Surviving Massive Market Shifts

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Apologies for posting a day late again! Big announcements coming soon re: why I've been so busy lately!

"AI will change everything, so what's the point of focusing on social growth now?"

I've heard this a lot in 2024, sometimes in my head as I'm on hour two of editing a 45-second TikTok.

And you know what?

The thought is absolutely right.

I've been career-focused on social platforms since 2006 (!!!) and there have been non-stop seismic shifts

Proof? Here's a screen grab from a Cynopsis Digital newsletter I read back in 2007:

Of these, I had large brand or publisher profiles on Google Video, Yahoo! Video, MySpace, and AOL.

Not to mention Blip, Revver, Joost, Babelgum, me.tv and more.

At this time, YouTube was one of my least successful platforms.

But if I could go back to 2006 and change one strategy, it would be this: build everywhere that's meaningful at that moment, but prepare for what the market is telling you is coming next.

In 2006, it was becoming clear that UGC video was growing faster than professionally produced video, social feed-based video was starting to develop, and distribution was starting to move from .coms to user-centric 'channels'.

Likewise, we all know AI is going to change everything around content creation, distribution, audience engagement, and platform algorithms.

But what do we know now that can protect our social media futures?

?? AI can produce faceless content at scale. If you are making content that can be easily replicated through LLMs, like kids' cartoons and 'satisfying' content, it's time to develop your IP, characters, or personality in a unique way that's harder to replicate.

?? AI humans fall into the uncanny valley and likely will for a while. The longer you engage with AI, the more cracks it shows. Making a fully convincing human will take a while, so making content that shows your humanity is more future-proofed than short dance videos.

?? AI is a mirror, not an innovator. AI trains on content and then spits out similar content based on its training. If you're telling jokes we've all heard a million times, AI will do it infinitely better. If you're truly innovating in your art, AI can't replicate it (until it trains on you, that is).

?? Platforms are already starting to 'devalue' AI in the algorithm. If you are implementing AI, it's a good time to think of unique ways to create at scale and use it to funnel to your higher-value, human-produced content.

?? If people are 'fooled' into engaging with AI after thinking it's a person, they're mad. This has been happening for years on technical support calls, but you're seeing a lot more of this with deepfakes and faceless AI Instagram Reels. Most people don't want to bother watching something a human didn't bother to spend time creating.

So, given this info, your content strategy can focus on the now (TikTok trends, the 'shorts to long' marketing funnel, increasing conversion rates) and the inevitable future (bringing more 'humanity' to your content, putting your face on camera, developing IP that's all yours).

My mission for you: look at some trends in your favorite platforms.

LinkedIn just launched video and is pushing video carousels. Not a coincidence.

TikTok Shop is doubling down. Not a coincidence.

Instagram is building more community engagement features. Not a coincidence.

Then, find small ways to start pivoting your content to focus on where the platform is going.

That took 2 minutes. You have 8 minutes left. Don't fear the future—grow 1% right now!

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About the Author

Phil Ranta, is the COO of Fixated, a content and gaming studio building IP around creators, a LinkedIn Top Voice in Innovation & Tech, and has been creating content for the internet and building internet businesses professionally for nearly 20 years, starting on MySpace and riding trends to the present. He was the Head of Gaming Creators, North America at Facebook, the first network lead at Fullscreen, the COO at Studio71, and spent 10 years as a working comedian (including 2 years on cruise ships). He's a husband, a dad of two littles, and an insufferable digital media wonk.

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