Social media has warped what news is, lowering the bar for what’s worthy of coverage and turning even the most mundane events into spectacle. The goal is engagement, so outrageous rumors and out-of-context details spread quickly to reach as many people as possible, fueling visceral arguments and encouraging outrage. The resulting confusion is damaging for our democracy and mental health.
But despite the challenges, many social media platforms are still seen as places to get news. While large sites like Facebook and YouTube orient toward professional networks, smaller platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Rumble and Truth Social are known for fostering community, providing new perspectives and promoting civic participation. Moreover, some platforms cater to specific audiences with unique demographics, partisanship and interests.
For instance, a majority of users on Truth Social and Rumble get their news from the platform and tend to be Republican or Republican-leaning independents. And while Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp are used for a variety of purposes, they have notable audiences of young men and women who over-index with right-leaning and conservative views.
As such, staying on top of social media updates can provide brands with opportunities to engage audiences in new ways and boost engagement. A recent Instagram update, for example, allows creators to see when specifically a user likes their Reel so they can better optimize their content. Additionally, LinkedIn rolled out an AI-powered job matching feature to improve the relevance of candidate searches and ad campaigns.