The Art Of The Social Media Sell

Most branded content on social media in Singapore is dreadful. But it doesn't have to be this way.

- EDOARDO LIOTTA

The social media landscape is in a dire state. Our feeds have gone from looking like boutique fairs to crowded neighbourhood strata malls, and influencers resemble coupon books more than creatives. As The New York Times tech writer Tiffany Hsu puts it, we’re in “a junk-ad epidemic” because online, “ads are sometimes most successful when they are eye-catchingly terrible”.

As a content creator and social media consultant for companies, I witness the deterioration of both these camps daily. Beyond having over 140,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, I have a company, Myriad Media, which consults clients on how to better their social media game. My day job is to help brands navigate this slippery slope of cringe and, well, it has not been easy.

ROI-OBSESSED

The issue, I reckon, is that the overcommercialisation of social media is being fuelled by companies overly obsessed with measuring Return on Investments (ROI). It is evident in their ads, which are often excessively flashy, salesy, loud, and, often have knock-on effects on how they work with influencers. As a result of pressure from their clients, many content creators are starting to lean into clickbait to push fast sales rather than selling through compelling narratives that make them attractive advertisers to begin with.

The fundamental issue at play is how social media marketing teams work. They are increasingly coerced by their companies to report relentless increases in sales and profits. As a result, they are losing sight of the big picture — that storytelling and brand building are at the heart of successful long-term marketing campaigns.