What’s New in Social Media This Month (January 2026): Quilting Business Edition

Tori McElwain

Hello Quilters, Pattern Designers, Teachers, and Longarm Service Pros!

Welcome to your January 2026 social media update - designed to help you stay in the loop without wading through tech jargon. Each month, I break down the must-know changes across the major platforms - Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube - and what they mean for your quilting business, from promoting patterns to filling seats in your classes or booking quilts for your longarm.

What’s New This Month

1. Instagram Reels Now Lets You Link a Profile in Reels

What changed: Instagram is rolling out new creator tools in the Edits App that include the ability to link a profile directly in a Reel so viewers can tap and visit that profile straight from the video. (EmbedSocial)

Why it matters: Instead of hoping viewers will find your bio link, you can guide them right where you want - whether it’s your profile, or an collaborators profile.

What to try: Post a Reel showing off a sneak peek of a new quilt pattern and link your account so viewers can easily follow you or sign up.

2. Instagram: How to Link Reels Together to Create a Series

What changed: Instagram is increasingly prioritizing connected Reels - videos that reference each other through on-screen text, captions, pinned posts, and profile navigation. While there isn’t a single “Series” button for Reels yet, the algorithm is favoring content that keeps viewers watching multiple videos from the same creator in one session.

Why it matters: When your Reels clearly connect, viewers are more likely to:

• Watch more than one video

• Visit your profile

• Follow you or click through to your offers

For quilting businesses, this turns short-form video into education, trust-building, and visibility - not just quick views.

What to try: Create a 3-part Reel series around one topic (for example: Designing a colorway for an upcoming Quilt Pattern, Preparing a Quilt for Longarming, or Behind the Scenes of Teaching a Class).

• Add on-screen text like “Part 1 of 3”

• Mention the next Reel in your caption

• Pin Part 1 to your profile so new viewers can easily start at the beginning

This helps Instagram understand your content is connected and encourages viewers to keep watching.

3. Instagram Rolls Out “Your Algorithm” Controls

What changed: Instagram has expanded access to a new feature that lets you customize your Reel recommendations - essentially teaching the algorithm what you want more (or less) of. (EmbedSocial) You can find this in Reels, look to the upper right corner.

Why it matters: Understanding this shift helps you see why your content is showing up where it does and how to better position your quilting content in discovery feeds to find new followers.

What to try: Explore the settings to understand what topics Instagram weighs most heavily, then adjust your captions and Reel themes to align with popular interests in quilting, sewing tips, and pattern design.

4. TikTok’s U.S. Ownership and Algorithm Are Changing

What changed: TikTok’s U.S. business has been spun off into a new joint venture majority-owned by American investors, including Oracle (with ByteDance, the original company, retaining a minority stake). (Reuters)

Why it matters: The platform isn’t going away - but the algorithm powering what viewers see will be retrained on U.S. user data and governed differently. That may subtly shift what content gets surfaced. (The Verge) Note: Many users are experiencing suppressed videos, gliteches and more already.

What to try: Keep creating your short-form videos, but closely monitor performance early in February to see if hooks, topics, or formats that once worked need fine-tuning under the new algorithm.

5. Facebook Offers Better Post Comparison Tools

What changed: Facebook updated its Professional Dashboard to let creators compare posts side-by-side and also introduced feed and search layout tweaks to make discovery easier. (SocialBee)

Why it matters: Better analytics help you figure out what type of quilting content - patterns, tutorials, class promos - resonates best with your audience.

What to try: Use the compare feature after a few weeks of posting to spot trends in engagement (likes, comments, shares) and double-down on the formats that work best for your audience.

6. YouTube Focuses on Shorts and AI Creator Support

What changed: YouTube is doubling down on Shorts (its short-form video format) while also expanding AI creator tools - but emphasizing quality over low-effort AI content. (Digital Camera World)

Why it matters: Shorts are huge (as in they are being pushed out right now intentionally) and great for showing quick quilting hacks, pattern highlights, or time-lapse quilting videos. Plus, AI tools can help with subtitles, ideas, or visuals - if used thoughtfully. (The Economic Times)

What to try: Repurpose your best Instagram/TikTok Shorts into YouTube Shorts with consistent branding and optimized text overlays. Already on YouTube? Check out your competition (or I like to call them colleagues) to see what is working for them. Reach out to your community and ask for advice.

