Social media is the most common way for people to get news. However, platforms change their algorithms often, which can impact content visibility. To stay competitive, brands and businesses must keep their feeds up-to-date with the latest news.
The primary way for people to access news on social media is through the news feed. This is a real-time stream that displays updates, posts and content from connections on the platform. In a study done by the Pew Research Center, 20% of adults said they got news on social media at least once a day.
This is especially true for younger generations. While just 10% of Facebook and Instagram users say that keeping up with the news is a primary reason for their platform use, around 30% of X, TikTok and Threads users encounter news often while scrolling.
Social media platforms are increasingly pushing user-generated content and native platform videos over branded and polished content. This trend is likely to continue, as they seek to drive credibility and trust by providing more authentic content.
Another way that social media is changing the news landscape is through the rise of social commerce. More people are looking for restaurant recommendations, reviews and other information on social media than by searching on Google. This is a major shift in search habits that highlights the importance of multi-channel optimization.