Every few months, the social media landscape shifts — or so the product managers claim. While new features are touted as a radical shift that is going to greatly alter the dynamics of the platform, these are just new iterations of ideas that have already appeared elsewhere.
In the end, the underlying theme of the platform always remains the same. Look no further than Twitter turned X. The dumping ground of the internet has persisted in spite of claims made by the billionaire CEO. If you think about Twitter’s past, it was always a platform where imperfection was expected — in spite of the lack of an edit button ironically — and glitches were guaranteed.
Recently, Instagram made a supposed giant change to its grid layout that is designed to “give creators more power”. But this adjustment hasn’t changed how the app is used. Instead, it’s allowing for more people to feel like they’re part of the community.
Here’s how we’re approaching the “new” social media landscape:
- Instagram — this is still the place for visual creatives to thrive. Your grid has to look good, no matter how they alter the aspect ratio. The emphasis is so strong on the grid, that now you can completely bypass the feed. Which means your profile can look sharper and elevated even higher without the risk of over-posting against the algorithm.
- Facebook — yes, we included the Gen Z OG platform. It is still the go to place for organizing and being in groups with people who share an interest but you don’t want to chat with regularly. What’s my favorite group? Jersey Chicken Parm Ratings. I live for the chaos here and fervent fights when someone posts a review on a dish from across the Hudson River. Facebook has always been an online message board and not much as changed. In fact, it’s shifted back this way.
- Twitter/X — gay twitter is still very much alive. And yes, it’s as thirsty as ever. Hate twitter is also alive. I have a complicated relationship with this app, but don’t see the use for most brands. It’s the cesspool it was always meant to be.
- Snapchat — supposedly every update on this app is copied by Facebook and Instagram. I lived for Snapchat in high school and college, but as I’ve grown, I can’t justify keeping a Snapstreak alive anymore. It’s still the place to reach young audiences though, as it always was.
- YouTube — is this social media? The jury is out much like it always has been on the site. They keep trying to make short form content happen, but it stays the place for long form content. And that’s what it should stick too. Plus, it’s live streaming tools are unrivaled.
- TikTok — you can keep increasing the video length limit, but people will just keep dancing. Wicked went viral for weeks. How? Dancing. And the production company leaned in, releasing tutorials and parodies that kept the trend going.
No matter how many innovations these apps try, for most users, these apps hold onto the same purpose. I have friends who work in tech, and they keep trying, but users aren’t quick to adopt new habits.
If you’re a brand looking to remain relevant on any of these platforms, the strategy is much the same that it has always been. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
My most important piece of advice remains the same — no matter how these platforms change, stay authentic and stick to the one or two channels that play to your strengths. Trying to do too much, too many places isn’t a recipe for success. Even multi-billion dollar brands recognize and embrace this.
Social Media: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same was originally published in Thoughts? for Jersey on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.