In the past 10 years or so, social media platforms have lacked something we all crave – a chronological feed. This was tested recently by Twitter adding posts liked by friends. Similarly, Instagram’s latest feed change to horizontal scrolling saw arguably the biggest outcry to date. The feature was tested for several months, but users did not take to it well even though we spend more time on horizontal Instagram Stories than our own feeds.
The whole world wants chronological order. Got it? 😄 https://t.co/514tRlwfyU
— Jeffree Star (@JeffreeStar) January 23, 2019
Of course, a lot of social is in the moment, and reactive! We could not have appreciated the random and hilarious reimagining’s of the Instagram Egg if the campaign wasn’t executed as the conversation was happening. This also stops our need for traditional news outlets – why do we need a glossy magazine when brands can update us about Gemma Collins latest drama so much better? Our lives are time sensitive and we like to see moments as and when they happen.
Him: I've just got out of a long term relationship
Me: pic.twitter.com/r42vamRZVQ— Missguided (@Missguided) January 23, 2019
Yet, so much on social is timeless. Many posts focus on wider themes and are not strictly time-sensitive. Are you aware of what tweets you engage with, and which you scroll by? Regardless of what you may think you want to engage with, feeds react individually to you – how often you use the platform, how many people you follow etc. 59% of users have even admitted to sharing articles they haven’t read. The content you engage with isn’t necessarily related to, today! Social should always be a mini-escape from our lives but you need to make it work for you. Our tip is every so often slow down and read every single post in your feed. One of two things will happen – you will either discover something new, or you’ll unfollow. Either way, you win – as you’re making the algorithm work for you.
“Our tip is every so often, slow down and read every single post in your feed. One of two things will happen – you will either discover something new, or you’ll unfollow. Either way, you’ll win.”
Social platforms in their short lives have already changed many times. The like button first appeared in 2009 (now that’s a #10YearChallenge), and the new Facebook Marketplace may feel invasive but could revolutionise the way we sell items. These changes certainly aren’t slowing down, and Twitter’s announcement of a beta app for new features promises to bring consumers along for the ride.
Design changes should be fun! Embrace them and discover a whole new world of engagement that’s personal to you.
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