Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is updating its policies to deprioritise content that is repeatedly re-uploaded, re-shared or minimally tweaked without offering new value or commentary. This move follows a similar strategy by YouTube, reflecting a broader industry push toward quality and trust.

Ben Luff, senior social media manager at PMW, says the update should be welcomed by brands that take content creation seriously:

“Meta is sending a clear message that originality wins. For too long, feeds have been clogged with the same trending clips. This update rewards businesses that put time, thought and creativity into their social content, and that’s good news for brands that genuinely want to connect with their audiences.”

The platform isn’t banning all sharing. Content that adds commentary, humour, insights or creative editing will still be rewarded. The distinction is crucial for businesses navigating the new rules. A company that reposts a trending video unchanged could see dramatically reduced reach, whilst one that adds their own perspective or transforms the content into something fresh will continue to perform well.

Ben Luff added:

“There’s a misconception that high-performing content has to be glossy or expensive. That’s not what Meta is asking for. It wants content that is authentic, useful and human. Even simple behind-the-scenes clips or quick, thoughtful tips can outperform polished but impersonal reposts.”

Unoriginal content will now be shown to fewer people, creating additional pressure on brands already seeing a reduced organic reach. PMW predicts that companies relying on reposted memes, trending clips or stock-style videos could see noticeable drops in visibility if they fail to adapt.

However, Ben Luff says the change should be viewed as a strategic advantage rather than a setback:

“Businesses that commit to originality will now stand out more than ever. This update levels the playing field. If you’ve invested in strong messaging, creativity and brand personality, Meta’s algorithms will work in your favour.”

Drawing on its experience managing multi-platform social media strategies for national and regional brands, PMW recommends that businesses focus on:

Storytelling over selling: Sharing the people and purpose behind the brand rather than just product promotions

Value-driven content: Ensuring every post educates, entertains or inspires the audience

Strategic repurposing: Transforming existing content into new formats rather than simple copy-and-paste approaches

Authenticity: Embracing imperfect, genuine content over overly polished borrowed material

“Meta’s algorithms reward engagement, and audiences engage with content that feels fresh and relatable,” concluded Ben Luff. “This policy change is actually good news for businesses willing to invest in creativity. It will make sure genuine effort gets visibility.”

Instagram’s Funniest Viral Clips Compilation
A collection of hilarious and viral clips from Instagram, guaranteed to make you laugh.

YouTube

Top 30 Funniest Instagram Videos of All Time
A compilation of the top 30 funniest videos that have taken Instagram by storm.

YouTube

Trending Instagram Shorts Compilation – Funniest Moments Ever
A compilation of the funniest and most trending Instagram Shorts, featuring unexpected fails and side-splitting moments.

YouTube

Best Instagram Funny Moments of the Week
A roundup of the most hilarious Instagram moments of the week, including funny videos and memes.

YouTube

Top 30 Funniest Instagram Videos of All Time
A compilation of the top 30 funniest videos that have taken Instagram by storm.

YouTube

These compilations feature a variety of humorous content, from epic fails to clever pranks, ensuring a good laugh.

• More than 50% of consumers would consider riding an e-scooter for leisure or business use if training were on offer
• 89% of would-be riders called for a rider assessment to be put in place – similar to the cycling proficiency
• Sustainability and environmental benefits are the key drivers behind growing consumer appetite, followed by avoiding traffic and saving time

With over 30 local authorities across the UK weighing up the opportunity to extend and scale-up their electric scooter trials following an announcement by the Department of Transport, new research from TTC, the trusted training and compliance expert, suggests that consumer appetite for riding e-scooters for personal and business use is on the rise.[i]  Over 50% of those surveyed said they would consider an e-scooter as an alternative mode of local transport.

Sustainability and environmental benefits were the main reasons respondents would like to use e-scooters, with one in three placing this as the most important factor in the decision. Avoiding traffic was the second most common reason, followed by saving time.

Alongside announcing new regulations that enable local authorities to request changes to the geography and fleet size of their e-scooter trials, the government also issued guidance on purchasing, charging and using e-scooters. However, TTC’s survey suggests that not enough emphasis is being placed on ensuring riders of rental scooters have the right skills and road safety knowledge to benefit from their availability.

