SOCIAL MEDIA HAS TRANSFORMED - is your strategy keeping up?
Social media has fundamentally changed, and the old playbook no longer works. With platforms shifting towards algorithm-driven content, short-form videos dominating and new metrics emerging, businesses must rethink their approach. If you want to future-proof your social media strategy, now is the time to adapt.
In this article, I explore the major shifts reshaping social media.
Beyond trends: the big picture of social media
“To optimise your reach on LinkedIn, focus on increasing dwell time.”
“On Instagram, prioritise getting more shares to expand your audience, and add music to your carousels to boost your reach.”
Sounds familiar?
Keeping up with constantly evolving social media trends is challenging enough, but I argue that we need to look beyond individual trends and step back to see the bigger picture.
At Brighten, we’ve worked with social media since 2007 and have witnessed its transformation firsthand, from the early days of organic engagement to today’s algorithm-driven landscape. Over the past couple of years, social media has changed in ways that raise bigger questions and new challenges for those of us leading social media efforts.
These changes require a fundamental rethink of overall strategies to stay effective.
1. The paradigm shift of social media: Tiktokization
The entire field of social media has been reshaped by one technology: TikTok.
I have analysed the performance of companies' social media activities since 2010, and it was fascinating to see how usage patterns began to shift radically due to TikTok. It marked the end of social media as we had known it. TikTok changed the paradigm of social media, with far-reaching implications for businesses using social media.
Still, many businesses haven’t adapted. Time and again, I’ve witnessed how responding to trends challenges a company’s operations. Even a single trend can have a major impact, requiring adjustments in workflows, competencies, and the way teams collaborate.
2. Algorithmic recommendations take centre stage
TikTok’s impact is best summed up by its algorithms, which deliver an endless stream of recommended video content. This represents a major change from the days when we primarily saw content from people we chose to follow.
Recommendation algorithms have now spread across all major platforms. For example, Meta revealed that by spring 2024, over 50% of Instagram’s content was chosen by AI.
With recommendation algorithms deciding what gets seen, reaching your audience organically has become more difficult - especially if you are not up to viral challenges or creating short-form videos. As organic reach is declining, paid advertising is a crucial focus for businesses on social media.
This transformation presents both big challenges and opportunities, pushing social media managers to rethink their strategies, evaluate their team’s competencies, and even consider how to organise their work.
3. Social media as entertainment media
Social media has transformed into an entertainment media, with a constant stream of entertaining videos consumed passively rather than actively engaged with. While a social element remains, it has largely shifted to private messaging.
If your social media strategy prioritises engagement, it’s time to redefine what social engagement truly means, reevaluate your objectives and explore how your brand can connect with entertainment.
4. Embracing the short video revolution
Not everything has changed - it’s still all about grabbing attention and making your content pop. But attention is now one of the most valuable currencies, and earning it has never been tougher.
Every major platform predicts that short, authentic videos will continue to dominate. Audiences now expect content that stands out, offers a unique perspective or tells a compelling story. Highly polished, lengthy, or generic videos struggle to capture that highly sought attention.
As video content rises in importance, company experts need to be motivated to step up and share their insights through video format and social media teams must expand their skill sets to include video creation and editing, adding to their ever-growing list of competencies.
Not an easy task for many businesses! But those who embrace video the right way will be the ones who stand out instead of getting lost in the scroll.
5. New metrics to measure success
As social media continues to evolve, so must the way we measure success. Each platform has both new metrics and those that have grown in importance, offering a clearer picture of performance.
If you’ve been tracking social media performance systematically, you don’t need to abandon old metrics entirely. Instead, update and prioritise the most relevant ones to align with today’s landscape and your updated social media objectives.
It really is time to accept that follower count is no longer a valid metric - and hasn’t been for a long time - yet many businesses still prioritise it, even in C-level reporting.
6. Should I stay or should I go?
At the moment, many companies are at a crossroads, deciding which social media channels remain relevant and which emerging platforms are worth focusing on.
As the political agendas of several platforms become more apparent and concerns over data security grow, businesses are faced with tough decisions. I believe the best way forward is to approach these choices with a clear sense of values. Deciding which channels to stay on or leave should align with what truly matters to your organisation.
This may lead to significant changes in channel strategy, but it also presents an opportunity to be more strategic - aligning platform choices with goals and values. It’s a chance to scale back from certain channels, lean into what’s working, and allocate resources more effectively.
Rethinking social media strategy
The key takeaway is clear:
As social media has fundamentally transformed and old rules are being rewritten, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Stay informed, stay flexible, stay true to your values, and don’t be afraid to make bold changes.
Brighten helps companies navigate the new realities of social media. Check out our social media strategy services here!