3 Big changes I have noticed with social media
Over the past five years, I have been on this journey navigating life after losing my heart cat Dusty to cancer. And if this is your first time here, “Hello there. My name is Kamira. I created this blog as a place to find joy after pet loss through inspiration and art. This space is for pet parents, past and present who also enjoy inspirational and creative content.” Now that you are in the loop, I’ll continue.
In the past few years, I have learned about the world of blogging and social media marketing for promoting content as a blogger. After trial and error, watching, and learning, I have come to a few conclusions. I have learned with social media marketing that not everything you try will be a success. And at times what used to work 5 years ago, may not work as well today.
I am sure you are asking. “What changes are you noticing on social media? Well, I will tell you the 3 big changes I have noticed with social media as a blogger. Some of these changes may resonate with you too.
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1. The Unknown
One observation I have noticed is unknown. I wrote a recent blog post The best advice I received as a new blogger where I discussed the importance of having your own website in the event a platform goes down or disappears. This is one big change I’ve noticed as of late. From technical issues to outages, I’ve realized that these social platforms are a false sense of stability. Hence, it’s important to have your own platform.
Additionally, I have observed more oversight, censorship, and control of content from others. That’s a bit discouraging as there are many important and relevant people with well-thought-out research and opinions to offer the public, yet they are censored.
Like I mentioned in my other blog post, the fact remains when I promote my blog content, I understand I’m at the mercy of a platform’s rules, regulations, and algorithms. Social platforms you do not own can dictate the rules, censor, ban or restrict you for any reason.
2. Dip in Analytics/ Engagement
Secondly, another big change I have noticed with social media is a big dip in engagement and visibility of content in newsfeeds. Can you relate?
I’ve shared in the past that I have used various ways to share my content. I use Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. I enjoy the pet social share communities I’m a part of as well. Additionally, I have even tried Facebook ads on and off. Results are hit or miss.
I have a decent following in terms of number count on Facebook. And I have a few hundred on Instagram and Twitter, however, engagement is dipping in some areas recently.
Are people losing interest in the content or are these standard familiar platforms becoming outdated? Maybe it is neither of these issues but rather people have more options on social platforms these days.
Tik-tok, Snapchat, and Twitch are just a few of the new platforms I’ve heard of. I’ve learned that as a blogger the challenge lies in capturing and keeping the reader’s attention especially when there are dozens of other options.
3. Exploring Alternatives
The final big change I’ve discovered or rather remembered is that many bloggers are going back to basics. There are ways to market and drive traffic to my blog outside of social media.
Sometimes the answer you have been looking for has been staring you in the face. Work smarter and not harder. As bloggers and creatives, we have options.
And guess what? For me, social search engines seem to work well. And for me, Pinterest is a winner!
I love creating Pinterest pins in Canva and the time and effort invested has proven to be consistent and makes up about 86% of my social traffic to my blog. So, what have I been doing with my life?!! My modest effort and time pinning has proven results with bringing traffic to my blog, so I am sticking with it.
YouTube
Also, as I’ve mentioned recently, I’m growing my new YouTube channel to create video form content to share and promote my blog. Video content is only continuing to grow and shows no signs of slowing down. I’m finding many people prefer viewing or listening to content over reading. This trend continues to grow.
Podcasts
Along with the growing trend in video. I notice that just as many people are invested in audio content. As a blogger I find it refreshing and a new and different way to share content comparable to the days of radio.
Hmm, maybe that’s an avenue I may try down the road. We’ll see.
Mailing list/Newsletters
Having a mailing list is a big plus. I share my content via my email newsletter weekly with my Impurrfectlife Insiders. Being able to keep my community informed and notified of special events via my mailing list is invaluable. Social media can shut down, but I’ll still be able to stay in touch with my community without skipping a beat.
Word of mouth
Successful brands have been built through word of mouth, newsletters, radio, collaborations, etc. before the age of social media. So never underestimate the power of a good word from a friend to a colleague. Word travels fast.
I know on a personal level, my friends, family, and colleagues have shared information about my blog to others and I’m so grateful.
