Digital Connect October 2, 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of DCW’s Digital Connect! We’re taking a look at Meta’s two all-star growth platforms, Instagram and Threads, spotlighting Pinterest’s new ad types, and sharing more information on how AI interacts with brands and businesses.

Platform Updates:

Instagram continues to grow and evolve, joining an elite club in terms of worldwide users. Instagram recently crossed the 3 billion user threshold, only the third app ever to do so. It only shares this distinction with WhatsApp and its fellow Meta app, Facebook. Not only is Instagram growing, but it keeps shaking things up in terms of its in-app experience with a new emphasis on Reels topics and a smoother UI that switches users between home feed, DMs, and Reels. This underscores Instagram's value for just about any advertiser or vertical. DCW is well-versed in the video and image-forward platform, with campaigns routinely exceeding benchmarks and delivering high quality conversions.

Speaking of Meta growth, their Threads platform is now neck and neck with X (formerly Twitter) in the battle for active users. As X slowly sheds users since this time last year, Threads has generated steady growth, with both platforms now roughly even with roughly 135 million daily users each. We like the ad capabilities on both platforms, but with Threads poised to possibly exceed the popularity of X/Twitter, it's a great moment for advertisers to assess ad placements on Threads as the platform is significantly ahead of where it was back in 2024. DCW can help evaluate the right moment to test Threads placements.

Pinterest ads are diversifying in a big way with the unveiling of two new ad types. The first is a sponsored search placement where advertisers can tap into placements in the top 10 slots of Pinterest search results, like ads now available on TikTok. The second new type is local inventory ads that enable advertisers to show in-stock products available at stores nearest to users. This reflects broader trends, highlighting how more people are using platforms like Pinterest as search engines, and how retail ads are becoming more pinpointed. DCW is excited to showcase the power and potential of Pinterest to any advertiser looking to move beyond Meta or Google to supercharge their campaigns with a highly engaged audience. 

Advertisers are getting more visibility behind the curtain into how AI incorporates brands and businesses into its recommendations. AI prioritizes "the problems a product solves, both rational and emotional, the promises kept, proof of performance, and what others with similar values think of [a]brand." Unlike SEO, which highlighted what a business or product does, AI optimization favors meaning, drawing from content, user-generated content, structured data, platform consistency, and ethical behavior. DCW is working with a variety of clients to navigate this new digital environment, incorporating AEO that takes the new emphases into account to ensure advertisers aren't just seen with paid messaging, but also appearing organically on AI queries. While AI changes the rules, DCW knows how to navigate them for our clients.