The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people consume digital media. With these shifts came the rise of a new social media culture that places more emphasis on the content than on the number of followers.
The old social media model has died, and a new one – recommendation media – has taken its place. Since it affects how the world’s digital attention is acquired, the new model disrupts businesses’ social media strategies. Entrepreneurs need to learn how this change affects their digital marketing campaigns or risk losing to more agile competitors.
What is Recommendation Media?
Social media used to work on an algorithm that allows users to only see their friends or followers’ feeds. If individuals are mutual followers on a social platform, they will have access to each other’s content. The most interesting content came from the posts of the people they know.
However, this old model – the social graph – has shown to be less effective at providing users with entertainment. With the new model, users consume content tailored to their preferences and interests.
Recommendation-based content distribution delivers media to a user no matter who posted it. Within two to three browsing sessions, the algorithm can develop a fairly solid idea of the topics that a person finds interesting. This covers anything, be it dancing trends, cooking shows, do-it-yourself projects, tech podcasts, or historical videos.
Content from recommendation media is not primarily distributed through networks of interconnected individuals. Instead, it works through a platform-defined algorithm that favors maximum consumer attention and engagement.
The recommended content ultimately depends on the platform rather than the social network of the content creator. This creates a new media landscape where algorithms rule instead of the number of followers. Unappealing posts will have less value even if it is uploaded by public identities with over a million followers.
In 2022, Facebook announced that its newsfeed would transition to a recommendation-based form of content distribution. While other platforms, such as Meta’s Instagram, have been moving in this direction for some time, this development heralds the end of social media as we know it.
Why Recommendation Media is the New Standard?
There are numerous issues with the old social media algorithm. For example, in the social graph, individuals often see posts that their friends or family members enjoy. Although people occasionally enjoy friends’ or family’s posts, they are much more likely to enjoy memes, breaking news, and viral content. This behavior demonstrates that providing what they currently enjoy is the greatest method to keep them interested.
The social graph is also not very effective in reaching a target audience. The algorithm enables a social media marketing company Philippines to delve into the social network of a user’s audience and then disseminate customized ads.
So if a user follows someone who likes a specific brand, that brand can develop a tailored ad that will notify the user of their friend’s preference. The ad aims to catch their eye and increase the likelihood of clicking. It assumes that everything a person also enjoys everything their friend likes, making it unsafe and unprofitable.
In recommendation media, the platform always caters to the user viewing the content. If the platform finds that a user enjoys watching movies, that user would see a lot of movie-related content, as it is what will most likely keep that user’s interest.
Change in Social Media Experience
The most relevant material for each customer triumphs in recommendation media. This results in customers always receiving content recommendations that are most appropriate for them, resulting in a better consumption experience.
In recommendation media, content distribution is tailored for engagement. This is in contrast to the social graph, where users see content from their friends regardless of the quality of the content. Because of the very efficient consumption patterns, there is relatively little waste in a feed.
How Recommendation Media Changes Social Media Marketing
In recommendation media, platforms get to decide what and when content becomes popular. While creators still maintain programming control over what and when is shown on social media, the platform is always in charge of recommendation media. This is comparable to how radio stations and cable television networks have run for decades – all media are programmed based on editorial and business choices.
As a result, creators cannot expect their social network to see their content because the platform decides what content is given to whom and when. There is nothing that creators can do or say to challenge platforms’ decision-making.
Platforms can also decide what not to display. The days of a creator complaining that they were de-platformed or shadow banned because their followers weren’t seeing their work is over. In recommendation media, the algorithm ultimately determines what content is popular and what isn’t.
Platforms can hide undesirable information far more effectively, which lessens the need for extensive moderation teams. These teams are still necessary, just not on the same scale as in the old social media. It is possible to stop distributing materials on a platform without altering the fundamental way that content is distributed.
What Does This Mean for Marketers?
Marketers can no longer guarantee that their content will be distributed through friend graphs in recommendation media. Thus, they will be motivated to look for engagement elsewhere.
Marketers can leverage various platforms through multi-channel marketing or cross-channel marketing. This explains why so much TikTok material is frequently shared on social media sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Creators are distributing their work on networks where their audiences are already present.
Get Social Media Support from Marketing Experts
We are entering a new era of the internet, and it is difficult to predict what will happen next. Although there are a lot of uncertainties with the new recommendation media model, businesses will always have available solutions to generate favorable results.
If you are looking for professional support to assist you in your social media marketing strategies and management, contact Digital Marketing Philippines (DMP).
References:
https://mignano.medium.com/the-end-of-social-media-a88ffed21f86
https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-are-the-top-digital-marketing-trends-for-2023
The Social Dilemma: Social Graph VS Interest Graph
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