Overly Polished Social Media Content Doesn’t Sell Anymore. Here’s Why
Did you know that 73% of 18-24 year olds and 55% of 25-49 year olds turn to social media to be entertained? Yet brands hesitant to move with the times are still wondering why the overly manicured and “sales-first” strategy that once worked so well for them back in 2016 isn’t cutting it anymore.
We shared in our 2022 Q2 Analytics Reveal that we’ve noticed a major shift in the nature of social media this year. Users are craving entertainment, relatability, and connection. Overly polished and filtered content is out and being real (literally ⚠️) is in. That’s why apps like TikTok (which some have argued is more of an entertainment platform than social) are booming, and content like IG Reels, memes, and tweet graphics are thriving on Instagram.
But how did this happen and what does this mean for your social strategy? Let’s start by diving into the evolution of social media.
EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA
In a recent Zine article, Matt Klein and Rachel Greenspan dove into the idea of "fake authenticity" by explaining where social has been, where social is at, and where social is going.
WHERE SOCIAL HAS BEEN
If you're an OG Instagram user, you likely remember the days when posting on Instagram required little-to-no effort. Any photo from your camera roll in 2012 would fly as "cool" as long as a native Instagram filter was thrown on top of it.
Fast forward a few years to 2018 and Instagram culture amped up the intensity of effort required and filters applied. Photos from this era were extremely posed, Facetuned, filtered, and overall about as inauthentic as it gets.
WHERE SOCIAL IS AT
Welcome to the era of unfiltered photo dumps. Though intended to come across as authentic, there is still something so calculated and meticulous about the current "casualness" of Instagram. Rachel said it best by explaining "there’s nothing casual about intentionally telegraphing casualness for the sake of looking cool."
WHERE SOCIAL IS GOING
Cue the no-effort, unfiltered era. As we transition into this new "anti-aesthetic" period of social media, brands will need to re-evaluate how they convey genuineness and transparency to their audience. Relatability and authenticity will be key.
IMPACT ON SOCIAL STRATEGIES
CONDUCT A THOROUGH AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
Start by recognizing who your audience is. Acquire demographic and psychographic information like age, gender, location, interests, pain points, and more. Once you fully understand your ideal client avatar, appeal to their persona by creating content with a “community-first” mindset. Community is where trust and eventual conversion will flow from.
FOLLOW THE 80/20 RULE
As a general rule of thumb, stick to the 80/20 Rule, which states:
80% of your content should be useful and provide value to your audience (ie relatable, entertaining, educational, timely, etc.)
20% of your content should directly promote your product or service
Have you ever come across an Instagram post or TikTok that made you feel SO seen that you HAD to share it with your followers or a friend? There lies the value in creating content with that community-first mindset. Not only will it resonate with your current audience (which fosters a relationship that will further push them down your marketing funnel) but it also creates more opportunity for your brand to be marketed to others (free of charge!!) as well through shares.
THE SECRET SAUCE TO ENTERTAINING CONTENT
As a social media agency with an extensive clientele, we’re grateful to have access to a large pool of data where we can identify various trends across the digital space. Across the board with clients, we’ve noticed one common theme: relatable content ALWAYS wins.
This is content that speaks right to our target audience’s interests or pain points, and most often shows up in the forms of memes, tweet graphics, user-generated content, and IG Reels/TikToks.
Here’s why it works: before a user can buy from you, they first have to know about you. Once they know about you, they have to build a relationship with and trust you. Once they trust you, a sale is on the horizon. So while this “less polished/branded” content (aka not a meticulously produced studio shot or video) may not always explicitly promote xyz product, it’s more likely to resonate with users, generate brand awareness, and set the foundation necessary for conversion.
HOP ON THE TIKTOK BANDWAGON (CORRECTLY)
If it makes sense for your target audience, show up on TikTok (It’ll be the place to be in 2023! Join our newsletter to stay tuned for our 2023 Social Media Trend Predictions 👀). But keep in mind if you’re going to show up on TikTok, then be open to sharing more “un-branded, less polished” content that feels native to the platform. To put it simply: think like a marketer, but act like a creative. Duolingo is every brand’s TikTok muse when it comes to this.
Overall, though some brands may be hesitant of moving with the times, being rigid in their ways and avoidant of deviating from an uber-polished brand style may only hinder the growth of their digital community in the long run. While it can be intimidating to try something new, remember that no strategy update is permanent. Strong social strategies require ongoing data analysis and optimization recommendations. Continue to refine content as more data is collected in order to best meet the needs of your audience and biz alike.
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xx,
The Homies
