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Social media is a great tool to market yourself as an up-and-coming professional. However, social media platforms are constantly changing, which means strategies that worked in the past may no longer be effective. Keeping up with trends will help you improve your visibility online to appear to prospective employers and show that you’re social media savvy. Good knowledge of social media could even be enough to put you ahead of other candidates that have more experience than you. Here are some trends to bear in mind as you enter the workforce.

1. Trust Is on the Decline

Users are reporting less trust in social media platforms. The platform with the second largest decline in trust is LinkedIn (beaten only by Instagram). This may be driving the shift toward more personal posts and posts that are free of links.

2. Short-Form Video Reigns

The most consumed type of content on social media is short-form video. Users love pieces of content that provide them with value or entertainment in just a few minutes or seconds. Particularly popular are explainer videos. Whatever the video is about, though, it needs to have a purpose, which usually comes in the form of a call-to-action at the end.

3. Social SEO Is Crucial

For a social media strategy to be effective, the posts need to reach users. This is dependent on search engine optimization (SEO). Although SEO has always mattered, it has become even more important because of how younger people are using social media — namely, for everything. Unlike older generations, Gen Z turns to social media rather than search engines to find information. This has led platforms to put greater emphasis on search algorithms.

4. AI-Generated Content Is Becoming Commonplace

To speed up the content creation process, marketers are using AI. Tools today are powerful enough to create written copy, images, and even videos. However, AI-generated content is not without its disadvantages. For instance, it tends to be more generic, there is a greater risk of errors, and there are sometimes ethical concerns. It’s necessary to balance the benefits of using AI with the drawbacks to decide when it’s appropriate.

5. New Social Media Platforms Are Emerging

It’s too early to say if any of the new social media platforms will be the next big thing or if they’ll all fade out of existence in a few years. However, it’s best to work with the assumption that at least one will be the new TikTok and to learn the ins and outs to become an expert. The main platforms to be aware of are:

Instagram Threads — Immediately after Instagram Threads launched, it gained millions of users. An emerging alternative to Twitter, it allows Instagram users to interact with each other in communities.
Lemon8 — Although Lemon8 has been around for a while, it has taken off recently due to the platform becoming available in the U.S. and UK (users in Canada are still unable to download the app). It features curated video content and images on topics like fashion, beauty, and food.

BeReal — Going against the trends of the rest of the social media world, BeReal is all about posting unfiltered photos. The app prompts users to take and upload an image during a random two-minute interval each day.

Mastodon Social — Many users are leaving Twitter and heading over to Mastodon Social. The decentralized platform is ideal for microblogging on a range of topics and interests.

Just as important to your success as a young professional as being able to use social media is who you know. There are all sorts of ways to expand your network, including by meeting more people in your everyday life, such as in your student housing. For Brock University off-campus housing, there’s Parkway Lofts. Our luxury student apartments are a great way to meet other young professionals attending schools nearby. You can network in the multiple common areas, including the multipurpose room, fitness centre, commercial-style kitchen, and lounge. Book a tour to check out our floor plans and facilities before you move in.