A recently released study has a stern message for content managers: social engagement is trending down.

Finger on the engagement and referrals

BuzzSumo’s Content Trends Report 2018 has revealed that ‘Content engagement, such as shares, likes, and comments on social networks, has halved since 2015.’

Further, it has found that referral traffic from social sources has also dropped. In 2017, the report says, Google regained the mantle as the leading source of referral traffic.

The report identifies the most impactful causes of this downturn are content saturation and algorithm changes.

Content shock

The amount of content being generated for online audiences is roughly doubling every couple of years. That means competition for views and engagement with the content is vastly more competitive.

Indeed, too much content about any given subject trend can render that topic effectively unviable in a commercial strategy.

Know your algorithm

As social networks refine their algorithms to suit their users and their own monetisation objectives, the success factors for content constantly change.

Viral success is still possible but tends to be less pervasive even when something does take off. Clickbait and listicles are becoming less popular—maybe hinting at an emerging sophistication of the audience.

How have you evolved your content strategy for a better presence in  maturing social markets?

Copy Transmission is a Melbourne-based agency :: Better Brands. Loud & Clear.