Get in, we’re making advertising worthy again.
I spent 3 months and 2 days observing, consuming, and understanding trend reports. It’s my fav past time to read juicy insights from analytical companies and social media platforms. I’m not being sarcastic. Here’s what I learned.
1. Social Advertising
First, let’s establish common ground.
When I say social ads, I don’t mean creative ads that are boosted on social media.
I mean social media posts, that present a brand’s personality and values, crafted with story-telling elements, filled with important information to help the consumer make a buying decision. And boosted with an adequate budget that runs for 3 – 6 months.
For brands that have money to burn, they can continue boosting polished brand ads. But for brands who take business seriously, they should be mindful of:
- Establishing relevance to the culture your consumers exist in
- Messaging and dialogues that sound natural and casual
- Focusing on consumer experience with your product/service
“Remember, this isn’t TV. It’s culture. It means that your brand is now stepping into [a creator’s] space, you have to look and feel like that. The instant you try to script it, it’s over.”
– Ashley Rudder, Chief Creator Officer, Whalar
2. Understand how trends work
The following is inspired by TikTok’s Speed of Culture. Their method focuses on how trends transform over time.
I applied my current understanding of how advertising (and propaganda) has transformed culture over long periods. I saw this happen when YouTube popped off, when TikTok created an entirely new landscape for creators, and when writing became a lucrative business.
But cultural changes are not new. For example, before the 1900’s nobody drank orange juice. Eating it was simpler. That was until Albert Lasker put forth all of his advertising prowess into transforming the average American family, into happy breakfast people. Orange juice became a breakfast icon.
Lasker’s client, California Fruit Growers Exchange had a surplus of oranges. Demand was low. Can you guess what happened after? And the same thing happened with brushing teeth.
Trend: Incidents that go viral with high participation for a time (often short)
Emerging interest: Trends that spark new interests that fit within existing niches
Culture: Emerging interest that endures and becomes part of society’s behaviour.
More on trends:
- Trends are old things made new
- Trends can be born out of subjective humour
- Trends can stem from countering a common culture
- Brands are usually not welcomed
- Trends are an entertainment medium by the people for the people
- Trends can be shaped and started by brands (VERY DIFFICULT)
3. Don’t rely on organic growth
Organic growth is dying. Big creators, especially on X, have already taken their most loyal audience offsite. They’ve seen this coming… years ago.
Now, if you’re writing content (articles, blogs, etc) for your clients… things are about to get hard. And it’s thanks to AI.
Generating content is way easier now. This also means there’s a lot of noise but very little value on platforms and websites. Patel recommends repurposing content on social media platforms, while focusing more on promoting website content.
Your content must say something new, instead of a regurgitation of what’s already been said. And you’re gonna have to spend most of your time promoting it.
Don’t be a best-kept secret.
4. Build actual value or else
Without a doubt, it’s the best time to be a copywriter. And here’s why.
Being average won’t cut it anymore. You’re gonna have to be good. Really good. And copywriters who fool themselves into thinking they’re artists, will in fact be starving.
Direct response is making a comeback. I’d argue it’s already here. While other platforms are catching up to TikTok’s short-content success, this platform is already moving on to long-form content.
It’s reported that TikTok has rolled out 10-15 minute video uploads. And the rumour now is they’re gonna push for 30 minutes. But why?
It’s because of sweet sweet advertising money. Now that X has lost a bunch of advertisers, other platforms are doing their best to secure the shift of ad spend. But is long-form content the new trend? Not exactly.
YouTube is home to long-form creators. Videos that reach up to 2 hours. And they still get viewed by the millions. With more minutes, comes more ads. TikTok is betting it can provide better ROI with long-form content.
“But Arshad, do people watch long videos??”
YES. They do. They just don’t watch boring videos.
Jacque Spitzer (Raindrop Agency) said people don’t have short attention spans. They have short consideration spans. I agree.
You and I can sit through a 3-hour movie happily. Why do we believe the myth that people don’t watch long videos? I think this myth is fueled by those who have little understanding or care about what interests the average consumer. So, back to basics.
- Spend 80% of your time and brainpower on your hook
- Craft a gripping story, presenting an interesting premise with a satisfying conclusion
- Use easy-to-understand, simple language
- Make use of good pacing
And always consider if your content is:
- Informative but interesting
- Telling a good story
- Product and problem-focused
- Worth sharing
Build actual value… or else!