7. Pinterest Announces “Bring My Pinterest to Life” TV Series

What changed: Pinterest announced a new ‘Bring My Pinterest to Life’ TV-style series heading to Roku TV in March 2026. (RetailTouchpoints)

Why it matters: This signals Pinterest’s push into entertainment and content discovery - which can drive new eyes to your quilting boards and ideas.

What to try: Pin high-quality images of your best patterns, tutorials, and class projects now so you’re well-positioned for search and TV cross-discovery later this spring.

Trend Watch: What Quilting Businesses Should Keep On Their Radar

• Short-form videos (Reels, Shorts, TikToks) continue to dominate engagement across platforms. (Sprout Social) - This is in the research, and it's also in my own and my clients' experience on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

• Social media is increasingly acting like a search engine, especially for how-to and tutorial content (e.g., “quilt binding tips”). (slateteams.com)

• AI tools to generate ideas, captions, and edits are emerging - but quality matters more than quantity. (The Economic Times) for long-term connection and community.

• Partnerships and creator collaborations are shaping up as a major driver of reach and trust. (Hootsuite)

• Social commerce continues to grow - meaning selling directly from platforms’ shops is more important than ever. (EMARKETER) - Have you seen Shopify integrating with YouTube? How about TikTok shop? It's growing, or at least it was, now that the transition of ownership of TikTok has happened for the US - this may change.

Summary Table: Platform by Platform

Platform	Major Updates	Opportunity for Quilting Biz
Instagram	Profile linking in Reels, algorithm controls	Boost discovery, direct traffic to shop & classes
TikTok	U.S. ownership change & algorithm retraining	Monitor shifts and refine strategy
Facebook	Better analytics & feed tweaks	Learn what content drives engagement
Pinterest	New TV series	Grow visual discoverability
YouTube	Shorts + AI creator tools	Repurpose short videos for more reach

Your February Action Plan for Social Media

Pick your main platform and try something new for February:

• Post a Reel on Instagram with a direct profile link guiding viewers to your profile to follow or click the links in your bio.

• Review TikTok analytics weekly to see if content performance shifts post-ownership change.

• Use Instagram’s “Your Algorithm” controls to better train what content surfaces in your feed.

• Compare recent Facebook posts to find your top 3 performing types (video, carousel, promo).

• Repurpose your best Shorts into YouTube Shorts with captions for accessibility.

• Update Pinterest boards with high-quality pins so they’re ready for the Roku series spotlight (if you're already doing this, check out some of your older Pins and revamp them).

• Test at least one collaborative post with another quilting creator or teacher.

• Keep exploring trending keywords on Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest that tie to quilting.

Ready to Level Up Your Social Strategy?

If you want help turning these updates into a content plan that actually works for your business, I’m offering a free 30-minute strategy session to craft your next moves - no fluff, just actionable steps.

Claim your Free 30 Min Strategy Session

Tori McElwain of Hey, Tori!

Tori McElwain

Tori McElwain is a quilter, educator, and digital marketing strategist passionate about helping creatives grow their businesses online - without the burnout. She’s the author of Workshops Unleashed and founder of the Digital Marketing Magic Coaching Program (DMMC), where she teaches quilters and craft educators how to simplify content, boost engagement, and sell their offers with confidence. From Facebook ads to Reels hooks, she brings an educator’s heart to every tech tool she teaches. Learn more at HeyTori.tech.

Disclaimer: This report was generated with AI and reviewed by Tori. It’s meant to help inform your strategy but does not guarantee any specific results.

Sources:

Instagram features & Reels profile linking: (EmbedSocial)

TikTok Oracle acquisition & algorithm change: (Reuters)

Facebook updates: (SocialBee)

YouTube Shorts & tools: (Digital Camera World)

Pinterest TV series: (Wikipedia)

Platform trends & hashtags: (Sprout Social)