December Right Now Report
The Right Now Report gives you the high-level updates you need without the unnecessary clutter. In the December Right Now Report, we dive into strategies for maximizing your content marketing efforts, share the latest updates from Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky (which is gaining in popularity right now) and offer tips to help you prepare your marketing strategy for 2025.
Maximizing your time and efforts in content marketing
Content marketing is about creating and sharing helpful, engaging content to attract and build trust with your target audience. It can be anything from a blog post offering practical tips, to a video tutorial showing how to use a product. Content marketing is a valuable tool for building your lead funnel, but it’s important to use your time and resources effectively when it comes to creating content.
One way you can determine how to spend your time creating content is by looking at the half-life of types of content. The half-life is the time it takes for a piece of content to reach 50% of its total engagement. Data from Neil Patel gathered from 4,010,000 social media posts and 145 podcasts, reveals specific half-lives for content, showing how quickly engagement declines on platforms like TikTok (10-39 minutes) compared to longer-lasting formats like blog posts (up to 2 years).
The key is finding a balance between content that fades quickly and content that sticks around while figuring out what will have the best ROI. No matter which platform you’re creating content for, make sure it meets the needs of your target audience.
Social Media News and Updates
As we wrap up 2024, social media platforms are rolling out all kinds of updates. It’s that time of year when the competition heats up, new features get tested and companies try to keep up with user expectations. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new with Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky.
Instagram
Instagram has updated its feed to prevent posts from disappearing as new content loads. Previously, the feed would refresh when you opened the app, causing you to lose your place. Now, content stays visible while new posts load in the background.
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, also recently set the record straight that Instagram does not downrank posts marked as sponsored. He explained in a Reel that marking posts as sponsored helps the platform understand sponsored content and ensures creators can comply with global laws (like FTC disclosure requirements).
TikTok
President-elect Donald Trump is considering action to prevent a U.S. ban on TikTok. Despite previous efforts to ban the app due to concerns about its Chinese ownership, Trump stated, “I’m gonna save TikTok,” in one of his first videos on the app this June. With a January 2025 deadline for TikTok to divest from its parent company, the situation remains uncertain but we’re keeping an eye on it and will share updates as they come.
BlueSky
Bluesky reached 20 million users in November, doubling its user base in two months. Bluesky allows users to post short messages (300 characters), images and videos, similar to X (formerly Twitter) and engage with posts through reposts, replies, quotes and likes. Many users are leaving X to make the move to Bluesky. Threads is another alternative to X, but since it’s owned by Meta, some users are looking for a more decentralized option. Bluesky, on the other hand, is designed to be more independent and user-controlled.
Spokesperson Emily Liu shared with USA Today that the platform is seeing record activity, with more likes, follows and higher-quality engagement than users typically experience on other platforms, despite having more followers elsewhere. Originally an internal project at Twitter led by Jack Dorsey in 2019, Bluesky launched as a separate platform in 2021 and was invite-only until February 2024.
Two questions to help you decide If you should join Bluesky
- Do you have time for another platform?
Consider whether you have the time to manage Bluesky alongside your other platforms. Honestly assess your current workload and the time social media management takes you now. It could be worth it if it fits with your content strategy, but if it’s going to stretch your resources too thin, it might not be the best move. - Is your audience on Bluesky?
Survey your existing customers, monitor relevant conversations, and check if influencers or competitors in your field are engaging on Bluesky to determine if your target audience is active there. If your ideal customers are already there, it might be a great place to connect. But if they’re mostly hanging out on other platforms, your time might be better spent focused elsewhere.
It’s time to start planning for 2025
Somehow, we blinked and 2024 is nearly over. A new year often means an opportunity to refresh your existing marketing plan—but you don’t have to start from scratch. Now is the perfect time to review your current strategy and prepare for what’s ahead.
- Review your data
Dive into data like social media stats, website traffic, email open rates and sales numbers. Identify what worked, what didn’t and where you can improve. - Audit your audience and messaging
Revisit your target audience and personas. Are they still accurate? If they need any adjustments, now is a great time to make them. Now you can check if your messaging aligns with their needs, preferences and current trends. - Create a content calendar
You can use a content calendar to schedule content themes, emails and promotions. This will help you stay organized and proactive around key dates and campaign milestones. There will inevitably be some additions and changes, but having a calendar set from the beginning of the year helps you stay focused and meet your goals. - Budget for tools and trying new things
Allocate resources for marketing tools and other marketing areas you’d like to experiment with in the new year like video content or advertising on new platforms.
By taking the time now to review, refine and plan, you’ll set yourself up for a successful 2025. With clear goals, a focused strategy and the right tools in place, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running in the new year.
Not sure what data to review or how to create a strategy? Set up a free consultation to see how Right Relations can help you put the best foot forward in 2025.
If you have any questions about these topics or would like support in implementing these ideas in your own marketing strategy, we’re here to help. We’re committed to helping you navigate your marketing efforts with ease.
We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us today to explore how working with Right Relations can help you stay ahead of the curve and bring joy back to your marketing efforts.