Social Media Updates: September 2026

By Brittany Siminitz | September 25, 2026

Threads Opens Ads to Businesses Without Instagram Accounts

The social media giant Meta is making Threads a more independent advertising platform, the company announced recently. As of September, businesses will no longer need matching usernames on Threads and Instagram to run Threads ads—and companies with no Instagram presence will be able to advertise directly from a native Threads profile. Meta says the change is rolling out gradually, so it may not be available to every advertiser immediately.

For jewelers, the update lowers the barrier to testing Threads as a standalone marketing channel. Retailers that use Threads for conversation, commentary, or community-building potentially can now run campaigns there without maintaining a parallel Instagram identity. That could be especially useful for businesses whose Threads audience or tone has developed differently from Instagram, allowing advertising to be tailored specifically to Threads rather than treated as an extension of an IG campaign.

For more information on how to add or remove a Threads profile, visit Facebook’s business blog.

Meta Adds Paid Business Tools—and Tests Limits on Free Link Posts

Meta has introduced Meta One for Business, a new set of subscription packages for businesses using Facebook and Instagram. Plans range from $14.99 to $499 per month and include features such as competitor benchmarking, extended audience insights, posting recommendations, advanced scheduling, and AI-powered customer service tools. Higher-priced plans also allow businesses to add direct links to a limited number of Instagram posts and Reels each month.

At the same time, some Facebook Page managers are reporting a potentially more consequential change: Meta has expanded a test limiting certain nonpaying professional accounts to two Facebook link posts per month unless they subscribe to Meta One. The restriction is not universal, and publisher Pages are exempt. Meta first began testing the limit in late 2025.

For jewelers that regularly use Facebook to send customers directly to product pages, event registration, blog posts, or other websites, it’s worth watching whether the restriction reaches their account before deciding whether a subscription provides enough value. There is one important wrinkle: Meta’s own data shows that posts containing outside links already account for a very small share of Facebook views, so retailers may want to review how much traffic those posts actually generate before paying simply to preserve them.

Visit Facebook’s website for more information about Meta One.

Pinterest Adds a Holiday Campaign Optimization Tool

Pinterest has introduced a new campaign optimization score in Ads Manager, designed to show advertisers how closely their campaigns align with the platform’s recommended practices. The score evaluates three areas—campaign setup, creative mix, and signal strength—and offers specific recommendations for improving performance. Pinterest is encouraging advertisers to use broader targeting, maintain steadier budgets, keep product feeds current, and give campaigns more creative options to test.

For jewelers heading into the holiday season, the creative guidance may be especially useful: Pinterest recommends running at least three ad formats per ad group and five or more distinct ads, giving the platform more opportunities to determine what resonates with different shoppers. That could mean testing a mix of product close-ups, styled jewelry imagery, gift-focused Pins, and video (rather than relying on a single holiday campaign asset). Retailers using catalog ads also should make sure pricing and availability are accurate, since Pinterest says up-to-date product feeds help its system serve more relevant products as shoppers move from inspiration to purchase.

For more information, visit Pinterest’s blog.

(Photo: Getty Images Plus/pressureUA)