Should social media content creation be part of your marketing strategy? Some say no. Those who think the days of social media are over, as a marketing tool, are content to move on to other means of reaching potential customers. However, there are still plenty of people who believe that social media is valuable. They believe that today’s social media content strategy is a continually evolving animal requiring content creators and SEO managers to adapt.
For the record, my company over at Connotations is in the latter camp. Over there we still believe in the power of social media to make a real difference online. Nevertheless, we recognise that times are changing. In light of that, here are three reasons social media content strategy, in my opinion, continues to evolve:
Consumers Change
If there is one thing marketers have known for generations, it is the fact that consumers change all the time. That’s why we have what are known as ‘consumer fads’. It is also the reason why we have professional advertising companies that specialise in identifying and exploiting the latest fads. So where are we in relation to social media marketing?
Research suggests that only about 20% of all branded social media posts elicit some sort of reaction among consumers. One particular research project came from a joint venture between two companies that utilised facial response software capable of determining individual reaction to stimuli. Not only did the research reveal apathy regarding branded content, it also demonstrated that social media users were largely uninspired by posts from friends. The solution is to create content that is purposely disruptive, shocking, amusing, or controversial.
Technology Changes
The internet is a wonderful and dynamic place that changes almost as quickly as the preferences of consumers. The latest technology to challenge that environment comes by way of wearables introduced by Apple, Intel, Samsung, Motorola, and others. This new technology will result in a new type of social media content capable of taking advantage of the GPS functions of wearables.
Exactly what this content looks like remains to be seen. After all, we still do not know exactly what types of functionality wearables will offer. Nonetheless, as soon as the industry has a better idea of what we’re dealing with, you can bet that social media content will begin to move in that direction.
Social Media Changes
Last but not least, social media itself changes. Anyone with a Facebook account knows how true that is. With some sites, the changes come so quickly that it can be hard to keep up with them. And with every change in a given platform comes a new way of reaching customers by way of posts designed to get their attention.
Within the arena of social media change is the reality that consumers can very quickly adopt a negative perception of a given social media channel. Again, Facebook is a great example. Every time Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces another platform change that alienates a large number of users, those users marginalise their Facebook use in deference to other platforms that they find more appealing.
No, social media is not the same animal it was 10 or even 5 years ago. Nor will it be the same animal 5-10 years from now. As with anything else, it changes over time. That means your social media content strategy must also change to adapt to the evolutionary nature of the medium.