By Joseph Corrado Quadara
If you’re an avid social media user (like 80% of the U.S population) you’ve probably noticed the frequent updates that take place on your favorite platforms. These changes happen so often that users are left confused and frustrated. Seems counter-intuitive since the purpose of the platform is to provide a positive user experience.
It seems like social media companies are spiraling deeper and deeper into a game of Monkey in the Middle. On one side are the billions of loyal users essential to a company’s success. On the other side are the millions of businesses/advertisers who pay the bills. With update suggestions from both sides, the company is regularly forced to make a choice between generating revenue and keeping its users happy. It’s a tough position to be in and the problem doesn’t end there.The executives of these companies must continually improve their platform to keep up with existing competitors.
With these constant pressures, the reputation and uniqueness of these platforms are at risk. Facebook users are becoming frustrated with the number of advertisements in their newsfeed. Unhappy customers? Time for another change.
” The first changes you’ll see will be in News Feed, where you can expect to see more from your friends, family and groups. As we roll this out, you’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media,” said Mark Zuckerberg in a recent post.
Good news for users but bad news for businesses who purchased Facebook advertising in order to be seen. It seems like Mr. Zuckerberg is focusing more on the user-experience and less on his bank account which has ballooned to a whopping $73 billion.
As a direct result of keeping up with the competition, the less wealthy, Twitter was forced to make some big changes. Since its inception, Twitter has been famous for its limiting the number of characters in its posts. This 140 character platform was once so popular that the act of creating a post, “tweeting,” was given a name by its users and included in the OED (Oxford English Dictionary). Caving to the pressure to assimilate, Twitter is now allowing users 280 characters in their Tweets, crushing the platforms only unique feature and leaving President Donald Trump’s entertaining tweets the only reason to sign on.
You don’t have to be psychic to know that social media platforms will continue to change. However, you do need to stay on top of these changes if you want to continue to use them as an effective marketing tool for your business. Unless your business is social media, the best way to capitalize on the platform would be to hire a professional. At The Von Agency, our Social Media Managers remain up to speed on the newest platform updates. We analyze your business goals and create a plan to achieve them in an effective and measurable manner. As the line that separates one social media platform from another is becoming more and more blurred, the experts at The Von Agency will focus on making your marketing campaign a complete success!