“By and large, organic reach isn’t a significant part of content strategy currently, so impact is minimal.”
That’s what one of the big social media companies had to say recently when asked how a brand’s organic reach would be impacted by an algorithm change. “Organic reach? lmao!”
If you’re reading this newsletter you probably already knew that organic reach is dead on most social media platforms—“isn’t a significant part of content strategy”—but that’s a real shame.
Remember the original promise of social media for brands? Social media would let users opt into content and communication from their friends, interesting people, and their favorite brands, whether it’s a fashion label, a museum, a band, a media company, whatever. The possibility of organic reach would incentivize brands to make great content that their fans love and want to see in their feeds, and maybe even share.
What we got instead is a bait-and-switch: That community you built up on FB is only really reachable nowadays if you pay. And when you have to pay to get messaging in front of people, it changes the entire arrangement. Brands lose the incentive to create community-building content. The content gets more corporate-minded in order to justify the promotion dollars. Reach is determined more by blunt targeting than by the makeup of your community.
And we’re right back to where we started. Brand content reverts to being interruptive, at which point it’s not content at all, it’s advertising. Banners and commercials. Ads stand out from what users want to see in their feeds, so they train themselves to scroll past. Just like they ignore interruptive brand messaging on every other channel.
And finally, the day arrives when Elon Musk takes a look at his company’s FB content, declares it rubbish, and shuts down the channel.
It doesn’t have to be this way. On platforms where organic reach is still possible (like Twitter and YouTube), smart brands succeed by using content and conversations to build community. People really do want to hear from brands, if we can just resist the inclination to make ads instead of content.
And now, for some content we’ve enjoyed lately...
|
|
|
Feeling bad about your deck design skills? Check out this collection of pitch decks from some wildly successful startups (*ahem* Airbnb *ahem* YouTube). They're mostly hideous, but they raised over $400M in VC funding. | Attach
|
|
|
|
Remember the Space Jam site? The Web Design Museum is keeping the olden days of Flash and Shockwave alive with an extensive database of websites from way back when the internet was young. | AIGA
|
|
|
Quitting Social Media as a Teenager in 2018. Even for teens who were born into the internet, social media can be anxiety-inducing. Three Gen Z members weigh in on how they felt once they called it quits (hint: relief). | Man Repeller
Related: Insights from Extremely Online People who say the internet broke their brain. | Esquire
|
|
|
|
The 101 Dishes That Changed America. What do hot dogs, California Rolls, and the Doritos Locos Taco have in common? They all shaped the way we eat in this beautiful country. Read on for an extensive, hundred-year history lesson on each of the 101 foods that make America America. | Thrillist
|
|
|
|
We helped our friends over at Zappar land some Adweek coverage on brands using AR gaming to their advantage.
|
|
|
Good Science Beauty, a new skincare line with a strong foundation in science, made its social media debut last week, in preparation for a wider launch later this year. Watch this space and give them a follow on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
|
|
|
We're getting political with some recent Netflix projects—Gloria Allred's the OG SJW we all want to be, and nothing but love for our presidential candidate, Bobby Kennedy. (Also, see where the candidate stands on today's most relevant issues.)
|
|
|
"Consumers shouldn't need to be made aware that AI exists. AI really works when it's seamless and provides a benefit without being noticed." We spoke with Qualcomm's Gary Brotman about the future of AI.
|
|
|
Looking for your next gig? If you speak internet, have something interesting to say, and want to make cool things, we want to talk to you. Here's just a few of the spots we're looking to fill.
|
- Associate Data Strategist (New York)
- Head of Talent (New York)
- Strategy Director (New York)
- Account Supervisor (Salt Lake City)
|
|
|
We're just over here making smart work for smart people, on behalf of smart companies. Erryday.
|
|
|
|
