Digital Marketing Updates October 2026

Meta has spent the last few years politely taking things off your plate. This month it stopped being polite about it.

Less control over your ads, a new way to automate your DMs, and a monthly bill for the good features. Meta wants to drive, and it would like you in the passenger seat holding the snacks. Here’s my take on each.

1. Meta Ads: placement controls are being removed

What’s happening

• Meta is warning some advertisers that placement options could be removed from ad sets.
• That means no more excluding specific placements, platforms, devices or operating systems.
• No rollout date yet, and manual placements still show in most accounts.
• It follows years of cuts to detailed targeting, exclusions and audience controls.

My take

• The automation often works. The risk is your creative.
• That square Feed graphic will end up in Stories and Reels, stretched and cropped by Meta’s AI.
• Meta can make an ad fit a placement. That doesn’t mean it looks good there.

What to do

• Build every ad in a vertical version and a feed version.
• Check which Advantage+ creative enhancements are switched on.
• Sort your conversion tracking. It’s the main steering you have left.
• Use exclusion-only custom audiences to keep ads away from existing customers and opt-outs.

Read the full article →

2. Meta Ads: new Reply to Keywords feature (auto-DM from comments)

What’s happening

• Some advertisers have a new ‘Reply to Keywords’ option when creating an ad.
• Pick up to five keywords or phrases and write one private message.
• Anyone who comments a keyword on your ad gets that message as an automatic DM.
• The message can include a link, phone number or email.
• It’s a test, and it looks like Instagram only for now.

My take

• You get one message for all five keywords, so it can’t handle customer service. Treat it as a lead magnet tool.
• Great for service businesses. Set “price”, “cost” and “how much”, and send your price guide or booking link while they’re still interested.
• Spammy if the thing you’re sending isn’t worth having. Make the offer good first, then automate it.

Read the full article from Jon Loomer →

3. Meta One: the new paid subscription for businesses

Back in August I said Meta was turning “free” into “for now”. It took about six weeks.

What’s happening

• Meta One launched on 15 September across Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Meta AI.
• The core apps stay free. The extras now sit in paid tiers.
• Prices below are in US dollars and vary by region, so check what your own account is offered.

My take

• Clickable links in organic posts is the feature we’ve wanted forever. It’s in the US$49.99 tier (about NZ$86 a month). Cheeky.
• Essential is an easy yes if you’ve had fake accounts copying you, or a verified badge would build trust.
• Advanced is only worth it if you’d use links and Story scheduling every week.
• Nothing in the announcement says paying gets you more reach. It won’t fix a content problem.

Read the full announcement from Meta →

4. Instagram ranking explained: how the algorithm decides reach

If you can’t pick your placements and you can’t buy your reach, what decides who sees your content? Whether people respond to it. Instagram’s own ranking explainer dates back to 2023, but it’s still the clearest guide Meta has published.

The short version

• There’s no single algorithm. Feed, Stories, Reels and Explore each rank content their own way.
• Feed: time spent on the post, comments, likes, shares and profile taps.
• Reels: reshares and watching to the end. Low-res, watermarked, muted or mostly-text Reels get less distribution.
• Stories: shown to people who already watch and reply. They keep followers warm rather than finding new ones.
• Explore: how quickly a post collects likes, saves and shares.
• Shadowbans: check Account Status in your Instagram settings. It shows whether your content can be recommended, and lets you appeal.

My take

Shares and watch time are the common thread. Make things people want to send to a friend.

Read Instagram’s full ranking explainer →

What to actually do this month

• Audit your ad creative. Every live ad needs a vertical version and a feed version.
• Look for Reply to Keywords next time you build an ad, and test it on one campaign.
• Check what Meta One offers your account before paying. Start with the lowest tier that solves a real problem.
• Open Account Status on Instagram. Thirty seconds, and the shadowban guessing game is over.

Meta is going to keep taking decisions off you. Fine. Spend the time you get back on content worth watching.

Want a second pair of eyes on your ads or your content? You know where to find us.