JANUARY 15, 2026

PUBLISHER INSIDER

📉 Short-term dips showing across Facebook earnings and views

Over the last week, we’ve had dozens of publishers report drops in views and earnings in the 30–50% range. First thing: a chunk of this is normal seasonality. Post-holiday demand cools off, advertisers pause, CPMs reset. That part is expected.

But if you’re seeing drops on the higher end of that range or worse, it’s usually not “the algorithm” in general. It’s something local: page quality flags, unoriginal content, monetization eligibility issues, or distribution throttles on specific formats.

The good news is this stuff is fixable. When we audit pages with sharper drops, there’s almost always a clear cause and a clear path back.

😨 AdSense RPMs fell hard for a lot of publishers in the last 24–48 hours

We’re seeing widespread reports of 50–70% drops in eCPM and RPM across AdSense accounts, even though traffic hasn’t changed. Same pages, same US-heavy audiences. The only thing different is the revenue. Some publishers are saying today’s RPM is half of yesterday’s. Others are seeing 80–90% collapses compared to earlier this year.

Some publishers think it’s tied to another Google ranking adjustment. Others are pointing to confirmed Google Ad Manager issues affecting AdX match rates and delivery, especially on web and mobile web inventory. Google has acknowledged system problems, but hasn’t said whether this explains the revenue crash yet.

This is exactly why we keep saying AdSense alone is not a business model anymore. Facebook might fluctuate, but at least they’re actively paying, stacking bonuses, and pushing distribution right now.

➡️ Read the full article​

💥 Meta ads performance took a hit after the latest iOS update

Since the iOS update around last week, ads are still getting clicks and people are still landing on sites. But Meta can only see about 20–25% of those visits. The PageView event isn’t firing properly, so Ads Manager thinks traffic vanished when it didn’t.

This breaks optimization. Meta learns slower and campaigns stall. New ads struggle to find the right audience. Big advertisers with tons of historical data will survive, but smaller spenders and new campaigns are getting crushed because Meta is flying blind.

Same story as always: platforms change, tracking breaks, advertisers panic. Meanwhile, organic reach and on-platform monetization keep running. When pixels lie, Facebook-native distribution still pays.

➡️ Read the full thread​

📝 Meta just added “Conversion count” breakdown in Ads Manager

With the new breakdown called Conversion Count, you now see first conversions vs all other conversions inside the same attribution window. If one person buys twice, you actually see that now.

Meta has been pushing “optimize for first conversions,” but until now the reporting was confusing. You’d optimize for new buyers and still see all conversions lumped together. That made people think performance was better (or worse) than it really was. This fixes that. One row, first-time conversions. Second row, repeat conversions. Clean and simple.

➡️ Read the full article

🔔 X is rolling out “Priority Notifications”

X is testing a new Priority tab that filters notifs so you mainly see activity from mutuals and high-signal accounts. You’ll need at least 500 followers to unlock it, so it’s another soft gate around visibility.

What’s interesting is Facebook has already been doing this through feed ranking, interaction weighting, and notification prioritization. Pages that trigger replies, saves, and repeat engagement already get surfaced more often without needing a separate “priority” switch. For publishers, the lesson stays the same: platforms reward depth of interaction, not volume. Facebook just happens to pay you for it.

➡️ Read the full article​

🍿 IG now allows users to personalize their Reels algorithm for 2026

IG just gave people a new control panel to tell the Reels algorithm exactly what they want. Pick topics you like, remove ones you don’t. Lock in three priorities for the year. The feed updates fast. You change the inputs, the content shifts almost immediately. It’s simple.

For publishers, this is a warning and an opportunity. Reels are about to get more selective. If your content is clear, focused, and obviously made for a specific audience, you win. If it’s vague or recycled, users will literally turn it off. Facebook wants higher watch time and fewer wasted impressions. That means niche content, strong hooks, and obvious positioning will matter more than ever in 2026.

➡️ Read the full article

🖥️ “Website highlights” feature is now live on Meta Ads

Meta originally introduced Website Highlights to automatically pull snippets from your site and drop them into ads. In theory, helpful. In reality, a lot of bad picks.

Now they’ve added a manual override. You can turn Website Highlights off entirely or review every highlight Meta selected and keep only what you want. No more random pull quotes.

Go to the ad level, open creative setup, find Website Highlights, and remove anything you don’t want. Check it. Control it. Ads perform better when you decide the message, not the algorithm.

➡️ Read the full article

Resources to help you grow 👇

💰 Facebook Elite Consulting → 3 months of one-on-one guidance from our founders and team leads. Get insider playbooks, tools, and training that power millions in revenue with 90%+ profit margins. Mention this newsletter and get $1,000 off + 12 months of NewsBomb free.

🗝️ Facebook Turnkey Management → We’ll manage, grow, and monetize your Facebook properties for you and we split the revenue generated 50/50.

📚 Newsletter Archive → Browse every edition we've sent and catch up on the strategies, trend calls, and platform shifts we've already flagged before they went mainstream.

🤖 Subscribe to our Newsletter

Forward this email to a colleague who needs to level up their publishing game. It's an essential resource to stay ahead of the most important news in the publishing industry.