Boosted by creative and commerce, social media is the top media space today, far surpassing traditional media outlets. Why? Shoppable properties do what traditional media never could—enable purchases as the media is being consumed.
To those of us in advertising, it seems as if traditional media has always reigned supreme. Even the youngest of our colleagues have memories of thumbing through their favorite teen magazines, calling our local radio stations to request songs or win tickets, and gathering around the TV for our weekly shows (and running to grab snacks during the commercial breaks).
Instead, social media has skyrocketed, not as a place for personal social connections but as a collection of media outlets that promise better results than traditional TV. Aided by creative and commerce opportunities, plus the prevalence of the CTV/OTT streaming-sphere, social media has become the No. 1 way for brands to reach their audiences through advertising, replacing traditional media as the core way we communicate and sell products.
Media first, social second
Today’s social media is far more media than it is social, and media planners are working day and night to get the memo out. According to Statista’s Media Outlook, social media now accounts for one in every three digital media plan dollars. This is up from 25% of media dollars just four years ago.
