will remain a big topic in the news until the app does – or doesn’t – leave pp stores in the USA.
Instagram Updates
Instagram has started off the new year updating user profiles – saying goodbye to the square format on grids, and introducing a rectangular one instead. If you need to change your graphics, the new ratio is now 4:5. Boss Adam Mosseri said that the change reflects how people now use Instagram the most, but reassured those with carefully curated grids that they will be able to make changes to re-align their images: “We started with the tall grid because most photos and videos that are uploaded to Instagram at this point are vertical and rectangles do a better job showing off those photos and videos. That said, I know some of you spend a lot of time tweaking your grids and this blew all of that up, so we’re going to improve the ability to customize those thumbnails to make it easier to get back to a place you’re happy with.”
Threads Makes Long-Awaited Updates
Threads have made some big updates this month – which may make the platform much more attractive to marketers who’ve either been using the app or thinking of adding it to their social media marketing plans. Firstly, users can now schedule their posts within the app – giving people the choice whether to do it natively, or by using a third-party tool. Secondly analytics have been rolled out for everyone – a great sign for those using the app for marketing purposes, as now you can check how well your content is performing – whether that’s overall or based on specific posts. Finally, Meta have announced that Ads will be coming to the platform – with tests being carried out in the US and Japan before being rolled out globally.
That’s all for January! Keep an eye out over the next month for more updates, and have a great February!
Finally, your social media tip of the month is: Are You Leaving Money on the Table by Ignoring Your Email List?
When I talk to business owners about their Facebook ads, one of the first questions I ask is, “Are you using your email list?” And honestly, I’m surprised how many people say no.
Your email list is full of warm customers—people who already know your business and are more likely to buy. Yet so many businesses focus on cold audiences and ignore the huge opportunity sitting right in front of them.
Using your email list for ads lets you:
✅️ Re-engage customers who haven’t purchased in a while.
✅️ Cross-sell or upsell to people who already trust you.
✅️ Turn warm leads into paying customers with the right message.
I’ve seen it happen time and time again. Clients who thought they’d “maxed out” their sales started targeting their email list, and the results were incredible. Warm customers are the ones who convert the quickest—and often at the lowest cost.
If you’re running ads without leveraging your email list, you’re leaving money on the table. It’s that simple.