Source: Alexander Shatov, Unsplash
Social media is so heavily engrained in our lives, whether we use it or not. Like technology, social media is changing faster than most can keep up with. Not only are there new, wildly popular apps surfacing every couple of years, but the features within current apps are. For example, as GPS technology became more advanced in mobile devices, Snapchat launched the Snap Map feature. Using the Snap Map shows anyone who you are friends with your location, and also shows theirs. There is also the option to have your snaps be public, in which anyone can click on a popular area and see who has been posting. If you open your Snap Map right now and head over to London, you will see tons of snaps about the Euro 2020 finals game.
For me, I always utilize social media for personal use. I started out with Myspace back in 8th grade (what was I doing??) and then shifted over to Facebook when everyone else started to as well. At that time most people didn’t own an iPhone, so social media was done on a computer. I find that so bizarre for some reason, probably because we equate it with apps on our phones when in reality, social media started out on computers. Once I got myself an iPhone and an iPad, I followed the social norm and created accounts for apps that many people were already using.
I’ve never run a social media account for a business or an organization, but that is becoming a fast and in-demand career path. Companies quickly realized the marketing potential that having an online presence can create, considering millions of people are using each major social media app. Where things get a bit tricky is identifying the purpose and culture of each app. For example, Instagram is a photo-based app, therefore posts should be images of people, places, or things, and not a block of text. The use of hashtags goes a long way on Twitter. Keeping up with new dances and trends on the video-based app TikTok is essential.
So what makes a company stand out from the hundreds and thousands of other companies competing for the same consumers?
A fantastic social media campaign.
The more common and easily identifiable campaigns happen during the Superbowl. Some commercials are classic, run-of-the-mill, but the more strategic companies will tie social media as well. Most will introduce a hashtag during the ad which viewers can then take to Twitter to post reactions, or perhaps answer a question. Some may encourage you to post a photo or selfie on Instagram or Snapchat. Engaging the audience is crucial.
One of my favorite Superbowl campaigns is Tide’s 2018 “it’s a #tidead”
Tide created several commercials mimicking cliché Super Bowl ads starring David Harbour (aka Hopper from Stranger Things). You think it’s going to be a commercial for an insurance company or Budweiser, but then David comes in and says “No, it’s a Tide ad.” I remember watching the ads for the rest of the game just to guess which ones would end up as Tide ads. People took to Twitter to post their reactions and guesses, with a few people turning it into a meme. This marketing is so slick, especially because it aired during quarter one. Viewers spent the rest of the game thinking about Tide because they were watching the commercials anticipating.
Ryan Air, an unbelievably inexpensive airline based in Europe, is very popular on TikTok. They are quick to hop on trends and are actually pretty funny. Everyone else thinks so as well considering they have 17 million likes and close to 1 million followers. They also engage with people by commenting back.
Jokes Sending Love to USA💋 #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #ryanair ♬ original sound – Speedy & The G
Over the decades, media has moved from mass consumption to new media, and a few people, to now, social media. It seems that media has become more targeted as time goes on and society changes. Granted, social media still caters to the masses, however, with a new focus on data tracking, I think this will become the new focus.
Data is a huge predicament with social media for many reasons but the number one is what data is being collected. In its newest iOS update, Apple unveiled “ask app not to track” which restricts the app developer’s ability to download your data. Who knows what the developers then do with this data, other than using it to tweak something, regulations are just starting to be looked at.
Even with this feature, I think data collecting is going to be a massive problem for consumers (and most don’t even realize it). This data allows the developer to adjust algorithms to make the content you see much more personalized, sucking you into their app for as long as possible. The more view time you give them, the more money they make so naturally they are going to find ways to keep you as occupied as possible.
I think we’re entering a scary period in social media considering the data aspect. It’s becoming too personalized; media was intended to be consumed by many. Unfortunately, I think it’s going to get much worse before it gets even slightly better.
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