Now Playing: Your Brand

TikTok just widened access to its Pulse program, giving more brands the ability to run ads directly next to trending creator content. Previously limited to premium buyers, Pulse placements are now available across more categories and at lower spend thresholds.

It’s a shift that levels the playing field, and at PopShorts, we’re using it to help brands show up in more relevant, high-attention spots. Pulse lets advertisers align with the top 4% of TikTok content, making timing and creative match more important than ever.

Want to see how your brand could land next to the best content on the app? We’re already testing. Let’s talk.

Here’s what’s new this month:

• Instagram Tests Group Storylines: A new “Community Stories” feature allows creators to co-author collaborative story highlights.

• TikTok Surpasses Twitch in Streaming Hours: TikTok users logged more live stream watch time than Twitch in March.

• Meta Previews AI Ad Tool: Zuckerberg introduces a tool that writes social ads based on a few inputs.

• Snapchat Debuts Sponsored AI Lenses: Brands can now launch interactive, AI-driven filters tailored to user prompts.

Instagram Tests Group Storylines

Instagram is experimenting with a new “Community Stories” feature that lets multiple users contribute to the same storyline. Each participant’s content appears in a collaborative highlight, creating a shared, ongoing narrative.

The feature encourages group storytelling and could open new formats for creators working together, or for brands teaming up with multiple influencers on a single campaign.

Read More: TubeFilter

TikTok Streaming Hours Beat Twitch

New data shows TikTok has overtaken Twitch in total hours watched, with users logging 1.1 billion hours of TikTok streams in March compared to Twitch’s 1 billion. It’s a big milestone that highlights TikTok’s rapid growth in the live space.

For creators and brands, this shift points to broader opportunities in short-form-driven streaming. TikTok’s integration of discovery, commerce, and community gives live content a more dynamic, mobile-first edge.

Read More: TubeFilter

Meta Teases AI Tool That Writes Social Ads

Mark Zuckerberg previewed a new Meta tool that uses AI to write ads for Facebook and Instagram, based on a few prompts or product links. The goal: speed up creative testing and let advertisers go from concept to campaign in minutes.

But early reactions have been mixed. While automation could help with volume, there’s a concern that AI-generated ads could flood feeds with copy-paste creative that lacks originality or connection.

Read More: TechCrunch

Snapchat Launches Sponsored AI Lenses

Snapchat just rolled out a new ad product: Sponsored AI Lenses. Brands can now use generative AI to create custom filters that respond to user prompts. Think personalized experiences that evolve in real time.

It’s another step toward more interactive, made-for-mobile creative. At PopShorts, we’re already exploring how to pair these lenses with creator-led campaigns to make branded content feel more playful, personal, and shareable.

Read More: Snap Newsroom