The tide is almost certainly turning against social media. The US is in a lengthy saga with TikTok, with no clear end. In 2024, Facebook’s active user count showed no growth for the first time in its history. In the face of enormous evidence that social media is detrimental to adolescent mental health, the Australian government officially banned many platforms for those under sixteen.
So does this mean we are past the point where social media almost entirely drives arts marketing?
While it’s unlikely social media platforms will all collapse in 2025, their ubiquity will almost certainly dissolve significantly in the years to come.
High-profile outlets such as Forbes and other marketing gurus have already started to predict the trend, providing unintentionally funny advice on the market without social media. These include talking to strangers you see at cafés or ensuring you always carry print marketing with you.
While some advice is dismissible, a general trend towards content marketing is becoming more common in multiple industries. These include email newsletters, such as those for high-profile Australian literary writers on Substack, Charlotte Wood and Bri Lee. Podcasts and YouTube channels are also contenders.
Many Australian arts organisations and artists have flirted with the slower forms of marketing these channels present, but most prioritise social media marketing. While creating longer-form media content may be initially exhausting, the benefits of long-term engagement are apparent to anyone who’s formed an intimate parasocial relationship with their favourite podcast.
While the marketing departments of most arts organisations today are focusing on a slew of social media content, targeted content marketing may prove to be more prevalent in five years’ time.
For a deeper dive into this topic from arts marketer Elliot Bledsloe…
