The biggest change in social media marketing over the past five years isn’t just about short videos or fancy AI. It’s about moving from interaction to pure entertainment.
Sure, entertainment has always been part of marketing. But early on, brands aimed to spark conversations and get likes and comments.
The TikTok Effect 📱
Algorithms once made interaction the key. More comments and likes meant more reach. But now, social platforms care more about how long you stay on the app.
TikTok changed everything.
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) used to set the trends, focusing on comments and likes. This led to more emotional content because joy, fear, and anger get reactions.
But TikTok shifted the focus.
Instead of your friends, TikTok shows you public posts. Instead of likes and comments, it tracks how long you watch each video. It uses this to show you even better content.
This means social media marketing needs to change too.
Time to Entertain ⏰
Think about this: 50% of the stuff you see on Instagram comes from AI recommendations, not from people you follow. Instagram now cares about how long you watch, not how much you interact. The same goes for Facebook, where 30% of content is AI-recommended.
People spend more time watching videos recommended by AI but interact less. Social media is becoming more like TV with some interactive bits.
For marketers, this means focusing less on getting comments and more on entertaining your audience.
The Rise of AI 🤖
AI tools can create images, text, and videos. But they often lack truly creative ideas. For example, asking an AI for a fun campaign idea for a new lemonade might give you something generic.
AI systems produce content based on what they’ve seen before. This can feel repetitive and cliché, which isn’t great for the new entertainment-focused social media world where fresh ideas win.
While AI is useful, real, unique ideas stand out more among the flood of AI-generated content.
The Bottom Line 📈
Entertainment and keeping people engaged with your content will get you more reach on social media. As platforms shift away from being purely social, traditional strategies like engagement bait and hashtags will become less important.
At CloudMarvels, we get it. Adapting to these changes is key. By focusing on creating fun and engaging content, we can help your brand succeed in this evolving digital world.