One in two consumers expressed skills and safety concerns and one in four respondents said they would only consider using an e-scooter locally if they received road safety training. Furthermore, 19% would only scoot if they could use dedicated lanes – like cycle lanes.  Most respondents (89%) felt e-scooter riders should be required to complete an assessment similar to the cycling proficiency test before being able to rent a scooter to ride on the road.

Jim Kirkwood, CEO of TTC commented, “E-scooters provide a great way to get around towns and cities without relying on crowded public transport or polluting cars. However, many people are put off from taking advantage of rental schemes because they do not feel ready or safe to scoot on the road. With interest growing, a lack of experience and knowledge is a simple roadblock to remove via dedicated training that boosts rider confidence.

“Courses are readily available to support individuals in gaining the skills and knowledge required to ride safely and confidently on the road. Local authorities and businesses can offer these courses to increase the use of zero emissions mobility for local journeys without putting personal and business use riders at risk. While local authority trials continue across the UK, we hope to see consideration given to implementing an e-scooter proficiency test or mandatory training course for new e-scooter riders. This could boost take-up by giving riders confidence, whilst keeping all road users safe.”

Some things are just beyond belief, such as Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster, or a certain ruling political party being re-elected this year. However, over a third (36%) of Brits have found themselves believing in superstitions due to experiencing a negative event after breaking one – yikes!

Superstitious rituals have become comforting little habits for many. The most common broken and practiced superstitions (traditionally associated with bad luck) that have unleashed negative karmic consequences on the nation in the last 12 months include, breaking a mirror (22%), crossing someone on the stairs (17%), seeing a black cat (15%), and knocking on wood (15%).

Brits have also used superstitions to prevent bad luck ahead of important life events, such as job interviews (22%), exams (18%) and even when supporting their favourite sports team (17%). Although, no amount of good luck could help Arsenal actually win the league or their north London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

With almost a quarter of Brits (24%) admitting that they have experienced a moment of bad luck at least once a week, here are the top 5 unfortunate or unlucky moments voted by the nation:

Interestingly, it appears that people aged between 18 to 24 (80%) are more likely to believe in luck than those aged 55+ (61%). In other news, it seems that good luck increases with age. Almost a quarter (24%) of those aged between 18 to 24 reported experiencing a moment of bad luck at least once a day, as opposed to only 6% of those aged 55+.

Paddy Power Bingo spokesperson Rachael Kane said: “We all like to think of ourselves as rational human beings but given the fact that 36% of Brits report experiencing negative consequences for ignoring a superstition, we might be wise to consider the karmic cost of our actions.

Our findings also suggest that luck improves with age, with younger people four times more likely to experience bad luck compared to those aged over 55 – so at least that’s something to look forward to…along with our pensions.”

The study by VoucherCodes.co.uk, the UK’s most trusted savings site, examined the nations’ attitudes towards their finances revealing nearly one in 10 want to ignore their bank balance by burying their head in the sand (9%). And that’s exactly what a quarter of the population are doing as they admit to only checking their balance just once a week or less (25%).

Other emotions Brits feel when looking at their finances include being “curious” as they are unsure as to what they’ll have on any given day (21%), feeling “nervous” or “like they should be more on top of their finances” (12%), and 4%, the equivalent of 2.7m people, “wanting to run a mile.”

When it comes to making a debit card purchase, 29% have blindly tapped their card despite not knowing if they had enough money to cover the cost. Delving deeper, it’s revealed that Brits would spend an average of £98 on an item without checking their balance first.

If a purchase was to fail or decline, a quarter of Brits would “ask a family/friend to help cover the cost” (25%), another a quarter (25%) “would get out their credit card”, and 14% would simply laugh it off.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, many consumers are already taking action to combat their FOBB, with a third (33%) “budgeting carefully every month”, a quarter (25%) “starting to pay more attention to their finances”, and one in four (26%) “looking for discounts and deals to make their money go further”.

Top 5 ways Brits are combatting FOBB (Fear of Bank Balance) 

These actions are clearly beginning to have a positive impact as 47% of the population feel “in control” at the thought of checking their bank balance, with nearly two thirds (38%) checking their available funds daily.

Anita Naik, Saving’s Expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk, comments: “The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has continued to shape and impact our daily lives, but it’s great to see our data reveal that Brits are beginning to take action towards their FOBB (Fear of Bank Balance).

