You know that moment when you're watching a random Shorts video and you suddenly want to buy the jacket, eat the noodles, or book the same damn vacation? Well, YouTube heard you, and it’s now handing that craving over to Google Lens.

That’s right. You can now long-press on any Shorts video and let AI figure out what’s in it, where it’s from, and how to spend your money on it. No tags. No captions. Just vibes, vision, and a visual search engine that sees what you see.

Today, we’re breaking down YouTube’s new Lens feature and what it means for marketers, creators, and impulse shoppers with no self-control. Plus, your weekly dose of digital and social updates, served hot by The Viral Venti from Akari & Co.

Social Media Marketing

How YouTube Shorts Is Revolutionizing Shopping

In a move that could turn every chaotic Shorts binge into a shopping spree, YouTube is now layering Google Lens search directly into Shorts. This brings TikTok-style visual discovery to Google’s video playground, only with a lot more data, and no need to type anything.

Key Details

• Beta: Google Lens is live for a select group of YouTube Shorts viewers, rolling out over the next few weeks on Android and iOS apps.
  

• Pause & Search: Users pause a Short, hit “Lens” in the top menu, then tap or circle anything—objects, places, text—for instant visual matches and results overlaid on the video.
  

• No Ad Zone (For Now): During the beta, search results are ad-free, and Lens won’t work on Shorts with YouTube Shopping affiliate links or paid promos.

Why This Is a Big Deal

• Visual Search Meets Vertical Video: Shorts already grab attention. Now they’re grabbing intent. Lens can ID clothes, landmarks, brands, and more in real time, even if the creator didn’t include a single keyword.
  

• Low-Effort, High-Conversion UX: This makes Shorts shoppable without requiring creators to prep or optimize anything. The friction between “I want that” and “I found that” just got slashed.
  

• Google’s Revenge Arc on TikTok Search: With TikTok eating into Gen Z's search behavior, this is YouTube's not-so-subtle way of saying, "We can be a discovery engine too, and we’ve got the tech to back it up."

The Bottom Line

YouTube Shorts with Google Lens is a double-edged sword. A slick, time-saving search tool for users, but a potential curveball for creators and marketers banking on long views. Optimize your Shorts to play nice with Lens, think clear visuals, snappy captions, and standout objects, or risk being scrolled past. With the beta live and a broader rollout looming, now’s the time to tweak your strategy and ride this visual search wave. Stay sharp, spread your bets, and keep your eyes on the prize!

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Social Media Trends

The Weekly Scroll 📱

Instagram/Facebook/Threads

📸 Instagram Embraces 3:4 Aspect Ratio Instagram now supports 3:4 aspect ratio photos—the default for most smartphone cameras—allowing your images to appear exactly as shot, without awkward cropping or resizing. 👉 Post as you shot

🎙️ Voice DMs Get a Major Upgrade Instagram has introduced voice message transcriptions and extended the maximum length of audio clips in DMs from 1 minute to 5 minutes, enhancing accessibility and convenience in private conversations. 👉 Try it now

🔐 Instagram Introduces Shared Account Access Instagram now allows you to invite trusted individuals to access your account, facilitating collaboration for content creation, customer service, or community management. 👉 Learn more

TikTok

🔗 TikTok Stories Get Link Love TikTok now lets creators add external links to Stories—finally making it easier to send viewers anywhere beyond the app. Link in Story is the new bio. 👉 Add a link

YouTube

🎥 YouTube Adds Side-by-Side Ads to Livestreams Livestream viewers on YouTube will now see ads next to the stream, not over it. Because nothing says “immersive” like multitasking eyeballs. 👉 Preview the layout

💬 YouTube Shorts Show Comment Previews YouTube Shorts now tease top comments before you even tap. Scrollbait? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely. 👉 Peek the preview

X / Twitter

💸 X Launches Chat, Payments & Messaging Revamp X is beta-testing “X Chat,” combining messaging, payments, and a cleaner interface. It’s not just talk anymore—it’s transactions. 👉 Join the beta

Other Platforms

❌ LinkedIn Kills Custom Profile CTA That flashy “Visit Website” button on your profile? Gone. LinkedIn is keeping it corporate—no personal promo shortcuts for you. 👉 Update your profile

