Brands know that social media can be a fantastically effective way to market themselves, reach new audiences, build communities and sell their products. But it comes with a caveat. Brands don’t own these platforms, which makes brand safety on social media so important.
If Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover has shown us one thing, it’s that things can change, fast.
Keeping your reputation safe on different social media channels is a priority for any brand. To do that means keeping up with changes, and adapting to them.
Here are our top three brand safety on social media trends for 2023:
- Brands prioritising safety on social platforms
Brand safety is not an add on to social media; it should be at its core. Many brands have started to leave Twitter after the abolition of the Trust and Safety Council. Others are adopting a ‘wait and see’ strategy.
A brand’s reputation could be intrinsically linked to the reputation of its main social media channel. If that channel isn’t safe for users, brands are seriously considering whether it is essential to their marketing strategy, or whether they should move elsewhere.
- Increased scrutiny of social platforms by government and campaigners
The European Union has ruled this year that Meta is breaking EU data laws by targeting users with personalised ads that use their data (the Irish regulator has already fined Facebook as a result). We’re yet to see how Meta will adapt to this, but brands will probably want to increase investment in organic social content and social listening as a result, and rely less on paid social advertising.
Campaign groups like the Conscious Advertising Network will continue to raise awareness of misinformation, exploitation and other harmful content that’s spread on social media.
And regulation like the Online Safety Bill in the UK could change how social media platforms report harmful content (more on this in a separate post).
Overall, platforms are coming under greater scrutiny, and brands (and agencies) should keep a close eye on changes and user trends that will impact safety.
- Striking a balance between brand safety and brand discovery
There is a fine balance between discoverability and safety. Brands need to weigh up what level of risk they are comfortable with on each platform, in order to reap its rewards.
No platform is perfect. TikTok, for example, has some people concerned about data privacy, but it’s unmatched when it comes to brand discovery.
The key is to create and maintain a safety strategy that lets the brand respond quickly to changes as they happen. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, identify your must-haves and know where your red lines are on safety.
These are essential things to know to keep your brand safe on social media in 2023.
