Some of the biggest social media platforms seem to be going through a period of instability and change. Today it seems that their future can feel as fragile and fleeting as a sandcastle at the mercy of the tide. What should marketers do about it? Lets see what is the current situation of the social media landscape and how can we adapt to the new direction.
Meta’s European struggles.
Briefly, social media company Meta Platforms scrapped its U.S. fact-checking program and rollbacks to content moderation policies on “hateful conduct”. This change leaves more space for hateful speech on Facebook, Instagram and Threads and the most at risk groups are immigrants and LGBTQ+ communities.
At the same time, Zuckerberg said that “Europe has an ever increasing number of laws institutionalising censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there”. In response, the European Commission rejected the assertion of censorship and said they only required large platforms to remove illegal content.
However, Meta’s new approach might make this more challenging. The company is introducing a “community notes” system, inspired by the one used on X. This system enables contributors to flag posts they believe are misleading by adding notes. If a diverse group of contributors deems these notes helpful, they are made visible to the public.
So, with all of this and increasing concerns around privacy, data storage, and advertising practices, Meta’s presence and operations in the EU could see significant disruption.
TikTok is facing problems around the world.
TikTok has for several years been waging legal fights in at least 20 countries. But we should focus on the main ones, just to be as brief as possible.
The U.S. government has expressed apprehensions about TikTok’s Chinese ownership, citing potential national security risks. In response, the Supreme Court is scheduled to deliberate on a potential ban, which could lead to the app’s removal from app stores and restrict its functionality nationwide. TikTok has confirmed plans to shut down in the USA, starting January 19th, if the Supreme Court doesn’t halt a law aimed at forcing a ban on the app.
Following a tragic incident involving a 14-year-old student, Albania has announced a one-year ban on TikTok for 2025. The government attributes the decision to concerns over the app’s influence on youth and its potential role in inciting violence.
Also, after the recent cancellation of the presidential elections, Romania’s telecommunications regulator recommended suspending TikTok amid allegations of interference in the election process, reflecting concerns over the platform’s impact on political processes.
Even Russia has problems with the platform. In March 2022, following the criminalization of spreading “misinformation” about its invasion of Ukraine, Russia restricted TikTok’s operations.
Reclaiming the power of classic advertising.
As social media platforms become increasingly unstable and less predictable for long-term marketing strategies, we believe this might be the perfect time for marketers to rediscover the value of physical spaces. And after all, billboards, transit ads, and other forms of OOH offer a tangible presence that can’t be skipped or blocked, making them a powerful complement to digital strategies.
The secret right now seems to be to create a stable and resilient marketing mix. And we talk about balancing your efforts between digital platforms and other channels, like email marketing, SEO, and even OOH advertising.
Don’t put all your eggs in one social media basket.
We think that the latest updates in the social media world prove that social media managers should prioritize understanding user behavior across platforms rather than becoming overly specialized in a single one. Why? Because a platform popular today might decline tomorrow. And learning only TikTok management will not be useful if the USA or Albania situations repeat and the app is facing banning in other countries.
While platforms differ in format and features, user behavior is rooted in fundamental psychological and social patterns. By studying how people interact online—what grabs attention, what drives engagement, and how decisions are made—you can always adapt your marketing strategy to fit any new platform that might take the place of the most popular one today.
Our conclusion.
Social media will always be an uncertain domain. So, what should be our next step? Adapt—and never expect a platform to stay the same. Platforms evolve constantly: algorithms change, trends shift, and legislation surrounding online content is still in progress. The key is to stay flexible: focus on understanding your audience, experiment with new formats, and diversify your strategy across multiple channels. And remember, in marketing, curiosity and proactivity are your greatest allies.
If you need help adjusting your marketing strategy to align with the latest trends shaping the advertising landscape, feel free to get in touch and leave us a message.
