On social – the future belongs to the companies worth watching
There was a time when social media was about conversations. Dubbed the “digital town square”, it was once a space for brands to directly connect with people, spur conversation, and build a sense of community.
Brands posted, audiences commented, communities grew. It built relationships.
Today, it has evolved into an entertainment hub that over two-thirds of the population enjoy for an average of over 2.5 hours a day.
Scroll through any social video feed today and you won’t just see ads – you’ll see branded sitcoms, game-show formats, creator-driven storylines, and ad-supported microdramas – all competing for the same three seconds of attention.
Most people, whether it be on TikTok, Instagram, X, or YouTube, open social media for one reason: to be entertained.
Why does this matter for PR and marketing?
For marketing and communications teams, this change is more than another platform update. It’s a shift in how visibility is earned. Audiences are no longer discovering content simply through the accounts they follow, they’re discovering it through recommendation algorithms that reward engaging content, regardless of who created it.
It’s meant that social success is no longer determined by vanity metrics – i.e. how frequently you post or how many followers you’ve accumulated. It’s a battle for attention, and that changes everything about how brands and marketers need to create content.
As DigiDay explains; “The quiet shift is forcing brand marketers to rethink the role social plays in their marketing strategies, how creative gets made and success metrics. In some ways, brands are having to act like media companies, adapting by producing platform-native entertainment while still staying accountable to sales.”
Here’s some of the key shifts and how to get around them:
The underlying audience mindset: They want to be entertained, not sold to
PR and marketing pros are feeling the heat! People use social media to switch off, escape everyday noise, cure boredom – they’re not there to be sold a new product or service. Social media success is no longer about publishing more content, it’s about creating content people would choose to watch.
The role of social media in B2B and B2C marketing has changed significantly. Reaching the correct audience, with the correct product, means content needs to feel natural, extremely relevant (or expect an immediate swipe up), and native to the platform and the viewer, not like a traditional ad.
On social media, your biggest competitors are no longer who you think they are!
And here’s the twist in the plot! Competition isn’t necessarily other brands. With attention now earned, not bought, it’s a battle for audience attention spans. Creators, podcasters, and user-generated content are all competing for the same attention.
Audiences aren’t distinguishing between “brand content” and “creator content”, they’re simply deciding whether something is worth their time. Content needs to stand out more than ever.
The algorithms are a daily changing battle!
Algorithms on social media are their own mythical beast – they change daily, are hard to follow, and sometimes, simply don’t make sense. But one thing that has become apparent – major platforms now prioritize entertaining algorithm-driven video feeds such as TikTok and Instagram Reels over chronological text debates.
Now algorithms reward watch time, retention, and engagement with entertaining content – not simply branded messaging. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are powered by recommendation algorithms designed to maximize watch time rather than social interaction. If it entertains, teaches something useful, or sparks curiosity, they’ll stay. If not, they’ll scroll within seconds.
Our top tips for creating social content:
- Short-form content: The King of video content! Today, nearly 139 million Instagram Reels are watched every minute. It matches modern audiences’ shorter (60 second!) attention spans, mobile-first habits, and preference for quick, engaging content. For B2B marketers, the key to reaching audiences will be targeting where people already consume content, repurposing longer material into digestible clips, and using authentic, people-focused videos to build trust in an increasingly AI-driven digital landscape.
- Educate and remain authentic: Content that educates, entertains, or surprises is more likely to generate meaningful engagement than polished corporate messaging alone. People will only purchase from people they trust, so content needs to remain authentic. For communications teams, this represents a shift from campaign thinking towards continuous storytelling.
- Storytelling: Humans are wired to enjoy stories and seek them out. And the promise of an interesting story is often hard to resist. An intriguing hook can help you achieve this with a promise for an interesting story that your audience won’t want to miss. Customer success stories are a great way to deploy the storytelling tactic but remember to make sure the story is relevant to your target audience.
- Consistency: Rather than asking, “What should we post this week?”, ask “What stories can we tell consistently?” Keep your messaging on brand, set the scene with your audiences, and then bring in how your solution, product, or service can solve the issue!
The future belongs to the companies worth watching
Social media is no longer simply a distribution channel. It’s a competitive entertainment environment where attention is earned one piece of content at a time.
Brands need to stop thinking like advertisers and start thinking like entertainment companies.
Georgia Harris is PR Lead Themes at IBA International.
