As social traffic plummets, what will fill the gap?

Spoiler: It may involve socializing. [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( WEEKLY NEWS 8.18.23 WEEKLY NEWS 10.20.23  FEATURED [B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Outlook for 2024 [Research]]( By Stephanie Stahl B2B marketers reveal their most common challenges, what they’re really using AI to do, whether their leaders understand their work, and where they'll spend their budget. Find the answers in the CMI's latest research report. [Read more](  MORE OF THE WEEK'S BEST STORIES [How the Humane Society Makes Emotional Connections Through Print and Digital Content]( by Dawn Papandrea Combining cute puppy images and hard-hitting advocacy requires deft hands. It’s a challenge the Humane Society content team manages year after year. Here’s how Emily Hamlin Smith, Content Marketer of the Year finalist, makes it happen. [Social Media’s Decline Creates Opportunity for Events (If Done the Right Way)]( by Robert Rose As social media becomes less social and more media, you can still capitalize on the human desire to socialize. Events offer one way to do that. Just remember to craft a strategy for the content regardless of the channel. [Adobe Creates Visual Content Credentials for the AI Era]( Robert Rose A new icon enables a better transparency strategy in this era of generative AI. Here’s what the new Content Credentials feature from Adobe means for you. [How To Work AI Into Content Marketing (in a Way That Works for You]( Jodi Harris Does the company you work for have an AI policy? Whether it does or not, you need one specific to AI’s use in content marketing. An AI operations plan will help you make (and share) sound decisions about its use, governance, and risk mitigation. Here’s what to consider.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE As social traffic plummets, what will fill the gap? One of the weirdest things about this year is the pronounced decline in social media participation. Some of it has to do with a certain multibillionaire making odd decisions about a particular platform. But something else is going on, too. Similar web data ([gathered into a chart by Axios]( shows organic clicks to websites from Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have collapsed – dropping to (in some cases) one-sixth of the levels seen just a year ago. I’ve seen articles attributing most of this change to Meta and X actively discouraging people from posting news articles on their respective platforms. But this steep social plunge involves more than news sites. [Other data]( indicates a general decline in people posting and commenting on Facebook and Instagram. And you don’t need formal research to see that there's less business and marketing content on X (but we have that, too, as you can see in our [latest B2B content marketing research](. My experience at Content Marketing World convinced me. For the last seven or eight years, I’d leave the keynote stage and see hundreds of tweets and images in my feed. This year – I counted about 20. Still, social platforms aren’t dying. Facebook content consumption is up (though B2B marketers tell us they’re using it less than they did). Instagram Reels use is up. And TikTok continues to be a juggernaut in user engagement. My conclusion: The gap between the number of people who create content on social media and those who only consume content on social media is widening. Put simply, social media is becoming just media. It’s conference season as I write this, and publishers, event companies, software companies, and all manner of associations are evolving their in-person and digital event strategies. Data shows the desire for [in-person events is strong]( despite headwinds such as inflation, health concerns, and the ongoing recovery of the hospitality industry. Meanwhile, virtual and digital events are also growing. Our latest research shows sustained interest in webinars and digital events – webinars trailed only in-person events as the tactics that produced results. The takeaway: People want to be social, and they want to consume newsy content in a social way. So, it makes sense to prioritize events. In [Rose-Colored Glasses]( this week, I explain how social media’s decline presents an opportunity for events – and a big mistake to avoid. How are you adjusting to the new social media reality? [Share your thoughts with me here](mailto:Robert@contentadvisory.net?subject=Weekly%20Alert%20–%20a%20little%20familiarity%20goes%20a%20long%20way). It’s your story. Tell it well. Until then, remember: It's your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  SPONSORED CONTENT How Outsourcing Content Production Can Save Your Marketing Budget [Sponsored] Working with outsourced talent adds flexibility and scalability to your content marketing program – and can be more cost-effective than you might think. Here’s what to consider and how to use this approach to your best strategic advantage. [Read more]( Informa Tech Trust in Marketing Index reveals the state of trust between marketers and senior tech decision makers. Senior decision-makers are engaging with content regularly. Are they happy with what they see? Do they trust it? The Index uncovers their preferences, giving marketers essential insights into how to elevate trust with the most desirable audience. [Download the “2023 Trust in Marketing Index: How B2B Marketers can fill the trust gap?” for free today](  MORE FROM CMI New Unlocked Session From Content Marketing World When your audience makes choices, they play favorites. The question is, are you one of them? If you missed Content Marketing World this year (or just couldn’t get to all of your favorite sessions), get a taste of what’s included in the CMWorld 2023 Digital Pass by watching this session from Jay Acunzo. Then [register for your Digital Pass]( with code EM100 to save $100. [Watch session »](  Livestream Next Monday: Change Fatigue Solutions Change is inevitable. Resistance to change is just as predictable. How do you motivate teams to willingly get on board? Tune in Monday, October 23, at 12 p.m. ET for the next Ask the #CMWorld Community Livestream as CMI host Amanda Subler sits down with Jenny Magic and Melissa Breker to talk about do-it-today techniques and actionable tools to remove the real barriers to change and move your team to the next level. 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