Conclusion
Those are the 3 big changes I have noticed in social media as a blogger. I understand what works for one person may not work well for another. Social media has proven to have many advantages and disadvantages. To grow, you must learn to adapt to change with the times but realize older methods still work. Don’t be afraid to try something out of the box.
Share your Thoughts
Do you use social media to promote your blog or business? Have you noticed changes recently? Are you a fan of social media? What other ways do you market your business? Which method has proven most beneficial for you? I’d love to hear your input and tips.
Be sure to stay connected with me by following me on Pinterest and subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Most importantly, sign up for my mailing list here.
Leave a comment below.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my other posts below.
9 Lessons learned in 2020 that will help me in 2021 & beyond
11 Lessons I have learned after 5 years of blogging
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16 Comments
Robin
I have noticed the same things! You really have to have your hands in more than one thing to get your word out. Pinterest is great. With CrittEar, we’ve been exploring using some more video and uping the level of content we have on social media. SEO is a big one for us too. With my personal blog, SEO has always been the biggest factor.
Admin
Robin,
I’m glad I’m not alone. Thanks so much for your input. Yes! I have learned the same about video too. As bloggers we need to think about adapting to different ways to share our content beyond the written word.
Terri
I’m fairly new to blogging (began in March 2021), but I’ve noticed that Pinterest has changed in just that timeframe. I think it’s a constantly changing field. I do see a lot more people entering the podcast arena. That seems to be an ever expanding one. But like with anything, there’s a learning curve and you have to have time to spend on that learning curve while not neglect the balls you already have in the air. I’m really glad that what I’m seeing as a fairly new blogger is the same for you as an established blogger. Thank you for sharing. I’m really curious to see where you go and what you do next. I’m all ears!
Admin
Terri,
Congrats to you as a new blogger! Yes, this journey has been an interesting ride. I’m glad I’m not alone as you’ve experienced some of the same issues. Very insightful. Thank you for sharing your experience and I look forward to sharing more of my content.
Cathy Armato
I have definitely noticed all these changes! My reach on Facebook has shrunk down tremendously despite me posting and engaging with others. Pinterest has proven to be a great search engine over the last year or two. I never had traffic to my blog from Pinterest, and was delighted to see that in the last year it’s brought me more traffic than other channels. One of the biggest challenges is that social media changes constantly – not only does each channel change their algorithyms constantly, but new channels like TikTok come around every year. It’s too much work to manage all of these channels, I have to pick & choose which ones to stay with. I find myself putting much more effort into SEO optimization, mainly keywords. Great insights, thanks for sharing
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Admin
Cathy,
Well said. I couldn’t agree more. It is a challenge to juggle social media posting on several platforms. We share the same experience on Facebook (now Meta). You made a great point about the ever-changing social scene. We are always learning and discovering something new.
Marjorie Dawson
Lack of engagement is probely because there are so many people all shouting at the same time – right? We need to get unique and treasure our niche. PPerson by person we turn them out way, and do our best to ensure we provide the best service we can.
Admin
Marjorie,
Good point. Finding a way to be unique is key!
Ruth Epstein
I have noticed a big change in Facebook, I have over 12k followers and maybe 20 see my posts a week and if I mention my blog it drops to zero, YouTube I have stopped as all my videos disappeared, Pinterest is so so – has its ups and downs, twitter is still going ok. I feel all social media has lost its magic as such which is sad
Admin
Ruth,
I think you are onto something! I have experienced the same. I appreciate you sharing your insight!
Sadie
Honestly, I can’t get my head around social media never mind keeping up with all of the changes. Like you, I started writing as a therapeutic outlet. Sometimes I consider packing it in and spending the time in my studio. I’m pinning this helpful information for future reference.
Admin
Sadie,
Yes! Thanks for pinning and I couldn’t agree more.
Beth
I’ve noticed some of these things as well. Instagram is my favorite, but I’m not very active on it anymore.
Admin
Beth,
Same here. I have IG however not as active as well. There are so many platforms to cover. It’s about time for me to narrow things down and streamline a bit.
Sweet Purrfections
I’ve found that most of the traffic to my blog comes from organic searches. This is probably due to the change in my brand from journal to educational/informative
Admin
Paula,
That’s awesome too. I find the same for my blog too. Organic search is the other biggest traffic source.