Is Social Media the New Search Engine?

Did you know that 40% of Gen Z use social media for search rather than a search engine, according to research done by Google? So, when a group of Gen Z’ers are looking for a local restaurant they just hop on Instagram or TikTok to see what content has been shared locally by other people. This can be done through geotagging or hashtags, where users can now search for location & hashtags as well as general keywords. And now with the ecommerce shopping that is available through social media, it’s making it the best way for people to discover new products/services that they find valuable to fit their tastes.

Not So Social, Social Media: Pay to Play is Coming

The blue check verification has been like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Everyone wants to get their hands on it, but not everyone can get it. The point of having this is so that your account is less likely to be hacked or copied. And… if you’re a business or content creator can also be seen as a status symbol. This is good for those with larger followings but doesn’t really matter for the lay person who uses social media to connect with friends and family.

Social Media Advertising

At this point, you should know the benefits of social media marketing. There are billions of people on social media platforms. That’s billions of potential customers just waiting to be tapped into. Your brand can use data from users to target a certain customer demographic when using social media ads and track ROI directly. Here are some tips to get the best bang for your buck on social media ads.

Best Social Media Sites for Video Content 2022

Over 58.7% of the global population is on social media and uses it as their primary source of information. That’s roughly around 4.65 billion people. When it comes to social media marketing though, a one size fits all approach does not work. It’s important to know which audience hangs out where so you can know what kind of video content to make and where to put it.

Instagram’s Nudge Feature

Instagram’s new(ish) nudge feature “is designed to encourage teens to discover something new and excludes certain topics that may be associated with appearance comparison,” according to The Verge. This is a serious step in the right direction since the Facebook whistle-blower, Frances Haugen, outed them for choosing profit over safety back in 2021. The trial that took place revealed documents of internal research studies resulting in data that it negatively impacts young users. Specifically, the negative impacts on teenage girls who see constant images of ideal bodies and how teens felt addicted to the platform. An external study showed that “58.2% of people agreed that these new nudges made their social media experience better.” This is step in the right direction in helping guide young women away from negative body imaging.

Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

We’ve all posted that low quality video that got very little love and immediately regretted it. Maybe even taken it down shortly after the fact. We know we’ve done this. There are a few major pitfalls to avoid when attempting to optimize your social media channels. We’re only going to focus on Instagram for the purpose of this article.