Building Castles On Sand
Imagine waking up tomorrow to find your entire social media presence — gone. Poof! Just like that, years of hard work, followers, and engagement wiped out. Shocking? Absolutely. But it’s not far-fetched.
The future of social media for brands (and all of us) is at a fascinating crossroads! We’ve all been happily building castles on sand, and now the tide’s coming in. Relying solely on platforms like X, Meta, or TikTok feels precarious at best. It’s high time we shifted our focus to channels we own and control.
Under Musk's leadership, X (formerly Twitter) has become increasingly unpredictable — and frankly, a little alarming. Many brands have pulled their advertising, citing concerns over content moderation and brand safety. According to a Kantar survey, a net 26% of marketers plan to reduce spending on the platform, with a meagre 4% considering it "brand safe." And at TILTED we have seen this too.
This post (if you hadn’t already guessed) was inspired by Meta’s wild decision to end fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram — a move that has sparked serious concerns about misinformation. It mirrors X's shift toward a more "free speech-friendly" approach, but let’s be honest: abandoning fact-checking in an era of AI-generated content is a recipe for total chaos! Social media is already feeling like the wild west, and this decision is only going to escalate the spread of false information.
And then we have TikTok, teetering on the edge of a potential U.S. ban. The looming uncertainty is leaving creators and brands in a precarious position, as a ban would disrupt its massive advertising revenue and user base. If that happens, it’s almost certain we’ll see a ripple effect on Instagram, with TikTok users and creators flocking to the platform as a backup option.
This shift will undoubtedly influence the type of content we’re likely to see on Instagram, reshaping its landscape in ways we’re only beginning to imagine. Hold on tight — I predict another huge algorithm shift!
These moments are a reminder that the digital world changes faster than you can say “algorithm update.” trends shift, policies zigzag, and platforms rise and fall. But there’s a silver lining: we can take control. AND YOU SHOULD!
Owning your audience through email, websites, or even SMS marketing isn’t just savvy — it’s essential. These are the tools where you call the shots, not some tech overlord with a terrible haircut and a flair for chaos.
If social media vanished tomorrow, how would you keep your community together? How would you share your ideas, products, or services? These are the questions brands/personal brands/influencers need to be pondering over their next cuppa.
At the moment, you’re dictated to on how you can get people off-app. Obviously, Instagram won’t let you use a direct link in your caption. Why? Not because they lack the ability, but because they want to make it just that bit harder to move people off the app. Their job is to keep people scrolling, not to help you sell your product. They make it just easy enough for big brands to spend cash, but not so easy that they’ll lose masses of users to off-app shops.
So, what’s the takeaway? Build your own castle — one that isn’t at the mercy of the tides. Use social media as the discovery tool it’s meant to be, but focus on steering your audience to spaces you truly control. This isn’t about playing doom and gloom; it’s about recognising a reality we can’t ignore. Social media might work now, and at TILTED we’ve seen the impact it can have. But it’s a shaky foundation for the future. As a business, we’re taking steps to protect ourselves from future shifts — and you should too.
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