Facebook, Instagram & Threads are about to become the Wild West.

Yesterday, Zuckerberg announced Meta is getting rid of its third party fact-checkers.

Soon, the platforms will allow users to make “community notes” on questionable content instead. The good news? Marketers may soon be able to wield a bit more creative freedom in their campaigns. The bad news? The general public will be able to decide what’s misinformation and what isn’t.

In today's newsletter:

• What the end of Meta's fact-checking program means for brands (plus 4 things you should be doing ahead of this change)

• Honey browser extension accused of stealing from influencers (find out why this popular tool is now being called a scam)

• Trend plug - “Messy”

• Ask the Editor - I want to post more on LinkedIn but don’t know what to write about!

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

What the End of Meta’s Fact-Checking Program Means for Brands

The tech overlords strike again.

Mark Zuckerberg is no stranger to the limelight. So, in true Zuck fashion, he's dropped yet another bombshell.

Starting soon, Meta will ditch third-party fact-checkers across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Instead, the platforms will rely on “community notes” from users to flag misinformation. And I can bet my left cheek President-elect Trump, and his allies are just thrilled.

But for the rest of us—marketers, everyday users, and the society hanging by a thread between democracy and chaos, this move is stirring up a cocktail of questions:

• Is this the beginning of the end for responsible content moderation?

• What does it mean for the marketing ecosystem on Meta’s platforms?

• And, perhaps most existentially, who’s really in charge when the overlords and Oval Office share a bed?

Let’s unpack it, shall we?

Marketing implications: the good, the bad, and the truly ugly.

Let’s start with the good news, which is essentially, a looser leash.

Of course, the bad news is the potential for these platforms to become a misinformation minefield.

[Keep reading to find out what this change means for marketers]

-Sophie, Writer

New year, same internet.

If you thought scammers might’ve made a resolution to chill, think again—because they’re busier than ever.

And this time, they're coming after influencers in the form of a free browser extension called Honey.

The name “Honey” sounds harmless enough, right?

Well, that's the point.

Honey claims to save you money by finding the best coupon codes for your online shopping habit.

Owned by PayPal and splashed across your feed through influencer collabs and ads, Honey sold itself as the shopper’s best friend.

But now?

The golden glow of those savings is looking more tarnished than your great grandmas’ earrings.

Because according to YouTuber MegaLag, who dropped a 23-minute exposé two weeks ago, “I hate to break it to you, but your favorite influencers sold you a lie. Honey is a scam.”

Cue the chaos in creator town.

For the uninitiated, Honey’s elevator pitch is simple: it’s a browser extension that automatically finds and applies the best promo codes at checkout.

But according to a growing number of sceptics, Honey’s glowing promises might be little more than smoke and mirrors.

[Keep reading to find out how Honey is stealing from influencers]

-Sophie, Writer

Trend Plug - “Messy”

Today's trend is brought to you by Lola Young’s song, "Messy," which is all over TikTok right now.

The lyrics highlight the impossible expectations we’ve all faced, with lyrics like, “Cause I’m too messy, then I’m too f%&king clean.” 

This song gained traction when Sofia Richie and Jake Shane posted a TikTok using the sound, sparking its own trend. Now, with over 950,000 videos and counting, this is one you'll want to get on.

We've seen some TikTokers use this trending sound to describe how they feel about their parent struggles, while others are showing the clutter-free environment they've meticulously curated. The sound is MASSIVE, so it's been used a million and one ways.

How you can jump on this trend: 

Think of a time when you faced impossible or contradictory expectations. Use OST to explain your situation, and then film yourself lip-syncing to the sound.

A few ideas to get you started:

• When the client says, “Make it go viral, but don’t use TikTok"

• When the boss says, "We need this to feel authentic, but also polished and professional."

• Me after writing 10 captions and the client says, “Let’s just go with emoji-only posts."

-Abdel, Social Media Coordinator

Today on the YAP podcast…

Want even more ‘YAP’ing? Check out the full podcast here.

Ask the Editor

Q - One of my New Year's resolutions is to post more on LinkedIn but I always struggle with new topics to talk about. Help! - Saralee

Hey Saralee!

Love that creating more content is part of your resolutions. But thinking you need to keep coming up with new topics to talk about is a myth!

Instead of reinventing the wheel every time you sit down to post, you should have a few topics you continuously talk about. My suggestion is to come up with 3-5 relevant topics you want to focus on in your content. Then, brainstorm 3-5 subtopics under each of these.

Once you've done this, you'll have a pretty good list of things you can write about so you're never starting from a blank page. I know we tend to worry our audience will get bored if we talk about the same few topics all the time. But it's good to remember that your followers aren't going to see every post you make.

Don't forget that your audience follows you because they care about the things you talk about. So bringing in too many different topics can alienate them.

Sure, you should approach your core topics from various angles. But don't be afraid to repeat your message. After all, this is how you become known for something!

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

For the group chat

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: Hulk is SMASHED!
✨Daily inspo: you need to hear this
🎧Soooo tingly: Ice cream stand restock ASMR
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Parmesan potato slices

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