If you suffer from FOBB, here are some top tips to assist with taking control of your fear:

• Set yourself a budget – setting out what you’re spending and where can help you keep on top of your finances and spot areas where you might be overspending. This allows you to save money and makes checking your bank balance much less scary. A budgeting app, like Emma, can be a great tool to get you started.
• Use a prepaid card – prepaid cards allow you to load a specific amount of money onto the card, helping you set a budget for your expenses and control your spending. Once you’ve spent the amount loaded onto the card, you can’t spend anymore, giving you a built-in spending limit.
• Seek support – if you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider talking to a financial advisor, a money advice service like MoneyHelper, or a trusted friend/family member. Opening up about your financial situation can help to ease the stress and can make getting a handle on your finances much less daunting.

“To help make your money go further, visit VoucherCodes.co.uk, where you can find thousands of discounts to help you save on a wide range of items, with all codes hand-tested daily to ensure you’re getting the deal you’ve been promised.”

The world of search and SEO is ever-changing, with 2022 being a big year in search – not just in terms of Google updates. Head of SEO at, Jamie Stevens discusses some of the most interesting changes that we can see happening in search in 2023 that will impact UK law firms (and other sectors) in this article.

More Competition for Google

In 2023, we expect that both new (ChatGPT anyone?) and not-so-new search engines will take some of Google’s market share, as users cool on Google over privacy issues and decreasing quality of search results.

Google’s share of search traffic has dropped by about 1.5% since the beginning of 2022 (but still has 84% market share) and we expect it to drop further through 2023.

While there is very little chance of anyone taking Google’s crown as the top search engine over the next few years, other search engines are slowly increasing their market share, with Bing now accounting for almost 10% of global searches and DuckDuckGo now accounting for almost 1% of searches worldwide.

Some interesting search engines were either created in 2022 or started to gain more popularity, so there are some interesting ones to watch out for, including:

• You.com
• Yep.com
• Kagi Search

AI is Here to Stay

We expect to see more artificial intelligence (AI) in search, perhaps even seeing search engines creating AI-generated text and images in search results.

This could significantly change the search landscape, especially if Microsoft can throw their significant resources behind improving OpenAI’s models so that it can give users answers to simple questions without having to visit a website. Therefore, it’s important that your firm is answering the questions your clients are searching for.

Declining Value of Citations for Local SEO

Local directories and larger directories, such as Yell, have been declining, while signals from Google’s own Google Business Profile continue to climb.

In the past, citations were a strong signal for local search as they were more likely to be up-to-date and contain the correct information than other sources. However, the business model of many citation services is no longer profitable, so citations are a much less reliable source of a business’s details than they were in the past.

As businesses are much more likely to keep their Google Business Profile (GBP) up to date, other citation sources are now less relevant, and it makes more sense for Google to use their internal data rather than data from other businesses. So, if your law firm hasn’t updated or checked its GBP recently, it’s time to do so.

Google Updates

In 2022, we saw the helpful content update aimed at giving users the information that they wanted in a digestible way. In 2023, Stevens suggests we’ll be seeing more smaller broad core updates, but we shouldn’t be surprised by one or two larger updates, probably targeting “spammy” content and link-building.

A big part of the helpful content update was to identify content that was created by AI, and we expect that, with the increasing popularity of ChatGPT, which can write very believable content that many people may not be able to tell is written by AI, Google will release an update that is designed to target this kind of content.

Some companies, such as originality.ai, claim that they can detect AI-written text with 94% accuracy; can we expect better from Google? If Google is unable to detect AI-written content with almost 100% accuracy, it could lead to legitimate websites and businesses being harmed.

Although ChatGPT can definitely have its benefits to law firms in terms of ideas generation and research, steer clear of copying and pasting those articles directly onto your website because you might be penalised in the near future!

For more detail surrounding the 2023 predictions for SEO, Jamie’s article can be found here.

So how can your law firm stay up to date and make the most out of the upcoming trends in search? Conscious Solutions offers free webinars for law firms in our monthly Conscious Conversations where we discuss upcoming trends that could impact and support your law firm through SEO, PPC, digital PR and more.

In February, we’ll be running a session on Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and this will discuss updates coming to how your law firm will track its analytics and deal with the reported changes to cookies. You can sign up for our free webinars here: https://www.conscious.co.uk/site/events/law-firm-marketing-training-webinars/

Other websites we use to stay up-to-date with current trends include ahrefs, Search Engine Land and Google.

If you need support with your law firm’s SEO, get in touch at sales@conscious.co.uk.