2. Photo by: Jan Böke
There is an
overload of
content posted
on the Internet
for discovery.
3. Photo by: Andrew Illarionov
Two million blog posts are
written each day, 30 billion
pieces of content are shared
on Facebook each month
and 278,000 tweets are sent
every minute. 1
4. Photo by: Romain Vignes
For People withlots of friends and page
likes, as many as 15,000 potential stories could appear
any time they log on .
“
” 2– Brian Boland, Facebook Advertising Executive
5. There are
so many
daily posts on
social media; it
is unlikely that
a user will be
able to see the
updates from
all of their
connections.
Photo by: Camden Lock
2
6. Photo by: Luke Pamer
Who chooses
which posts users
see in their
timelines, and
which posts
disappear into the
“content landfill”?
So,
7. Photo by: Priscilla
Users have the ability to choose
which friends or pages to follow
on social media websites.
8. Photo by: Alex Wong
This gives the illusion that users are
in control of the content they see on
their social media newsfeeds.
9. Photo by: Marc-André Julien
Newsfeeds are
becoming increasingly
curated by outside
sources through:
1. Algorithms
2. Digital Marketing
3. Online Influencers
However,
10. Photo by: Edho Pratama
Facebook is con,nuously
developing their
algorithms that iden,fy
what stories users will
find most important
based on past likes,
shares, and clicks.
Algorithms1
3
11. Photo by: Eric Rothermel
Instagram and Twitter
have followed suit by
sorting their feeds
based on the user’s
predicted interest
rather than
chronological order. 4
12. Photo by: Remi Walle
Unfortunately, the posts that
garner likes, shares, or clicks
are not always the most
meaningful to the user. Users
may enjoy learning and keeping
up-to-date with their friends
without engaging with the
posts. 5
13. Photo by: Elizabeth Lies
Without the user
engagement, those desired
posts will be hidden due to
flaws in the algorithms. 5
14. Photo by: Gilles Lambert
Online ads are becoming
less effective due to Ad
Blocker Applications.
Adobe says that $21.8
billion in global ad
revenue will be blocked
this year.
Digital marketing2
6
15. Photo by: Rita Morais
Consequently, social
media websites have
introduced “Suggested
Posts” and “Sponsored
Tweets” which are paid
media posts that appear
in news feeds but have no
connec,on to the user.
They do not get blocked
by outside applica,ons.
7 8
16. Photo by: Tim Gouw
A user may not immediately notice that the
sponsored post is not connected to their
friends, and give the post an unwarranted
level of attention.
17. Photo by: John Towner
Top social media
profiles are often
paid to feature
brands and
products in their
posts.
Online Influencers3
9
18. Photo by: Drew Coffman
Social media
influencers can be
paid upwards of
$15,000 per
sponsored post,
depending on the
number of
followers.
9
19. Photo by: Omar Prestwich
Average users are manipulated into
thinking their online idols genuinely
support the featured brands. 10
20. Photo by: Jakob Ufkes
This can be very powerful when 5% of
Instagram users take action after seeing a
post, such as visiting a website, searching,
shopping, or telling a friend. 11
21. Photo by: William Iven
Users are under the
impression that they are in
full control of their social
media feeds. In reality, their
control is limited.
Overall,
22. Photo by: Wesson Wang
Users are under the
impression that they are in
full control of their social
media feeds. However, their
control is limited.
However,
Awareness of evolving online
marketing techniques and algorithms
can help users get the most out of
their time on social media.
Photo by: Wesson Wang
23. Photo by: Hans Vivek
References 1
[1] Catherine Toole. "Brands as publishers: inside the content marketing
trend." Getty Curve. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.
[2] Dredge, Stuart. "How does Facebook decide what to show in my news
feed?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 30 June 2014. Web. 26 Feb.
2017.
[3] Constine, Josh. "Instagram is switching its feed from chronological to best
posts first." TechCrunch. TechCrunch, 15 Mar. 2016. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
[4] Oremus, Will. "Who Really Controls What You See in Your Facebook Feed
—and Why They Keep Changing It." Slate. Slate Magazine, 03 Jan. 2016.
Web. 25 Feb. 2017.
[5] Baer, Jay. "3 Ways to Fight Facebook’s Algorithm and Customize Your
Feed." Convince&Convert. Convince&Convert, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
[6] Rosenwald, Michael. "The digital media industry needs to react to ad
blockers … or else." Columbia Journalism Review. N.p., Oct. 2015. Web. 26
Feb. 2017.
24. Photo by: Hans Vivek
References 2
[7] Darwell Brittany Darwell|October. "Facebook tests 'suggested post' label for
non-social News Feed ads." Adweek. N.p., 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
[8] Bennett, Shea . "Paid, Owned and Earned Media: What's the
Difference?" Adweek. N.p., 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
[9] Rutherford-Morrison, Lara. "How Do Instagram Stars Make Money? Here's
What Goes On Behind All The Valencia." Bustle. Bustle, 02 Feb. 2016. Web.
26 Feb. 2017.
[10] Hohener, Doug. "The Blurred Lines Between Advertising and Social
Media." LinkedIn. LinkedIn, 13 Sept. 2016. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
[11] Nadiminti, Deepak. "139 Facts About Instagram ." Adweek. Adweek, 23
Jan. 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
All images sourced from unsplash.com with “Creative Commons Zero”
