The social media landscape has changed rapidly.
Elon Musk’s mercurial changes at X prompt a lot of discussion. So do government proposals to ban TikTok. YouTube added Shorts to compete with TikTok. Meta added Threads as an alternative to X. Every platform changes its algorithm to accommodate its latest business model.
How do you update your social media strategy with all that’s happening? Do you even need to change it?
That’s the question posed to the experts presenting at Content Marketing World. They didn’t disappoint, sharing ideas that range from the audience to the content to the process.
Follow your people
Savvy creators and social media teams should be following what their followers are doing. Each audience will respond to the shifting social media ecosystem in different ways. Pay attention to communities, such as Discord servers, Reddits, or Circle groups; these semi-open spaces appear to be growing in popularity. – Jesse Harris, digital marketing coordinator, ACD/Labs
Delve into personas
Study your target personas’ social media behavior and keep tabs on how these preferences are changing. You can do this anecdotally through conversations with sales, periodically asking customers (trade shows are a great place for this), or referencing industry research where social media behavior is studied. – Wendy Covey, co-founder and CEO, TREW Marketing
Go private
When it comes to mitigating volatility in your social media strategy, turning to private social media communities is the way to go. Platforms like Slack, Discord, and Telegram offer fantastic opportunities.
Discord, in particular, shines when it comes to community building. Its core promise revolves around fostering communities, while Slack leans more toward being a workspace management solution, and Telegram focuses on messaging.
If you’re considering establishing a community for your audience, Discord should be on your radar. The beauty of Discord lies in the fact that it’s not mediated by AI, offering a more authentic and organic experience. Plus, you’ll find a substantial number of users already thriving within its vibrant ecosystem. Take advantage of this platform’s potential for community building and engagement. – Christopher Penn, chief data scientist, TrustInsights.ai
We’re advising our clients to spend less time and budget on social. The impact of social media is much less than most people realize. Our own research across hundreds of websites tells us social media only generates 2% of traffic and leads for most companies. Paid is also only 2%. Organic search is still at 60%. Focus your effort where the people are willing and ready to engage. – Michael Brenner, CEO, Marketing Insider Group
Audit your social content regularly
The team should have regular meetings to review what’s working and what’s not in their current social media strategy and also to examine the writing on the wall for what’s to come and consider when they’ll know if a change is necessary and what that might look like so they won’t be scrambling when something happens like a mass exodus from a platform or platform being banned. – Ruth Carter, evil genius, Geek Law Firm
Continuous monitoring and flexible adaptation are key in navigating a very fickle social media landscape. Brands may need to diversify their social media portfolio to enable continuous distribution as audiences migrate during those times of volatility. They should also continue to invest in their owned and operated channels, such as their website, blog, and email list, so they can stay in contact with their customers no matter where the wind blows. In any case, brands must stay updated with changes in regulations, platform policies, and user behaviors and adjust their strategy accordingly….Read More