Social Mind - May 2025

The latest on Social Media and AI 🗞️

Hello!

April was an exciting month for social media and AI. The two big stories in this issue: Instagram has unveiled Edits, a powerful new standalone video editing app, and OpenAI has rolled out new shopping features for ChatGPT, making it easier than ever to find and buy products straight from your conversations.

Last month I made my debut on BBC Radio Wales, talking about AI and the action doll trend plus it was great to be a guest of Media First in their TV studios, to talk about how Communications Professionals can use AI. On the running front I have the Cardiff 5k on Sunday and the Newbury 10k coming up later this month.

Following the success of April’s AI session, I’m teaming up again with NILC to run a FREE webinar covering AI on 4 June. I'll be demonstrating how to get the best out of ChatGPT, Copilot, and the latest AI tools for marketing and productivity. You can book your free place here – hope to see you there!

Meanwhile, Webdog Reports continue to be well received. With detailed SEO, UX, and competitor insights, plus new options like Customer Avatars and Deep Research analysis, they offer outstanding value. If you’re looking to sharpen your website performance or marketing strategy, now’s a great time to order.

If you enjoy reading Social Mind or if I’ve helped you with social media or AI, I’d really appreciate it if you could leave me a quick review on Google – it only takes a minute and helps me reach more people. Thanks so much!

As always, if you have any questions about social media, AI, or how to make the most of the latest tools, just hit reply or visit my website at pollingersocial.co.uk.

Best wishes 🙌

JP

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Edits – a new powerful standalone video editor 🎬

Instagram has released a new standalone video editing app called Edits, designed to give creators professional-level tools in an easy-to-use format. Edits offers an improved camera, advanced editing options, AI-powered animations, generative captions, and a variety of overlays including sound effects, filters, and stickers. Once complete, you can export in 4k without a watermark. There’s also a dedicated section for trending audio and inspiration, a tool for tracking ideas and drafts, options for collaborating on projects, and detailed insights into how your videos perform. Available on Android and Apple devices.

Insights: Instagram’s timing here is spot on. As video content continues to dominate and uncertainty continues around the future of CapCut, Edits gives creators a new, powerful alternative. It's a smart move that should make video creation more streamlined, especially for small businesses and marketers who want better quality without needing complicated software.

LinkedIn tests new premium video ad placements 📺

LinkedIn is experimenting with a new feature called the Wire Program, which allows advertisers to place short video ads at the beginning of premium publisher clips. These publishers can be selected based on brand alignment, making it a potentially powerful tool for reaching your ideal audience.

At the moment, the program is in limited testing, but if rolled out widely, it could offer a more refined and brand-safe way to stay visible to key audiences.

Insights: Video continues to be a key format across all platforms - 84% of marketers reported that video has helped them increase traffic to their website (source: Wyzowl), but LinkedIn has been slower than others to innovate in this space. If Wire delivers on its promise, it could become a valuable addition to your video strategy - especially for building awareness with targeted professional audiences. I’ll be keeping an eye on this one to see how it develops.

Instagram launches Blend Reels 🎬

Instagram has introduced a new feature called Blend that lets you and a friend view a personalised stream of Reels based on your shared interests and interactions. Once both users accept the invite, Instagram’s algorithm gets to work, creating a custom feed of recommended Reels you can enjoy together. It’s similar in spirit to Spotify’s Blend playlists and could be a fun way to discover and share content collaboratively.

Insights: Blend adds a social dimension to Reels, moving beyond passive scrolling to create shared moments. It’s particularly appealing for close friends, couples, or collaborators who enjoy exchanging ideas and content. I see potential here for brands too - especially if this evolves into a feature for creator collaborations or brand-and-fan content curation. With so much focus on community and meaningful engagement, this feels like a shrewd move from Instagram.

Meta’s ‘Hypernova’ smart glasses are coming 👓

Meta is gearing up to launch its high-end smart glasses, Hypernova, later this year. With a price tag north of $1,000, these glasses will include a built-in screen, camera, mic, speakers, and be controlled using hand gestures and a neural wristband. Meta’s vision? To position them as a serious alternative to smartphones.

It’s still in early development, and there’s no confirmation yet on whether this will become a standalone platform or be built directly into ChatGPT.

