Let’s Get Social: Understanding The Shifts In Social Media
3 minute read…
In today’s digital age, a consistent brand story isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a necessity. A compelling brand story does more than just communicate what you do; it creates a connection to your audience. When people resonate with your story, they are more likely to engage with your brand. So where can social media play a part in this?
At the heart of the success of social media is the fundamental truth that people need connection. The assumption that Gen Z are spending ‘too much time’ on their screens, scrolling and keeping up with the latest Tik-Tok trends, meaning they are missing out on real human connection, is true to a degree (I’m no stranger to that). But this social media paradox is interesting. It presents us with a contradiction— social media has the capacity to illicit disconnection as well as connection.
Firstly, let’s talk about Gen Z’s favourite word— authenticity.
Gen Z can’t get enough of it. As a ‘Gen-Z’ myself, I am learning to understand why.
As a generation who have grown up online, we value realness and transparency. We value genuine human relationships. And with that I’ve noticed a shift in the kind of content we produce and engage with. We’ve pivoted the landscape of social media from polished and perfected to content that is real, authentic, simple and easily accessible. Fundamentally, it gives everyone a voice and an opportunity to connect and create. Human connection is inherent to our nature, and the social media landscape has adapted to fuel this.
Now, why is this important for brands?
Because in understanding this trajectory, and creating authentic and relatable content, brands can build a relationship with their audience, platforms can be used to build trust. Instead of showcasing polished and perfect moments, let’s start by sharing real stories that reflect the true essence of a brand.
If social media values personal connection — let’s build our brand’s social media platforms to do the same. Let’s utilise the tools offered to us to establish relationship with our audiences. And in doing so, we may also reach audiences we didn’t know we had.
One of my favourite things to do is to ask the client to share their story. At first, this may not feel relevant to their brand or product, but it later proves its importance. By inviting them to share their story, it not only fosters a deeper connection with them, but it also unlocks the essence and identity of their brand. It broadcasts their values, mission and vision.
We recently attended YMS, (Youth Marketing Strategy), an event by Pion. We were there in partnership with the Co:Cubed crew, where we had multiple conversations with brands looking to engage a younger audience.
Here are a few takeaways from the event:
Understanding Gen Z: our world is over saturated by content, it’s become increasingly challenging for brands and businesses to stand out. Brands need to be actively seeking inspiration and create new engaging content that stands out.
The role of humour: it humanises brands, makes them more relatable and approachable. Brands need to harness this to create content that is easily sharable.
Experimentation: part of the social media scene is learning to experiment with different styles, trends and forms of content. Although there are tools in place, such as ‘search creator insight’ on Tiktok, designed to inform what is trending, it is also increasingly hard to know what content will connect. Therefore, we must experiment and adapt!
Building community: what sets brands apart is ensuring they are actively engaging with their audiences across all social media platforms. This builds relationship, and nods to the viewer that they are seen.
With all these things taken into consideration, I have concluded that…
The question, ‘is engaging in social media important for my brand?’ — The answer is undoubtably ‘yes’. Brand social media is not just a tool for visual advertising anymore. It’s a platform that can fast-track community building, forge trust-based relationships and grow a wider audience. If it’s done right, it can increase your visibility, strengthen your brand identity, reach your target audience, while staying true to your authentic brand.
So, let’s find a world in which these factors can co-exist together in our evolving digital landscape. Trends can come and go, but the heartbeat to an effective social media platform will always be human connection.
