Social media has become one of the primary ways in which we communicate, gather and share information. Awareness of the impact of social media on our mental health is significantly rising year after year, and is changing the overall perception of the social media landscape. Many social platforms such as Instagram and Twitter are taking this into account and changing their user experience strategies, taking an approach in creating friendlier communities and less toxic. With people becoming aware of how social media can affect their mental health, and taking individual actions to decrease screen time. Though social media addiction is not a crisis, social media wellness is a movement driven by its consumers.
Changes in consumers raise alarms for marketers and increase the need for insights and solutions, but in this case, social media wellness is nothing to be concerned about. Here are our suggestions on how this challenge can be integrated into your consumer engagement strategy:
Adaptability
Platforms such as Instagram have rolled out social media wellness experiments such as the global Hidden Like Test. This would allow consumers to comfortably make decisions about what content they do and do not like without the pressures of deciding if it’s “likeable.” Vice versa, content creators have the ability to share content without the pressures of not receiving the “right” number of likes. Within your consumer engagement strategy, it will be important to develop content which consumers will want to engage with, in ways such as commenting, starting a conversation, and further sharing content.
Tracking
Boosting your social media with engagement worthy content is key, but so is being in the loop about your competitor’s strategy. Make sure you are monitoring your competitor’s activity – are their pages facing any downward or upward spikes, what is the messaging of their content? How are consumer changes affecting their engagement, and what can you learn from it.
Go with the Flow
Consumers are constantly changing – Being aware of their social media use and wellness can help you in creating and curating content that is beneficial for them and for you. Avoid toxicity and ways for consumers to “escape.” Instead, spark consumer interests with real world topics and opportunities. Go with the flow and focus on quality messaging and content rather than bulk content which could be overwhelming.
For more information on creating valuable messaging and creating worthy dialogue with your audience reach out to us via email, info@gmlv.co or give us a call, 973.848.1100.