Hello, readers and subscribers. Count yourselves lucky if you missed out on Instagram’s recommendation algorithms going haywire two days ago after a complete moral collapse. Not all of us were so fortunate.
Instagram Reels feeds were suddenly filled with the worst content imaginable on February 26. You can watch this video explanation if you want more details. It wouldn’t be wholly accurate to say that we’re now in favor of ivory products after witnessing the referenced elephant video, but maybe we’re momentarily less opposed to high-end piano keys. It was a traumatic experience.
A fairly typical reaction to Instagram unexpectedly turning into LiveLeak reads “If you allow your child to use Instagram, STOP NOW. Instagram is currently flooded with extreme gore and violent content.” Here’s the point. If you’re aching for something to look at, go outside and see the seven planets that will be in tonight’s sky. You won’t get another chance until 2040. That’s a much safer move than gambling on what your phone may serve up.
In less disturbing news, WordPress now offers 100 year domain registrations. They’re $2,000 apiece. You can head to wordpress.com/100-year-domain to “secure your domain for the next century.”
Also worth knowing is the fact that traffic to product review websites is way, way down because of Google’s site reputation abuse policy. There’s a Wall Street Journal article about it. Sites with staff writers don’t seem nearly as affected as sites with freelance content.
We don’t have time for much more today, so we’ll get you some marketing links to look at and be on our way. First up: Hootsuite has a new column called How the LinkedIn algorithm works in 2025. Next, from Buffer, is an explanation of how Instagram’s new layout is tied to its push to emphasize vertical content. Also from Buffer is a guide to the best times to publish YouTube videos. Finally, a 27-page report from Ipsos about what drove the $6 billion in purchases through TikTok last year. Social Media Today has an abbreviated rundown of the major points if you’d prefer to read their analysis.
That’s all for today. Have a great weekend.