Social media is not very meaningful
But it can be lots of other things.
The Swedes and the Internet is an annual report from The Swedish Internet Foundation providing an update about the state of Internet use in Sweden. Although the number of social media users is higher in Sweden than in the rest of Europe, I am going to make the assumption that statistics presented in the report has a fairly high correlation with social media users in the rest of the world. If you agree with this assumption or if Sweden is your market, feel free to read on.
The 167 page report is full of relevant statistics which you can draw quite interesting conclusions from if you, like me, find it rewarding to connect the dots. For example; there is an increase in digital activity among elderly people. At a glance, this might seem like a sign that the older population is changing its digital behavior but that might not be the whole truth. As the population ages, more and more individuals who are already using internet will fall in to this older demographic.
Noteworthy is that the number of social media users is no longer increasing. Although the majority of all internet users (83%) also use social media, that number is the same as last year. In the 2019 edition of the report, researchers have asked the question about meaningfulness of various internet activities. This question has not been included before. The report highlights that only 24% percent of all social media users find it meaningful to spend time there. This is a shocking number for all brands communicating via social media channels.
Or is it?
Are you really surprised?
If someone asked me (as a private person) to list fifty activities that I found meaningful, swiping up- and down my Instagram feed is most definitely not one of them. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy spending time on Instagram. Not at all. But meaningful? I imagine most people would list such things as; spending time with their kids, reading a good book, cleaning the house, helping a friend in need etc as meaningful. With a few exceptions, social media is like fast-food for your brain. You consume it rapidly and then forget about it. And that's ok.
So, how should a brand deal with this fact?
The short answer: Adjust your social media strategy and messaging accordingly. This, of course, goes for all other channels as well. It is important to remember that social media is just one part of the overall mix of channels available for marketing communications. For some brands, it is the most important part and something the brand hinges all communication on. For other brands, it is merely a supporting act or a "we have to be there".
Strong brands were built long before social media emerged and the fact that the majority of social media user don't consider it to be a meaningful use of their time should not surprise, nor shock anyone. It does not mean that social media users are blind to, or do not appreciate, what they consume on these platforms.
Use that. Adjust accordingly.