The tides are turning

From telegraphs and newspapers to television and the internet, the methods of news delivery have always changed with the times.

While this may seem like a relatively small proportion, it is a significantly growing trend and a new way for additional audiences to digest your content.

Almost every social media platform can house news content. Facebook has always been the leader in terms of news and still is today as 36% of worldwide social media users report Facebook as being their go-to platform for news.

For the purpose of this article, however, we’re not concerned with Facebook, and rather we’ll look at trends of news on Instagram and Twitter.

Historically, Twitter has been the more popular social media platform for news-related information. As a text-based platform, it is a good place to post quick news updates. But over the past few years–and especially in recent months–Instagram has started to fill this role as well. Younger audiences (18-44) tend to connect better with visual content and Instagram is an ideal platform for this.

Currently, 11% of worldwide social media users use Instagram to access news, whereas 12% use Twitter. Twitter still has the advantage, but Instagram is gaining on Twitter and not showing any sign of stopping.

News graphics are more visually appealing and therefore more engaging for many people. Instagram, as primarily a photo-based platform, is a perfect place for this sort of content. This year especially, we have started to see more and more news on Instagram in the form of infographics. COVID-19 and racial justice issues have created an abundance of news content, and Instagram has been flooded with infographics packed with useful and easily digestible information—making it that much more share-friendly.

• It’s important to know social media trends, no matter what kind of business you have. In this case, Instagram presents a new opportunity for media to reach new audiences—the ever-elusive Gen Z and late-bloomer Millennials. You can also make this work for you in unique ways: Let’s say you have a press release to distribute, this is a perfect avenue to get the word out instead of hoping the media picks it up. (Pro-tip: It’s also a great way to get the media’s attention, especially if you tag them in your post.
  

• Infographics are an effective way to convey information, whether in print or digital. Your business can use them to display the features of your new product, add a fun flair to simple company announcements, and make your content more engaging in general. If infographics are effective at conveying news, they can certainly help your business, as well. (Pro-tip: Try Canva to create simple infographics. We created a one-minute tutorial on using Canva here.

• Reconsider and inform your social media strategies. Each platform serves a different purpose and audience, and your messaging for each should reflect that. (We definitely do not recommend saying the same thing across all of your channels.) What are your primary reasons for using these platforms? What types of content do you post on them? Evaluate how you use them–like Instagram–and consider how its broadening role can play into your social media strategy.

Addendum: Infographics come in all shapes and sizes. They make data-driven information easy to digest. Sometimes they’re just a bunch of big numbers laid out creatively, sometimes they’re intricate, in-depth or just cool. Here’s an informational guide we found that will also help you find an infographic template that works for you.