Hi lovely, welcome back to Limitless Digital. I’m Clair, and today, we’re diving into some seriously game-changing updates in the social media world. So, let’s kick off with the one that honestly made me do a double-take—YouTube Shorts has now overtaken TikTok in daily views. I mean, over 70 billion views a day on Shorts, compared to TikTok’s 50 billion. That’s wild, right? I think a lot of us still picture YouTube as this long-form, sit-down-and-watch platform, but Shorts are really having their moment. And what’s interesting is, YouTube gives these Shorts a lot of visibility, and they tend to stick around longer than, say, a TikTok or even an Instagram Reel. It’s a bit more “evergreen”—your videos don’t just disappear into the void after a day or two.So, if you’re running a business and you’re already making Reels or TikToks, this is your nudge to repurpose them as YouTube Shorts. I actually helped a local artist do just that last week—she took a single video, popped it onto Shorts, and her reach literally tripled in a week. I’m not saying that’ll happen every time, but it’s a reminder that sometimes, just showing up in a new place can make all the difference. And honestly, if you’re already putting in the work to make short-form video, why not get seen by a whole new audience?Now, here’s where things get a bit spicy. YouTube is about to start demonetizing videos that use AI-generated content—unless you clearly label it. That kicks in from July 15th. So, if your video has an AI voice, or it’s made with avatars or deepfakes, and you don’t say so, YouTube’s just gonna stop you earning ad money from it. They’re really pushing for transparency, which, honestly, I get. It’s about trust, right? But then, you look at Meta, and they’re doing the total opposite. They’ve added AI tools right into Meta Business Suite. You can write posts, generate ad copy, even reply to DMs using AI. It’s like, YouTube’s saying “be careful with AI,” and Meta’s handing you a whole AI toolkit and saying “go wild.”It’s such a contrast, and for us as small business owners, it means we really need to pay attention to where we’re posting and what tools we’re using. AI can be brilliant for support—writing, planning, all that stuff. But if your content is fully AI and pretending to be real, especially on YouTube, you could get caught out. I actually tried Meta’s AI copywriting tool for a client’s DMs last week—just to see what it would come up with. It was… surprisingly decent! But I still had to tweak it to sound like a real person. So, I guess the takeaway is: use AI for efficiency, but don’t let it take over your voice. And always, always be transparent if you’re using it in your content.Let’s talk Instagram, because this is honestly so exciting. Instagram posts can now show up in Google searches. Yep, they’ve struck a deal with Google, so if your account is public, your content could pop up when someone searches for relevant keywords. That means, instead of writing something like “just vibin’ ✨” in your caption, you might want to go with something more searchable, like “natural skincare for acne-prone skin.” Think about what your audience would actually type into Google—that’s what you want in your captions now.And here’s a quick case study: Emily, who runs a bakery, started optimizing her Instagram captions for Google searches, and she saw a 30% uptick in website clicks. That’s huge for a small business! So, it’s really about meeting your audience where they are, and making it as easy as possible for them to find you. Oh, and one more thing—Meta is testing something called Threads Moments. It’s kind of like Twitter’s trending tab, grouping conversations around events or topics. They’re definitely trying to create a space for live commentary and quick thoughts. We’ll see if it takes off, but it’s another sign that real-time engagement is becoming more important.So, to wrap up—if you’re a small business owner, here’s what I’d suggest: pick one Reel and repurpose it as a YouTube Short, add a keyword-rich caption to your next Instagram post, and maybe give Meta’s new AI tools a try—but keep it real, especially with video. And just remember, you don’t have to do it all at once. Take one step forward, tweak one thing, try something new. We’re all learning together. Thanks so much for tuning in, and I’ll catch you next week on Limitless Digital.

Episodes

Rethinking Reach: Shorts, AI, and Search Power Moves