• SocialChain
• 16 July 2026
• 5 min

Social in Six 106

1. Meta has launched a new range of AI-powered glasses

The story:

• Meta has launched a new range of AI-powered smart glasses, called Meta Glasses, created in partnership with EssilorLuxottica and designed to bring Meta AI into more everyday use cases.
• The new line starts at $299 and includes three styles: Meta Adventurer, Meta Fury and Meta Glasses by Kylie, a Kylie Jenner-designed oval frame.
• The glasses come in 26 style combinations and include always-on access to Meta AI, powered by Muse Spark, with features including handsfree content capture (image and video), live translation, calling and music and entertainment.

So what?

AI-powered glasses could open up a new first-person storytelling format for creators, making everyday moments easier to capture and share. But with always-on cameras and AI capabilities, transparency will matter. Creators will need to be clear about what is real, what is AI-assisted and how they’re managing privacy and permissions.

2. Meta is enhancing its livestream shopping tools

The story:

• Meta has announced a series of updates to its livestream promotion and shopping tools, designed to drive more commerce activity within live broadcasts.
• Live video ads are being expanded to Instagram and launched globally on Facebook, allowing livestream promotions to link directly to broadcasts and include in-stream product tabs.
• Meta is also working with live commerce platforms including CommentSold, Firework, LiveMeUp, Sprii and TalkShopLive, while expanding affiliate product links and product tagging for creators in more markets.

So what?

This gives creators more ways to turn influence into revenue through affiliate links, product tagging and live selling. Livestream shopping can feel more human and community-led than standard ecommerce, but authenticity is the watchout. The creators who win will be the ones who can sell without making the content feel too salesy.

3. Reddit has rolled out split testing to all advertisers

The story:

• Reddit has made split testing generally available to all advertisers, following a test with selected ad partners over the past few months.
• The tool lets marketers run two ad variants at the same time with one variable changed, helping them identify which version performs best before scaling the campaign.
• Split testing is available as a self-serve option in Reddit Ads Manager and includes pre-built templates, with tests running between 2-6 weeks.

So what?

This is a welcome update that makes Reddit easier to test before scaling, which is particularly handy if you’re new to advertising on the platform. Marketers can compare messaging, headline copy, targeting approaches and calls to action to see what actually resonates with Reddit communities. That means smarter creative decisions and more confidence in where budget goes next.

4. YouTube has added music to photo posts

The story:

• YouTube is updating photo posts by allowing creators to attach snippets of licensed and popular music to still-image content.
• Photo posts, including image carousels, can now appear in the Shorts feed, giving creators another way to reach audiences outside of traditional video uploads.
• Licensed music clips will be limited to 15 seconds, expanding the creative options available for image-based storytelling on YouTube.

So what?

This gives brands and creators a quicker way to stay active in Shorts without filming full videos. Although brands are limited to royalty-free tracks only, it also creates a simple way to repurpose campaign photography, creator imagery and still assets into more discoverable social content. A low-lift format with extra reach potential.

5. LinkedIn is launching collaborative posts

The story:

• LinkedIn is testing collaborative posts, allowing members and company pages to share posts together with all collaborators listed at the top.
• The feature will be available through a new “Add Collaborators” option in post settings, where users can invite other LinkedIn users or company pages to partner on a post.
• LinkedIn is initially testing the feature with a handful of creators and brands, with plans to roll it out more widely over the next few months.

So what?

Collaborative posts could make creator-brand paid partnerships feel more native on LinkedIn, which we might be seeing a lot more of. Instead of relying on tags and reposts, both sides can co-own the content and tap into each other’s audiences. The format works in both a paid and organic capacity, but remember to disclose any paid partnerships with AD in the creator’s captions to avoid any ambiguity. Beyond that, this is especially useful for amplifying thought leadership and employee advocacy if one of your employees has a significant following on the platform.  

6. LinkedIn tests suggested feeds

The story:

• LinkedIn is testing suggested feeds, giving some users access to alternative, topic-focused content feeds alongside their regular news feed.
• The title of the feed is based on topics users engage with in the app, as well as trending professional news stories, such as Cannes Lions and new product launches.
• LinkedIn started testing a similar feature in summer last year, but back then, the feed options were limited to “For You”, “Following” and “News”.

So what?

Suggested feeds could make LinkedIn discovery more interest-led and more targeted. Creators and brands with a clear niche may have a better chance of reaching the right professional audiences. The key will be relevance, consistency and having something useful to say within specific industry conversations.