Welcome to the latest edition of Social Commotion, Motion’s roundup of social media updates and news. Check out our top social media updates from July 2025.
Instagram Testing New Way to Measure Carousel Performance
Instagram is experimenting with a feature that could offer helpful insights for brands and creators: the ability to see how many likes each individual slide in a carousel post receives. This data is only visible to the account owner and currently only available to a small number of accounts as part of a limited test.
At first glance, it might seem like a straightforward way to determine which image or video in your carousel is performing best. If one slide stands out with significantly more likes, it could signal what your audience finds most engaging. On the other hand, if the last few slides in a carousel are getting little to no engagement, it might be a sign to shorten future carousels.
But it’s not quite that simple. A user might “like” a slide because they enjoyed the entire post—not necessarily that specific slide. Or they might engage with the first image simply because it’s the one they see first, not because it’s their favorite.
Still, this feature could offer a new layer of insight that could help refine your content strategy over time. Hopefully, Instagram will make this feature permanent and roll it out more broadly so that brands can access another layer of data. In the meantime, keep posting carousels, as they continue to be a great way to increase reach and engagement.
Google and Bing to Index Public Posts from Professional Instagram Accounts
As of July 10, Instagram will begin allowing search engines to index professional public content including reels, videos and public posts. Users will no longer need to log in to Instagram to view indexed content. The change opens the door for content to show up in broader Google results alongside YouTube videos, news articles and blog posts.
As social content begins surfacing in Google search results, it’s more important than ever to keep SEO in mind. Focus on:
- Search-driven captions that answer real user questions
- Strategic hashtags that act like SEO keywords
- Subtitles and text overlays for accessibility and silent viewing
- Cross-team collaboration to align posts with high-volume search terms
Read more about the update here.
LinkedIn Shares Key Elements Driving Video Content Engagement
If you’re not using video on LinkedIn, you’re missing a major opportunity to boost engagement. LinkedIn reported a 36% increase in video watch time in 2024, with short-form video creation outpacing all other post formats. Additionally, video posts are shared 20 times more than any other content type, making them a powerful tool for visibility and reach on the platform.
To help users make the most of video, LinkedIn has released “The Art and Science of Video Storytelling,” a report that analyzes over 13,000 B2B video ads to uncover what drives higher engagement. Interestingly, the most successful videos weren’t necessarily high-budget productions, but rather ones that were creatively intentional, emotionally resonant and culturally relevant.
Although the guide is focused on video advertising, its insights also apply to organic content. With strong engagement trends and practical strategies outlined in the report, it’s a valuable resource for anyone looking to integrate video into their LinkedIn content strategy. Whether you’re running ads or posting organically, incorporating well-crafted video can significantly boost your impact.
Stay up to date on the latest in social media with Social Commotion, The Motion Agency’s monthly roundup of social media updates, or contact us today to help your brand navigate the ever-changing landscape of social media.
