Social Media platforms are off to a shaky start, don’t miss it; Spot the segment-influencers; workplace communications is THE thing; and — the brand must acknowledge its surroundings. A communications road map for the new year
External and Internal are One
In Recent years, organizations and businesses are becoming more aware of the importance of internal communications in the workplace. Nevertheless, even when such awareness grew, directors and managers seemed to think of this type of communication as something entirely different than the outward-facing communications strategy. They were of the opinion that internal communications ought to be managed by different professionals from a different discipline altogether. Those who brand the company’s name and deal with the press should not be the same people who write the staff newsletter or organize office trips. An HR task rather than a PR task.
In the coming year, we will be seeing more of a merge between the external PR strategy and the internal workplace communications. Why is this happening? There are a number of explanations for that, for example: Although the Covid pandemic is, for the most part, a thing of the past (knock on wood), there is no doubt that our work-habits were dramatically altered for good. New hybrid models of office and home office are emerging, creating virtual office spaces and a new definition for “the workplace” altogether. This shift requires special attention be given to the workplace values, company values and the overall organizational narrative. This narrative should then be infused inwards just as much as it is broadcasted outwards.
If that wasn’t convincing, think of the huge benefits that come with internal communications, by reiterating values of loyalty to the company and workplace ethics, especially when you calculate the close-to-zero cost of such an endeavor.
Social Media is transforming before our eyes
We’re living in a transition period into a new era. Facebook got a little hasty and took a bet on a futuristic world that it is not yet technologically prepared for. Instagram is still going strong but is threatened by Tik-Tok. Twitter, after it was bought by Elon Musk, has gone berserk and is likely to entirely derail. Tik-Tok is highly popular, but its Chinese ownership is causing worry about user-privacy. There are many new competitors, but they’re still small and have not yet proven themselves as gamechangers.
But let’s not be fooled, eh? Although business is still going strong, there is a growing feeling that in this coming year, new Social Media players will enter the game and soon become the new hotshots in town. Will it be a self-hosting open-source platform like “Mastodon”, or the Twitter-like “Post News” that incorporates design functions with a news-site feel, and a surprising small-income business model? What you need is for someone to break it down for you, and tell you where you ought to be. Remember, the name of the game is adapting to changes and getting your foot in the door as early as possible. First come, first served.
The Human Platforms
Once again, this coming year will continue the downward trajectory of traditional media, which is first and foremost a moral catastrophe. In many countries (many of which you may not be familiar with), democracy is quickly dissolving and instead of it, something else is emerging, something dark; a political reality in which there is no real truth and very little incentive (and capacity) on the part of states to invest in in-depth, objective and investigative reporting.
But actually, we’re here to talk about the professional side of things. In that respect, the change we’ll be experiencing will be primarily in the type of platforms. That doesn’t mean that there will be less room on the existing platforms to talk about our brand or communicate with consumers, but rather, that the layout of the playing field will change. The platforms will still exist, but they will operate differently. We need to set out into this untrodden territory and create new modes of communication.
So what already exists and works well? A major example is influencers. In the US, the prediction for 2023 is that brands will invest at least 23% more in influencer-based advertising. Already in 2022 studies showed that 80% of marketing experts say that influencer marketing is effective or extremely effective. In the same study, 71% of them said that influencers create better leads, more than any other advertising method. In light of the decline of social media platforms, it’s worthwhile to invest in personas, in “characters”, that will amplify your message constantly, directly, to thousands and perhaps millions of followers at a time.
The thing is, paying influencers is not like merely buying more space on a billboard. There are many ways to “operate” influencers. For example, you can build them up in-house, as ambassadors of your brand from the start, as characters that have their own story that blends into yours. And not only influencers. Independent journalism too. Journalism that relies on a different business model, primarily on crowd-founders, on various foundations, journalism that is non-profit, independent newspapers that are a one-man show, and probably a bunch of other models that we’ve forgotten or that will emerge in this coming year. They, too, need a good story. They need attractive content. They need op-eds that stir debates and discussions.
Lo-Fi
Influencers are basically a single archetype. 2023 can be the breakthrough year for segment-influencers. What exactly does that mean? It’s clear by now that behind every stunning instagram post featuring a vacation resort with turquoise ocean and white sands — lies an entire film, lighting, makeup and fashion design crews. Heck, nowadays you can even rent business jets that will serve as a one-day set, to depict an influencer as an ambitious intercontinental business woman. Paying one’s way through to followers and ‘likes’ is already old news.
In contrast to these super refined and touched-up profiles, that have set a standard in the influencer world but still reek heavily of fake (strangely, that fake is still doing it for many) — there is a rise in everyday, un-refined, bottom-up content. Some would call it “authentic”. Profiles of everyday people that aren’t hiding behind their daddy’s riches.
Instead of investing in the repetitive archetype of the perfectly-fit, sexy and rich influencer that does pilates-yoga while sipping an iced latte — you can invest in real-life people with real challenges: retirees, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities. Instead of the all-too-perfect stick figures of instagram, invest in relatable people that can capture smaller and more feasible audiences.
The short video — the new news
As part of the platform changes that we described earlier, it’s important that content creators specialize in various formats of short videos, to provide the new generation with news broadcasts suitable for their capacities. In the United States, 95% of those between the ages of 13-17 are regular youtube users and are exposed to content that is one-minute long. And that’s just a sample. Even the older folks among Gen Z already grew up with YouTube and short videos. It’s the medium of their generation, and that’s where we ought to be. TikTok is an example of how kids and youth consume news, broaden their horizons in general knowledge and even search for new information, instead of googling things. They live in a world of short, concise, and minimal visuals. That’s why you have to build a video & news strategy for the upcoming year: But how to produce such content? How to speak the language without sounding like an old boomer? How to train new content creators? What equipment is required? And how to conquer new territory, while implementing your messaging in sync with the new consumers of news? Or simply put: whether you’re on the PR company side or on the costumer side — You’ve got to have the answers to those questions straight.
And yet, good writing is still a highly sought after skill. This may seem contrary to the trend we just described, but actually, in-line with the short videos, the demand for qualified content writers is soaring. Still today, the main skill of our communication networks is — at least in the near future — the literary word. No matter who they are, consumers of media know very well to distinguish well-written content from incoherent and poor content. Quality-content is a skill that must be acquired by anyone who makes their living from “selling” content, as well as for any consumer of content (meaning, the publisher, the customer).
No can do, without a sense of purpose and meaning
The trend that began about a decade ago is continuously on the rise. Corporations want to display “the values they represent” and so do their brands. The more this trend gains in popularity, it is no longer enough to add a badge to one’s profile picture when “something terrible happened” in the world, or to send “thoughts and prayers” or even to infuse your content with heartfelt intentions: “We are excited to share that…”. Organizations are looking for action, real action, and that consequently adds a whole set of decision making processes; When to comment about the current state of affairs? When to remain silent? when to push forward the edgy statement ahead of your competitors? etc’.
The corporate brand can no longer ignore political events. If you’re the boss thinking “it’s none of our business” and better stay quiet, just remember that silence is too, a political stance. Perhaps a small example from the 80’s can remind us how far we’ve come. Remember Michael Jordan as the face of Nike ® saying that he will not respond to discrimination against black people in the United States since “Republicans buy sneakers, too”?
Take a look at Lebron James, Nike®’s current presenter, and his commitment to various causes, followed by some very feisty statements. Nike® isn’t saying, “well, James is such a huge star, better not mess with him”. On the contrary. They want him talking and addressing social issues because those reflect the corporation's values.