Happy 2024 fellow social media enthusiasts!???? In the ever-evolving world of social media, it’s fascinating to see how our online interactions are changing. This past year of 2023 was filled with so many changes and the growth of AI and advancements in technology did not slow down in the slightest. With social media becoming a part of our daily lives, we are starting to see our favorite social media platforms adjust their strategy to adapt to our increase of daily use. It’s no surprise that things are shifting towards more private and segmented conversations.
Imagine this: you’re on a platform, and you have your besties who follow you for hilarious memes, your work colleagues interested in your industry insights, and your family keeping up with your personal life. It can be a bit tricky to cater to everyone’s interests without overwhelming them. That’s where the concept of direct messaging and enclosed messaging comes into play and can help you cater to these audiences better.
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook have been experimenting with features that allow users to create alternate profiles or engage in more private groups. These innovations enable users to have distinct online personas for different aspects of their lives. You can finally share your love for dog videos without spamming your business contacts with endless puppy content!
The beauty of this shift is that it’s all about customization. It’s like having multiple social media hats you can put on, depending on your audience. Users will soon have the power to post content that appeals to specific interests or groups within their followers, making their social media experience more tailored and enjoyable. Instagram has already started to do this by allowing creation of groups in their DM’s, creating “Close Friends” stories, and will be soon rolling out specific “group posting” options that allow you to create posts that only go out to specific people on your instagram.
Speaking of the recent trends, Facebook has witnessed increased user activity, even though the number of personal posts has declined. People are spending more time on social apps, primarily enjoying short-form video content. This is no shocker here but the traction of short-form video content is nowhere near slowing down. TikTok has made such an impact since its initial growth around COVID-19 and now other platforms are stepping up to compete with this. While this might seem like users are less engaged, it’s still valuable attention for the platforms. They can continue to monetize through ads and other means.
However, here’s the catch: if users don’t find the platform engaging enough, they might explore alternatives. In the vast landscape of social media, competition is fierce, and users can easily hop to a platform that offers a more captivating experience. So, creating these segmented social profiles and enhancing customization options can help platforms keep users hooked and prevent them from seeking greener pastures.
We encourage you and your organization to try and create videos when you can. It’s not as comfortable to do at the start, we get it, but try and personalize it to what you’re familiar with or an expert in. Some examples we suggest starting with are fun facts about your company, talk about the people that work at your organization, allow your audience to get to know “who” makes up your brand. At Valiant, we are planning to do a “meet the teams” reel for each member. We also just posted about our new years’ resolutions. Remember, people connect with people. Don’t overthink it!
In conclusion, the future of social media is all about giving users the power to curate their online personas and engage in various conversations without overwhelming their followers. It’s an exciting time for social media, and we can’t wait to see how these changes will shape our online experiences. Stay tuned, and let’s embrace this new era of personalized social networking together!