Time for my usual brain dump..... get some snacks and settle in!
It’s always interesting to me to witness big shifts, like what we’re seeing in “social” media and how the internet is used right now. When I zoom in and think about tit in relation to my biz and marketing, it really just comes down to discovery platforms vs relationship building platforms. I think you need both but I’ve yet to find a former that I enjoy (which used to be IG).
On shortening content…
(1) what started to really get to me about this is the lack of nuance - especially with social issues. Packaging up deep, complicated things into nifty shareable carousels was helpful to starting conversations but not for continuing them - at least not in any meaningful, healthy or informing way. Half the time they turned into clickbait or used for “rage engagement” BECAUSE they lacked that nuance and just made brand sweeping statements.
(2) Then the fact that I felt like I had to package/SparkNotes myself or my views, that’s when it really drove home for me that maybe this wasn’t the best place for certain things I wanted to talk about.
On the client thing…
(1) the platform shifted from prioritizing content makers. IDK what the hell it prioritizes now… influencers? People copying from the original creators while burying those same creators? IDEK. I was hopeful for a minute when they went all in on a bit of an e-commerce bender. It seemed like a bright spot for people offering products and services but that phase didn’t last long. Then another bright spot when Meta put more of their “FB Business” vibes on it but that didn’t pan out either.
(2) I think consumers and customers started to see through all the bullshit on the platform (false scarcity tactics, overpriced and under-quality’d services, etc)
(3) Half the people I know that got clients were because they were HEAVY in ads but now the platform seems saturated and maybe that’s not effective. The other half was all about long term relationship building. Someone might’ve been following them for a YEAR before even hiring them or buying a product. But now with visibility so low, it removes that ability to form a longer term relationship.
(4) Agreed that people are offscreen “post” panini but also creators are burned the fuck out from the hamster wheel of content creation. The world being put on pause brought that to the surface even more. It wasn’t sustainable for many solopreneurs and once the magic formulas were figured out, everyone was using them and it didn’t mean anything anymore. There’s also something to be said of the visual homogenization of content but that’s a rant for another day.
(5) I’ve seen people be inactive but still “park” their accounts. They update once a month or use the profile to drive traffic elsewhere. I’ve also seen these magazine-esque 9-up grid updates people do quarterly that catches users up on all the things in a batch. Kind of clever.
The funny thing is I still like IG stories though -_-
“And there’s tons of successful businesses who don’t use Instagram” - Biz ran just fine before social media, people forget that lol
“People started leaving once I started sending emails again” - I like when people self-select like that. Gives you more accurate metrics but more importantly, I don’t want to be a burden or hassle in anyone’s life so if kicking me out their inbox is freeing for them, go for it!
As for the big Pin, if you treat it like a search engine, you can really max out the miles on it.
Loveeeeee your TedTalk!! Agree with you on all the things!! You put it so well. What the actual fuck is instagram even prioritizing now is such a good question. Cause yeah I don't think anyone knows and yet you constantly see "this is how the algorithm has changed." Is it though? Is it really?
On point 3 of the client side of things - yes! The long term is how I was getting clients. I never ran ads or anything. And you'd think that after 3+ years on the platform the long term building would keep happening but it has totally dried up. Maybe we're all too interconnected now?? Or like you said, no one sees anything anyway so who even know.
I do like stories! That's pretty much all I look at now. But I hate posting stories lol. Mostly cause I need the app on my phone and I just can't be bothered anymore.
It's an odd conundrum overall.
And to your point of people self-selecting when they unsubscribe - I also like that people are leaving! It's part of a healthy list. It's just that ego blow immediately and then I get over myself and am like yeah it's fine lol
Time for my usual brain dump..... get some snacks and settle in!
It’s always interesting to me to witness big shifts, like what we’re seeing in “social” media and how the internet is used right now. When I zoom in and think about tit in relation to my biz and marketing, it really just comes down to discovery platforms vs relationship building platforms. I think you need both but I’ve yet to find a former that I enjoy (which used to be IG).
On shortening content…
(1) what started to really get to me about this is the lack of nuance - especially with social issues. Packaging up deep, complicated things into nifty shareable carousels was helpful to starting conversations but not for continuing them - at least not in any meaningful, healthy or informing way. Half the time they turned into clickbait or used for “rage engagement” BECAUSE they lacked that nuance and just made brand sweeping statements.
(2) Then the fact that I felt like I had to package/SparkNotes myself or my views, that’s when it really drove home for me that maybe this wasn’t the best place for certain things I wanted to talk about.
On the client thing…
(1) the platform shifted from prioritizing content makers. IDK what the hell it prioritizes now… influencers? People copying from the original creators while burying those same creators? IDEK. I was hopeful for a minute when they went all in on a bit of an e-commerce bender. It seemed like a bright spot for people offering products and services but that phase didn’t last long. Then another bright spot when Meta put more of their “FB Business” vibes on it but that didn’t pan out either.
(2) I think consumers and customers started to see through all the bullshit on the platform (false scarcity tactics, overpriced and under-quality’d services, etc)
(3) Half the people I know that got clients were because they were HEAVY in ads but now the platform seems saturated and maybe that’s not effective. The other half was all about long term relationship building. Someone might’ve been following them for a YEAR before even hiring them or buying a product. But now with visibility so low, it removes that ability to form a longer term relationship.
(4) Agreed that people are offscreen “post” panini but also creators are burned the fuck out from the hamster wheel of content creation. The world being put on pause brought that to the surface even more. It wasn’t sustainable for many solopreneurs and once the magic formulas were figured out, everyone was using them and it didn’t mean anything anymore. There’s also something to be said of the visual homogenization of content but that’s a rant for another day.
(5) I’ve seen people be inactive but still “park” their accounts. They update once a month or use the profile to drive traffic elsewhere. I’ve also seen these magazine-esque 9-up grid updates people do quarterly that catches users up on all the things in a batch. Kind of clever.
The funny thing is I still like IG stories though -_-
“And there’s tons of successful businesses who don’t use Instagram” - Biz ran just fine before social media, people forget that lol
“People started leaving once I started sending emails again” - I like when people self-select like that. Gives you more accurate metrics but more importantly, I don’t want to be a burden or hassle in anyone’s life so if kicking me out their inbox is freeing for them, go for it!
As for the big Pin, if you treat it like a search engine, you can really max out the miles on it.
Thanks for coming to my TedTalk :)
Loveeeeee your TedTalk!! Agree with you on all the things!! You put it so well. What the actual fuck is instagram even prioritizing now is such a good question. Cause yeah I don't think anyone knows and yet you constantly see "this is how the algorithm has changed." Is it though? Is it really?
On point 3 of the client side of things - yes! The long term is how I was getting clients. I never ran ads or anything. And you'd think that after 3+ years on the platform the long term building would keep happening but it has totally dried up. Maybe we're all too interconnected now?? Or like you said, no one sees anything anyway so who even know.
I do like stories! That's pretty much all I look at now. But I hate posting stories lol. Mostly cause I need the app on my phone and I just can't be bothered anymore.
It's an odd conundrum overall.
And to your point of people self-selecting when they unsubscribe - I also like that people are leaving! It's part of a healthy list. It's just that ego blow immediately and then I get over myself and am like yeah it's fine lol