SOCIAL MEDIA
And it ’ s exploding on TikTok , YouTube , Instagram and other social media platforms . That means anyone can be a creator and tap into this community-building wave .
SET YOUR SIGHTS ON SEARCH , NOT LIKES We have built our social media measurement habits around likes , follows and views — all under the umbrella of “ engagement .” Hanson points out that engagement rates for nearly all social platforms keep dropping . The average engagement rate for a Facebook post ( organic , not paid ) is around 1 percent . Plus , Hanson ’ s own research shows that people don ’ t click on links in social media . Look at the referral traffic on your own website through your analytics tools .
What should you do ? Stop posting and measuring for declining , and often meaningless , engagement . Start using social media for the search tool it is increasingly becoming . Larger numbers of Gen Z use TikTok , Instagram and even YouTube to search for products and discover brands .
Stated Schaefer , “ Everyone seems to be focused on how AI will change the game for search . But nobody seems to be noticing a much more significant and nonobvious trend . According to information from Statista , Gen Z is now conducting almost as many product searches on social media as Google .”
This trend is way beyond the world of celebrity influencers . Sure , lifestyle brands with loads of money will still use athletes and movie stars for pitching . But more brands today collaborate with micro-influencers — people whose followers measure in the thousands , not the millions — and niche users .
This is not limited to Gen Z . Schaefer points to a study by international consumer research company GWI , which reports a 57-percent rise in Baby Boomers using TikTok since Q2 2021 .
Schaefer also predicts social media platforms , in 2024 , will “ continue to become popular shopping outlets for consumers .” He points to a HubSpot survey showing 22 percent of social media users purchased a product directly from Instagram , followed by 21 percent of consumers who bought directly on Facebook .
He added that by 2026 , global social commerce sales will reach a whopping $ 6 trillion , with the U . S . having approximately 108 million social buyers by 2025 . Schaefer also points to an ecommerce trend that has begun to blossom in Asia called “ live commerce .” It combines influencer , livestreaming , and impulse buying — and he expects the rest of the world to join in .
Social media expert Arik Hanson . Photo by Glenn Hansen .
ENTERTAIN , THEN EDUCATE “ Entertain , then educate ,” said Hanson . “ Or just entertain .” Here he repeats his own study saying that link sharing is ineffective on social media . Have fun and be funny , he stated . Whether for a B2C or a B2B audience , social media use is less about education and more about entertainment . Savvy marketers can combine the two . That ’ s why you see so many landscape professionals sharing eye-catching videos of their customers ’ properties . It ’ s entertainment with a little bit of education . Random social media thoughts for 2024 Nothing will replace Twitter , said Hanson . Threads is close , but it ’ s not the same . Reserve any brand handles you can on Twitter competitors like Threads and Bluesky . YouTube Shorts is a good place for repurposing existing content , said Hanson . But be realistic ; impressions and views might not be huge .
Influence is everything , said Schaefer . The marketing world is in a state of massive transition . Brands will increasingly spend money on influences . A product placement with Mr . Beast might have bigger reach than an ad during the Super Bowl . SFM
Glenn Hansen is editor of OPE Business magazine , sister publication to SportsField Management . For more information on this topic , visit https :// businessesgrow . com / and https :// arikhanson . com /. sportsfieldmanagementonline . com February 2024 | SportsField Management
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