What do social platforms serve as to you? 🤔🚀
I have recently been interested by how social platforms warp to the needs of the user.
Okay, stay with me...
Of course, we all look to the mysterious algorithms serving content it knows we engage with, and that's very true - this is certainly an example of platforms tailoring to users.
However, there is more to it 🤫
The user's INTERPRETATION of a platform greatly determines how they use it.
This will start with how a platform presents itself to the user and encourages the user to interact with it - such as the terrifying 'choose your interests' screen...
But, over time, users will sink deeper into pockets on the platform that are way bigger than content and algorithms:
When they use the platform, their popularity, whether they trust the platforms, what media they like to consume, when they made their account, whether they follow a lot of people, their jobs, and a bunch more.
We often forget this when creating content for platforms 🫠
Varying demographics will USE social platforms very differently, it's not just about the WHAT, but the WHY and HOW. We can't just create content to our audience's stylistic and accesibility needs on a platform, but we must consider the ways and reasons they're USING the platform in the first place.
An 18 year old on Instagram is in a different part of the platform to a 28 year old on Instagram.
Same platform, different how and why.
It comes down to one word... Profiling 👽
(let me know if you want a follow-up on actually impactful profiling 👀)
I drew my own versions of the logos for some of the social platforms I use, in ways that represents how I use them 👇
How do your social platforms serve different purposes to you? 🔍