✈️ Expedia’s AI Turns Reels Into Travel Itineraries See a dreamy Instagram Reel, click, and boom—Expedia’s AI builds a bookable itinerary. Wanderlust just went from vibe to invoice. 👉 Try a trip

Digital Marketing Trends/Ads

Tour de Headlines

Meta

📊 Meta Upgrades Ad Tools with AI & Graphs Meta just rolled out updates to its Marketing API, with better ad copy suggestions and deeper insights via its “Marketing Graph.” It’s ad targeting with extra IQ. 👉 Check it out

🔍 Meta Doubles Down on Transparency Meta’s latest transparency report adds data from Threads and a new spotlight on Community Notes. It’s PR, but make it accountable. 👉 Skim the report

TikTok

Nada this week!

Google / YouTube

⚡ Google Supercharges Ads with Power Pair & Agentic Google Ads just got smarter. “Power Pair” teams up Search and Performance Max, while “Agentic” gives AI the wheel. It's cruise control for conversions. 👉 Activate the duo

X (Formerly Twitter)

🎬 X Rolls Out ‘X Originals’ Video Hub X is diving into original video with exclusive content and a dedicated tab for “X Originals.” Twitter TV? Elon’s working on it. 👉 Watch Originals

Other Platforms

🧾 LinkedIn Drops Public Job Ad Library LinkedIn now lets you browse all active job ads in one searchable place. Great for job seekers—and competitive stalkers. 👉 Browse the board

📈 LinkedIn Post Analytics Just Got Smarter LinkedIn beefed up post insights with better data on reach, engagement, and who’s viewing. Perfect for humblebrags backed by stats. 👉 View your stats

Interesting Stats

Show these to execs when they question you

📸 Instagram’s Dominance: 92% of social media marketers consider Instagram a priority platform, with LinkedIn surprisingly taking the second spot at 52%, surpassing TikTok.

👥 Shift in User Behavior: Instagram users are spending less time viewing content from friends. 51% of time is spent focusing on Reels and interest-based content, indicating a move from social networking to content discovery.

💄 TikTok's Beauty Influence: TikTok has rapidly become a major force in the UK's £30 billion beauty industry, transforming how cosmetics are discovered, marketed, and sold. The platform ranks as the UK’s fourth-largest beauty retailer, with one product sold every second via TikTok Shop UK. 

🎬 Cannes' Social Media Impact: At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, influencer-driven content generated a record $203 million in earned media value on Instagram, up from $86.3 million in 2024.

🎯 Social Media Ad Spending: Global social media ad spending soared from $19.8 billion in 2015 to approximately $270–277 billion in 2025, a more than 14-fold increase.

Recommendations/Resources

Tools & Apps We’re Loving Right Now 🛠️

Best AI Image Creator – Leonardo AI is blowing our minds. We’re ditching clunky design tools because this one’s got the magic touch.
👉 Give it a go

Best for Tracking TikTok Metrics & Competitor Benchmarking – TokBackup has become our secret weapon for TikTok insights. If you’re not using this, you’re flying blind.
👉 Explore TokBackup

See Competitor Ads in Real-Time – Meta Ads Library lets you spy on your competitors' strategies and campaigns. Lurking in here is basically a full-time job.
👉 Peek inside

Google Ads Campaign Insights – Google Ads Transparency Center lets you see where ad dollars are flowing. If you like data with a side of snooping, this tool’s for you.
👉 Go snoop

Best AI voiceovers - So, your talent flubbed a line, or you changed your script after recording? ElevenLabs lets you turn text into hyper-realistic voiceovers so seamless, no one will ever know.
👉 Fix it

Best AI Video Generation- HeyGen is this cool AI tool that lets you create videos with super realistic avatars that talk just by typing a script. It’s great if you hate being on camera or want to make content fast—plus, it can speak over 40 languages, so it’s perfect for reaching a global audience. Super easy, saves you time and money, and the results actually look professional.
👉 Try It

Ad Creative Analytics - Beautiful creative reporting to help your team generate more revenue from your paid social ads.

👉 Try it out

Shower Thought  🚿💭

Antique shops are stores full of nostalgic stuff for old people.