Do you remember when you could go to each social media platform and know exactly what you’d get? For example, if you logged into Instagram, you knew that you’d largely see photos from people you follow. Those days look like they’re over, and many networks have seemingly become more generalized.
Of course, evolution is nothing new—and no platform was ever going to stay the same forever. But over the past few years, some would argue that many social media apps and websites have lost track of their core mission. And if they aren’t careful, these changes could result in alienated users.
Here are some of the top reasons why social media apps should focus on doing one thing well rather than simultaneously trying to become all-in-one solutions.
1. Improved Audience Retention
In the mid to late 2010s, I had accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. And while I naturally grew out of some platforms, the main reason for being present in so many places was because each network offered something different. Now, I dip in and out of using Instagram—and my Facebook purely exists to use Messenger.
Because social media platforms have become quite similar to one another, lots of users have either deleted many of their profiles or reduced their usage on networks that they previously spent more time on.
Many businesses understand that audience retention is both less expensive and more profitable than having high turnover rates. Moving away from what you initially offered can alienate people and make them seek an alternative. Over time, that could result in advertisers pulling away and income dropping.
2. Better User Experience
Evolution is necessary in all industries and social media is no different. But beyond a certain point, companies risk sacrificing the user experience and driving away the communities that built those platforms in the first place.
One example is how the number of posts you see from people you follow on Instagram is nowhere near as high as it once was. Yes, you canuse the Following tab on Instagram—but let’s be honest, doing that each time you sign in is a huge hassle.
We’ll talk more about innovation later, but focusing on making improvements to your core offering can help provide a better user experience on apps. And as a result, companies that follow this blueprint may be able to keep users coming back to their platforms for longer.
3. A Clearer Business Direction
TikTok has taken the social media landscape by storm, and you could argue that its success has prompted some much-needed changes in the industry. Butthe TikTok-fication of social media has many negatives, and from a business standpoint, many companies look like they don’t know which direction to take.
Not having a clear purpose or standpoint is damaging because if you don’t have that, reaching your target audience becomes much harder. Moreover, shiny object syndrome will become much more tempting whenever new trends arise.
If social media apps stick to doing one thing well, they’ll have a much better idea of the vision they want to work toward. And while nobody gets everything right all the time, each new feature or update will be more intentional.
4. It’s Potentially Better for Advertising Opportunities
Despite thedebates about whether social media platforms are all becoming the same, it’s important to remember that each of them is a business. Therefore, these companies need to make money—and many have shareholder targets that they must meet.
One of the main ways that social media apps make money is through advertising. While it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that more users equals higher ad revenue, that isn’t always the case. If people aren’t interested in what advertisers offer, they won’t buy what they see—which means that those businesses won’t make money, and advertisers may go elsewhere.
By focusing on one thing, social media apps will attract an audience specifically interested in what they have to offer. As a result, these companies can pitch what they can provide to advertisers—potentially resulting in more of these choosing to promote their products.
5. Playing Other Platforms’ Games Puts You at a Disadvantage
Reels, Shorts, and other forms of short-form video content were designed to compete directly with TikTok. That might seem like a good idea on paper, but this strategy has a huge potential flaw:
Other social media networks are playing against TikTok at TikTok’s biggest strength.
The reality is that if users want short-form video content, many of them will still go to TikTok. On the flip side, those users would go to Instagram for photos, Twitter for news and discussions, and so on. So, copying TikTok isn’t as effective as improving their own core product or service.
Of course, social media networks (and businesses in general) copying each other is nothing new. Few ideas are original these days, either. But if you take something you like from another platform, it should be to strengthen your key message. Trying to overtake a network designed for a specific reason, if that isn’t what you’re mainly about, often doesn’t work.
6. It Makes More Room for Innovation
Watching social media platforms become more and more similar to one another is quite exhausting for many users. But what’s even worse is that at the moment, it sometimes feels like genuine innovation is lacking for these networks. One possible reason is that, as we discussed in an earlier point, delving from your core message—without a clear strategy—dilutes your business’s vision.
If social media apps stick to doing one thing well, they might find that they actually allow more space for innovation. Companies would gain a deeper knowledge of their core offerings and have more space to listen to feedback from their users, which would allow them to provide more value in the long run. On the flip side, continuing to follow the latest trends would leave these businesses jumping from one shiny object to another.
The Social Media Scattergun Approach Isn’t a Good Idea
Social media isn’t necessarily dying, and it’s necessary for industries to evolve over time. However, many users often feel like each app is trying to become anything and everything. At best, this is stopping them from providing value that is genuinely unique—and at worse, these apps are actually giving their competitors an advantage.
If you look at TikTok’s continued success, you can point to it doing one thing well—short-form videos—as being a key driving factor. We’re not against networks trying different things (and we actually encourage it), but it’s crucial that companies don’t lose sight of why users come to them in the first place.
