Missing Insight into Consumer Behaviour Online

The Truth About Creating on Social Media
Relatability and Effort Are the Keys to Social Media Success
What Really Appeals to Audiences
Understanding Social Media Consumer Behaviour Online
The Impact of Social Media Consumption on Our Lives
What Social Media Users Truly Want

The Truth About Creating on Social Media

I don’t think that Social Media is that hard, but I do think a large proportion of those who aspire to be creators and build brand awareness don’t get it.

The want to be creators but lack understanding of what people really want to consume. And they also believe that no effort is needed. I get it, sometimes we see what looks like a very simple item of content. Case in point, see below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The OT Love Train (@theloversxo)

Relatability and effort are the keys to social media success

There are also key symbols in this video that make it very relatable to consumers. Not to mention, that those creating this type of content tend to invest a bit of money to make it appealing.

Despite this video looking very off the cuff, in the moment and real, it wasn’t at all. It was curated. Maybe it was chosen because the lighting at that moment was just right, the couple are colour coordinated maybe bought particularly for this content, they even match the interior of the car.

What Really Appeals to Audiences

Okay, a professional could argue that it’s not the best angle, but that’s the part that the creators don’t have to pay too much attention to because it lends to the authenticity of the content. We don’t want it to be too perfect because it becomes unbelievable, but perfect enough that it’s appealing.

Other symbols are the way they are dressed, it’s very likely that it’s the same as their audience or at least one that is aspired to. And the caption it joins the conversation. Relationships are talked about loads on socials. And it takes a comical approach rather than giving the heard it all before advice style of content that I think less and less cuts through the algorithm.

Unless your audience are die-hard inspirational and motivation content consumers, and you’ve built an audience for it, none of your followers are gonna see your word of the day content. So, key to doing well on social media these days is understanding the cultures and psyche of your consumers. Without this, you can’t cut through the noise.

There is absolutely no point giving people what you think they want. You have to know what they want and give it to them, and most of that is determined by what is already doing well. Read the landscape. Too many creators are still trying to break through with what happened yesteryears because that’s how their favourite creator did it. But yesteryear is gone. What your favourite creator is doing now is what is working.

Understanding Social Media Consumer Behaviour Online

You have to have an understanding of social media consumer psychology. To be fair, it’s always been the same, but with its growth, there are some elements of what consumers want that take precedence.

For one, most consumers are intrigued by other people’s lives so you have to be prepared to bring them into your life in a very open and honest way. Again, this can be curated but it has to resemble as much of a truth and expectation as possible.

When I say truth, people get to see where you live, the members of your family, perhaps it’s your work colleagues, your office, where you went for dinner, that is real life, the story might only be an element of the truth.

Of course, you go to dinner with your partner but this one was specifically for socials and you didn’t show the arguing on how long it took to get dressed, almost missing your dinner reservation and not being able to find the restaurant. If you’re an avid blogger, you may leave all that in but the fact remains that it’s not entirely true, it’s all for social media but the main point is you told a story and you shared your real life. Social media consumers eat that up.

And let’s not forget, you don’t have to share EVERYTHING that happens in your life. You can have a very private life away from the cameras, but if you don’t share any of your life, you won’t be relateable. Again, it can be a very small aspect of your real life, but it has to be something.

Now I want to say something you probably won’t agree with, but I think social media shrinks your brain. At least for me. Over the past few months, maybe even a year, my use of socials has increased. The number of times I have picked up a book, written something that resembles intelligent thought has decreased.

Times I would have spent discovering something new in life, have been spent scrolling. I’m finding myself with less and less important stuff to talk and think about. And I thought to myself, if it can happen to me, it is happening to millions of others.

What Social Media Users Truly Want

Having said that, from a business or creator point of view, we have to face the truth that socials is a place for light-hearted information. Our audiences, by and large, don’t want to think too hard. Especially if we’re talking about platforms bar LinkedIn. So why is it I see these newbie creators thinking they can get away with a life quote quickly created on Canva? The algorithms just aren’t pushing that anymore. Maybe the bigger creators get away with it, but they have already built their audience and a quickly assembled quote is not the crux of their winning formula.

Whether we like it or not, social media audiences or consumers aren’t looking to have their minds blown, they’re fed up with motivational quotes, they’ve heard them all anyway. They are looking for an alternative to TV, and Netflix, and whatever. And you have to give them what they want, not hope they take what you want to give them.