New Rules of Social Media
Target your customers based on what they care about
Demographic-based targeting on social media is out; interest-based targeting is where it’s at, and getting to know your audience has never been more important. That means understanding micro-communities and subcultures, and creating content that authentically taps into their unique interests and language.
Choose platforms based on customer behaviour, not usage
Yes, TikTok is the rising star of social media in SA. Should your brand be on it? Not necessarily. Choose platforms based on customer behaviour, not just how many users are on them. Even better: create an ecosystem strategy that follows the customer journey across multiple platforms.
Create content like them, not just for them
Brands like Nutter Butter and Duolingo get it: you can’t just speak at your audience in their space; you need to speak their language. As always, authenticity wins – if the persona fits, wear it. If it doesn’t, don’t force it and make things awkward.
Create campaigns for social, not just on social
We’re living in the era of social-first campaigns. Creating content for other channels and then dumping it on social – never great to begin with, let’s be honest – won’t cut it.
Future-proof your social strategy
AI: Creators are leveraging AI-generated content – but brands should proceed with caution; there’s an expectation that brands should be nurturing the creator economy, especially in SA. Meanwhile, large language models (LLMs) are changing the social search experience.
Commerce: Social commerce is a full-funnel strategy and it’s growing. Young people and creators are leading the way – and brands shouldn’t lag behind.
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