Photo albums, statuses, check-ins, memes, funny videos, and the like. The foundation of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Youtube, right? Well, yes, these components have dominated social media platforms for years and still rule some (think: Instagram and Snapchat). However, in recent years, there has been a striking shift in how these different platforms are beginning to operate, most notably in the number of users who are turning to social media for their daily dose of news.
Facebook and YouTube were the largest news suppliers in 2017, an unsurprising statistic given the vast number of Facebook and Youtube users worldwide. Twitter, on the other hand, is worth paying attention to as a news source. While its number of users is small in comparison to the social media giants of Facebook and YouTube, those who do use Twitter are increasingly relying on the blue bird icon as a news source, rather than to stay in touch with friends and businesses. According to a recent report from the PEW Research Center, “Overall, three of the sites measured — Twitter, YouTube and Snapchat — had an increase in the share of their audience that gets news on the site. Since 2013, at least half of Twitter users have reported getting news on the site, but in 2017, with a president who frequently makes announcements on the platform, that share has increased to about three-quarters (74%), up 15 percentage points from last year.”
With about ¾ of Twitter users utilizing the app for recent news articles and information, traffic updates and presidential tweets, non-news tweets are increasingly harder to find and therefore becoming far less relevant than they were back in 2009. The Social Media balance is continuing to shift as new platforms come onto the scene and old platforms reposition their purpose (ie: Twitter becoming a news source) in order to stay relevant and remain a piece of the social media pie.
Where will social media platforms go from here? It’s hard to say right now as more apps are being developed and eventually bought by the technological giants of Facebook, Twitter, and Google. What is clear, however, is that the spaces each platform occupies in the social media space, is ever changing, and businesses and individuals must adapt to these changes in order to stay relevant and focused in 2018.
About the Author:
Deedra Hughes
Experienced President with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in Digital Strategy, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Integrated Marketing, Advertising, and Pay Per Click (PPC). Strong business development professional with a Bachelor’s Degree focused in Communications from Ohio University.