A closer look at the diversification of social media in 2024
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What is social media diversification? Well to understand that we need to get down to the basics first. The Economic Times describes social media as a website, program, or app that allows people to interact with one another whether that be to share content, chat, or post. In terms of who you can talk to, this is limited to those who have an account with that particular social media platform.
Social media diversification can come in many different forms. One of the most common is diversifying your social media content which means looking at the different types of creative formats you’re using. Are you predominantly using static imagery in one-pixel dimension or are you utilising a range of creative formats? If not, you would look to diversify your content by creating carousels, videos and stories alongside your static imagery.
Another form of social media diversification that is becoming increasingly important in 2024 is to increase your brand’s visibility by being present on multiple social media platforms and not just the market giants like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, but creating accounts on Pinterest, TikTok, and Youtube.
The social marketing landscape is constantly evolving, new platforms are emerging and have the ability to compete competitively for market share and popularity, it all depends on reaching the right market and how the platform is marketed. Take TikTok for instance, the app didn’t exist 10 years ago yet it has nearly half the global monthly active users as Facebook which has been around for much longer.
At Embryo, we believe businesses must increase their presence across multiple social media platforms to succeed in 2024. If you’re unsure whether a platform is right for your business get in touch with us at 0161 327 2635 or email us at [email protected].
The Rise of Niche Platforms
So it’s become very clear that if you create an app that differs from the current offering and is marketed correctly to the right audience (creating enough buzz) then you should be able to shake up the market. TikTok, BeReal, and others have proven that over the last 8 years. Some platforms that have been around for a while are also seeing a rise in popularity, as we ‘the users’ are changing how we consume. People are engrossed with video formats which is why TikTok and Instagram stories have done so well.
Not every platform will be right for your business, you need to understand how each platform operates and whether this falls in line with you. You can check out our blog on: Which Social Media Platforms Should You Use?
Twitch
This platform has been around for a while, however in the last few years it’s grown in popularity which some would suggest is down to streamers sharing content on TikTok. Essentially jumping on the natural growth of TikTok – if the streamer is successful, they’re able to increase their user base and encourage people to come off TikTok and switch to Twitch to watch their longer-form content. It’s encouraged to build a personal brand on TikTok to help increase your viewership on Twitch.
The average amount of Twitch viewership has stayed quite consistent over the last 3 years around 2.5 million per month, however, if we look at the maximum amount of viewership on the platform this can reach as high as 6.6 million in some months, this highlights the potential of this platform not only for influencers, put content creators who have found success on Youtube and TikTok.
BeReal
Launched in 2019, BeReal quickly became popular amongst Gen Z. From 2022 their daily active users have increased by 18 million which shows that this platform’s growth is continuing to thrive even after the slow period the app experienced back in the start of 2022.
The idea of this platform is to encourage people to take “at the moment” pictures revealing both the view from the front and back camera of the user’s phone to give an insight into their life in real-time view. How this works is the app will send a notification each day at a random time, once the users have launched the app they have 2 minutes to take the shot. Watch out how many times you retake as this lets your friends know!
Branching Out into Smaller Networks for Paid Social Advertising
I had the opportunity to attend BrightonSEO in 2023 and was lucky enough to listen to Rachel Fellows talk on: How Quora and Reddit can boost your marketing mix. Reddit and Quora aren’t your usual social advertising platforms to consider when looking to onboard a new client or look into new opportunities for existing clients. However she proved that this shouldn’t be the case moving into 2024, we should be looking into smaller social media networks and understand how their audience base can benefit your business. Now no one’s saying to spend a large amount or move your ad spend from Meta to Quora, however, it could be effective to spend a small amount alongside your existing paid activity to test whether there is an appetite there too.
Reddit is a place where you can connect to like-minded people who share a similar interest, hobby, and passion as yourself. You can share posts with pictures and videos and create discussion threads, some of the most popular are people asking for relationship advice on their current situation. Again, like Twitch these have blown up and creators on TikTok are coming onto Reddit to use people’s stories to create talking points for a new video while they apply make-up or get ready for the day. As we talk about the diversification of social media, this just highlights how important it is to be visible on multiple platforms as people are jumping from one platform to another for content.
Quora
Quora is a platform where you can ask questions and contribute insights to other people’s queries, with over 400 million monthly visitors there is a huge opportunity for a business to jump on this platform and start advertising. Lead generation clientele might see more success on this platform as people are more likely to ask questions like ‘What is stamp duty?’ over ‘What should I wear to my office party?’.
This is different from other paid social advertising platforms as you’re not so reliant on pictures and videos to capture your audience but actually joining/starting a conversation with your target group.
The Challenges of Diversification
One of the main challenges brands might experience when diversifying their social media offering is the amount of work it will require to tailor your content to each platform, TikTok requires more engaging videos but has adapted its platform to the likes of Instagram so users can now share a carousel of images as a ‘video’ instead. Whereas on LinkedIn your content needs to suit a professional tone with more informative content using images, links, and infographics.
You might find that on different platforms your audience demographic slightly changes which may require you to adapt your tone of voice and style per platform. Doing so allows you to succeed on the platform as you can adapt and understand how your users consume content which infers how you deliver your creative by social network.
Ready to Diversify Your Social Media Presence?
Throughout our discussion, it has become clear that consumers are using more than one social media platform, which shows how crucial it is for a brand to have a presence where its target audience is consuming the most. For example, if you’re within the gaming industry you will find more success on Twitch than a lead generation business in the property industry as your target market is not on the platform or using it in a way your business can connect with them on it.
At Embryo, our paid social team has a wealth of experience in different industries and specialisms. Get in touch with us if you’re looking for support with diversifying your social media advertising and our team will be able to identify the platforms to take your business further, contact us at 0161 327 2635 or email us at [email protected].
