Social media and traditional media are fusing — here’s how we’re navigating the shift
The media landscape is ever-changing — and as storytellers, we get a front row seat to watch (and participate in!) its evolution. While print news once reigned supreme, social media and digital news are now taking the reins. Data show that 86% of U.S. adults often get news from a smartphone, computer, or tablet. Half of Americans say they get their news from social media (especially Gen Z!). Consumers are changing their media consumption to match their busy, on-the-go lifestyles, and in a culture where smartphones act as an extension of ourselves, social media offers the digestible, visual experience people crave.
At Cutline, it’s our job to understand how we can meet people where they are. But making sure a story stands out in someone’s social feed can be a challenge. Here are some ways we stay on top of the social media-driven landscape to tell our clients stories.
We build relationships with social media reporters and creators
When it comes to understanding the intersection of news and social media, building strong relationships with social media reporters, content producers, and creators informs how we can use these platforms to tell our stories. Through direct conversations with the people producing the social media content, we’ve learned what resonates with specific teams, within verticals, and at different publications — shaping how we tell our stories across business, lifestyle, and tech outlets.
From tying major campaigns to GRWM content opportunities for TikTok to “I tried it” Instagram reels highlighting innovative wellness experiences in the metaverse, we’ve become experts on what captures consumers' attention on their feeds.
We pitch digital reporters through a social media lens
We’re always thinking of ways to turn one story into multiple opportunities for our clients, and bringing social media-friendly ideas to reporters is a great way to do that. Outlets often post soundbites, viral moments, or data from their digital stories on social platforms — amplifying clients’ messages to several audiences in different ways.
For example, after we secured a profile story on Drew Afualo for TikTok’s Women’s History Month campaign, the editors at Wondermind shared clips from the recorded interview across TikTok and Instagram. We loved seeing the story broken into digestible bites that will reel in short-form content lovers while driving traffic back to the full interview. Whether it’s an impactful quote, attention-catching data, or visual assets, it’s important to position pitches to include a social media strategy and maximize reach.
We provide social editors with ready-to-post assets
Short-form video is dominating social channels, with 73% of consumers preferring short-form videos to search for products or services. When pulling together a traditional media pitch, we collaborate with a client social team to gather short-form video assets that will further bring the story to life.
Trying to capture the attention of a busy social media editor is hard enough, but having these ready-to-post short-form assets available helps get their attention and takes a load off their shoulders. For this SHAPE Instagram reel on meditating in the metaverse, we worked with our client Roblox to shoot the content, provide screen recordings, and write the script with detailed product descriptions to make the SHAPE social editor’s life easier!
We research pop culture trends
One way to get a client and their news onto social is to assess a publication’s platforms and identify where the brand can fit into existing narratives. And what’s commanding social media trends right now? Celebrities and pop culture.
During last summer’s Barbie mania — in which the world fell in love with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling (again) — we pitched a story around the increasingly popular “Barbie and Ken relationship.” This dating trend was backed by data from eharmony’s Dating Diaries campaign and the resulting story was shared on Twitter. Whenever we can incorporate a celebrity tie into our outreach or assets, we’re more likely to have success landing a social hit.
So much happens on social media these days. It’s where our personal and professional lives come together, and where many of our favorite stories are being shared. As social and traditional media fuse, we’ll continue to create social-savvy strategies that help our clients maximize the best of both worlds — a true Barbie and Ken story!