Insights: Smart glasses have been bubbling under the surface for a while, but this looks like Meta’s boldest move yet to make them mainstream. While the price point means we’re still a way off mass adoption, it’s a signal that wearables could soon play a much bigger role in how we interact with digital content. For social media managers and marketers, it’s another reminder that the future of platforms and user experience is getting more immersive - and more hands-free.

ChatGPT adds shopping features to search results 🛍️

OpenAI as announced a major update: shopping features are now being incorporated directly into ChatGPT's search results. When users search the web through ChatGPT, they’ll now see product links complete with images and reviews.

This move transforms ChatGPT into more than just an information tool - it’s becoming a potential retail channel. As users increasingly turn to AI for search and recommendations, being visible within these results could offer a significant new way for businesses to drive sales.

Insights: For retailers, this is an exciting opportunity. It’s a reminder that future search behaviour won't be confined to traditional search engines like Google. As I’ve stated before, businesses should now consider optimising their online presence not only for Google but also for AI platforms like ChatGPT. For retailers, this means ensuring products are well-described, reviewed, and easily discoverable on the web and social media. Just as with TikTok Shop’s rise in 2024, being an early adopter here could pay off handsomely in 2025.

Meta AI gets its own app - and a social feed twist

Meta has revamped its Meta AI experience with a standalone app and revamped website.

The standout new feature at meta.ai is the Discover feed, which adds a social media-style layer to AI. It shows a scrollable feed of prompts and responses that other people (including your friends on Facebook and Instagram) have chosen to share. You can like, comment on, share, or remix these posts, making AI interaction feel more communal and creative.

For users in the US and Canada, your Meta AI assistant also delivers more relevant answers by drawing on information you've already chosen to share across Meta products - such as your profile, likes, and engagement history.

It’s worth noting the Meta AI app isn’t entirely new - it replaces the View app for Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. A dedicated tab retains access to your photo and video gallery from the glasses, now alongside new AI-powered tools.

Insights: This is a bold move to bring AI into the social mainstream. The Discover feed blends the social sharing we’re used to with the curiosity and creativity of AI-generated content. It’s not just about chatting with AI - it’s about seeing how others are using it and building on their ideas. The new app needs a connected pair of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses to make it worthwhile. It’s worth visiting meta.ai to try the updated image generation feature which is faster than competitors.

OpenAI building an X-like social platform? 👀

Not to be outdone by Meta (see story above), reports suggest that OpenAI is working on a new social media platform that resembles X, potentially to be integrated within ChatGPT. The prototype reportedly features an AI-generated image feed, where users could share how they are using ChatGPT eg to solve problems and create images.

Insights:
This could be a bold move by OpenAI, offering not just AI tools but also a place for people to share and engage with AI-generated content. It would give them a stream of high-quality user data, helping improve their models - while competing directly with X and Meta. As always, the value will depend on how useful and engaging it is for real users.

ChatGPT’s photo library is here 📸

OpenAI has rolled out a new Photo Library feature in ChatGPT, allowing users to access and view all the images they’ve created across chats and projects. This is a significant step in making ChatGPT not just a text tool but a more multimedia-friendly workspace. Handy to be able to find visuals you've asked ChatGPT to create.

Insights: One of the main challenges with AI tools like ChatGPT has been keeping track of everything. The new photo library helps declutter your workspace (a theme I'm keen on this year!) It makes it easier to reuse and revisit visual content. However, it’s only a start and is missing key features that make it even more useful like the ability to search images and to organise into folders.

👉 Practical Pointer 👈

Why you should ask for more reviews and recommendations

Asking for reviews has always been good business, but it's now more important than ever in the age of AI. Here's why:

1. Authentic human feedback stands out. With so much AI-generated content online, genuine reviews from your clients and customers carry extra weight. They provide the real-world reassurance people are increasingly looking for.

2. AI is now reading your reviews. Whether someone’s choosing where to eat or picking a supplier, more and more people are using AI tools to pull together and summarise reviews before deciding who to go with. If you’ve only got a handful of reviews (or none), you’re far less likely to be recommended.

So if you’re not regularly asking for reviews or testimonials on platforms like Google and LinkedIn, now’s the time to start.

And if you’ve found my training, newsletters or advice helpful, I’d really appreciate a quick review on Google – thank you!

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