Business

Daily Buzz: Is Social Media Getting Less Social?

New research shows that users are moving away from public social platforms. Also: revamping meetings in 2020.

It’s no surprise that social media is—well, social. But come next year, platforms might start to trend away from that, says Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes on Fast Company. His insight comes on the heels of the company’s annual Social Media Trends Report.

“Considering the controversies that have surrounded social networks of late, it’s no surprise to see that users are fleeing public platforms for the relative privacy of messaging apps and closed groups,” Holmes says.

In fact, 63 percent of people prefer sharing and talking about content in private channels, according to research from GlobalWebIndex. Holmes says this trend will only grow: “Expect to see private and one-to-one platforms continue to thrive in 2020,” such as Instagram’s newly launched Threads platform.

Another callout of Hootsuite’s report: the evolution of social media incentives. More recently, signature features, such as “likes,” have been criticized for creating larger problems.

“Algorithms to surface interesting updates end up prioritizing provocative and misleading news,” Holmes explains. “Metrics like followers and likes encourage mindless sharing and undercut meaningful engagement. A commitment to open dialogue gives free rein to bullies and trolls.”

Come 2020, Holmes says platforms will confront these issues. Instagram, for example, has already started testing hidden like counts.

“The motivation: Encourage users to engage with videos and photos on their own merits, rather than simply following the herd,” Holmes says.

Up Your Conference Culture

Kicking off the next decade with a roster full of events? Make meetings memorable by re-evaluating conference culture, says Ojas Rege, chief product officer at One Concern, in an interview with Event Marketer.

“With the nontraditional events, it’s about thinking minute by minute, hour by hour, what’s the experience, what are the interactions, what do I do as a user, how do I flow through the space—not just where I sit and watch a presentation,” he explains. “If you give the audience something that lets them do their jobs better, they love it, and they value it, and they become loyal.”

Other Links of Note

Dealing with end-of-year stress? Forbes shares strategies to help you cope.

Make your website accessible with these six tips from Convince & Convert.

Once a member joins, it’s time to start on your retention efforts. MultiBriefs outlines five ways associations can create an inclusive environment and offer value from the start.

(neoblues/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Jeff Hsin

By Jeff Hsin

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