Why Marketers Should Prioritize Entertainment Over Interactions
A major upheaval that has swept through social media marketing over the last five years has changed priorities and strategies. It's not just about making short, memorable videos or using cutting-edge AI anymore. The real game-changer is the abrupt pivot from encouraging conversations to providing pure entertainment.
Although marketing has always included entertainment, the early days of social media were characterized by a fierce quest for interaction. Brands sprang to start discussions, looking for likes and comments as success indicators. Algorithms that favored content with high interaction rates sustained a cycle of clickbait and divisive debate, further fueling this obsession.
engaging users for prolonged periods
However, TikTok adopted a unique strategy by promoting public sharing and prioritizing user time on the app over likes and comments. Along with completely changing the user experience, this also raised the bar for social media participation.
With its algorithmic preferences, Meta previously controlled social media trends and shaped user behavior. But TikTok's rise upset the established order and forced platforms to adopt an entertainment-focused business strategy.
Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are increasingly using AI-driven recommendations; astonishingly, these algorithms surface 50% of Instagram content and 30% of Facebook content. So this is not from accounts you follow or posts from friends and family. Also, Instagram isn’t as concerned about whether content drives likes and comments; the key measurement is how long you spend watching.
This highlights a transition from user-generated content to carefully curated content that engages users for prolonged durations. This has been in the works for some time. Nowadays, almost all platforms are adjusting to the amount of time spent, which mainly comes from video views. In this case, the most entertaining content prevails over content that elicits feedback from others.
Decline in original content
But there are repercussions to this evolution. Even if platform usage increases overall, real engagement declines. The once-social aspect of these platforms is being abandoned as fewer people are actively posting. Among younger groups, the fall is especially noticeable; Instagram Stories, for example, is seeing double-digit declines.
As a result, users spend more time watching AI-recommended videos, but they are less inclined to comment and engage beyond that. Therefore, social media is becoming less social and more similar to traditional media.
For marketers, this shift calls for a calculated change. We can no longer depend on strategies to get people to comment, like, and share. Rather, the emphasis has to go on creating entertainment.
The difficulty in delivering original ideas in the age of AI-generated content is avoiding clichés. Even if AI technologies are efficient, they frequently fail to produce truly original ideas since they depend on repeating patterns obtained from historical data.
However, true creativity stands out as a source of distinction among this deluge of AI-produced content. Original, thought-provoking ideas are/will be of unmatched value.
Fundamentally, extended viewing and entertainment value will determine the course of social media marketing. As such, marketers must adapt as platforms move away from their social roots and antiquated methods, replacing engagement bait and generic calls to action.
Based in Tokyo, An-yal is the leading independent advertising agency for global lifestyle brands in Japan and worldwide. Contact us to get ahead with your advertising, marketing and creative needs.
