Is Clubhouse actually still in? And what about TikTok, Pinterest and Snapchat? An article on how companies should react to new social media platforms.
I am old. Consequently, I have seen many social media platforms come and go. The most prominent were probably Google+ (especially in 2011), Vine (especially in 2013) and Ello (especially in 2014). Not quite as well known: Mastodon, WT.Social and Diaspora. What all these platforms have in common is that they are now dead or irrelevant. However, the truth is that some platforms are here to stay. Instagram is the best example. TikTok, on the other hand, is in the process of establishing itself and Pinterest has been around for a long time, but somehow it’s not. Snapchat is a big mystery. The service experienced huge hype in 2016, but since then we haven’t heard much about it, even though it was used by nine percent of the German population (i.e. over 7 million!) at least once a week according to the ARD-ZDF online study in 2020. But no matter which new platform it is, the initial questions for online marketers remain the same: jump on? If so, when? And what do you actually get out of it?
In the beginning there is free reach
The first thing to note is that calmness is a foreign word for marketers. The fear of jumping on a trend too late or even missing the boat is far too great. But it’s not just people, brands, companies and organizations also want to stay young and dynamic. A presence on a new platform is like Botox for wrinkles. Normally, it is noticeable for companies when only marketing is injected under the skin, but who cares? After all, you get a lot of admiration on every new platform (“Aha, they’re there now too. Must be a cool company!”). The meaningfulness of the activity is rarely or never questioned in depth. Instead, the motto is: image is everything. And that’s why we have to do it!
The better known the companies are, the better it is for the platforms, as this makes them even more attractive. So it’s a win-win situation. In return, there is free reach. Individual companies become famous as a result and receive additional coverage through reports on their marketing activities in online magazines, news websites, blogs, podcasts and other social media platforms. Very few journalists are critical, instead they praise: Look how agile the company is! Best practice! Great marketing! Congratulations! Agencies and consultants also like to pick up on such examples to make their own customers’ mouths water.
And at some point you become an advertising customer
As long as not all competitors, VIPs, would-be influencers and chocolate manufacturers are on the platform, it is actually comparatively easy for companies to generate reach on new networks. They have a kind of first mover advantage. Of course, this does not apply to everyone, but quite the opposite: only to very few. Companies that don’t really work out are portrayed much less often, you don’t hear anything about them (that’s their problem…) and they themselves don’t make a big deal of their failure.
But even for companies that are doing well, there comes a day when the platforms want to earn money. Then it’s time to pay up, please! The algorithm is tweaked, organic reach is reduced and the hour of advertising arrives (paid social). Reach is then primarily paid for. Of course, this only works if the companies are dependent on the platforms – and if they can hold out that long, see above.
What are the opportunity costs of trial and error?
“Stay hungry, stay foolish!” was a credo of Steve Jobs that still echoes through the web today. And yes, of course curiosity is a high value that should be maintained. This applies both privately and professionally. But does that mean you have to try out every new social media platform? No. Because as a private individual, it makes you tired (“social media fatigue”) and in companies that try out too much, other things fall by the wayside. Especially as testing doesn’t just mean installing an app and swiping around a bit, but (if you take it seriously) involves conceptual work including operational implementation – over several months. After all, there is no other way to measure (failure) success. However, as employees are usually working at almost 100% capacity, they are forced to either work overtime or neglect other activities – keyword: opportunity costs. It may be that motivated employees in hip start-ups are prepared to go the extra mile in this way, but in established companies such a procedure is likely to quickly reach its limits – at the latest when the next trend platform comes along.
Social media is a marathon
In general, organic social media is not a sprint, but a marathon. Small companies in particular often forget this. Whether on Instagram, TikTok or elsewhere. In the beginning, several posts per week are churned out, but as soon as two or three months have passed, motivation wanes, employees realize how much work the platform is doing and the channel begins to vegetate – especially if there are no measurable successes. Internal appeals (“We need to get things moving again!”) rarely help. So either you accept this or you hire someone or commission an agency – but that costs money. And then the question arises: Is it worth it? For some companies, it definitely does. But not for all of them.
Advertising is often the better choice
Back to the initial questions. In my view, companies should only jump onto new social media platforms if they can answer the following questions with yes before testing them:
- Do we have enough personnel capacity to test the platform adequately?
- Does our target group want us to be present there? Or do we at least see realistic opportunities to reach a new target group as a result?
- Are we prepared to set ourselves targets before the test and close the account again if they are not achieved? If the target is achieved, can we keep the channel open permanently or provide more financial/personal resources to ensure this?
If so, I would advocate an early start. If not: Hands off and wait until you can advertise on the social media platform! In my experience, many companies and organizations are willing to spend comparatively large sums of money on organic social media channels, but are very reluctant to place advertisements. In my view, this is a mistake, as advertising can be much more targeted and does not “commit” you to a permanent presence.
PS: Last but not least, a recommendation. Mark Mühürcüoglu from SD Sugar Daddies reported in the webinar “TikTok – For which entrepreneurs is it worthwhile?” why and how he approached TikTok. I found it particularly exciting how the team has grown(from 16:24 min). Two people from the nine-strong marketing team now work exclusively on TikTok. Even if Mark unfortunately can’t measure the success in figures, it seems to be worthwhile for the two Sugar Daddies brands Cookie Bros. and O-Mochi.
