Photo by Oleg Laptev on Unsplash

As someone who works remotely 40 hours a week while completing a remote graduate program, social media plays a significant role in my life. It’s how I communicate with friends and stay up to date on what they’re up to. I also use social media as quick and easy entertainment between tasks. For example, you cannot pump your gas in New Jersey, so while I wait, I often turn to social media for a few minutes of entertainment.

From a more professional standpoint, I love social media’s creative resources. As a graphic designer, I always seek inspiration or new ways to do things, and social media provides endless resources for both. I can also follow renowned graphic designers and see their latest work or general commentary. I enjoy this aspect because it helps me view them as real people rather than borderline celebrities with unattainable skill levels.

Many people use social media to communicate with friends and family and update on life events or everyday doings. Among younger audiences, social media is also used to connect with people you want to stay in touch with but may not frequently see. For example, younger audiences are likely to follow each other on social media after meeting someone, regardless of whether they are likely to remain in touch. I have often done this when meeting people while traveling or at concerts.

Social media is also being used more frequently for people to obtain their “fifteen minutes of fame” or, as The New York Times puts it, “Fifteen Minutes of Fame? More like Fifteen Seconds of Nanofame”. TikTok is particularly popular for this because videos are most frequently viewed on the For You Page and therefore are likely to reach a wider audience. The TikTok algorithm is also notorious for providing highly targeted content for users. As such, creators are more likely to reach their targets on TikTok than on other platforms like Instagram or Facebook, making “going viral” more attainable and desirable. 

Techopedia describes viral media as “becom[ing] widely shared through social networks or online.” Going viral can be interpreted in many ways with the rise of personalized algorithms because content can be widely shared while remaining within a subgroup of users.

Creating highly specialized content with a specific target audience can be an excellent strategy for businesses using social media to benefit their brand. Not only can it be used to promote products or increase sales, but it provides a sense of legitimacy and personability. Small businesses can use social media to prove not only that they are real but that they are worth visiting. 

Many small businesses have social media pages rather than websites because it is easier to create and maintain while reaching an equal, if not larger, audience. Large companies are more likely to have websites with steady traffic but creating social media accounts can make them seem personable and act as a way to embody the brand voice.

Each brand voice resonates with different platforms depending on the company, their values, and their goals. As such, it is important to choose a network whose primary users are within the target audience. The most successful networks will likely accommodate all kinds of content, including videos, images, and text. Twitter does an excellent job of integrating all three. It is also highly relied upon for news and other updates, so it is likely to remain relevant, especially because people of all ages use it, unlike Facebook. I believe that TikTok will continue to dominate because of how quickly trends come and go. It keeps users interested and desiring to participate before it’s too late. 

Trends from TikTok often migrate to Instagram as they are reposted as reels. This is likely to cause a divide between Instagram and TikTok as some users seek TikTok content directly from the source, some are content waiting to see it once it’s reposted, and some bounce between the two apps.

Despite the gravitation of an older audience to Facebook, new features like the Metaverse have the potential to attract a younger audience. Regardless of these experimental developments, it’s unlikely that social media will see much new technology within the next five years. There will likely be new layouts and some redesigns or updates. However, considering we still cannot link directly from Instagram captions to external pages, it seems like a stretch to expect any significant developments.

Data will continue to be produced in mass amounts, most of which will continue to be highly valuable. The more data companies have, the better they will be able to understand their users and deliver content that aligns more closely with what they want or expect to see. As such, it would also be logical to take more care in protecting data. Access to such personal user information can invade privacy, especially as more of our lives rely on the digital world.

An intriguing example of data privacy concerns arose with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Rina Torchinsky from NPR explains that such apps hold information about the occurrence of periods, sex, pregnancy, and more. If this information were sold or subpoenaed, it could have serious legal repercussions. Situations like this will emphasize the importance of data security and force companies to be cautious with the media they offer, where their data comes from, and who they share it with.

Social media is ever-evolving and challenging to predict, but being aware of trends can be immensely helpful in success. The most important thing you can do is recognize that there’s no right or wrong – only trial and error (hopefully) with research to support it.

Sources

Techopedia “Definition of Viral”

NPR “How period tracking apps and data privacy fit into a post-Roe v. Wade climate”

NYT’s “15 Minutes of Fame? More like 15 Seconds of Nanofame”